Deck 1: Psychology As Science

Question 1

Psychology is defined as

A) the scientific study of mind and behavior
B) the scientific study of people
C) the scientific study of biology
D) the scientific study of the brain

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Suppose you were conducting a study to examine whether infants can identify their mothers' voices after birth. What discipline of science would be necessary to answer that question?

A) Psychological science
B) Philosophical inquiry
C) Biological science
D) Philosophy of mind

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Psychology is sometimes confused with this medical specialty.

A) physical therapy
B) psychiatry
C) endocrinology
D) neurology

Answer 3

B

Question 4

These psychologists treat the symptoms of psychological disorders.

A) pharmacologists
B) developmental psychologists
C) clinical and counseling psychologists
D) social psychologists

Question 5

Which of the following best describes the difference between a clinical psychologist and a psychiatrist?

A) Clinical psychologists are only interested in pharmacological solutions to mental illness.
B) Clinical psychologists usually hold medical degrees.
C) Psychiatrists cannot prescribe medication that affects psychological states.
D) Psychiatrists can prescribe medications that affect psychological states.

Question 6

A consultant is one example of a(n)

A) applied psychologist
B) medical doctor
C) academic psychologist
D) neurologist

Question 7

This field of psychological study examines the ways human beings change over the lifespan

A) clinical psychology
B) cognitive psychology
C) evoluationary psychology
D) developmental psychology

Question 8

Among other things, this field of psychological study examines thinking, learning, memory, and language.

A) cognitive psychology
B) developmental psychology
C) behavioral psychology
D) evolutionary psychology

Question 9

Psychologists guided by this perspective believe that an understanding of the brain and body is important to understanding behavior.

A) developmental
B) biobehavioral
C) cognitive
D) evolutionary

Question 10

Psychogists guided by this perspective view the mind as a complex information- processing device.

A) cognitive
B) developmental
C) biobehavioral
D) evolutionary

Question 11

Which of the following best describes the view of psychologists taking the evolutionary perspective?

A) Humans evolved brains to defeat less intelligent organisms.
B) Behavior is determined by positive external forces.
C) The mind and the brain evolved in specific ways to help our ancestors solve problems.
D) Humans evolved to use more aggressive means to achieve status.

Question 12

The main focus of positive psychology perspective is

A) human strengths
B) human weakness
C) positive reinforcement
D) lifespan development

Question 13

When a psychologist discusses the effect of unconscious conflicts and motivation on behavior he or she is speaking from this perspective.

A) sociocultural
B) evolutionary
C) psychodynamic
D) behavioral

Question 14

Psychologists that emphasize how society and culture shape human psychology take the

A) cognitive
B) sociocultural perspective
C) biobehavioral
D) psychodynamic

Question 15

The earliest pre-scientific system of psychology can be traced back to

A)the Buddah
B) Archemedes
C) Aristotle
D) Plato

Question 16

Which of the following best describes the rationalist view of the mind?

A) knowledge can only be obtained through pure observation
B) empirical research is the only way to knowledge
C) the mind is separate from the body continues to exist without it
D) mental abilities are learned not inherited.

Question 17

Rene Descartes asserted that the mind and body are separate entities made of different materials, a notion known as

A) dualism
B) qualism
C) rationalism
D) oneism

Question 18

According to the British Empiricists, knowledge and truth were only obtainable through

A) rationality
B) microscopic investigation
C) evolution
D) experience

Question 19

The British Empiricists views on knowledge, especially the writing of John Locke, were precursors to this psychological perspective?

A) psychoanalysis
B) behaviorism
C) positive psychology
D) humanism

Question 20

Rather than rely on pure logic or sensory experience as philosophers do, scientists base their conclusions on multiple pieces of observation known as

A) data
B) datum
C) experience
D) knowledge

Question 21

In Leipzig, Germany, this man opened the first scientific psychology lab in 1879.

