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Experimental psychology - Exam
Contributed by: Grainger
  • 1. Experimental psychology is a branch of psychology that utilizes scientific methods to study human behavior. Researchers in this field design experiments to test hypotheses about various aspects of cognition, emotion, and behavior. They use techniques such as observation, surveys, and controlled experiments to gather data and draw conclusions. By conducting systematic investigations, experimental psychologists aim to better understand how and why people think, feel, and act the way they do. This field has contributed valuable insights to a wide range of topics, including memory, perception, learning, decision-making, and social behavior.

    What is the primary goal of experimental psychology?
A) To understand behavior through controlled experiments.
B) To analyze historical case studies.
C) To predict future behavior based on observations.
D) To provide therapy to individuals.
  • 2. What is the purpose of a control group in an experiment?
A) To make the experiment more complex.
B) To provide a baseline for comparison with the experimental group.
C) To manipulate the independent variable.
D) To ensure the participants are not aware of the study.
  • 3. Which statistical analysis is commonly used in experimental psychology to determine if there is a significant difference between groups?
A) ANOVA (Analysis of Variance).
B) T-test.
C) Chi-square test.
D) Regression analysis.
  • 4. Which ethical principle in psychology research focuses on minimizing harm and maximizing benefits for participants?
A) Informed consent.
B) Confidentiality.
C) Beneficence.
D) Deception.
  • 5. What is external validity in experimental psychology?
A) The accuracy of the measurements taken.
B) The statistical significance of the results.
C) The extent to which the findings of a study can be generalized to real-world settings.
D) The replicate reliability of the study.
  • 6. What is the purpose of debriefing participants after an experiment?
A) To inform them about the true nature and purpose of the study.
B) To gather additional data.
C) To ensure they are not aware of the manipulation.
D) To provide false feedback about their performance.
  • 7. What is the difference between an experimental group and a control group?
A) The experimental group is exposed to the independent variable, while the control group is not.
B) The control group is where the researchers are blind to the results.
C) Both groups receive different treatments.
D) The experimental group is observed in a naturalistic setting.
  • 8. What does replicability refer to in experimental psychology?
A) The ability of an experiment to be repeated with similar results.
B) The number of participants in the study.
C) The complexity of the experimental design.
D) The statistical significance of the results.
  • 9. Who founded the first psychology laboratory and where was it located?
A) Hermann Ebbinghaus in Paris, France
B) Charles Bell in London, England
C) Wilhelm Wundt in Leipzig, Germany
D) Ernst Heinrich Weber in Berlin, Germany
  • 10. Who is credited with suggesting that judgments of sensory differences are relative?
A) Ernst Heinrich Weber
B) Wilhelm Wundt
C) Francois Magendie
D) Charles Bell
  • 11. What is the mathematical expression for Weber's Law?
A) I/ΔI = k
B) ΔI + I = k
C) ΔI/I = k
D) I - ΔI = k
  • 12. Who published similar findings to Charles Bell's research without being aware of it?
A) Hermann Ebbinghaus
B) Wilhelm Wundt
C) Ernst Heinrich Weber
D) Francois Magendie
  • 13. What was one of the methods used by early experimental psychologists like Wundt and Titchener?
A) Genetic analysis
B) Behavioral observation
C) Neuroimaging
D) Introspection
  • 14. What was disproved by Charles Bell's discovery?
A) The belief that nerves transmitted either vibrations or spirits.
B) The presence of sensory nerves in the spinal cord.
C) The existence of motor nerves.
D) Weber's Law.
  • 15. What is considered to be the first quantitative law in psychology?
A) Wundt's Principle of Introspection
B) Ebbinghaus' Forgetting Curve
C) Weber's Law
D) Bell–Magendie law
  • 16. Who is considered to have published the first work of experimental psychology?
A) Wilhelm Wundt
B) Gustav Fechner
C) Oswald Külpe
D) Ernst Heinrich Weber
  • 17. In what year did Gustav Fechner publish 'Elemente der Psychophysik'?
A) 1879
B) 1860
C) 1883
D) 1855
  • 18. What concept did the Würzburg School emphasize that affects perception and problem solving without awareness?
A) Introspection
B) Mental Set (Einstellung)
C) Voluntarism
D) Structuralism
  • 19. What type of thought did Külpe describe as consisting of pure mental acts without mental images?
A) Perceptual Thought
B) Sensory Thought
C) Associative Thought
D) Imageless Thought
  • 20. Which psychological movement was influenced by the work of the Würzburg School?
A) Psychoanalysis
B) Humanistic Psychology
C) Behaviorism
D) Gestalt Psychology
  • 21. Who introduced experimental psychology into the United States?
A) Jerzy Neyman
B) George Trumbull Ladd
C) Charles Sanders Peirce
D) Sir Frederic Bartlett
  • 22. Which university did George Trumbull Ladd found the first psychological laboratory at?
A) Yale University
B) Harvard University
C) Johns Hopkins University
D) University of Chicago
  • 23. Where did the center of experimental psychology in the US shift after Ladd's founding of the Yale Laboratory?
A) Johns Hopkins University
B) University of Chicago
C) Columbia University
D) Harvard University
  • 24. Where is the presence of an IRB required by law?
A) In all private businesses.
B) Exclusively at government agencies.
C) Only in medical facilities.
D) At institutions such as universities where psychological research occurs.
  • 25. Who conducted the Stanford prison experiment?
A) John B. Watson
B) Norman Triplett
C) Philip Zimbardo
D) Stanley Milgram
  • 26. What unique capacity do bats display that helps clarify important cognitive functions?
