Deck 1: Psychology: the Science of Behaviour

Question 1

Research on memory processes shows us that when tested on a recently learned word list,the majority of people will recall the words at the end of the list at a higher rate than the words in the middle of the list.This "recency effect" can be eliminated by involving the participants in a task that stops them from rehearsing the words.Using this principle,before Dr.Brown gives an exam,she asks that all books and notes be put away and then takes time to prevent the "recency effect" by giving the instructions for the exam,the grading procedures,and next week's lesson topic before allowing students to begin the exam.In this case,Dr.Brown is:

A)increasing the chance that students will cheat.
B)relying on students' short-term memory to help them out.
C)applying basic research principles in her course.
D)collecting applied research data in her class.

Answer 1

applying basic research principles in her course.

Question 2

Dr.Harris has created an academic performance enhancement program designed to help children who are struggling in school.Results from his research reveal that the program is effective at improving children's grades.Dr.Harris's work is most consistent with which goal of psychology?

A)description
B)understanding
C)prediction
D)control

Answer 2

control

Question 3

Dr.Forman is a school psychologist who has been asked to observe a disruptive student.After her observation,she writes,"Bobby appeared to have a great deal of difficulty listening to the lessons being taught.He had particular difficulty with the math lesson,and began distracting the students who were sitting next to him by pinching and hitting them." Dr.Forman's observations are most consistent with which goal of psychology?

A)description
B)understanding
C)prediction
D)control

Answer 3

description

Question 4

When using the term "behaviour," psychologists mean:

A)overt actions that can be directly observed.
B)overt actions and inner mental processes such as thoughts and feelings.
C)overt actions and physiological reactions.
D)overt actions,inner mental processes,or physiological reactions.

Question 5

Alex is friendly and outgoing,always having a kind word for everyone.Through observing his behaviour,we can make inferences about his_________ .

A)mental processes
B)internal state
C)future thoughts
D)external responses

Question 6

Researchers studying human memory have participants memorize lists of words.These researchers then record how many of the words the participants accurately remember after the passage of time and exposure to new information.When an eyewitness to a crime identifies an attacker in court,lawyers might illustrate the limits of memory by using this type of research:

A)applied
B)basic
C)elementary
D)practical

Question 7

Mary was driving on a dark and stormy night.She was unable to read a hidden traffic sign and she ran off the road and crashed into a street light.Two scientists are called as experts to testify in her defence.Scientist 1,who does research on how vision works,explained the limits of a person's ability to process visual information..Scientist 2,who does research on factors that contribute to car accidents,focused on the circumstances surrounding the accident,like the driver's state of mind and the limited visibility of the sign.Both scientists are using research in defence of the driver.Scientist 1uses______________ research and Scientist 2 uses ____________ research.

A)observable; tested
B)applied; basic
C)proven; circumstantial
D)basic; applied

Question 8

The information gained from the Robbers Cave experiment was later used by Elliot Aronson to collect data on his jigsaw program,which was designed to increase harmony and academic achievement in multiracial schools.These two separate areas of research demonstrate how information initially gained from basic research can be used in ____________ research.

A)correlational
B)insight
C)laboratory
D)applied

Question 9

Dr.Smith is a psychologist who is interested in studying aggression in sports.For her research,she attends high school basketball games and records the number of aggressive acts she observes.Dr.Smith's research is best viewed as meeting psychology's basic the goal of _____________.

A)description
B)understanding
C)prediction
D)control

Question 10

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 reenact 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?

A)description
B)understanding
C)prediction
D)application

Question 11

Which of the following statements about basic and applied research is true?

A)Basic research is less complex and less sophisticated than applied research.
B)Basic research is done to solve practical problems while applied research is done simply to increase knowledge.
C)Basic research is done simply to increase knowledge while applied research is done to solve practical problems.
D)Basic research and applied research have the same goals but are completed by different researchers.

Question 12

Steve has been feeling depressed lately and decides to visit a psychologist,Dr.Katz,for some assistance.After learning that Steve's relationship with his girlfriend recently ended,Dr.Katz begins to think that perhaps Steve's depression has been caused by this recently ended relationship.Dr.Katz's speculations are most similar to which goal of psychology?

