Unit 1 Study Guide

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Unit 1: CH 1-2 Learning to Change 1. Who originally said that change is the only constant? Explain why the author endorses this view? (p. 3) 2. Describe why Darwin rejected Malthus’ view of the effects of human population growth. (p. 5) 3. Describe Darwin’s theory of adaptation based on natural selection. Was Darwin aware of the genetic basis for evolution? Who discovered the genetic basis for natural selection and when? (p. 6) 4. Darwin stated that if all members of a species were genetically identical, natural selection would be impossible. Why did he state this, and what is one of the criticisms of Darwin’s theory? (pp. 6–7, 19, 21) 5. Provide examples where change has been very gradual and another example where change has been rapid. (pp. 7–9) 6. Is natural selection likely if there are no significant changes in the species’ surroundings? Explain your answer. (pp. 7, 25) 7. Why do predators play an important role in natural selection? (p. 9) 8. What is a reflex? Describe reflexes that exist in the amoeba. Describe the rooting reflex in babies. Describe the salivary reflex. Provide examples where reflexes may not be useful. (pp. 11–13) 9. What term is now used for what was once called instinctive behaviour? (p. 13) 10.Why do modal action patterns (MAP) contribute to the survival of a species? Give examples. (p. 14) 11.Are there modal action patterns in human beings? Discuss the prevailing view of this issue. (p. 15) 12.Describe the fixed-action pattern of tropical army ants that suggests they are engaging in intelligent behaviour. (pp. 13–14) 13.Define a general behaviour trait. Identify how general behaviour traits differ from fixed-action patterns. (pp. 16–17) 14.Describe how genetic engineering has been able to demonstrate the role of genes in behaviour traits. (p. 17) 15.What are the limits of natural selection? Describe with reference to Gordon’s study of guppies. (p. 19) 16.What are mutations? Describe their relationship to survival and natural selection. (p. 20)

17.Why can hybridization help in species adaptation? Provide an example. (p. 20) 18.Learning has been described as the acquisition of behaviour. Why has this definition been rejected? What is the definition accepted by Chance? (pp. 21, 24) 19.Discuss the evidence that covert speech is essentially a diminutive form of speech. Can unconscious thoughts be considered a behaviour? (pp. 22–23) 20.What is a stimulus? Provide original examples of a stimulus. (p. 24) 21.What is experience? Are all changes in behaviour due to experience? Are all experiences learning experiences? Give original examples to support your answers. (p. 24) 22.Do all changes in behaviour, even those resulting from changes in the environment, qualify as learning? Provide examples. (p. 25) 23.Define habituation. Provide an example of habituation. What factors can influence habituation? (p. 26) 24.What is the focus of the nature-nurture argument? What is a major problem with casting nature-nurture questions as a debate? Explain this problem with reference to the idea that humans are (or are not) naturally aggressive. Make reference to the research of Kuo and Wilson. (pp. 28–29) 25.Describe the evidence that indicates that heredity and environmental factors influence the ability to learn. Describe Hart and Risley’s study of children’s home environments. (pp. 29–30) Study Questions 1. Explain the meaning of Thomas Henry Huxley’s opening quote. (p. 35) Comment: Huxley’s quote strikes at the heart of what it means to be a scientist, especially a behavioural scientist. The ability to be guided by one’s observations above all else is essential to scientific progress. 2. Describe the law of parsimony. How does it relate to explanations of behaviour that rely on hypothetical events? (pp. 35–36) 3. Describe the following ways of measuring learning: reduction in errors, changes in topography, changes in intensity, changes in speed, changes in latency, and changes in rate or frequency. Provide original examples of each. (pp. 37–41)

4. What is fluency? Provide an original example. (p. 41) 5. What are the problems with using case studies as a source of evidence? What advantages do case studies have over anecdotal evidence? (pp. 42–43) Comment: One problem with psychology textbook criticisms of anecdotal evidence is that they portray those using anecdotal evidence as foolish, assuming that better evidence is available. They fail, however, to acknowledge that there are no sources of pristine scientific data available for making many day-to-day decisions. For example, selecting a marriage partner is undoubtedly a significant decision, but it isn’t feasible or practical to do experimental research on prospective partners to select the most suitable one. The issues surrounding the use of anecdotal evidence in day-to- day life have not been properly understood within psychology. Anecdotal evidence is explored in a critical-thinking module available on the Athabasca University Psychology Website . 6. What are the advantages and disadvantages of descriptive studies? (p. 44) 7. Define independent and dependent variables. Provide original examples of each. (pp. 44–45) 8. Describe a between-subjects experiment using an example. Why is it appropriate to use a random assignment in such experiments? (pp. 44–46) 9. What is a within-subject experimental design? Define a baseline period and an ABA reversal design. Provide an original example of a within-subject experimental design in the form of an ABA reversal design. (pp. 46–48) 10.Compare and contrast within subjects and between-subjects experimental designs. (p. 48) 11.What is the chief limitation of experimental research? Define laboratory and field experiments and compare and contrast them. How does the use of field experiments help to overcome the main limitation of experimental research? (pp. 48–49) 12.Identify and explain the three major reasons for using animals in research on learning. (pp. 49–50) 13.What is the most common objection to using animals in research on learning? Are there valid grounds for this objection? Explain. Identify two additional objections to using animals in research and the counter- arguments to these objections. (pp. 50–52) 14.Discuss the guidelines set out by the American Psychological Association for research on animals. (p. 52)

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