Deck 1: Introduction

Question 1

For most of human history, Western scholars believed that the mind and body were separate and that humans were unique because:

A) they possessed a soul
B) they controlled other animals
C) they were mortal
D) the mind and body interacted for a divine purpose

Answer 1

A

Question 2

According to the textbook, which of the following is NOT included in the definition of culture?

A) beliefs
B) rules
C) generation transmission
D) human intellect

Answer 2

D

Question 3

That psychology is an empirical science, the role of nature and nurture, the mind/body problem, and how the mind is adaptive are all examples of:

A) the seven themes of psychology
B) the seven rules for conducting psychological research
C) the four ethical rules guiding psychologists
D) the four laws of psychology

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Dr. Davis is studying the influence of racism on behaviour. Which of the following tools might best allow her to examine the working brain?

A) fMRI
B) brain chemistry assay
C) psychoanalysis
D) introspection

Question 5

Schizophrenia is an example of a disorder that:

A) is best understood from an environmental- nurture-perspective
B) is best understood from a biological-nature-perspective
C) is best understood as resulting from the inseparable interaction of nature and nurture
D) was originally thought to be caused entirely by biological factors and now is known to be caused largely by environmental factors

Question 6

A psychologist is studying the psychological factors in a campus incident that involved confrontational behaviours between racial groups. Which of the following would NOT be helpful in understanding these behaviours?

A) the processes of visual perception
B) the emotional context of behaviours
C) the faculty response after the event
D) the location and situation in which the confrontation occurs

Question 7

To gain an accurate understanding of what is being studied, the scientific method relies on all but which of the following?

A) objective and systematic procedures
B) hypothesis testing
C) empirically obtained data
D) common sense

Question 8

Trying to understand the connection between the actions of neurons and a thought illustrates the underlying goal of psychological science in establishing:

A) the connection between brain and mind
B) the connection between nature and nurture
C) the connection between genes and thought
D) the connections between various components of the nervous system

Question 9

The implicit association test (IAT) is used to measure:

A) people's associations without their awareness
B) people's behaviour toward different groups of people
C) the sources of racial attitudes
D) the experiences that have affected people's racial attitudes

Question 10

The findings from the brain imaging study of racial attitudes conducted by Phelps and Banaji indicated that:

A) some white university students showed activation in the frontal cortex when viewing familiar black faces
B) some white university students showed activation in the frontal cortex when viewing unfamiliar black faces
C) some white university students showed heightened activation in the amygdala when viewing familiar black faces
D) some white university students showed heightened activation in the amygdala when viewing unfamiliar black faces

Question 11

Which of the following is the best definition of psychological science?

A) the study of the brain and its inner function
B) the study of the mind and how it processes thoughts, social interactions, and emotions
C) the study of the mind, brain, and behaviour
D) the study of the mind, the psyche, and behaviour

Question 12

The fMRI study by Phelps and Banaji demonstrated that psychological scientists can:

A) change racial attitudes
B) know the cause of racial prejudice
C) measure the amount of racism relative to prejudice
D) see inside the brain with regard to the perceptions of race

Question 13

Real-life situations such as the one in the opening vignette provide psychologists with the opportunity to study all of these psychological issues EXCEPT:

A) decision making
B) group behaviour
C) brain changes during highly emotional experiences
D) accuracy of eyewitnesses

Question 14

Why is studying racial attitudes difficult?

A) We are unable to peek inside the mind.
B) It is impossible to determine if an act is a racist behaviour.
C) Most people deny holding racist beliefs.
D) Racism is entirely subjective.

Question 15

Psychological scientists now believe that:

A) brain chemical imbalances cause most, if not all, mental disorders
B) mental illness is largely due to learning the wrong set of coping skills
C) people's experiences change their brain structures, which in turn influence how people behave
D) people's experiences change their behaviour, but not their brain structures; brain structures are set at birth

Question 16

Many soldiers returning from the war in Iraq have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, your friend from high school who has returned from a protracted active deployment seems to be coping well even though he had some truly horrible experiences. How might you explain this with regard to the biological and environmental contributions to behaviour?