A)description
B)understanding
C)prediction
D)control

Question 13

While driving home one day,Abdul is in a serious car accident.Several weeks later,he notices that he is still feeling very tense and anxious.He consults with a psychologist,who informs him that it is common for people who have been in a serious accident to have these kinds of feelings.The psychologist goes on to say that often people also have bad dreams and re-experience the trauma,and that Abdul shouldn't be surprised if this happens.The psychologist's comments are most similar to which goal of psychology?

A)description
B)understanding
C)prediction
D)control

Question 14

According to the text,psychology is defined as the:

A)study of people's subjective mental lives.
B)study of behaviour and its causes.
C)examination of unconscious factors.
D)study of personality.

Question 15

Dr.Kohler is a developmental psychologist who studies children involved in sports.He looks at problems like overly critical coaches and children with low self-esteem.He conducts research where coaches are observed during games and children are interviewed about their attitudes towards their sport and their coaches.The results from these observations are then used to create an education program for the coaches.The programs are designed to change coaching behaviour and to help increase the self-esteem of the children they coach.Dr.Kohler's research is best described as:

A)basic research.
B)applied research.
C)insight research.
D)interaction research.

Question 16

In the 1960s,psychologists conducted a study at a summer camp for 11-year old boys.The "Robbers Cave" study showed that conflict between groups could be decreased by making the groups dependent upon one another to cooperate.This experiment was considered to be an example of which type of research?

A)basic research
B)applied research
C)insight research
D)interaction research

Question 17

In the 1960s,psychologists conducted a study at a summer camp for 11-year old boys.The researchers in this "Robbers Cave" experiment observed the behaviours of the boys in various competitive and cooperative conditions.This is an illustration of which goal of psychology?

A)description
B)understanding
C)prediction
D)control

Question 18

The procedure in which school children of different ethnicities or abilities are placed in small groups and each member of the group is given an essential piece of the information that the entire group needs to learn is called the:

A)collaboration program.
B)cooperation program.
C)interaction program.
D)jigsaw program.

Question 19

Susan is attending a seminar on stress management.The psychologist leading the seminar states that,"most stress is caused by irrational thinking and the negative ways that we judge various situations." The psychologist's comments most closely resemble which goal of psychology?

A)description
B)understanding
C)prediction
D)Control

Question 20

Dr.Adams is a psychologist who works in the area of animal behaviour.She has a particular interest in crows,and her research is mostly aimed at gaining more information about the behaviours of these birds,such as their mating habits,eating rituals,and so on.Dr.Adams's research is best described as:

A)applied research.
B)basic research.
C)insight research.
D)interaction research.

Question 21

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

A)monism
B)dualism
C)structuralism
D)functionalism

Question 22

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:

A)natural endurance.
B)natural selection.
C)natural extinction.
D)natural survival.

Question 23

Charles Whitman was a mass murderer with no previous history of violence.In an attempt to understand Whitman's actions,psychologists used the following three levels of analysis were used:

A)description,understanding,control
B)biological,psychological,environmental
C)behavioural,cognitive,humanistic
D)behavioural,psychological,environmental

Question 24

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?

A)psychological
B)environmental
C)biological
D)structural

Question 25

Charles Whitman was a mass murderer with no previous history of violence.After Charles Whitman committed several murderers 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?

A)psychological
B)environmental
C)biological
D)structural

Question 26

In the 1960s,psychologists conducted a study at a summer camp for 11-year old boys.The researchers in the "Robbers Cave" experiment speculated that competition between two groups of boys was one of the primary factors responsible for the hostility between the groups.These speculations are most consistent with which goal of psychology?

A)description
B)understanding
C)prediction
D)control

Question 27

The biological perspective emphasizes the role of three causal factors: the role of the brain,the manner in which genetic factors influence behaviour,and the role of:

A)personality and temperament.
B)biochemical processes.
C)early childhood experiences.
D)the environment.

Question 28

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

A)studying the body won't tell us anything about the mind.
B)studying the body will enable us to learn more about the mind.
C)the mind and body are essentially one.
D)the mind should be studied by examining its individual components.

