Deck 1: Exstintion: What Is Psychology

Question 1

Critical thinking requires:

A)creativity in order to construct alternative explanations.
B)the knowledge that all opinions are created equal.
C)being as open-minded as possible.
D)soaking up knowledge like a sponge.

Answer 1

creativity in order to construct alternative explanations.

Question 2

The ability to make judgments on the basis of well-supported reasons rather than emotion or anecdote is called:

A)applied psychology.
B)basic psychology.
C)critical thinking.
D)trained introspection.

Answer 2

critical thinking.

Question 3

The first week of college is difficult for Drew because his girlfriend is attending college in another state.His roommate says,"Don't worry,Drew,you know that absence makes the heart grow fonder." Drew bases his response on the chapter he just completed in his psychology textbook,saying:

A)"Thanks for reminding me! Research almost always confirms the accuracy of common sense sayings."
B)"Read this book.It is obvious from psychological research that common sense sayings are seldom accurate when put to the tests of science."
C)"Common sense sayings often contradict one another.Remember the saying,"Out of sight,out of mind."
D)"That doesn't help much.That saying was derived from empirical research and cannot be applied to everyday life."

Answer 3

"Common sense sayings often contradict one another.Remember the saying,"Out of sight,out of mind."

Question 4

"Can I recall events from my childhood accurately?" This question illustrates which of the following critical thinking guidelines?

A)avoid emotional reasoning
B)don't oversimplify
C)tolerate uncertainty
D)ask questions and be willing to wonder

Question 5

Critical thinkers try to:

A)use anecdotes to support their arguments.
B)settle arguments based on emotional convictions.
C)identify unspoken assumptions and make them explicit.
D)look for evidence that confirms their viewpoints.

Question 6

Psychobabble is defined as:

A)an innate mental module that allows young children to develop language.
B)pseudoscience covered by a veneer of psychological language.
C)incoherent speech linked by remote associations called word salads.
D)a child's first word combinations which omit unnecessary words.

Question 7

Critical thinking involves all of the following EXCEPT:

A)looking for flaws in arguments.
B)weighing the evidence supporting a claim.
C)thinking of implications of research findings.
D)accepting all opinions as having equal merit.

Question 8

Empirical findings are those that:

A)rely on observation,experimentation,or measurement.
B)characterize an entire set of research data.
C)are conducted in a field setting outside of a laboratory.
D)compare subjects of different ages at a given time.

Question 9

Critical thinking may be defined as:

A)negative thinking when trying to solve a problem.
B)using insight to assess claims made by researchers.
C)using evidence to make objective judgments.
D)detecting emotional cues to find hidden agendas.

Question 10

Ali's mother asks her to describe what she is learning in her psychology class.Ali responds by saying,"I can give you an example about psychology." Which of the following gives the most accurate view of psychology?

A)turning on the radio to hear a call-in talk show facilitated by a therapist
B)watching a television talk show together to listen to psychological explanations of abnormal behavior
C)taking a self-help book off the shelf and reading about human motivation
D)picking up the newspaper and showing her mom an article based on empirical research

Question 11

Psychology is defined generally as:

A)the study of behavior and mental processes.
B)the study of the mind of humans and other animals.
C)the study of mental health and illness.
D)the study of the human mind.

Question 12

Randy meets a Californian who grows all her own vegetables and refuses to touch any nonorganic food and he concludes that Californians are overzealous about nutrition.This type of error illustrates the critical thinking guideline:

A)don't oversimplify.
B)define your terms.
C)be willing to wonder.
D)ask questions.

Question 13

In Taylor and Kowalski's study of introductory psychology students,the students took a quiz about popular opinion versus research evidence.They learned one of the most important lessons in science which is:

A)most misconceptions about psychology are actually true.
B)common sense statements are primarily based in fact.
C)uncertainty about beliefs can be a good thing.
D)evidence gathered by careful observation is often completely false.

Question 14

Psychology differs from pseudoscience and psychobabble in all of the following ways EXCEPT:

A)psychology,but not pseudoscience,is based on research evidence.
B)pseudoscience,but not psychology,promises easy fixes to life's problems.
C)psychology confirms our existing beliefs and prejudices,whereas pseudoscience often challenges them.
D)the predictions of pseudoscience tend to be so vague as to be meaningless.

