Question 1

In many eyewitness studies, researchers carefully observe the "victim's" behaviour under various conditions. The presence of a weapon appears to decrease eyewitness accuracy in identifying the perpetrator. To test whether or not this is true, researchers re-enact a robbery both with and without a gun. People viewing the robbery where a gun was used were far less accurate in their description of the robber. This knowledge has been used in courtroom cases, often discrediting eyewitness testimony. In this case, the idea that the presence of a weapon decreases eyewitness accuracy, corresponds to which of the basic goals of psychology?

Accepted Answer

The goal of prediction in psychology involves anticipating how certain variables, such as the presence of a weapon, can affect outcomes like eyewitness accuracy.

Question 2

The study of how behavioural tendencies are influenced by genetic factors is known as the field of:

Accepted Answer

Behaviour genetics is the field that examines the role of genetic and environmental influences on behavior.

Question 3

The method of introspection was developed by which school of thought?

Accepted Answer

Introspection was primarily developed by the school of structuralism, which was led by Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener, focusing on analyzing the structure of the mind by examining one's own conscious thoughts and feelings.

Question 4

When considering the mind-body problem, some philosophers argue that the mind is a separate entity from the body and is not subject to the same physical laws as the body. These individuals would belong to which philosophical position?

Accepted Answer

Dualism is the philosophical position that posits the mind and body as separate entities, with the mind not subject to the same physical laws as the body.

Question 5

A central belief of the dualism position is that it suggests:

Accepted Answer

Dualism posits that the mind and body are separate entities, so studying the body alone won't provide insights into the mind.

Question 6

In the 1960s, psychologists conducted a study at a summer camp for 11-year old boys. Researchers in the Robbers Cave experiment altered the conditions so that they were able to both increase group hostility (with competition) and decrease group hostility (with cooperation). Through altering these conditions, the psychologists were demonstrating this goal of psychology:

Accepted Answer

The Robbers Cave experiment aimed to demonstrate how group dynamics could be controlled by manipulating environmental conditions, thus illustrating the goal of control in psychology.

Question 7

When considering the mind-body problem, ancient philosophers who argued that the mind is not separate from the body belonged to which philosophical position?

Accepted Answer

Monism is the philosophical position that argues the mind and body are not separate entities, but rather one unified reality.

Question 8

British empiricism could be considered as an example of:

Accepted Answer

British empiricism is a philosophical school that emphasizes the role of experience in the acquisition of knowledge. It is considered a form of monism because it holds that the mind and body are one and the same substance.

Question 9

Monism is a belief that:

Accepted Answer

Monism is the belief that mental events are a product of physical events in the brain, suggesting that the mind and body are not separate entities.

Question 10

In the 1960s, psychologists conducted a study at a summer camp for 11-year old boys. These researchers in the "Robbers Cave" experiment thought that if they created
Conditions in which the two groups of boys had to cooperate, then there would be less hostility between the groups. The "Robbers Cave" study showed that conflict between groups could be decreased by making the groups dependent upon one another to
Cooperate. This finding is an illustration of which goal of psychology?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the 1960s, psychologists conducted a study...

Question 11

The following is an important technical advancement in the study of the relationship between the brain and behaviour:

Accepted Answer

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a significant advancement as it allows researchers to measure and map brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow, providing insights into the relationship between brain function and behavior.

Question 12

In the Jumbled-Word Challenge example in the textbook, the claim is made that the research was conducted at Cambridge but no reference information is provided. This is an illustration of which thinking critically step offered in evaluating the research?

Accepted Answer

The step "What's the evidence and how good is it?" involves evaluating the quality and credibility of the evidence provided to support a claim. In this case, the lack of reference information for the research conducted at Cambridge raises questions about the validity and reliability of the evidence.

Question 13

Industrial-organizational psychology would be an example of what type of research?

Accepted Answer

Industrial-organizational psychology is an example of applied research because it involves applying psychological principles and research methods to solve practical problems in the workplace.

Question 14

Evolutionary theory assumes that individuals who receive a competitive advantage from inherited traits will be more likely to survive, reproduce, and thus pass on these adaptive traits to future generations. This process is known as:

Accepted Answer

Natural selection is the process by which individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing those traits to future generations.

Question 15

Early researchers in psychology who believed that the mind could be studied by breaking it down into its basic components as a chemist might break down a complex chemical compound followed which school of thought?

Accepted Answer

Structuralism is a school of thought in psychology that believes that the mind can be studied by breaking it down into its basic components, such as sensations, feelings, and thoughts.

Question 16

The statement, "answers to the great questions of psychology will ultimately be found in 'physiology' All behaviour, all experience, all feeling, indeed all the subject matter of psychology, are nothing more than the outcomes of the activity of the nervous system" is most consistent with the following view:

Accepted Answer

Monism is the view that mind and body are not separate entities and that mental processes are directly related to physiological processes in the nervous system.

Question 17

When Franz and Lashley removed most of a rat's cortex they found that:

Accepted Answer

Franz and Lashley's experiments demonstrated that rats could still function and perform tasks even after significant portions of their cortex were removed, suggesting that the brain has a degree of plasticity and redundancy.

Question 18

Early studies on brain mechanisms in learning in biological psychology were conducted by Franz and Lashley. When studying animals, Franz and Lashley detected a ________ correlation between loss of cortex and loss of function.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Early studies on brain mechanisms in learning...

Question 19

Charles Whitman was a mass murderer with no previous history of violence. After Charles Whitman committed several murders and suicide, an autopsy revealed that he
Had a malignant tumour in an area of the brain associated with aggression. Psychologists who cite this fact in an attempt to explain what happened are focused on which level of analysis?

Accepted Answer

The focus on a malignant tumor in the brain, which is a biological factor, indicates that the psychologists are analyzing the situation from a biological perspective.

Question 20

Charles Whitman was a mass murderer with no previous history of violence. In an attempt to explain his violent behaviour, a psychologist points to Whitman's recent stressful life events and to the way that violence is often reinforced and glorified in today's society. This psychologist's explanation is most compatible with which level of analysis?

Accepted Answer

The psychologist's explanation focuses on external factors such as stressful life events and societal influences, which align with the environmental level of analysis.

Quiz 1: Psychology: the Science of Behaviour