Question 1

_____ is the belief that knowledge comes through observation and experience.
A) Determinism
B) Parsimony
C) Skepticism
D) Empiricism

Accepted Answer

Empiricism is the philosophical belief that knowledge can be acquired through observation, experience, and experiment rather than through intuition or deduction. It is a cornerstone of the scientific method and the basis of empirical research in fields such as psychology, sociology, and biology. Determinism is the belief that all events are determined by previous causes and cannot be altered, while parsimony is the principle that the simplest explanation is often the best one. Skepticism involves questioning assumptions and beliefs and maintaining a critical attitude towards new information.

Question 2

How did physiologists and physicists, like Gustav Fechner, contribute to the development of psychology as a science?
A) They studied the relationship between the physical world and the mental representation of that world.
B) They demonstrated that the brain was responsible for consciousness.
C) They identified the locations of specific functions within the brain.
D) They extended Darwin's theory of evolution to behavior and cognitive abilities.

Accepted Answer

Physiologists and physicists, like Gustav Fechner, contributed to the development of psychology as a science by studying the relationship between the physical world and the mental representation of that world. They developed methods to measure the relationship between physical stimuli and the corresponding psychological experience, laying the foundation for the field of psychophysics.

Question 3

The question of nature and nurture relationships centers on how _____ (nature) and _____ (nurture) influence behavior and mental processes.
A) environment; heredity
B) heredity; environment
C) emotion; logic
D) logic; emotion

Accepted Answer

The question is asking about the relationship between nature (heredity) and nurture (environment) and how they influence behavior and mental processes. Therefore, the best answer is B, which correctly pairs nature with heredity and nurture with environment. The other answer choices of emotion and logic are not relevant to the nature vs. nurture debate.

Question 4

All types of psychology involve
A) interactions between patients and therapists.
B) replicating what is already known via common sense.
C) treating people's behavioral and emotional problems.
D) the use of scientific method.

Accepted Answer

All types of psychology use scientific method as a means of understanding and investigating human behavior and mental processes. While interactions between patients and therapists are important in some types of psychology, such as clinical psychology, it is not a defining feature of all types. Replicating common sense is not necessarily involved in all types of psychology and is often contradicted by scientific findings. While treating people's behavioral and emotional problems may be a goal of some types of psychology, it is not the only focus or purpose.

Question 5

The Gestalt psychologists, with their focus on perception and experience, are closely linked to modern day ______ psychologists.
A) developmental
B) social
C) cognitive
D) evolutionary

Accepted Answer

The Gestalt psychologists were primarily concerned with understanding how people perceive and experience the world around them, and their work heavily influenced the development of cognitive psychology. Cognitive psychologists study mental processes such as perception, attention, memory, and problem-solving, which all relate to how we process and understand information in the world. Therefore, modern-day cognitive psychology is closely linked to the work of the Gestalt psychologists.

Question 6

How would you apply the biopsychosocial model to a news report claiming that anxiety is caused by being around other people who are anxious?
A) Recognize that the news report considers all portions of the biopsychosocial model
B) Recognize that psychologists do not regard biological factors when it comes to anxiety.
C) Recognize that the only effective treatment of anxiety must be drug based.
D) Recognize that the news report only considers one portion of the biopsychosocial model.

Accepted Answer

The news report only considers the social factors (other people who are anxious) as the cause of anxiety, neglecting the other two elements of the biopsychosocial model (biological and psychological) that can also contribute to anxiety. Therefore, D is the best choice as it acknowledges this limitation. A is incorrect because the news report only focuses on one portion of the model, and B is incorrect because psychologists do consider biological factors when studying anxiety. C is also incorrect as drug-based treatment is not the only effective treatment for anxiety.

Question 7

Psychology can be considered a collection of many related fields of study. What is one of the features that all of these fields have in common?
A) The use of the scientific method
B) The study of mental illness
C) The belief that the unconscious mind determines human behavior
D) The use of introspection

Accepted Answer

All fields of psychology use the scientific method to gather empirical evidence and test hypotheses. This is a key feature that distinguishes psychology from other fields such as philosophy or spirituality, which often rely on personal experience or intuition rather than rigorous scientific inquiry.  The study of mental illness, the belief in the importance of the unconscious mind, and the use of introspection are all aspects of specific approaches or subfields within psychology, but they are not universal features that all fields share.

