PSYC 101
FINAL EXAM
General Psychology
Actual Questions and Verified Answers
Portage Learning
What You’ll Get:
• Expert-verified explanations for stronger
understanding
• Clear, organized review material
• Printable and digital-friendly PDF format
• This PDF is designed to support high-yield review, reinforce key
psychology concepts, and help you feel more prepared for final
exam success.
,________ statistics summarize data from a sample, whereas ________ statistics
allow researchers to generalize to a broader population.
Answer: Descriptive; inferential
Expert Rationale: Descriptive statistics (mean, median, standard deviation) organize
and summarize data from a specific sample, while inferential statistics (t-tests,
ANOVA, confidence intervals) use sample data to make probability-based
generalizations about the larger population from which the sample was drawn.
What are two features that are essential to experiments?
Answer: Manipulation and control
Expert Rationale: Experiments require manipulation of the independent variable to
observe causal effects, and control over extraneous variables to ensure that changes
in the dependent variable are due to the manipulation rather than confounding factors.
These features distinguish experiments from other research methods.
In a research study, Doctor Akiva assigns some participants to drink 1 cup of
coffee before doing a manual dexterity task and other participants to drink 3 cups
of coffee before doing a manual dexterity task to test if caffeine affects
performance. What is the dependent variable?
Answer: Performance on the manual dexterity task
Expert Rationale: The dependent variable is what the researcher measures to assess
the effect of the manipulation. Here, Dr. Akiva is measuring manual dexterity
performance to see if it depends on the amount of caffeine consumed (the independent
variable).
In a research experiment, what is the difference between a control group and a
placebo control group? Why might researchers prefer to use a placebo control
group?
,Answer: A control group isn't given any treatment. A placebo group is given a treatment,
but the participants don't know if it's a placebo or real. Researchers prefer the placebo
control group because of the placebo effect, where people feel better because they
believe they are receiving treatment.
Expert Rationale: The placebo control group controls for participants' expectations
and the psychological effects of receiving any treatment. This allows researchers to
isolate the actual physiological or psychological effects of the active treatment from
effects caused simply by believing one is being treated, strengthening internal validity.
What is the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics?
Answer: Descriptive statistics summarize data from a sample without making
conclusions about a population. Inferential statistics use sample data to make
generalizations about the population.
Expert Rationale: This distinction is fundamental to research methodology: descriptive
statistics provide a snapshot of collected data (e.g., "The average test score was 85"),
while inferential statistics enable scientific conclusions beyond the immediate data
(e.g., "We are 95% confident the true population mean falls between 82-88").
In an experiment, the researcher manipulates the ________ variable and
measures the ________ variable.
Answer: Independent; dependent
Expert Rationale: The independent variable is deliberately manipulated by the
researcher to test its causal effect, while the dependent variable is measured to
assess the outcome. This cause-and-effect structure is the defining characteristic of
experimental research design.
In measurement, ________ refers to consistency of answers, whereas ________
refers to accuracy or truthfulness.
Answer: Reliability; validity
, Expert Rationale: Reliability concerns measurement consistency—whether the
instrument produces stable results across repeated administrations (like a scale giving
the same weight each time). Validity concerns whether the instrument actually
measures what it claims to measure (like a scale accurately showing true weight, not
just consistent wrong numbers).
In a research study, Doctor Akiva assigns some participants to drink 1 cup of
coffee before doing a manual dexterity task and other participants to drink 3 cups
of coffee before doing a manual dexterity task to test if caffeine affects
performance. What is the independent variable?
Answer: Amount of cups of coffee
Expert Rationale: The independent variable is what the researcher systematically
manipulates to observe its effect. Dr. Akiva is deliberately varying caffeine dosage (1
cup vs. 3 cups) to determine if this manipulation causes changes in performance,
making "amount of coffee" the independent variable.
Five high-school English teachers were given a grammar test. Their scores were
17, 16, 14, 20, 20. What is the mean?
Answer: 87/5 = 17.4
Expert Rationale: The mean is calculated by summing all scores
(17+16+14+20+20=87) and dividing by the number of observations (5). The mean
represents the arithmetic average and is sensitive to every value in the distribution,
making it the most commonly used measure of central tendency.
Five high-school English teachers were given a grammar test. Their scores were
17, 16, 14, 20, 20. What is the median?
Answer: 14, 16, 17, 20, 20. The median is 17
Expert Rationale: The median is the middle value when data are arranged in order.
With an odd number of observations (n=5), the median is the 3rd value (17). The
median is resistant to extreme values and better represents the "typical" score when
distributions are skewed, unlike the mean.
