Exam 1: Section 3: Introduction and Research Methods

An irrefutable or nonfalsifiable claim is one that can be proven or tested empirically.

Evolutionary psychologists emphasize studying the physical bases of human and animal behavior, including the nervous system, endocrine system, immune system, and genetics.

Neuroscience, an area within the biological perspective, refers to the study of the nervous system, especially the brain.

A hypothesis is a tentative explanation that tries to integrate and account for the relationship of various findings and observations.

A representative sample very closely parallels, or matches, the larger group on relevant characteristics, such as age, sex, race, marital status, and educational level.

For centuries, philosophers debated which was more important: the inborn nature of an individual or the environmental influences that nurture the individual.

If a perfect positive correlation of +1.00 occurs, it means that as factor A increases, factor B always decreases.

In the gingko biloba experiment, the test scores of the participants in both the experimental group and the placebo control group improved because of the practice effect.

A noninvasive technique that produces detailed images of the body's structures and tissues, using electromagnetic signals generated by the brain in response to magnetic fields is called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Humanistic psychology was largely founded by the American psychologist B. F. Skinner.

A positive correlation reflects a cause-and-effect relationship between two variables, while a negative correlation indicates the absence of a cause-and-effect relationship between the variables.

The purpose of the double-blind technique is to guard against the possibility that the researcher will inadvertently become an extraneous or confounding variable and display demand characteristics.

Personality psychologists study the nature of human personality, including the uniqueness of each person, traits, and individual differences.

Like earlier psychologists Watson and the behaviorists focused on the study of mental processes and conscious experience.

Positive psychology is a field of psychological research that focuses on the study of positive emotions and psychological states, positive individual traits, and the social institutions that foster these qualities in individuals and communities.

Psychologists' open-minded attitude is tempered by a healthy sense of scientific skepticism. That is, psychologists critically evaluate the evidence for new findings, especially those that seem contrary to established knowledge.

Magnet therapy has been shown to be very effective in treating various ailments and conditions.

In one natural experiment investigating weight gain during the first year of college, it was found that female students assigned to dormitories with on-site food services reported eating more meals and more snacks, but they did not report gaining weight.

Functionalism stressed the importance of how behavior allows people and animals to adapt to their environments.

Random selection is a process in which participants are selected randomly from a larger group such that every group member has an equal chance of being included in the study.