Deck 1: Psychology: Yesterday and Today

Question 1

Your text lists each of the following as a goal of psychology EXCEPT: This type of question drives me crazy - it's not conceptual and it's strict memorization.

A) description
B) control
C) analysis
D) explanation

Answer 1

analysis

Question 2

Based on your text's discussion, which statement best expresses the relationship between a culture and a group?

A) A culture is the same thing as a group.
B) A culture refers to the practices and beliefs of a group.
C) Groups are subsets of a culture.
D) Cultures are subsets of groups.

Answer 2

A culture refers to the practices and beliefs of a group.

Question 3

Why is behavioral analysis incomplete without an examination of the group?

Answer 3

Humans are shaped by their social environments and those environments change over time.

Question 4

What is one direct method of investigating internal mental processes that has resulted from technological advances within psychology?

Question 5

Which level of analysis in psychology is CORRECTLY matched with an example?

A) Brain level -- At low doses, cocaine can improve performance on visual attention tasks, such as detecting specific stimuli appearing on a computer screen.
B) Individual level -- Cocaine abuse is associated with a history of violence and sexual abuse in the family.
C) Brain level -- Cocaine exerts its effects by prolonging the presence of specific chemicals at the junctions between nerve cells.
D) Group level -- Cocaine abuse is associated with high levels of the personality trait of neuroticism and with low levels of the trait of conscientiousness.

Question 6

Which of the following goals of psychology is CORRECTLY matched with an example?

A) description - A research assistant records the number of aggressive acts children display during a 15-minute recess period.
B) prediction - A sports psychologist determines whether increased testosterone produces increased aggression among student athletes.
C) explanation - A team of educators develops a program to decrease aggression among schoolchildren.
D) control - A researcher assesses whether adults are more likely to feel depressed when they have experienced recent major losses than when they have not.

Question 7

Which Greek philosopher's theory suggested that our physical and psychological health is influenced by humours, also known as bodily fluids?

A) Hippocrates
B) Socrates
C) Plato
D) Aristotle

Question 8

Psychology is defined as:

A) the science of behavior
B) the study of mental processes
C) the study of mental disorders and their treatment
D) the science of behavior and mental processes

Question 9

How has psychology's focus on the different levels of analysis changed over the history of the discipline?

A) Brain-level and group-level analyses are more prevalent in today's psychology than they were in the past.
B) Group-level analyses are less prevalent in today's psychology than they were in the past.
C) Individual-level analyses are more prevalent in today's psychology than they were in the past.
D) Individual-level analyses are more prevalent in today's psychology than they were in the past, while group-level analyses are less common now.

Question 10

Mental processes describe the activity of our brains when we are engaged in thinking.
Should be: thinking, observing the environment, and using language.

Question 11

By definition, what do psychologists study?

Question 12

A large group of people with a set of shared beliefs and practices is referred to as a(n) __________.
Actual definition: a set of
common beliefs, practices, values, and history that are transmitted across generations

Question 13

Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding the levels of analysis in psychology?

A) Each thought or behavior occurs at one of the following levels: the level of the brain, the level of the person, or the level of the group.
B) The level of the brain is the most important level of analysis in psychology.
C) Thoughts and behaviors are analyzed at the group level by sociologists and anthropologists, not by psychologists.
D) All thoughts and behaviors occur at all three levels simultaneously.

Question 14

Which of the following goals of psychology is CORRECTLY matched with a description?

A) prediction - changing how often behavior occurs
B) control - making careful observations regarding behavior
C) description - determining the circumstances in which behavior is likely to occur
D) explanation - identifying the causes of behavior

Question 15

What goal of psychology is associated with the desire to limit or increase behavior?

A) description
B) explanation
C) prediction
D) control

Question 16

The levels of behavioral analysis include the brain, the individual, and the group.

Question 17

Name 2 of the 4 goals discussed in the text that psychologists have in mind when studying mental processes and behavior.

Question 18

During psychology's early history, the primary method for exploring internal mental processes was to observe outward __________.

Question 19

At what level of behavioral analysis does a psychologist analyze the content of mental processes including emotions, thoughts, and ideas?

Question 20

How has the study of the mind changed across psychology's history?

A) Psychologists have largely abandoned the study of the mind in favor of the examination of objective behavior.
B) Psychologists have found increasingly direct ways to study the mind.
C) Psychologists have only very recently started to study the mind along with behavior.
D) To eliminate biases, psychologists have increasingly relied on indirect methods of studying the mind.

Question 21

__________ is defined as the study of knowledge and reality.

A) Philosophy
B) Science
C) Psychology
D) Mythology

Question 22

Which Greek philosopher is CORRECTLY matched with a key idea?

A) Hippocrates - suggested that we could use reasoning to discover the truth
B) Socrates - proposed that well-being and personality is influenced by humors
C) Plato - one of the first to promote empirical study of the natural world
D) Aristotle - concluded that humans are closely related to animals

Question 23

The term used to describe the behaviors and mental processes of which we are aware is __________.

