Deck 1: What Is Psychology

Question 1

________ is the aspect of psychology least recognized and understood by the public.

A)Consulting
B)Research
C)Teaching
D)Therapy

Answer 1

Research

Question 2

Compared to "pop psych," psychology:

A)is based on empirical evidence.
B)is less complex.
C)addresses only human behaviour.
D)is more narrow in the issues it addresses.

Answer 2

is based on empirical evidence.

Question 3

An important characteristic of critical thinkers is:

A)the belief that all opinions are created equal.
B)the willingness to engage in vigorous debate about the validity of an idea.
C)the understanding that judgment of opinions and ideas is inappropriate.
D)the acceptance of intuition as a valid source of ideas.

Answer 3

the willingness to engage in vigorous debate about the validity of an idea.

Question 4

Unlike modern psychologists,great thinkers of the past:

A)relied on observations based on anecdote and description of individual cases.
B)wanted to describe,predict,understand,and modify behaviour.
C)relied heavily on empirical evidence.
D)wanted to know what motivated people's actions.

Question 5

________ emphasized the purpose of behaviour as opposed to its analysis and description.

A)Structuralism
B)Functionalism
C)Humanism
D)Behaviourism

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT one of the critical-thinking guidelines listed in the text?

A)Ask questions and be willing to wonder.
B)Define your terms.
C)Accept all opinions as equally valid.
D)Examine the evidence.

Question 7

Most clinical psychologists in Canada have a:

A)PhD.
B)EdD.
C)PsyD.
D)MA.

Question 8

________ founded the field of psychoanalysis.

A)Sigmund Freud
B)William James
C)Wilhelm Wundt
D)E.B.Titchener

Question 9

________ established the first psychological laboratory in 1879.

A)Joseph Gall
B)John Locke
C)William James
D)Wilhelm Wundt

Question 10

A difference between the great thinkers of history and today's psychologists is that:

A)modern psychologists want to describe,predict,understand,and modify behaviour.
B)modern psychologists rely heavily on empirical evidence.
C)modern psychologists wonder whether emotion controls us or is something we can control.
D)modern psychologists want to know how people take in information through their senses and use that information to solve problems.

Question 11

An important movement in psychology that emerged in the early 1970s was:

A)the behaviourist movement.
B)the humanist movement.
C)the feminist movement.
D)"positive psychology."

Question 12

Which modern perspective focuses on how people reason,remember,understand language,and solve problems?

A)the learning perspective
B)the cognitive perspective
C)the sociocultural perspective
D)the psychodynamic perspective

Question 13

Which of the following practitioners typically has a graduate degree in psychology?

A)a psychiatrist
B)a psychotherapist
C)a clinical psychologist
D)a psychoanalyst

Question 14

Psychology can be defined as the discipline concerned with:

A)the understanding and treatment of mental disorders.
B)the mind,what it is,and how it works.
C)behaviour and mental processes and how they are affected by an organism's physical state,mental state,and external environment.
D)the understanding of people and relationships.

Question 15

The first person to announce that he intended to make psychology a science was:

A)William James.
B)Joseph Gall.
C)John Locke.
D)Wilhelm Wundt.

Question 16

An important movement in psychology that emerged in the 1960s and rejected psychoanalysis and behaviourism was:

A)the evolutionary perspective.
B)the feminist movement.
C)humanism.
D)Gestalt psychology.

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT one of the major professional activities of psychologists?

A)teaching
B)conducting research
C)providing mental-health services
D)consulting

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT an important modern perspective in psychology?

A)the structuralist perspective
B)the biological perspective
C)the psychodynamic perspective
D)the sociocultural perspective

Question 19

The founder of functionalism was:

A)Sigmund Freud.
B)William James.
C)Wilhelm Wundt.
D)E.B.Titchener.

Question 20

________ involved the analysis of the basic elements or building blocks of the mind.

A)Functionalism
B)Structuralism
C)Humanism
D)Behaviourism

Question 21

Critical thinkers try to:

A)use anecdotes to support their arguments.
B)settle arguments based on emotional convictions.
C)identify unspoken assumptions and make them explicit.
D)look for evidence that confirms their viewpoints.

