Research Methods 1
If a participant chooses to leave a study before it is finished, what ethical right are they exercising?
Discontinuing Participation
If two variables increase together—such as study time and test scores—what type of correlation does this represent?
Positive Correlation
What brain region helps control balance and coordinated movement, like walking or playing sports?
Cerebellum
Which part of the neuron receives incoming messages from other cells?
Dendrites
Which part of the brain processes visual information?
Occipital Lobe
A psychologist believes aggressive behavior is caused by unconscious conflicts from childhood. Which psychological perspective best explains this belief?
Psychodynamic Perspective
If one person in a study is given treatment while the participant is unaware of whether they are receiving the real treatment or a placebo—but the researcher knows—which type of study design is being used?
Single Blind Study
Which structure acts like a sensory relay station, sending incoming messages to the appropriate brain regions? (You might remember she is a secretary)
Thalamus
Which type of neurons work to send sensory information to the brain?
Sensory Neurons
What do we call the conversion of sensory energy (like light or sound) into neural signals the brain can understand?
Transduction
The following correlation coefficients are presented to show relationships between phone usage, sleep, grade level, and test scores. Which pair shows the closest relationship?
Phone Usage and Test Scores: +.7
Sleep and Test Scores: - .8
Grade Level and Test Scores: + .4
Sleep and test scores (closest to 1 or -1)
After a study ends, participants are told the true purpose of the research and whether any deception was used. What process is this?
Debriefing
Which structure in the limbic system plays a key role in creating and storing long-term memories?
Hippocampus
Which nervous system responds to emergencies by increasing heart rate and slowing digestion? (fight, flight, or freeze)
Sympathetic NS
Which type of processing starts with sensory input and builds toward perception (like assembling a puzzle without the picture)?
Bottom Up Processing
When a baseball player mistakenly believes that wearing lucky socks improves his batting average, even though no true correlation exists, what type of correlation is occurring?
Illusory Correlation
A researcher selects participants from different grade levels in the district to accurately reflect the student population. What type of sample is this?
Representative Sample
Which brain system includes the amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus and is involved in emotion, memory, and motivation?
Limbic System
What do we call the tiny gap between the sending neuron’s axon terminal and the receiving neuron’s dendrite?
Synapse
What is the smallest amount of stimulation needed to detect something at least 50% of the time?
Absolute Threshold
A researcher manipulates the amount of sleep students get before a test to see if it affects their scores. What is the independent variable and dependent variable?
Independent Variable = hours of sleep; Dependent Variable = test scores
A study attempts to explain behavior using genetics, cultural background, and personal thoughts/feelings simultaneously. What broad psychological approach is being used?
Biopsychosocial Perspective
A child undergoes a procedure where an entire hemisphere is removed, yet goes on to live an almost fully functional life. What is the surgery AND what term explains how the brain can change itself over time?
Hemispherectomy and Plasticity
What term refers to the return of neurotransmitters to the presynaptic neuron after they are released?
Reuptake
What tendency causes us to stop noticing a constant, unchanging stimulus, such as a watch or classroom smell?
Sensory Adaptation