A) Edward Titchner
B) William James
C) Wilhelm Wundt
D) G. Stanley Hall

Question 22

The first scientific methodology to be used in psychology was

A) introspection
B) retrospection
C) priming
D) stereospection

Question 23

Which of the following best describes the psychological movement known as structuralism?

A) A holistic study of perception
B) A systematic study of the contents of the mind
C) A focus on the functioning of mental processes
D) A systematic study of behavior

Question 24

In his book, the Principles of Psychology, William James wrote that it was more interesting to study

A) observable behavior
B) the contents of the mind rather than its functions
C) the functions of the mind rather than its contents
D) the holistic processing of the perceptual system

Question 25

Functionalism was a psychological perspective that

A) focused on purposes and functions of the mind as shaped throughout human history
B)focused on the contents of consciousness
C) assessed the function of IQ for the education system
D) assessed the functions of psychologists in society

Question 26

G. Stanley Hall founded this professional organization

A) American Medical Association (AMA)
B) Association for Psychological Science (APS)
C) American Psychological Association (APA)
D) Cognitive Science Society (CSS)

Question 27

Psychoanalysis is a perspective of psychology most associated with

A) Erich Fromm
B) Sigmund Freud
C) Carl Jung
D) William James

Question 28

Which of the following is the best description of the beliefs of psychoanalysts

A)Humans adapt their behavior to their environment
B)Humans use reason and logic to make decisions
C) Humans are driven by unconscious conflicts and desires
D) Humans are motivated by the desire to achieve greatness

Question 29

What did behaviorists such as John Watson believe about psychological science?

A)Internal mental states cannot be scientifically observed.
B) Cognitive processes should take center stage in psychological science.
C) Behavior is driven by unconscious conflict.
D) Consciousness it he most objective concept in psychology.

Question 30

A behaviorist would say that learning refers to

A) changes in thoughts as others demonstrate behavior
B)a score on a final examination
C) performance on an intelligence test
D) changes in behavior as the result of environmental influence or experience

Question 31

Because Dr. Patel believes that behavior is mainly determined by free will, she is likely a

A) psychoanalyst
B) behaviorist psychologist
C) humanistic psycholgist
D) behavior analyst

Question 32

Science is driven by objective ways of knowing, also called

A) retroactive methods
B) empirical methods
C) intuitive methods
D) rational methods

Question 33

Among the non-empirical ways of knowing _____________ is probably the most subjective.

A) intuition
B) dualism
C) rationalization
D) politicization

Question 34

The systematic application of observation and logic to questions in the natural world is a good definition of

A) craft
B) science
C) pseudoscience
D) psychometry

Question 35

Which of the following best describes the scientific method?

A) A collection of rules for ethical science practice
B) A non-empirical method popularized by physiologists
C) A succession of five steps toward acquiring empirical knowledge
D) A code of conduct for experimenters when dealing with humans

Question 36

Which of the following is NOT one of the four goals of science?

A) prediction
B) description
C) explaination
D) transformation

Question 37

Scientists take the point of view that claims must be backed by compelling evidence before they can be accepted as fact. Thus, scientists are

A) skeptics
B) believers
C) conformers
D) cynics

Question 38

Which of the following is not an aspect of critical thinking?

A)Refusing to accept evidence of a claim against your beliefs
B)Being ready to revise previously held beliefs
C) Being aware of your own biases as well as the biases of others
D) Weighing all evidence in support and against your own views.

Question 39

A specific, precise, and testable prediction about the occurrence of an event is known as

A) theory
B) hypothesis
C) judgment
D) premonition

Question 40

What is the best definition of a scientific theory?

A) A specific, precise, and testable prediction about the occurance of an event.
B)An interconnected set of ideas and statements that explain observed facts
C) A loose collection of inferred beliefs
D) A quantitative method for analyzing data

Question 41

Which of the following best describes the relationship between a hypothesis and a theory?

A) A theory is always correct even if a hypothesis is proven false.
B) Theories never predict the most extreme hypotheses.
C) The testing of a hypothesis is always in the context of a theory.
D) A hypothesis is always correct when it proves a theory.

