PSYC289D - Exam 1 PSYC289D - Exam 2
correctly answered to pass
What distinguishes science from non-science? - correct answer ✔✔Science is empirical,
quantitative, and objective; experimentation and data (replication is key)
What are variables? - correct answer ✔✔variables are qualities, properties, or characteristics of
persons, things, or situations that change or vary. They need to be concisely defined to promote
their manipulation and measurement in quantitative research.
What is operationalization? - correct answer ✔✔Go from conceptual variable to a specific
measurable entity; Operationalization is the process of making the characteristics inherent in a
given variable, condition or process 'clear and familiar to others'
What is the difference between basic and applied research? - correct answer ✔✔Basic =
expanding knowledge, more like in lab research; applied = applying knowledge to real-life
situation, more in-life research
List three different methods to study happiness and their strengths and limitations. - correct
answer ✔✔Self-report, Duchenne smile, or indirectly by measuring social activity
What is the difference between correlational and experimental studies? - correct answer ✔✔In
correlational studies, a researcher looks for associations among naturally occurring variables,
whereas in experimental studies the researcher introduces a change and then monitors its
effects.
What are the threats to causality in a correlational design? - correct answer ✔✔true
relationship, reverse causality, third variable, and spurious relationship
,Is happiness a person (trait)? A situation? An outcome? A cause? - correct answer ✔✔There are
many different approaches. Activity Theory: happiness goes w/movement and action; Causal
approach: happiness causes positive outcomes; Trait approach: happiness is a trait resulting
from other traits
Is happiness genetic? How do we know? - correct answer ✔✔Yes, because 50% variability in
happiness can be explained by genetic similarity; but genes do not = destiny
Contrast classic theories (e.g, Freudian) with more contemporary ones (e.g., activity theory) -
correct answer ✔✔Classic = Freud's pleasure principle/Maslow's hierarchy of needs;
Contemporary = trait approach, activity theory, etc.
What are the basic findings on social media and happiness? - correct answer ✔✔Social media
can cause happiness or unhappiness depends on how it is used (active or passive)
How should you respond if someone tells you that social media always makes people unhappy?
- correct answer ✔✔Social media can cause both positive and negative feelings...prior studies
on the psychological effects of social media are quite mixed
Describe active & passive social media usage. - correct answer ✔✔active = interaction, posting,
communication; passive = viewing and no communication
What is neurobabble? - correct answer ✔✔neurobabble = nonsense scientific talk from people
who have no idea what they're talking about
What is the role of dopamine in our lives? - correct answer ✔✔involved in reward pathways;
released before pleasure and lets the brain learn what causes pleasure
What is a moral panic? - correct answer ✔✔if something is new or unknown we tend to have
heightened and sometimes irrational fears about it; overreaction to a social problem to create
exaggerated concern in comparison to the reality of the problem
, What is falsifiability? - correct answer ✔✔Falsifiability is when a scientific idea is able to be
proven wrong. If different outcomes lead to the same conclusion of a hypothesis being correct,
then the study is not falsifiable.
How do emotions serve us? Should we try to reduce negative emotions? - correct answer
✔✔Emotion drives action, we need negative emotions to drive us to fix problems
What's the difference between mood, affect, and emotion? - correct answer ✔✔Mood = more
fleeting/situational, affect = general well-being, emotion = more specific
What are diff. types of positive affect? - correct answer ✔✔joy, gratitude, serenity, hope,
interest, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe
What are the differences between positive and negative emotions? - correct answer
✔✔Positive emotions are less distinct, blend together, promoting not preventing, the response
more flexible
What are the "basic" emotions, and why are they basic? - correct answer ✔✔anger, disgust,
fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise are the basic emotions; they're basic because they are
consistent in meaning and expression across cultures, present in other species, and have unique
expressions
Describe the difference between "raw" feels and "higher" pleasure. - correct answer ✔✔raw
feels = sensory experiences of the body (ex: eating good food); "higher" pleasure = cognitive
fulfillment (ex: enjoying good art)
Describe the evolutionary perspective and how pleasure works alongside disgust. - correct
answer ✔✔pleasure enhances survival, evolved for health/cleanliness; disgust promotes
sanctity and purity
correctly answered to pass
What distinguishes science from non-science? - correct answer ✔✔Science is empirical,
quantitative, and objective; experimentation and data (replication is key)
What are variables? - correct answer ✔✔variables are qualities, properties, or characteristics of
persons, things, or situations that change or vary. They need to be concisely defined to promote
their manipulation and measurement in quantitative research.
