Psych 221 Chapter 1- February 4th

Question 1

Sociocultural Perspective

Answer 1

the theoretical viewpoint that searches for the causes of social behavior in influences from larger social groups,

Question 2

Socia Norm

Answer 2

a rule or expectation for appropriate social behavior.

Question 3

Culture

Answer 3

The beliefs, customs, habits, and language shared by the people living in a particular time and place.

Question 4

Evolutionary Perspective

Answer 4

a theoretical viewpoint that searches for the cause of social behavior in the physical and psychological predispositions that helped our ancestors survive and reproduce.

Question 5

Natural Selection

Answer 5

the process by which characteristics that help animals survive and reproduce are passed on to their offspring.

Question 6

Adaptation

Answer 6

a characteristic that is well designed for survival and reproduction in a particular environment.

Question 7

Social Learning Perspective

Answer 7

a theoretical viewpoint that focuses on past learning experiences as determinants of a person`s social behaviors.

Question 8

Social Cognitive Perspective

Answer 8

A theoretical viewpoint that focuses on the mental processes involved in paying attention to, interpreting, and remembering social experiences.

Question 9

Person

Answer 9

features or characteristics that individuals carry into social situations.

Question 10

Situation

Answer 10

environmental events or circumstances outside the person.

Question 11

Hypothesis

Answer 11

a researcher`s prediction about what he or she will find.

Question 12

Descriptive Method

Answer 12

procedure for measuring or recording behaviors, thoughts, and feelings in their natural state (including naturalistic observations, case studies, archival studies, surveys, and psychological tests).

Question 13

Experimental Method

Answer 13

procedure for uncovering casual processes by systematically manipulating some aspect of a situation.

Question 14

Naturalistic Observation

Answer 14

recording everyday behaviors as they unfold in their natural settings.

Question 15

Observer Bias

Answer 15

error introduced into measurement when an observer overemphasizes behaviors he or she expects to find and fails to notice behaviors he or she does not expect.

Question 16

Case Study

Answer 16

an intensive examination of an individual or group.

Question 17

Generalizability

Answer 17

the extent to which the findings of a particular research study extend to other similar circumstances or cases.

Question 18

Archival Method

Answer 18

examination of systematic data originally collected for other purposes (such as marriage licenses or arrest records).

Question 19

Survey Method

Answer 19

a technique in which the researcher asks people to report on their beliefs, feelings, or behaviors.

Question 20

Social Desirability Bias

Answer 20

the tendency for people to say what they believe is appropriate or acceptable.

Question 21

Representative Sample

Answer 21

a group of respondents having characteristics that match those of the larger population the researcher wants to describe.

Question 22

Psychological Test

Answer 22

instrument for assessing a person`s abilities, cognitions, or motivations.

Question 23

Reliability

Answer 23

the consistency of the score yielded by a psychological test.

Question 24

Validity

Answer 24

the extent to which a test measures what it is designed to measure.

Question 25

Correlation

Answer 25

the extent to which two or more variables are associated with one another.

Question 26

Correlation Coefficient

Answer 26

a mathematical expression of the relationship between two variables.

Question 27

Experiment

Answer 27

a research method in which the researcher sets out to systematically manipulate one source of influence while holding others constant.

Question 28

Independent Variable

Answer 28

the variable manipulated by the experimenter.

Question 29

Dependent Variable

Answer 29

the variable measured by the experimenter.

Question 30

Random Assignment

Answer 30

the practice of assigning participants to treatments so each person has an equal chance of being in any condition.

Question 31

Internal Validity

Answer 31

the extent to which an experiment allows confident statements about cause and effect.

Question 32

Confound

Answer 32

a variable that systematically changes along with the independent variable, potentially leading to a mistaken conclusion about the effect of the independent variable.

Question 33

External Validity

Answer 33

the extent to which the results of an experiment can be generalized to other circumstances.

Question 34

Demand Characteristic

Answer 34

cue that makes participants aware of how the experimenter expects them to behave.

Question 35

Field Experimentation

Answer 35

the manipulation of independent variables using unknown participants in natural settings.

Question 36

Debriefing

Answer 36

a discussion of procedures, hypotheses, and participant reactions at the completion of the study.

Question 37

Social Psychology

Answer 37

the scientific study of how people`s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by other people.

Question 38

Theory

Answer 38

scientific explanation that connects and organizes existing observations and suggests fruitful paths for future research.