Question 42

Which of the following is NOT a valid distinction between science and pseudoscience?

A) Science relies purely on anecdotal evidence.
B) Science is self-correcting.
C) Pseudoscientific claims are untestable.
D) Pseudoscientists revers the burden of proof to their critics.

Question 43

What problem does a psychologist have with measurement that a chemist might not have?

A)Psychologists do not always agree on definitions of behaviors and mental events.
B)It is generally easier to measure mental events.
C)Measuring behavior is easier than measuring atomic weights
D)Psychologists have established a system of only measuring the environment

Question 44

One way to avoid accepting false findings in research is to

A)accept all evidence as valid
B) only read results of studies that you agree with
C) conduct replication studies
D) conduct thought experiments

Question 45

Which of the following is not a method used for psychological research?

A)descriptive
B)correlational
C)experimental
D)intuitive

Question 46

Psychologists use descriptive strategies

A) to describe individuals in terms of a set of characteristics.
B) to evaluate the influence of chance in data collection
C) to focus on descriptions of physical features
D) to draw conclusions about a large number of independent observations

Question 47

A kind of basic descriptive strategy in which one subject is extensively studied is a(n)

A) survey
B) case study
C) experiment
D) simulation

Question 48

Case studies and other descriptive research strategies are considered

A) pseudoscience
B) quantitative studies
C) qualitative studies
D) survey studies

Question 49

Studies that use statistics to describe phenomena are called

A) quantitative studies
B) qualitative studies
C) case studies
D) simulations

Question 50

The most common kind of quantitative descriptive study is a

A)case study
B)survey
C)naturalistic observation
D)focus group

Question 51

When researchers conduct a study, they must select a representative group of participants called a

A) population
B) gaggle
C) sample
D) placebo

Question 52

The participants in any given study should be representative of a larger group of people called the

A) sample
B) ethnicity
C) demographic
D) population

Question 53

Probability Sampling is best described as a procedure in which

A) the probability of an individual being selected is unknown
B) the probability of an individual being selected for the sample is a matter of convenience
C) the probability of an individual being selected for the sample is known, but individuals are randomly chosen
D) the probability of an individual being selected varies according to geographical location

Question 54

Why is probability sampling important for survey research?

A) It helps psychologists avoid samples that are not representative of the population of interest.
B) It increases the chance of an experimenter proving his or her hypothesis true.
C) It helps psychologists avoid insignificant statistical results.
D) It ensures that the experimental procedures will prove valid.

Question 55

Many researchers use these kinds of samples to save time and money in recruiting participants

A) stratified samples
B) random samples
C) convenience samples
D) belated samples

Question 56

According to this phenomenon, the composition of the survey question and not the content of the question can affect the participant's response.

A)wording effect
B) composition effect
C) response effect
D) survey effect

Question 57

This descriptive strategy is similar to that used by an ethologist, a scientist who studies animals in their natural habitats.

A) planetary observation
B) naturalistic observation
C) occupational therapy
D) laboratory observation

Question 58

Which of the following best describes a limitation of descriptive strategies in psychological research?

A) Relationships between multiple variables cannot be adequately examined.
B) Factors other than the independent variable cannot influence the results.
C) Relationships between individuals cannot be adequately examined.
D) Specific details about the participants are usually not known.

Question 59

A variable in psychological research is a(n)

A) unknown influence on the results
B) factor that never changes across participants
C) factor that changes or varies in magnitude or category
D) laboratory device

Question 60

Imagine that you have read an article that reported that weight gain increases when people eat higher calorie diets. This is an example of a

A)multiple correlation
B) positive correlation
C) negative correlation
D) low correlation

Question 61

A positive correlation is reported when

A) a variable increases as another increases
B) a variable decreases as another increases
C) increases in a variable not associated with the results
D) the effect of a third variable is positive

Question 62

If you read an article that reported decreases in hearing ability as people age, that is an example of a

A) negative correlation
B) positive correlation
C) multiple correlation
D) low correlation

Question 63

The strength of a correlation is represented by this statistic.

