Deck 1: B: Introducing Psychological Science

Question 1

Lidia gives a talk at a psychology conference in which she presents her new theory about the causes of autism.At one point,an audience member interrupts and says,"But that's just your theory." What is the problem with this statement?

A)A theory is not the same thing as an opinion or belief.
B)If Lidia is presenting the theory at a psychology conference it must be true.
C)If most of the psychologists in the audience agree with Lidia,then the theory is likely to be true.
D)The audience member should have used the term hypothesis,not theory.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

"Children who watch violent cartoons will become more aggressive." According to the scientific method,this statement is most likely a(n)

A)theory.
B)untestable statement.
C)hypothesis.
D)fact.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

As part of the scientific method,scientists form testable predictions that can be observed and measured.These are called

A)theories.
B)proofs.
C)hypotheses.
D)models.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Caroline is interested in determining how squirrels find the caches of nuts they buried several months earlier.She watches the squirrels in a park and notices that they tend to bury food near landmarks,such as trees or benches.She predicts that moving these landmarks after the squirrels have buried their food will prevent them from finding it later on,and designs an experiment to test her prediction.Caroline's approach is an example of

A)pseudoscience.
B)the scientific method.
C)the psychoanalytic model.
D)the biopsychological model.

Question 5

Which of the following is a good scientific hypothesis?

A)Everything happens for a reason.
B)Happiness is the meaning of life.
C)People born with the zodiac sign Taurus have higher IQ scores on average than others.
D)All humans are connected by an unseen force that cannot be measured or observed.

Question 6

Collecting observations,testing predictions about how to best explain the observations,and developing theories are all part of

A)the scientific method.
B)pseudoscience.
C)the biopsychosocial model.
D)the psychoanalytic model.

Question 7

__________ are built from __________ that are repeatedly tested and confirmed.

A)Theories;hypotheses
B)Hypotheses;theories
C)Predictions;observations
D)Observations;predictions

Question 8

All types of psychology involve

A)interactions between patients and therapists.
B)replicating what is already known via common sense.
C)treating people's behavioural and emotional problems.
D)the use of scientific method.

Question 9

Which of the following is true about scientific theories?

A)All theories are equally plausible.
B)The quality of a theory cannot be measured by the number of people who believe it to be true.
C)Theories are the same thing as opinions or beliefs.
D)A theory is only valid if it has been proven to be true.

Question 10

According to your authors,the discipline of psychology is best thought of as

A)a field of self-help principles to eliminate mental problems.
B)a mixture of anecdotes and personal intuition about human behaviour and mental processes.
C)a process for encouraging people to reach their ultimate potential.
D)the scientific study of behaviour,thought,and experience.

Question 11

When a psychologist uses the term scientific theory,he or she is referring to something that

A)is guaranteed to be true.
B)explains a wide range of observations.
C)is no more or less plausible than any other theory.
D)is an educated guess.

Question 12

In science,a theory can be defined as

A)an educated guess.
B)an explanation that explains and integrates numerous findings and observations into a coherent whole.
C)a personal understanding of natural laws.
D)a testable prediction.

Question 13

In order to be considered scientific,a hypothesis must be

A)testable.
B)believed true by a majority of experts.
C)proven.
D)stated in very general terms.

Question 14

Psychology can be considered a collection of many related fields of study.What is one feature that all of these fields have in common?

A)the use of the scientific method
B)the study of mental illness
C)the belief that the unconscious mind determines human behaviour
D)the use of introspection

Question 15

Liam mentions to a friend that he is currently taking an introduction to psychology course."Why would you want to do that?" asks his friend."Psychology is mostly therapists analyzing people's problems and self-help gurus selling books." What should Liam's response be?

A)"No,psychology has nothing to do with helping people."
B)"Actually,psychology is a vast discipline that covers much more than mental health and self-help."
C)"Ok,those self-help gurus usually aren't real psychologists,but all real psychologists are trained to really help people improve their lives."
D)"Psychology is actually about studying how chemicals in the brain interact."

Question 16

What property do hypotheses and theories share?

A)They are both types of educated guesses.
B)They both integrate numerous findings and observations.
C)They are both types of opinions or beliefs.
D)In order to be scientific,they both must be capable of being proven false.