Question 29

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:

A)dualism.
B)monism.
C)functionalism.
D)structuralism.

Question 30

Early studies 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.

A)positive
B)negative
C)no
D)normal

Question 31

The research of Luigi Galvani demonstrating that a severed frog's leg would move if electrical current was applied to it was important because it:

A)inspired many additional experiments on biochemical processes.
B)provided evidence supporting the sociobiological perspective.
C)inspired many additional experiments on electrical nerve conduction.
D)represented the creation of the first American experimental psychology laboratory.

Question 32

In the early 19^th century,Gall proposed that there was a relationship between eye prominence and mental processing power.Gall compared individuals with eyes that seemed to pop right out of their heads to individuals with eyes that sank right into their noses.Gall believed that the individual with prominent eyes was _________ than the individual with sunken eyes.

A)more intelligent
B)less intelligent
C)more anxious.
D)less anxious

Question 33

Monism is a belief that:

A)mental events are a product of physical events.
B)the mind is separate from the body.
C)the mind is not subject to the physical laws of the body.
D)research on the body cannot solve the mysteries of the mind.

Question 34

When considering the mind-body puzzle,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?

A)monism
B)dualism
C)structuralism
D)functionalism

Question 35

Charles Darwin's theory of evolution was criticized because:

A)many people thought that Darwin's research was not well documented.
B)his theory contradicted religious and philosophical beliefs about the nature of man.
C)he placed too much emphasis on unconscious motivational factors.
D)it was too closely associated with structuralism.

Question 36

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?

A)description
B)understanding
C)prediction
D)control

Question 37

Charles Whitman was a mass murderer with no previous history of violence.In an attempt to explain the violent behaviour of Charles Whitman,some psychologists focused on the potentially important role of Whitman's unusual and irrational thoughts.These psychologists were attempting to explain Whitman's behaviour in terms of which level of analysis?

A)structural
B)psychological
C)environmental
D)biological

Question 38

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

A)the rat could no longer function.
B)the rat had no problem functioning.
C)the rat could only do certain tasks.
D)the rat could only eat and drink.

Question 39

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:

A)description
B)understanding
C)prediction
D)control

Question 40

The following is an important technical advancement in the study of the relation between the brain and behaviour?

A)the electroencephalogram (EEG).
B)cellular recording device.
C)computerized dynamic posturography.
D)the x-ray.

Question 41

Structuralism,functionalism,and Gestalt psychology were all schools of thought that played important roles in the origin of which psychological perspective?

A)sociocultural
B)cognitive
C)humanistic
D)behavioural

Question 42

The fields of sociobiology and evolutionary psychology are example of which psychological perspective?

A)cognitive
B)sociocultural
C)biological
D)behavioural

Question 43

A method of analyzing and studying the mind in terms of its basic elements is known as:

A)functionalism.
B)structuralism.
C)Gestalt psychology.
D)Insight psychology.

Question 44

Behaviour geneticists use which of the following research methods to investigate the role of genetic factors in behaviour?

A)twin studies
B)narrative inquiry
C)ethnography
D)simulation methods

Question 45

Researchers who believed in the structuralism school of psychological thought studied sensations through which method?

A)insight
B)repression analysis
C)introspection
D)monitoring brain activity

Question 46

While structuralists held that psychology should study the basic elements of consciousness,functionalists argued that psychology should concentrate on:

A)the reasons behind consciousness.
B)how the elements of consciousness are organized into holistic thinking.
C)unconscious motivating factors.
D)the innate human drive to grow and actualize.

Question 47

Who founded the first laboratory of experimental psychology in 1879?

A)William James
B)Edward Tichner
C)Wilhelm Wundt
D)Wolfgang Kohler

Question 48

Which approach to psychology is concerned with how elements of experience are organized into wholes?

A)Structuralism
B)Sociobiology
C)Functionalism
D)Gestalt psychology

Question 49

What did Wolfgang Kohler call the sudden perception of an important relationship or solution to a problem?

A)introspection
B)interaction
C)insight
D)self-actualization

Question 50

Some individuals believe that complex social behaviours can be influenced by evolution.They also believe that natural selection favours behaviours that increase the chances that certain genes will be passed on to the next generation.These individuals are associated with:

A)psychoanalysis.
B)sociobiology.
C)cognitive-behaviourism.
D)behaviourism.

