Deck 1: Introduction to the Science of Psychology: History and Research Methods

Question 1

John Locke argued that ________.

A) all human knowledge stems from experience
B) most of human knowledge stems from experience
C) very little human knowledge stems from experience
D) some human knowledge is with us from the day we are born

Answer 1

all human knowledge stems from experience

Question 2

Looking at psychological events from different levels of analysis ________.

A) means that it is very difficult to understand any event
B) illustrates how genes are destiny
C) helps us see how events at one level can trigger and modify events at other levels
D) implies that any other way of looking at events is wrong

Answer 2

helps us see how events at one level can trigger and modify events at other levels

Question 3

Which of the following most accurately reflects the authors' views about the influence of philosophy and physiology on present-day psychology?

A) Only philosophy continues to influence psychology.
B) Philosophy continues to influence psychology more so than physiology.
C) Physiology continues to influence psychology more so than philosophy.
D) Both disciplines, philosophy and physiology, continue to influence psychology.

Answer 3

Both disciplines, philosophy and physiology, continue to influence psychology.

Question 4

The outwardly observable acts of an individual, alone or in a group, are referred to as ________.

A) behavior
B) sensations
C) mental processes
D) perceptions

Question 5

Imagine that you are driving in an old car with no air conditioning on a hot summer day on the freeway. Out of nowhere, someone cuts you off. You get angry and react by honking your horn. Which of the following best describes what resulted in your behavior?

A) Events at the level of the person affected events at the level of group.
B) Events at the level of brain affected events at the level of the group.
C) Events at the level of the group affected events at the level of the brain and person.
D) Events at the level of person affected events at the level of the physical context and brain.

Question 6

A teacher tells the school psychologist that Kate is late to class, does not turn in her homework, squirms around a lot in her seat, and swings her feet constantly. This is an example of which goal of psychology?

A) describing behavior
B) explaining behavior
C) predicting behavior
D) controlling behavior

Question 7

The general curiosity about why people think, feel, and behave the way they do ________.

A) primarily happened after World War II
B) is about a century old
C) is several centuries old
D) has always probably been with us

Question 8

The question "What is happening?" refers to which of the following goals in psychology?

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

Question 9

Mei was sent to the school psychologist to be tested. Based on her IQ scores, it was decided that she would do well in the gifted child program. This is an example of which goal of psychology?

A) describing behavior
B) explaining behavior
C) predicting behavior
D) controlling behavior

Question 10

The question "When will it happen again?" refers to which of the following goals in psychology?

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

Question 11

Psychology is defined as the science of ________.

A) human functioning
B) the mind and behavior
C) human motivation and thinking
D) behavior problems and mental illness

Question 12

The three levels of analysis discussed in your text are the ________, the ________, and the _______.

A) person; group; culture
B) brain; person; group
C) person; family; group
D) brain; body; person

Question 13

Psychologists who give potential employees tests that determine what kind of job those employees might best perform are interested in the goal of _____________.

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

Question 14

If a psychologist is investigating test anxiety by examining the way students' thoughts, prior to an exam, affect their feelings about the exam, the psychologist is primarily looking at events at the level of the ________.

A) brain
B) person
C) group
D) environment

Question 15

Which of these is the most accurate definition of the discipline of psychology?

A) the science of behavior
B) the science of mental processes
C) the science of behavior and mental processes
D) the science of human behavior and mental processes

Question 16

If a manager is interested in whether drugs are to blame when attempting to account for an employee's erratic behavior at work, then we can say that the manager is primarily concerned with which level(s) of analysis?

A) brain
B) person
C) group and person
D) brain and group

Question 17

The science of psychology has its roots in the fields of ________ and ________.

A) biology; chemistry
B) biology; sociology
C) philosophy; theology
D) philosophy; physiology

Question 18

In addition to describing and explaining mental processes and behavior, psychology also attempts to ________ these phenomena.

A) predict and control
B) analyze and manipulate
C) categorize and organize
D) synthesize and regulate

Question 19

The first psychology laboratory was established in ________.

A) 1763
B) 1842
C) 1879
D) 1925

Question 20

The goals of psychology are to _____.

