Deck 1: The Science of Psychology

Question 1

Claims that are based on common beliefs, folk wisdom, or superstition are examples of ________.

A) correlations
B) social mores
C) psychoanalysis
D) pseudoscience

Answer 1

D

Question 2

At a freshman event to welcome new students to campus, an "expert" offers to read palms and give predictions about the future. The routine is very authentic-looking and entertaining, but there is no evidence that these predictions are anything more than guesses. Palmistry, therefore is an example of ________.

A) the third-variable problem
B) a pseudoscience
C) a double-blind situation
D) experimenter bias

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Critically questioning what "everybody knows" and examining available data related to such claims is referred to as ________.

A) empiricism
B) the scientific method
C) skepticism
D) mentalism

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Dr. Alice Krostom responds to radio listeners who call in with relationship problems by using mostly her own common sense, beliefs, and values rather than scientific research. Although she does not claim to be a licensed psychotherapist, she calls herself "Dr. Alice" on the show. Only at the very beginning of the show does the announcer note that her doctorate is an honorary doctorate in communication from a little-known school. This type of psychological counseling would BEST be described as ________.

A) evidence-based
B) pseudopsychology
C) cybertherapy
D) managed care

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of pseudoscience?

A) Anita thinks that she can do better on her exams if she arranges study groups with classmates.
B) Ina sees an advertisement on television for a service that will name a star after anyone you know.
C) Paula reads that people only use 10 percent of the total abilities of their brains and believes this claim.
D) Pamela thinks that the best path to getting her daughter to behave better is a combination of reinforcement and punishment.

Question 6

Jill believes that she can predict an individual's personality simply by referring back to the position of the stars on the day the individual was born. Her beliefs capture the essence of ________.

A) astral projection
B) psychology
C) pseudopsychology
D) astrophysics

Question 7

In what year was the first scientific laboratory of psychology established in Leipzig, Germany?

A) 1659
B) 1879
C) 1951
D) 1764

Question 8

If you were keeping an in-depth record of your conscious awareness including sensation, images, feelings, and thoughts that you are aware of experiencing, then you would be practicing what Wundt and his followers would have called ________.

A) pseudopsychology
B) empiricism
C) functionalism
D) introspection

Question 9

Which individual is credited with the development of "structuralism," one of the earliest schools of thought in psychology?

A) Sigmund Freud
B) John Watson
C) Harry Stack Sullivan
D) Edward Titchener

Question 10

A primary challenge of the technique called introspection that was favored by structuralists is that it cannot ________.

A) identify what is going on within any one person's consciousness
B) distinguish any differences between men and women, which limits its usefulness
C) be conducted individually; many people had to be studied at the same time to achieve valid results
D) be used to study children, animals, or more complex mental disorders

Question 11

The individual credited with establishing the school of thought called functionalism is ________.

A) William James
B) G. Stanley Hall
C) Fritz Perls
D) Sigmund Freud

Question 12

Which theory of personality is associated with the belief that the unconscious mind has an influence on one's behavior?

A) psychobiological
B) psychosocial
C) psychoanalytic
D) psychobehavioral

Question 13

Which of the following is an important reason why many of Freud's concepts are seen as controversial?

A) He put too much emphasis on sex and aggression as motives for behavior.
B) He believed too strongly that the mind influences the body in diseases such as cancer.
C) He put too much emphasis on social relationships and social motives in explaining behavior.
D) He believed too strongly that the principles of learning determined behavior.

Question 14

One part of Freudian theory that is still accepted by many psychotherapists today is the influence of ________.

A) collective unconscious on behavior
B) the drive to self-actualize on behavior
C) the unconscious mind on behavior
D) the environment on behavior

Question 15

Behaviorists were different conceptually from earlier psychologists and ________.

A) accepted the practice of introspection and focused on reaching actualization
B) rejected the influence of unconscious forces and the practice of introspection
C) believed classical conditioning only applied to animals such as Pavlov's dogs
D) relied heavily on subjective measures of behavior that could not be verified

Question 16

Dr. Wasserman focuses on objective, observable behavior rather than on dynamic unconscious influences, which is consistent with which school of psychology?

A) behaviorist
B) cognitive
C) developmentalist
D) conditionalist

Question 17

Jenna wants to train her roommate to duck every time Jenna gets a text message. To do this, Jenna periodically triggers the sound associated with an arriving text message and hits her roommate in the back of the head with a wadded-up piece of paper. Which of the following training concepts, first developed by Ivan Pavlov, is Jenna using?

A) introspection
B) conditioning
C) functionalism
D) shaping

Question 18

Which behaviorist was convinced that behavior could be "shaped"?

