Psychology Chapter on Sampling and Experiments

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary disadvantage of using a specific group of participants in a study?

It limits the scope of findings. (correct)

It allows clearer conclusions to be drawn.

It ensures diverse perspectives are considered.

It leads to a higher chance of success.

What differentiates a random sample from a regular sample?

It involves predetermined groups.

It ensures every individual has an equal chance of selection. (correct)

It targets specific demographics.

It uses participants based on convenience.

Which method helps to completely eliminate bias in an experiment?

Double-blind study (correct)

Single-blind study

Control group comparison

Random assignment

What does the placebo effect refer to in an experimental context?

A response to a treatment that has no actual therapeutic effect. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of using descriptive statistics in summarizing experiment data?

To present information about data at a glance. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following represents a common misconception about random assignment?

It requires pre-selected groups. Signup and view all the answers

How is the mode defined in descriptive statistics?

The most frequent value in a data set. Signup and view all the answers

Which factor does NOT relate to the measures of variability in a data set?

Mean Signup and view all the answers

What does Sternberg define intelligence as?

The cognitive ability to learn from experience and cope with daily life. Signup and view all the answers

Which type of reasoning progresses from general principles to specific conclusions?

Deductive Reasoning Signup and view all the answers

What is functional fixedness?

The difficulty in seeing objects beyond their typical use. Signup and view all the answers

What are the two key qualities of a reliable intelligence test?

Reliability and validity. Signup and view all the answers

Which theory proposes eight types of intelligence?

Multiple Intelligences Theory Signup and view all the answers

What do studies with identical twins suggest about intelligence?

Genetics play a significant role in determining IQ. Signup and view all the answers

What does the process of using the scientific method in research involve?

Combining both deductive and inductive reasoning. Signup and view all the answers

What is a common criticism of Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Theory?

It does not account for the overlap between different intelligences. Signup and view all the answers

What are phonemes?

The smallest units of sound in a language Signup and view all the answers

How does syntax differ across languages?

It affects how words are arranged into sentences. Signup and view all the answers

What does the Gambler's Fallacy incorrectly suggest about independent events?

Certain outcomes are 'due' based on prior occurrences. Signup and view all the answers

What are the three distinct characteristics of language as described?

Arbitrariness, Regularity, and Productivity. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following correctly describes semantics?

The meaning of individual words or phrases. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of one of the stages of language development in children?

Speech segmentation Signup and view all the answers

Which example supports the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis regarding language and cognition?

The Pirahã tribe's limited counting words. Signup and view all the answers

What is a morpheme?

The smallest unit of meaning in a language. Signup and view all the answers

What does the Social Learning Theory suggest about language acquisition?

Children imitate and are reinforced for language use. Signup and view all the answers

What criticism is associated with the Social Learning Theory of language acquisition?

It oversimplifies the complexity of language learning. Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect challenges the validity of intelligence measurements?

Operational definitions and measurement reliability. Signup and view all the answers

What does the concept of productivity in language refer to?

The capacity to create endless sentences. Signup and view all the answers

What did Noam Chomsky propose about language acquisition?

Humans are born with a Language Acquisition Device (LAD). Signup and view all the answers

Which counterargument challenges the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis?

Humans understand concepts despite language differences. Signup and view all the answers

What is evidenced by the behavior of deaf children creating their own sign communication?

Humans possess an innate ability for language development. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of arbitrariness in language?

The connection between the word 'cat' and its meaning. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of overregularization in children's language development?

Saying 'runned' instead of 'ran' Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'universal grammar' refer to?

The innate ability to learn any language Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following demonstrates underextension in language use?

Using 'cat' only for their pet cat Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of neurobiological evidence supports language acquisition in infants?

Infants can distinguish phonemes from any language Signup and view all the answers

What limitation did Washoe the chimpanzee face in her language acquisition?

She lacked a systematic understanding of grammar Signup and view all the answers

How does the Honeybee Waggle Dance differ from human language?

It is limited to a single purpose like locating food Signup and view all the answers

What was a significant outcome from Genie’s case study regarding language development?

She struggled to develop language skills after age 13 Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of animal communication that distinguishes it from human language?