A) He may not have a genetic susceptibility to PTSD.
B) Environment isn't an important factor in determining behaviour.
C) He inherited a genetic predisposition to PTSD.
D) The experiences really are not as bad as people say.

Question 17

The nature in the nature/nurture debate refers to:

A) biological factors affecting the brain, mind, and behaviour
B) environmental factors affecting the brain, mind, and behaviour
C) either biological or environmental factors affecting the brain/mind and behaviour
D) behaviours learned in the natural environment, but not learned in a formal setting

Question 18

In Chapter 1 of the text, the introductory vignette describes an incident in which Robert Dziekañski arrived in the Vancouver International Airport to meet his mother. He spoke no English and expressed frustration and agitation after a long series of meetings with immigration officials. Four RCMP officers arrived on the scene and when Mr. Dziekañski picked up a stapler they Tasered him five times and he died. Researchers in psychology might be interested in this incident because:

A) it highlights how emotional stress causes otherwise innocent victims to act irrationally
B) it highlights how emotional stress causes RCMP officers to Taser victims
C) it demonstrates the reliability of eyewitness testimony
D) it demonstrates how emotional stress can influence decision making

Question 19

Improvements in brain imaging have allowed scientists to:

A) isolate a particular thought
B) better localize brain functioning
C) understand the interaction of genes and environment
D) identify structures of the brain for the first time

Question 20

Dualism is the idea that:

A) the mind and the brain are separate entities
B) the mind and the brain are the same entity
C) the mind and brain are separate, but work as one
D) there is no mind, just the brain

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT considered one of the three developments in the biological revolution that helped guide psychological science?

A) developments in the understanding of brain chemistry
B) the Human Genome Project
C) evolutionary evidence that proves that the mind developed from the brain
D) brain scan methods which allow scientists to watch a working brain

Question 22

In a cross-cultural study, Westerners were found to focus more on __________ whereas Easterners were more likely to focus on __________.

A) personal weaknesses; group weaknesses
B) group weaknesses; personal weaknesses
C) personal strengths; need for self-improvement
D) need for self-improvement; personal strengths

Question 23

According to ___________ theory, the brain has evolved over millions of years to solve problems related to survival and reproduction.

A) adaptational
B) evolutionary
C) nature/nurture
D) neurochemical

Question 24

The area of science which focuses on studying the working brain is called:

A) psychological science
B) biological science
C) psychobiological science
D) neuroscience

Question 25

Which statement best summarizes the role of culture in shaping behaviours?

A) Culture has a minor role that is far secondary to biology.
B) Culture plays a foundational role in shaping our behaviours.
C) Cultural experiences allow us to break down complex ideas.
D) Culture affects only social behaviours and not the way we think.

Question 26

Which of the following philosophers is most noted for promoting dualism as an explanation of the mind/body problem?

A) René Descartes
B) Leonardo da Vinci
C) Hippocrates
D) Sigmund Freud

Question 27

In a study of vision, researchers placed infants who were mature enough to crawl on a "visual cliff" (i.e., a clear plastic surface with one side looking firm and the other side looking as if it dropped off). The researchers discovered that the child would:

A) not cross from the firm side to the "dropped off" side even when their mothers encouraged them to do so
B) cross from the firm side to the "dropped off" side only if their mothers encouraged them to do so
C) not cross from the firm side to the "dropped off" side only if they had extensive learning experience
D) cross from one side to the other, suggesting they lacked any depth perception

Question 28

The Human Genome Project refers to:

A) the project attempting to map the basic human genetic code
B) the project attempting to alter the basic human genetic code
C) the project attempting to alter behaviour using humanistic approaches
D) the project investigating the role of the environment in behaviour

Question 29

Which cultural group is most likely to focus on an entire image rather than the single elements of its foreground?

A) Eastern cultures
B) Western cultures
C) both Western and Eastern cultures
D) neither Western nor Eastern cultures

Question 30

Today, what do most psychological scientists conclude regarding the philosophical concept of dualism?

