Deck 1: The Science of Psychology

Question 1

Dr. Candell is interested in studying dreams and their role in improving memory. Dr. Candell is interested in studying __________.

A) behavior
B) unconsciousness
C) mental processes
D) pseudoscience

Answer 1

mental processes

Question 2

The text states that common sense assumptions are often counterintuitive. This means that __________.

A) common sense assumptions are a reliable way to predict behavior
B) some findings in psychology are contrary to what you may have experienced or expect
C) common sense leads to good, testable questions in psychology
D) some findings in psychology are simply common sense and do not need to be scientifically studied

Answer 2

some findings in psychology are contrary to what you may have experienced or expect

Question 3

Which of the following statements best describes critical thinking?

A) Critical thinking is a way of drawing conclusions from common sense without experimentation.
B) Critical thinking is isolating fact from fiction through experimentation.
C) Critical thinking is being negative about new ideas that do not agree with our own beliefs.
D) Critical thinking is using a reflective set of attitudes and abilities to evaluate information.

Answer 3

Critical thinking is using a reflective set of attitudes and abilities to evaluate information.

Question 4

Pop psychology is best used for __________.

A) sound scientific conclusions
B) entertainment
C) healing from mental illness
D) life skills advice

Question 5

According to the textbook authors, homeopathy is considered __________.

A) an experimental science
B) a pseudoscience
C) clairvoyance
D) a science with a firm foundation

Question 6

Science is __________, while pseudoscience is __________.

A) untestable; testable
B) always changing; often static
C) well marketed and known; rarely shared
D) anecdotal; experimental

Question 7

Kenneth is a psychologist who studies how video games can be used to help people suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Kenneth is most likely a(n) __________ psychologist.

A) school
B) experimental
C) clinical
D) certified

Question 8

The American Psychological Association has designated __________ divisions of psychological specialization.

A) 21
B) 35
C) 46
D) 54

Question 9

Gilbert believes that women are more empathetic than men. He decides to test his belief by observing men and women in a situation that encourages empathy. This method is known as __________.

A) humanism
B) behaviorism
C) empiricism
D) monism

Question 10

Joey likes to take his toys apart and figure out how they are built. Joey would most closely identify with which school of psychology?

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

Question 11

What is the primary criticism of introspection?

A) It is objective.
B) It is impersonal.
C) It is easily defined.
D) It is subjective.

Question 12

What was the primary criticism of structuralism?

A) No one really agreed on its definition.
B) It only explained the contents of people's minds.
C) It only explained people's behavior.
D) It only explained people's decision-making processes.

Question 13

Edward is interested in answering the question "How are thoughts constructed?" Edward most closely identifies with which school of thought in psychology?

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

Question 14

Claudia believes that her inability to form a relationship is due to her unconscious fear of abandonment, because she was adopted. Claudia identifies with __________.

A) structuralism
B) functionalism
C) the psychoanalytic perspective
D) the behavioral perspective

Question 15

The total experience is more important than the parts of the experience, according to __________?

A) humanists
B) Gestaltists
C) functionalists
D) behaviorists

Question 16

Bahai has been resistant to potty training. A psychologist suggests that Bahai's parents reward him with stickers each time he chooses to sit on the potty. This psychologist is taking a __________ perspective in addressing Bahai's resistance.

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

Question 17

Dr. Geier studies how students can improve their learning by using various methods for memorizing information. Dr. Geier takes the __________ perspective in his research.

A) humanistic
B) behaviorist
C) psychodynamic
D) cognitive

Question 18

Dr. Stein studies what drugs might be helpful in the treatment of obesity. Dr. Stein appears to be a __________.

A) humanistic psychologist
B) behavioral psychologist
C) neuroscientist
D) biologist

Question 19

Juan observes that, in contrast to when he watches them, his children behave differently when they are being watched by his mother. He decides that he wants to study other children to see if they behave in the same way. Juan is in the process of __________.

A) drawing a conclusion
B) sharing his findings
C) generating an idea
D) testing his hypothesis

Question 20

A variable is __________.

A) something that is constantly changing
B) detailed description
C) anything that can be measured numerically
D) anything that can be observed

Question 21

Gerard wants to study whether traffic volume impacts people's willingness to run a red light. He sits at an intersection in a downtown area and watches when traffic is light and when it is heavy. Gerard is conducting a __________.

A) naturalistic observation
B) case study
C) correlation
D) true experiment

Question 22

Eating corn flakes is negatively correlated with the incidence of cancer. Based on this information, which of the following statements is true?

A) The less corn flakes you consume, the lower your incidence of cancer.
B) The more corn flakes you consume, the lower your incidence of cancer.
C) The more corn flakes you consume, the greater your incidence of cancer.
D) Corn flake consumption causes cancer.

