The Science of Psychology
Psychological science focuses on studying behavior and ______ processes.
What are mental processes?
The variable that is measured in a study is called the:
What is dependent variable?
Neurons that send a signal.
What is presynaptic neurons?
In operant conditioning, behavior is influenced by its:
What are consequences?
The three major stages of memory are encoding, storage, and _____.
What is retrieval?
This psychologist developed functionalism and emphasized how mental processes help individuals adapt.
Who is William James?
When two variables move in opposite directions, this is called:
What is a negative correlation?
A rapid electrical signal that travels down the axon is called a(n):
What is an action potential?
In classical conditioning, learning involves associating a stimulus with an _______ response.
What is an involuntary response?
Remembering your last birthday party is an example of this type of memory.
What is episodic memory?
A scientific theory must be testable and capable of being disproven. This quality is called:
What is falsifiability?
A researcher finds that students who sleep more tend to earn higher GPAs. Why can't they conclude sleep causes higher grades?
What is, correlation does not equal causation?
The brain's ability to reorganize itself after injury is known as:
What is plasticity?
A child stops whining after realizing it no longer gets them candy. This is an example of:
What is extinction?
A memory system that briefly holds incoming sensory information is called:
What is sensory memory?
A researcher claims, "Dreams are caused by invisible energy fields that cannot be measured". Why is this not a strong scientific theory?
What is, it is not testable or falsifiable?
In an experiment testing caffeine and reaction time, what is the main reason researchers randomly assign participants to groups?
What is, to control for confounding variables or eliminate alternative explanations?
Which type of neuron carries information from sensory receptors to the brain?
What are sensory neurons?
In Bandura's famous experiment, children imitated aggressive behavior after watching an adult model. This type of learning is called:
What is social learning?
Why can relying too heavily on schemas sometimes lead to errors in judgment?
What is, they can cause bias or misinterpretation of new information?
A psychologist proposes a theory, tests it repeatedly, and other scientists obtain similar results. Which core feature of science strengthens confidence in the findings?
What is replication?
Before conducting a study that could cause stress to participants, a psychologist must first evaluate whether the benefits outweigh the risks. This ethical principle is known as:
What is beneficence?
A student says they are "right-brained" and therefore not good at math. Why is this statement scientifically inaccurate?
What is, there is no scientific proof that people are "left" or "right" brained?
A student studies harder after receiving praise from a professor. What process explains this increase in studying behavior?
What is positive reinforcement?
Learning involves forming associations, while memory involves what two processes?
What is storing and retrieving information?