Question 1

General Mills wants to design new cereal packaging that is easy for parents to open but hard for infants to open.To make sure it understands the capabilities and limitations of both age groups, it should hire an) psychologist.

Accepted Answer

A developmental psychologist specializes in studying human development throughout the lifespan, including physical, cognitive, and socioemotional changes. This would be the most appropriate choice for understanding the capabilities and limitations of both infants and parents in regards to cereal packaging.

Question 2

The psychologists most likely to work in business are psychologists.

Accepted Answer

Organizational psychologists focus on issues related to workplace behavior, productivity, job satisfaction, and employee training and development. They are often hired by businesses to improve organizational efficiency and effectiveness, and to develop and implement strategies for employee selection, performance appraisal, and leadership development. Clinical psychologists, on the other hand, typically work with individuals and groups to diagnose and treat mental health problems, while experimental psychologists conduct research on a wide range of topics related to cognition, perception, learning, and behavior. Developmental psychologists study the physical, cognitive, and social development of individuals across the lifespan. While each of these fields has its own unique contributions to the science of psychology, organizational psychology is most directly relevant to the needs and interests of businesses.

Question 3

Which of the following is the best example of amiable skepticism?

Accepted Answer

Amiable skepticism involves a friendly yet questioning approach to information, where claims are accepted or rejected based on the strength of the evidence supporting them. Rejecting a research finding if it is not supported by good evidence exemplifies this approach by emphasizing the importance of evidence without outright dismissal of new or unconfirmed findings.

Question 4

Duane studies the relationship between hormone levels and people's abilities to cope with stress.In which subfield of psychology does Duane conduct research?

Accepted Answer

Duane is specifically studying hormone levels, which falls under the biological subfield of psychology.

Question 5

Dr.Lin studies obesity.She believes that the likelihood of obesity is related to levels of the trait of agreeableness.In which subfield is Dr.Lin most likely to work?

Accepted Answer

The subfield of personality psychology focuses on understanding individual differences in personality traits and their relationship to behavior and outcomes. Dr. Lin's study of the trait of agreeableness and its relationship to obesity aligns with this subfield.

Question 6

Which of the following is a research question that a personality psychologist might study?

Accepted Answer

A personality psychologist focuses on understanding individual differences in behavior, thought, and emotion. Therefore, they are more likely to study questions related to individual traits and behaviors such as those related to deviant behavior and criminal activity. The other options are related to different fields of psychology such as social psychology, clinical psychology, and community psychology.

Question 7

Topics such as perception, thinking, and learning are studied by psychologists.

Accepted Answer

Perception, thinking, and learning are all related to cognitive processes, which fall under the study of cognitive psychology. Therefore, the best choice is D, cognitive.

Question 8

Which of the following subfields of psychology is correctly matched with a sample topic?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive psychology focuses on mental processes such as decision making, perception, and attention, so the influence of emotions on decision making is a topic that fits within this subfield.

B, C, and D are incorrect matches. Developmental psychology focuses on how people change over their lifespan, whereas the effectiveness of drug therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder is a topic that falls under clinical psychology. Counseling is a subfield that emphasizes clients' personal growth and adjustment, while the role of neurotransmitter deficits in schizophrenia is a topic that falls under biological psychology. Clinical psychology emphasizes the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness, but the development of valid achievement tests for elementary school students is a topic that falls under educational psychology.

Question 9

Which type of psychologists study, assess, and treat individuals with psychological disorders?

Accepted Answer

Clinical psychologists specialize in the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of individuals with psychological disorders.

Question 10

Clinical psychologists work with individuals

Accepted Answer

Clinical psychologists primarily work with individuals who have severe mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. While they may also address daily stressors or marital and family concerns, their main focus is on diagnosing and treating mental disorders. They typically do not provide career advice.

Question 11

Kim spent years studying children in a remote village.To understand how their behavior and mental processes change over time, she would like to study them over the course of their lifetimes.Kim is most likely a psychologist.

Accepted Answer

Kim's interest in studying how behavior and mental processes change over time indicates a focus on development, which is the subject of developmental psychology.

Question 12

Emily has created a program to help companies avoid racial and gender bias in their hiring practices.Emily is most likely an) psychologist.