A) explore the conscious and unconscious functions of the human mind
B) understand, compare, and analyze human behavior
C) improve psychological well-being in all individuals from birth until death
D) describe, explain, predict, and control behavior

Question 21

The belief that the unconscious mind has an influence on one's behavior is part of what early field of psychology?

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

Question 22

In 1879, in Leipzig, Germany, the first psychological laboratory was developed by ______________.

A) William James
B) William Tell
C) Wilhelm Wundt
D) Sigmund Freud

Question 23

The school of psychology called structuralism used a technique called _____, which involved reporting the contents of consciousness to study a person's experiences.

A) intervention
B) introspection
C) insight inventory
D) induction

Question 24

Which early school of psychology proposed that consciousness was made up of two types of elements, sensations and feelings?

A) functionalism
B) Gestalt psychology
C) psychodynamic theory
D) structuralism

Question 25

Why was the perspective followed by Wilhelm Wundt and his followers called structuralism?

A) They wanted to identify the major brain structures.
B) Their primary goal was to understand the physiology of the mind.
C) They focused their efforts on analyzing the elements of the nervous system.
D) Their primary focus was on describing the structure of conscious experience.

Question 26

The primary research method used in structuralism was ________.

A) perception
B) reinforcement
C) introspection
D) psychoanalysis

Question 27

If an individual believed that why people think and feel as they do is more important than what they think and how they think, that individual would be a proponent of the ________approach to psychology.

A) structuralist
B) functionalist
C) psychodynamic
D) behaviorist

Question 28

The structuralists were important in the history of psychology because they

A) examined consciousness and the structure of mental processes.
B) were the first to use brain-scanning techniques to learn about the structure of the brain.
C) realized the limits of introspection and focused on the structure of behaviors.
D) were strongly influenced by Charles Darwin.

Question 29

"The whole is greater than the sum of the parts" is a statement associated with the perspective of ______________.

A) introspection
B) functionalism
C) psychoanalysis
D) Gestalt psychologists

Question 30

How our minds help us adapt to the world around us was a primary question addressed by which early movement of psychology?

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

Question 31

Who was an early proponent of functionalism?

A) Ivan Pavlov
B) William James
C) Wilhelm Wundt
D) Max Wertheimer

Question 32

The class is playing a game of Jeopardy! and it is your turn. "I'll take Pioneers in Psychology for $50." The revealed answer is "Focused on unconscious factors and relied on the case study method." Just before the buzzer sounds, what will you say?

A) "Who is B. F. Skinner?"
B) "Who are the humanists?"
C) "Who is Sigmund Freud?"
D) "Who are the behaviorists?"

Question 33

Introspection requires ________.

A) metaphysical experiences
B) self-skepticism about experiences
C) empiricism
D) reflection on the self

Question 34

________ furthered a psychological perspective that valued the idea that "the whole is more than the sum of its parts."

A) Max Wertheimer
B) Sigmund Freud
C) Margaret Floy Washburn
D) Ivan Pavlov

Question 35

Who was the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in psychology in the United States of America?

A) Mayella Bevel
B) Margaret Floy Washburn
C) Mary Whiton Calkins
D) Elizabeth Loftus

Question 36

According to Freud, unconscious urges ________.

A) are able to be suppressed
B) only pertain to sex
C) eventually are released as thoughts, feelings, or actions
D) have no impact on everyday life

Question 37

Gestalt psychology attempted to discover ________.

A) how the mind helped people adapt to the world
B) the overall patterns of perceptions and thoughts
C) the basic building blocks of consciousness
D) the unconscious motivations for human functioning

Question 38

The goal of describing rules that determine how particular sensations or feelings may occur at the same time or in sequence is most associated with which of the following schools of psychology?

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

Question 39

________ is usually considered the founder of scientific psychology.

A) Freud
B) Rogers
C) Watson
D) Wundt

Question 40

The first Ph.D. in psychology that was awarded to a woman in the United States of America was conferred in ________.

A) 1879
B) 1882
C) 1891
D) 1894

Question 41

________ psychology, according to the authors, is a relative newcomer of psychology, making its appearance in the late 1980s.

A) Cognitive
B) Functionalistic
C) Humanistic
D) Evolutionary

Question 42

The tension brought about by the debate concerning the study of unobservable mental processes versus the study of only directly observable behaviors was eased with the arrival of ________.

