Question 1

The distinctive feature of the psychodynamic perspective is its emphasis on
A) natural selection.
B) brain chemistry.
C) unconscious conflicts.
D) learned behaviors.

Accepted Answer

The psychodynamic perspective focuses on unconscious conflicts and unresolved issues from childhood that can shape a person's behavior and mental health. This approach looks at how these unconscious factors influence behavior and can lead to negative patterns in relationships and overall functioning. The other choices (A, B, and D) are not primary areas of focus for the psychodynamic perspective.

Question 2

Studies conducted for the sake of building psychology's base of knowledge are most clearly examples of
A) behavior genetics.
B) introspection.
C) basic research.
D) positive psychology.

Accepted Answer

Studies conducted for the sake of building psychology's base of knowledge are most clearly examples of basic research. Basic research is conducted for the sake of increasing our understanding of a phenomenon or behavior, without necessarily having any immediate practical application.

Question 3

Dr.Wilson attributes the delinquent behaviors of many teens to the pressures associated with being a member of a street gang.Her account best illustrates a(n)________ perspective.
A) behavior genetics
B) social-cultural
C) neuroscience
D) evolutionary

Accepted Answer

The social-cultural perspective emphasizes the importance of social and cultural influences on behavior, including the pressure to belong to a street gang that might contribute to delinquent behavior in teenagers. The other perspectives mentioned (behavior genetics, neuroscience, and evolutionary) are not directly related to the social and cultural factors that influence teen delinquency.

Question 4

Dr.McAllister is studying anger as it relates to violent criminal offenders.He is particularly interested in how environmental circumstances relate to feelings of anger among these offenders,as well as how feelings of anger affect thought processes.He is working from a(n)
A) evolutionary perspective.
B) behavioral perspective.
C) cognitive perspective.
D) psychodynamic perspective.

Accepted Answer

Dr. McAllister's focus on how environmental circumstances relate to feelings of anger among offenders, as well as how feelings of anger affect thought processes, suggests that he is taking a cognitive perspective. This perspective emphasizes the role of mental processes in shaping behavior, and would be most useful in understanding how the offenders' interpretations of their environment and their own emotions contribute to their criminal behavior. The other options (evolutionary, behavioral, and psychodynamic perspectives) focus on different aspects of human behavior (i.e. the influence of genetics and natural selection, observable behavior and its consequences, and unconscious motivations, respectively), but are less relevant to Dr. McAllister's specific research questions.

Question 5

Which perspective studies the relative contributions of our genes and our environment on our individual differences?
A) cognitive
B) behavior genetics
C) social-cultural
D) psychodynamic

Accepted Answer

Behavior genetics studies the relative contributions of our genes and our environment on our individual differences.

Question 6

Which perspective would suggest that the facial expressions associated with the emotions of lust and rage are inherited?
A) cognitive
B) behavioral
C) evolutionary
D) social-cultural

Accepted Answer

The evolutionary perspective believes that some behaviors and characteristics, including facial expressions, are inherited because they aided in human survival and reproduction in the past. Lust and rage are emotions associated with survival and reproduction, so facial expressions associated with them would be seen as inherited.

Question 7

Which perspective would help us to understand the impact of strokes and brain diseases on memory?
A) evolutionary
B) behavioral
C) psychodynamic
D) neuroscience

Accepted Answer

Neuroscience is the perspective that would help us to understand the impact of strokes and brain diseases on memory, as it focuses on the study of the nervous system, brain structure, and how they relate to behavior and mental processes. Through neuroscience, we can study the physical changes in the brain that occur due to strokes or diseases and how they affect memory function.

Question 8

Which psychological perspective is most likely to be concerned with identifying the powers and the limits of human reasoning?
A) cognitive
B) behavioral
C) neuroscience
D) behavior genetics

Accepted Answer

The cognitive perspective focuses on mental processes including perception, thinking, and problem-solving. The study of human reasoning is a key part of this perspective, as it seeks to understand the powers and limits of the mind in terms of processing and making sense of information.