A) Most largely reject dualism, believing instead that the mind is what the brain does.
B) Most largely accept dualism, as the mind is separate from brain functions.
C) Most largely reject dualism, believing instead that the brain is what the mind controls.
D) Most largely accept dualism, as the brain has been shown to control the mind.

Question 31

The concept of "survival of the fittest" states that:

A) random mutations are always adaptive
B) only the biggest animals will survive
C) organisms who are most adaptive to their environment are most likely to survive
D) organisms who can spontaneously mutate their genes in response to the environment are most likely to survive

Question 32

Which of the following would be an example of the biological level of analysis?

A) examining how the death of a spouse results in changes in serotonin in the brain
B) examining whether a person's personality is enduring or changing across the lifespan
C) examining how being in a group changes whether a person will engage in illegal behaviour
D) examining how different cultures define mental illness

Question 33

Which cultural group is most likely to focus on single elements of the foreground rather than focusing on an entire image?

A) Eastern cultures
B) Western cultures
C) both Western and Eastern cultures
D) neither Western nor Eastern cultures

Question 34

According to research conducted by Richard Nisbett, ____________ tend to be ___________ in their thinking.

A) Western cultures; holistic
B) Eastern cultures; holistic
C) both Western and Eastern cultures; holistic
D) both Western and Eastern cultures; analytic

Question 35

According to research conducted by Richard Nisbett, ____________ tend to be ___________ in their thinking.

A) Western cultures; analytic
B) Eastern cultures; analytic
C) both Western and Eastern cultures; holistic
D) both Western and Eastern cultures; analytic

Question 36

Using principles of evolutionary science to understand why people are able to detect cheating is appropriate because:

A) cheating is immoral
B) cheating is passed on genetically and contaminates the gene pool
C) cheating is a good way of dividing resources
D) cheating may decrease the chance of survival for a group

Question 37

You catch your 12-year-old sister smoking. She says that she likes to smoke because her friends smoke. You tell her she does it because she is addicted. Which of the following correspond to the stated levels of analysis for the smoking behaviour?

A) cultural; individual differences
B) interpersonal; behaviour
C) behaviour; brain systems
D) interpersonal; neurochemical

Question 38

Almost anywhere you travel in the world you can find a McDonald's restaurant or T-shirts with North American logos. Researchers theorize that this is part of a process that accelerates cultural evolution. What is this process called?

A) urbanization
B) commercial warfare
C) globalization
D) world exchange

Question 39

Which of the following is NOT an example of questions scientists might ask regarding evolutionary adaptations in humans?

A) Why do people like sweets and food high in fat?
B) Why do young children develop a fear of heights, as shown in visual cliff studies?
C) How has walking upright increased human survival?
D) Can you learn to adapt your note-taking style from lecture to small group discussion classes?

Question 40

What is the best definition of the interdisciplinary approach to psychological science?

A) working on multiple questions in the same scientific area
B) working on the same question across scientific fields
C) working on the same questions at different points in time
D) working on a question by applying disciplined guidelines to the course of the inquiry

Question 41

Who first proposed that psychology should be a science of observation and experimentation in order to discover the laws of the mind?

A) René Descartes
B) John Locke
C) John Stuart Mill
D) Hermann von Helmholtz

Question 42

In a modified game of Trivial Pursuit, people who first thought about __________ did better than people who first thought about __________.

A) classical music (Mozart); hard rock
B) getting all the answers right; visiting a library
C) being successful at university; being successful at hockey
D) stereotypes about professors; stereotypes about soccer hooligans

Question 43

Which of the following individuals is most likely to agree that we are often influenced by events and memories of which we are not consciously aware?

A) Sigmund Freud
B) Charles Darwin
C) Richard Nisbett
D) All of these researchers would agree with this.

Question 44

Which of the following schools of psychology is most closely linked with Darwin's theory of evolution?

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

Question 45

Which represents the best statement regarding the evolution of the field of inquiry?

