Dennis Miller - Psychology 1000 FINAL
Questions and All Correct Answers
2025-2026 Updated.
Foot-in-the-Door Approach - Answer You will comply with a larger request if you first comply
to a smaller request
Door-in-the-Face Approach - Answer You will comply if you are asked to do something large,
reject, then are asked a smaller request
Critical Thinking - Answer Questioning & evaluating information using well-supported
evidence
Hindsight Bias - Answer Accepting after the face explanations
Confirmation Bias - Answer Supporting something based on what you think/believe
Self Serving Bias - Answer Failing to see your inadequacies
How do you decrease bias? - Answer Selective samplings, use statistics, don't use shortcuts,
being able to see your weaknesses/inadequacies
What are the key beliefs of the Evolutionary School? - Answer Species change over time to
increase survival & reproduction. Natural Selection-survival of the fittest
What are the key beliefs of the Social School? - Answer Focus on situation & how people are
shaped through their social interactions
What are the key beliefs of the Structuralism School? - Answer Based on the theory that all
experiences could be broken into basic parts; valued introspection
What are the key beliefs of the Gestalt School? - Answer The whole is different than the sum
of its parts
What are the key beliefs of the Cognitive School? - Answer Deals with mental functions
(thinking, language, memory, etc.) & processes of the brain
,What are the key beliefs of the Functionalism School? - Answer Looks at how mind operates,
adaptive function of mind & behavior. Stream of consciousness- each person has a series of
ever-changing thoughts
What are the key beliefs of the Psychoanalytic School? - Answer Freud's school. Work to
bring out unconscious mental processes. Free association- patient talks about what they want
for as long as they want
What does a Neuroscience/Biological psychologist do? - Answer Study how biological
systems affect mental activity
What does a Cognitive psychologist do? - Answer Study cognition, perception, & action. Look
at thinking, perceiving, problem solving, decision-making, learning, etc.
What does a Developmental psychologist do? - Answer Study how people change across the
lifespan
What does a Personality psychologist do? - Answer Study characteristics people display over
time & during certain circumstances
What does a Social psychologist do? - Answer Study how people are affected by the
presence of others
What does a Cultural psychologist do? - Answer Understand how people are affected by
rules that dictate a culture
What does a Clinical psychologist do? - Answer Study factors that cause psychological
disorders
What does a Counseling psychologist do? - Answer Seek to improve people's daily lives
What does a School psychologist do? - Answer Work in educational settings; help students
with problems in learning, design curriculum, etc.
What does a Industrial/Organizational psychologist do? - Answer Study behavior &
productivity in the workplace
What are the goals of description - Answer prediction, explanation, and control in an
experiment,To describe what a phenomenon is, predict when it will occur, control what causes
it, and explain why it occurs
,What are the steps in the scientific method? - Answer Theory > Hypothesis > Research >
Support or Refute Theory > Support=refine hypothesis, Refute=change theory
What does it mean if a hypothesis is falsifiable? If it is parsimonious? - Answer Falsifiable:
one we can reject
Parsimonious: simple - Answer few assumptions
What are operational definitions and what is their value to researchers? - Answer Help
quantify & qualify a variable; researchers can duplicate experiments using these definitions
Experiment - Answer Measure & manipulate variables to test hypothesis
Self-Reports - Answer Used to gather information from a large number of people in a short
amount of time (EX: surveys or questionnaires)
Case Study - Answer Observing, recording, & examining an interestingly unusual person or
group
Naturalistic Observation - Answer Researcher is passive; does no participate (EX: watching
from a park bench)
Participation Observation - Answer Research is involved in research (EX: being hands-on
during a dog grooming appointment to research dog behavior)
Positive Correlation - Answer increase=increase; decrease=decrease
Negative Correlation - Answer increase=decrease
Zero Correlation - Answer No relationship
Correlation coefficient - Answer Provides statistical description of the strength of a
relationship (-1.0=perfect negative, 0=no correlation, +1.0=perfect positive)
Third-Variable Problem - Answer Another, unmeasured variable causes correlation
, Illusory Correlation - Answer Seeing a correlation when one doesn't exist
Directionality Problem - Answer Unsure which variable causes change
Variable - Answer Something that can vary and the researcher can manipulate, measure, or
both
Independent Variable - Answer Gets changed
Dependent Variable - Answer Gets measured
Experimental Group - Answer Group that receives independent variable
Control Group - Answer Group that does not receive independent variable; typical
conditions
Confound - Answer Unintended variables that affect the outcome of a study
Representative Sample - Answer Group that closely represents the population
Convenience Sample - Answer Sample taken from available subgroup in population (e.g.
participants in a particular school)
What is a random assignment and why is it used in an experiment? - Answer Participants are
assigned at random to the control or experimental group; random assignment gives each
participant an equal change of being assigned to any level of the IV
What is an institutional review board? What ethical decisions might an IRB approve or reject? -
Answer IRBs enforce universal ethics guidelines; Approve experiment that meets guidelines
for privacy, relative risks, informed consent, & access to data
Informed Consent - Answer Researched has to tell participant any potential risks prior to
experiment
What is an animal care and use committee? What ethical decisions might an ACUC approve or
reject? - Answer Reviews and approves or rejects experiments related to animals- similar to
institutional review board; Approve an experiment that meets guidelines for privacy, relative
risks, informed consent, & access to data
Questions and All Correct Answers
2025-2026 Updated.
