Deck 1: Psychology: Evolution of a Science

Question 1

Some early philosophers believed that all knowledge was acquired through experience,an idea now known as:

A)functionalism.
B)philosophical empiricism.
C)structuralism.
D)nativism.

Answer 1

philosophical empiricism.

Question 2

Which early philosopher advocated the philosophical view of nativism?

A)Hippocrates
B)Plato
C)Aristotle
D)Descartes

Answer 2

Plato

Question 3

Which early philosopher was interested in certain kinds of knowledge as being innate or inborn?

A)Hippocrates
B)Plato
C)Aristotle
D)Descartes

Answer 3

Plato

Question 4

The older position of nativism is reflected in psychological views that emphasize the effect of _____ on behaviour.

A)nurture
B)intuition
C)schemas
D)nature

Question 5

Attempts to develop a scientific approach to psychology related the mind to the:

A)unconscious.
B)spirit.
C)brain.
D)soul.

Question 6

Psychology is the _____ study of mind and behaviour.

A)dualistic
B)phrenological
C)scientific
D)subjective

Question 7

Psychology is the scientific study of:

A)mind and body.
B)mind and behaviour.
C)mood and behaviour.
D)mood and body.

Question 8

Today,psychologists believe that thoughts and feelings:

A)arise from electrical and chemical activities of the brain.
B)arise from a nonphysical mind interacting with the pineal gland in the brain.
C)are not proper subject matter for science research.
D)usually are not adaptive in helping us function effectively in the world.

Question 9

Which statement is compatible with modern psychological science?

A)The scientific method cannot be applied to the study of thinking and emotion.
B)Thoughts,feelings,and behaviour arise from electrical and chemical events in the brain.
C)Psychologists should confine their analyses to the study of observable behaviour.
D)Mental processes are the only subject matter worthy of study in psychology.

Question 10

The fact that very young children almost universally master the basics of language without formal training is MOST consistent with:

A)Plato's nativism.
B)Gall's phrenology.
C)Aristotle's philosophical empiricism.
D)Locke's tabula rasa.

Question 11

_____ refers to the private inner experience of perception,thoughts,memories,and feelings.

A)Mind
B)Dualism
C)Behaviour
D)Empiricism

Question 12

Today,most psychologists would agree with which statement concerning mental processes?

A)The scientific method cannot be applied to the study of thinking and emotion.
B)Mental processes are nonphysical entities that control the brain and body.
C)Mental processes arise from brain functioning.
D)Mental processes are the only subject matter worthy of study in psychology.

Question 13

Nature is to nurture as nativism is to:

A)experience.
B)adaptation.
C)behaviourism.
D)phrenology.

Question 14

The notion that the mind at birth is a tabula rasa is consistent with the views of:

A)Plato.
B)Descartes.
C)Aristotle.
D)Gall.

Question 15

Plato is to _____ as Aristotle is to _____.

A)philosophical structuralism;nativism
B)nativism;philosophical empiricism
C)nativism;dualism
D)dualism;nativism

Question 16

Which early philosopher advocated philosophical empiricism?

A)Hippocrates
B)Plato
C)Aristotle
D)Descartes

Question 17

The early roots of psychology are firmly planted in physiology and in:

A)anatomy.
B)logic.
C)dualism.
D)philosophy.

Question 18

Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behaviour.Behaviour refers to:

A)perceptions,thoughts,memories,and feelings.
B)explanations.
C)urges.
D)observable actions of humans and nonhuman animals.

Question 19

Among the first to struggle with how the mind works were the:

A)Greek philosophers.
B)dualists led by Descartes.
C)18th-century phrenologists.
D)18th-century German physiologists.

Question 20

Some early philosophers believed that certain kinds of knowledge were innate or inborn,a theory known as:

A)functionalism.
B)nativism.
C)philosophical empiricism.
D)structuralism.

Question 21

_____ believed that the mind and body are made of different things,with the mind being made of an immaterial or spiritual substance.

A)Gall
B)Hobbes
C)Descartes
D)Aristotle

Question 22

Damage to which brain region impairs the production of speech?

