Psychology Basics
What do psychologists mean when they talk about “mental processes”?
A: Thoughts, feelings, and motives that cannot be directly observed.
If you want to discover whether listening to music while studying improves test scores, which method should you use?
A: An experiment.
Before starting a study, participants must agree to join after learning about the risks. What is this called?
A: Informed consent.
Which theory focuses on hidden drives and childhood experiences influencing behavior?
A: Psychoanalytic theory.
If a student copies his friend’s study habits because he sees him get good grades, which perspective explains this?
A: Behavioral/social learning perspective.
Who is considered the father of psychology and founded the first psychology lab?
Wilhelm Wundt.
The variable that is manipulated in an experiment.
A: Independent variable.
Participants are always allowed to leave a study, even after it starts. Which principle is this?
Freedom from Coercion
Who wrote Principles of Psychology and is linked to functionalism?
A: William James.
Research done to increase knowledge about memory, without applying it right away, is an example of _______ psychology.
A: Basic psychology.
Which early school of thought focused on “why” mental processes and behaviors exist, rather than just their parts?
A: Functionalism
The outcome you measure in an experiment is called the ________.
A: Dependent variable.
If a researcher keeps participants’ data private and anonymous, what principle is being followed?
A: Confidentiality.
Which perspective sees behavior as learned through rewards, punishments, and observation?
A: Behavioral perspective.
A counselor designs a program to reduce student stress during exams. Which goal of psychology is this?
A: influence.
Who designed a test in the early 1900s to measure children’s ability to learn at school?
A: Alfred Binet
Which method might involve following one person with a rare disorder for many years?
A: Case study.
After using deception in a study, what must researchers always do?
A: Provide a debriefing.
Who designed a test in the early 1900s to measure children’s ability to learn at school?
A: Alfred Binet.
A researcher predicts that poor sleep will lead to worse concentration the next day. Which goal of psychology is this?
A: Prediction.
Compare structuralism and functionalism—what was the main difference in their focus?
A: Structuralism focused on analyzing the structure of the mind using introspection; functionalism focused on the purpose of mental processes and behavior.
A researcher finds a strong positive correlation between hours of social media use and anxiety levels. Why can’t they conclude that social media causes anxiety?
A: Correlation does not prove causation—another variable may be involved, or the direction of influence may be unclear.
Imagine a researcher studies stress by asking participants to speak in front of a crowd, which makes them anxious. Which two ethical principles are most relevant here, and why?
A: Limited Deception and informed consent (participants must know the risks before agreeing).
How would the behavioral, cognitive, and psychoanalytic perspectives each explain why a student has test anxiety?
A: Behavioral: result of learned associations (e.g., failing linked with stress).
Cognitive: caused by negative thought patterns (“I’ll fail no matter what”).
Psychoanalytic: rooted in unconscious conflicts or past experiences.
A study finds that students with better sleep have higher GPAs. Design a follow-up experiment to test if sleep actually causes better grades. (What would be the IV and DV?)
A: IV = hours/quality of sleep (manipulated). DV = GPA or academic performance.