Deck 1: The Science of Psychology

Question 1

Phenomena such as telekinesis,clairvoyance,telepathy,and psychic healing are all examples of ________.

A)critical thinking
B)parapsychology
C)experimental methods
D)correlations

Answer 1

parapsychology

Question 2

If a person were to say that a scientific finding was replicated,he or she would be saying that the finding was:

A)accurate and truthful.
B)capable of being consistently duplicated.
C)not the result of correlation.
D)parsimonious and straightforward.

Answer 2

capable of being consistently duplicated.

Question 3

The goals of psychology are to ________.

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

Answer 3

describe,explain,predict,and control behavior

Question 4

A teacher tells the school psychologist that Kate is late to class,does not turn in her homework,squirms around a lot in her seat,and swings her feet constantly.This is an example of which goal of psychology?

A)describing behavior
B)explaining behavior
C)predicting behavior
D)controlling behavior

Question 5

The major difference between pseudoscience and science is that:

A)pseudoscience addresses different questions than science.
B)pseudoscience is less similar to popular psychology than science is.
C)pseudoscience lacks the real evidence or plausibility that characterizes science.
D)pseudoscience lacks the general level of public support that characterizes science.

Question 6

Which of the following statements would your textbook authors be likely to find the most worrisome?

A)Being open-minded about topics associated with pseudoscience is no big deal.
B)The majority of Americans do not believe in the existence of ghosts or witches.
C)Pseudoscience seems to be so much more interesting and engaging than science.
D)Science cannot answer all of the questions I am interested in,such as "Why am I here?" or "What is my life's purpose?"

Question 7

The question "Why is it happening?" refers to which of the following goals in psychology?

A)description
B)explanation
C)prediction
D)control

Question 8

The question "What is happening?" refers to which of the following goals in psychology?

A)description
B)explanation
C)prediction
D)control

Question 9

________ thinking is a way of interpreting or evaluating information with a set of reflective attitudes and abilities.

A)Contextual
B)Constructive
C)Divergent
D)Critical

Question 10

Some psychologists are hired to give potential employees tests that determine if they will be successful in the job for which they are applying.This function speaks to the goal of _____________ in psychology.

A)description
B)explanation
C)prediction
D)control

Question 11

In the definition of psychology,the term mental processes refers to __________.

A)internal,unobservable behaviors
B)outward behavior
C)overt actions and reactions
D)only animal behavior

Question 12

The question "How can it be changed?" refers to which of the following goals in psychology?

A)description
B)explanation
C)prediction
D)control

Question 13

Which of these is the most accurate definition of the discipline of psychology?

A)the scientific study of behavior
B)the scientific study of mental processes
C)the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
D)the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes

Question 14

The difficulty with many common sense claims that people believe is that even though they "seem" right,they are often incorrect when compared to scientific evidence.In other words,the scientific facts seem ___________ to people,when compared to their common sense beliefs.

A)counterintuitive
B)hyper-contextual
C)divergent
D)inexplicable

Question 15

Which of the following attributes is NOT a characteristic of a critical thinker?

A)being skeptical by nature
B)accepting claims based on testimonials and anecdotal evidence
C)refusing to accept common sense beliefs at face value
D)being open-minded in the face of new information

Question 16

In addition to describing and explaining mental processes and behavior,psychology also attempts to ________ these phenomena.

A)predict and control
B)analyze and manipulate
C)categorize and organize
D)synthesize and regulate

Question 17

Despite its very scientific sounding name,_______,or the practice of reading the shape of a person's skull,is actually a very good example of a pseudoscience.There is no valid evidence to support any of its conclusions.

A)phrenology
B)graphology
C)teratology
D)homeopathy

Question 18

Mei was sent to the school psychologist to be tested.Based on her IQ scores it was decided that she would do well in the gifted child program.This is an example of which goal of psychology?

A)describing behavior
B)explaining behavior
C)predicting behavior
D)controlling behavior

Question 19

The question "When will it happen again?" refers to which of the following goals in psychology?

A)description
B)explanation
C)prediction
D)control

Question 20

A psychologist is interested in finding out why identical twins have different personalities.This psychologist is most interested in the goal of ______________.

