Psychology Concepts Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What is a key characteristic of a theory?

A personal intuition about human behavior

A testable explanation for a single phenomenon

A general framework for understanding human behavior

A testable explanation for a set of facts or group of closely related phenomena (correct)

What is the main difference between a common sense approach and an evidence-based approach?

The type of problem being solved

The level of expertise required to make decisions

The speed at which decisions are made

The reliance on intuition versus scientific research and empirical evidence (correct)

What is the Peter Principle?

A management principle that states that people rise up the ladder until they stop performing well (correct)

A management principle that states that people should be promoted based on their performance

A management principle that states that people should be promoted to their level of competence

A management principle that states that people should be promoted based on their experience

What is bounded rationality?

The limitation of human cognition that prevents fully rational decision-making Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a heuristic?

A mental shortcut or rule of thumb Signup and view all the answers

What is the anchoring bias?

A heuristic caused by biasing an estimate on a completely irrelevant quantity Signup and view all the answers

What is the Pygmalion effect?

The tendency for people to perform better when they are expected to do well Signup and view all the answers

What is cognitive dissonance theory?

A theory that suggests people are motivated to reduce discomfort caused by holding two or more contradictory beliefs Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of the functionalism approach in psychology?

How mental activities aid an organism fit into its environment Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a characteristic of System 1 decision-making?

Faster, automatic, and emotional Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of person-centered therapy?

To help patients realize their potential and capabilities Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the process of examining and reflecting upon one's own thoughts, emotions, and experiences?

Introspection Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the bias that arises from the way information is presented, while holding the objective information constant?

Framing Signup and view all the answers

What is the Hierarchy of Needs in humanism?

A model that outlines the progression of human needs starting from basic physiological needs Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the phenomenon where people ascribe more value to things merely because they own them?

Endowment effect Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the process of realizing/fulfilling one's potential and capabilities?

Self-actualization Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Theory and Approaches

A theory is a testable explanation for a set of facts, group of closely related phenomena, or observations.
Positive Psychology is the scientific study of optimal functioning and well-being, also referred to as "flourish".

Decision-Making and Biases

Common sense approach: reliance on intuition, personal experience, and cultural norms to make decisions and solve problems.
Evidence-based approach: reliance on scientific research and empirical evidence to make decisions and solve problems.
Bounded rationality: humans try to make rational decisions, but cognitive limitations prevent them from being fully rational.
Bounded awareness: systematic ways in which we fail to notice obvious and important information that is available to us.
Bounded ethicality: the way in which our ethics are limited in ways we are not even aware of ourselves.
Bounded self-interest: systematic and predictable ways in which we care about the outcomes of others.
Heuristics: mental shortcuts or rules of thumb that people use to make decisions and solve problems quickly and efficiently.
Anchoring bias: a heuristic caused by biasing an estimate on a completely irrelevant quantity.
Biases: systematic and predictable mistakes that influence judgement.
Expectancy bias: observing what you expect to observe.
Pygmalion effect: higher expectations from others lead to an increase in performance.
Researcher bias: researcher's expectations, preferences, or beliefs influence the outcome of a study, leading to results that reflect the researcher's subjective perspective rather than objective reality.

Cognitive Dissonance and Decision-Making Systems

Cognitive dissonance theory: mental discomfort experienced by a person who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, values, or attitudes simultaneously.
Framing: bias to be systematically affected by the way in which information is presented, while holding the objective information constant.
System 1: intuitive decision-making system, which is typically fast, automatic, effortless, implicit, and emotional.
System 2: deliberate decision-making system, slower, conscious, effortful, and logical.

Theories of Personality

Introspection: process of examining and reflecting upon one's own thoughts, emotions, and experiences.
Structuralism: attempt to understand the structure and characteristics of the mind.
Functionalism: focus on how mental activities aid an organism in fitting into their environment, operation of the whole mind rather than the individual parts.
Psychoanalytic theory: focus on the role of a person's unconscious, as well as early childhood experiences.
Structure of personality:
- ID: impulses, primitive part of personality that seeks immediate gratification of basic drives and instincts.
- Ego: rational part of personality that mediates between the demands of the ID, superego, and reality.
- Superego: the moral conscience, which incorporates societal standards and values.

Other Theories and Concepts

Behaviorism: approach of observing and controlling behavior.
Humanism: emphasizes the potential for good that is innate to all humans.
Hierarchy of needs: model that outlines the progression of human needs starting from basic physiological needs to safety, love & belonging, esteem & self-actualization.
Person-centered therapy: therapeutic approach in which the patient takes a lead role in the therapy session.
Self-actualization: process of realizing/fulfilling one's potential and capabilities.
Endowment effect: people ascribe more value to things merely because they own them.
Ikea effect: research showing that people ascribe more value to things merely because they designed/created them.
Operational definition: a statement that defines a concept in terms of the specific procedures or operations used to measure or manipulate it.