Exam 1: Section 3: Introduction and Research Methods

Any change in performance that results from mere repetition of a task is called a demand characteristic.

Compared to spacing out your study time, "cramming" before an exam results in long-term retention of information studied.

A natural experiment is a study investigating the effects of a naturally occurring event on the research participants.

If an experiment is conducted properly, a control group is unnecessary.

The confirmation bias is the tendency to seek out evidence that confirms a claim or belief, while ignoring evidence that contradicts or undermines the claim or belief.

Comparative psychology studies the behavior of children and adults and compares their differences over the lifespan.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a noninvasive procedure that produces detailed images of the brain using electromagnetic signals that track changes in metabolic activity.

As scientists, psychologists are guided by several attitudes, including being open-minded and maintaining a healthy sense of scientific skepticism.

Because humanistic psychology was distinctly different from both psychoanalysis and behaviorism it was sometimes referred to as the "third force" in American psychology.

When research participation is a course requirement or an opportunity for extra credit, a student must be given a choice of an alternative activity to fulfill the course requirement.

Although the American Psychological Association developed a strict code of ethics for conducting psychological research with humans, it does not have similar guidelines governing the use of animals in psychological research.

The dependent variable is also called the treatment variable.

William James's writings were the basis for a new school of psychology called functionalism.

Researchers adhere to ethical guidelines by allowing students who do not want to participate in an experiment the option of choosing a different activity to fulfill the class requirement or to get extra credit.

Clinical psychologists study people with psychological disorders, while psychiatrists actually treat them.

Experimental psychology is a term used to describe research focused on basic psychological topics such as sensory and perceptual processes, and principles of learning, emotion, and motivation.

The goal of psychologists Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers was to discover the fundamental principles of learning.

Some limitations of brain-imaging studies discussed in the Focus on Neuroscience section include the fact that they typically involve a small number of participants and that they tend to focus on simple aspects of behavior.

A statistical technique called meta-analysis is used to analyze the results of many studies on a single topic.

The word pseudo means "rare" or "unusual."