Question 23

The variable that is measured to determine the impact of an experimenter's manipulation is called the __________ variable.

A) correlative
B) dependent
C) control
D) independent

Question 24

A researcher studies student achievement based on their studying strategies. Students who study a little each day are compared with students who cram before an exam. In this example, the performance on an exam is the __________.

A) independent variable
B) dependent variable
C) manipulation
D) hypothesis

Question 25

In an experiment investigating the effectiveness of a new drug to treat depression, one group receives the new drug and the other group receives a placebo. The group receiving the placebo is called the __________ group.

A) experimental
B) control
C) active
D) confederate

Question 26

What is the impact of using random assignment in an experiment?

A) Important differences between people in the experiment are averaged out and not likely to affect one condition more than the other.
B) It makes it easier to ensure you have equal numbers of participants in each group.
C) It keeps the experimenter from knowing which subjects are part of which group.
D) It helps ensure that the groups are different at the beginning of the experiment.

Question 27

__________, or the ability to repeat a study and get the same results, is vital to scientific credibility.

A) Confounding
B) Randomness
C) Replication
D) Designation

Question 28

Max was observing the group of animals. Knowing that the black rat had been separated from its mother soon after birth, Max immediately scored its lack of movement as depression. Max has possibly introduced __________ into his experiment.

A) random bias
B) subject confounds
C) experimenter bias
D) treatment bias

Question 29

When psychologists examine the world only through the perspective of their own culture, it is known as __________.

A) experimenter bias
B) demand characteristics
C) ethnocentrism
D) artificiality

Question 30

If a researcher leaves a study and says to a colleague, "You can't believe the answers I got on my questionnaire from your student Jim Baxter. Let me tell you about him," he has violated what ethical principle?

A) Data must remain confidential.
B) Volunteers must willingly give informed consent prior to participating.
C) Participants cannot be subjected to any physically or emotionally painful stimuli.
D) Deception must be justified.

Question 31

In the study described in your text as changing psychology, what happened when people were lying during the experiment?

A) They sweat more.
B) The fMRI showed activity in two brain regions.
C) The MRI showed damage to an area of the brain.
D) Subjects stuttered and had difficulty answering subsequent questions.

Question 32

When compared with the polygraph, an fMRI may be __________.

A) less accurate
B) equally accurate or inaccurate
C) more accurate
D) used in the courts

Question 33

In the study presented as changing psychology, what was the goal of the research?

A) To determine if people would lie when instructed to do so
B) To determine if brain activity is different when you tell the truth or lie
C) To determine if a CT scan can show brain function
D) To get courts to see how inaccurate polygraphs are in predicting lying

Question 34

An advancement in brain-imaging techniques allows scientists to view a "video" of your brain in action. It is called a(n) __________.

A) MRI
B) CT
C) fMRI
D) EEG

Question 35

In the study looking at brain activity when telling the truth or lying, the independent variable in the experiment was __________.

A) brain activity
B) validation of the fMRI
C) telling the truth or lying
D) the amount of sweat the subject felt in the scanner

Question 36

Distinguish between psychology, pop psychology, and parapsychology, and give examples where appropriate. What do you think are some concerns or dangers associated with pseudoscience masquerading as a science?

Question 37

Compare and contrast four of the early perspectives in psychology as presented in your textbook. What do you think were the greatest contributions and drawbacks of each perspective?

Question 38

Compare and contrast four of the modern perspectives in psychology as presented in your textbook. What do you think were the greatest contributions and drawbacks of each?

Question 39

List the steps of the scientific method in their correct order and describe what occurs in each step.

Question 40

Let's say you are given an extra-credit assignment by your psychology professor. You are required to put together a descriptive research study, carry it out, and report on the findings. What question do you think you would ask, what sort of design would you use, and what do you think would be the potential drawbacks to your selection?

Question 41

What are the primary benefits of conducting correlational research? Why might this approach give you flexibility that is not found in an experimental design? What does it mean to have a positive or a negative correlation?

Question 42

Compare and contrast the conclusions that can be drawn from correlational and experimental research designs.

Question 43

Design a fictitious experiment, making sure to include the independent and dependent variables (and their operational definitions), the ways you would assign people to your experimental and control groups, the potential extraneous variables you would control for, and the ways you would ensure that the research was not influenced by different types of bias.

Question 44

As your textbook authors note, experimental research carries with it the risk of situational limitations and constraints. Differentiate artificiality, demand characteristics, and generalizability as they relate to experimental research. Identify how they can be controlled in an experiment and generate an example of each constraint and the problem it poses.

Question 45

Identify and discuss several ethical principles of conducting research with both human and nonhuman participants. Justify what you believe are the most significant ethical issues in research today?