A)description
B)explanation
C)prediction
D)control

Question 21

As of 2012,the American Psychological Association had designated _____ distinct branches of psychology.

A)21
B)35
C)46
D)53

Question 22

Why was the perspective followed by Wilhelm Wundt and his followers called structuralism?

A)They wanted to identify the major brain structures.
B)Their primary goal was to understand the physiology of the mind.
C)They focused their efforts on analyzing the elements of the nervous system.
D)Their primary focus was on breaking the mind down into its most basic elements to understand its basic structure.

Question 23

You are assigned to write a paper in your History of Psychology class.The paper is to study the first woman to receive a PhD in psychology.Which of the following would be the best title to this essay?

A)Examining Mary Whiton Calkins
B)Anna Freud: It's Good to Have a Famous Father
C)Margaret Meade: An Unlikely Journey Through Academia
D)The Life and Struggle of Margaret Floy Washburn

Question 24

What is one similarity shared by clinical psychologists and psychiatrists?

A)They obtain the same graduate degree.
B)They have the same training experiences after college.
C)They view abnormal behaviors as arising from the same causes.
D)They work with people experiencing behavioral and emotional problems.

Question 25

Which of the following types of psychologists is most prepared to help a person who hears voices and believes she is Joan of Arc?

A)forensic
B)developmental
C)school
D)clinical

Question 26

A student of Wilhelm Wundt ,Edward Titchener,was responsible for naming the ________ school of thought.

A)structuralist
B)functionalist
C)behaviorist
D)reductionist

Question 27

Of the following,which is the correct pairing of the first African American to receive a PhD in psychology in the United States,as well as the year in which this occurred?

A)Francis Sumner; 1920
B)Max Wertheimer; 1899
C)Francis Bacon; 1908
D)Jeremiah Block; 1935

Question 28

Which of the following is the largest applied work setting for psychologists?

A)health care
B)universities
C)middle and high schools
D)non-profit companies

Question 29

The primary method of investigation used by structuralists was:

A)natural observation.
B)dream interpretation.
C)introspection.
D)experimentation.

Question 30

The school of psychology called structuralism used a technique called ___________,which involved examining,analyzing,and measuring one's own mental processes.

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

Question 31

Studying the elements of sensations,feelings,and images is most directly associated with which school of psychology?

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

Question 32

Who was an early proponent of functionalism?

A)Ivan Pavlov
B)William James
C)Wilhelm Wundt
D)Max Wertheimer

Question 33

On a television talk show an actor describes the symptoms of anxiety he has been experiencing.He reports that the severity of the symptoms has decreased since he has been taking a drug prescribed by his therapist back in Hollywood.You conclude that the actor's therapist is most likely a _________________.

A)podiatrist
B)psychiatrist
C)social worker
D)physician's assistant

Question 34

_______ is the philosophical school of thought that formed the basis for modern science.It is the idea that real knowledge comes through observable evidence.

A)Omniscience
B)Gestaltism
C)Empiricism
D)Dualism

Question 35

The psychological school that asks,"What are mental processes for?" rather than "How are mental processes constructed?" is which of the following?

A)structuralism
B)functionalism
C)humanism
D)Gestalt

Question 36

One evening,when he couldn't sleep,Mr.Bradley turned on the television and saw an infomercial for a new sleep aid.As a critical thinker,Mr.Bradley should be most cautious about this new product if:

A)the product had been subjected to an experimental study and the scrutiny of a peer-review process.
B)its makers support their claims using the testimonials and anecdotal reports of "ordinary people."
C)its makers discuss the scientific investigations that have compared it to other effective sleep aids rather than relying on testimonials of those with insomnia.
D)the results of research connect the efficacy of the sleep-aid to other widely accepted scientific findings.

Question 37

In 1879,in Leipzig,Germany,the first psychological laboratory was established by ___________.

A)William James
B)Francis Bacon
C)Wilhelm Wundt
D)Sigmund Freud

Question 38

Structuralism emphasized __________.

A)individual differences
B)the application of biological principles to the mind
C)the influence of subconscious urges on conscious behavior
D)the basic units of experience and their combinations

Question 39

Which of the following does NOT fit with the other three?

