Question 1

Which modern psychological perspective focuses on bodily events and their effects on behavior,feelings, and thoughts?

Accepted Answer

The biological perspective focuses on how bodily events (such as brain chemistry and genetics) affect behavior, feelings, and thoughts. It is also known as the biopsychological perspective or the neuroscience perspective. The other options (cognitive perspective, evolutionary perspective, and psychodynamic perspective) focus on other aspects of psychology such as mental processes, evolutionary adaptations, and unconscious thoughts and emotions.

Question 2

Empirical findings are those that

Accepted Answer

Empirical findings are based on direct observation or measurement, which is consistent with choice A. The other options do not accurately reflect the definition of empirical findings.

Question 3

The psychology that is studied in this textbook bears little relation to the "pop psych" found in self-help books.In our textbook,the psychological information is based on

Accepted Answer

The psychological information presented in the textbook is based on empirical evidence, meaning it is rooted in scientific research and data. This is different from the "pop psych" found in self-help books, which may be based on opinions, personal experiences, or untested theories.

Question 4

Emelyn,a class of 1901 college graduate,wants to pursue a graduate career in psychology in order to study the ways that various actions help a person adapt to the environment.The psychological approach of _______________ best matches Emelyn's interests.

Accepted Answer

William James was known for his theories and research on functionalism, which emphasizes the importance of understanding how behavior and mental processes help individuals adapt to their environment. This aligns well with Emelyn's interest in studying the ways that various actions help a person adapt to the environment. The other options listed (Wundt, Freud, and Gall) were influential in the field of psychology, but their approaches do not align as closely with Emelyn's interests.

Question 5

Like today's psychologists,great thinkers throughout history have wanted to describe,predict,understand,and modify behavior.Contemporary psychologists,however,approach these issues in a different way by relying heavily upon

Accepted Answer

Contemporary psychologists rely heavily upon empirical evidence, which means they use scientific methods and data to study behavior and mental processes. Anecdotes from personal experience and philosophy are not considered as reliable sources of evidence, and phrenology is a discredited pseudoscientific theory.

Question 6

Psychology is defined generally as

Accepted Answer

While psychology may involve the study of mental health and illness, it is more broadly defined as the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. It encompasses a wide range of topics including perception, cognition, emotions, learning, development, personality, social behavior, and more. Psychology also involves the investigation of both humans and animals.

Question 7

Evolutionary psychology is a part of which modern psychological perspective?

Accepted Answer

Evolutionary psychology is a subfield of psychology that focuses on how human behavior and mental processes have evolved over time through natural selection. This perspective is rooted in biology, making it part of the biological perspective in modern psychology.

Question 8

The brain is the ultimate source of our pleasures and joys as well as our sorrows and pains. According to the text,this knowledge was evident as early as

Accepted Answer

The text does not mention A.D. or B.C. dates, but it does reference the philosopher Aristotle who lived from 384-322 B.C. and wrote about the relationship between the brain and pleasure/pain in his book "The Nicomachean Ethics". Therefore, the knowledge that the brain is the source of pleasure and pain was evident as early as 377 B.C.

Question 9

Which of the following is a theory of personality and a method of psychotherapy emphasizing unconscious motives and conflicts?

Accepted Answer

Psychoanalysis is a theory of personality and a method of psychotherapy that emphasizes unconscious motives, conflicts, and unresolved issues from childhood as the root causes of psychological distress. This approach was developed by Sigmund Freud in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and has been influential in the field of psychology ever since. Functionalism, phrenology, and trained introspection are all different approaches to studying the mind and behavior that are distinct from psychoanalysis.

Question 10

Graphology,or handwriting analysis,uses precise measurements in order to determine personality characteristics from a sample of one's handwriting.However,there is little empirical evidence to suggest that graphology is accurate in determining one's personality from a handwriting sample.Graphology is an example of

Accepted Answer

Graphology does not have scientific validity and lacks empirical evidence, making it a pseudoscience.

Question 11

Mark has a strong desire to quit smoking.A psychologist from the biological perspective would try to help by

Accepted Answer

A psychologist from the biological perspective is interested in how the body and brain influence behavior. This approach would focus on finding a drug that reduces Mark's craving by blocking the effect of nicotine on his brain. This approach would not involve punishment (option A), exploring unconscious desires (option B), or emphasizing personal control (option D).

Question 12

Wilhelm Wundt is best known for

Accepted Answer

Wilhelm Wundt is considered the founder of experimental psychology and established the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany in 1879. He is known for developing the method of introspection, where subjects would report their own conscious experiences in response to stimuli presented to them. Wundt's work laid the foundation for modern psychology as a scientific discipline.

Question 13

Several middle-school girls watch their classmates,Jon and Jason,engage in a rough-and-tumble wrestling match.The attention of the girls seems to intensify the boys' play.A psychologist trained in the functionalist school would wonder

Accepted Answer

A functionalist psychologist would be interested in understanding the purpose and adaptive significance of the behavior, in this case, the purpose of rough-and-tumble play in early adolescence. The focus is on how the behavior contributes to the individual's adaptation to their environment.

Question 14

Which school of thought in psychology was influenced by the evolutionary theories of Charles Darwin?

Accepted Answer

Functionalism was heavily influenced by Darwin's evolutionary theory, which emphasized the adaptive functions of behavior and mental processes in shaping an organism's survival and reproductive success.

Question 15

The first psychological laboratory was officially established in

Accepted Answer

The first psychological laboratory was officially established by Wilhelm Wundt in Leipzig, Germany in 1879.

Question 16

"Pseudoscience" is different from psychology in that psychology is

Accepted Answer

Psychology is based on rigorous research conducted through the scientific method to test hypotheses and theories. Pseudoscience, on the other hand, lacks empirical evidence and does not follow scientific protocol. Therefore, option A is the correct choice.

Question 17

An obscure neurologist in Vienna,Austria,came to the conclusion that his patient's symptoms had mental rather than physical causes.From this insight,his broad theory of personality evolved.The neurologist was

Accepted Answer

The neurologist who came to the conclusion that his patient's symptoms had mental rather than physical causes and developed a broad theory of personality is Sigmund Freud.

Question 18

Sheila's psychology professor uses the term "psychobabble" in class one day.The professor is referring to

Accepted Answer

The term "psychobabble" typically refers to language or speech that uses psychological terminology or concepts in a superficial or unscientific way, without actually conveying meaningful information or insights. It is often associated with pseudoscience or pop psychology.

Question 19

Which school of thought in psychology emphasized the purpose of behavior?

Accepted Answer

Functionalism was a school of thought in psychology that emphasized the purpose of behavior. Functionalists like William James believed that the mind and its functions could not be studied in isolation, but rather in terms of their adaptive significance in enabling organisms to interact with their environment.

Question 20

Which school of thought in psychology evolved into an elaborate theory of personality and method of psychotherapy?

Accepted Answer

The school of thought in psychology that evolved into an elaborate theory of personality and method of psychotherapy is psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis, developed by Sigmund Freud, is a theoretical and clinical approach to understanding human behavior and personality that focuses on the unconscious and the dynamic interplay between conscious and unconscious mental processes. It also involves a method of psychotherapy that aims to bring unconscious conflicts and repressed memories into consciousness, so that they can be explored and worked through.

Quiz 1: What Is Psychology