Final Exam Study Guide - Political Science 1501 – Spring 2025

Define or explain the term: Priming.

• Priming is a psychological process whereby exposure to certain stimuli influences a person's subsequent thoughts, behaviors, or responses, often without conscious awareness.

• Priming is a method of memorizing large amounts of information by repetition.

• Priming refers to the process of removing impurities from a substance.

• Priming is a technique used in painting to prepare a surface for paint application.

Define or explain the term: Confirmation Bias.

• Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses.

• Confirmation bias is the tendency to avoid information that is consistent with one's beliefs.

• Confirmation bias is the process of changing one's beliefs to fit new information.

• Confirmation bias is the tendency to forget information that supports one's beliefs.

Define or explain the term: Cognitive Dissonance.

• Cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort experienced by a person who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, values, or ideas at the same time.

• Cognitive dissonance is the process of learning through observation and imitation of others.

• Cognitive dissonance refers to the ability to recall information over long periods of time.

• Cognitive dissonance is the tendency to favor information that confirms one's preexisting beliefs.

Define or explain the term: Ash Conformity Experiment.

• The Asch Conformity Experiment was a series of studies that demonstrated the extent to which social pressure from a majority group could influence a person to conform.

• The Asch Conformity Experiment was a medical trial testing the effects of ash on human health.

• The Asch Conformity Experiment was a psychological study on memory retention using ash as a stimulus.

• The Asch Conformity Experiment was a sociological survey about the use of ash in ancient rituals.

Define or explain the term: The Brady Factor.

Define or explain the term: Galton’s Ox Experiment.

Define or explain the term: Joe the Plumber.

• Joe the Plumber became a symbol in U.S. politics representing the average American and was used to illustrate the difference between statistics and personal narratives.

• Joe the Plumber is a fictional character from a popular American sitcom in the 1990s.

• Joe the Plumber refers to a famous American inventor known for his work in plumbing technology.

• Joe the Plumber is a term used to describe a type of plumbing tool used in residential construction.

Define or explain the term: Gallup Poll.

• A Gallup Poll is a type of public opinion poll conducted by the Gallup Organization, known for its scientific sampling methods.

• A Gallup Poll is a type of weather forecasting technique used by meteorologists.

• A Gallup Poll is a method of measuring economic growth through stock market analysis.

• A Gallup Poll is a system of ranking universities based on student performance.

Define or explain the term: Harris Poll.

• The Harris Poll is a long-running public opinion poll in the United States, known for its research on social and political issues.

• The Harris Poll is a government agency responsible for conducting the national census every ten years.

• The Harris Poll is a financial index tracking the performance of major US corporations.

• The Harris Poll is a historical document outlining the laws of early American colonies.

Define or explain the term: Survey Monkey.