Question 1

The behavioral perspective focuses on _____, and the sociocultural perspective focuses on _____.&#10;A) both observable behavior and mental processes; both observable behavior and mental processes&#10;B) both observable behavior and mental processes; observable behavior only&#10;C) observable behavior only; both observable behavior and mental processes&#10;D) observable behavior only; observable behavior only

Accepted Answer

The behavioral perspective emphasizes observable behavior only, while the sociocultural perspective considers both observable behavior and mental processes influenced by societal and cultural factors.

Question 2

Which statement about scatterplots is TRUE?&#10;A) If points are scattered randomly, one variable does not predict another.&#10;B) If data points fall on a line from the bottom right to the top left, there is a negative relationship.&#10;C) If data points fall on a line from the bottom left to the top right, there is a positive relationship.&#10;D) All the answers are correct.

Accepted Answer

All three statements are true. A scatterplot is a graph of plotted points that show the relationship between two variables. If points are scattered randomly, there is no pattern to the data and one variable cannot predict the other. If data points fall on a line from the bottom right to the top left, there is a negative relationship, which means that as one variable increases, the other variable decreases. If data points fall on a line from the bottom left to the top right, there is a positive relationship, which means that as one variable increases, the other variable also increases.

Question 3

Measures of central tendency provide information about _____, and measures of variability provide information about _____.&#10;A) how spread out the scores are; the typical score&#10;B) the typical score; how spread out the scores are&#10;C) the percentile rank of scores; whether or not the distribution is skewed&#10;D) whether or not the distribution is skewed; the percentile rank of scores

Accepted Answer

Measures of central tendency, such as the mean, median, and mode, provide information about the typical or average score in a distribution. Measures of variability, such as the range, standard deviation, and variance, provide information about how spread out the scores are in the distribution.

Question 4

The biological perspective most directly emphasizes _____, and the cognitive perspective most directly emphasizes _____.&#10;A) the brain and nervous system; the environment&#10;B) the brain and nervous system; mental processes&#10;C) mental processes; the environment&#10;D) the environment; mental processes

Accepted Answer

The biological perspective focuses on the brain and nervous system, while the cognitive perspective focuses on mental processes such as perception, thinking, and problem-solving.

Question 5

In a distribution of test scores, there are a few scores that are much lower than the others. This is an example of a _____-skewed distribution in which the mean is _____ than the median.&#10;A) right; greater&#10;B) right; less&#10;C) left; greater&#10;D) left; less

Accepted Answer

A left-skewed distribution has a tail on the left side, indicating a few lower scores. In such distributions, the mean is typically less than the median.

Question 6

Random assignment is to _____ as random sampling is to _____.&#10;A) generalize; control&#10;B) control; generalize&#10;C) large groups; small groups&#10;D) small groups; large groups

Accepted Answer

Random assignment is a method of controlling extraneous variables in an experiment by randomly assigning participants to different conditions. Random sampling is a method of selecting participants from a larger population to ensure that the sample represents the population. Therefore, random assignment is to control as random sampling is to generalize. Choice B is the correct answer.

Question 7

When an experiment includes a placebo group, why should researchers use a double-blind procedure?&#10;A) The double-blind procedure controls for experimenter expectation.&#10;B) An experimenter may treat control and treatment groups differently, thus influencing their behavior.&#10;C) An experimenter may record and interpret the two groups' behaviors differently.&#10;D) All the answers are correct.

Accepted Answer

Using a double-blind procedure controls for both experimenter expectation and the potential for an experimenter to treat different groups differently, as well as ensuring that the recording and interpretation of behaviors is not biased.

Question 8

Why does the normal distribution have a bell shape?&#10;A) because all scores occur with equal frequency&#10;B) because low scores are more frequent than high scores&#10;C) because high scores are more frequent than low scores&#10;D) because scores near the mean are most frequent and extreme scores are rare

Accepted Answer

The normal distribution has a bell shape because scores near the mean (center) are most frequent, while extreme scores (high and low) are rare. This is because the distribution is symmetrical and the probabilities of scores being above or below the mean decrease at a predictable rate as scores move away from the center. This produces a smooth, bell-shaped curve.

Question 9

One disadvantage of the case study method is that it _____.&#10;A) is difficult to recruit a large number of participants&#10;B) does not provide findings that can be generalized&#10;C) is not useful for generating hypotheses&#10;D) involves traveling to multiple natural settings

Accepted Answer

The case study method is often criticized for not providing findings that can be generalized to the larger population. This is because the sample size is typically small and not representative of the larger population.

Question 10

The biological perspective is to _____ as the cognitive perspective is to _____.&#10;A) hardware; software&#10;B) software; hardware&#10;C) internal factors; external factors&#10;D) external factors; internal factors

Accepted Answer

The biological perspective focuses on the physical and genetic factors that contribute to behavior and mental processes, which can be thought of as the "hardware" of the brain and body. Similarly, the cognitive perspective looks at mental processes like thinking, perception, and memory, which can be thought of as the "software" that runs on that hardware. Therefore, A is the best choice because it correctly pairs the perspectives with their respective hardware and software analogies.

Deck 1: Section 1: The Science of Psychology