Question 1

The field of biopsychology is part of the larger discipline of __________, which refers to the study of the physical structure, function, and development of the nervous system.

Accepted Answer

Biopsychology is the study of the biological basis of behavior and mental processes, which falls under the larger discipline of neuroscience. Neuroscience encompasses the study of the nervous system, including its physical structure, function, and development, as well as its relationship to behavior and cognition. Therefore, A is the best choice. Behavioral genetics focuses on the genetic and environmental influences on behavior, while sociobiology examines the biological basis of social behavior in animals. Medicine is a separate field that involves the study and practice of diagnosing and treating illnesses and diseases.

Question 2

Jake's car broke down and smoke started rising from the engine. He felt lucky to have broken down while parked in the center of town during lunch hour, when many people were outside and could help. However, 30 minutes has passed and despite the heavily populated area, nobody has offered assistance. Jake's experience is an example of the __________.

Accepted Answer

The bystander effect is a social phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help in an emergency situation when other people are present. This is often attributed to a diffusion of responsibility, where individuals feel less personally responsible to offer assistance when others are around. In this case, despite being in a heavily populated area, nobody offered assistance to Jake, likely due to the bystander effect.

Question 3

Which perspective focuses on free will and self-actualization?

Accepted Answer

The humanistic perspective emphasizes free will, personal growth, and self-actualization as the ultimate goal of human existence. This perspective assumes that people have an innate desire to reach their full potential and strive for personal growth and fulfillment.

Question 4

Dr. Vaughan is a psychologist who tries to understand how people select their mates. She must be a(n) __________ psychologist.

Accepted Answer

Dr. Vaughan's focus on mate selection suggests that she is studying a behavior that has evolved over time, indicating an evolutionary perspective. Therefore, she must be an evolutionary psychologist.

Question 5

If you are interested in how patterns, beliefs, and customs influence behavior, you are interested in the __________ perspective.

Accepted Answer

The sociocultural perspective focuses on the influence of social and cultural factors on behavior. This includes examining patterns, beliefs, and customs within a given culture and how they impact individuals and their behavior.

Question 6

The psychodynamic perspective was based on the work of __________.

Accepted Answer

The psychodynamic perspective was developed by Sigmund Freud, who believed that behavior and personality are shaped by unconscious thoughts, feelings, and memories rooted in early childhood experiences.

Question 7

The emerging field of brain imagery in cognitive neuroscience has developed methods such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine __________.

Accepted Answer

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a brain imaging technique used in cognitive neuroscience that allows examination of images and activity of the living brain. It does not involve biopsies of the brain, and is not used to determine the acute time of death in stroke patients.

Question 8

According to humanist Abraham Maslow, when people reach self-actualization, they __________.

Accepted Answer

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, self-actualization is the highest level of attainment in human psychology. At this stage, individuals have reached their fullest potential and are able to fulfill their personal goals, aspirations, and desires. They are self-aware, creative, spontaneous, and autonomous. This is considered to be the pinnacle of human development, where a person is able to become the best version of themselves.

Question 9

Professor Wallis approaches questions about human behavior from a perspective that emphasizes unconscious processes within the individual, such as inner forces or conflicts. It is most likely that she accepts which of the following psychological approaches?

Accepted Answer

The psychodynamic approach emphasizes the unconscious processes within the individual, such as inner forces or conflicts. Therefore, Professor Wallis is most likely to accept the psychodynamic approach.

Question 10

Cognitive neuroscientists can examine the brain with tools such as __________.

Accepted Answer

PET (Positron Emission Tomography), MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), and fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) are commonly used tools in cognitive neuroscience for examining the brain. Electrolysis and Gamma images are not commonly used in this field.

Question 11

In the early part of the past century, psychologists who broke down thought processes into their basic elements and analyzed them were called structuralists. What term might we use to describe psychologists with similar interests today?

Accepted Answer

Today, psychologists who are interested in breaking down mental processes into their basic components and analyzing them are called cognitive psychologists.

Question 12

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?

