Deck 1: Introduction and Research Methods

Question 1

In your text, psychology is defined as the _____.

A) science of conscious and unconscious forces on behavior
B) scientific study of behavior
C) scientific study of the mind
D) scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Answer 1

scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Question 2

A "Freudian slip" is said to reveal:

A) a person's true, unconscious desires and conflicts
B) too much of a woman's leg under her dress
C) a person who isn't very aware of his or her physical presence in the world
D) a person who needs to change his or her personality

Answer 2

a person's true, unconscious desires and conflicts

Question 3

The science of psychology began in 1879 in Germany with Wilhelm ___________.

A) Skinner
B) Wundt
C) James
D) Freud

Answer 3

Wundt

Question 4

The psychological perspective that emphasizes objective, observable environmental influences of overt behavior is called the __________________________

A) psychodynamic perspective
B) functionalist perspective.
C) overt perspective.
D) behavioral perspective.

Question 5

The sound of music makes your feet start tapping. A behaviorist would say that the music is a _____, because it causes you to start foot-tapping.

A) stimulus
B) activating event
C) sound
D) organismic event

Question 6

In your textbook, the process of objectively evaluating, comparing, analyzing, and synthesizing information is called _____.

A) empiricism
B) science
C) critical thinking
D) mental processing

Question 7

The belief that the unconscious mind has an influence on one's behavior is part of what theory of personality?

A) Psychobiological
B) Psychosocial
C) Psychoanalytic
D) Psychobehavioral

Question 8

Psychotherapy or "talk therapy" was developed by whom as a way to deal with unconscious conflicts?

A) B. F. Skinner
B) Carl Rogers
C) William James
D) Sigmund Freud

Question 9

Dr. John Watson, from the _____ school of psychology, focused on objective, observable behavior rather than on the unconscious.

A) behavioral
B) cognitive
C) developmental
D) conditional

Question 10

Modern-day psychology emphasizes:

A) common sense
B) psychic phenomena
C) controlling behavior
D) critical thinking

Question 11

Diane is keeping an in-depth record of her conscious awareness, including the basic sensations, images, feelings, and thoughts that she is aware of experiencing. Diane is practicing what Wundt would call _________.

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

Question 12

Which of the following is a mental process?

A) Remembering
B) Speaking
C) Reading
D) All of the above

Question 13

Dr. Kaplan makes up her responses to radio listeners, using mostly her own "common sense", personal beliefs, and values-rather than scientific research. This practice is more like _____ than _____.

A) fraud; vice
B) pseudopsychology; psychology
C) illegal behavior; legal behavior
D) psychology; parapsychology

Question 14

Structuralism, although short-lived, made an important contribution to the science of psychology because it ________________.

A) established a model for the scientific study of mental processes
B) showed how separate thoughts combined to form an idea
C) explained why individuals experience stimuli differently
D) highlighted why different scientific methods are needed to study children and animals versus studying adult humans

Question 15

_____ investigates how mental processes help people adapt to their environment.

A) Structuralism
B) Gestalt
C) Cognitive processing
D) Functionalism

Question 16

Functionalism made an important contribution to the science of psychology because it ____________________

A) explained why different individuals experience stimuli differently.
B) drew the line between branches of psychology so each had its own function.
C) expanded the scope of psychology to consider such topics as emotion and observable behavior.
D) specified precisely the scope of psychology as dealing with mental processes.

Question 17

The psychological school of thought called structuralism is associated with _____ and engages in the method of studying experience called _____.

A) Wundt and James; introspection
B) Titchner and James; introspection
C) Freud and Jung; introspection
D) Wundt and Titchener; introspection

Question 18

The term introspection means _______________

A) looking inward
B) elements of thought
C) metronome
D) looking outward

Question 19

The clinician who was fascinated by the ability of the unconscious mind to influence the body was ________________.

A) Edward Titchner
B) Sigmund Freud
C) William James
D) B. F. Skinner

Question 20

The psychoanalytic/psychodynamic perspective is associated with _____.