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

Question 19

Auggie is seeing a behavioral psychotherapist who bases her work on the theories of B.F. Skinner. The therapist assures Auggie that Skinner's approach is successful in treating problems like his. What kind of problem does Auggie most likely have?

A) depression
B) schizophrenia
C) dissociation
D) alcoholism

Question 20

Which of the following is a research question that a behaviorist would investigate?

A) How can we help people increase their personal development?
B) How do we learn to break the habit of smoking?
C) How does brain functioning cause psychological problems?
D) How does early childhood trauma affect adult personality?

Question 21

Which of the following best describes the humanistic perspective?

A) I am working on developing positively and become the best person I'm capable of being.
B) I believe that the economy and outside forces are the reason I am depressed.
C) The neurotransmitters in my brain are imbalanced and changing that will solve my problems.
D) If I go to therapy three times a week for several years and explore childhood trauma, I can resolve my problems.

Question 22

According to the humanistic perspective, an inborn drive to develop all of one's talents and abilities is called ________.

A) self-satisfaction
B) joy
C) self-actualization
D) accomplishment

Question 23

The fact that humans can voluntarily choose to engage in behavior is known as ________.

A) self-actualization
B) free will
C) conditioning
D) introspection

Question 24

Which field of psychology developed from the humanistic approach and stresses optimal human development?

A) cognitive psychology
B) sociocultural psychology
C) positive psychology
D) evolutionary psychology

Question 25

Which psychological perspective emphasized processes such as thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating?

A) cognitive
B) Gestalt
C) concept formation
D) information-processing

Question 26

What type of psychologist would study the processes students go through in committing to memory information from a textbook?

A) biological
B) cognitive
C) psychoanalytic
D) behavioral

Question 27

Dr. Liu is a psychologist whose research is focused on understanding how different parts of the brain influence specific types of behaviors. She also studies the influence of genetics on the development of certain tendencies. She is most likely which type of psychologist?

A) behavioral
B) psychiatric
C) biological
D) multimodal

Question 28

Charles Darwin's principle of an evolutionary process in which heritable traits that increase an organism's chance of survival and reproduction are more likely to be passed on to succeeding generations is called ________.

A) natural selection
B) survival of the fittest
C) evolutionary specification
D) environmental capitalization

Question 29

Which psychological perspective emphasizes interactions between people and/or groups and cultural determinants of behavior and mental processes?

A) behavioral
B) sociocultural
C) environmental
D) evolutionary

Question 30

Dr. Wagge is interested in how students of different races and ethnicities perceive their likelihood of professional success after they graduate. With what perspective does Dr. Wagge's research best align?

A) experimental
B) developmental
C) cognitive
D) sociocultural

Question 31

Who was initially denied a Ph.D. despite having completed all of the work for the degree and went on to become the first female president of the American Psychological Association?

A) Mamie Clark
B) Margaret Floy Washburn
C) Karen Horney
D) Mary Calkins

Question 32

The educational institution that refused to grant a degree to Mary Calkins because she was a woman was ________.

A) The College of William and Mary
B) Harvard University
C) Bryn Mawr College
D) Haverford University

Question 33

The Supreme Court's decision in the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling addressing racial segregation in public schools was directly influenced by the work of which researchers?

A) Kenneth and Mamie Clark
B) Antonio and Hanna Damasio
C) Catherine and Alex Haslam
D) Uta and Chris Frith

Question 34

Which model proposes that biological processes, psychological factors, and social forces are all interrelated and interacting influences?

A) biobehavioral environmental
B) eclectic
C) biopsychosocial
D) consolidation

Question 35

Of the following choices, the largest specialty area in the field of psychology is ________.

A) educational psychology
B) school psychology
C) clinical psychology
D) cognitive psychology

Question 36

Applied research is best defined as research that explores ________.

A) unique problems applicable to an individual person in a laboratory setting
B) practical problems outside the laboratory in real-world settings
C) problems that apply to a controlled laboratory setting
D) problems that address the mind-body principle

Question 37

A scientist who seeks knowledge for the sake of knowledge, particularly if such knowledge is not directly applied to a real-world problem or situation is conducting ________.

A) basic research
B) applied research
C) elemental research
D) fundamental research

Question 38

Sergio is conducting a research study using human subjects to find out how people learn to "think outside the box". He expects that people who are instructed to be as creative as possible because there is no "wrong" answer will be more likely to think outside the box. Which of the following best describes this expectation?

A) a hypothesis
B) an operational definition
C) a meta-analysis
D) a statistically significant result

Question 39

What stage of the scientific method will someone be at if they make a prediction that drinking alcohol will make people more violent during a sporting event?

A) developing a theory
B) forming a testable hypothesis
C) designing a study
D) reviewing the literature of existing theories

Question 40

What are explicit statements describing how each variable will be observed, manipulated, and measured?