Question 17

Randi is a practitioner of crystal healing: the use of different crystals to treat medical disorders ranging from headaches to cancer.Crystal healers like Randi use scientific terminology (e.g. ,energy,vibrations,etc. )when explaining the technique to patients,but do not use the scientific method to develop or test their treatments.This makes crystal healing a

A)metascience.
B)pseudoscience.
C)episcience.
D)protoscience.

Question 18

The term pseudoscience refers to

A)the scientific study of psychology and related phenomena.
B)hypotheses that have been rejected through observation and testing.
C)ideas that are presented as science but in fact do not use the basic principles of scientific thinking or procedure.
D)the belief that the mind is separate from the body.

Question 19

__________ refers to a claim or statement that superficially appears to be scientific but is not.

A)Misinformation
B)Hypothesis
C)Pseudoscience
D)Theory

Question 20

Dr.Preston is a psychologist studying why some people develop depression while others do not.She realizes that the reasons are probably complicated,and include factors such as genetics,brain chemistry,how individuals might experience events differently,and how family members and others influence each other.Dr.Preston's approach is an example of

A)pseudoscience.
B)the biopyschosocial model.
C)the psychoanalytic model.
D)gestalt psychology.

Question 21

____________ holds that,when dealing with competing theories,the simplest one should be chosen.

A)Skepticism
B)Ambiguity
C)The principle of parsimony
D)Critical thinking

Question 22

Which of the following is the best conclusion to draw from the massed learning versus spacing experiment discussed in the textbook?

A)Massing is better than spacing for all types of learning.
B)Massing is better than spacing for studying vocabulary.
C)Spacing is better than massing for all types of learning.
D)Spacing is better than massing for studying vocabulary.

Question 23

Which of the following is true about critical thinking?

A)If used properly,everyone who uses it will come to the same conclusion.
B)It forces us to break persistent mental habits that almost everyone uses.
C)It often requires being negative or arbitrarily critical of other people's ideas.
D)It always guarantees a correct answer.

Question 24

Jose reads in an article from a psychology journal that people tend to remember the first and last few items in long lists of information,but have the most trouble remembering the items in the middle.He immediately starts thinking of how he can use this information to change the way he studies the long list of vocabulary terms for his upcoming exam.Which part of the scientific literacy model does this demonstrate?

A)application
B)scientific explanation
C)knowledge gathering
D)critical thinking

Question 25

A friend of yours has 30 Spanish vocabulary words to learn by tomorrow.Which of the following is the best way for her to use flashcards to study?

A)Study each card only once.
B)Divide the cards into five piles and then study each pile four times before moving on to the next pile.
C)Go through the entire pile of 30 cards four times.
D)Divide the cards into 10 piles and then study each pile four times before moving on to the next pile.

Question 26

______________ is the belief that knowledge comes through observation and experience.

A)Determinism
B)Parsimony
C)Skepticism
D)Empiricism

Question 27

Being skeptical about a claim means

A)asking if there is sound evidence to support it.
B)realizing that most complex issues do not have easy answers.
C)not believing the claim,no matter what.
D)believing the claim unless evidence to the contrary is presented.

Question 28

A research psychologist is interested in whether children who play violent videogames display above average violent behaviour in real life.Which approach to this question could the psychologist take that would be consistent with the principles of empiricism?

A)Use common sense to determine if there is a connection.
B)Ask children to speculate about the connection.
C)Carefully measure the type and amount of videogame play in children and observe their behaviour.
D)Ask parents and teachers to speculate about the connection.

Question 29

Which of the following techniques could be described as massed learning?

A)Studying for a test by breaking up your lecture notes into sections and mastering each section before moving on to the next.
B)Studying for a chapter test by reading through the entire chapter before going back to the beginning and starting over again.
C)Studying each flash card in a large pile before starting over again.
D)A football player learning the playbook by reviewing each play once before starting over again.

Question 30

Leonard is missing a sock.His sister suggests that a friend of his may have snuck into his room while he was sleeping and taken the sock as a practical joke;however,Leonard decides it is much more likely that the sock was simply lost when he last did the laundry.What element of critical thinking most likely influenced his decision?

