Psychology 225 Exam 1 – Study Guide, Revision Notes, and Practice Questions
for Exam Preparation
Empiricism - ✔✔involves using evidence from the senses, or from instruments that assist the
senses, approach of collecting data and using it to support or challenge a theory
Theory - ✔✔Set of statements that describes general principles about how vars. relate to one
another
Broad explanations of how nature works and why it exhibits certain characteristics, used to
make predictions, tested and confirmed
Hypothesis - ✔✔Prediction
Data - ✔✔Set of observations
The best theories are... - ✔✔1. Falsifiable
2. Supported by data
3. Parsimonious (the simplest explanation)
the four cycles of psychological research - ✔✔1. Journal to journalism
2. Basic applied research
3. Peer Review
4. Theory Data
Journal to journalism cycle - ✔✔readily available to the general public, more coverage,
although sometimes it may be inaccurate
, Peer review cycle steps - ✔✔1. conduct study
2. write paper
3. submit to journal, where it is peer reviewed anonymously
Basic Applied cycle: three steps of research involved and definitions - ✔✔1. Basic research: Not
intended to address a specific practical problem, but the goal is to enhance the general body of
knowledge "discovery research"
2. Translational Research
dynamic bridge from basic to applied
research. Conduct studies using knowledge from basic
research to develop and test applications to problems in
health, education, etc
3. Applied research: END GOAL:directly addresses a practical problem
with the goal of applying the findings to the solution of that
problem.
Theory-Data Cycle - ✔✔Going from a theory to data that is cycled back into the cycle
Empirical evidence is ______ - ✔✔independently verifiable by other observers or scientists
Law - ✔✔do not posit a mechanism or
explanation of phenomena: they are merely distillations of the
results of repeated observation.
always applies under the same conditions, and implies
that there is a causal relationship involving its elements.
What the intro contains - ✔✔theory and hypothesis
for Exam Preparation
Empiricism - ✔✔involves using evidence from the senses, or from instruments that assist the
senses, approach of collecting data and using it to support or challenge a theory
Theory - ✔✔Set of statements that describes general principles about how vars. relate to one
another
Broad explanations of how nature works and why it exhibits certain characteristics, used to
make predictions, tested and confirmed
Hypothesis - ✔✔Prediction
Data - ✔✔Set of observations
The best theories are... - ✔✔1. Falsifiable
2. Supported by data
3. Parsimonious (the simplest explanation)
the four cycles of psychological research - ✔✔1. Journal to journalism
2. Basic applied research
3. Peer Review
4. Theory Data
Journal to journalism cycle - ✔✔readily available to the general public, more coverage,
although sometimes it may be inaccurate
, Peer review cycle steps - ✔✔1. conduct study
2. write paper
3. submit to journal, where it is peer reviewed anonymously
Basic Applied cycle: three steps of research involved and definitions - ✔✔1. Basic research: Not
intended to address a specific practical problem, but the goal is to enhance the general body of
knowledge "discovery research"
2. Translational Research
dynamic bridge from basic to applied
research. Conduct studies using knowledge from basic
research to develop and test applications to problems in
health, education, etc
3. Applied research: END GOAL:directly addresses a practical problem
with the goal of applying the findings to the solution of that
problem.
Theory-Data Cycle - ✔✔Going from a theory to data that is cycled back into the cycle
Empirical evidence is ______ - ✔✔independently verifiable by other observers or scientists
Law - ✔✔do not posit a mechanism or
explanation of phenomena: they are merely distillations of the
results of repeated observation.
always applies under the same conditions, and implies
that there is a causal relationship involving its elements.
What the intro contains - ✔✔theory and hypothesis