Question 8

The belief that the unconscious mind has an influence on a person's behavior is part of which early approach to psychology?
A) Structuralism
B) Functionalism
C) Psychoanalysis
D) Behaviorism

Accepted Answer

The belief that the unconscious mind has an influence on a person's behavior is a central concept in psychoanalysis, which was an early approach to psychology developed by Sigmund Freud. Structuralism and functionalism focused on conscious experience and behavior, while behaviorism emphasized observable behaviors and disregarded the unconscious mind.

Question 9

According to your authors, the discipline of psychology is best thought of as
A) a field of self-help principles to eliminate mental problems.
B) a mixture of anecdotes and personal intuition about human behavior and mental processes.
C) a process for encouraging people to reach their ultimate potential.
D) the scientific study of behavior, thought, and experience.

Accepted Answer

The authors state that psychology is "the scientific study of behavior, thought, and experience," which aligns with option D. Option A is incorrect because psychology extends beyond just self-help principles for mental problems. Option B is incorrect because psychology relies on scientific research, not anecdotes and personal intuition. Option C is also incorrect because while psychology can involve helping people reach their potential, it is not the primary focus of the discipline.

Question 10

Collecting observations, testing predictions about how to best explain the observations, and developing theories are all part of
A) the scientific method.
B) pseudoscience.
C) the biopsychosocial model.
D) the psychoanalytic model.

Accepted Answer

Collecting observations, testing predictions, and developing theories are essential components of the scientific method. The scientific method is a systematic and objective approach to understanding the natural world and is used by scientists across various disciplines to explore and explain phenomena. The other options (B, C, and D) are different theoretical frameworks or approaches to understanding behavior, but they do not encompass the scientific method as a whole.

Question 11

Liam mentions to a friend that he is currently taking an introduction to psychology course. "Why would you want to do that?" asks his friend, "Psychology is mostly therapists analyzing people's problems and self-help gurus selling books." What should Liam's response be?
A) "No, psychology has nothing to do with helping people."
B) "Actually, psychology is a vast discipline that covers much more than mental health and self-help."
C) "Ok, those self-help gurus usually aren't real psychologists, but all real psychologists are trained to really help people improve their lives."
D) "Psychology is actually about studying how chemicals in the brain interact."

Accepted Answer

Liam's friend's response shows a common misconception about psychology. Liam should explain that psychology is not just about mental health or self-help, but is a vast discipline that covers many topics such as cognition, behavior, perception, memory, and more. It is also important to note that psychology is not just about analyzing problems, but can also be used to help people improve their lives in various ways.

Question 12

Natalia is in search of the deeper meaning of her life and would like to learn about her potential as a human being. Which of the following types of psychologists would likely be most useful to her?
A) Humanistic
B) Gestalt
C) Behaviorist
D) Social

Accepted Answer

Humanistic psychologists focus on personal growth, happiness, and meaning in life. They believe that all humans have the potential to achieve self-actualization, which involves a deep understanding of one's own values and goals, and the ability to act on them. Therefore, they would likely be the most useful for someone like Natalia who is searching for the deeper meaning of her life and her potential as a human being.

Question 13

Caroline is interested in determining how squirrels find the caches of nuts they buried several months earlier. She watches the squirrels in a park and notices that they tend to bury food near landmarks, such as trees or benches. She predicts that moving these landmarks after the squirrels have buried their food will prevent them from finding it later on, and designs an experiment to test her prediction. Caroline's approach is an example of
A) pseudoscience.
B) the scientific method.
C) the psychoanalytic model.
D) the biopsychological model.

Accepted Answer

Caroline's approach involves making an observation, forming a hypothesis, and designing an experiment to test the hypothesis, which is a fundamental aspect of the scientific method.

Question 14

You attend a lecture by a psychologist who uses terms such as free will and life's meaning. Which psychological perspective is most consistent with the points the psychologist presented?
A) Behaviorism
B) Humanistic psychology
C) Functionalism
D) Psychodynamics

Accepted Answer

The emphasis on free will and life's meaning aligns with the humanistic perspective, which focuses on individuals' inherent capacity for personal growth and self-understanding. Behaviorism, on the other hand, rejects the concept of free will and instead focuses on observable behaviors. Functionalism and psychodynamics also do not place as much emphasis on free will and personal meaning.

