Deck 1: The History and Scope of Psychology

Question 1

The empirical approach is best described as

A) a system for examining assumptions and discerning hidden values.
B) a method of self-reflective introspection.
C) an evidence-based method that draws on observation and experimentation.
D) the study of the evolved functions of our thoughts and feelings.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Recognizing that our explanations for our own and others' behaviors may be incorrect best illustrates an element of the scientific attitude known as

A) practicality.
B) self-control.
C) humility.
D) curiosity.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Critical thinkers can best be described as

A) questioning.
B) cynical.
C) pessimistic.
D) impatient.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Research participants who carefully observe and report their immediate thoughts and feelings in response to different musical sounds are using the method known as

A) spaced practice.
B) psychoanalysis.
C) introspection.
D) natural selection.

Question 5

Edward Titchener used the method of introspection to identify

A) inherited traits.
B) maladaptive behaviors.
C) unconscious motives.
D) sensory experiences.

Question 6

Structuralism used a method known as ________ to reveal the basic elements of the mind.

A) massed practice
B) positive psychology
C) introspection
D) psychoanalysis

Question 7

One of your professors has used observational evidence to justify a cause-effect conclusion.Questioning the validity of drawing this conclusion from the evidence best illustrates

A) critical thinking.
B) a biopsychosocial approach.
C) Freudian psychology.
D) introspection.

Question 8

One of the earliest schools of thought in psychology was

A) psychiatry.
B) structuralism.
C) cognitive neuroscience.
D) humanistic psychology.

Question 9

Edward Titchener trained people to report elements of their experience and promoted a school of thought known as

A) behaviorism.
B) structuralism.
C) functionalism.
D) humanistic psychology.

Question 10

The term used to indicate smart thinking is

A) critical thinking.
B) introspection.
C) speculation.
D) emergent thinking.

Question 11

Using scientific methods to investigate the claim that an optimistic outlook on life improves people's physical health best illustrates

A) a psychodynamic perspective.
B) an empirical approach.
C) behavior genetics.
D) functionalism.

Question 12

As scientists,psychologists adopt an attitude of skepticism because they believe that

A) people are unlikely to reveal what they are really thinking.
B) most commonsense ideas about human behavior are wrong.
C) claims about human behavior need to be supported with evidence.
D) people usually have ulterior motives for acting.

Question 13

The first psychology laboratory was established by

A) John Watson.
B) Wilhelm Wundt.
C) Sigmund Freud.
D) Jean Piaget.

Question 14

Which school of psychology attempted to identify the basic elements of the mind?

A) structuralism
B) functionalism
C) behaviorism
D) psychoanalysis

Question 15

Psychologists attempt to let the facts speak for themselves by using an approach that is best described as

A) empirical.
B) psychodynamic.
C) introspective.
D) clinical.

Question 16

Which research method waned in popularity because its results varied when the technique was used by different people?

A) overlearning
B) introspection
C) behavior genetics
D) spaced practice

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT a component of the scientific attitude?

A) curiosity
B) skepticism
C) humility
D) speculation

Question 18

A refusal to consider potential evidence that might conflict with one's preconceived ideas best illustrates a lack of

A) a psychodynamic perspective.
B) critical thinking.
C) culture.
D) introspection.

Question 19

Heather claims that her dreams accurately predict future events.Her sister insists that Heather's belief needs to be empirically tested.Heather's sister best illustrates the scientific attitude of

A) pride.
B) skepticism.
C) practicality.
D) introspection.

Question 20

When psychologists insist that "the rat is always right," they are emphasizing the scientific attitude of

A) humility.
B) respect for animals.
C) curiosity.
D) skepticism.

Question 21

Investigating whether a dog could be conditioned to bark when it detected the odor of a specific narcotic drug would have been of most direct interest to the school of thought known as

A) functionalism.
B) structuralism.
C) behaviorism.
D) Freudian psychology.