Question 22

Psychology is the study of:

A)behaviour and mental processes.
B)the mind of humans and other animals.
C)mental health and illness.
D)the human mind.

Question 23

Important psychological findings are ones that:

A)confirm what people commonly believe.
B)violate popular opinion.
C)are surprising to the research community.
D)deepen the understanding of our familiar world.

Question 24

Critical thinking involves all of the following EXCEPT:

A)looking for flaws in arguments.
B)weighing the evidence supporting a claim.
C)thinking of implications of research findings.
D)accepting all opinions as having equal merit.

Question 25

Empirical findings are those that:

A)rely on observation,experimentation,or measurement.
B)characterize an entire set of research data.
C)are conducted in a field setting outside of a laboratory.
D)compare subjects of different ages at a given time.

Question 26

Psychology differs from pseudoscience and psychobabble in all of the following ways EXCEPT:

A)psychology,but not pseudoscience,is based on research evidence.
B)pseudoscience,but not psychology,promises easy fixes to life's problems.
C)psychology confirms our existing beliefs and prejudices,while pseudoscience often challenges them.
D)the predictions of pseudoscience tend to be so vague as to be meaningless.

Question 27

What percentage of Americans and Canadians believe in astrology?

A)25-35%
B)35-50%
C)50-60%
D)60-80%

Question 28

Psychobabble is defined as:

A)an innate mental module that allows young children to develop language.
B)pseudoscience covered by a veneer of psychological language.
C)incoherent speech linked by remote associations called word salads.
D)a child's first word combinations that omit unnecessary words.

Question 29

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:

A)psychoanalytic truths.
B)the ideas of prominent authors.
C)empirical evidence.
D)the most up-to-date theories.

Question 30

When comparing the academic field of psychology to "pop psych," all of the following are true of psychology EXCEPT:

A)it is based on scientific research and empirical evidence.
B)it addresses a far broader range of issues.
C)its goals are self-improvement and improved relationships.
D)it deals not only with mental and emotional disorders,but with the entire spectrum of human behaviour.

Question 31

Psychobabble is defined as:

A)pseudoscience and quackery covered by a veneer of psychological language.
B)the tendency of television news shows to misinterpret significant psychological findings.
C)attempts to explain and predict human behaviour through a person's astrological sign.
D)the prediction of behaviour by a "past-lives" channeller based on experiences in a former life.

Question 32

In Taylor and Kowalski's study of introductory psychology students,the students took a quiz about popular opinion versus research evidence.They learned one of the most important lessons in science,which is:

A)most misconceptions about psychology are actually true.
B)common sense statements are primarily based in fact.
C)uncertainty about beliefs can be a good thing.
D)evidence gathered by careful observation is often completely false.

Question 33

Which of the following is NOT one of the eight essential critical-thinking guidelines?

A)Avoid overly complicated explanations.
B)Tolerate uncertainty.
C)Examine the evidence.
D)Avoid emotional reasoning.

Question 34

The ability to make judgments on the basis of well-supported reasons rather than emotion or anecdote is called:

A)applied psychology.
B)basic psychology.
C)critical thinking.
D)trained introspection.

Question 35

Psychology is defined as the discipline concerned with:

A)the causes of psychological disorders and the development of effective treatments to help individuals in mental distress.
B)behaviour and mental processes and how they are affected by an organism's physical state,mental state,and external environment.
C)an organism's observable behaviour and the ways in which prior experience and learning shape this behaviour.
D)maladaptive human behaviours and cognitions that are incorporated into a person's self-worth during childhood.

Question 36

Popular opinion suggests that most abused children grow up to become abusive parents.However,this belief has been contradicted by empirical evidence.Empirical evidence is defined as:

A)evidence that relies on or has been derived from laboratory experimentation under controlled conditions.
B)evidence that relies on or has been derived from observation,experimentation,or measurement.
C)evidence that relies on or has been derived from the insights of the great thinkers of history.
D)evidence that violates common sense or popular opinion.

