Psychology and Research Methods Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What is confirmation bias?

The cognitive process of making decisions based on emotions.

The inclination to adjust beliefs based on social pressures.

The habit of seeking out information that supports existing beliefs. (correct)

The tendency to believe new information that contradicts existing beliefs.

Which research method involves examining a small number of individuals in depth?

Correlational design

Experiment

Case study (correct)

Naturalistic observation

What does an independent variable refer to in an experiment?

The variable that is manipulated by the researcher. (correct)

The variable being measured in the study.

The group that does not receive the treatment.

The outcome influenced by the experimental conditions.

Which brain structure is primarily associated with emotional learning and memory?

Amygdala Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'naïve realism' imply?

The assumption that people perceive things as they actually are. Signup and view all the answers

Which neurotransmitter is linked to motivation and rewarding experiences?

Dopamine Signup and view all the answers

What does the basal ganglia primarily control?

Movement and motor planning. Signup and view all the answers

Which lobe of the brain is responsible for processing auditory information?

Temporal lobe Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the lens in the eye during the visual process?

To accommodate for focusing images at different distances Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the eye contains receptor cells for color perception?

Cones Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon occurs when a person fails to notice a stimulus that is in plain sight due to focused attention elsewhere?

Inattentional Blindness Signup and view all the answers

How does dark adaptation affect rods in the retina?

Rods become more sensitive to light over time in darkness Signup and view all the answers

Which theory explains color vision based on sensitivity to three primary colors?

Trichromatic Theory Signup and view all the answers

What structure in the eye forms the blind spot?

Optic Nerve Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of feature detector cells in the visual system?

They detect lines and edges of objects Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the eye controls how much light enters through the pupil?

Iris Signup and view all the answers

What primarily drives intrinsic motivation?

Internal goals Signup and view all the answers

Which type of gesture conveys conventional meanings recognized by a culture?

Emblem Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by the principle of falsifiability in scientific research?

A theory can be proven wrong Signup and view all the answers

What distinction does the principle of correlation vs causation emphasize?

Causation requires experimental manipulation Signup and view all the answers

Which term describes gestures that enhance or underscore verbal communication?

Illustrator Signup and view all the answers

What principle would be violated if an extraordinary claim does not have sufficient evidence?

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of naive realism in psychology?

Believing our perceptions reflect reality perfectly Signup and view all the answers

Which adjustment would represent negative reinforcement with respect to encouraging a TA to tell more jokes?

Allow the TA to skip grading if they keep telling jokes Signup and view all the answers

What does the Electroencephalogram (EEG) primarily measure?

Electrical activity generated by the brain Signup and view all the answers

Which imaging technique provides information by measuring blood oxygen changes?

fMRI Signup and view all the answers

Which technique requires the injection of radioactive substances to visualize brain activity?

PET Signup and view all the answers

What type of information can be inferred from patterns in an EEG?

Awake or asleep states Signup and view all the answers

What does the CT scan primarily reconstruct?

3D images from multiple x-rays Signup and view all the answers

What does the Magnetoencephalography (MEG) measure?

Electrical activity through magnetic fields Signup and view all the answers

How does fMRI indirectly indicate brain activity?

By assessing blood oxygen levels Signup and view all the answers

What was a major contribution of Hans Berger in the field of brain imaging?

Creation of the Electroencephalogram (EEG) Signup and view all the answers

What does the Activation-Synthesis Theory propose about dreams?

Dreams reflect brain activation rather than desires. Signup and view all the answers

According to the Neurocognitive Theory, how do dreams function?

They simulate experiences to explore outcomes. Signup and view all the answers

Which hypothesis argues that there is a continuity between sleeping and waking experiences?

Dream Continuity Hypothesis Signup and view all the answers

What is an Out of Body Experience (OBE)?

A perception of consciousness leaving the physical body. Signup and view all the answers

How are mystical experiences typically studied?

Under tightly controlled and supportive laboratory conditions. Signup and view all the answers

What triggers deja vu experiences according to the provided content?

Small seizures in the temporal lobe. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is associated with mystical experiences?

Fasting and sensory deprivation. Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes Near Death Experiences (NDE) from Out of Body Experiences (OBE)?

NDEs are specifically linked to life-threatening situations. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Psychology and Scientific Thinking

Psychology is more than just common sense.
Psychology provides deeper insights into human behavior, considering multiple levels of analysis.
Naive realism: The belief that we see the world precisely as it is.