A)skepticism
B)the principle of parsimony
C)tolerance of ambiguity
D)avoiding overly emotional thinking

Question 31

Caroline's best friend tells her that eating a chili pepper with each meal will increase her metabolism and help her burn more calories."That sounds interesting," says Caroline,"but is there any evidence to back up this claim?" Caroline's question illustrates what element of critical thinking?

A)the principle of parsimony
B)cynicism
C)tolerating ambiguity
D)skepticism

Question 32

Ms.Patel is a third-grade teacher.Several children in her class have been having trouble concentrating and sitting still in her class,so she finds several articles from psychology journals on hyperactivity and attention in young children.Although she is not a scientist,Ms.Patel is able to understand the articles and then use the information to redesign her classroom schedule to help improve attention.This is an example of

A)the scientific method.
B)the biopsychosocial model.
C)scientific literacy.
D)empiricism.

Question 33

For a class project,Brenda read about the results of several studies investigating the causes of schizophrenia.Some of the studies seemed to indicate that schizophrenia is genetic,while others indicated that schizophrenia could be triggered by environmental factors.Eventually,Brenda had to accept that schizophrenia is a complicated disease,and that there probably is not a clear-cut reason why some people develop it.This illustrates what critical thinking habit?

A)examine assumptions and biases
B)examine the nature and source of the evidence
C)tolerate ambiguity
D)consider alternatives

Question 34

Which of the following questions represents the concept of empiricism?

A)Would Martin Luther King,Jr. ,have been a good president?
B)What is the meaning of life?
C)Was the Civil War necessary?
D)Is there life on other planets?

Question 35

A perennial question for educational psychologists is,"Why do some students in a class succeed while others perform poorly?" According to the biopsychosocial model,which of the following is a possible explanation for this phenomenon?

A)biological differences in brain structures and chemistry
B)social and cultural differences among students
C)cognitive,emotional,and personality differences among students
D)each student's biological makeup,social and cultural background,and their cognitive abilities,emotional state,and personality combine to make them different from any other student in the class

Question 36

Which of the following is true about the concept of scientific literacy?

A)Only trained scientists are considered scientifically literate.
B)Scientific literacy is the ability to answer basic science questions without looking up the answers.
C)A person who can understand,analyze,and apply scientific information is demonstrating scientific literacy.
D)Knowledge of scientific terminology is the most important part of scientific literacy.

Question 37

The ability to understand.analyze,and apply scientific information is called

A)the biopsychosocial model.
B)scientific literacy.
C)skepticism.
D)empiricism.

Question 38

The biopsychosocial model assumes that

A)behaviour often can only be fully explained by combining multiple perspectives.
B)biological factors are more important than social factors in determining behaviour.
C)all living organisms form social groups,based on their physical and psychological needs.
D)the simplest explanation for behaviour is usually best.

Question 39

As a critical thinker,what habit is most likely to keep you from basing your conclusions on poor research?

A)examine assumptions and biases
B)examine the nature and source of the evidence
C)tolerate ambiguity
D)avoid overly emotional thinking

Question 40

According to the principle of parsimony,reports of alien abduction are unlikely to be true because

A)there are several other explanations that are much simpler.
B)aliens do not really exist.
C)eyewitness reports should never be believed.
D)people who think they were abducted by aliens are clearly mentally unstable.

Question 41

Who proposed that emotions and other behaviours were the result of natural selection?

A)Spurzheim
B)Wernicke
C)Freud
D)Darwin

Question 42

Brenda is a participant in an experiment.She is told to watch a series of lights and to identify which one is the brightest.It is likely that Brenda is participating in a(n)________________ experiment.

A)psychophysics
B)anthropometric
C)phrenology
D)eugenics

Question 43

Which of the following is true regarding Darwin's theory of evolution?

A)It applies to physical characteristics,but not to behaviour.
B)It applies to behaviour,but not to physical characteristics.
C)It applies to physical characteristics as well as to behaviours.
D)It was discredited along with Francis Galton's concept of eugenics.

Question 44

"Brain localization" refers to the idea that

A)the brain is wired for the spatial mapping of our surroundings.
B)neurons in the brain only communicate with nearby neurons.
C)the brain,and not the heart,is the seat of the human consciousness.
D)certain parts of the brain control specific mental abilities and personality characteristics.