Question 37

Critical thinking may be defined as:

A)negative thinking when trying to solve a problem.
B)using insight to assess claims made by researchers.
C)using evidence to make objective judgments.
D)detecting emotional cues to find hidden agendas.

Question 38

The first week of college is difficult for Drew because his girlfriend is attending college in another province.His roommate says,"Don't worry,Drew,you know that absence makes the heart grow fonder." Drew bases his response on the chapter he just completed in his psychology textbook,saying:

A)"Thanks for reminding me! Research almost always confirms the accuracy of common sense sayings."
B)"Read this book.It is obvious from psychological research that common sense sayings are seldom accurate when put to the tests of science."
C)"Common sense sayings often contradict one another.Remember the saying 'Out of sight,out of mind'"?
D)"That doesn't help much.That saying was derived from empirical research and cannot be applied to everyday life."

Question 39

The term psychology is often represented by the Greek letter:

A)chi.
B)alpha.
C)psi.
D)gamma.

Question 40

Ali's mother asks her to describe what she is learning in her psychology class.Ali responds by saying,"I can give you an example about psychology." Which of the following gives the most accurate view of psychology?

A)Turning on the radio to hear a call-in talk show facilitated by a therapist
B)Watching a television talk show together to listen to psychological explanations of abnormal behaviour
C)Taking a self-help book off the shelf and reading about human motivation
D)Picking up the newspaper and showing her mom an article based on empirical research

Question 41

"I've always thought that memory was like a video camera,accurately recording each moment of my life.But maybe I think this because it is so reassuring." This example illustrates which of the following critical-thinking guidelines?

A)Avoid emotional reasoning.
B)Analyze assumptions and biases.
C)Define your terms.
D)Ask questions and be willing to wonder.

Question 42

Cheryl wants to know why one member of an identical twin pair develops schizophrenia whereas his twin does not.Her professor replies,"Researchers aren't sure." Which of the following is most likely according to our textbook?

A)The professor is demonstrating that sometimes we must tolerate uncertainty.
B)The professor is being evasive because he doesn't accept the current theory.
C)The professor does not know how to respond because the theories on this topic change so quickly.
D)The professor needs time to consider various interpretations of the research.

Question 43

"I may never know for sure whether my memory of my first visit to the ocean is accurate." This example illustrates which of the following critical-thinking guidelines?

A)Tolerate uncertainty.
B)Analyze assumptions and biases.
C)Define your terms.
D)Ask questions and be willing to wonder.

Question 44

Beliefs that are taken for granted are called:

A)assumptions.
B)traits.
C)reinforcers.
D)archetypes.

Question 45

The local newspaper reports that bullying is rampant and that more than 90% of local children have been bullied.The school district newsletter,however,reports that the number of victims of bullying is quite low.It is most likely that:

A)the school district is covering up the severity of the problem.
B)each source is defining "bullying" in a different way.
C)the local newspaper is using sensational journalism to sell papers.
D)each source is making up their own statistics.

Question 46

"My memory of getting knocked down by a wave at Long Beach could be based on what my parents told me later,not my own recollection." This example illustrates which of the following critical-thinking guidelines?

A)Define your terms.
B)Ask questions and be willing to wonder.
C)Consider other interpretations.
D)Don't oversimplify.

Question 47

The authors note that ________ trigger(s)creative thinking.

A)attending class and reading textbooks
B)being as open-minded as possible
C)receiving wisdom from experts
D)curiosity and wonder

Question 48

If you are a critical thinker,reading a psychology textbook should be approached as:

A)receiving wisdom from expert researchers.
B)an opportunity to generate questions.
C)a tool for self-analysis.
D)a way to reduce your uncertainties.

Question 49

Critical thinkers analyze their assumptions.Which of the following critical-thinking errors illustrates that the speaker has not analyzed his or her assumptions?

