Deck 1: Introduction to Psychology

Question 1

Psychology is defined as the:

A) intuition-based approach to study human behavior.
B) speculative method to find answers about human cognition.
C) study of mental disorders and their treatment.
D) scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Answer 1

scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Question 2

A single-sentence definition of psychology may be misleading because:

A) it is very difficult to study the mind and behavior scientifically.
B) psychology is a narrower,more specific field than a general definition might suggest.
C) psychologists disagree on how broad psychology should really be.
D) the discipline of psychology really has no core or center.

Answer 2

psychologists disagree on how broad psychology should really be.

Question 3

Enterprise City has been hard hit by a recent economic downturn.Local psychologists are holding a public workshop to help the citizens cope with the adversity.Dr.Kurutz is outlining strategies to help adults who have been laid off avoid overeating and the use of drugs or alcohol.Dr.Kurutz is most likely a(n)_____ psychologist.

A) experimental
B) cross-cultural
C) social
D) health

Answer 3

health

Question 4

Which of the following subfields of psychology is CORRECTLY matched with a sample topic?

A) Behavioral neuroscience: the influence of chronic stress on physical health
B) Developmental psychology: the effectiveness of drug therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder
C) Cognitive psychology: the influence of an event on people's thinking
D) Health psychology: the role that frustration plays in producing aggression

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT one of the goals of psychology?

A) Obfuscation
B) Description
C) Prediction
D) Explanation

Question 6

Dr.Chen studies how people grow and change during late adolescence and young adulthood.Dr.Doherty focuses on several traits that distinguish one person from another.Dr.Chen is a(n)_____ psychologist;Dr.Doherty is a _____.

A) experimental psychologist;cognitive psychologist
B) health psychologist;clinical psychologist
C) developmental psychologist;personality psychologist
D) clinical psychologist;counseling psychologist

Question 7

In order to study mind and behavior,psychologists:

A) rely on the scientific method.
B) use their intuition.
C) rely on the study of internal medicine.
D) use speculation.

Question 8

How are cognitive and experimental psychology related?

A) They are the same.
B) They are two completely distinct subfields of psychology.
C) Cognitive psychology is part of experimental psychology.
D) Experimental psychology is part of cognitive psychology.

Question 9

Which branch of psychology explores the relationship between psychological factors and physical ailments or disease?

A) Developmental psychology
B) Health psychology
C) Perceptual psychology
D) Clinical neuropsychology

Question 10

Dr.Alvarez studies how the degeneration of certain components of nerve cells in the brain might contribute to the development of multiple sclerosis.Dr.Alvarez's work BEST exemplifies the _____ subfield of psychology.

A) cognitive
B) experimental
C) developmental
D) behavioral neuroscience

Question 11

Personality psychology:

A) focuses primarily on educational,social,and career adjustment problems.
B) focuses on the consistency in people's behavior over time and the traits that differentiate one person from another.
C) focuses on higher mental processes,including thinking,memory,reasoning,problem solving,judging,decision making,and language.
D) deals with the study,diagnosis,and treatment of psychological disorders.

Question 12

Developmental psychology:

A) focuses primarily on educational,social,and career adjustment problems.
B) studies how people grow and change from the moment of conception through death.
C) focuses on higher mental processes,including thinking,memory,reasoning,problem solving,judging,decision making,and language.
D) deals with the study,diagnosis,and treatment of psychological disorders.

Question 13

Why is the term experimental psychologist considered somewhat misleading?

A) Psychologists in every subfield use the experimental method.
B) The term is no longer in existence.
C) Most psychological topics are not suited to experimental study.
D) Experimental methods are only appropriate to the study of the biological bases of behavior.

Question 14

Dr.Ebrahim examines how children's friendships change through elementary and middle-school years.Dr.Ebrahim is a(n)_____ psychologist.

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

Question 15

Akira has declared psychology as his major.He will be studying:

A) internal medicine.
B) behavior and mental processes.
C) mental disorders and their diagnosis and treatment.
D) the disorders of the central nervous system.

Question 16

Which of the following branches of psychology studies the processes of sensing,perceiving,learning,and thinking about the world?

A) Behavioral neuroscience
B) Developmental psychology
C) Experimental psychology
D) Health psychology

Question 17

In what way are the diverse subfields of psychology related?