Question 24

With respect to the way that we acquire knowledge, _______ emphasized the role of the mind and reasoning, whereas ________ pointed to the role of sensory experience.

A) Hippocrates; Socrates
B) Aristotle; Hippocrates
C) Plato; Aristotle
D) Aristotle; Plato

Question 25

Describe how the work of Aristotle influenced the development of psychology as a scientific discipline.

Question 26

Following an earthquake or other disaster, some primitive cultures may attribute human qualities to such a natural event because they believe the "earth spirits are angry". This example illustrates a(n) __________.

Question 27

What attribute of Greek culture was essential to forming intellectual dialogue that resulted in a flow of ideas?

Question 28

The view that theories are always tentative may be traced back to:

A) Greece
B) Rome
C) the Renaissance
D) the late nineteenth century

Question 29

In 1879, what German physiologist opened the first laboratory exclusively dedicated to the study of psychology?

A) Freud
B) Skinner
C) Helmholtz
D) Wundt

Question 30

One similarity between Hippocrates and Aristotle is that they both:

A) proposed influential theories of personality
B) believed that theories should be tested empirically
C) believed that reason could uncover ultimate truths
D) viewed the brain as the seat of mental life

Question 31

How do the goals of early religious practices compare to the goals of contemporary psychology? Consider change to myths and rituals

A) The goals of early religious practices contradict those of contemporary psychology.
B) The goals of early religious practices are unrelated to those of contemporary psychology.
C) The goals of early religious practices overlap a little with those of contemporary psychology.
D) The goals of early religious practices are quite similar to those of contemporary psychology.

Question 32

The first philosopher to promote empirical or testable investigations of the natural world was __________.

Question 33

Approximately when did Greek thinkers begin to substitute natural for supernatural explanations of nature and reality?

A) in the seventh and eighth centuries BCE
B) in the fourth and fifth centuries BCE
C) in the first and second centuries BCE
D) in the first and second centuries AD

Question 34

By the 1800s, human beings were considered to be outside the influence of fixed natural laws.

Question 35

Socrates believed that "truth" is an objective concept that is not dependent on perception.

Question 36

Whereas the Greek philosopher ________correctly identified the brain as the organ of mental life, _________ believed that the brain was of minor importance.

A) Aristotle; Hippocrates
B) Plato; Aristotle
C) Hippocrates; Aristotle
D) Hippocrates; Socrates

Question 37

Which philosopher believed that we can use logical or rational thinking to discover "core ideas" buried within the human soul?

A) Hippocrates
B) Socrates
C) Plato
D) Aristotle

Question 38

According to Hippocrates, what are humours?

Question 39

The history of psychology (and most other sciences) started with the history of philosophy.

Question 40

How is psychological science of today similar to primitive myths?

Question 41

Gestalt psychology is named after the German psychologist, Ernst Gestalt, who coined the term.

Question 42

Which American psychologist is credited with developing the functionalist approach?

A) Freud
B) Pavlov
C) James
D) Watson

Question 43

Functionalists viewed the mind as an ever-changing stream of mental events.

Question 44

What was the major criticism of structuralism?

Question 45

Which term refers to "looking inward" and was a method of behavioral investigation developed by Wundt.

A) functionalism
B) structuralism
C) Gestalt
D) voluntarism This answer should be introspection. Voluntarism suggests that much of behavior is motivated-that is, that we focus our attention on something for a purpose.

Question 46

James and his colleagues were interested in how the mind adapts to a changing __________.

Question 47

Gestalt is a German term that roughly translates to what word in English?

Question 48

What theory postulates that all life on Earth is related and that humans are just one outcome of many variations from a common ancestor?

Question 49

If a clock is analogous to the human mind, describe how structuralists and functionalists would vary in their research approaches and interests?

Question 50

Albert Einstein was quoted as saying "I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music. . . . I get most joy in life out of music." This notion that music is much more than the sum of its parts or elements (melody, tone, harmony, rhythm, pitch, and timbre) is most consistent with which of the following theoretical approaches?

A) Structuralism
B) Gestalt psychology
C) Humanistic psychology
D) Psychoanalysis

Question 51

What psychological school of thought is Titchener credited with founding?

A) functionalism
B) structuralism
C) Gestalt
D) voluntarism

Question 52

Why was introspection criticized as a scientific technique?

Question 53

Describe Wundt's investigation of voluntarism.

Question 54

Structuralism was criticized for failing to study animal behavior and abnormal behavior.

Question 55

Which historical time period below is CORRECTLY matched with its relevance for the psychology's development?

A) 1400-1600 - Humans are viewed as machines subject to the laws of matter.
B) 1800 -- Advances in education and communication have encouraged public interest in science.
C) 1800s - Supernatural worldview fades.
D) late 1800s - Theory of evolution spurs interest in the origin of human behavior.