Question 9

Which perspective in psychology is most likely to focus on how behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures?
A) evolutionary
B) neuroscience
C) cognitive
D) social-cultural

Accepted Answer

The social-cultural perspective in psychology is most likely to focus on how behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures. This perspective emphasizes the importance of cultural and social factors in shaping individual behavior and experiences, and how different cultural contexts and social norms can influence the way people think and act.

Question 10

Mrs.Alfieri believes that her husband's angry outbursts against her result from his unconscious hatred of his own mother.Mrs.Alfieri is looking at her husband's behavior from a(n)________ perspective.
A) evolutionary
B) behavioral
C) psychodynamic
D) behavior genetics

Accepted Answer

Mrs. Alfieri is looking at her husband's behavior from a psychodynamic perspective, which focuses on the unconscious mind and past experiences as influences on behavior. This is evidenced by her belief that his behavior is rooted in his unconscious feelings towards his mother.

Question 11

Which perspective most clearly focuses on how we learn observable responses?
A) evolutionary
B) neuroscience
C) behavioral
D) behavior genetics

Accepted Answer

The behavioral perspective focuses on how we learn observable responses through conditioning and reinforcement.

Question 12

Which perspective is most concerned with how individuals interpret their experiences?
A) behavioral
B) cognitive
C) neuroscience
D) behavior genetics

Accepted Answer

The cognitive perspective is most concerned with how individuals interpret their experiences. It focuses on mental processes such as thinking, perception, and problem-solving. It explores how individuals process information, make decisions, and solve problems. It also examines how individuals develop beliefs, attitudes, and values, and how these contribute to their behaviors.

Question 13

Akira believes that her son has become a good student because he is frequently praised for his learning efforts.Her belief best illustrates a ________ perspective.
A) behavior genetics
B) neuroscience
C) psychodynamic
D) behavioral

Accepted Answer

The belief that praising a student's efforts can lead to improved academic performance falls under the behavioral perspective, which emphasizes the importance of observable behaviors in shaping an individual's development.

Question 14

Dr.Robinson conducts research on the relationship between brain chemistry and intellectual functioning.Which psychological specialty does Dr.Robinson's research best represent?
A) social psychology
B) clinical psychology
C) biological psychology
D) industrial-organizational psychology

Accepted Answer

Dr. Robinson's research on the relationship between brain chemistry and intellectual functioning falls under biological psychology, which examines the physiological and genetic factors that influence human behavior and mental processes.

Question 15

The cognitive perspective in psychology focuses on how
A) feelings are influenced by blood chemistry.
B) people try to understand their own unconscious motives.
C) behavior is influenced by environmental conditions.
D) people encode,process,store,and retrieve information.

Accepted Answer

The cognitive perspective in psychology is concerned with how people encode, process, store, and retrieve information. It focuses on the mental processes involved in perception, attention, memory, language, problem-solving, and reasoning. Therefore, choice D is the correct answer. The other options do not accurately reflect the focus of the cognitive perspective.

Question 16

Which perspective would focus on the extent to which different parenting styles are encouraged among various ethnic groups?
A) evolutionary
B) psychodynamic
C) social-cultural
D) neuroscience

Accepted Answer

Social-cultural perspective focuses on how cultural and social factors influence behavior, including parenting styles. Therefore, it is the most appropriate perspective to consider the extent to which different parenting styles are encouraged among various ethnic groups.

Question 17

Which perspective highlights the reproductive advantages of inherited psychological traits?
A) evolutionary
B) cognitive
C) behavioral
D) social-cultural

Accepted Answer

The evolutionary perspective focuses on how psychological traits and behaviors have evolved over time and how they provide reproductive advantages for individuals. This perspective emphasizes natural selection and how traits and behaviors that increase an individual's chances of survival and reproduction are more likely to be passed on to future generations.