Foot-in-the-Door Approach - Answer You will comply with a larger request if you first comply
to a smaller request
Door-in-the-Face Approach - Answer You will comply if you are asked to do something large,
reject, then are asked a smaller request
Critical Thinking - Answer Questioning & evaluating information using well-supported
evidence
Hindsight Bias - Answer Accepting after the face explanations
Confirmation Bias - Answer Supporting something based on what you think/believe
Self Serving Bias - Answer Failing to see your inadequacies
How do you decrease bias? - Answer Selective samplings, use statistics, don't use shortcuts,
being able to see your weaknesses/inadequacies
What are the key beliefs of the Evolutionary School? - Answer Species change over time to
increase survival & reproduction. Natural Selection-survival of the fittest
What are the key beliefs of the Social School? - Answer Focus on situation & how people are
shaped through their social interactions
What are the key beliefs of the Structuralism School? - Answer Based on the theory that all
experiences could be broken into basic parts; valued introspection
What are the key beliefs of the Gestalt School? - Answer The whole is different than the sum
of its parts
What are the key beliefs of the Cognitive School? - Answer Deals with mental functions
(thinking, language, memory, etc.) & processes of the brain
,What are the key beliefs of the Functionalism School? - Answer Looks at how mind operates,
adaptive function of mind & behavior. Stream of consciousness- each person has a series of
ever-changing thoughts
What are the key beliefs of the Psychoanalytic School? - Answer Freud's school. Work to
bring out unconscious mental processes. Free association- patient talks about what they want
for as long as they want
What does a Neuroscience/Biological psychologist do? - Answer Study how biological
systems affect mental activity
What does a Cognitive psychologist do? - Answer Study cognition, perception, & action. Look
at thinking, perceiving, problem solving, decision-making, learning, etc.
What does a Developmental psychologist do? - Answer Study how people change across the
lifespan
What does a Personality psychologist do? - Answer Study characteristics people display over
time & during certain circumstances
What does a Social psychologist do? - Answer Study how people are affected by the
presence of others
What does a Cultural psychologist do? - Answer Understand how people are affected by
rules that dictate a culture
What does a Clinical psychologist do? - Answer Study factors that cause psychological
disorders
What does a Counseling psychologist do? - Answer Seek to improve people's daily lives
What does a School psychologist do? - Answer Work in educational settings; help students
with problems in learning, design curriculum, etc.
What does a Industrial/Organizational psychologist do? - Answer Study behavior &
productivity in the workplace
What are the goals of description - Answer prediction, explanation, and control in an
experiment,To describe what a phenomenon is, predict when it will occur, control what causes
it, and explain why it occurs
,What are the steps in the scientific method? - Answer Theory > Hypothesis > Research >
Support or Refute Theory > Support=refine hypothesis, Refute=change theory
What does it mean if a hypothesis is falsifiable? If it is parsimonious? - Answer Falsifiable:
one we can reject
Parsimonious: simple - Answer few assumptions
What are operational definitions and what is their value to researchers? - Answer Help
quantify & qualify a variable; researchers can duplicate experiments using these definitions
Experiment - Answer Measure & manipulate variables to test hypothesis
Self-Reports - Answer Used to gather information from a large number of people in a short
amount of time (EX: surveys or questionnaires)
Case Study - Answer Observing, recording, & examining an interestingly unusual person or
group
Naturalistic Observation - Answer Researcher is passive; does no participate (EX: watching
from a park bench)
Participation Observation - Answer Research is involved in research (EX: being hands-on
during a dog grooming appointment to research dog behavior)
Positive Correlation - Answer increase=increase; decrease=decrease
Negative Correlation - Answer increase=decrease
Zero Correlation - Answer No relationship
Correlation coefficient - Answer Provides statistical description of the strength of a
relationship (-1.0=perfect negative, 0=no correlation, +1.0=perfect positive)
Third-Variable Problem - Answer Another, unmeasured variable causes correlation
, Illusory Correlation - Answer Seeing a correlation when one doesn't exist
Directionality Problem - Answer Unsure which variable causes change
Variable - Answer Something that can vary and the researcher can manipulate, measure, or
both
Independent Variable - Answer Gets changed
Dependent Variable - Answer Gets measured
Experimental Group - Answer Group that receives independent variable
Control Group - Answer Group that does not receive independent variable; typical
conditions
Confound - Answer Unintended variables that affect the outcome of a study
Representative Sample - Answer Group that closely represents the population
Convenience Sample - Answer Sample taken from available subgroup in population (e.g.
participants in a particular school)
What is a random assignment and why is it used in an experiment? - Answer Participants are
assigned at random to the control or experimental group; random assignment gives each
participant an equal change of being assigned to any level of the IV
What is an institutional review board? What ethical decisions might an IRB approve or reject? -
Answer IRBs enforce universal ethics guidelines; Approve experiment that meets guidelines
for privacy, relative risks, informed consent, & access to data
Informed Consent - Answer Researched has to tell participant any potential risks prior to
experiment
What is an animal care and use committee? What ethical decisions might an ACUC approve or
reject? - Answer Reviews and approves or rejects experiments related to animals- similar to
institutional review board; Approve an experiment that meets guidelines for privacy, relative
risks, informed consent, & access to data
