Psychology Chapter 1 Quiz

Ways of Knowing about Behavior

• Non-empirical methods include authority, logic, and intuition, while empirical methods rely on scientific approaches for understanding behavior.
• Authority relies on the acceptance of beliefs from respected figures but can lead to contradictions among authorities.
• Logic indicates that a statement can be valid without being true; e.g., it may be logically valid to say, "It is raining," without it actually being the case.
• Intuition is based on spontaneous judgments and can be influenced by common sense, which varies culturally and over time.

Characteristics of Science

• Empirical: Science emphasizes knowledge based on experience rather than authority or common sense.
• Objective: Observations should be replicable by any observer under the same conditions, distinguishing objective from subjective observations.
• Self-correcting: Science adapts to new evidence, revising prior beliefs when contradiction occurs.
• Progressive: Scientific knowledge builds over time, enhancing understanding further.
• Tentative: Science acknowledges the potential for current knowledge to be made obsolete as new information arises.
• Parsimonious: Preferences are given to simpler explanations over more complex ones when all else is equal.

Research Methodology

• Various methodologies enhance the study of behavior patterns, including stop-action and slow-motion recordings.
• Participant-observer methodology allows a researcher to engage directly in studies, impacting data collection.
• Random sampling ensures that participants are selected without bias, enhancing representativity in research findings.
• Stratified random sampling involves dividing populations into subgroups to maintain equal representation in samples.
• Cluster sampling uses naturally occurring clusters from a larger population, ensuring practical gathering of data.

Experimental Validity

• Internal validity assesses whether any changes in the dependent variable truly result from manipulation of the independent variable.
• Confounding variables can obscure results if they are not controlled for; manipulation checks are useful in verifying variable changes occurred as intended.
• External validity relates to how well experimental findings generalize to real-world situations, raising concerns over results obtained in controlled laboratory conditions.

Statistical Considerations

• Statistical conclusion validity ensures proper sampling, measuring techniques, and the correct application of inferential statistics to substantiate findings.
• A low-probability outcome linked to chance does not guarantee a true cause-effect relationship; rigorous examination is essential to substantiate experimental results.

Potential Threats to Validity

• Ambiguous temporal precedence complicates determining causality between variables in experimental designs.
• Construct validity ensures that the measures used accurately reflect the psychological constructs intended for study, necessitating careful operational definitions.

Test your understanding of the different ways of knowing about behavior in psychology, focusing on both empirical and non-empirical methods. This quiz covers key concepts discussed in Chapter 1, including science, authority, logic, and intuition.