A)the pineal gland
B)Broca's area
C)the hippocampus
D)the temporal lobe

Question 23

Luca believes that our nonphysical minds direct the actions of our brain and body.His beliefs are MOST similar to those of which philosopher or scientist?

A)Descartes
B)Aristotle
C)Hobbes
D)Broca

Question 24

Xue does not believe that we have a nonphysical mind.Rather,he believes that the mind is what the brain does.His views are MOST similar to those of:

A)Freud.
B)Plato.
C)Descartes.
D)Hobbes.

Question 25

_____ was the FIRST to identify a specialized brain region involved in the production of speech.

A)Broca
B)Gall
C)Flourens
D)Helmholtz

Question 26

A new-age mystic believes that the source of parental love is localized to a brain region immediately above the brain stem.Her view is MOST consistent with which practice?

A)psychoanalysis
B)humanism
C)mesmerism
D)phrenology

Question 27

The problem of dualism refers to how:

A)different areas in the brain control different types of behaviour and cognition.
B)mental activity can be reconciled and coordinated with physical behaviour.
C)brain activity produces consciousness.
D)both genetic and environmental factors influence human behaviour.

Question 28

Some early psychological theorists believed that all of human behaviour was learned;that is,our behaviour is much more determined by nurture than our nature.This view is MOST consistent with:

A)Plato's nativism.
B)Gall's phrenology.
C)Aristotle's philosophical empiricism.
D)James's functionalism.

Question 29

Dr.Quack touches specific bumps on a patient's skull and then indicates specific character traits for the patient,for example,"This patient is cautious." Dr.Quack is engaging in:

A)structuralism.
B)phrenology.
C)mesmerism.
D)psychoanalysis.

Question 30

The research of Flourens and Broca:

A)established phrenology as a true science.
B)confirmed Descartes' belief that the mind and body were linked via the pineal gland.
C)is consistent with the view of the mind held by Thomas Hobbes.
D)demonstrated that mental processes can occur independently of brain activity.

Question 31

A spiritual leader believes that the soul and the body are fundamentally different from each other but are linked via a special structure in the brain.His beliefs are similar to those of:

A)Gall.
B)Descartes.
C)Hobbes.
D)Broca.

Question 32

After suffering a stroke,Lisa was able to understand what people said to her but was unable to speak to them.The stroke probably damaged her:

A)hypothalamus.
B)Broca's area.
C)nodes of Ranvier.
D)cerebellum.

Question 33

The major limitation of the works of the classical Greek philosophers to an understanding of human behaviour is that:

A)the works tended to underestimate the role of nature in determining human behaviour.
B)the forces that govern human behaviour have changed considerably since their time.
C)the works tended to underestimate the role of nurture in shaping human behaviour.
D)these philosophers did not develop ways to test their theories.

Question 34

After suffering a stroke,Irma could no longer produce speech,although she clearly understood what others were saying to her.The stroke probably damaged her:

A)hippocampus.
B)amygdala.
C)Wernicke's area.
D)Broca's area.

Question 35

The modern view that the subjective experience of having a mind is the result of brain activity can be traced to which philosopher?

A)Hobbes
B)Plato
C)Descartes
D)James

Question 36

Which statement BEST summarizes the now discredited study of phrenology?

A)The mind is a blank slate and human behaviour is entirely determined by experience.
B)There exists a nonphysical mind controlling a physical body.
C)Mental events are localized in specific brain regions.
D)Observable behaviour is the property subject matter for psychology.

Question 37

Reaching conclusions in psychological science requires:

A)introspection.
B)the ability to test a theory.
C)insights based on personal observations.
D)philosophical empiricism.

Question 38

Phrenology suggested that specific mental abilities and characteristics were located in specific regions of the brain.It was developed by:

A)Descartes.
B)Flourens.
C)Gall.
D)Broca.

Question 39

Some early psychological theorists believed that much of human behaviour was instinctive;that is,our behaviour is much more determined by nature than our nurture.This view is MOST consistent with:

A)Plato's nativism.
B)Gall's phrenology.
C)Aristotle's philosophical empiricism.
D)Locke's tabula rasa.

Question 40

Kolby believes that a nonphysical spiritual entity inside each of us controls our physical body and the decisions that we make.Her beliefs are MOST consistent with which philosophical view?