A) The field of inquiry is new to the field of psychology.
B) The idea of scientific inquiry was first established by Aristotle.
C) The field of inquiry has a long, historical tradition including philosophers such as Aristotle and Confucius.
D) The field of inquiry began with Confucius.

Question 46

Scientific inquiry can be:

A) considered an exclusively Western European concept
B) found in both traditional Western Judeo-Christian and Muslim writings about early psychology
C) considered mostly an Eastern and Muslim tradition
D) considered a nineteenth-century concept

Question 47

To what real-life context did John Dewey apply the principles of functionalism?

A) hospital
B) home
C) factory
D) classroom

Question 48

Holism is to reductionism as:

A) mind is to body
B) thought is to idea
C) functionalism is to structuralism
D) subjectivity is to objectivity

Question 49

The fact that a variety of thoughts come to mind even as you are engaged in the activity of taking this exam exemplifies William James's concept of:

A) sea of ideas
B) ports of call
C) river of thoughts
D) stream of consciousness

Question 50

If you were to asked to list all the thoughts and experiences you have while answering a test question, the technique used would be:

A) inspection
B) conscription
C) abstraction
D) introspection

Question 51

What change did John Stuart Mill advocate for the field of psychology?

A) to move from the study of the mind to the study of the body
B) to move from the study of the body to the study of the mind
C) to move from speculation to observation and experimentation
D) to move from experimentation and observation to speculation

Question 52

Which of the following psychologists is most closely associated with the school of structuralism?

A) Sigmund Freud
B) B.F. Skinner
C) Wilhelm Wundt
D) William James

Question 53

Which of the following is most closely associated with the school of functionalism?

A) Sigmund Freud
B) B.F. Skinner
C) Wilhelm Wundt
D) William James

Question 54

Which of the following best reflects the contributions of women to early psychological science?

A) Women were not strong contributors to psychological science research until recently.
B) Women were most likely to contribute as secondary researchers, but not primary researchers, until the twentieth century.
C) Women's contributions to early psychological science have typically been underappreciated.
D) Women's contributions to early psychological science were, in contrast to the other sciences, always highly appreciated.

Question 55

An interpersonal level of analysis falls into which of the following categories for understanding behaviour?

A) biological
B) perceptual
C) psychological
D) social

Question 56

Ethnomusicology would be an example of what level of analysis?

A) biological
B) individual
C) social
D) cultural

Question 57

Which of the following is NOT one of the ways in which functionalism has been applied to the real world?

A) determining the function of religion
B) developing better ways of applying divergent thinking and creativity in the classroom
C) determining teaching methods based on how children's minds process information
D) developing reward and punishment programs and token economies

Question 58

Priming refers to:

A) using a cue or stimulus to activate a memory and make it more available for a short time
B) making a memory become more meaningful and more highly rated
C) preparing a memory by making it more complete
D) making a memory conscious rather than unconscious

Question 59

While smelling a rose, a psychologist analyzes the aroma in terms of its underlying components such as its pleasantness, intensity, and clarity. This psychologist most likely is from which school of thought:

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

Question 60

Functionalism and evolutionary psychology have both been criticized because:

A) they do not include elements of the nature/nurture debate
B) they do not conform well to rigorous scientific inquiry and application of methodology
C) they focus on the parts of problems rather than the whole
D) they do not take into account the way children process information

Question 61

Wolfgang Köhler's problem solving experiment with the chimpanzee, the banana, and the box was important because:

A) it showed the extreme effectiveness of shaping behaviour using reward and punishment
B) it showed that chimpanzees have an unconscious mind
C) it suggested that animals such as chimpanzees think and use cognition
D) it demonstrated how animals were unable to think; that this was a purely human behaviour

Question 62

Which of the following is NOT one of the questions behaviourism has attempted to answer?

A) Which is more important, nature or nurture?
B) Does environment influence behaviour?
C) How can rewards and punishers influence behaviour?
D) How can the unconscious be described by neuroscience?