Accepted Answer

Emily's program is related to organizational psychology, which focuses on improving organizational effectiveness through understanding individual and group behaviors. The program aims to help companies in their hiring practices, which is directly related to organizational psychology. Developmental psychology is focused on human development across the lifespan, clinical psychology deals with the assessment and treatment of mental illness, and cognitive psychology looks at mental processes such as perception, thinking, and memory.

Question 13

Mindy is a psychologist who was hired to try to improve the morale and motivation of the workers in a company.Mindy is probably an) psychologist.

Accepted Answer

Mindy's job involves improving morale and motivation in a workplace setting, which falls under the field of industrial/organizational psychology. Personality psychology focuses on individual differences in behavior and thought, social psychology focuses on how people interact with each other, and clinical/counseling psychology typically involves treating mental health disorders.

Question 14

Jane has a phobia of public speaking.To help her overcome her phobia, she decides to consult a psychologist.

Accepted Answer

Clinical psychologists are trained to assess and treat mental health issues, including phobias, through various therapeutic techniques.

Question 15

A patient experiencing stress due to a recent cancer diagnosis is best advised to consult a psychologist.

Accepted Answer

A counseling psychologist would be the best choice for a patient experiencing stress due to a recent cancer diagnosis. Counseling psychology focuses on helping individuals cope with various stresses and challenges in their lives, and a psychologist with this background would have the skills and training necessary to help the patient develop effective coping mechanisms for dealing with their diagnosis. Health psychology might also be a relevant field, but this is typically focused on helping patients manage chronic illnesses, rather than providing emotional support for coping with a new diagnosis. Clinical psychology is a broad field that includes assessment and treatment of various mental health conditions, but may not have the specific focus on coping and stress management that counseling psychology has. Forensic psychology is a specialty area focused on the intersection of psychology and the law, and would not be applicable in this case.

Question 16

Which of the following subfields in psychology is correctly matched with an example?

Accepted Answer

The subfield of social psychology deals with how groups of people interact and influence each other's behavior. Therefore, examining how groups of friends influence each other's drug use falls under social psychology. The other options do not correspond to the correct subfields.

Question 17

Dr.Growe is reading an article reporting research in which psychologists investigated the effect of group size on the conformity of group members.Dr.Growe is most likely reading the Journal of Psychology.

Accepted Answer

The study of group dynamics and social influence falls under the realm of social psychology, making option B the best choice. Options A, C, and D do not specifically focus on these topics. The mention of conformity also supports the social psychology focus. Journals that commonly publish research on social psychology include the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, among others. However, without more information about the article or journal, it is impossible to determine the exact publication Dr. Growe is reading.

Question 18

Dr.Ebrahim examines how children's friendships change through the elementary and middle school years.Dr.Ebrahim is an) psychologist.

Accepted Answer

Dr. Ebrahim is examining how children's friendships change over time, specifically during the elementary and middle school years. This falls under the field of developmental psychology, which focuses on how individuals grow and change over the course of their lives. Therefore, A) developmental is the most appropriate choice for Dr. Ebrahim's field of study. The other options, personality, cognitive, and organizational, do not encompass the specific focus of studying changes in children's friendships.

Question 19

Workplace training and job placement would be of interest to which type of psychologist?

Accepted Answer

Industrial/organizational psychologists specialize in workplace issues such as training and job placement. Counseling psychologists focus on mental health and personal issues, clinical psychologists diagnose and treat mental illnesses, and developmental psychologists study human growth and change throughout the lifespan. None of these areas specifically address workplace training and job placement.

Question 20

Dr.Chen studies several traits that distinguish one person from another.Dr.Doherty investigates how people grow and change during late adolescence and young adulthood.Dr.Chen is a psychologist and Dr.Doherty is a .

Accepted Answer

Dr. Chen's focus on traits that distinguish one person from another indicates a focus on personality psychology, while Dr. Doherty's focus on growth and change during late adolescence and young adulthood is indicative of developmental psychology. Therefore, the best choice is B, where Dr. Chen is a personality psychologist and Dr. Doherty is a developmental psychologist.

Quiz 1: The Science of Psychology