PSCL 101 Exam 1 Questions and Answers Latest Update 2025-2026
frequency claim - Answers tests for a quantitative value (single variable)
association claim - Answers tests to see a relationship between two variables
causal claim - Answers describes how one variable affects another (experiments necessary)
naive realism - Answers we mentally make and want to see patterns in realism (making patterns
out of clouds)
pseudoscience - Answers science that cannot be proven or disproven (astrology)
belief perseverance - Answers people sticking to their initial beliefs even after they are
dissproved
confirmation bias - Answers searching for an answer based on predisposed belief (anti-vax)
group polarization - Answers hanging out with people of same views can make those views
more extreme
heuristics - Answers mental shortcuts that make us quicker (can be wrong sometimes)
group mentality - Answers when in a group, your own belief is strengthened and you shoot down
others beliefs
ultimate attribution error - Answers increasing confirmation bias based on outcomes
ingroup bias - Answers in favor of the groups ideals
outgroup homogeneity - Answers everyone else is alike, your group is different, leads to
discrimination
stereotype - Answers a belief about a person or group
prejudice - Answers attitude towards someone or a group
discrimination - Answers treating one different because of prejudice
scapegoat hypothesis (for discrimination) - Answers discrimination arises from a need to blame
others
Just-world hypothesis (for discrimination) - Answers discrimination from karma
stanford prison experiment - Answers philip zimbardo's experiment to understand behavior
deindividuation - Answers a loss of individuality that leads to disinhibited behavior (generally in
a group)
, ethical laws - Answers to prevent psychological and physical harassment
milgrim's obedience study - Answers teachers and students with increasing levels of shocks if
answers wrong
confederate - Answers a person given a role to play in an experiment
milgrim's finding - Answers people are more likely to do unspeakable things if they aren't
responsible for it
conformity - Answers the belief that others are right because you dont want to disagree with
others
informational conformity - Answers belief that others are right (over your beliefs)
normative conformity - Answers tendency to go along with the group because you dont want to
disagree
groupthink - Answers emphasis of unanimity rather than critical thinking
diffusion of responsibility - Answers the thought that someone else will do it when in a big group.
think about kitty genovese and the bystander effect
bandura - Answers interested in how people learn things "monkey see, monkey do"
reciprocal determinism - Answers environment, personal/cognitive factors, behavior affects the
shape of the others
social loafing - Answers one person in a group does all the work. others generally do nothing
social facilitation - Answers including everyone in a group
dispositional attribution - Answers attributing a behavior to ones personality (usually used to
describe others)
situational attribution - Answers attributing behavior to prior arrangements (usually used to
describe oneself)
fundamental attribution error - Answers tendency to describe others with dispositional
attribution
cognitive dissonance theory - Answers your belief about yourself doesn't agree with your action.
change your thought to reconcile that behavior
five factor model of personality - Answers OCEAN: openness to experience, contentious,
extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism
locus of control - Answers the extent to which one believes they can control their life
frequency claim - Answers tests for a quantitative value (single variable)
association claim - Answers tests to see a relationship between two variables
causal claim - Answers describes how one variable affects another (experiments necessary)
naive realism - Answers we mentally make and want to see patterns in realism (making patterns
out of clouds)
pseudoscience - Answers science that cannot be proven or disproven (astrology)
belief perseverance - Answers people sticking to their initial beliefs even after they are
dissproved
confirmation bias - Answers searching for an answer based on predisposed belief (anti-vax)
group polarization - Answers hanging out with people of same views can make those views
more extreme
heuristics - Answers mental shortcuts that make us quicker (can be wrong sometimes)
group mentality - Answers when in a group, your own belief is strengthened and you shoot down
others beliefs
ultimate attribution error - Answers increasing confirmation bias based on outcomes
ingroup bias - Answers in favor of the groups ideals
outgroup homogeneity - Answers everyone else is alike, your group is different, leads to
discrimination
stereotype - Answers a belief about a person or group
prejudice - Answers attitude towards someone or a group
discrimination - Answers treating one different because of prejudice
scapegoat hypothesis (for discrimination) - Answers discrimination arises from a need to blame
others
Just-world hypothesis (for discrimination) - Answers discrimination from karma
stanford prison experiment - Answers philip zimbardo's experiment to understand behavior
deindividuation - Answers a loss of individuality that leads to disinhibited behavior (generally in
a group)
, ethical laws - Answers to prevent psychological and physical harassment
milgrim's obedience study - Answers teachers and students with increasing levels of shocks if
answers wrong
confederate - Answers a person given a role to play in an experiment
milgrim's finding - Answers people are more likely to do unspeakable things if they aren't
responsible for it
conformity - Answers the belief that others are right because you dont want to disagree with
others
informational conformity - Answers belief that others are right (over your beliefs)
normative conformity - Answers tendency to go along with the group because you dont want to
disagree
groupthink - Answers emphasis of unanimity rather than critical thinking
diffusion of responsibility - Answers the thought that someone else will do it when in a big group.
think about kitty genovese and the bystander effect
bandura - Answers interested in how people learn things "monkey see, monkey do"
reciprocal determinism - Answers environment, personal/cognitive factors, behavior affects the
shape of the others
social loafing - Answers one person in a group does all the work. others generally do nothing
social facilitation - Answers including everyone in a group
dispositional attribution - Answers attributing a behavior to ones personality (usually used to
describe others)
situational attribution - Answers attributing behavior to prior arrangements (usually used to
describe oneself)
fundamental attribution error - Answers tendency to describe others with dispositional
attribution
cognitive dissonance theory - Answers your belief about yourself doesn't agree with your action.
change your thought to reconcile that behavior
five factor model of personality - Answers OCEAN: openness to experience, contentious,
extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism
locus of control - Answers the extent to which one believes they can control their life