A) behaviorism
B) the cognitive revolution
C) Gestalt psychology
D) humanistic psychology

Question 43

The goal of cognitive neuroscience is to ________.

A) discover the nature, organization, and operation of mental events by studying the brain
B) demonstrate that concepts like reinforcement and punishment are really irrelevant
C) prove that psychological motivations for behavior do not originate in the brain
D) demonstrate that human brain functioning and animal brain functioning are essentially the same

Question 44

Self-actualization was part of which of the following perspectives?

A) behaviorism
B) cognitive perspective
C) functionalism
D) humanism

Question 45

Who claimed that behavior is affected by positive reinforcement?

A) William James
B) Sigmund Freud
C) B. F. Skinner
D) Wilhelm Wundt

Question 46

Which school of psychology questioned whether psychologists should study the mind?

A) psychodynamic theory
B) behaviorism
C) Gestalt psychology
D) the cognitive revolution

Question 47

Which pair of scientists shared the most similar views of behavior?

A) William James and Wilhelm Wundt
B) B. F. Skinner and Max Wertheimer
C) B.F. Skinner and John B. Watson
D) Carl Rogers and Edward Titchener

Question 48

What advice might John B. Watson have offered to psychologists of his time?

A) "Focus on observable behavior."
B) "Life is an effort to overcome inferiority."
C) "We cannot know others until we know ourselves."
D) "Remember that what we accomplish is due to the composition of our genes."

Question 49

One of the reasons psychodynamic theories have persisted over the years is that they are ________________.

A) supported by significant scientific research
B) based on facts
C) difficult to scientifically test and, thus, difficult to disprove
D) used by the majority of psychologists

Question 50

Freud would have argued that a person who obsessively washes their hands ________.

A) has some sort of neurological deficit
B) is experiencing some form of conscious distress
C) is reacting to an unacceptable unconscious sexual or aggressive impulse
D) is angry at themselves or someone else

Question 51

The school of behaviorism attempted to explain behavior by studying ________.

A) the reasons people give for their behaviors
B) the specific personality traits that lead to behavior
C) how a specific stimulus evokes a specific response
D) the purposes of people's behavior

Question 52

Humanist Abraham Maslow suggests that when people self-actualize, they ________.

A) develop to their fullest potential
B) avoid negative consequences of behavior
C) seek maximum reward for all their behaviors
D) learn from their mistakes and move on

Question 53

Evolutionary psychologists propose that people lie because ________.

A) unconscious forces lead them to do so
B) people are rewarded for doing so
C) doing so gave our ancestors an advantage for survival
D) they have been lied to

Question 54

Suppose you were a graduate student studying for a Ph.D. in psychology in the 1920s. Your advisor was strongly influenced by John B. Watson. Which of the following might your advisor consider an acceptable choice for your research?

A) a survey of daydreams
B) an analysis of how specific behaviors are acquired
C) a survey of sexual imagery in dreams of men and women
D) an analysis of the thought processes students report while answering test items

Question 55

Humanistic psychology focused on the level of the ________.

A) brain
B) person
C) group
D) brain and the person

Question 56

________ was closely associated with the school of behaviorism.

A) William James
B) Max Wertheimer
C) B. F. Skinner
D) Wilhelm Wundt

Question 57

Dr. Jones probably agrees with the ________ theory of psychology, since he contends that humans are intelligent species due to the fact that intelligence gives us an advantage in the natural world.

A) psychoanalytic
B) behavioral
C) cognitive
D) evolutionary

Question 58

Evolutionary psychology suggests that certain cognitive strategies and goals are built into the brain because ________.

A) they help humans adapt to their natural environment
B) human brains are similar to the brains of the higher primates
C) they are the result of learning that has taken place over many centuries
D) they are the result of memories we have inherited from our ancestors

Question 59

Cultural universals, or instances of the same practice occurring in all cultures, is probably the best source of evidence, according to the authors, for ________ psychology.

A) behavioral
B) cognitive
C) evolutionary
D) functional

Question 60

From a scientific perspective, a major problem with psychodynamic theory is that ________.