A) Freud
B) Skinner
C) Watson
D) Williams

Question 21

A group of children gather around an elder to hear stories in one part of the world, whereas elsewhere children file into a classroom to learn about history from a teacher. Which psychological perspective would MOST emphasize these environmental factors as important in shaping behavior?

A) Behavioral
B) Sociocultural
C) Environmental
D) Evolutionary

Question 22

Biopsychologists emphasize _____.

A) that behavior is the result of genetics and physiological processes occurring in the brain and nervous system
B) the belief that biology is destiny
C) the evolution of mental processes
D) that the way to understand human behavior is to first understand animal behavior

Question 23

Cognitive psychology focuses on ____.

A) Conflict within the unconscious mind.
B) The positive, creative, growth-seeking potential of human nature.
C) Mental processes, language, and perception.
D) Complex biochemical events involved in physical activities.

Question 24

Sociocultural psychology is the study of the _____ .

A) influence of culture and social interactions on people's behavior
B) superiority of some cultures over others
C) thinking of people as individuals
D) biological influence of experience on the mind

Question 25

The first woman to be recognized in psychology was _____.

A) Laura Schlesinger
B) Ruth Westheimer
C) Karen Horney
D) Mary Calkins

Question 26

The idea that depression is influenced by genetics and neurotransmitters, learned responses and thinking patterns, and socioeconomic status and culture represents the _____ model of psychology.

A) psychiatric
B) evolutionary
C) biopsychosocial
D) psychodynamic

Question 27

The psychological perspective that studies how we gather, encode, and store information is the ________ perspective.

A) cognitive
B) gestalt
C) concept formation
D) psychodynamic

Question 28

Which of the following terms belong together?

A) Structuralism: Observable behavior
B) Behaviorism: Stimulus-response
C) Psychoanalytic: Conscious conflict
D) Cognitive: Unconscious thought

Question 29

The first African American to earn a Ph.D. in psychology was _____.

A) Dr. Sumner
B) Dr. Titchener
C) Dr. Wundt
D) Dr. Marley

Question 30

The psychological perspective that emerged in the 1950s and stressed free will, self-actualization, and human nature as naturally positive and growth seeking was the __________ perspective.

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

Question 31

The model that likens the mind to a computer that sequentially takes in information , processes it, and then produces a response is called the .

A) stepwise model
B) information-processing model
C) cognitive-processing model
D) reasoning approach

Question 32

Structuralists and modern-day cognitive psychologists share interest in

A) affect, moods and feelings
B) sensation
C) overt behavior
D) the elements of thought

Question 33

Malcolm hits Jason because Jason took his toy. A psychologist from which psychological perspective would explain this behavior by pointing out that humans learned to behave aggressively because aggression conveys a survival or reproductive advantage?

A) A behavioral psychologist
B) A cognitive psychologist
C) A biopsychologist
D) An evolutionary psychologist

Question 34

Behaviorists were different conceptually from earlier psychologists for which reason?

A) They believed mental processes were too obscure to be studied scientifically.
B) They thought the influences of the unconscious mind could be studied scientifically.
C) They believed classical conditioning only applied to animals such as Pavlov's dogs.
D) They accepted the practice of introspection.

Question 35

According to your text, behaviorists have been most successful in treating people with problems such as _____________.

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

Question 36

A state of self-fulfillment in which we realize our highest potential, according to Abraham Maslow, is called _____.

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

Question 37

Natural selection, adaptation, and the evolution of behavior patterns are major emphases in the _____ perspective of psychology.

A) psychobiological
B) psychosocial
C) ecological
D) evolutionary

Question 38

According to the humanistic perspective, human behavior is determined by ________ causes.

A) voluntary
B) external
C) objective
D) psychoanalytic

Question 39

The scientific study of optimal human functioning is known as .

A) optimism
B) learned hopefulness
C) positive psychology
D) optimistic psychology

Question 40

Behaviorists are MOST successful in treating _______.

