Introduction to Psychology Quiz

### Introduction to Psychology

• Psychology is based on observation.
• The goals of science are description, prediction, and explanation.

Theory

• A theory describes general principles about how constructs relate to one another.
• A good theory has supporting data, falsifiability, and parsimony.

Hypothesis

• A hypothesis is a specific statement that a researcher expects to observe if the theory is accurate.

Operationalization

• Operationalization is the process of turning a construct into a measurable variable.

Steps of the Scientific Method

• Preparation Stage (Steps 1-4): read, summarize, research, clarify.
• Execution Stage (Steps 5-7): conduct the study as planned, analyze results, and write a report.

Replication Crisis

• Many research findings cannot be replicated.
• Only 39% of top journal articles replicated (61% false positive).
• Contributors include small sample size, HARKing, and using statistical tests until finding favorable results.
• University student samples are often “WEIRD” (White, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic).

Types of Studies

• Descriptive Studies: include case studies, observational studies, self-reports, and interviews.
• Correlational Studies: measure the relationship between two variables.
  • Values range from –1.0 to +1.0.
  • Indicate both strength and direction.
• Experimental Studies: manipulate an Independent Variable (IV) to observe its effect on the Dependent Variable (DV).
  • IV is what the researcher changes.
  • DV is what the researcher measures.
  • IV has levels (e.g., experimental group vs. control group).
  • Between-group design assigns different participants to each level.
  • Within-group design exposes the same participants to all levels.
  • To establish causality, the IV must be the only change made.

Research Ethics

• Respect for People: Individuals should be treated as autonomous agents, and those with diminished autonomy require special protection. Participants must provide informed consent.
• Beneficence: Individuals should not be exposed to harm or unnecessary risk, and benefits should be maximized.
• Justice: Participants should be treated fairly without bias. The study's benefits should be distributed to the population from which participants were selected.

Test your understanding of foundational concepts in psychology, including theories, hypotheses, and the scientific method. This quiz covers the importance of operationalization, the replication crisis, and the goals of scientific research.