A) They allow psychologists to explain different types of behavior in the same way.
B) They ultimately share a common goal.
C) They always lead to an M.D.(Doctor of Medicine)degree.
D) They are not related at all other than being considered part of psychology.

Question 18

At a conference on terrorism research,a panel of psychologists is discussing suicide bombers.Dr.Gerami outlines the role of charismatic leaders in encouraging the actions of suicide bombers.Dr.Hespeler argues that sometimes suicide bombing may be seen as a rational response to a particular system of beliefs.Finally,Dr.Islington reviews the internal traits associated with suicide bombing.Which of the following alternatives BEST identifies the subfields in which each of these psychologists probably specializes?

A) Dr.Gerami: personality psychology;Dr.Hespeler: cross-cultural psychology;Dr.Islington: social psychology
B) Dr.Gerami: social psychology;Dr.Hespeler: personality psychology;Dr.Islington: cross-cultural psychology
C) Dr.Gerami: social psychology;Dr.Hespeler: cross-cultural psychology;Dr.Islington: personality psychology
D) Dr.Gerami: cross-cultural psychology;Dr.Hespeler: experimental psychology;Dr.Islington: personality psychology

Question 19

_____ psychology focuses on higher mental processes,including thinking,memory,reasoning,problem solving,judging,decision making,and language.

A) Developmental
B) Personality
C) Clinical
D) Cognitive

Question 20

Which of the following subfields of psychology is INCORRECTLY matched with its description?

A) Behavioral neuroscience: examines the relationship between the nervous system and behavior
B) Cognitive: examines how people grow and change from conception through death
C) Experimental: examines the processes of sensing,perceiving,learning,and thinking
D) Clinical: deals with the study,diagnosis,and treatment of psychological disorders

Question 21

Counseling psychologists are more likely than clinical psychologists to practice in:

A) hospitals.
B) laboratories.
C) offices.
D) colleges.

Question 22

Dr.Growe is reading about a research study in which psychologists investigated the effect of group size on the conformity of group members.Dr.Growe is most likely reading the Journal of _____ Psychology.

A) Developmental
B) Social
C) Counseling
D) Evolutionary

Question 23

Which of the following areas of psychology focuses on the biological mechanisms that enable inherited behavior to unfold?

A) Clinical neuropsychology
B) Behavioral genetics
C) Cognitive psychology
D) Experimental psychology

Question 24

Clinical neuropsychology:

A) focuses primarily on educational,social,and career adjustment problems.
B) considers how behavior is influenced by our genetic inheritance from our ancestors.
C) seeks to understand how we might inherit certain behavioral traits.
D) focuses on the origin of psychological disorders in biological factors.

Question 25

Fiona helps students with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)develop effective study regimens and strategies.Fiona is most likely a(n)_____ psychologist.

A) health
B) experimental
C) developmental
D) counseling

Question 26

Dr.Hart investigates how depressive disorders are related to levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain.Dr.Hart's research falls within the field of:

A) clinical neuropsychology.
B) behavioral genetics.
C) cognitive psychology.
D) experimental psychology.

Question 27

Dr.Lin and Dr.Marino both study obesity.Dr.Lin relates the likelihood of obesity to levels of the trait of neuroticism,the tendency to experience upsetting emotions.Dr.Marino relates obesity to the frequency with which individuals eat alone,with family members,or in the presence of larger groups of friends,acquaintances,or strangers.Which of the following statements is most likely TRUE regarding the subfields in which the researchers specialize?

A) Dr.Marino is a social psychologist.
B) Dr.Lin is a social psychologist.
C) Dr.Marino is a personality psychologist.
D) Dr.Lin is a behavioral psychologist.

Question 28

Beatriz has just received her doctoral degree in psychology.All else being equal,in which of the following settings is she most likely to find employment?

A) A college/university
B) The military
C) A hospital
D) A large business corporation

Question 29

Which of the following is NOT one of the three newer branches of psychology's family tree?

A) Counseling psychology
B) Behavioral genetics
C) Evolutionary psychology
D) Clinical neuropsychology

Question 30

How do clinical and counseling psychology differ?