Question 15

The psychology that is studied in this textbook bears little relation to the "pop psych" found in self-help books.In our textbook,the psychological information is based on:

A)psychoanalytic truths.
B)the ideas of prominent authors.
C)empirical evidence.
D)the most up-to-date theories.

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT one of the eight essential critical-thinking guidelines?

A)avoid overly complicated explanations
B)tolerate uncertainty
C)examine the evidence
D)avoid emotional reasoning

Question 17

Psychology is defined as the discipline concerned with:

A)the causes of psychological disorders and the development of effective treatments to help individuals in mental distress.
B)behavior and mental processes and how they are affected by an organism's physical state,mental state,and external environment.
C)an organism's observable behavior and the ways in which prior experience and learning shape this behavior.
D)maladaptive human behaviors and cognitions that are incorporated into a person's self-worth during childhood.

Question 18

Psychobabble is defined as:

A)pseudoscience and quackery covered by a veneer of psychological language.
B)the tendency of television news shows to misinterpret significant psychological findings.
C)attempts to explain and predict human behavior through a person's astrological sign.
D)the prediction of behavior by a "past-lives" channeler based on experiences in a former life.

Question 19

Important psychological findings are ones that:

A)confirm what people commonly believe.
B)violate popular opinion.
C)are surprising to the research community.
D)deepen the understanding of our familiar world.

Question 20

When comparing the academic field of psychology to "pop psych," all of the following are true of psychology EXCEPT:

A)it is based on scientific research and empirical evidence.
B)it addresses a far broader range of issues.
C)its goals are self-improvement and improved relationships.
D)it deals not only with mental and emotional disorders,but with the entire spectrum of human behaviors.

Question 21

A manuscript about human nature is discovered and scientists confirm that it is the work of an ancient scholar.In contrast to the writings of modern psychologists,this manuscript is more likely to explore human nature through:

A)careful observation in naturalistic settings.
B)experimentation.
C)trained introspection.
D)insights inferred from anecdotes.

Question 22

Phrenology:

A)is a theory of mind based on anecdotes and individual case studies.
B)is the study of the mind of criminals.
C)is based on the writings of John Locke.
D)is a pseudoscience relating bumps on the head to personality traits.

Question 23

Erin is a linguist who defines language as a "system of communication that combines sounds and gestures into an infinite number of structured utterances that convey meaning." Based on her definition:

A)only people use language,although some animals are able to acquire some aspects of language.
B)only people and dolphins use language,although great apes acquire some aspects of language.
C)only people and great apes use language,although dolphins acquire some aspects of language.
D)only people,great apes,and dolphins use language,although other mammals acquire some aspects of language.

Question 24

Critical thinkers analyze their assumptions.Which of the following critical thinking errors illustrates that the speaker has not analyzed his assumptions?

A)"Men are less emotional than women-it is part of a man's basic nature to be logical rather than emotional."
B)"I don't want to see that movie-my roommate said that it was so boring she left the theater before it ended."
C)"What do you mean you don't know why I'm getting these headaches-you're a doctor,so find the problem and fix it!"
D)"How can you be a professor of psychology if you don't know what causes a person to develop schizophrenia?"

Question 25

The brain is the ultimate source of our pleasures and joys as well as our sorrows and pains. According to the text,this knowledge was evident as early as:

A)377 B.C.
B)420 A.D.
C)1011 A.D.
D)1879 A.D.

Question 26

"I want to believe that my memory of our family camping trip is true,but that doesn't mean that it IS true." This example illustrates which of the following critical thinking guidelines?

A)avoid emotional reasoning
B)define your terms
C)don't oversimplify
D)examine the evidence

Question 27

Cheryl wants to know why one member of an identical twin pair develops schizophrenia whereas his twin does not.Her professor replies that,"Researchers aren't sure." Which of the following is most likely according to our textbook?

A)The professor is demonstrating that sometimes we must tolerate uncertainty.
B)The professor is being evasive because he doesn't accept the current theory.
C)The professor does not know how to respond because the theories on this topic change so quickly.
D)The professor needs time to consider various interpretations of the research.