FINAL EXAM
General Psychology
Actual Questions and Verified Answers
Portage Learning
What You’ll Get:
• Expert-verified explanations for stronger
understanding
• Clear, organized review material
• Printable and digital-friendly PDF format
• This PDF is designed to support high-yield review, reinforce key
psychology concepts, and help you feel more prepared for final
exam success.
,________ statistics summarize data from a sample, whereas ________ statistics
allow researchers to generalize to a broader population.
Answer: Descriptive; inferential
Expert Rationale: Descriptive statistics (mean, median, standard deviation) organize
and summarize data from a specific sample, while inferential statistics (t-tests,
ANOVA, confidence intervals) use sample data to make probability-based
generalizations about the larger population from which the sample was drawn.
What are two features that are essential to experiments?
Answer: Manipulation and control
Expert Rationale: Experiments require manipulation of the independent variable to
observe causal effects, and control over extraneous variables to ensure that changes
in the dependent variable are due to the manipulation rather than confounding factors.
These features distinguish experiments from other research methods.
In a research study, Doctor Akiva assigns some participants to drink 1 cup of
coffee before doing a manual dexterity task and other participants to drink 3 cups
of coffee before doing a manual dexterity task to test if caffeine affects
performance. What is the dependent variable?
Answer: Performance on the manual dexterity task
Expert Rationale: The dependent variable is what the researcher measures to assess
the effect of the manipulation. Here, Dr. Akiva is measuring manual dexterity
performance to see if it depends on the amount of caffeine consumed (the independent
variable).
In a research experiment, what is the difference between a control group and a
placebo control group? Why might researchers prefer to use a placebo control
group?
,Answer: A control group isn't given any treatment. A placebo group is given a treatment,
but the participants don't know if it's a placebo or real. Researchers prefer the placebo
control group because of the placebo effect, where people feel better because they
believe they are receiving treatment.
Expert Rationale: The placebo control group controls for participants' expectations
and the psychological effects of receiving any treatment. This allows researchers to
isolate the actual physiological or psychological effects of the active treatment from
effects caused simply by believing one is being treated, strengthening internal validity.
What is the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics?
Answer: Descriptive statistics summarize data from a sample without making
conclusions about a population. Inferential statistics use sample data to make
generalizations about the population.
Expert Rationale: This distinction is fundamental to research methodology: descriptive
statistics provide a snapshot of collected data (e.g., "The average test score was 85"),
while inferential statistics enable scientific conclusions beyond the immediate data
(e.g., "We are 95% confident the true population mean falls between 82-88").
In an experiment, the researcher manipulates the ________ variable and
measures the ________ variable.
Answer: Independent; dependent
Expert Rationale: The independent variable is deliberately manipulated by the
researcher to test its causal effect, while the dependent variable is measured to
assess the outcome. This cause-and-effect structure is the defining characteristic of
experimental research design.
In measurement, ________ refers to consistency of answers, whereas ________
refers to accuracy or truthfulness.
Answer: Reliability; validity
, Expert Rationale: Reliability concerns measurement consistency—whether the
instrument produces stable results across repeated administrations (like a scale giving
the same weight each time). Validity concerns whether the instrument actually
measures what it claims to measure (like a scale accurately showing true weight, not
just consistent wrong numbers).
In a research study, Doctor Akiva assigns some participants to drink 1 cup of
coffee before doing a manual dexterity task and other participants to drink 3 cups
of coffee before doing a manual dexterity task to test if caffeine affects
performance. What is the independent variable?
Answer: Amount of cups of coffee
Expert Rationale: The independent variable is what the researcher systematically
manipulates to observe its effect. Dr. Akiva is deliberately varying caffeine dosage (1
cup vs. 3 cups) to determine if this manipulation causes changes in performance,
making "amount of coffee" the independent variable.
Five high-school English teachers were given a grammar test. Their scores were
17, 16, 14, 20, 20. What is the mean?
Answer: 87/5 = 17.4
Expert Rationale: The mean is calculated by summing all scores
(17+16+14+20+20=87) and dividing by the number of observations (5). The mean
represents the arithmetic average and is sensitive to every value in the distribution,
making it the most commonly used measure of central tendency.
Five high-school English teachers were given a grammar test. Their scores were
17, 16, 14, 20, 20. What is the median?
Answer: 14, 16, 17, 20, 20. The median is 17
Expert Rationale: The median is the middle value when data are arranged in order.
With an odd number of observations (n=5), the median is the 3rd value (17). The
median is resistant to extreme values and better represents the "typical" score when
distributions are skewed, unlike the mean.