Research Methods

Naturalistic observation: Observing behavior in real-world settings without manipulating the situation.
Case study: In-depth examination of one person or a small group, often over time.
Correlational design: Examining the association between two variables, not implying causation.
Experiment: Characterized by random assignment to conditions and manipulation of an independent variable.
Independent variable: The manipulated variable.
Dependent variable: The outcome variable being measured.
Control group: The group that does not receive the independent variable.
Experimental group: The group that receives the independent variable.

Biological Psychology

Glutamate: Neurotransmitter associated with memory enhancement and learning.
Acetylcholine: Neurotransmitter associated with arousal, selective attention, memory, and sleep.
Norepinephrine and serotonin: Neurochemicals that influence consciousness, arousal, and movement.
Dopamine: Neurotransmitter associated with motivation and rewarding experiences.

Brain Structures and Functions

Lobes:
- Frontal: Executive functions, motor planning, language, decision-making.
- Parietal: Processes touch, integrates senses.
- Temporal: Processes auditory information, language, long-term memory.
- Occipital: Processes visuals.
Basal ganglia: Controls movement, motor planning, skill, and habit learning.
Limbic system:
- Thalamus: Conveys sensory information to the cortex, integrates senses.
- Hypothalamus: Oversees hormone release and the autonomic nervous system.
- Amygdala: Modulates emotional learning and memory, particularly fear and aggression.
- Hippocampus: Enables formation of new long-term memories, spatial navigation, and vivid remembering. It has a direct connection to the olfactory cortex, which might explain why smells evoke emotional memories.
Cerebellum: Controls balance and coordinates fine or precise movements.

Motivation and Emotion

Two-Factor theory: Combines encounter and attribution of emotion to its source.
Intrinsic motivation: Driven by internal goals.
Extrinsic motivation: Driven by external goals.

Nonverbal Communication

Manipulators: Gestures involving one body part touching or stroking another.
Illustrators: Gestures that highlight or accentuate speech.
Emblems: Gestures with conventional meanings recognized culturally.
Display rules: Societal guidelines for expressing emotions.

Scientific Principles

Replicability: Conducting an experiment multiple times to see if similar results are obtained.
Falsifiability: Designing a study in a way that allows the hypothesis to be proven wrong.
Ruling out rival hypotheses: Considering and eliminating alternative explanations for observations.
Correlation vs. causation: Recognizing that correlation does not imply causation.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence: Requiring strong evidence for claims exceeding normal expectations.

Reinforcement and Punishment

Positive reinforcement: Adding a stimulus to increase the probability of a behavior.
Negative reinforcement: Removing a stimulus to increase the probability of a behavior.
Positive punishment: Adding a stimulus to decrease the probability of a behavior.
Negative punishment: Removing a stimulus to decrease the probability of a behavior.

Consciousness and Altered States

Selective attention: Focusing on one channel of information while ignoring others.
Inattentional blindness: Failing to notice stimuli in plain sight when attention is elsewhere.
Hallucinations: Sensory experiences without external stimuli.
Mystical experience: Feelings of unity or oneness with the world, often with spiritual overtones.
Out-of-body experience (OBE): The feeling of consciousness leaving the body.
Near-death experience (NDE): An OBE reported by individuals near death.
Déjà vu: The feeling that a present experience is already familiar.

Visual Perception

Lens: Accommodates to focus on objects near and far by changing shape.
Retina: Contains rods and cones, converting light into neural activity.
Rods: Light-sensitive receptor cells for low-light vision.
Cones: Light-sensitive receptor cells for color vision.
Optic nerve: Carries visual information from the retina to the brain.
Blind spot: Region of the retina lacking rods and cones, resulting in no visual perception.
Feature detector cells: Specialized cells that detect lines and edges.

Theories of Dreaming

Activation-synthesis theory: Dreams reflect random neural activity in the brain during REM sleep.
Neurocognitive theory: Dreams are meaningful products of our cognitive capabilities.
Dream continuity hypothesis: Existing continuities between sleeping and waking experiences, with dreams potentially reflecting daily thoughts, concerns, and experiences.

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Description

Test your understanding of foundational concepts in psychology, including scientific thinking, research methods, and biological psychology. This quiz covers key terms and principles essential for studying human behavior and conducting psychological research.