What is operationalization? - correct answer ✔✔Go from conceptual variable to a specific
measurable entity; Operationalization is the process of making the characteristics inherent in a
given variable, condition or process 'clear and familiar to others'
What is the difference between basic and applied research? - correct answer ✔✔Basic =
expanding knowledge, more like in lab research; applied = applying knowledge to real-life
situation, more in-life research
List three different methods to study happiness and their strengths and limitations. - correct
answer ✔✔Self-report, Duchenne smile, or indirectly by measuring social activity
What is the difference between correlational and experimental studies? - correct answer ✔✔In
correlational studies, a researcher looks for associations among naturally occurring variables,
whereas in experimental studies the researcher introduces a change and then monitors its
effects.
What are the threats to causality in a correlational design? - correct answer ✔✔true
relationship, reverse causality, third variable, and spurious relationship
,Is happiness a person (trait)? A situation? An outcome? A cause? - correct answer ✔✔There are
many different approaches. Activity Theory: happiness goes w/movement and action; Causal
approach: happiness causes positive outcomes; Trait approach: happiness is a trait resulting
from other traits
Is happiness genetic? How do we know? - correct answer ✔✔Yes, because 50% variability in
happiness can be explained by genetic similarity; but genes do not = destiny
Contrast classic theories (e.g, Freudian) with more contemporary ones (e.g., activity theory) -
correct answer ✔✔Classic = Freud's pleasure principle/Maslow's hierarchy of needs;
Contemporary = trait approach, activity theory, etc.
What are the basic findings on social media and happiness? - correct answer ✔✔Social media
can cause happiness or unhappiness depends on how it is used (active or passive)
How should you respond if someone tells you that social media always makes people unhappy?
- correct answer ✔✔Social media can cause both positive and negative feelings...prior studies
on the psychological effects of social media are quite mixed
Describe active & passive social media usage. - correct answer ✔✔active = interaction, posting,
communication; passive = viewing and no communication
What is neurobabble? - correct answer ✔✔neurobabble = nonsense scientific talk from people
who have no idea what they're talking about
What is the role of dopamine in our lives? - correct answer ✔✔involved in reward pathways;
released before pleasure and lets the brain learn what causes pleasure
What is a moral panic? - correct answer ✔✔if something is new or unknown we tend to have
heightened and sometimes irrational fears about it; overreaction to a social problem to create
exaggerated concern in comparison to the reality of the problem
, What is falsifiability? - correct answer ✔✔Falsifiability is when a scientific idea is able to be
proven wrong. If different outcomes lead to the same conclusion of a hypothesis being correct,
then the study is not falsifiable.
How do emotions serve us? Should we try to reduce negative emotions? - correct answer
✔✔Emotion drives action, we need negative emotions to drive us to fix problems
What's the difference between mood, affect, and emotion? - correct answer ✔✔Mood = more
fleeting/situational, affect = general well-being, emotion = more specific
What are diff. types of positive affect? - correct answer ✔✔joy, gratitude, serenity, hope,
interest, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe
What are the differences between positive and negative emotions? - correct answer
✔✔Positive emotions are less distinct, blend together, promoting not preventing, the response
more flexible
What are the "basic" emotions, and why are they basic? - correct answer ✔✔anger, disgust,
fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise are the basic emotions; they're basic because they are
consistent in meaning and expression across cultures, present in other species, and have unique
expressions
Describe the difference between "raw" feels and "higher" pleasure. - correct answer ✔✔raw
feels = sensory experiences of the body (ex: eating good food); "higher" pleasure = cognitive
fulfillment (ex: enjoying good art)
Describe the evolutionary perspective and how pleasure works alongside disgust. - correct
answer ✔✔pleasure enhances survival, evolved for health/cleanliness; disgust promotes
sanctity and purity
