Mixed Deck — All Psychology Degree Topics Flashcards

Stanley Milgram's obedience experiments revealed that the percentage of participants who delivered the maximum shock level was approximately:

Answer: 65%

In Milgram's original study, approximately 65% of participants delivered the maximum 450-volt shock, demonstrating the powerful influence of authority.

A researcher finds that as ice cream sales increase, drowning rates also increase. This most likely reflects:

Answer: A third variable (hot weather) causes both

This classic example illustrates spurious correlation — hot weather drives both ice cream consumption and swimming (drowning risk), making them correlated without causation.

Which memory system is responsible for remembering how to ride a bicycle or type on a keyboard?

Answer: Procedural memory

Procedural memory is a type of implicit long-term memory for motor skills and learned procedures that operates largely outside conscious awareness.

Social loafing is most likely to be reduced when:

Answer: Individual contributions are identifiable and evaluated

Social loafing diminishes when individual contributions can be identified and evaluated, as accountability restores personal responsibility.

The 'encoding specificity principle' (Tulving & Thomson, 1973) predicts that recall will be best when:

Answer: Retrieval cues match conditions present at encoding

Memory retrieval is maximized when the cues available at retrieval match the context present when the memory was originally encoded.

A major change from the DSM-IV-TR to the DSM-5 was the removal of the multiaxial system. What was a primary rationale for this change?

Answer: To create a simpler diagnostic system that aligns more closely with the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases (ICD).

The primary rationale for removing the multiaxial system was to harmonize the DSM with the World Health Organization's ICD, which does not use axes. This change aimed to create a more unified, global system for diagnosis and data collection. The DSM-5 combined the former Axes I, II, and III into a single list of diagnoses, while psychosocial and environmental factors (formerly Axis IV) and disability (formerly Axis V) are now noted separately using a nonaxial format.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) was formerly known in the DSM as:

Answer: Multiple Personality Disorder

DID was renamed from Multiple Personality Disorder in the DSM-IV to better reflect current understanding of identity disruption rather than separate personalities.

Which research design is most appropriate for establishing the temporal precedence needed for causal inference?

Answer: Randomized controlled experiment

Randomized controlled experiments manipulate the independent variable before measuring the outcome, establishing temporal order and enabling stronger causal inference.

A person publicly agrees with a group's opinion but privately disagrees. This is an example of:

Answer: Compliance

Compliance involves outward conformity without private acceptance, driven by desire to avoid conflict or gain rewards.

In Mary Ainsworth's 'Strange Situation' experiment, a toddler shows little distress when their mother leaves the room. Upon her return, the toddler actively avoids her, showing little interest in reconnecting. This pattern of behavior is characteristic of which attachment style?

Answer: Insecure-avoidant attachment

Insecure-avoidant attachment is characterized by a child's tendency to be indifferent to the caregiver's presence. In the Strange Situation, these children show minimal distress during separation and actively avoid or ignore the caregiver upon reunion, often having learned that their attempts to seek comfort are typically rebuffed.

A researcher finds a correlation coefficient of -0.85 between stress levels and sleep quality. What does this indicate?

Answer: A strong negative relationship

A correlation of -0.85 indicates a strong inverse relationship, meaning as stress increases, sleep quality tends to decrease.

What is the primary function of the sympathetic nervous system?

Answer: Activating the fight-or-flight response

The sympathetic nervous system prepares the body for intense physical activity by triggering the fight-or-flight response during perceived threats.

Which theory explains that people in crowds may engage in antisocial behavior because anonymity reduces self-awareness?

Answer: Deindividuation theory

Deindividuation theory proposes that anonymity in groups lowers self-awareness and weakens internal controls against impulsive or antisocial behavior.

The notion that children lack all information and "content" at birth and are "filled" by events in life is known as?

Answer: tabula rasa.

The concept of 'tabula rasa,' Latin for 'blank slate,' posits that individuals are born without any pre-existing knowledge or innate mental content. According to this theory, all knowledge, ideas, and personality traits are acquired solely through sensory experiences and interactions with the environment throughout life. This idea contrasts with theories suggesting innate predispositions or knowledge.

Which measure of central tendency is most resistant to the influence of extreme outliers?

Answer: Median

The median is determined by rank order, so a single extreme value cannot dramatically shift it the way it would the mean.

A researcher administers the same personality questionnaire twice, three months apart, and finds a correlation of r = .85. This reflects which psychometric property?

Answer: Test-retest reliability

Test-retest reliability measures the stability of a test score over time using repeated administrations.

Which lobe of the cerebral cortex is primarily responsible for processing visual information?

Answer: Occipital lobe

The occipital lobe, located at the back of the brain, contains the primary visual cortex and is the main center for visual processing.

A researcher studying suicidal ideation in teenagers omits the topic from the informed consent form to avoid distressing participants before the study. This is:

Answer: A violation of informed consent requirements

Participants must be told the general nature of a study; omitting a central sensitive topic violates their right to make an informed decision about participation.

In Baddeley's working memory model, which component is responsible for processing visual and spatial information?

Answer: Visuospatial sketchpad

The visuospatial sketchpad temporarily holds and manipulates visual and spatial information, such as mentally rotating an object.

What does the selective optimization with compensation (SOC) model by Baltes and Baltes explain about aging?

Answer: How older adults adapt to losses by narrowing goals and using compensatory strategies

The SOC model describes how aging individuals select fewer goals, optimize remaining abilities, and compensate for losses to maintain functioning and well-being.