A) Clinical psychology requires more advanced study than does counseling psychology.
B) Clinical psychologists have a PhD or an MD degree,whereas counseling psychologists have a PsyD degree.
C) Counseling psychologists deal with problems that are more specific than the problems that clinical psychologists deal with.
D) Clinical and counseling psychology are synonymous.

Question 31

Approximately how many psychologists are there in the United States?

A) 50,000
B) 100,000
C) 300,000
D) 600,000

Question 32

The local state university has opened a new center devoted to the study and treatment of obesity,a major public health problem in the area.Dr.Nolan is researching the potential of a drug that influences the activity of hunger centers in the brain's hypothalamus.Dr.Osterman attempts to uncover the unconscious conflicts that may spur compulsive eating.Which of the following statements best describes the orientations of these two psychologists?

A) Dr.Nolan is a clinical neuropsychologist;Dr.Osterman is a psychodynamic psychologist.
B) Dr.Nolan is a clinical neuropsychologist;Dr.Osterman is a counseling psychologist.
C) Dr.Nolan is a social psychologist;Dr.Osterman is a humanistic psychologist.
D) Dr.Nolan is a behavioral psychologist;Dr.Osterman is a psychodynamic psychologist.

Question 33

Charles Darwin's book On the Origin of Species was published in _____.

A) 1529
B) 1739
C) 1859
D) 1939

Question 34

Evolutionary psychologists are especially interested in:

A) how behavior is influenced by our genetic inheritance from our ancestors.
B) how physical characteristics have a genetic basis.
C) how thought and behavior are influenced by the structure of the brain.
D) how personality traits and social behavior vary across cultures.

Question 35

What might be the most controversial aspect of the evolutionary psychology position?

A) They hold the notion that our evolutionary heritage influences our physical characteristics.
B) They promote the idea that our evolutionary heritage might influence aspects of our behavioral and mental processes.
C) Evolutionary psychologists downplay the influence of biological inheritance on thought and behavior.
D) Evolutionary psychologists minimize the role of environmental and social forces.

Question 36

Which of the following areas is CORRECTLY matched with its description?

A) Evolutionary psychology: focuses on the biological mechanisms enabling inherited behavior to unfold
B) Behavioral genetics: considers how our behavior is influenced by our genetic heritage from our ancestors
C) Clinical neuropsychology: focuses on the biological origin of psychological disorders
D) Cross-cultural psychology: examines the genetic basis of behavioral disorders

Question 37

_____ psychologists concentrate on diverse topics such as human aggression,liking and loving,persuasion,and conformity.

A) Counseling
B) Social
C) Evolutionary
D) Clinical

Question 38

Social psychology:

A) focuses primarily on educational,social,and career adjustment problems.
B) deals with the study,diagnosis,and treatment of psychological disorders.
C) investigates the similarities and differences in psychological functioning in and across various cultures and ethnic groups.
D) is the study of how people's thoughts,feelings,and actions are affected by others.

Question 39

Central State University's Department of Psychology is considering expanding its doctoral program to include an additional specialty.The department wants to focus on a "growth" area likely to attract federal research funding as well as up-and-coming new faculty and bright,passionate graduate students.Which of the following specialties should the department consider most closely?

A) Developmental psychology
B) Evolutionary psychology
C) Perceptual psychology
D) Clinical neuropsychology

Question 40

In what way,if any,do evolutionary psychologists go beyond Darwin's arguments?

A) They suggest that culture influences the nature of behavioral and mental processes.
B) They argue that our genetic heritage influences our physical characteristics.
C) They argue that our genetic inheritance determines aspects of our personality and social behavior.
D) They do not go beyond Darwin's original arguments.

Question 41

Wundt began operating the first psychology lab in _____.

A) 1459
B) 1739
C) 1879
D) 1902

Question 42

Which figure best approximates the percentage of American psychologists who belong to racial minority groups?

A) 6%
B) 15%
C) 25%
D) 32%

Question 43

Kristen is a psychology major.Immediately following graduation,she will most likely:

A) join the workforce.
B) feel that her job is unrelated to her psychology background.
C) continue to graduate school.
D) remain unemployed.

Question 44

Callie works in the field of psychology.All else being equal,there is about a _____chance that her highest degree is a master's degree.