A) empirical evidence
B) operational definitions
C) statistical analyses
D) critical facts

Question 41

Brianna conducts a research study and finds that her results were statistically unlikely to have occurred merely by chance; that is, they were real outcomes and not a coincidental finding. When she writes a report of her findings, she will note that they were ________.

A) practically meaningful
B) applicable and valid
C) internally reliable
D) statistically significant

Question 42

If the results of a study have been replicated, they have been ________.

A) cited by multiple other research studies
B) reproduced with a different study population
C) found to be statistically significant
D) used in real-world, practical settings

Question 43

Which term refers to the fact that research findings that were long-accepted as valid and accurate have not been repeated with subsequent studies?

A) descriptive fallacy
B) meta-data issue
C) replication crisis
D) attribution error

Question 44

The textbook identifies three principles of scientific thinking that are essential for replication. Which option is one of those principles?

A) skepticism
B) practicality
C) nativism
D) dualism

Question 45

Only when scientists do the same thing and arrive at the same conclusion can we create a shared knowledge that we call ________.

A) objective
B) constructive
C) prospective
D) introspective

Question 46

Ilya is interested in whether people who typically text their friends have as close relationships as those typically talk on the phone. If Ilya wants to follow the scientific method, he will start by ________.

A) stating a testable hypothesis
B) developing a theory
C) conducting a literature review
D) performing a statistical analysis

Question 47

A broad explanation for a set of observations or facts that have been substantiated through repeated testing is called a(n) ________.

A) hypothesis
B) construct
C) abstract
D) theory

Question 48

A school psychologist suggests that Timmy's reluctance to speak up in class is due to the fact that his peers in the second grade laughed at him when he made a mistake several weeks ago. This is a demonstration of which goal of psychology?

A) description
B) explanation
C) prediction
D) change

Question 49

A student is identified by her teachers as being very academically gifted, and the administration anticipates that she would do well in the school's advanced studies program. This is an example of which goal in psychology?

A) description
B) explanation
C) prediction
D) change

Question 50

Which of the following is the BEST example of psychology's goal of changing behavior?

A) conducting research into the likelihood that convicted felons will reoffend once released from prison
B) exploring the function of self-harming behavior in a teenager's life so that the teenager can understand their options and make choices regarding the behavior.
C) giving an interest-inventory (test) at a college counseling center to determine what career or college choices would best suit a student
D) videotaping an intersection with four-way stop signs and measuring the ratio of complete to incomplete stops made by drivers

Question 51

Dr. Andreissen is interested in studying why individuals with antisocial personality disorder commit crimes and hurt others without feeling any remorse. On which goal of psychology is Dr. Andreissen focused?

A) description
B) explanation
C) prediction
D) change

Question 52

A person who believes that genetics, chemical imbalances in the brain, and hormonal imbalances are responsible for explaining behavior takes the side of ________.

A) nature
B) nurture
C) both nature and nurture
D) cognitive influences

Question 53

Children who watch violent television are at increased risk of becoming aggressive adults. As a result of this research, technologies were developed to allow parents to block certain content, including violent content, on television and other devices. What goal of psychology does this best represent?

A) description
B) explanation
C) prediction
D) change

Question 54

According to your text, what does APA stand for?

A) American Psychological Association
B) Association of Psychological Principles for America
C) American Psychoanalytic Alliance
D) Association of People for Animals

Question 55

According to currently accepted research ethics, when you ask the researcher if you have to complete the experiment in which you are participating, the researcher should respond with which of the following statements?

A) "You have the right to withdraw from the study at any time."
B) "I'm sorry, the experiment must continue."
C) "Please continue. I will debrief you afterwards."
D) "You may drop the study now, but you will forfeit credit."

Question 56

If a researcher is interested in studying the effects of administering different dosages of cocaine on rats, then they are MOST likely going to be concerned with ________.

A) the Food and Drug Administration
B) the state police
C) Narcotics Anonymous
D) guidelines for the ethical care of nonhuman animals

Question 57

Which of the following is true about animal research?

A) It has not produced any gains for animals themselves.
B) It accounts for 70% to 80% of psychological research.
C) Animal researchers use punishments as often as they use rewards.
D) Researchers are searching for better ways to minimize harm to animals.

Question 58

With which type of animal is nonhuman research mostly conducted?

A) rats and mice
B) dogs and cats
C) insects
D) primates

Question 59

A therapist may be required to break client confidentiality if the client ________.

A) asks to be reimbursed for their services
B) has more than two diagnosed disorders
C) is abusing a child or an elder adult
D) is a minor and their guardian wants information

Question 60

Which of the following therapists is violating psychology's ethical standard of confidentiality?