Question 45

The belief that the mind or soul is separate from the physical body is known as ____________,whereas the belief that humans are completely physical beings is called _____________.

A)determinism;empiricism
B)empiricism;determinism
C)dualism;materialism
D)materialism;dualism

Question 46

Dr.Patel is a school psychologist who has noticed that a fifth-grade student has recently begun to misbehave and fall behind academically.He decides there must be a reason for the student's sudden problems and decides to try to figure out what it is.Dr.Patel's belief that the student's behaviour is the result of some unknown cause is an example of

A)determinism.
B)parsimony.
C)skepticism.
D)empiricism.

Question 47

According to the authors of the textbook,scholars in the 1600s did not apply scientific methodology to the study of the mind and human behaviour because of what belief?

A)that scientific methodology did not work
B)that science needed more time to develop
C)that humans were not just physical machines,and could not be studied using science
D)that it was a religious sin to try to understand the nature of the mind

Question 48

According to the principle of _______________,human behaviour is the result of factors that influence us is predictable ways.

A)free will
B)materialism
C)determinism
D)empiricism

Question 49

The concept of free will-the idea that we are in charge of our own behaviour-is often in conflict with the concept of

A)empiricism.
B)determinism.
C)parsimony.
D)materialism.

Question 50

Suppose a small number of geese are born with a genetic mutation that makes them spend more time caring for their eggs.As a result,more chicks hatch from these eggs that then survive to reproduce themselves.According to the principle of natural selection,which of the following would be the likely result?

A)Other genetic mutations would start occurring at a faster rate.
B)The genetically inherited behaviour would become more common after many generations.
C)The genetically inherited behaviour would become less common after many generations.
D)The rate of genetic mutations would slow drastically.

Question 51

Psychological science is

A)both empirical and deterministic.
B)empirical but not deterministic.
C)deterministic but not empirical.
D)neither empirical nor deterministic.

Question 52

Psychophysics is the study of

A)how the mind controls the body.
B)the relationship between the physical world and the mental representation of that world.
C)the relationship between mental abilities and bumps on the head.
D)how information is stored in the brain.

Question 53

Psychology has been a science since

A)around 470 BCE.
B)the early 1600s.
C)the late 1800s.
D)the mid 1900s.

Question 54

The belief that behaviour follows lawful,cause-and-effect relationships is known as

A)free will.
B)materialism.
C)empiricism.
D)determinism.

Question 55

The philosopher and mathematician René Descartes famously believed that the mind was not made of physical matter,and could exist outside of the body.Descartes' belief in the relationship between mind and body could be described as

A)determinism.
B)empiricism.
C)materialism.
D)dualism.

Question 56

How would Charles Darwin likely explain maternal aggression when something or someone threatens a mother's children?

A)Young girls learn to protect their children by watching their mothers.
B)Maternal aggression is an inherited trait that is selected for because it contributes to the survival of the offspring.
C)Mothers are rewarded for being protective of their children.
D)Mothers learn to be protective of their children through trial and error.

Question 57

During the Victorian period in Europe,sexuality of any kind was considered taboo.Today of course,most adults are more open about their sexuality.This is an example of how the ____________ of different periods can affect the way people behave and think.

A)psychophysics
B)zeitgeist
C)dualism
D)materialism

Question 58

In a given culture,certain periods of its history are dominated by a general set of beliefs and attitudes known as

A)zeitgeist.
B)metaperspective.
C)parsimony.
D)gestalt.

Question 59

How did physiologists and physicists,like Gustav Fechner,contribute to the development of psychology as a science?

A)They studied the relationship between the physical world and mental representation of that world.
B)They demonstrated that the brain was responsible for consciousness.
C)They identified the locations of specific functions within the brain.
D)They extended Darwin's theory of evolution to behaviour and cognitive abilities.

Question 60

According to the authors of the textbook,what is a key reason why psychology took almost 300 years longer than physics,biology,and chemistry to become scientific?

A)Early scientific methodology was too primitive to use to study the mind.
B)Laws were passed in the 1600s that made studying the mind illegal.
C)Few people were interested in the mind and behaviour prior to the 20th century.
D)The zeitgeist of the 1600s prevented people from believing that science could be applied to the study of the mind.