Question 22

Functionalism is to structuralism as ________ is to Edward Titchener.

A) John Locke
B) B.F.Skinner
C) William James
D) John B.Watson

Question 23

The early branch of psychology that focused on our human need for love and acceptance and on environments that nurture or limit personal growth was called

A) behaviorism.
B) cognitive psychology.
C) humanistic psychology.
D) Freudian psychology.

Question 24

Who was the first female president of the American Psychological Association?

A) Margaret Floy Washburn
B) Mary Whiton Calkins
C) Jean Piaget
D) Margaret James

Question 25

Early behaviorists such as John B.Watson would have been LEAST likely to encourage research that focused on

A) maladaptive eating habits.
B) the meaning of frightening dreams.
C) effective parenting techniques.
D) crime-deterring legal practices.

Question 26

The early school of psychology that focused on how mental and behavioral processes enable us to adapt and survive was called

A) behaviorism.
B) structuralism.
C) behavior genetics.
D) functionalism.

Question 27

The mind's defenses against its own unconscious wishes and impulses were of special interest to

A) John B.Watson.
B) Charles Darwin.
C) Sigmund Freud.
D) B.F.Skinner.

Question 28

Who would agree with the statement,"What you cannot observe and measure,you cannot scientifically study?"

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

Question 29

Who authored The Animal Mind?

A) William James
B) Margaret Floy Washburn
C) Mary Whiton Calkins
D) B.F.Skinner

Question 30

B.F.Skinner was a prominent American

A) psychiatrist.
B) behaviorist.
C) cognitive neuroscientist.
D) structuralist.

Question 31

The early school of psychology known as functionalism was promoted by

A) Wilhelm Wundt.
B) William James.
C) John B.Watson.
D) Carl Rogers.

Question 32

Which early school of thought in psychology would have been most interested in exploring the adaptive value of our human capacity for self-awareness?

A) behaviorism
B) behavior genetics
C) structuralism
D) functionalism

Question 33

William James was primarily concerned with the ________ of the mind.

A) functions
B) elements
C) disorders
D) biological origins

Question 34

Who dismissed introspection and redefined psychology as "the scientific study of observable behavior"?

A) Watson and Skinner
B) Freud and James
C) Wundt and Titchener
D) Rogers and Maslow

Question 35

The value of introspection was most clearly dismissed by

A) Freudian psychologists.
B) functionalists.
C) structuralists.
D) behaviorists.

Question 36

The study of inner thoughts and feelings is to the study of observable behavior as Edward Titchener is to

A) John B.Watson.
B) William James.
C) Sigmund Freud.
D) Wilhelm Wundt.

Question 37

The pioneering memory researcher Mary Whiton Calkins was denied the ________ Ph.D.degree she had earned under the mentorship of _________.

A) University of Leipzig;Wilhelm Wundt
B) Radcliffe College;John B.Watson
C) Harvard University;William James
D) Cornell University;Edward Titchener

Question 38

Humanistic psychologists such as ________ emphasized people's growth potential.

A) Wundt and Titchener
B) Freud and James
C) Rogers and Maslow
D) Watson and Skinner

Question 39

The first woman to receive a Ph.D.in psychology,who later wrote an influential book,The Animal Mind.was

A) Mary Whiton Calkins.
B) Rosalie Rayner.
C) Margaret Floy Washburn.
D) Jean Piaget.

Question 40

Which of the following was the most contemporary branch of psychology?

A) behaviorism
B) cognitive psychology
C) humanistic psychology
D) Freudian psychology

Question 41

Psychology developed from the more established fields of philosophy and biology.For example,________ was an American philosopher and ________ was an Austrian physician.

A) Wilhelm Wundt;Ivan Pavlov
B) William James;Sigmund Freud
C) B.F.Skinner;John B.Watson
D) John Locke;René Descartes

Question 42

Wilhelm Wundt was both a

A) psychoanalyst and psychiatrist.
B) physiologist and philosopher.
C) sociologist and psychiatrist.
D) theologian and philosopher.