A)"Men are less emotional than women-it is part of a man's basic nature to be logical rather than emotional."
B)"I don't want to see that movie-my roommate said that it was so boring she left the theatre before it ended."
C)"What do you mean you don't know why I'm getting these headaches-you're a doctor,so find the problem and fix it!"
D)"How can you be a professor of psychology if you don't know what causes a person to develop schizophrenia?"

Question 50

Randy meets a Calgarian who grows all her own vegetables and refuses to touch any nonorganic food and he concludes that Calgarians are overzealous about nutrition.This type of error illustrates the critical-thinking guideline:

A)don't oversimplify.
B)define your terms.
C)be willing to wonder.
D)ask questions.

Question 51

Critical thinking requires:

A)creativity in order to construct alternative explanations.
B)the knowledge that all opinions are created equal.
C)being as open-minded as possible.
D)soaking up knowledge like a sponge.

Question 52

Which of the following would be an example of "argument by anecdote"?

A)"My gut feeling is that it isn't the right time to get married."
B)"I don't want to see that movie,because my best friend says that it is terrible."
C)"That is my opinion and nothing is going to change my mind."
D)"What evidence is there to support your claim?"

Question 53

"Can I recall events from my childhood accurately?" This question illustrates which of the following critical-thinking guidelines?

A)Avoid emotional reasoning.
B)Don't oversimplify.
C)Tolerate uncertainty.
D)Ask questions and be willing to wonder.

Question 54

In ruling out alternative explanations of a phenomenon,a critical thinker should choose the explanation that:

A)requires the highest number of assumptions.
B)requires the fewest assumptions and has the most supporting evidence.
C)most people tend to agree with.
D)matches your feelings about the phenomenon.

Question 55

Phrenology is:

A)a theory of mind based on anecdotes and individual case studies.
B)the study of the minds of criminals.
C)based on the writings of John Locke.
D)a pseudoscience relating bumps on the head to personality traits.

Question 56

A critical thinker would be LEAST likely to exclaim in the heat of an argument:

A)"Haven't you given thought to all the other possibilities?"
B)"That is hard for me to believe,where did you hear it?"
C)"I'm willing to search for a creative solution if you are!"
D)"That is my opinion and nothing is going to change it!"

Question 57

"I really want to believe that my memory of the day I spent at Disneyland as a preschooler is true,but that doesn't mean that it is true." This example illustrates which of the following critical-thinking guidelines?

A)Examine the evidence.
B)Define your terms.
C)Don't oversimplify.
D)Avoid emotional reasoning.

Question 58

The reaction to the 1998 book The Nurture Assumption,by Judith Rich Harris,illustrates what can happen when:

A)authors without appropriate credentials write about psychological topics.
B)book authors rely too heavily on emotional reasoning.
C)book authors fail to examine the evidence.
D)our common biases are challenged.

Question 59

If you are a critical thinker,reading a psychology textbook should be approached as:

A)receiving wisdom from expert researchers.
B)an opportunity to generate questions.
C)a tool for self-analysis.
D)a way to reduce your uncertainties.

Question 60

"I want to believe that my memory of our family camping trip is true,but that doesn't mean that it is true." This example illustrates which of the following critical-thinking guidelines?

A)Avoid emotional reasoning.
B)Define your terms.
C)Don't oversimplify.
D)Examine the evidence.

Question 61

Enthusiasm for ________ did not disappear until well into the twentieth century,even though it was a classic pseudoscience.

A)introspection
B)functionalism
C)phrenology
D)behaviourism

Question 62

Horst applies to work in the laboratory of Wilhelm Wundt in order to:

A)study learning and how different rewards influence it.
B)do research on split personalities and on individuals suffering from personality disorders.
C)learn why people use defence mechanisms.
D)analyze his sensations into their basic elements.

Question 63

Wilhelm Wundt is best known for:

A)establishing the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig,Germany.
B)writing books on ethics and logic.
C)establishing phrenology as a science.
D)training doctors to treat mental illness.

Question 64

Ancient scholars,in contrast to modern psychologists,were more likely to explore human nature through:

A)careful observation in naturalistic settings.
B)experimentation.
C)trained introspection.
D)insights inferred from anecdotes.

