L&M CH.1

If a psychologist has a theory that people can read faster if they have had some caffeine, caffeine is the ________, and reading speed is the _____________.

____________ means that a theory makes specific predictions that can be tested to determine whether the theory is right or wrong.

__________ means that a theory stimulates a lot of new research and new ideas.

A problem with using anecdotes as scientific data is that they could be a _____________.

A variable that can affect the results of an experiment and makes the results impossible to interpret is called a _________.

Animals have been used as research subjects more often by _______________ psychologists than by ____________ psychologists.

According to John B. Watson, if psychology is to be a science it must focus on observable events, namely ____________ and _____________.

According to B. F. Skinner, theories in psychology should not include ____________.

If a theory deals with many different independent and dependent variables, adding an independent variable can make the theory _______________.

Most psychologist would agree that ___ is a process of change that occurs as a result of an individual's experience. (We learn from our experiences)

Which of the following scholars wrote the influential book, The Behavior of Organisms (1938)?
(Important figure in behaviorism)

In research, another name for the independent variable is often referred to as the:
(Reason for the experiment)

According to the author, which of the following would be classified as an observational technique?
(Behavior must be observable)

In medical research, patients who receive the inactive pill are usually in the ___group.
(The drug has no pharmacological effects)

A result is usually called significant in psychological research if the probability that it occurred by chance is less than ____. (Level of significance in research)

The field of learning is frequently associated with the general approach to psychology called behaviorism. (Skinner was a behaviorist)
True False

One reason for using animals as subjects in research is that of comparative complexity.
(Humans can read, write, and speak; animals cannot)
True False

The term "behaviorism" was first coined by B.F. Skinner.
(Watson first behaviorist)
True False

The period in which an organism is acquiring a new skill. (Process of learning)

Theoretical concept used to predict the relationship between the independent and dependent variables.
(Unseen variables which may influence a relationship)

The ability of a theory to stimulate future research.
(Research builds upon previous research)

A method for drawing inferences or conclusions from empirical results.
(Determines the effect of the independent variable)

Neither the subject nor the researcher knows what group the subject is in during an experiment.
(Procedure to reduce the placebo effect)

The term "dependent" variable replaces the word ___ in experimental studies.
(What an experimenter measures)

A concern raised about the case history method is that the cases reported may represent a _____.
(Small sample may not apply to all)

___ psychology developed as a result of some psychologists who were dissatisfied with the behavioral approach. (Intervening variables are important for understanding behavior.)

Another psychologist, ____proposed that intervening variables enhanced the desirability for a theory. (Behavioral psychologist who disagreed with Skinner)

Which of the following is NOT a component of a scientific theory?
A. Dependent variable
B. Independent variable
C. Syntax
D. Confounding variable

A theory which makes unambiguous predictions which can be tested against fact has ____.

What is the name of the committee which oversees animal research at most universities?

Most psychologist view learning as

Behaviorist focus on

The major components of a theory consist of

The criteria for judging the merit of a scientific theory are

Psychologist use ____________, ____________, and _________ to collect behavioral data

Inferential statistics are often used to

Many benefits have been achieved as a result of psychological research with animals such as

Cognitive psychologist examine behavior with regard to

Chaos theory provides a

Research focuses on

process =

product =

Long-term changes in an individual's bx that results from a learning experience

raccoon 1st encountering the smell of food - garbage can

raccoon encountering few changes after having considerable experience w/ the garbage can

conditions that are varied or manipulated to produce change (cause)

what you measure in the experiment and what is affected during the experiment (effect)

movement of a paddle as it strikes a ping-pong ball, is the ____, movement of ball through the air is the _______

Not all psychological theories include _______, and some psychologists object to their use because they are not directly observable

rules and definitions that state how the IV & DV are measured and the relationship among IVs, intervening variables, and DVs

Good theories can be disproven/replicated

smallest number of constructs and assumptions are preferred

Simplest explanation amongst theories

the broad application

how well theory coincides w/ the facts

Just b/c it doesn't agree it doesn’t mean that its bad

Experimenter is passive observer

Always involves a systematic effort to obtain a representative sample from the population

when people know they are participating in an experiment, their bxs may change or improve

receives the tx

receives no initial tx (comparison group)

means that it is unlikely that the results occurred by chance (i.e., .05)

Emphasizes the study of external events (observable stimuli and responses) and avoids speculation about processes inside the organism

what can I see and measure

-Reliance on animal subjects
-Emphasis on external events

approach that focuses on the processes that take place inside the head (memory, attention, rehearsal, etc) that cannot be observed directly

What's going on internally w/in the mind

Placebo effect or expectancy effect is minimized

Subjects are convenient

Controlled environment

Comparative Simplicity

Complex skills (e.g., Language) hard to study in animals

Human beings very different from animals

Ethical concerns: The role of PETA

IRB