Question 61

The belief that the unconscious mind has an influence on one's behaviour is part of what early approach to psychology?

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

Question 62

Which of the following would be most difficult for Francis Galton to explain with his theories?

A)Close family relatives often have similar traits.
B)Sometimes children from very humble families become very successful.
C)Successful parents often have successful children.
D)In the United States,Whites are,on average,more successful than non-Whites.

Question 63

How did Franz Mesmer influence the early development of psychology?

A)He developed the concept of brain localization.
B)He discovered a brain region responsible for language.
C)He developed psychoanalysis.
D)He contributed to the development of hypnosis,which Freud began to use to treat his patients.

Question 64

Freud stressed the importance of

A)early life experiences.
B)adolescence.
C)early adulthood.
D)middle adulthood.

Question 65

The school of psychology called structuralism used a technique called ___________,which involved reporting the contents of consciousness to study a person's experiences.

A)intervention
B)introspection
C)insight inventory
D)induction

Question 66

Which treatment approach did Sigmund Freud develop for treating his patients?

A)drug therapy
B)neuropsychology
C)clinical psychology
D)psychoanalysis

Question 67

At the close of the nineteenth century,Gerhard is excited to find that he has been accepted for training in the psychology laboratory of Wilhelm Wundt.It is likely that Gerhard will be trained to

A)analyze how to break down his sensations into their most basic elements.
B)determine the function or purpose of a particular human behaviour.
C)listen intently while individuals tell him of their depression or nervousness.
D)carefully feel the bumps on a person's head in order to determine his or her character traits.

Question 68

Which of the following is true regarding the legacy of Francis Galton?

A)Although his ideas have been discredited,his use of statistical methods to measure and study behaviour has had a lasting impact on scientific psychology.
B)While many of his ideas are still considered valid,Galton failed to use scientific methodology.
C)Both his ideas and methodology are still considered valid today.
D)Although important in his time,Galton had almost no lasting impact on scientific psychology.

Question 69

Which two doctors were able to identify important language centres in the brain by studying their patients?

A)Gall and Spurzheim
B)Broca and Wernicke
C)Mesmer and Freud
D)Galton and Wundt

Question 70

Which two physicians developed phrenology?

A)Gall and Spurzheim
B)Broca and Wernicke
C)Mesmer and Freud
D)Galton and Wundt

Question 71

Kelly notices a bump on the side of Roger's head and points it out to him.He replies,"That means I'm a passionate person!" Roger's joke is based on the theory of

A)phrenology.
B)eugenics.
C)parsimony.
D)psychophysics.

Question 72

One of the lasting legacies of Freud's theories is the _____________ approach to scientific psychology.

A)biological
B)behavioural
C)social
D)medical model

Question 73

Which individual is usually credited with establishing the first scientific psychological laboratory?

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

Question 74

Which of the following is true regarding phrenology?

A)It is still used by forensic psychologists.
B)It was an early approach to brain localization.
C)It was developed by Karl Wernicke and Paul Broca.
D)It was developed in the 1950'.

Question 75

The question of nature and nurture relationships centres on how ____________ (nature)and ____________ (nurture)influence behaviour and mental processes.

A)environment;heredity
B)heredity;environment
C)emotion;logic
D)logic;emotion

Question 76

What did Sigmund Freud consider as the key to understanding the psychosomatic conditions he observed?

A)free will
B)brain physiology
C)the unconscious mind
D)external consequences

Question 77

Who developed a now discredited medical treatment using magnets,and contributed to the development of hypnosis?

A)Galton
B)Wernicke
C)Mesmer
D)Freud

Question 78

Introspection requires

A)metaphysical experiences.
B)self-skepticism about experiences.
C)empiricism.
D)examining one's own perceptions and thoughts.

Question 79

Which early approach to brain localization was used by physicians like Paul Broca,and was more scientific than phrenology?

A)using electricity to stimulate different brain regions
B)surgically removing brain regions
C)studying the behaviour of patients who had experienced brain injuries
D)studying the shape and size of the human skull

Question 80

Wilhelm Wundt is best known for

A)establishing the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig,Germany.
B)writing books on ethics and logic.
C)establishing phrenology as a science.
D)training doctors to treat mental illness.