A) it focuses too much on sex
B) it is impossible to test its principles
C) mental processes are hidden from awareness
D) there is no unconscious

Question 61

If you're conducting a study to determine how obnoxious teenagers gradually turn into mature adults, you're doing the work of a ________ psychologist.

A) social
B) clinical
C) developmental
D) personality

Question 62

The primary duties of an academic psychologist are usually ________.

A) psychotherapy and testing
B) teaching and conducting research
C) administration and consultation
D) psychotherapy and teaching

Question 63

During which of the following time periods was the American Psychological Association's Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions won by the most women?

A) 1971-1980
B) 1981-1990
C) 1991-2000
D) 2001-2009

Question 64

________ was the first woman President of the American Psychological Association in 1905.

A) Mary Whiton Calkins
B) Elizabeth Spelke
C) Anne Treisman
D) Margaret Floy Washburn

Question 65

Which of the following statements is correct?

A) A psychologist has no medical training.
B) A psychiatrist generally goes to graduate school, not medical school.
C) Psychiatric social workers can prescribe medication.
D) An M.D. and a Ph.D. are pretty much the same thing.

Question 66

A person who has suffered a major stroke and is now experiencing severe personality problems because of the damage would BEST be advised to see a _____________.

A) psychiatrist
B) cognitive psychologist
C) psychiatric social worker
D) psychologist

Question 67

What is one similarity shared by clinical psychologists and psychiatrists?

A) They obtain the same graduate degree.
B) They have the same training experiences after college.
C) They view abnormal behaviors as arising from the same causes.
D) They diagnose and treat people experiencing behavioral and emotional problems.

Question 68

Which of the following degrees does a psychiatrist hold?

A) Ph.D.
B) Psy.D.
C) Ed.D.
D) M.D.

Question 69

Dr. Braunz has been treating a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. She decides to write a prescription for Ritalin. Given this information, it is most likely that Dr. Braunz is a _________________.

A) psychiatrist
B) psychoanalyst
C) humanistic psychologist
D) school psychologist

Question 70

In discussing the history of psychology as a discipline, the authors note that ________.

A) many schools of psychology did not give rise to other schools
B) many of the original schools of psychology died out
C) many of the parent schools of psychology continued to develop rather than to be replaced by their descendants
D) many of the parent schools of psychology did not continue to develop but rather were replaced entirely by their descendants

Question 71

In contrast to training for a Ph.D., training for a Psy.D. places less emphasis on ________.

A) research
B) psychotherapy
C) teaching methods
D) psychological testing

Question 72

Mark is receiving guidance to determine what occupation is best suited for him. Mark is most likely seeing a/an ________ psychologist.

A) clinical
B) cognitive
C) counseling
D) academic

Question 73

Psychology is a science because it relies on a specific type of method for allowing us to learn more about human behavior. This method is referred to as the ________.

A) method of inquiry
B) Socratic method
C) scientific method
D) method of problem solving

Question 74

Vido has an M.S.W. and is interested in working on helping provide mental health services in her local community. What type of professional is Vido most likely to become?

A) educational psychologist
B) psychiatrist
C) school psychologist
D) social worker

Question 75

Which of the following professionals might have a master's degree but not a doctoral degree?

A) An applied psychologist
B) A psychiatrist
C) A clinical psychologist
D) A counseling psychologist

Question 76

________ percent of college graduates with psychology as their major were female, according to a major survey reviewed in your text.

A) Seventeen
B) Twenty-seven
C) Fifty-seven
D) Seventy-seven

Question 77

Jon, a sport psychologist, probably works to ________.

A) handle behavioral problems
B) teach others to play sports
C) coach sporting events
D) improve athletic performance

Question 78

Dr. MacDonald investigates how various study strategies affect college students' reading ability. Dr. MacDonald is most likely a ________ psychologist.

A) cognitive
B) developmental
C) personality
D) social

Question 79

Evolutionary theories are very difficult to test, primarily because ________.

A) it is very difficult to contrast human and animal behavior
B) we don't exactly know what our ancestors were like and how they evolved
C) they completely discount the importance of environmental factors
D) there are conflicting views as to the role evolution plays in contemporary life

Question 80

If you are an industrial/organizational psychologist, then you are probably focusing on issues pertaining to the ________.

A) legal system
B) workplace
C) environment
D) structure of society