Question 28

The authors note that _______________ trigger(s)creative thinking.

A)attending class and reading textbooks
B)being as open-minded as possible
C)receiving wisdom from experts
D)curiosity and wonder

Question 29

If you are a critical thinker,reading a psychology textbook should be approached as:

A)receiving wisdom from expert researchers.
B)an opportunity to generate questions.
C)a tool for self-analysis.
D)a way to reduce your uncertainties.

Question 30

The local newspaper reports that bullying is rampant and that more than 90 percent of local children have been bullied.The school district newsletter,however,reports that the number of victims of bullying are quite low.It is most likely that:

A)the school district is covering up the severity of the problem.
B)each source is defining "bullying" in a different way.
C)the local newspaper is using sensational journalism to sell papers.
D)each source is making up their own statistics.

Question 31

"I really want to believe that my memory of the day I spent at Disneyland as a preschooler is true,but that doesn't mean that it IS true." This example illustrates which of the following critical thinking guidelines?

A)examine the evidence
B)define your terms
C)don't oversimplify
D)avoid emotional reasoning

Question 32

"My memory of getting knocked down by a wave at Newport Beach could be based on what my parents told me later,not my own recollection." This example illustrates which of the following critical thinking guidelines?

A)define your terms
B)ask questions and be willing to wonder
C)consider other interpretations
D)don't oversimplify

Question 33

"I may never know for sure whether my memory of my first visit to the ocean is accurate." This example illustrates which of the following critical thinking guidelines?

A)tolerate uncertainty
B)analyze assumptions and biases
C)define your terms
D)ask questions and be willing to wonder

Question 34

Ancient scholars,in contrast to modern psychologists,were more likely to explore human nature through:

A)careful observation in naturalistic settings.
B)experimentation.
C)trained introspection.
D)insights inferred from anecdotes.

Question 35

The forerunners of psychology developed the theory of phrenology which is a Greek word that means:

A)study of the mind
B)bumps on the skull
C)map of thinking
D)brain map

Question 36

Beliefs that are taken for granted are called:

A)assumptions.
B)traits.
C)reinforcers.
D)archetypes.

Question 37

Which of the following would be an example of "argument by anecdote"?

A)"My gut feeling is that it isn't the right time to get married."
B)"I don't want to see that movie,because my best friend says that it is terrible."
C)"That is my opinion and nothing is going to change my mind."
D)"What evidence is there to support your claim?"

Question 38

"I've always thought that memory was like a video camera,accurately recording each moment of my life.But maybe I think this because it is so reassuring." This example illustrates which of the following critical thinking guidelines?

A)avoid emotional reasoning
B)analyze assumptions and biases
C)define your terms
D)ask questions and be willing to wonder

Question 39

Great thinkers throughout history have wanted to add to human knowledge and to increase happiness.Like today's psychologists,they wanted to describe behavior.Contemporary psychologists,however,approach these issues in a different way by relying heavily upon:

A)empirical evidence.
B)anecdotes from personal experience.
C)philosophy.
D)phrenology.

Question 40

A critical thinker would be LEAST likely to exclaim in the heat of an argument:

A)"Haven't you given thought to all the other possibilities?"
B)"That is hard for me to believe,where did you hear it?"
C)"I'm willing to search for a creative solution if you are!"
D)"That is my opinion and nothing is going to change it!"

Question 41

A researcher applied to work in the laboratory of Wilhelm Wundt in order to:

A)study learning and how different rewards influence it.
B)do research on split-personalities and on individuals suffering from personality disorders.
C)learn why people use defense mechanisms.
D)analyze his sensations into their basic elements.

Question 42

In America,Wilhelm Wundt's ideas were popularized by one of his students,E.B.Titchener,who gave Wundt's approach the name:

A)structuralism.
B)psychoanalysis.
C)functionalism.
D)behaviorism.

Question 43

The first psychological laboratory was officially established in:

A)the United States.
B)Holland.
C)Germany.
D)China.

Question 44

As one of Wilhelm Wundt's trained introspectors,Hackett just participated in a 1½ second experiment.According to our text,reporting his inner experiences of the experiment would take Hackett about:

A)2 minutes.
B)20 minutes.
C)20 hours.
D)2 days.