A)behaviourism
B)philosophical empiricism
C)phrenology
D)dualism

Question 41

The study of biological processes,especially those of the human body,is called:

A)psychology.
B)anatomy.
C)phrenology.
D)physiology.

Question 42

Hermann von Helmholtz is to _____ as Wilhelm Wundt is to _____.

A)phrenology;functionalism
B)reaction time;structuralism
C)reaction time;functionalism
D)phrenology;structuralism

Question 43

The research of Flourens and Broca jump-started the scientific study of mental processes because it:

A)confirmed predictions made by phrenology.
B)uncovered evidence consistent with dualism.
C)conceptualized mental processes in terms of both nature and nurture.
D)viewed mental processes as arising from brain activity.

Question 44

Historians generally credit the emergence of psychology as a science to:

A)Wundt.
B)Helmholtz.
C)Watson.
D)Titchener.

Question 45

The early roots of psychology are firmly planted in philosophy and in:

A)physiology.
B)logic.
C)dualism.
D)sociology.

Question 46

Penny wanted to find out how long it would take her sister Cathy to press a button when she hears a tone.Penny is studying what type of process?

A)classical conditioning
B)introspection
C)reaction time
D)stimulus time

Question 47

Who wrote the book Principles of Physiological Psychology in 1874,establishing psychology as a new domain of science?

A)Helmholtz
B)Wundt
C)Flourens
D)Titchener

Question 48

Wundt believed that scientific psychology should focus on analyzing:

A)decision making.
B)observable behaviour.
C)consciousness.
D)brain functioning.

Question 49

Sigmund Freud is to Edward Titchener as _____ is/are to _____.

A)the elements of the unconscious;the elements of consciousness
B)psychoanalysis;behaviourism
C)empiricism;structuralism
D)structuralism;functionalism

Question 50

_____ was the FIRST to measure the speed of a nervous impulse.

A)Hermann von Helmholtz
B)Paul Broca
C)Wilhelm Wundt
D)Pierre Flourens

Question 51

In the context of experimental research,sensory input from the environment is termed a:

A)process.
B)reaction.
C)stimulus.
D)response.

Question 52

An experimenter increases the intensity of a very dim light until participants report being able to see it.In this context,the light is serving as a:

A)introspective measure.
B)reaction time measure.
C)response device.
D)stimulus.

Question 53

The FIRST laboratory devoted exclusively to psychology as an independent field of study opened in:

A)Paris in 1859.
B)Leipzig in 1879.
C)Berlin in 1889.
D)Montreal in 1909.

Question 54

An acupuncturist asks you to verbally respond as soon as you feel a pinprick as she stimulates your upper thigh,hamstring,calf,and foot with a needle.Based on Helmholtz's research,you will react MOST quickly when the _____ is stimulated.

A)upper thigh
B)hamstring
C)calf
D)foot

Question 55

Hermann von Helmholtz is MOST remembered for:

A)debunking phrenology.
B)opening the first laboratory to conduct purely psychological experiments.
C)being the first to measure the speed of a nervous impulse.
D)discovering the relation between emotion and the amygdala.

Question 56

Early psychologists applying structuralist methods to the study of psychology attempted to:

A)use free association to gain insight into the unconsciousness.
B)analyze conscious experience in its most basic parts.
C)use reaction-time measures to map or structure neural networks in the brain.
D)identify the adaptive functions of mental activity.

Question 57

Penny wanted to find out how long it would take her sister Cathy to press a button when she hears a tone.The amount of time from the onset of the tone to the button press is termed a _____ time.

A)reaction
B)behaviour
C)stimulus
D)response

Question 58

What technique did psychologists who studied structuralism use?

A)conditioning
B)introspection
C)psychoanalysis
D)hypnosis

Question 59

A person's subjective experience of the world and the mind is:

A)empiricism.
B)dualism.
C)structuralism.
D)consciousness.

Question 60

Wundt believed that scientific psychology should focus on analyzing the basic elements comprising consciousness,an approach his students later termed:

A)psychoanalysis.
B)functionalism.
C)consciousness.
D)structuralism.

