Question 1

Which of the following statements BEST characterizes the principle of natural selection?

Accepted Answer

A) If given ample social opportunities, each person will naturally select a mate with similar personality characteristics. 
B) Organisms that inherit characteristics that increase their chances of survival in their particular habitat are more likely to survive, reproduce, and pass on their characteristics to their offspring. 
C) Natural selection is the consistent finding that when given an abundant and wide range of food choices, animals in the wild will naturally select a diet that supplies all the necessary nutrients. 
D) Natural selection is the strong human tendency to socialize with people of the same ethnic group. 
A) If given ample social opportunities, each person will naturally select a mate with similar personality characteristics. 
B) Organisms that inherit characteristics that increase their chances of survival in their particular habitat are more likely to survive, reproduce, and pass on their characteristics to their offspring. 
C) Natural selection is the consistent finding that when given an abundant and wide range of food choices, animals in the wild will naturally select a diet that supplies all the necessary nutrients. 
D) Natural selection is the strong human tendency to socialize with people of the same ethnic group.

Question 2

While conducting research on intelligence the experimenters were very careful to control for unwanted variability in such factors as age, gender, ethnic background, and socioeconomic status. They did this in order to avoid or minimize the influence of:

Accepted Answer

A) extraneous or confounding variables. 
B) dependent or outcome variables. 
C) demand characteristics. 
D) practice effects. 
A) extraneous or confounding variables. 
B) dependent or outcome variables. 
C) demand characteristics. 
D) practice effects.

Question 3

While psychoanalysis focuses on _____ conflicts, humanistic psychology emphasizes _____ experiences.

Accepted Answer

A) observable; unconscious 
B) unconscious; conscious 
C) external; internal 
D) physiological; observable 
A) observable; unconscious 
B) unconscious; conscious 
C) external; internal 
D) physiological; observable

Question 4

Hazlett used statistics and determined that the result of her experiment was statistically significant. Dr. Hazlett then concluded that the:

Accepted Answer

A) results of the experiment were not likely to have occurred by chance. 
B) results of the experiment have practical importance in everyday life. 
C) hypothesis for the experiment was not supported. 
D) correlation coefficient was zero. 
A) results of the experiment were not likely to have occurred by chance. 
B) results of the experiment have practical importance in everyday life. 
C) hypothesis for the experiment was not supported. 
D) correlation coefficient was zero.

Question 5

Woods is studying the degree to which primates seem to display logic and insight in figuring out a variety of puzzles and other simple problems. Dr. Woods is MOST likely a(n) _____ psychologist.

Accepted Answer

A) industrial/organizational 
B) clinical 
C) forensic 
D) cognitive 
A) industrial/organizational 
B) clinical 
C) forensic 
D) cognitive

Question 6

Psychologists assume that:

Accepted Answer

A) behavior and mental processes have a cause or causes. 
B) there are no parallels between human and animal behavior. 
C) human behavior can be accurately predicted in any situation. 
D) most aspects of behavior and mental processes cannot be understood by scientific means. 
A) behavior and mental processes have a cause or causes. 
B) there are no parallels between human and animal behavior. 
C) human behavior can be accurately predicted in any situation. 
D) most aspects of behavior and mental processes cannot be understood by scientific means.

Question 7

A representative sample is a:

Accepted Answer

A) group of participants that closely parallels the larger group to be studied on relevant characteristics, such as age, sex, race, marital status, and educational level. 
B) sample questionnaire that represents the most likely set of survey responses. 
C) small group of volunteers who try to predict the survey results. 
D) list of all the possible questions that might be represented on the final survey. 
A) group of participants that closely parallels the larger group to be studied on relevant characteristics, such as age, sex, race, marital status, and educational level. 
B) sample questionnaire that represents the most likely set of survey responses. 
C) small group of volunteers who try to predict the survey results. 
D) list of all the possible questions that might be represented on the final survey.

Question 8

In a study on the effects of caffeine on memory, Dr. Levine asked participants to drink a bottle of unflavored water containing 100, 50, or 0 milligrams of caffeine. Neither Dr. Levine nor the study participants knew whether the water contained caffeine or not. This is an example of a _____ study.

Accepted Answer

A) correlational 
B) case 
C) single-blind 
D) double-blind 
A) correlational 
B) case 
C) single-blind 
D) double-blind

Question 9

When Susan learned that infants in Mayan families in Guatemala often sleep in their mother's bed until the child is two or three years old, she expressed her surprise that the Mayan culture was so "backward" compared with American culture. Susan's views are a good example of _____ in action.

