Psychology Principles and Concepts Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What is the philosophical tenet that asserts knowledge comes through experience?

Materialism

Supernaturalism

Empiricism (correct)

Determinism

What belief describes the idea that all events are governed by lawful cause-and-effect relationships?

Empiricism

Phenomenalism

Determinism (correct)

Reductionism

How did the zeitgeist affect the development of psychology?

It completely rejected materialistic viewpoints.

It encouraged the use of empirical methods.

It advanced superstition over scientific approaches. (correct)

It promoted critical thinking from ancient times.

Which of the following historical beliefs aligns with the idea that living beings are composed exclusively of physical matter?

Materialism Signup and view all the answers

What is one major flaw of early psychological insights as mentioned in the blunder years?

They lacked rigorous empirical methods. Signup and view all the answers

What is central tendency primarily concerned with?

The central point of a distribution Signup and view all the answers

What does the standard deviation indicate in a data set?

The average distance of scores from the mean Signup and view all the answers

How does increased variability affect the distribution of data?

It widens the distribution Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of inferential statistics?

To assess potential differences or relationships in data Signup and view all the answers

What does the null hypothesis assume in hypothesis testing?

Any observed differences are due to chance Signup and view all the answers

Which statistical formula is used to create a measure of statistical significance?

Confidence interval Signup and view all the answers

In the context of variability, what is a characteristic of a data set with low variability?

Scores cluster closely together Signup and view all the answers

Which measure is NOT considered a central tendency measure?

Standard deviation Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary drawback of using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)?

It disrupts firing in non-targeted areas. Signup and view all the answers

Which technique provides a recording of neural activity using electrodes?

Electroencephalogram (EEG) Signup and view all the answers

What type of stimulation does transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) provide?

Electrical stimulation Signup and view all the answers

What limitation does magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have?

It shows only brain structure, not function. Signup and view all the answers

Which method allows researchers to observe waveforms of neural activity associated with specific stimuli?

Event-related potentials (ERPs) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary advantage of functional MRI (fMRI) compared to other imaging techniques?

It shows the specific areas of brain activity. Signup and view all the answers

What does positron emission tomography (PET) primarily measure?

Biochemical changes in the brain. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following techniques does not provide detailed real-time activity of the brain?

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) Signup and view all the answers

What does the experimental/alternative hypothesis assume?

Any differences are due to a variable controlled by the experimenter. Signup and view all the answers

What should be done when the difference between groups is considered significant?

Reject the null hypothesis. Signup and view all the answers

What does a p-value of 0.05 indicate in hypothesis testing?

There is less than a 5% chance the results are due to chance. Signup and view all the answers

What happens when the variance is high in hypothesis testing?

There is a higher chance of overlap between groups. Signup and view all the answers

Why might the acceptable p-value of 0.05 be considered arbitrary?

It does not account for the specific context of each experiment. Signup and view all the answers

What is the goal of rejecting the null hypothesis?

To prove that the observed difference is valid. Signup and view all the answers

In hypothesis testing, what does it mean if results have low variance?

Results may have a lower chance of overlap. Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential consequence of conducting 100 tests at once?

The likelihood of falsely rejecting the null hypothesis increases. Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the primary functions of the amygdala?

Mediating anxiety and depression Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the brain is primarily responsible for forming new memories?

Hippocampus Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the corpus callosum?

Connection between the two cerebral hemispheres Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of memory is the hippocampus NOT involved in?

Retrieving emotional memories Signup and view all the answers

What does hemispheric lateralization refer to?

Functional specialization of the cerebral hemispheres Signup and view all the answers

Which emotional responses does the amygdala evaluate in sensory information?

Fear and anxiety Signup and view all the answers

In which region of the brain is the cerebral cortex located?

Cerebrum Signup and view all the answers

How many hippocampi does the human brain typically contain?

Two Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Scientific Principles

Empiricism: knowledge comes from experience
Determinism: all events are caused by lawful relationships

Zeitgeist

Refers to the general set of beliefs of a particular culture
Delayed the science of psychology
Materialism: humans and other living beings are composed solely of physical matter

Blunder Years

Early history: favored superstition over science
Empiricism was not used rigorously
Phrenology: assumed skull bumps indicated personality traits
Lobotomies: dangerous surgical procedure for mental illness

Central Tendency

Measures the central point of a distribution
Mean, Median, Mode

Variability

The degree to which scores are dispersed in a distribution
Low variability: scores are clustered together
High variability: scores are spread out

Standard Deviation

Measures variability around the mean
Average distance from the mean
Can be used to standardize any unit, e.g., height, weight.

Same Mean, Different Meaning

Different distributions can have the same mean but different standard deviations
A wider distribution has higher variability and a larger standard deviation

Inferential Statistics

Used to assess potential differences or relationships in data
Significance tests tell researchers how likely results occurred by chance
Confidence Interval is a statistical formula

Hypothesis Testing

Null Hypothesis: Assumes differences between groups are due to chance
Experimental Hypothesis: Assumes differences are due to a variable controlled by the experimenter
Goal: Find a large enough difference to reject the null hypothesis

The Limits of Statistical Hypothesis Testing

An arbitrary p-value (e.g., 0.05) means there is less than a 5% chance the difference was due to chance
This method cannot be used with humans

Manipulating the Brain and Observing Behavior

Tools: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), and Transcranial Alternating Stimulation (tACS)
These techniques use electrical stimulation to stimulate or suppress different brain areas
TMS is a non-invasive method that temporarily shuts down a specific area of the brain

Manipulating Behavior and Observing the Brain

Electroencephalogram (EEG): Records neural activity detected by electrodes
Event-Related Potentials (ERPs): Waveforms of neural activity associated with specific stimuli or events
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan: Shows biochemical changes in the brain with low specificity for brain areas
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): Shows detailed brain structure from any angle, but doesn't show activity
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI): Shows brain activity with high precision

The Amygdala

Evaluates sensory information
Determines biological impact
Involved in fear, anxiety, depression, and emotional memories

The Hippocampus

Key brain structure for forming new memories
Crucial for long-term memories of facts and events
Role of patient H.M.: Removal of hippocampus resulted in the inability to create new memories

The Cerebrum

Packed with brain circuitry
Contains two cerebral hemispheres (left and right)
Hemispheres are connected by the corpus callosum
Hemispheric Lateralization: Specialization of hemispheres for particular operations

Hemispheric Lateralization

Left Hemisphere: Controls right side, language processing
Right Hemisphere: Controls left side, spatial reasoning

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Description

Test your understanding of scientific principles in psychology, including empiricism, determinism, and the historical context of psychological theories. Explore concepts like central tendency, variability, and standard deviation. This quiz will challenge your knowledge of both foundational and modern psychological ideas.