Question 18

Professor Lopez believes that severe depression results primarily from an imbalanced diet and abnormal brain chemistry.Professor Lopez favors a ________ perspective on depression.
A) neuroscience
B) psychodynamic
C) behavior genetics
D) cognitive

Accepted Answer

Professor Lopez's belief that depression is primarily caused by imbalanced diet and abnormal brain chemistry aligns with the neuroscience perspective, which emphasizes the role of biology and brain function in behavior and mental processes.

Question 19

Professor Brody attempts to measure the relative contributions of inborn traits and social influences on sexual preferences and behavior patterns.Her research efforts best illustrate the interests of the ________ perspective.
A) behavior genetics
B) psychodynamic
C) behavioral
D) cognitive

Accepted Answer

The behavior genetics perspective seeks to understand the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to individual differences in behavior, including sexual preferences and behavior patterns. Professor Brody's research on measuring the contributions of inborn traits (i.e. genetics) and social influences aligns with this perspective. The psychodynamic perspective focuses on the role of unconscious and unresolved conflicts in shaping behavior, while the behavioral perspective emphasizes the role of reinforcement and conditioning in shaping behavior. The cognitive perspective focuses on how mental processes such as perception, attention, and memory influence behavior.

Question 20

Professor Crisman believes that most women prefer tall and physically strong partners because this preference promoted the survival of our ancestors' genes.This viewpoint best illustrates the ________ perspective.
A) social-cultural
B) cognitive
C) evolutionary
D) psychodynamic

Accepted Answer

The belief that women prefer tall and physically strong partners because it promoted the survival of our ancestors' genes is a viewpoint held by the evolutionary perspective, which suggests that behavior patterns are shaped by natural selection and the need to adapt to our environment for survival and reproduction.

Quiz 1: Thinking Critically With Psychological Science

The distinctive feature of the psychodynamic perspective is its emphasis on

Studies conducted for the sake of building psychology's base of knowledge are most clearly examples of

Dr.Wilson attributes the delinquent behaviors of many teens to the pressures associated with being a member of a street gang.Her account best illustrates a(n) ________ perspective.

Dr.McAllister is studying anger as it relates to violent criminal offenders.He is particularly interested in how environmental circumstances relate to feelings of anger among these offenders,as well as how feelings of anger affect thought processes.He is working from a(n)

Which perspective studies the relative contributions of our genes and our environment on our individual differences?

Which perspective would suggest that the facial expressions associated with the emotions of lust and rage are inherited?

Which perspective would help us to understand the impact of strokes and brain diseases on memory?

Which psychological perspective is most likely to be concerned with identifying the powers and the limits of human reasoning?

Which perspective in psychology is most likely to focus on how behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures?

Mrs.Alfieri believes that her husband's angry outbursts against her result from his unconscious hatred of his own mother.Mrs.Alfieri is looking at her husband's behavior from a(n) ________ perspective.

Which perspective most clearly focuses on how we learn observable responses?

Which perspective is most concerned with how individuals interpret their experiences?

Akira believes that her son has become a good student because he is frequently praised for his learning efforts.Her belief best illustrates a ________ perspective.

Dr.Robinson conducts research on the relationship between brain chemistry and intellectual functioning.Which psychological specialty does Dr.Robinson's research best represent?

The cognitive perspective in psychology focuses on how

Which perspective would focus on the extent to which different parenting styles are encouraged among various ethnic groups?

Which perspective highlights the reproductive advantages of inherited psychological traits?

Professor Lopez believes that severe depression results primarily from an imbalanced diet and abnormal brain chemistry.Professor Lopez favors a ________ perspective on depression.

Professor Brody attempts to measure the relative contributions of inborn traits and social influences on sexual preferences and behavior patterns.Her research efforts best illustrate the interests of the ________ perspective.

Professor Crisman believes that most women prefer tall and physically strong partners because this preference promoted the survival of our ancestors' genes.This viewpoint best illustrates the ________ perspective.