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