A) one-fifth
B) one-fourth
C) one-third
D) one-sixth

Question 45

The formal beginning of psychology is associated with:

A) Wundt.
B) James.
C) Descartes.
D) Ebbinghaus.

Question 46

Which of the following statements concerning the representation of racial and ethnic minorities among American psychologists is TRUE?

A) The number of minority members entering the field is about the same as it was 10 years ago.
B) The number of minority members entering the field is higher than it was 10 years ago.
C) The increase in the number of degrees awarded to minority members has outpaced the growth of the minority population.
D) The number of minority members entering the field has decreased over the years.

Question 47

The most common employment sector for students graduating with a bachelor's degree in psychology is _____.

A) education
B) business
C) the local government
D) social services

Question 48

Psychology majors are highly valued by employers because they can:

A) strategize effectively.
B) think critically.
C) help other workers with their personal problems.
D) communicate effectively with their co-workers.

Question 49

Dr.Leleux asserts that psychologists should attempt to identify the fundamental attributes of mental experience.Dr.Leleux appears most sympathetic to the _____ perspective in psychology.

A) functionalist
B) prescriptive
C) structuralist
D) humanistic

Question 50

Which of the following locations is associated with the formal beginning of psychology?

A) China
B) Germany
C) Spain
D) England

Question 51

The phrase tabula rasa may be translated as:

A) red tablet.
B) raised table.
C) new table.
D) blank slate.

Question 52

Which of the following individuals is LEAST likely to be a psychologist?

A) Dionne,who holds a PhD degree
B) Everett,who has an MD degree
C) Fallon,who graduated with a PsyD degree
D) Melinda who has written a dissertation on drug abuse and is now teaching at a university

Question 53

It is the year 2029.At the American Psychological Association's annual conference,a special keynote address commemorates the 150th anniversary of a historic event in psychology's early days.Which of the following is the event celebrated in the address?

A) Wundt's operation of the first psychology laboratory
B) Charles Darwin's publication of the On the Origin of Species
C) G.S.Hall's founding of the American Psychological Association
D) Pavlov's discovery of classical conditioning

Question 54

_____ is a procedure used to study the structure of the mind in which subjects are asked to describe in detail what they are experiencing when they are exposed to a stimulus.

A) Inner perception
B) Introspection
C) Internal observation
D) Intervention

Question 55

Today,around _____% of new master's degrees and _____% of new doctorate degrees are awarded to people of color.

A) 50;15
B) 20;16
C) 32;8
D) 50;25

Question 56

Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding the difference between the PhD and the PsyD degrees?

A) A PhD requires more years of study than a PsyD.
B) A PhD requires a dissertation based on an original investigation.
C) Fewer people earn a PhD than a PsyD.
D) A PhD is obtained by psychologists who wish to focus exclusively on the treatment of psychological disorders.

Question 57

_____ believed that children were born into the world with minds like "blank slates" and that their experiences determined what kind of adults they would become.

A) Locke
B) Plato
C) Wundt
D) Descartes

Question 58

The field of phrenology is associated with:

A) Gall.
B) Wundt.
C) Descartes.
D) Ebbinghaus.

Question 59

How is the diversity of psychology limited in the United States?

A) Racial and ethnic minorities are underrepresented among psychologists.
B) The majority of psychologists are male.
C) Psychologists in the United States far outnumber those in all other countries combined.
D) Most research is conducted outside the United States.

Question 60

Currently,women earn _____ of new psychology doctorate degrees in the United States.

A) one-tenth
B) half
C) three-fourth
D) ninety percent

Question 61

Which of the following psychologists is associated with functionalism?

A) William James
B) Max Wertheimer
C) Hermann Ebbinghaus
D) Wilhelm Wundt

Question 62

Donna-Lynn is preparing a visual display of psychology's early history.One panel is headed "The Gay '90s." It portrays developments in the 1890s.Another panel is titled "The Roaring '20s." It is devoted to the 1920s.Which theoretical perspectives in psychology should appear in each of these panels?

A) Gay '90s: functionalism;Roaring '20s: Gestalt psychology
B) Gay '90s: behaviorism;Roaring '20s: structuralism
C) Gay '90s: functionalism;Roaring '20s: behaviorism
D) Gay '90s: Gestalt psychology;Roaring '20s: structuralism

Question 63

Contributions of the psychodynamic perspective include all of the following EXCEPT:

A) a way to understand and treat certain types of psychological disorders.
B) a way to understand such phenomena as prejudice and aggression.
C) a revolutionary effect on 20th-century thinking not only in psychology but in related fields as well.
D) a way to look at behavior in a more concrete,objective fashion.