A) neuroses of the mind
B) overt behavior problems
C) low self-esteem
D) psychotic disorders

Question 41

Shirley examines learning, conditioning, motivation, emotion, sensation, and perception in humans and other animals. It is likely that Shirley is a(n) psychologist.

A) experimental
B) cultural
C) clinical
D) cognitive

Question 42

The term applied research is BEST defined as research that _____.

A) is designed to solve practical problems
B) is in the laboratory
C) studies psychological principles
D) none of these options

Question 43

This is a statistical procedure for combining and analyzing data from many studies.

A) Operational research
B) Recombinant analysis
C) Meta-analysis
D) Data synthesis

Question 44

Your text defines a hypothesis as a _____.

A) specific prediction about how one variable is related to another
B) precise definition of how variables will be observed and measured in a study
C) concept that explains previously gathered data
D) all of these options

Question 45

A new, integrative model that proposes that physiological and genetic, cognitive and emotional, and environmental factors all affect and are affected by one another is called the _______.

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

Question 46

Carlos and Bonita were intrigued by the results of a study about the biases people display toward work done by males compared to work done by females. They decided to perform the same study, following the same procedures, to see if they would get the same results. This is an example of _____.

A) an invalid research method
B) a replication of studies
C) plagiarism
D) a waste of research time and funding

Question 47

A systematic, interrelated set of concepts that explains a body of data is called a(n) .

A) algorithm
B) operational definition
C) hypothesis
D) theory

Question 48

The biopsychosocial model is known as a(n) _______.

A) integrative model
B) bad idea
C) consolidation model
D) historical perspective

Question 49

Shauna specializes in applying the principles of psychology to the legal system. Shauna is a _____________ psychologist.

A) Health
B) Forensic
C) Clinical
D) Developmental

Question 50

Lloyd is fascinated by interpersonal behavior, especially prejudice and other attitudes. It is likely that Lloyd is a(n) psychologist.

A) cultural
B) forensic
C) experimental
D) social

Question 51

Tara is in the 11th grade and is interested in studying the effects of text-messaging (rather than talking on the phone) on the quality of friendships. The FIRST step Tara would perform in order to follow the scientific method is ______.

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

Question 52

The term basic research is BEST defined as research that _____.

A) is basic to one field only
B) advances general scientific understanding
C) is done to get a grade or a tenured teaching position
D) solves basic problems encountered by humans and animals in a complex world

Question 53

A scientist who seeks knowledge for its own sake is conducting ________.

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

Question 54

Samantha specializes in evaluating, diagnosing, and treating mental and behavioral disorders. Samantha is a psychologist.

A) experimental
B) biopsychologist
C) clinical
D) developmental

Question 55

Replication increases scientific confidence in a theory if the _____.

A) citations are accurate
B) results are similar
C) statistics are accurate
D) statistics are significant

Question 56

If you prepared a study to determine ways to enhance athletic performance, you would be conducting _____ research.

A) independent
B) basic
C) dependent
D) applied

Question 57

The first step in the scientific method is ________ .

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

Question 58

If you prepared a study to determine which areas of the brain are used for working memory, you would be conducting _____ research.

A) dependent
B) independent
C) application
D) basic

Question 59

Dr. DiMassio is studying PET (brain) scans in patients with schizophrenia and comparing them to PET scans in people who have no psychological disorders. It is likely that Dr. DiMassio is a _____.

A) health psychologist
B) developmental psychologist
C) biopsychologist
D) psychologist

Question 60

Which of the following is one of the major contemporary perspectives in psychology?

A) behavioral
B) evolutionary
C) biological
D) they are all contemporary perspectives in psychology

Question 61

A survey is a(n) _____.

A) experimental technique for sampling a population's attitudes
B) research technique for assessing behaviors and attitudes of a sample or population
C) non-correlational research technique for sampling a wide variety of populations
D) unreliable and invalid research technique, usually used by magazines and political or commercial pollsters

Question 62

Maria is thinking of running for student body president, but she wonders whether her campaign should emphasize campus security, improved parking facilities, or increased health services. Which scientific method of research would you recommend she use to determine the focus of her campaign?

