PSYCHOLOGY 101 FINAL EXAM PREP PACK | COMPLETE STUDY
GUIDE, PRACTICE QUESTIONS & DETAILED ANSWERS
Variables - answers-the events, characteristics, behaviors, or conditions that researchers measure and
study.
subject or participant - answers-an individual person or animal a researcher studies.
Sample - answers-a collection of subjects researcher’s study. Researchers use samples because they
cannot study the entire population.
Population - answers-the collection of people or animals from which researchers draw a sample.
Researchers study the sample and generalize their results to the population.
The Purpose of Research - answers--To find ways to measure and describe behavior
-To understand why, when, and how events occur
-To apply this knowledge to solving real-world problems
The scientific method - answers-a standardized way of making observations, gathering data, forming
theories, testing predictions, and interpreting results.
A theory - answers-an explanation that organizes separate pieces of information in a coherent way.
, replicable - answers-when others can repeat an experiment and get the same results.
hypothesis - answers-a testable prediction of what will happen given a certain set of conditions.
naturalistic observation - answers-researchers collect information about subjects by observing them
unobtrusively, without interfering with them in any way.
case study - answers-The researcher collects data about the subject through interviews, direct
observation, psychological testing, or examination of documents and records about the subject.
survey - answers-a way of getting information about a specific type of behavior, experience, or event.
When using this method, researchers give people questionnaires or interview them to obtain
information.
experiment - answers-a researcher manipulates or changes a particular variable under controlled
conditions while observing resulting changes in another variable or variables.
Occam's razor - answers-maintains that researchers should apply the simplest explanation possible to
any set of observations.
correlation - answers-measurement of the strength of the relationship between two variables
reliability - answers-if a test produces the same result when researchers administer it to the same
group of people at different times, it has reliability.
Validity - answers-A test is valid if it actually measures the quality it claims to measure.
Bias - answers-the distortion of results by a variable. Common types of bias include sampling bias,
subject bias, and experimenter bias.
Sensation - answers-the process by which physical energy from objects in the world or in the body
stimulates the sense organs
GUIDE, PRACTICE QUESTIONS & DETAILED ANSWERS
Variables - answers-the events, characteristics, behaviors, or conditions that researchers measure and
study.
subject or participant - answers-an individual person or animal a researcher studies.
Sample - answers-a collection of subjects researcher’s study. Researchers use samples because they
cannot study the entire population.
Population - answers-the collection of people or animals from which researchers draw a sample.
Researchers study the sample and generalize their results to the population.
The Purpose of Research - answers--To find ways to measure and describe behavior
-To understand why, when, and how events occur
-To apply this knowledge to solving real-world problems
The scientific method - answers-a standardized way of making observations, gathering data, forming
theories, testing predictions, and interpreting results.
A theory - answers-an explanation that organizes separate pieces of information in a coherent way.
, replicable - answers-when others can repeat an experiment and get the same results.
hypothesis - answers-a testable prediction of what will happen given a certain set of conditions.
naturalistic observation - answers-researchers collect information about subjects by observing them
unobtrusively, without interfering with them in any way.
case study - answers-The researcher collects data about the subject through interviews, direct
observation, psychological testing, or examination of documents and records about the subject.
survey - answers-a way of getting information about a specific type of behavior, experience, or event.
When using this method, researchers give people questionnaires or interview them to obtain
information.
experiment - answers-a researcher manipulates or changes a particular variable under controlled
conditions while observing resulting changes in another variable or variables.
Occam's razor - answers-maintains that researchers should apply the simplest explanation possible to
any set of observations.
correlation - answers-measurement of the strength of the relationship between two variables
reliability - answers-if a test produces the same result when researchers administer it to the same
group of people at different times, it has reliability.
Validity - answers-A test is valid if it actually measures the quality it claims to measure.
Bias - answers-the distortion of results by a variable. Common types of bias include sampling bias,
subject bias, and experimenter bias.
Sensation - answers-the process by which physical energy from objects in the world or in the body
stimulates the sense organs