A) phi correlation
B) beta factor
C) coefficient of knowing
D) correlation coefficient

Question 64

A correlation between two variables cannot be interpreted as a causal relationship because of this concept.

A) the two variable problem
B) the third variable problem
C) the source monitoring problem
D) the causal hypothesis problem

Question 65

If we believe we are studying the effect of TV watching on ADHD but we are in reality studying the effect of poverty on ADHD or TV watching we have a

A)third variable problem
B) two variable problem
C) reliability problem
D) validity problem

Question 66

What strategy for research is the only way to determine causal relationships between variables with certainty?

A) a correlational study
B) a qualitative survey
C) a prediction study
D) a true experiment

Question 67

A researcher wanted to determine the effect of violent video game content on aggressive behavior in adolescents. To do so, he instructed one set of participants to play a violent video game and another set of participants to play a computerized chess match. The experimenter then measured participant's aggression levels. What was the independent variable?

A) the chess match
B) type of video game
C) aggressive behavior
D) the computer

Question 68

When an experimenter systematically varies conditions or values in an experiment he is manipulating

A) an independent variable
B) a third variable
C) a dependent variable
D) a mediating variable

Question 69

A research wanted to determine whether the temperature of a room effected reading ability. She used different three temperatures (cold, warm, hot) with different groups of participants and measured their reading comprehension with multiple-choice questions.
The dependent variable in the study was

A) participant gender
B) room temperature
C) reading comprehension
D) room size

Question 70

An experiment using random assignment to conditions ensures that

A)participants are grouped according to attractiveness
B) each participant is equally likely to be in any condition of the experiment
C) each participant is more likely to be in the first condition
D) no participants are assigned to any condition

Question 71

The control group is so called because

A) the purpose of the group is one of control over confounding variables
B)the participants' behavior is more controlled in this condition
C) the purpose of the group is to isolate controlling participants
D) the participants are told to control their behavior

Question 72

This phenomenon occurs when an experimenter unintentionally conveys information to a participant regarding how he or she should behave in the experiment.

A)demand characteristics
B) bystander influence
C) experimental design
D) expert performance

Question 73

Which of the following best describes a double-blind study?

A)The experimenter is aware of the hypothesis being tested.
B) Only the participant knows the specific hypothesis being tested.
C) The participant in the experiment and the person collecting the data are not aware of the specific hypothesis being tested.
D) The person collecting the data is aware of the specific hypothesis being tested.

Question 74

Operational definitions are important to experimental research involving abstract concepts like aggression, because

A) they provide a precise definition of the behaviors to be measured
B)they insure complete operation of experimental procedures
C) they result in more significant experimental results
D) they operate out of the awareness of the participants

Question 75

If experimental procedures do not generalize to real world situations, the study can be said to lack

A) internal validity
B) reliable validity
C) laboratory validity
D) external validity

Question 76

Inferential statistics make it possible for psychologists to evaluate this factor in their results.

A) chance
B) knowledge
C) truth
D) expertise

Question 77

Inferential statistics use this concept to determine the influence of chance in their results

A) quantitative scaling
B) statistical significance
C) statistical error
D) coin-flipping

Question 78

The strength of the difference between two groups on a variable is known as the

A)effect set
B) statistical significance
C) effect size
D) size constancy

Question 79

Which of the following best describes the definition of ethics?

A) A set of orderly rules for correct behavior.
B) A set of harsh penalties for bad behavior.
C) A set of strict guidelines for conformity.
D) A loose collection of behaviors and morals.

Question 80

All psychological research on human subjects must be approved by this university committee.

A) the College Board (CB)
B) the Inter-Office Correspondce Board (IOCB)
C) the Educational Testing Service (ETS)
D) the Institutional Review Board (IRB)