Question 64

Which of the following was a disadvantage of introspection?

A) Introspection was a complicated process.
B) Introspection was time consuming.
C) Introspection was too simplistic.
D) Introspection was not truly scientific.

Question 65

The neuroscience perspective:

A) suggests that all individuals naturally strive to grow,develop,and be in control of their lives and behavior.
B) focuses on how people think,understand,and know about the world.
C) considers how people and nonhumans function biologically.
D) argues that behavior is motivated by inner forces and conflicts about which we have little awareness or control.

Question 66

The approach that views behavior from the perspective of the brain,the nervous system,and other biological functions is known as the _____ perspective.

A) psychodynamic
B) nature-nurture
C) cognitive
D) neuroscience

Question 67

The Gestalt psychologists made substantial contribution to our understanding of:

A) memory.
B) perception.
C) emotion.
D) motivation.

Question 68

Which of the following statements is TRUE of the structuralist perspective of psychology?

A) The structuralist perspective was supplanted by other views.
B) The structuralist perspective triumphed over alternative ones.
C) The structuralist perspective continues to coexist with other views in psychology.
D) The structuralist perspective has waned somewhat,but it still remains influential today.

Question 69

Which perspective below is CORRECTLY matched with its description?

A) Structuralism: emphasized what the mind does
B) Functionalism: emphasized the elements of mental experience
C) Humanism: emphasized the unconscious determinants of behavior
D) Gestalt psychology: emphasized the organization of perception

Question 70

Which of the following figures best approximates the number of major perspectives in psychology?

A) One or two
B) About five
C) A dozen or so
D) As many as there are psychologists

Question 71

Which contemporary perspective is CORRECTLY matched with its description?

A) Psychodynamic perspective: emphasizes the automatic response of an individual to environmental stimuli
B) Humanistic perspective: emphasizes how people know,understand,and think about the world
C) Behavioral perspective: emphasizes observable behavior and objectivity
D) Neuroscience perspective: emphasizes that behavior is motivated by inner forces and conflicts about which we have little awareness or control.

Question 72

A time travel mishap lands you at one of the first psychology conferences ever held,sometime at the dawn of the 20th century.The graying older scientists slowly losing their grip on the field are most likely _____,whereas the passionate young up-and-comers are probably _____.

A) structuralists;functionalists
B) functionalists;developmentalists
C) humanists;structuralists
D) humanists;functionalists

Question 73

Gestalt psychology may be seen as a reaction to _____.

A) the psychodynamic perspective
B) humanism
C) functionalism
D) structuralism

Question 74

Noreen asserts that our behavior is motivated by inner forces and conflicts about which we have little awareness or control.This viewpoint is most consistent with the _____ perspective in psychology.

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

Question 75

In the context of the psychology of emotion,William James and John Dewey would be most interested in:

A) the contribution of unconscious memories to one's emotional experience.
B) the basic nature of an emotional feeling or experience.
C) how behavior aids one's adaptation to the environment.
D) the organization of perception and thinking in a "whole" sense.

Question 76

_____ is an early approach to psychology that concentrated on what the mind does and the role of behavior in allowing people to adapt to their environments.

A) Structuralism
B) Functionalism
C) Introspection
D) Gestalt psychology

Question 77

Which perspective most immediately replaced structuralism in the early days of scientific psychology?

A) Behaviorism
B) Humanism
C) Functionalism
D) Gestalt psychology

Question 78

Lassandra takes a sip of cola."Sweet...cold,wet,tingly...slightly bitter," she reports.Lassandra is:

A) introspecting.
B) demonstrating functionalism.
C) defining umami.
D) taking an intelligence test.

Question 79

To many people who have never taken a psychology course,psychology begins and ends with the _____ perspective.

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

Question 80

Which of the following approaches to psychology might have been most likely to remind the audience that "the whole is different than the sum of the parts"?

A) Phrenology
B) Functionalism
C) Structuralism
D) Gestalt psychology