OpenStax Psychology 2e – Full Study
Guide with Correct Answers 2026/2027
Edition
1. American Psychological Association - ANSWER ✅ professional
organization representing psychologists in the United States
2. behaviorism - ANSWER ✅ focus on observing and controlling behavior
3. Halo Effect - ANSWER ✅ tendency of ratings of one positive
characteristics to spill over to influence the ratings of other positive
characteristics
4. Leniency Effect - ANSWER ✅ tendency of raters to provide ratings that are
overly generous (opposite of Halo Effect)
5. Archival Research - ANSWER ✅ looking back at old records to obtain data,
hard copy or electronically
6. Longitudinal Research - ANSWER ✅ a research that tests the same group
of individuals over an extended period of time
7. Attrition Rates - ANSWER ✅ dropouts/people lost over the course of the
study
,8. Cross-sectional Research - ANSWER ✅ a "snapshot;" a researcher
compares multiple segments of the population at a given time
9. Cohort Effect - ANSWER ✅ an effect that different age groups give
different reaction results not necessarily due to their age
10.Correlational Design - ANSWER ✅ research design that examines the
extent to which two variables are associated; depicted in a scatter plot;
correlations have predictive value; CORRELATION DOES NOT MEAN
CAUSATION
11.Negative Correlation - ANSWER ✅ as the value of one variable changes,
the other goes in the opposite direction (one goes up, other goes down)
12.Positive Correlation - ANSWER ✅ as the value of one variable changes, the
other goes in the same direction (both goes up)
13.Confounding Variable - ANSWER ✅ third-variable problem
14.Illusory Correlation - ANSWER ✅ when people believe that relationships
exist between two things when no such relationship exists
15.Confirmation Bias - ANSWER ✅ looking for evidence to support a
preexisting belief and ignoring evidence that contradicts it
16.Experimental Group - ANSWER ✅ receives the manipulation
,17.Control Group - ANSWER ✅ does not receive the manipulation
18.Independent Variable - ANSWER ✅ experimenter manipulates
19.Dependent Variable - ANSWER ✅ experimenter measures to see whether
manipulation had an effect
20.Confounds - ANSWER ✅ any difference between the experimental and
control groups, other than the independent variable; makes it impossible to
interpret any findings
21.Cause and Effect - ANSWER ✅ possible to infer, w/ random assignment
and manipulation of independent variable
22.Placebo Effect - ANSWER ✅ blind
23.Experimenter Expectancy Effect - ANSWER ✅ double-blind
24.Hawthorne Effect - ANSWER ✅ phenomenon in which participant's
knowledge that they're being studied can affect their behavior
25.Demand Characteristics - ANSWER ✅ cues that participants pick up from a
study that allow them to generate guesses regarding the researcher's
hypotheses
26.To Minimize Hawthorne Effects - ANSWER ✅ 1. convert observation
2. participant observation
, 27.Institutional Review Board (IRB) - ANSWER ✅ -informed consent
-justification of deception (Milgram's Obedience Study)
-Debriefing of subjects afterwards
28.Glial Cell - ANSWER ✅ cell in the nervous system that: plays a role in
formation of myelin and blood brain barrier, responds to injury, removes
debris, enhances learning and memory
29.Neuronal Membrane - ANSWER ✅ covers entire cell and separates the
inside from the outside environment
30.Dendrite - ANSWER ✅ receiving end of the neuron
31.Cell Body - ANSWER ✅ soma/central area; maintains cell's vital functions
32.Axon - ANSWER ✅ extends from cell body, sends messages to other
neurons (messages go one-way only)
33.Axon Terminal - ANSWER ✅ end of axon; where neurotransmitter
production and release happens
34.Brain-communication - ANSWER ✅ electro-chemical
35.Synaptic Vesicles - ANSWER ✅ small capsules that make neurotransmitter
and release into the synaptic cleft
Guide with Correct Answers 2026/2027
Edition
1. American Psychological Association - ANSWER ✅ professional
organization representing psychologists in the United States
2. behaviorism - ANSWER ✅ focus on observing and controlling behavior
3. Halo Effect - ANSWER ✅ tendency of ratings of one positive
characteristics to spill over to influence the ratings of other positive
characteristics
4. Leniency Effect - ANSWER ✅ tendency of raters to provide ratings that are
overly generous (opposite of Halo Effect)
5. Archival Research - ANSWER ✅ looking back at old records to obtain data,
hard copy or electronically
6. Longitudinal Research - ANSWER ✅ a research that tests the same group
of individuals over an extended period of time
7. Attrition Rates - ANSWER ✅ dropouts/people lost over the course of the
study
,8. Cross-sectional Research - ANSWER ✅ a "snapshot;" a researcher
compares multiple segments of the population at a given time
9. Cohort Effect - ANSWER ✅ an effect that different age groups give
different reaction results not necessarily due to their age
10.Correlational Design - ANSWER ✅ research design that examines the
extent to which two variables are associated; depicted in a scatter plot;
correlations have predictive value; CORRELATION DOES NOT MEAN
CAUSATION
11.Negative Correlation - ANSWER ✅ as the value of one variable changes,
the other goes in the opposite direction (one goes up, other goes down)
12.Positive Correlation - ANSWER ✅ as the value of one variable changes, the
other goes in the same direction (both goes up)
13.Confounding Variable - ANSWER ✅ third-variable problem
14.Illusory Correlation - ANSWER ✅ when people believe that relationships
exist between two things when no such relationship exists
15.Confirmation Bias - ANSWER ✅ looking for evidence to support a
preexisting belief and ignoring evidence that contradicts it
16.Experimental Group - ANSWER ✅ receives the manipulation
,17.Control Group - ANSWER ✅ does not receive the manipulation
18.Independent Variable - ANSWER ✅ experimenter manipulates
19.Dependent Variable - ANSWER ✅ experimenter measures to see whether
manipulation had an effect
20.Confounds - ANSWER ✅ any difference between the experimental and
control groups, other than the independent variable; makes it impossible to
interpret any findings
21.Cause and Effect - ANSWER ✅ possible to infer, w/ random assignment
and manipulation of independent variable
22.Placebo Effect - ANSWER ✅ blind
23.Experimenter Expectancy Effect - ANSWER ✅ double-blind
24.Hawthorne Effect - ANSWER ✅ phenomenon in which participant's
knowledge that they're being studied can affect their behavior
25.Demand Characteristics - ANSWER ✅ cues that participants pick up from a
study that allow them to generate guesses regarding the researcher's
hypotheses
26.To Minimize Hawthorne Effects - ANSWER ✅ 1. convert observation
2. participant observation
, 27.Institutional Review Board (IRB) - ANSWER ✅ -informed consent
-justification of deception (Milgram's Obedience Study)
-Debriefing of subjects afterwards
28.Glial Cell - ANSWER ✅ cell in the nervous system that: plays a role in
formation of myelin and blood brain barrier, responds to injury, removes
debris, enhances learning and memory
29.Neuronal Membrane - ANSWER ✅ covers entire cell and separates the
inside from the outside environment
30.Dendrite - ANSWER ✅ receiving end of the neuron
31.Cell Body - ANSWER ✅ soma/central area; maintains cell's vital functions
32.Axon - ANSWER ✅ extends from cell body, sends messages to other
neurons (messages go one-way only)
33.Axon Terminal - ANSWER ✅ end of axon; where neurotransmitter
production and release happens
34.Brain-communication - ANSWER ✅ electro-chemical
35.Synaptic Vesicles - ANSWER ✅ small capsules that make neurotransmitter
and release into the synaptic cleft