Question 51

Gestalt psychologists would argue that Lee and Freire's illusion in which an oval window surrounding a stretched face appears longer and an oval window surrounding a compressed face appears shorter than they really are demonstrates that:

A)the most useful way to study perceptions and other mental processes is to break consciousness down into its basic elements.
B)our perceptions and other mental processes are organized so that the whole is not only greater than,but also different from the sum of its parts.
C)our tendency to perceive the whole is,like other forms of perceptual organization,not a built-in aspect of our nervous system.
D)the most useful way to study perceptions and other mental processes is to focus on adaptive behaviours that help organisms to respond successfully to their environment and survive.

Question 52

The scientific study of the influence of genetic factors on behavioural tendencies is called:

A)genetic behaviourism.
B)behaviour genetics.
C)sociogenetics.
D)sociobiology.

Question 53

A psychologist who assumes that humans process information,plan and solve problems in a way that is similar to computers would most likely associate with which psychological perspective?

A)psychodynamic
B)biological
C)behavioural
D)cognitive

Question 54

The Canadian sociobiologists Daly and Wilson noted that females make a greater investment in the reproductive process.Which of the following statements does NOT support their statement?

A)Women have less opportunity to reproduce than males have.
B)Women have a greater health risk during pregnancy and delivery than males have.
C)In Canada,women contribute a greater proportion of the financial earning to meeting family expenses than men do.
D)In Canada,women tend to be the primary caregiver after divorce.

Question 55

The statement,"the whole is greater than,and often very different from,the sum of its parts," is most likely from which school of psychology?

A)Gestalt psychology
B)Functionalism
C)Structuralism
D)Evolutionary Psychology

Question 56

When Gary lost his job,he became depressed and started binge-eating.Gary started to seek help from a therapist.To his surprise,the therapist was not at all interested in Gary's relationship with his mother,his family history,or anything about Gary's past.Instead,Dr.Lee focuses on what Gary is currently thinking and how he interprets those thoughts.Dr.Lee conducts therapy from what type of perspective?.

A)psychoanalytic
B)behaviourist
C)humanistic
D)cognitive

Question 57

Sometimes parents will sacrifice their own lives in order to ensure the survival of their children.An individual who associates with the sociobiological view would argue that these instances:

A)are due to innate altruistic drives within every human being.
B)occur because genetic survival is more important than individual survival.
C)are due to the conflict between unconscious psychological forces and psychological defences.
D)occur because of the reinforcement of altruistic behaviour by culture and society.

Question 58

Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchner both believed that the mind could be studied by breaking it down into its essential components.The approach that Wundt and Titchner espoused was known as:

A)Structuralism.
B)Insight psychology.
C)Functionalism.
D)Gestalt psychology.

Question 59

Which of the following is most consistent with evolutionary psychology?

A)An organism's biology determines whether it will survive or not; behaviour does not determine survival.
B)An organism's biology determines its behavioural capabilities,and its behaviour then determines whether it will survive or not.
C)An organism's biology and behaviour are determined by the environment.
D)An organism's behaviour determines its biological capabilities.

Question 60

Behaviour geneticists use which of the following methods to address the role of genetic factors in behaviour?

A)autobiographical journalling
B)brain imaging techniques.
C)selective animal breeding.
D)psychological interviews.

Question 61

A cell assembly is:

A)a group of brain cells in which connections are assumed to be strengthened with repeated usage.
B)a neural network responsible for movement.
C)a neurological pathway for synaptic transmissions.
D)a connective expert system that facilitates brain functioning

Question 62

A particular research lab uses advanced electrical recording and brain imagining tools to monitor brain functioning while people engage in various mental activities.Researchers in this lab are most likely doing investigations in which area of modern cognitive science?

A)behaviour modification
B)cognitive neuroscience
C)cognitive behavioural
D)artificial intelligence

Question 63

research on the different perspectives of fans watching a football game between Dartmouth and Princeton was considered to be one of several significant studies that contributed to the "____________ revolution".