Question 43

Do psychological differences between men and women result from biological influences or social influences? This question most clearly involves a debate over the issue of

A) conscious and unconscious thought.
B) observation and introspection.
C) behavior and mental processes.
D) nature and nurture.

Question 44

In exploring human behavior,contemporary psychologists rely most heavily on

A) introspection.
B) psychoanalysis.
C) massed practice.
D) scientific methods.

Question 45

Which school of thought most clearly emphasized the study of mental processes,such as occur when we perceive,learn,remember,think,communicate,and solve problems?

A) behaviorism
B) functionalism
C) cognitive psychology
D) humanistic psychology

Question 46

Ivan Pavlov pioneered the study of

A) learning.
B) perception.
C) personality.
D) mental illness.

Question 47

Which philosopher concluded that certain ideas were inborn?

A) Aristotle
B) Plato
C) Locke
D) Watson

Question 48

Behavior is to mental processes as ________ is to ________.

A) nature;nurture
B) sensation;memory
C) talking;understanding
D) clinical psychology;psychiatry

Question 49

Studying the impact of natural selection on the development of behaviors and mental processes that we humans have in common is of most central interest to

A) humanistic psychology.
B) social psychology.
C) community psychology.
D) evolutionary psychology.

Question 50

Nature is to nurture as ________ is to _________.

A) behavior;mental processes
B) psychology;psychiatry
C) biology;experience
D) reason;emotion

Question 51

The science of behavior and mental processes is called

A) naturalistic observation.
B) natural selection.
C) behaviorism.
D) psychology.

Question 52

Studying the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior is of most central interest to

A) cognitive neuroscience.
B) behavior genetics.
C) evolutionary psychology.
D) behaviorism.

Question 53

Unlike Plato,Aristotle emphasized that knowledge is a product of

A) logical reasoning.
B) inborn ideas.
C) sensory experience.
D) introspection.

Question 54

Angie wonders whether her calm and relaxed personality style was learned or inherited.Angie's concern is most directly relevant to the issue of

A) observation and introspection.
B) behavior and mental processes.
C) nature and nurture.
D) conscious mind and unconscious mind.

Question 55

Charles Darwin suggested that the evolution of living organisms is guided by

A) rational thought.
B) natural selection.
C) introspection.
D) unconscious motives.

Question 56

The controversy over the relative contributions of genes and experience on psychological traits is known as the

A) levels of analysis dilemma.
B) structuralism-functionalism debate.
C) cognitive neuroscience controversy.
D) nature-nurture issue.

Question 57

Professor Kim suggests that young children from all cultures can distinguish between singular and plural nouns because the concept of quantity is inborn.The professor's suggestion would have been most readily accepted by

A) Plato.
B) John B.Watson.
C) B.F.Skinner.
D) John Locke.

Question 58

In the context of debates regarding the origins of knowledge,Aristotle is to ________ as Plato is to ________.

A) mind;body
B) basic research;applied research
C) introspection;naturalistic observation
D) nurture;nature

Question 59

Which principle suggests that inherited traits contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations?

A) behavior genetics
B) structuralism
C) natural selection
D) positive psychology

Question 60

The interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with mental activities such as perception,memory,and language is called

A) behavior genetics.
B) positive psychology.
C) cognitive neuroscience.
D) clinical psychology.

Question 61

In a class lecture,Professor Hampton emphasized the extent to which abnormal blood chemistry can contribute to psychological disorders.The professor's lecture highlighted a ________ perspective on psychological disorders.

A) psychodynamic
B) neuroscience
C) social-cultural
D) cognitive

Question 62

Slender women are considered especially beautiful in one country;in another country,stout women are seen as particularly attractive.In both countries,however,women perceived as very beautiful receive preferential treatment.This best illustrates that ________ often underlie cultural differences.

