PSYC 333 Exam 1 (UIUC): Abnormal Psychology Foundations Study Guide
Method of Tenacity - correct answer ✔✔information is accepted as true because it has always
been believed or because superstition supports it
Method of Authority - correct answer ✔✔people hold firmly to some belief because some
respected official, agency, or source has said it is so
a priori method - correct answer ✔✔the mode of accepting knowledge based on a premise that
people have agreed on, followed by reasoned argument
empirical reasoning - correct answer ✔✔A combination of careful logic, organized observation,
and measurement that is open to scrutiny by others.
strengths of empirical approach - correct answer ✔✔good at answering practical questions
about how things work
Limitations of the Empirical Method - correct answer ✔✔This method can be racially/gender
biased because it lacks a diverse sample and includes only white males. It does not account for
minority groups or females.
peer review process - correct answer ✔✔a procedure in which experts in a particular area
evaluate papers submitted to scientific journals
gullibility - correct answer ✔✔unwariness; trustfulness; being easily fooled
Skepticism - correct answer ✔✔A philosophy which suggests that nothing can ever be known
for certain.
, cynicism - correct answer ✔✔an attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by
selfishness
descriptive research - correct answer ✔✔research methods that involve observing behavior to
describe that behavior objectively and systematically
relational research - correct answer ✔✔an empirical investigation in which the objective is to
identify relationships among variables
experimental research - correct answer ✔✔gathering primary data by selecting matched groups
of subjects, giving them different treatments, controlling related factors, and checking for
differences in group responses
Variable - correct answer ✔✔A factor that can change
independent variable - correct answer ✔✔The experimental factor that is manipulated; the
variable whose effect is being studied.
dependent variable - correct answer ✔✔The measurable effect, outcome, or response in which
the research is interested.
theoretical definition - correct answer ✔✔assigns a meaning to a term by providing an
understanding of how the term fits into a general theory
operational definition - correct answer ✔✔a statement of the procedures (operations) used to
define research variables. For example, human intelligence may be operationally defined as
what an intelligence test measures.
nominal scale - correct answer ✔✔a scale in which objects or individuals are assigned to
categories that have no numerical properties
Method of Tenacity - correct answer ✔✔information is accepted as true because it has always
been believed or because superstition supports it
Method of Authority - correct answer ✔✔people hold firmly to some belief because some
respected official, agency, or source has said it is so
a priori method - correct answer ✔✔the mode of accepting knowledge based on a premise that
people have agreed on, followed by reasoned argument
empirical reasoning - correct answer ✔✔A combination of careful logic, organized observation,
and measurement that is open to scrutiny by others.
strengths of empirical approach - correct answer ✔✔good at answering practical questions
about how things work
Limitations of the Empirical Method - correct answer ✔✔This method can be racially/gender
biased because it lacks a diverse sample and includes only white males. It does not account for
minority groups or females.
peer review process - correct answer ✔✔a procedure in which experts in a particular area
evaluate papers submitted to scientific journals
gullibility - correct answer ✔✔unwariness; trustfulness; being easily fooled
Skepticism - correct answer ✔✔A philosophy which suggests that nothing can ever be known
for certain.
, cynicism - correct answer ✔✔an attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by
selfishness
descriptive research - correct answer ✔✔research methods that involve observing behavior to
describe that behavior objectively and systematically
relational research - correct answer ✔✔an empirical investigation in which the objective is to
identify relationships among variables
experimental research - correct answer ✔✔gathering primary data by selecting matched groups
of subjects, giving them different treatments, controlling related factors, and checking for
differences in group responses
Variable - correct answer ✔✔A factor that can change
independent variable - correct answer ✔✔The experimental factor that is manipulated; the
variable whose effect is being studied.
dependent variable - correct answer ✔✔The measurable effect, outcome, or response in which
the research is interested.
theoretical definition - correct answer ✔✔assigns a meaning to a term by providing an
understanding of how the term fits into a general theory
operational definition - correct answer ✔✔a statement of the procedures (operations) used to
define research variables. For example, human intelligence may be operationally defined as
what an intelligence test measures.
nominal scale - correct answer ✔✔a scale in which objects or individuals are assigned to
categories that have no numerical properties
