Psych 209: Chapter 1 Review Questions

Question 1

1.1

Answer 1

Preview and Chapter Objectives

Question 2

How does a research methods course differ from a course in social psychology?

Answer 2

A methods course teaches a process (of doing research) that applies to other content courses (the social psychology course)

Question 3

When graduate school in psychology examine student transcripts, which courses are they most likely to want to see?

Answer 3

Statistics (Research methods is next)

Question 4

Even if you never get involved in research after taking the research methods course, why is taking a research methods course valuable?

Answer 4

Improves your ability to be a critical consumer of information.

Question 5

1.2

Answer 5

Ways of Knowing

Question 6

If you fail to question anything in this textbook, you will be relying too heavily on ________ as a way of thinking.

Answer 6

Authority

Question 7

Some students think they should never change questions on multiple-choice tests. What does this have to do with the availability heuristic?

Answer 7

When students change answers and happen to get the item wrong, even though it is statistically less likely then changing it to the correct answer, the outcomes tick out in their memory because it is painful (they lost points)

Question 8

1.3

Answer 8

Science as a Way of Knowing

Question 9

Textbook definitions of psychology always include the term “behavior”. What does this have to do with the concept of objectivity?

Answer 9

Behaviors can be measured and agreement among observers can occur

Question 10

What is an empirical question? Give an example.

Answer 10

An empirical question is one that can be answered with data collected from a study using scientific procedures.

Question 11

What is the difference between a theory and a hypothesis?

Answer 11

A theory summarizes what is known about some phenomenon and provides a tentative explanation; a hypothesis is a research prediction that can be deduced from a theory

Question 12

1.4

Answer 12

Psychological Science and Pseudoscience

Question 13

How did pseudoscience phrenologists get around the problem of falsification (disproof)?

Answer 13

Phrenologists sidestepped disproof about one faculty by using other faculties to explain the apparent anomaly

Question 14

What is anecdotal evidence and why is it often useless as a way to support the truth of some claim?

Answer 14

Anecdotal evidience involves using specific examples to support a general claim (they are also testimonials); they are problematic because those using such evidence fail to report instances that do not support the claim

Question 15

In psychological science, what is law, and with which goal is it associated?

Answer 15

A law is a regularly occurring relationship. It applies to the goal of prediction