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

Question 63

The main advantage of naturalistic observation is that it _____.

A) eliminates extraneous variables
B) allows researchers to obtain data about natural behavior
C) is less time-consuming and expensive than other research methods
D) all of these options

Question 64

You believe that most behaviors are a product of one's environment; your best friend argues that behaviors are a result of heredity. This is an example of _____.

A) the nature-nurture controversy
B) applied vs. basic research
C) the social-cultural controversy
D) an objective vs. subjective argument

Question 65

Surveys can be used to _____ behavior.

A) describe
B) explain
C) explain and change
D) change

Question 66

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

A) Conducting a survey to determine how many people use medications for depression.
B) Exploring the function of cutting behavior in a teenager's life so the teenager can understand her/his options and makes 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 67

Numerous studies have been conducted on student test-taking behavior. The data from these studies have been compiled, and researchers have developed a set of concepts to explain this interrelated data and generate testable questions to verify these concepts. This set of concepts is called a(n) _____.

A) hypothesis
B) experimental study
C) abstract
D) theory

Question 68

When a scientist chooses among using natural observation, case studies, surveys, or experimental method, (s)he is choosing the best for her study.

A) hypothesis
B) theory
C) algorithm
D) research design

Question 69

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

A) conduct an in-depth study of a single subject receiving an experimental treatment
B) observe participants as they behave naturally in the laboratory
C) observe and systematically record behavior in a participant's natural state or habitat
D) none of these options

Question 70

A research student is assigned the task of watching and recording the interactions among members of a koala family on an Australian plantation. This research is known as _____.

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

Question 71

Stephanie wants to observe how her 2-year-old, Olivia, is behaving at daycare, so she sits in the back of the room to observe. Which research strategy is Stephanie trying to use?

A) Correlational study
B) Experiment
C) Naturalistic observation
D) Survey

Question 72

Hsao-Wei was sent to the school psychologist to be tested. Based on her IQ score, she was placed in a program for gifted children. This is an example of which goal of psychology?

A) Describing behavior
B) Explaining behavior
C) Predicting behavior
D) Changing behavior

Question 73

_____ research observes and records behaviors without manipulating variables or producing cause- and-effect explanations.

A) Descriptive
B) Empirical
C) Independent
D) Dependent

Question 74

Jack is studying psychology and wants to see how people behave when his friend enters an elevator and keeps her back to the door versus behavior when she stands near a doorway between classes. His research method is ____________ .

A) naturalistic observation
B) survey
C) case study
D) experimental

Question 75

A process in that avoids an "either/or position" and focuses instead on multiple factors that mutually influence one another and the outcome is called _____.

A) empiricism
B) psychology
C) interaction
D) behaviorism

Question 76

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

A) Giving an interest-inventory (test) at a college counseling center to determine what career or college choices would best suit a student
B) Conducting an experiment to determine if watching violent cartoons increases aggressive behavior in preschoolers
C) Videotaping an intersection with four-way stop signs and measuring the ratio of complete to incomplete stops made by drivers
D) Sending first-time drug offenders to an inpatient treatment program rather than to jail

Question 77

What is one advantage of survey research that was mentioned in your text?

A) Surveys can identify causes of behavior
B) Surveys can provide more in-depth information than other research methods.
C) Surveys can identify subject bias.
D) Surveys can be used on larger samples than other research methods.

Question 78

Timothy has been reluctant to ask or answer questions in the classroom because when he spoke in his second-grade class, his peers laughed at him. This is a demonstration of which goal of psychology?

A) Describing behavior
B) Explaining behavior
C) Predicting behavior
D) Changing behavior

Question 79

If you wanted to study someone with a rare disorder such as photophobia (the fear of light), your BEST research option would be a/an _____.

A) experimental study
B) correlational study
C) case study
D) survey

Question 80

According to your textbook, the goals of psychology are to _____.

A) explore the conscious and unconscious functions of the human mind
B) understand, compare, control, and analyze human behavior
C) improve psychological well-being in all individuals from conception to death
D) describe, explain, predict, and change behavior