Question 61

The unpredictable nature of results from introspection contributed to the decline of:

A)empiricism.
B)functionalism.
C)humanism.
D)structuralism.

Question 62

William James is to _____ as Wilhelm Wundt is to _____.

A)functionalism;behaviourism
B)functionalism;structuralism
C)structuralism;behaviourism
D)structuralism;functionalism

Question 63

The functionalist approach was MOST influenced by the theory of:

A)phrenology.
B)nativism.
C)natural selection.
D)psychodynamics.

Question 64

An early approach to psychology that focused on how mental processes enable people to adapt to their environment is called:

A)structuralism.
B)social Darwinism.
C)functionalism.
D)behaviourism.

Question 65

Edward Titchener is to _____ as William James is to _____.

A)functionalism;behaviourism
B)functionalism;structuralism
C)structuralism;behaviourism
D)structuralism;functionalism

Question 66

Which psychologist established the structuralism school of psychology in the United States?

A)John Watson
B)Edward Titchener
C)G)Stanley Hall
D)William James

Question 67

In an experiment,Wundt instructed participants in one group to concentrate on perceiving a tone when it sounded before pressing a button.Participants in another group were simply instructed to press the button as soon as the tone sounded.Wundt found that participants in the first group responded slightly more slowly.This experiment was designed to distinguish between:

A)the sensation and perception of a stimulus.
B)reaction time and accuracy.
C)the perception and interpretation of a stimulus.
D)the sensation of a stimulus and reaction time.

Question 68

All scientific disciplines require:

A)replicable observations.
B)adopting a nativist approach.
C)the use of subjective techniques.
D)theorizing from a dualistic perspective.

Question 69

William James viewed consciousness as being similar to:

A)a flowing stream.
B)the parts of an atom.
C)an explanatory fiction.
D)the parts of a clock.

Question 70

William James founded which school of psychology?

A)structuralism
B)behaviourism
C)functionalism
D)psychoanalysis

Question 71

Which early psychologist used the metaphor of a flowing stream to describe consciousness?

A)Paul Broca
B)William James
C)Edward Titchener
D)Wilhelm Wundt

Question 72

Which early school of psychology was most concerned with the adaptive importance of mental processes?

A)structuralism
B)functionalism
C)behaviourism
D)empiricism

Question 73

Whereas Wundt was interested in the relationship between the elements of consciousness,Titchener was interested in identifying the:

A)basic elements themselves.
B)functional value of those elements.
C)behavioural correlates of those elements.
D)cross-cultural differences in those elemental relationships.

Question 74

The major reason why structuralism ultimately failed as a school of psychology was that:

A)by associating itself with Darwin,it drew harsh criticism from some religious authorities.
B)there was no evidence suggesting that Freud's theories were accurate.
C)the methods used by structuralists did not produce replicable observations.
D)it denied the existence of the mind.

Question 75

A participant seated in an otherwise dark room stares at the flickering of a lit candle and reports on her subjective experiences,such as the visual experience of the candle flickering and the hepatic sensation of warmth.The psychologist conducting this experiment is MOST likely to be _____,and the method being used is _____.

A)Wundt;psychoanalysis
B)Wundt;introspection
C)James;functionalism
D)Titchener;functionalism

Question 76

Edward Titchener is known for:

A)establishing structuralism in the United States.
B)writing a devastating critique of the behaviourist works of B.F.Skinner.
C)establishing the functionalist concentration within psychology.
D)writing the first book on physiological psychology.

Question 77

Whereas _____ was interested in the relationship between the elements of consciousness,_____ was interested in identifying the basic elements themselves.

A)Titchener;Wundt
B)Wundt;Titchener
C)Wundt;James
D)Titchener;James

Question 78

William James's school of functionalism was MOST influenced by the works of:

A)B)F.Skinner.
B)Wilhelm Wundt.
C)Charles Darwin.
D)René Descartes.

Question 79

Presented with a stimulus,student observers in Wundt's lab were asked to report on their "raw" sensory experience,a technique known as:

A)inspection.
B)circumspection.
C)retrospection.
D)introspection.

Question 80

Which psychologist established functionalism as an approach to psychology?

A)James
B)Titchener
C)Wundt
D)Watson