Psychology and Human Behavior Flashcards
7 cards from real B.L.A.; occasionally A.L.B. Bachelor of Liberal Arts practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Psychology and Human Behavior flashcards as text
In an experimental research design, what is the purpose of a control group?
Answer: To serve as a baseline by not receiving the experimental treatment
A control group does not receive the experimental treatment, providing a baseline comparison that allows researchers to isolate the effect of the independent variable.
What does a double-blind experimental procedure ensure?
Answer: Neither participants nor researchers know who is in the treatment group
In a double-blind study, neither participants nor the researchers administering the treatment know who received the real treatment versus a placebo, eliminating expectation biases.
Which important research principle states that a correlation between two variables does not necessarily mean that one causes the other?
Answer: Correlation does not imply causation
Correlation measures the relationship between two variables, but a third variable or coincidence may explain the pattern — only controlled experiments can establish causation.
The DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition) is primarily used by mental health professionals to:
Answer: Classify and diagnose mental disorders using standard criteria
The DSM-5, published by the American Psychiatric Association, provides standardized diagnostic criteria for classifying mental disorders, enabling consistent diagnosis across clinicians.
Neuroplasticity refers to the brain's ability to:
Answer: Reorganize its structure and function in response to experience or injury
Neuroplasticity is the brain's lifelong capacity to form new neural connections, reorganize existing pathways, and adapt structurally in response to learning, experience, or damage.
The Big Five personality model (OCEAN) includes which of the following as one of its five core dimensions?
Answer: Conscientiousness
The Big Five (OCEAN) dimensions are Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism — Conscientiousness reflects organization, dependability, and self-discipline.
Behaviorism, the school of psychology associated with John Watson and B.F. Skinner, argues that psychology should focus exclusively on:
Answer: Observable behaviors rather than internal mental states
Behaviorists held that only observable, measurable behavior — not subjective mental states — should be the subject of scientific psychology, rejecting introspection as unscientific.