Question 56

Which historical development below is CORRECTLY dated?

A) improvements in communication, transportation, and education - 1700s
B) Greek philosophy exerts a new influence on European thought - 1400-1600
C) humans are seen as machines subject to natural laws -- 1900
D) Darwin developede theory of evolution - early 1800s

Question 57

What topic was investigated in an early experiment by Bryan and Harter in 1897?

Question 58

Which of the following statements is consistent with the approach of Gestalt psychology?

A) the parts are greater than the whole
B) the parts are exactly equal to the whole
C) the whole is greater than the sum of its parts
D) the parts are unrelated to the whole

Question 59

A famous artistic style known as pointillism uses small colored points of paint to create an image. When humans look at such a painting, they see a distinct image rather than a bunch of points?

Question 60

Humans have inborn tendencies to impose structure on what they see. These tendencies cause humans to perceive ________________ rather than individual sensations.

Question 61

William James wrote an important early textbook in psychology called _________ of Psychology.

A) Handbook
B) Elements
C) Outline
D) Principles

Question 62

A procedure in which an observer describes the simple elements of a complex experience in as much detail as possible is called _________.

A) inner perception
B) introspection
C) internal observation
D) introjection

Question 63

With respect to the psychology of emotion, William James would be most interested in:

A) the contribution of unconscious memories to one's emotional experience
B) the basic nature of an emotional feeling or experience
C) how emotions aid one's adaptation to the environment
D) the observable behaviors accompanying emotional experience

Question 64

Cognitive psychologists have determined that an individual letter is recognized more rapidly when it occurs in the context of a word than when it occurs in a random string of consonants. This finding is most clearly consistent with the ________ perspective in psychology's history.

A) Gestalt
B) psychoanalytic
C) structuralist
D) humanistic

Question 65

Wundt is to ________ as Titchener is to _______.

A) voluntarism; structuralism
B) structuralism; voluntarism
C) structuralism; functionalism
D) functionalism; structuralism

Question 66

In his laboratory, Wundt applied rigorous, scientific experimentation to the study of:

A) problem solving
B) attention
C) memory
D) learning

Question 67

Which perspective most immediately replaced structuralism in the early days of scientific psychology?

A) behaviorism
B) humanism
C) functionalism
D) psychoanalytic theory

Question 68

The formal beginning of psychology is associated with ________

A) Wundt
B) Titchener
C) James
D) Ebbinghaus

Question 69

Dr. Leleux asserts that psychologists should attempt to identify the fundamental attributes of mental experience. Dr. Leleux appears most sympathetic to the _________ perspective in psychology.

A) functionalist
B) Gestalt
C) structuralist
D) humanistic

Question 70

Lassandra takes a sip of cola. "Sweet . . . cold, wet, tingly . . . slightly bitter," she reports. Lassandra is:

A) introspecting
B) introjecting
C) taking an intelligence test
D) suffering a stroke

Question 71

Which of the following statements best expresses the aim of the functionalist perspective?

A) Functionalism seeks to identify what the mind contains.
B) Functionalism seeks to determine the purpose of mental processes.
C) Functionalism seeks to determine how mental experience is organized
D) Functionalism seeks to understand the influence of the unconscious mind.

Question 72

The first psychologists to examine socially relevant topics were the:

A) structuralists
B) functionalists
C) behaviorists
D) Gestalt psychologists

Question 73

Which of the following locations is associated with the formal beginning of psychology?

A) Vienna, Austria
B) Leipzig, Germany
C) Oxford, England
D) Prague, Czech Republic

Question 74

In which year did Wundt begin operating the first psychology lab?

A) 1829
B) 1839
C) 1859
D) 1879

Question 75

A time travel mishap lands you at one of the first psychology conferences ever held, sometime at the dawn of the 20^th century. The graying older scientists slowly losing their grip on the field are most likely ________, whereas the passionate young up-and-comers are probably _________.

A) structuralists; functionalists
B) functionalists; structuralists
C) humanists; structuralists
D) humanists; functionalists

Question 76

Which of the following statements best expresses the fate of the structuralist perspective in psychology?

A) The structuralist perspective was supplanted by other views.
B) The structuralist perspective triumphed over alternative ones.
C) The structuralist perspective continues to coexist with other views in psychology.
D) The structuralist perspective has waned somewhat, but it remains highly influential.

Question 77

At which of the levels of analysis discussed in your text did Wundt examine thought and behavior over the course of his career?

A) the group level only
B) the individual level
C) both the brain and individual levels
D) both the individual and group levels

Question 78

The Gestalt psychologists made their most lasting contributions to the psychology of:

A) memory
B) perception
C) emotion
D) motivation

Question 79

In which of the goals of psychology were the structuralists MOST interested?

A) description
B) prediction
C) explanation
D) control

Question 80

Gestalt psychology may be seen as a reaction to the ______ perspective.

A) psychoanalytic
B) humanist
C) functionalist
D) structuralist