Question 45

_______________ is revered by psychologists because he was the first person to announce that he intended to make psychology a science.

A)Wilhelm Wundt
B)William James
C)Sigmund Freud
D)Joseph Gall

Question 46

Our authors note that _______________ is revered by psychologists because his laboratory was the first to have its results published in a scholarly journal.

A)Aristotle
B)John Locke
C)Wilhelm Wundt
D)Joseph Gall

Question 47

Researchers in Wundt's laboratory would be most likely to study:

A)learning.
B)personality.
C)abnormal psychology.
D)perception.

Question 48

The formal movement to make psychology a science began in _______________ when the first official psychological laboratory was established in Leipzig,Germany.

A)1795
B)1854
C)1879
D)1921

Question 49

Wilhelm Wundt is best known for:

A)establishing the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig,Germany.
B)writing books on ethics and logic.
C)establishing phrenology as a science.
D)training doctors to treat mental illness.

Question 50

Enthusiasm for _______________ did not disappear until well into the twentieth century even though it was a classic pseudoscience.

A)introspection
B)functionalism
C)phrenology
D)behaviorism

Question 51

A person is asked to break down all the different components of taste when biting into an orange.This type of research would be typical in which of the following schools of psychology?

A)psychoanalysis
B)functionalism
C)behaviorism
D)structuralism

Question 52

_______________ is revered by psychologists because he was the first person to announce that he intended to make psychology a science.

A)René Descartes
B)Aristotle
C)Sigmund Freud
D)Wilhelm Wundt

Question 53

At the close of the nineteenth century,Gerhard is excited to find that he has been accepted for training in the psychology laboratory of Wilhelm Wundt.It is likely that Gerhard will be trained to:

A)analyze how to break down his sensations into their most basic elements.
B)determine the function or purpose of a particular human behavior.
C)listen intently while individuals tell him of their depression or nervousness.
D)carefully feel the bumps on a person's head in order to determine her character traits.

Question 54

Many of the first psychologists' interest in _______________ led them to study under Wilhelm Wundt.

A)learning
B)attention
C)personality
D)abnormal behavior

Question 55

Andi claims that phrenology was a pseudoscience rather than a science.The best support for her opinion is the fact that the theory wasn't empirically testable because:

A)when phrenologists found large "stealing" bumps,but the person was not a thief,then they concluded that other bumps held this characteristic in check.
B)most of the phrenologists received inadequate training in the careful analysis of head bumps and so there was too much variation for accurate prediction.
C)the phrenologists relied heavily on the theories of the British naturalistic,Charles Darwin,and yet they could not link the bumps to evolutionary adaptation.
D)When "bumps" did not accurately explain a person's characteristics,the phrenologists explained the contradiction by hypothesizing traumatic childhood experiences.

Question 56

In America,Wilhelm Wundt's ideas were popularized by one of his students,_______________,who gave Wundt's approach the name "structuralism."

A)Sigmund Freud
B)John Watson
C)William James
D)E.B.Titchener

Question 57

Which school of thought in psychology used the method of introspection?

A)phrenology
B)structuralism
C)functionalism
D)psychoanalysis

Question 58

Heller is pleased because his mentor,Wilhelm Wundt,has said that Heller has completed enough practice observations and will be able to participate in an actual study.Wundt required Heller to complete _______________ practice observations.

A)10
B)100
C)1,000
D)10,000

Question 59

Which school of thought in psychology tried to identify the basic elements of sensations,images,and feelings?

A)phrenology
B)structuralism
C)functionalism
D)psychoanalysis

Question 60

Psychology,as a formal discipline,originated:

A)with the writings of John Locke.
B)in the early 1800s.
C)in the late 1800s.
D)early in the twentieth century.

Question 61

Which of the following is a theory of personality and a method of psychotherapy emphasizing unconscious motives and conflicts?

A)functionalism
B)phrenology
C)trained introspection
D)psychoanalysis

Question 62

Which school of thought in psychology was influenced by the evolutionary theories of Charles Darwin?

A)phrenology
B)structuralism
C)functionalism
D)psychoanalysis

Question 63

Sigmund Freud's career began as:

A)a student of Wilhelm Wundt in Leipzig,Germany.
B)a trained introspectionist under E.B.Titchener.
C)an obscure neurologist working out of his own office.
D)an experienced phrenologist interested in the human mind.