A)Wundt
B)1879
C)functionalism
D)introspection

Question 40

A key characteristic of a pseudoscience is that its theories are:

A)frequently discarded.
B)formulated and revised as needed.
C)untestable.
D)seldom believed by the general public.

Question 41

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

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

Question 42

In some countries,children are expected to leave home when they reach the end of adolescence and start their own lives.In other countries,children are expected to stay in their parents' home until such time as they get married,and sometimes even after that.These differences reflect:

A)universal law.
B)cultural specificity.
C)ethnographic truths.
D)experimental correlation.

Question 43

The concept of ________ suggests that there are two different parts of an individual's existence: a physical self and a mental self.

A)ethnocentrism
B)morphism
C)empiricism
D)dualism

Question 44

The fact that all human beings need oxygen to survive is an example of a(n):

A)universal law.
B)cultural specificity.
C)ethnographic truth.
D)experimental correlation.

Question 45

Of the following,which would not be considered one of the early founders of Gestalt psychology?

A)Max Wertheimer
B)Kurt Koffka
C)Wolfgang Kohler
D)Wilhelm Wundt

Question 46

Which treatment approach that involved "talking sessions" did Sigmund Freud develop for treating his patients?

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

Question 47

Which pair of scientists shared the most similar views of behavior?

A)William James and Wilhelm Wundt
B)B.F.Skinner and Max Wertheimer
C)Ivan Pavlov and John Watson
D)Carl Rogers and Edward Titchener

Question 48

Steve,a college sophomore,is seeing a psychologist because of his intense fear of people.His counselor feels that Steve's fear is a product of unresolved childhood conflicts about his parents.Steve's therapist is most characteristic of which school of psychology?

A)behaviorism
B)psychoanalytic
C)humanistic
D)Gestalt

Question 49

John Watson believed that psychology should only involve the study of _________.

A)behavior
B)the mind
C)the brain
D)consciousness

Question 50

What did Sigmund Freud consider as the key to understanding the psychological problems he observed in his patients?

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

Question 51

The psychodynamic perspective was based on the earlier work of ________________.

A)Watson
B)Wundt
C)Gestalt
D)Freud

Question 52

Which type of early psychologist believed that "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts?"

A)Gestaltist
B)behaviorist
C)structuralist
D)functionalist

Question 53

The school of thought that became known as behaviorism was founded by __________.

A)Watson
B)Titchener
C)James
D)Wundt

Question 54

"I notice that Jamilla is very outgoing and always makes friends very easily.I wonder if she was just born with that sort of personality,or if her parents have taught her to be so extraverted." This question addresses which universal question in psychology?

A)dynamic systems versus static enterprise
B)universality versus cultural specificity
C)the mind-body connection
D)nature versus nurture

Question 55

Max Wertheimer was one of the founders of __________ psychology.

A)functionalist
B)psychoanalytic
C)Gestalt
D)existential

Question 56

The psychologist John Watson is associated with the _______ school of psychology and argued that psychology must concern itself only with ________.

A)behavioral; observable actions
B)behavioral; mental processes
C)cognitive; thought and action
D)cognitive; behavior

Question 57

Suppose you were a graduate student studying for a PhD in psychology in the 1920s.Your advisor was strongly influenced by John Watson.Which of the following might she consider an acceptable choice for your research?

A)a survey of daydreams
B)an analysis of how specific behaviors are acquired
C)a survey of sexual imagery in dreams of men and women
D)an analysis of the thought processes students report while answering test items

Question 58

According to Sigmund Freud,much of our behavior is controlled by __________.

A)unconscious desires
B)environmental stimuli
C)mental Gestalts
D)mental associations

Question 59

Which school of psychology assumes that human activity cannot be broken down into separate units for analysis but must be evaluated as wholes?

A)humanism
B)Gestalt
C)functionalism
D)behaviorism

Question 60

What advice might John Watson have offered to psychologists of his time?

A)"Focus only on observable,measurable behaviors."
B)"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts,so study the whole."
C)"We cannot know others until we know ourselves."
D)"Remember that what we accomplish is due to the composition of our genes."

Question 61

Of the following,which is NOT a descriptive research method?

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

Question 62

What is one of the major reasons that psychologists report results publicly?