It lacks the ability to create novel combinations Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Sampling

Limited scope in findings when using a specific group - need variety
Population: learning about a large group of people in a general way
Sample: collecting data from a selected group of people
Random Sample: selected participants at random so the sample represents the whole population
Random assignment: assigning participants to a control or experimental group to avoid bias

Conducting an Experiment

Placebo effect: people having a response to a treatment that has no therapeutic effect
Participant Bias: changing their behavior to alter the results unintentionally or intentionally
Experimenter Bias: altering experiment results to support their theories
Minimize bias:
- Give both control and experimental group the same substance with different components (Example: energy drink vs juice)
- Blind experiment: experimenter and participant don't know which group is control or experimental

Summarizing Raw Data

Descriptive statistics: describes the data at a glance showing the mean, median and mode.
Histogram: visual representation of data distribution
Normal distribution: data is spread equally around the mean
Outliers: measurements far away from the set
Measures of variability: shows spread and distribution of data
Standard deviation: measures the distance away from the mean

Descriptive Steps to Summarize Data

Create a histogram for control and experimental
Operational Definition: a specific and measurable definition of a term that will be used for the experiment

Problem Solving and Intelligence

Problem-solving: using different strategies to find solutions to problems
Deductive reasoning: general principles to specific conclusions
Inductive reasoning: specific observations to generalizations
Scientific method: combines deductive and inductive reasoning

Insight Problems & Functional Fixedness

Insight problems: test creative thinking, outside of typical uses
Functional fixedness: difficulty seeing objects beyond their typical use

Intelligence Testing

Reliability: consistency of test results
Validity: accuracy of testing what it claims to measure
IQ test: standardized to have a mean of 100 with a normal distribution
Multiple Intelligences Theory (Gardner): 8 types of intelligence: verbal, mathematical, musical, spatial, kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic

Nature vs Nurture in Intelligence

Genetic influence: identical twins have high IQ correlations
Environmental influence: fraternal twins raised together also have high IQ correlations

Gambler's Fallacy

Representativeness heuristic: believing a certain outcome is "due" based on previous outcomes even if they are independent

Additional Insights

Challenges in Measuring Intelligence: operational definitions and measurement reliability can be difficult
Understanding Abstract Concepts: tests can appear reliable but have low validity

Defining Language

Language: a system of communication that allows individuals and groups to share information
Regularity: language follows rules of grammar
Arbitrariness: connection between words and their meanings are arbitrary
Productivity: capable of generating new sentences and combinations

The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

Language influences a person's cognition
The Pirahã tribe: language has only three counting words which has lead to difficulty understanding numbers beyond those distinctions
Counterargument: Despite language differences, humans can understand concepts because of context

Building Blocks of Language

Morphemes: smallest units of meaningful language (e.g. tables - consists of "table" and "s")
Phonemes: smallest units of sound
Syntax: set of rules that governs word arrangement in sentences
Semantics: meaning of individual words or phrases

Language Development in Children

Stages of development:
- Babbling
- Vocabulary growth (language explosion)
- Speech segmentation: detecting individual words within a stream of speech

Theories of Language Acquisition

Social learning theory: language is learned through imitation and reinforcement
Innate mechanism Theory (Chomsky): humans are born with a Language Acquisition Device (LAD)
Universal grammar: all languages share some underlying grammatical structures

Language Errors in Children

Overextensions: word is applied too broadly
Underextensions: word is applied too narrowly
Overregularization: regular grammatical rules are applied to irregular verbs

Animal Communication vs. Human Language

Honeybee Waggle Dance: highly specialized form of communication used to indicate food source direction and distance
Birdsong: used for mating and territory defense, but not flexible like human language
Washoe the Chimpanzee: taught to use American Sign Language (ASL) and lacked systematic grammar
Kanzi the Bonobo: learned to communicate using lexigrams without formal reinforcement but still lacked understanding of grammar

Neurobiological Evidence for Language Acquisition

Infant sensitivity to language: infants prefer speech sounds over non-speech sounds
Universal phoneme sensitivity: infants can distinguish phonemes from any human language
Loss of phoneme distinction: infants lose the ability to discriminate between phonemes that are not used in their native language

Critical Periods in Language Development

Genie Case Study: Genie was isolated from language and struggled to learn it after being rescued

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Description

This quiz covers key concepts related to sampling, conducting experiments, and summarizing raw data. It explores the importance of random samples, the placebo effect, participant and experimenter bias, and methods to minimize these biases. Test your understanding of these foundational topics in psychology!