Question 64

Which school of thought in psychology emphasized the importance of the unconscious mind?

A)phrenology
B)structuralism
C)functionalism
D)psychoanalysis

Question 65

Structuralists asked _______________ when a person experiences something.

A)why something happens
B)how something happens
C)what happens
D)whether anger is evoked

Question 66

According to _______________,attempting to grasp the nature of the mind through introspection is like seizing a spinning top to catch its motion.

A)William James
B)Wilhelm Wundt
C)Sigmund Freud
D)E.B.Titchener

Question 67

An obscure neurologist in Vienna,Austria,came to the conclusion that his patient's symptoms had mental rather than physical causes.From this insight,his broad theory of personality evolved.The neurologist was:

A)Wilhelm Wundt.
B)William James.
C)Sigmund Freud.
D)Joseph Gall.

Question 68

During the early decades of psychology's existence as a formal discipline,three schools of psychological thought became popular.The school of _______________ soon disappeared as a separate school but continued to influence the field of psychology.

A)functionalism
B)structuralism
C)psychoanalysis
D)behaviorism

Question 69

According to _______________,attempting to grasp the nature of the mind through introspection is like trying to turn up the gas lights in order to see how the darkness looks.

A)William James
B)Wilhelm Wundt
C)Sigmund Freud
D)E.B.Titchener

Question 70

During the early decades of psychology's existence as a formal discipline,three schools of psychological thought became popular.The school of _______________ soon faded from psychology.

A)functionalism
B)structuralism
C)psychoanalysis
D)behaviorism

Question 71

Several middle-school girls watch their classmates,Jon and Jason,engage in a rough-and-tumble wrestling match.The attention of the girls seems to intensify the boys' play.A psychologist trained in the functionalist perspective would wonder:

A)which psychosexual stage is evoked by the presence of the girls?
B)do these boys have smaller head bumps devoted to "cautiousness" than most boys?
C)what is the purpose of rough-and-tumble play in the adaptive changes of early adolescence?
D)did these boys experience childhood traumas that unconsciously cause aggression?

Question 72

Emelyn,a class of 1901 college graduate,wants to pursue a graduate career in psychology in order to study the ways that various actions help a person adapt to the environment.The psychological approach of _______________ best matches Emelyn's interests.

A)Wilhelm Wundt
B)William James
C)Sigmund Freud
D)Joseph Gall

Question 73

Which school of thought in psychology tried to explain how specific behaviors and mental processes help a person adapt to the environment?

A)phrenology
B)structuralism
C)functionalism
D)psychoanalysis

Question 74

An early approach to scientific psychology called _______________ emphasized the purpose of behavior.

A)structuralism
B)psychoanalysis
C)functionalism
D)introspection

Question 75

Psychoanalysis is defined as:

A)a theory of personality which emphasizes the awareness of one's own cognitive processes.
B)a theory of personality which emphasizes unconscious motives and conflicts.
C)a method of psychotherapy in which an observer carefully records and interprets behavior without interfering with the behavior.
D)a method of psychotherapy which emphasizes how maladaptive behaviors are learned through imitations of others and through cognitive expectations.

Question 76

Structuralists asked _______________ when an organism does something,whereas functionalists asked _______________.

A)why something happens; how something happens
B)how something happens; why something happens
C)what happens; how something happens
D)why something happens; what happens

Question 77

A person is asked to listen to the clicking of a metronome and then to report exactly what she heard.This type of research would be typical in which of the following schools of psychology?

A)psychoanalysis
B)functionalism
C)behaviorism
D)structuralism

Question 78

Which school of thought in psychology emphasized the purpose of behavior?

A)phrenology
B)structuralism
C)functionalism
D)psychoanalysis

Question 79

The person who set the course of psychological science by emphasizing the causes and consequences of behavior was:

A)Joseph Gall.
B)Wilhelm Wundt.
C)Sigmund Freud.
D)William James.

Question 80

An early approach to scientific psychology called _______________ emphasized the purpose of behavior.

A)Stoic philosophy
B)psychoanalysis
C)functionalism
D)phrenology