A)to comply with legal requirements
B)to identify all the extraneous variables
C)to allow other scientists to replicate their study
D)to explain research results so that non-psychologists can understand them

Question 63

Each day in class,Dr.Helms explains to his students that they are wonderful whether they are academic successes or failures.He also points out that each individual consciously chooses to attend class and study and that these choices dramatically affect whether one is academically successful.Dr.Helms is most likely a _______ psychologist.

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

Question 64

Naturalistic observation,case studies,and surveys are all examples of ________ research methods.

A)descriptive
B)experimental
C)quasi-experimental
D)statistical

Question 65

Sally proposes the idea that one's sexual history prior to marriage predicts whether one ends up getting divorced.This best represents which step of the scientific method?

A)testing the hypothesis
B)observing events
C)forming a hypothesis
D)formulating a theory

Question 66

"Watching violent cartoons is likely to make children behave in a more aggressive fashion." According to the scientific method,this statement is most likely a ____________.

A)conclusion
B)result
C)hypothesis
D)fact

Question 67

Humanistic psychologists believe that:

A)humans are basically destructive and must constantly fight negative impulses.
B)psychologists should study only objective events such as stimuli and behaviors.
C)people are basically good and will generally strive to achieve their full potential.
D)early childhood experiences root in our unconscious and affect our adult personality.

Question 68

In order to better understand the world around us,psychologists use techniques based on ___________.

A)cultural ethnocentrism
B)objective introspection
C)philosophical logic
D)the scientific method

Question 69

After reading about the possible causes of schizophrenia,a scientist thinks that a virus is the most likely cause.What term most accurately describes the scientist's idea?

A)hypothesis
B)dependent variable
C)extraneous variable
D)experimental estimate

Question 70

Which of the following is the correct order of steps in the scientific method?

A)generate ideas,test the hypothesis,draw conclusions,formulate a hypothesis,share the findings
B)formulate a hypothesis,generate ideas,draw conclusions,test the hypothesis,share the findings
C)formulate a hypothesis,draw conclusions,test the hypothesis,generate ideas,share the findings
D)generate ideas,formulate a hypothesis,test the hypothesis,draw conclusions,share the findings

Question 71

The administration of Midwest State University wants to know if arrangement of chairs affects student participation in classrooms.What would be a good operational definition of the dependent variable in an experiment designed to measure this relationship?

A)class size: under 50 or over 50
B)number of students enrolled in each class
C)chair arrangement: theater style or circular
D)frequency with which students ask questions

Question 72

The first step in any scientific investigation is _______________.

A)formulating the hypothesis
B)generating ideas
C)drawing a conclusion
D)sharing the findings

Question 73

An operational definition is ___________________.

A)a statement that attempts to predict a set of phenomena and specifies relationships among variables that can be empirically tested
B)an organized system of assumptions and principles that purports to explain a specified set of phenomena and their interrelationships
C)a clear and precise explanation of how a concept will be measured in a study or an experiment
D)the principle that a scientific theory must make predictions that are specific enough to expose the theory to the possibility of disconfirmation

Question 74

Scheck believes that human behavior can be best explained by unraveling the brain,neurochemicals,hormones,and physiological processes in the body.Dr.Scheck appears to be a proponent of the ________ perspective.

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

Question 75

The final step in the scientific method is to:

A)draw conclusions.
B)share the findings.
C)test the hypothesis.
D)generate questions.

Question 76

Adaris has always been drawn to the saying "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," and she decides to incorporate this saying into her research project.Adaris is trying to define absence in a way that can be empirically tested.She is attempting to find an appropriate __________________.

A)hypothesis
B)operational definition
C)double-blind study
D)theory

Question 77

If you are interested in how such things as language,customs,and norms influence behavior,you are interested in the __________ perspective.

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

Question 78

Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers are most closely associated with ________ psychology.

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

Question 79

The scientific study of mental processes in the broadest sense - including such topics as intelligence,language,perception,and emotions - is ________ psychology.

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

Question 80

"Human beings sleep at night instead of in the daytime to protect themselves from nocturnal predators and from injuring themselves while stumbling around in the darkness.These behaviors ensure our survival and our ability to procreate." This statement is one that would be made by a person who favors the ________ perspective in psychology.

A)evolutionary
B)humanistic
C)cognitive
D)existential