A)behavioural
B)cognitive
C)psychodynamic
D)sociocultural

Question 64

Hebb hypothesized that there is a structure within the brain that explains how repetition increases the ability to complete a particular response.He named the structure:

A)a neural network.
B)a cell assembly.
C)an expert system.
D)a synaptic complex.

Question 65

A psychological researcher states that we will greatly enhance our understanding of how humans think if we are able to simulate or duplicate human cognitive processes using computers.This researcher is most likely working in which of the following areas?

A)behaviour genetics
B)artificial intelligence
C)sociobiology
D)psychoanalysis

Question 66

Sharon is constantly talking,whether it is face-to-face,on the phone,or even to herself.Sharon is unaware of her excessive talking,which according to Freud's psychodynamic perspective means:

A)she is unable to stop the excessive talking behaviour.
B)the causes of her behaviour must be unconscious.
C)the causes of her behaviour must be conscious.
D)she has an uncontrollable urge to communicate.

Question 67

Professor Jean Piaget is best known for his research in which area?

A)his work on artificial intelligence
B)how irrational thought patterns contribute to emotional problems
C)the cognitive development of children
D)evolutionary psychology

Question 68

Sultan the chimpanzee once creatively joined two short sticks together in order to reach a banana that had been placed outside of his cage.According to Wolfgang Kohler,this was an example of:

A)insight.
B)introspection.
C)natural selection.
D)perception.

Question 69

The viewpoint within the cognitive perspective which argues that "reality" is a mental creation is called:

A)social constructivism.
B)evolutionary psychology.
C)sociobiology.
D)cognitive neuroscience.

Question 70

Researchers who are interested in developing complex computer models of human thought,reasoning,and problem solving would most likely be in which area of modern cognitive science?

A)social constructivism
B)cognitive neuroscience
C)artificial intelligence
D)behaviourism

Question 71

Sigmund Freud based much of his psychoanalytic theory on his investigation of which psychological disorder?

A)panic disorder
B)hysteria
C)depression
D)multiple personality disorder

Question 72

The psychodynamic perspective emphasizes all of the following causal factors EXCEPT:

A)unconscious processes.
B)unresolved conflicts.
C)early childhood experience.
D)developmental stages.

Question 73

Based on his research on the cognitive development of children,Jean Piaget concluded that children:

A)are essentially "blank slates" who are shaped by their environments.
B)naturally pass through specific stages of cognitive development as they age.
C)mimic the behaviours of their parents.
D)have innate desires to actualize their potentials.

Question 74

A cognitive psychologist attempts to explain the long-term conflict between the Catholics and Protestants in Ireland in terms of the different "mental realities" that people in each group have created for themselves.This psychologist most likely follows which particular cognitive viewpoint?

A)artificial intelligence
B)cognitive neuroscience
C)cognitive behaviourism
D)social constructivism

Question 75

Which psychological perspective stresses the role of unconscious processes and unresolved conflicts from the past?

A)behavioural
B)cognitive
C)psychodynamic
D)sociocultural

Question 76

Aaron Beck and Albert Ellis both have made significant contributions to which area?

A)developmental psychology
B)behaviour modification
C)psychological disorders
D)sociobiology

Question 77

The research area of cognitive neuroscience represents a combination of which two psychological perspectives?

A)biological and behavioural
B)behavioural and cognitive
C)behavioural and cognitive behavioural
D)biological and cognitive

Question 78

Piaget's thinking on cognitive development may have been influenced by:

A)Beck's attempts to understand the role of cognitive distortions in the development of emotional problems.
B)Ellis' claim that cognitive abilities can be explained by the accumulation of past experiences.
C)Broughton's experiments on how children thought about and solved problems.
D)Baldwin's identification of stages in early development.

Question 79

Jean Piaget,Albert Ellis,and Aaron Beck were all mentioned as theorists who have had a strong impact on which psychological perspective?

A)psychodynamic
B)sociocultural
C)behavioural
D)cognitive

Question 80

Which of the following was a main research technique used by developmental psychologist Jean Piaget?

A)carefully observing children while they solved problems
B)interviewing parents about their children's reasoning strategies
C)administering standardized child intelligence tests
D)monitoring the brain activity of children while they recalled memories