Accepted Answer

John B. Watson was a proponent of behaviorism, which emphasized the study of observable behaviors rather than internal mental processes such as thoughts and dreams. Conducting research on how specific behaviors are acquired would align with this approach. A survey of daydreams or sexual imagery in dreams would likely not be of interest to Watson or his followers, as these are not directly observable behaviors. Similarly, an analysis of thought processes would focus on internal mental processes rather than behaviors.

Question 13

Darley and Latané (1968) theorized that the presence of other people in a distressing situation decreased the likelihood that someone would receive help due to __________.

Accepted Answer

Darley and Latané's theory of bystander intervention suggests that the presence of others creates diffusion of responsibility, meaning people are less likely to take action to help because they assume someone else will do it.

Question 14

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

Accepted Answer

Ivan Pavlov and John B. Watson both believed in behaviorism, the idea that behavior can be studied and controlled through observation and conditioning. They both rejected the idea of introspection and focused on observable behavior. William James and Wilhelm Wundt were both influential in the development of psychology, but they had differing views on the role of introspection and the study of consciousness. B.F. Skinner and Max Wertheimer also had different approaches, with Skinner focusing on the reinforcement of behavior and Wertheimer emphasizing the role of perception and Gestalt psychology. Carl Rogers and Edward Titchener had very different ideas, with Rogers focused on the importance of the individual's subjective experience and Titchener advocating for the study of the structure of the mind through introspection.

Question 15

Who claimed that behavior is affected by reinforcement?

Accepted Answer

B. F. Skinner claimed that behavior is affected by reinforcement.

Question 16

Professor Chen approaches questions about human behavior from a perspective that emphasizes bodily events and chemicals, such as hormones, associated with behavior. She most likely accepts which of the following psychological approaches?

Accepted Answer

The biopsychological approach emphasizes the importance of physical and biological factors, including hormones and brain structure, in behavior and mental processes. Therefore, Professor Chen's emphasis on bodily events and chemicals suggests that she most likely accepts the biopsychological approach.

Question 17

Which founding contributors to psychology helped develop behaviorism?

Accepted Answer

Behaviorism was primarily developed by John Watson and was heavily influenced by the work of Ivan Pavlov on classical conditioning. Gestalt psychology focused on perception and holistic experiences, while Wilhelm Wundt is known as the founder of psychology as an experimental science and focused on introspection as a method of study. Sigmund Freud developed psychoanalytic theory, which focuses on the unconscious mind and the importance of early childhood experiences.

Question 18

In studying the bystander effect, a researcher is interested in looking at differences between prison guards in China and the United Kingdom. The researcher is taking a(n) __________ perspective in this cross-cultural study.

Accepted Answer

A sociocultural perspective focuses on understanding how social and cultural factors influence behavior. In this case, the researcher is interested in comparing two different cultures (China and the United Kingdom) and how cultural norms surrounding the role of prison guards may impact their willingness to intervene in a bystander emergency situation.

Question 19

Eloise just had her purse stolen while walking down Fifth Avenue in New York City, which is a very busy part of Manhattan. She screamed loudly, and several people looked in her direction, but nobody stopped walking or made an attempt to help. She immediately broke down in tears and trembled for 10 minutes until she could walk to her car. Eloise's experience is an example of __________.

Accepted Answer

Eloise's experience is an example of the bystander effect, which is a phenomenon where individuals are less likely to intervene in an emergency situation when other people are present. The presence of others can lead to a diffusion of responsibility, where individuals feel less personally responsible to take action.

Question 20

You attend a lecture by a psychologist who uses terms such as free will and self-actualization. Which psychological perspective is most consistent with the points the psychologist presented?

Accepted Answer

The terms "free will" and "self-actualization" are most closely associated with the humanistic perspective in psychology, which emphasizes the importance of subjective experience and personal growth. Behaviorism, on the other hand, focuses on measurable behaviors and the external factors that influence them, while psychodynamics emphasizes the role of unconscious drives and conflicts. Functionalism is an early perspective that emphasized the adaptive functions of behavior.

Quiz 1: The Science of Psychology