Question 65

A manuscript about human nature is discovered and scientists confirm that it is the work of an ancient scholar.In contrast to the writings of modern psychologists,this manuscript is more likely to explore human nature through:

A)careful observation in naturalistic settings.
B)experimentation.
C)trained introspection.
D)insights inferred from anecdotes.

Question 66

At the close of the nineteenth century,Gerhard is excited to find that he has been accepted for training in the psychology laboratory of Wilhelm Wundt.It is likely that Gerhard will be trained to:

A)analyze how to break down his sensations into their most basic elements.
B)determine the function or purpose of a particular human behaviour.
C)listen intently while individuals tell him of their depression or nervousness.
D)carefully feel the bumps on a person's head in order to determine her or his character traits.

Question 67

________ is revered by psychologists because he was the first person to announce that he intended to make psychology a science.

A)Wilhelm Wundt
B)William James
C)Sigmund Freud
D)Joseph Gall

Question 68

Psychology as a formal discipline originated:

A)with the writings of John Locke.
B)in the early 1800s.
C)in the late 1800s.
D)early in the twentieth century.

Question 69

Heller is pleased because his mentor,Wilhelm Wundt,has said that Heller has completed enough practice observations and will be able to participate in an actual study.Wundt required Heller to complete ________ practice observations.

A)10
B)100
C)1000
D)10 000

Question 70

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:

A)377 BC.
B)420 AD.
C)1011 AD.
D)1879 AD.

Question 71

Our authors note that ________ is revered by psychologists because his laboratory was the first to have its results published in a scholarly journal.

A)Aristotle
B)John Locke
C)Wilhelm Wundt
D)Joseph Gall

Question 72

Researchers in Wundt's laboratory would be most likely to study:

A)learning.
B)personality.
C)abnormal psychology.
D)perception.

Question 73

In the early 1800s,the theory of phrenology was developed by:

A)Wilhelm Wundt.
B)William James.
C)Joseph Gall.
D)Sigmund Freud.

Question 74

The individuals who were forerunners of modern psychology often had insights that were verified by later work.Which of the following is an accurate insight?

A)Unhappy memories are repressed and then accurately recalled years later.
B)People become sad because of their explanations of events,not because of the actual events.
C)When children who have been physically abused become adults,they will be abusive toward their own children.
D)Character traits can be determined when a trained specialist feels the bumps on a person's skull.

Question 75

Great thinkers throughout history have wanted to add to human knowledge and to increase happiness.Like today's psychologists,they wanted to describe behaviour.Contemporary psychologists,however,approach these issues in a different way by relying heavily upon:

A)empirical evidence.
B)anecdotes from personal experience.
C)philosophy.
D)phrenology.

Question 76

The formal movement to make psychology a science began in ________,when the first official psychological laboratory was established in Leipzig,Germany.

A)1795
B)1854
C)1879
D)1921

Question 77

The theory of phrenology was developed by:

A)Hippocrates.
B)Aristotle.
C)Joseph Gall.
D)William James

Question 78

________ is revered by psychologists because he was the first person to announce that he intended to make psychology a science.

A)René Descartes
B)Aristotle
C)Sigmund Freud
D)Wilhelm Wundt

Question 79

Andi claims that phrenology was a pseudoscience rather than a science.The best support for her opinion is the fact that the theory wasn't empirically testable because:

A)when phrenologists found large "stealing" bumps but the person was not a thief,they concluded that other bumps held this characteristic in check.
B)most of the phrenologists received inadequate training in the careful analysis of head bumps and so there was too much variation for accurate prediction.
C)the phrenologists relied heavily on the theories of the British naturalist Charles Darwin,and yet they could not link the bumps to evolutionary adaptation.
D)when "bumps" did not accurately explain a person's characteristics,the phrenologists explained the contradiction by hypothesizing traumatic childhood experiences.

Question 80

Hahn's interest in ________ led him to study under Wilhelm Wundt.

A)learning
B)attention
C)personality
D)abnormal behaviour