Chapter 1 Topic 1

Question 1

Alternatives to science

Answer 1

1. your experience (ex. you tan but don’t get skin cancer -> you wouldn’t think tanning is harmful)
2. your intuition
3. an authority (ex. a teacher telling you what is right)

• all of these have limitations
• often less accurate than empiricism

Question 2

Empiricism

Answer 2

• involves using evidence from the senses as a basis for conclusions
• scientists are empiricists

Question 3

scientific process steps

Answer 3

1. identify: identify a question
   - what do we want to learn about?
2. form: form a hypothesis and gather information
   - what is our specific prediction
3. test: test hypothesis by conducting research
4. analyze: analyze the data
   - what can we conclude?
5. Build: build a body of knowledge
   - build theory (formal statments)

Question 4

What is the scientific process? 3 goals of scientific process

Answer 4

• systematic procedure used to achieve the goal of description, prediction, explanation

Question 5

Bystander effect

Answer 5

• the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present
• diffusion of responsibility: “someone else will help them”
• strangers put pressure onto others not to intervene by not intervening – others are afraid to stand out
• when you’re part of this club of strangers somehow (ex. you are wearing a suit and all the strangers are also in suits), you’re more likely to receive help

Question 6

Normal distribution

Answer 6

• symmetrical
• central peak = mean (50% of points lie below mean and 50%. lie above mean)
• tails off to both ends

Question 7

positively skewed

Answer 7

mean > median > mode

Question 8

negatively skewed

Answer 8

mean < median < mode

Question 9

variability

Answer 9

• How much measurements differ from one another

Question 10

normal data

Answer 10

When a frequency distribution is normal, the mean = median = mode.

Question 11

range

Answer 11

• value of the largest measurement in a frequency distribution minus the smallest
• ex. 20 IQ scores, high = 150 and low = 70. 150-70=80 (the range)

Question 12

standard deviation

Answer 12

• describes the average difference between the measurements in a frequency distribution and the mean of that distribution
• amount of variation between scores

Question 13

what makes a good theory

Answer 13

Theory is an explanation or model of how a phenomenon works

• organize information in meaningful way
• testable (ie falsifiable)
• predictions are supported by research
• conforms to law of parismony
• AKA Occam’s razor

Question 14

Step 5 of scientific process: build a body of knowledge

Answer 14

• present at conference or publish paper
• publish in a peer-reviewed academic journal were reviewers tear down your work to build it up (critiquing)
• can also promote work on social media