Question 63

To rephrase Descartes, "I think therefore I behave" is a statement that reflects the importance of ____________ on behaviour and would not be spoken by a behaviourist.

A) reflexes
B) mental functions
C) environment
D) the unconscious

Question 64

The theories of Sigmund Freud and his followers:

A) are based on the idea that much of human behaviour is determined by mental processes operating below the level of conscious awareness
B) emphasize the functions served by the mind
C) emphasize the concept that the whole is different than the sum of its parts
D) state that behaviour can be altered by the application of reinforcement and punishment

Question 65

Which of the following psychologists are most closely associated with humanistic psychology?

A) Watson and Skinner
B) Allport and Lewin
C) Freud and Jung
D) Rogers and Maslow

Question 66

Which of the following is most closely associated with the school of Gestalt?

A) Sigmund Freud
B) B.F. Skinner
C) Wolfgang Köhler
D) William James

Question 67

You decide to study the brain processes that underlie thought, learning, and memory. You would most likely refer to yourself as a:

A) Gestaltist
B) behaviourist
C) neurologist
D) cognitive neuroscientist

Question 68

Professor Puffer has dedicated his research career to understanding how peer pressure can influence smoking behaviour in adolescents. Dr. Puffer is most likely a:

A) Gestaltist
B) structuralist
C) social psychologist
D) cognitive neuroscientist

Question 69

Which of the following was most important in the rise of the cognitive approach in psychology?

A) the identification of the unconscious
B) the understanding of the effects of reward and punishment on behaviour and thinking
C) the emergence of computers
D) the ability to identify different kinds of neurons

Question 70

Which of the following would likely be a phenomenon studied by social psychologists?

A) the rise of Hitler prior to World War II and his ability to influence other people's behaviour
B) how animals and people differ in terms of their sensitivity to reward and punishment
C) which category of perceptual images is most likely to be identified quickly
D) which neurons are activated when men versus women look at sports pictures

Question 71

The school of Gestalt:

A) is based on the idea that the whole is different than the sum of its parts
B) includes the role of environment on behaviour
C) examines how social situations influence behaviour
D) is based on scientifically researched forms of therapy

Question 72

Which of the following are most closely associated with social psychology?

A) Watson and Skinner
B) Allport and Lewin
C) Freud and Jung
D) Titchener and Wundt

Question 73

Which of the following is NOT one of the areas that has been directly influenced by the school of Gestalt?

A) vision research examining how we see what we see
B) research investigating human personality
C) research investigating perception of visual objects
D) neuroscience research emphasizing the types of neurons in the brain

Question 74

Information processing views the brain as ____________ and the mind as ____________.

A) a program; a data port
B) structure; function
C) hardware; software
D) program; input

Question 75

Field theory in social psychology refers to:

A) Freud's approach, which emphasizes the interplay between the conscious and the unconscious
B) Skinner's approach, which emphasizes the interplay between people and their environment
C) Kurt Lewin's approach, which emphasizes the interplay between people and their environment
D) Miller's approach, which emphasizes the role of the environment on memory

Question 76

Which of the following schools of psychology rejected techniques such as introspection and free association in favour of studying environmental stimuli that trigger behavioural responses?

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

Question 77

Which of the following is most closely associated with the concept of the unconscious?

A) Sigmund Freud
B) B.F. Skinner
C) Wilhelm Wundt
D) William James

Question 78

Humanism, championed by Maslow and Rogers, changed therapy by:

A) developing new techniques for questioning and listening to patients
B) giving rise to greater use of imagery in therapy
C) examining illogical cognitive processes
D) using drug therapies to lessen symptoms

Question 79

The expression "a penny for your thoughts (or given inflation make that a dollar)" or asking "what's on your mind?" would be LEAST likely to come from which of the following?

A) Sigmund Freud
B) B.F. Skinner
C) René Descartes
D) George A. Miller

Question 80

Which of the following is most closely associated with the cognitive revolution?

A) Sigmund Freud
B) B.F. Skinner
C) George A. Miller
D) William James