Accepted Answer

A) normative social influence 
B) demand characteristics 
C) ethnocentrism 
D) expectancy effects 
A) normative social influence 
B) demand characteristics 
C) ethnocentrism 
D) expectancy effects

Question 10

Two key figures in the development of humanistic psychology include:

Accepted Answer

A) Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers. 
B) Sigmund Freud and B. F. Skinner. 
C) Mary Calkins and Margaret Floy Washburn. 
D) John Watson and B. F. Skinner. 
A) Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers. 
B) Sigmund Freud and B. F. Skinner. 
C) Mary Calkins and Margaret Floy Washburn. 
D) John Watson and B. F. Skinner.

Question 11

The specialty area of psychology that helps people of all ages adjust, adapt, and cope with personal and interpersonal problems by improving well-being, alleviating distress and maladjustment, and resolving crises is called _____ psychology.

Accepted Answer

A) health 
B) counseling 
C) rehabilitation 
D) forensic 
A) health 
B) counseling 
C) rehabilitation 
D) forensic

Question 12

The participants who are assigned to the group that receives a fake substance, treatment, or procedure that has no known direct effects are in the _____ group.

Accepted Answer

A) experimental 
B) extraneous 
C) placebo 
D) practice 
A) experimental 
B) extraneous 
C) placebo 
D) practice

Question 13

A researcher sets out to test the following statement: "Adolescents are more likely to start smoking if one or both of their parents smoke." This statement is an example of:

Accepted Answer

A) a theory. 
B) an operational definition. 
C) a hypothesis. 
D) experimenter bias. 
A) a theory. 
B) an operational definition. 
C) a hypothesis. 
D) experimenter bias.

Question 14

The results of experiments conducted in a laboratory may not _____ well, meaning that the results cannot be applied to real-world situations or to more general populations beyond the participants in a study.

Accepted Answer

A) replicate 
B) generalize 
C) duplicate 
D) internalize 
A) replicate 
B) generalize 
C) duplicate 
D) internalize

Question 15

Which of the following statements about Mary Whiton Calkins is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

A) She was the first woman to study with Wilhelm Wundt and receive a Ph.D. in psychology from Leipzig University. 
B) She was the first woman president of the American Psychological Association and conducted research in dreams, memory, and personality. 
C) In 1908 she published an influential textbook titled The Animal Mind. 
D) She was a comparative psychologist who conducted groundbreaking research on the giant panda. 
A) She was the first woman to study with Wilhelm Wundt and receive a Ph.D. in psychology from Leipzig University. 
B) She was the first woman president of the American Psychological Association and conducted research in dreams, memory, and personality. 
C) In 1908 she published an influential textbook titled The Animal Mind. 
D) She was a comparative psychologist who conducted groundbreaking research on the giant panda.

Question 16

One potential problem with surveys and questionnaires is that:

Accepted Answer

A) people do not always answer honestly. 
B) random selection procedures are not possible with these forms of data collection. 
C) expectancy effects usually invalidate the findings. 
D) these techniques produce illusory correlations rather than true correlations. 
A) people do not always answer honestly. 
B) random selection procedures are not possible with these forms of data collection. 
C) expectancy effects usually invalidate the findings. 
D) these techniques produce illusory correlations rather than true correlations.

Question 17

Martinez is studying the effects of diet on mental alertness. Each morning for two weeks, participants in Dr. Martinez's study eat a breakfast that is either high in carbohydrates or high in protein. Dr. Martinez then measures the participants' abilities to solve geometry problems. What is the dependent variable in this study?

Accepted Answer

A) high carbohydrate versus high protein breakfast 
B) length of the study (two weeks) 
C) ability to solve geometry problems 
D) Not enough information is provided in the question to determine the dependent variable 
A) high carbohydrate versus high protein breakfast 
B) length of the study (two weeks) 
C) ability to solve geometry problems 
D) Not enough information is provided in the question to determine the dependent variable

Question 18

The purpose of using a double-blind research design is to:

Accepted Answer

A) guard against the possibility that a researcher will inadvertently communicate the behavior that is expected of the participants. 
B) guard against the release of confidential information. 
C) guarantee the anonymity of the participants. 
D) determine which participants will be exposed to the dependent variable. 
A) guard against the possibility that a researcher will inadvertently communicate the behavior that is expected of the participants. 
B) guard against the release of confidential information. 
C) guarantee the anonymity of the participants. 
D) determine which participants will be exposed to the dependent variable.

Question 19

When questioned, advocates of pseudoscientific claims do not provide supporting scientific evidence but instead challenge you to disprove their claims. This strategy or ploy is called:

Accepted Answer

A) the single-blind technique. 
B) shifting the burden of proof. 
C) the "multiple outs" strategy. 
D) the double-blind technique. 
A) the single-blind technique. 
B) shifting the burden of proof. 
C) the "multiple outs" strategy. 
D) the double-blind technique.

Question 20

Which statement BEST characterizes the evolutionary perspective of psychology?

