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PSYCHOLOGY 100 - KNOWLEDGE SURVEY FALL '09
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Is this survey being conducted at the BEGINNING or the END of the semester?
Beginning of Semester End of Semester

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This is a Knowledge Survey rather than a "test." There are no right or wrong answers. While you will not be graded on this survey, please be very candid in your responses!
By completing this survey, both at the beginning and at the end of the semester, your instructor will be able to gauge your initial level of knowledge and then measure the amount of knowledge you gain during the semester. This information will help your instructor modify and improve the course.
Read each statement carefully and then choose a response based on the following instructions:

Mark A as your response to the item if you are not confident in your skills in the area and do not feel you can adequately demonstrate these skills on a test/essay/research paper.

Mark B as your response to the item if you feel somewhat confident that you are reasonably skilled in the area and can demonstrate these skills at a reasonable level on a test/essay/research paper.

Mark C as your response to the item if you feel very confident that you are highly skilled in the area and can demonstrate these skills at a high level on a test/essay/research paper.

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The following are questions about the scientific method and decision making as applied to the social sciences.
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Your skill level in area:

A: Not Confident B: Somewhat Confident C: Very Confident
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1. Explain what make psychology a science.
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2. List the scientific goals of psychology.
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3. Describe behavior and mental processes using operational definitions.
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4. Analyze a study in terms of independent and dependent variables.
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5. Explain, in general terms, the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics and meta-analyses.
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6. Given a set of numbers, calculate the mean, median, and mode.
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7. Compare and contrast normal and skewed distributions.
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8. Name two measures of variability and explain how these measures can be used to interpret results.
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9. Explain the importance of statistical significance in terms of how we interpret the importance of the results from a study.
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10. Explain the difference between the terms reliable and valid.
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11. Explain the Tolman test of external validity.
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12. Understanding that psychological explanations may vary across populations and contexts.
The following questions are about research methods used in psychological research and their strengths and weaknesses.

A: Not Confident B: Somewhat Confident C: Very Confident
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1. Describe behavior and mental processes using operational definitions.
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2. Analyze a study in terms of independent and dependent variables.
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3. Describe descriptive, correlation, and experimental methods for conducting a study.
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4. Explain the advantages and limitations of descriptive, correlation, and experimental research methods.
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5. Explain how the collaborative-decision-making (CDM) method may be used to distinguish between properly and improperly conducted research
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6. Explain how biases can affect research designs and how people interpret results.
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7. Interpret what it means when there is a positive, negative, or no correlation between two factors such as scores on an aptitude test and grade point average.
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8. Demonstrate the ability to evaluate popular media reports of psychological research using methods from psychological research.
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The following questions are about major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology.

A: Not Confident B: Somewhat Confident C: Very Confident
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1. Give a definition of psychology.
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2. What does APA stand for?
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3. Describe the relationship between mind and body.
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4. Describe the interaction between heredity and environment.
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5. Name and describe four different perspectives in psychology.
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6. Name the founder of psychology and who is credited with establishing psychology in the United States.
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7. Describe the parts of a neuron and how neurons communicate with each other.
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8. Explain how drugs and poisons affect the nervous system.
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9. Describe the differences between the central nervous system, the peripheral nervous system, and the endocrine system.
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10. Explain the relationship between the autonomic nervous system and emotions
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11. Name and describe the lobes of the brain.
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12. Explain what is meant by the term brain lateralization.
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13. Name and describe the stages of sleep.
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14. Explain the terms absolute threshold and difference threshold, in terms of how we sense the world.
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15. Explain Weber's law of psychophysics.
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16. Describe parts of the eye and how we see the world.
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17. Describe parts of the ear and how we hear things in the world.
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18. Explain the concept of transduction and its importance in how we sense the world.
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19. Name at least four cues that give us a sense of depth.
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20. Provide an example of perceptual constancy in terms of how we perceive the world
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21. Explain, in general terms, learning through classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning.
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22. How do reinforcers and punishers change behavior?
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23. Name and explain three types of memory.
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24. Explain the importance of encoding and retrieval in memory.
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25. Name and explain at least two theories of why we forget.
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26. Explain at least two ways in which our memories may be distorted and prone to mistakes.
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27. Name and explain at least three ways to improve our memory.
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28. Explain the difference between a heuristic and an algorithm when solving problems.
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29. Explain biases that interfere with our judgment about the occurrence of uncertain events.
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30. Describe two main controversies in the area of intelligence
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31. Name and explain the major theories of intelligence.
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32. List the main stages of human development.
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33. Discuss Piaget's theory of cognitive development.
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34. Discuss Kohlberg's theory of moral reasoning.
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35. Discuss Erikson's psychosocial stage theory of development.
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36. Define personality and describe the major perspectives of personality.
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37. Discuss and explain differences between conformity, compliance, and obedience.
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38. Discuss the causes of obedience, prejudice, and helping behavior.
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39. Explain how our behavior affects our attitudes.
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40. Using ideas from social psychology, discuss how impressions of other people are formed.
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41. Describe what constitutes a psychological disorder.
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42. Discuss how psychologists diagnose and classify mental disorders.
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43. Name and explain at least three major categories of mental disorders.
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44. List and explain the major treatments for mental disorders.
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The following questions are about summarizing in writing the results and applications of psychological research to everyday life.

A: Not Confident B: Somewhat Confident C: Very Confident
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1. List the major applied areas in psychology.
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2. Read and accurately summarize an article or report having to do with the general scientific literature of psychology.
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3. Understand how to read tables, figures, and graphs showing results from psychological research.
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4. Understand how to quote, paraphrase, and cite correctly information from different media sources.
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5. Understand how to define and avoid plagiarism.
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6. Understand the importance of honoring commercial and intellectual copyrights.
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7. Demonstrate proficiency in basic computer skills, such as word processing, e-mail, and searching the Web for high-quality information.
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8. Demonstrate proper etiquette and security safeguards when communicating through e-mail.
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The following questions are about developing insight into your own and others' behavior and mental processes.

A: Not Confident B: Somewhat Confident C: Very Confident
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1. Use psychological concepts, theories, and/or research findings to understand interactions with others.
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2. Identify your own personal and professional values.
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3. Have an improved awareness of your feelings, emotions, and motives, and attitudes based on psychological principles.
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4. Demonstrate self-regulation in setting and achieving goals in and outside the classroom.
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5. Incorporate feedback from others to improve your performance.
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6. Understand the importance of seeking input from and experiences with a diverse group of people, that is, people diverse in thinking, background, and cultures.

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Mahalo for completing the Knowledge Survey!
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