A) common psychological processes
B) gender differences
C) unconscious preferences
D) genetic dissimilarities

Question 63

Ali insists that intellectual skills are inherited;Claire argues that intelligence is developed through educational experiences.Ali and Claire have differing perspectives on intelligence that

A) complement each other.
B) are impossible to test scientifically.
C) illustrate the distinction between behavior and mental processes.
D) illustrate the conflict between psychology and psychiatry.

Question 64

Which perspective is most directly concerned with assessing the relative contributions of heredity and environmental experience to differing levels of human intelligence?

A) cognitive
B) behavioral
C) psychodynamic
D) behavior genetics

Question 65

Psychologists report that genders differ in their risk of

A) alcohol use disorder.
B) depression.
C) eating disorders.
D) all of these problems.

Question 66

The evolutionary perspective focuses on the impact of ________ on human traits.

A) introspection
B) natural selection
C) unconscious motives
D) rational thought

Question 67

A biopsychosocial approach is one that requires the use of

A) introspection.
B) SQ3R.
C) the testing effect.
D) multiple levels of analysis.

Question 68

Which of the following is NOT a psychological influence on behavior or mental processes,according to the biopsychosocial approach?

A) learned fears and expectations
B) genetic mutations
C) emotional responses
D) perceptual interpretations

Question 69

Which perspective is most directly concerned with how the physical properties of the brain influence behavior and mental states?

A) social-cultural
B) psychodynamic
C) behavioral
D) neuroscience

Question 70

A complete picture of how mental processes are influenced by both social systems and brain functions is most clearly provided by

A) behaviorism.
B) humanistic psychology.
C) a biopsychosocial approach.
D) introspection.

Question 71

To balance psychology's historical focus on human problems and negative emotions,Martin Seligman called for the development of

A) behavior genetics.
B) cognitive neuroscience.
C) positive psychology.
D) introspection.

Question 72

According to the biopsychosocial approach,mass media influences on behavior and mental processes would be considered a ________ influence.

A) social-cultural
B) biological
C) psychological
D) cognitive

Question 73

Culture is best described as

A) the entire collection of character strengths that help individuals and communities to thrive.
B) the enduring ideas,values,and traditions shared by a group and transmitted across generations.
C) the contribution that experience makes to the development of psychological traits and behaviors.
D) basic moral values that are shared by all of humanity.

Question 74

Martin Seligman and colleagues believe that more research is needed to examine human flourishing.Their approach is called

A) behaviorism.
B) humanism.
C) positive psychology.
D) community psychology.

Question 75

Nicole has been unusually quick in learning to excel in the highly competitive sports training programs at her school because she is more genetically predisposed to crave excitement and challenge than are her classmates.This best illustrates that

A) some ideas are innate.
B) the mind is a blank slate on which experience writes.
C) nurture works on what nature provides.
D) nature selects traits that best enable us to survive in a particular environment.

Question 76

Poor nutrition,family stress,and memory difficulties have all contributed to Mr.Leonard's depression.Effectively explaining the full complexity of his problems requires

A) psychoanalysis.
B) positive psychology.
C) a biopsychosocial approach.
D) an evolutionary level of analysis.

Question 77

The approach to psychology that uses scientific methods to explore the building of a "good life" that engages our skills,and a "meaningful life" that points beyond ourselves is called

A) behaviorism.
B) humanism.
C) positive psychology.
D) community psychology.

Question 78

Mark believes that people's dislike of bitter-tasting foods has promoted human survival.His belief best illustrates the ________ perspective.

A) psychodynamic
B) social-cultural
C) evolutionary
D) behavioral

Question 79

The transmission of political practices and religious customs from one generation to the next best illustrates the importance of

A) introspection.
B) massed practice.
C) structuralism.
D) culture.

Question 80

Which approach to psychology holds that happiness is a by-product of a pleasant,engaged,and meaningful life?

A) behaviorism
B) humanism
C) positive psychology
D) community psychology