Accepted Answer

A) Human behavior is best understood in terms of the individual capacity for growth, free will, and self-direction. 
B) To fully understand human behavior you must understand how behavior varies among different cultures. 
C) Psychological processes are influenced by natural selection. 
D) The biological basis of behavior should be the primary focus of contemporary psychology as medical and technological advances have evolved. 
A) Human behavior is best understood in terms of the individual capacity for growth, free will, and self-direction. 
B) To fully understand human behavior you must understand how behavior varies among different cultures. 
C) Psychological processes are influenced by natural selection. 
D) The biological basis of behavior should be the primary focus of contemporary psychology as medical and technological advances have evolved.

Exam 1: Section 2: Introduction and Research Methods

Which of the following statements BEST characterizes the principle of natural selection?

While conducting research on intelligence the experimenters were very careful to control for unwanted variability in such factors as age, gender, ethnic background, and socioeconomic status. They did this in order to avoid or minimize the influence of:

While psychoanalysis focuses on _____ conflicts, humanistic psychology emphasizes _____ experiences.

Hazlett used statistics and determined that the result of her experiment was statistically significant. Dr. Hazlett then concluded that the:

Woods is studying the degree to which primates seem to display logic and insight in figuring out a variety of puzzles and other simple problems. Dr. Woods is MOST likely a(n) _____ psychologist.

Psychologists assume that:

A representative sample is a:

In a study on the effects of caffeine on memory, Dr. Levine asked participants to drink a bottle of unflavored water containing 100, 50, or 0 milligrams of caffeine. Neither Dr. Levine nor the study participants knew whether the water contained caffeine or not. This is an example of a _____ study.

When Susan learned that infants in Mayan families in Guatemala often sleep in their mother's bed until the child is two or three years old, she expressed her surprise that the Mayan culture was so "backward" compared with American culture. Susan's views are a good example of _____ in action.

Two key figures in the development of humanistic psychology include:

The specialty area of psychology that helps people of all ages adjust, adapt, and cope with personal and interpersonal problems by improving well-being, alleviating distress and maladjustment, and resolving crises is called _____ psychology.

The participants who are assigned to the group that receives a fake substance, treatment, or procedure that has no known direct effects are in the _____ group.

A researcher sets out to test the following statement: "Adolescents are more likely to start smoking if one or both of their parents smoke." This statement is an example of:

The results of experiments conducted in a laboratory may not _____ well, meaning that the results cannot be applied to real-world situations or to more general populations beyond the participants in a study.

Which of the following statements about Mary Whiton Calkins is TRUE?

One potential problem with surveys and questionnaires is that:

The purpose of using a double-blind research design is to:

When questioned, advocates of pseudoscientific claims do not provide supporting scientific evidence but instead challenge you to disprove their claims. This strategy or ploy is called:

Which statement BEST characterizes the evolutionary perspective of psychology?

Section 1: Introduction and Research Methods

Section 3: Introduction and Research Methods

Section 4: Introduction and Research Methods

Section 5: Introduction and Research Methods

Section 1: Neuroscience and Behavior

Section 2: Neuroscience and Behavior

Section 3: Neuroscience and Behavior

Section 4: Neuroscience and Behavior

Section 5: Neuroscience and Behavior

Section 1: Sensation and Perception

Section 2: Sensation and Perception

Section 3: Sensation and Perception

Section 4: Sensation and Perception

Section 5: Sensation and Perception

Section 1: Consciousness and Its Variations

Section 2: Consciousness and Its Variations

Section 3: Consciousness and Its Variations

Section 4: Consciousness and Its Variations

Section 5: Consciousness and Its Variations

Section 1: Learning

Section 2: Learning

Section 3: Learning

Section 4: Learning

Section 5: Learning

Section 1: Memory

Section 2: Memory

Section 3: Memory

Section 4: Memory

Section 5: Memory

Section 1: Thinking, Language, and Intelligence

Section 2: Thinking, Language, and Intelligence

Section 3: Thinking, Language, and Intelligence

Section 4: Thinking, Language, and Intelligence

Section 5: Thinking, Language, and Intelligence

Section 1: Motivation and Emotion

Section 2: Motivation and Emotion

Section 3: Motivation and Emotion

Section 4: Motivation and Emotion

Section 5: Motivation and Emotion

Section 1: Lifespan Development

Section 2: Lifespan Development

Section 3: Lifespan Development

Section 4: Lifespan Development

Section 5: Lifespan Development

Section 1: Personality

Section 2: Personality

Section 3: Personality

Section 4: Personality

Section 5: Personality

Section 1: Social Psychology

Section 2: Social Psychology

Section 3: Social Psychology

Section 4: Social Psychology

Section 5: Social Psychology

Section 1: Stress, Health, and Coping

Section 2: Stress, Health, and Coping

Section 3: Stress, Health, and Coping

Section 4: Stress, Health, and Coping

Section 5: Stress, Health, and Coping

Section 1: Psychological Disorders

While psychoanalysis focuses on _ conflicts, humanistic psychology emphasizes _ experiences.