A) Dr. Novak suggested his client talk to her neighbor to explain why she was fighting so loudly with her daughter.
B) Dr. Jones shared a patient's records with the patient's father after obtaining authorization.
C) Dr. Nguyen discussed a client, identifying the client by name, with his wife to get her advice.
D) Dr. Jacobs writes in his private files about a client that the client might be smoking marijuana.

Question 61

In a study employing naturalistic observation, a researcher would be most likely to do which of the following?

A) conduct an in-depth study of an individual who has been divorced multiple times
B) observe divorced couples as they naturally interact with each other in the laboratory
C) observe and record children's behavior in a shopping mall after playing violent video games
D) determine whether watching violence on television produces aggression

Question 62

When a researcher is watching and recording the interactions between members of a gorilla group in the wild, the researcher is conducting a(n) ________.

A) animal husbandry survey
B) quasi-experiment
C) introspection study
D) naturalistic observation

Question 63

Observing the activities of a 3-year-old from a hidden location within the child's daycare is an example of which type of research method?

A) correlational
B) experimental
C) naturalistic observation
D) survey

Question 64

Dr. Jonas wants to determine how concerned incoming students are about security on campus and sends a link to online questions about this topic to a sample of new students. Which method is Dr. Jonas using?

A) a case study
B) naturalistic observation
C) an experiment
D) a survey

Question 65

In which type of research does a researcher study previously recorded data?

A) experimental
B) correlational
C) archival
D) applied

Question 66

A correlation coefficient of zero might correctly summarize the relationship between ________.

A) your grades and how much time you spend studying
B) the size of a house and its price
C) the intensity of rain and umbrella use
D) your adult height and intelligence

Question 67

Which is the stronger correlation, -1.00 or +1.00?

A) +1.00
B) They are of equal strength.
C) -1.00
D) A correlation of -1.00 does not exist.

Question 68

If a researcher observes a positive correlation between stress and having a significant health event like a heart attack, what can the researcher conclude?

A) The health event causes stress.
B) Stress causes the health event.
C) Knowing a person's stress level may help to predict that person's likelihood of experiencing the health event.
D) Some other variable causes both higher levels of stress and higher risk of health events.

Question 69

If a researcher were interested in determining whether listening to subliminal advertising causes an increase in sales of products, the researcher would likely conduct a(n) ________.

A) descriptive study
B) correlational study
C) observational study
D) experimental study

Question 70

Conclusions about cause-and-effect relationships can only be drawn from which type of study?

A) experimental
B) descriptive
C) correlational
D) case

Question 71

________ variables are manipulated by researchers; ________ variables are only measured.

A) Dependent; independent
B) Survey; experimental
C) Experimental; survey
D) Independent; dependent

Question 72

In an experiment to determine if listening to music affects how well students perform on a test, the independent variable is ________.

A) test performance
B) listening to music
C) time spent studying
D) students

Question 73

In an experiment studying the effects of alcohol on memory, the group of participants not given alcohol is referred to as the ________.

A) experimental group
B) control group
C) independent variable
D) random sample

Question 74

In an experiment studying whether eating sugar influences children's ability to focus their attention on a problem-solving task, the group of children given sugar is referred to as the ________.

A) experimental group
B) control group
C) independent variable
D) random sample

Question 75

Dr. Garland is interested in understanding how people get so invested in conspiracy theories and studies a group of college undergraduates to determine how their willingness to agree with certain claims related to personality characteristics. What might prevent Dr. Garland from generalizing the results of this study to the larger population of conspiracy theory adherents?

A) experimenter bias
B) sample bias
C) the placebo effect
D) the lack of adequate controls

Question 76

Stimuli other than independent variables that may affect the outcome of the study and lead to erroneous conclusions are called ________.

A) random variables
B) placebos
C) confounding variables
D) external variables

Question 77

Because research in the United States has demonstrated that adolescents are not very respectful to the elderly, Sara concludes that all adolescents everywhere in the world are disrespectful to the elderly. This is an example of ________.

A) cross-cultural sampling
B) ethnocentrism
C) participant bias
D) social desirability bias

Question 78

If a student lies on a questionnaire regarding the number of sexual partners they have had during the course of their lifetime, the student's behavior can be described as ________.

A) social desirability responding
B) experimenter bias
C) a placebo effect
D) distrusting bias

Question 79

According to the text, studying the night before the exam is an example of ________ and studying for 1 hour a day 5 nights before the exam is an example of ________.

A) distributed learning; massed
B) massed learning; distributed
C) cramming learning; pacing
D) short-term learning; long-term

Question 80

Although studying new information to the point where you can recite it is one way to learn, a deeper way to study involves knowing how key terms interact and being able to generate examples. This type of studying is known as ________.

A) in-depth recitation
B) maximizing
C) overlearning
D) interactionism