A) Echo location
B) Camouflage
C) Migration over long distances
D) Hibernation
  • 27. What type of conditioning did B.F. Skinner distinguish from classical conditioning?
A) Cognitive dissonance
B) Classical conditioning
C) Operant conditioning
D) Social learning theory
  • 28. In psychology, what was the kymograph often used to record?
A) Speed of bullets
B) Response times
C) Electric current strength
D) Depth perception
  • 29. What instrument was developed by Carl Ludwig?
A) Galvanometer
B) Stereoscope
C) Photokymograph
D) Kymograph
  • 30. Which maze is used to test spatial learning in rats?
A) An olfactometer setup.
B) The radial arm maze.
C) The Morris water maze.
D) A visual acuity test.
  • 31. Which device was commonly used in psychology labs for olfactory studies?
A) The radial arm maze.
B) The Zwaardemker olfactometer.
C) The Morris water maze.
D) An electroencephalograph.
  • 32. Which school criticizes experimental psychology for neglecting context?
A) Frankfurt School
B) Psychoanalytic School
C) Cognitive School
D) Behaviorist School
  • 33. What term do critical psychologists use to describe their approach?
A) Experimental Psychology
B) Critical Theory
C) Cognitive Science
D) Behavioral Analysis
  • 34. Which of these is an example of a property that can be measured on a ratio scale?
A) Standard scores on an achievement test
B) Difference in loudness
C) Length
D) Temperature in Fahrenheit
  • 35. What does a control group in a two-group design typically receive?
A) A placebo.
B) No treatment.
C) The same treatment as the experimental group.
D) A different treatment from the experimental group.
  • 36. In which year was the National Research Act established?
A) 1965
B) 1982
C) 1999
D) 1974
  • 37. Which student of Peirce conducted experiments on human cognition in schools?
A) Joseph Jastrow
B) Jerzy Neyman
C) George Trumbull Ladd
D) John Dewey
  • 38. Who invented the first stereoscope?
A) Matthäus Hipp
B) Carl Ludwig
C) Hermann von Helmholtz
D) Wheatstone
  • 39. What design did Peirce and Jastrow use in their experiments?
A) Cross-sectional design
B) Blinded, repeated-measures design
C) Case-control design
D) Longitudinal design
  • 40. Which early instrument was used in experimental psychology?
A) Polygraph machine
B) Hipp Chronoscope
C) MRI scanner
D) Electroencephalograph (EEG)
  • 41. What are some instruments used in sensory measurement?
A) Oscillator, attenuator, stroboscope
B) Syringe, scalpel, and stethoscope
C) Computer, calculator, and smartphone
D) Microscope, telescope, and thermometer
  • 42. Which paradigm became dominant in psychology during the mid-20th century, especially in the United States?
A) Psychoanalysis
B) Behaviorism
C) Humanistic Psychology
D) Cognitive Psychology
  • 43. What is the significance of parsimony in scientific theory selection?
A) Theories should be selected based on their popularity.
B) Simplicity is irrelevant in comparing scientific theories.
C) If two theories handle observations equally well, prefer the simpler one.
D) Parsimony suggests choosing the most complex theory available.
  • 44. What principle did Ivan Pavlov establish through his experiments with dogs?
A) Social learning theory
B) Operant conditioning
C) Cognitive dissonance
D) Classical conditioning
  • 45. What was the focus of Peirce's pragmatic program?
A) Analyzing social interactions
B) Studying animal behavior
C) Understanding human perception
D) Exploring developmental stages
  • 46. Where are fMRIs most commonly found?
A) Private homes
B) Hospitals
C) Schools
D) Offices
  • 47. What was the kymograph originally used for?
A) Measuring blood pressure
B) Detecting nerve impulses
C) Recording reaction times
D) Presenting images to each eye separately
  • 48. What component allows a photokymograph to reach an appropriate speed for recording?
A) Some have a lens
B) They utilize revolving drums
C) They use vibrating reeds
D) They employ electrical signals
  • 49. Who popularized the use of factorial designs?
A) Jean Piaget.
B) R.A. Fisher.
C) Sigmund Freud.
D) B.F. Skinner.
  • 50. What is a serious disadvantage of within-subjects designs?
A) Fewer conditions can be tested.
B) They require more participants.
C) Possible sequence effects.
D) Elimination of person confounds.
  • 51. With whom did Charles S. Peirce conduct experiments on weight discrimination?
A) Joseph Jastrow
B) John Dewey
C) Jerzy Neyman
D) George Trumbull Ladd
  • 52. Which scale allows for the comparison 'twice as heavy'?
A) Ratio scale
B) Ordinal scale
C) Nominal scale
D) Interval scale
  • 53. In a 2x3 factorial design, how many levels does the second independent variable have?
A) One level.
B) Two levels.
C) Four levels.
D) Three levels.
  • 54. What is a significant advantage of within-subjects designs over between-subjects designs?
A) They eliminate person confounds.
B) They allow for more participants.
C) They prevent sequence effects.
D) They have no disadvantages.
  • 55. Who is considered one of the founders of behavioral psychology?
A) Ivan Pavlov
B) Sigmund Freud
C) Carl Jung
D) William James
  • 56. Which method assesses reliability by measuring participants at two different times?
A) Construct validity
B) Split-half
C) Criterion validity
D) Test-retest
  • 57. Who used the galvanometer to detect electrical signals generated by nerve impulses?
A) Wheatstone
B) Carl Ludwig
C) Matthäus Hipp
D) Hermann von Helmholtz
  • 58. On which type of temperature scale are ratios like 'twice as hot' meaningful?
A) Celsius scale
B) Rankine scale
C) Fahrenheit scale
D) Kelvin scale
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