Question 15

Francis Galton made a significant contribution to psychology by introducing methods for studying how heredity contributes to human behavior. Which alternative explanation was Galton overlooking when he argued that heredity accounts for these similarities?
A) The primary importance of the nature side of the nature versus nurture debate
B) The fact that people who share genes live together in families, so they tend to share environmental privileges or disadvantages
C) A materialistic account of behavior
D) The concept dualism, which states that the mind is separate from the body.

Accepted Answer

Galton overlooked the fact that people who share genes tend to live together in families and share environmental privileges or disadvantages, which could also contribute to similarities in behavior. This is known as the issue of genetic confounds in research on heredity and behavior.

Question 16

Psychology can be considered a collection of many related fields of study. What is one of the features that all of these fields have in common?
A) the use of the scientific method
B) the study of mental illness
C) the belief that the unconscious mind determines human behavior
D) the use of introspection

Accepted Answer

While there may be differences in the specific methods and topics studied across different fields within psychology, one feature that unites them all is the use of the scientific method. This involves relying on empirical data and systematic observation in order to test theories and hypotheses about human behavior and mental processes.

Question 17

Which of the following is true about the concept of scientific literacy?
A) Only trained scientists are considered scientifically literate.
B) Scientific literacy is the ability to answer basic science questions without looking up their answers.
C) A person who can understand, analyze, and apply scientific information is demonstrating scientific literacy.
D) Knowledge of scientific terminology is the most important part of scientific literacy.

Accepted Answer

Scientific literacy involves the ability to not only understand scientific information but also to analyze and apply it. It is not limited to trained scientists and does not solely depend on memorization of scientific terminology. Therefore, options A and D are incorrect. Option B is too simplistic and does not encompass the full range of skills required for scientific literacy.

Question 18

Which school of psychology questioned whether psychologists should study the mind, which was thought to be unobservable?
A) Psychoanalysis
B) Behaviorism
C) Gestalt psychology
D) Humanism

Accepted Answer

Behaviorism questioned whether psychologists should study the mind, which was thought to be unobservable. Instead, behaviorists focused on the study of observable behavior and how it is influenced by environmental stimuli.

Question 19

Why was the perspective adopted 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.

Accepted Answer

Wilhelm Wundt and his followers adopted the perspective of structuralism in order to describe the structure of conscious experience. They focused on breaking down mental experiences into their basic components, such as sensations and feelings, in order to understand the underlying structures of the mind.

Question 20

_____ psychologists are generally interested in how the behavior of individuals can be influenced by other people.
A) Social
B) Gestalt
C) Behavioral
D) Humanistic

Accepted Answer

The answer of _____ psychologists are generally interested in how...

Quiz 1: Introducing Psychological Science

_____ is the belief that knowledge comes through observation and experience.

How did physiologists and physicists, like Gustav Fechner, contribute to the development of psychology as a science?

The question of nature and nurture relationships centers on how _ (nature) and _ (nurture) influence behavior and mental processes.

All types of psychology involve

The Gestalt psychologists, with their focus on perception and experience, are closely linked to modern day ______ psychologists.

How would you apply the biopsychosocial model to a news report claiming that anxiety is caused by being around other people who are anxious?

Psychology can be considered a collection of many related fields of study. What is one of the features that all of these fields have in common?

The belief that the unconscious mind has an influence on a person's behavior is part of which early approach to psychology?

According to your authors, the discipline of psychology is best thought of as

Collecting observations, testing predictions about how to best explain the observations, and developing theories are all part of

Liam mentions to a friend that he is currently taking an introduction to psychology course. "Why would you want to do that?" asks his friend, "Psychology is mostly therapists analyzing people's problems and self-help gurus selling books." What should Liam's response be?

Natalia is in search of the deeper meaning of her life and would like to learn about her potential as a human being. Which of the following types of psychologists would likely be most useful to her?

You attend a lecture by a psychologist who uses terms such as free will and life's meaning. Which psychological perspective is most consistent with the points the psychologist presented?

Francis Galton made a significant contribution to psychology by introducing methods for studying how heredity contributes to human behavior. Which alternative explanation was Galton overlooking when he argued that heredity accounts for these similarities?

Psychology can be considered a collection of many related fields of study. What is one of the features that all of these fields have in common?

Which of the following is true about the concept of scientific literacy?

Which school of psychology questioned whether psychologists should study the mind, which was thought to be unobservable?

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

_____ psychologists are generally interested in how the behavior of individuals can be influenced by other people.