Deck 1: Section 2: Psychology: Evolution of a Science

Question 1

Plato is to _____ as Aristotle is to _____.

A)philosophical structuralism; nativism
B)nativism; philosophical empiricism
C)nativism; dualism
D)dualism; nativism

Answer 1

nativism; philosophical empiricism

Question 2

Psychology is the scientific study of:

A)mind and body.
B)mind and behavior.
C)mood and behavior.
D)mood and body.

Answer 2

mind and behavior.

Question 3

The notion that the mind at birth is a tabula rasa is consistent with the views of:

A)Plato.
B)Descartes.
C)Aristotle.
D)Gall.

Answer 3

Aristotle.

Question 4

The major limitation of the works of the classical Greek philosophers to an understanding of human behavior is that:

A)much of these works remains lost to history.
B)differences among translations have fueled misunderstanding and debate.
C)the works tended to underestimate the role of nurture in shaping human behavior.
D)these philosophers did not develop ways to test their theories.

Question 5

Today, most psychologists would agree with which statement concerning mental processes?

A)The scientific method cannot be applied to mental processes.
B)Mental processes are nonphysical entities that control the brain and body.
C)Mental processes arise from brain functioning.
D)Mental processes are the only subject matter worthy of study in psychology.

Question 6

William James (1890) believed that the influence of _____ could help explain absentmindedness.

A)habit
B)sleep deprivation
C)emotions
D)personality

Question 7

The fact that very young children almost universally master the basics of language without formal training is most consistent with:

A)Plato's nativism.
B)Gall's phrenology.
C)Aristotle's philosophical empiricism.
D)Locke's tabula rasa.

Question 8

Some early philosophers believed that certain kinds of knowledge were innate or inborn, a theory known as:

A)functionalism.
B)nativism.
C)philosophical empiricism.
D)structuralism.

Question 9

The older position of nativism is reflected in psychological views that emphasize the effect of _____ on behavior.

A)nurture
B)intuition
C)schemas
D)nature

Question 10

Some early philosophers believed that all knowledge was acquired through experience, an idea now known as:

A)functionalism.
B)philosophical empiricism.
C)structuralism.
D)nativism.

Question 11

The case of Elliot, as documented by Damasio (1994), suggests that:

A)cognitive functioning can be severely impaired while emotion remains unaffected.
B)emotions usually interfere with adaptive behavior.
C)even negative emotions such as anxiety and sorrow have adaptive functions.
D)emotion and intelligence share a common neural substrate.

Question 12

The early roots of psychology are firmly planted in physiology and in:

A)anatomy.
B)logic.
C)dualism.
D)philosophy.

Question 13

Descartes believed that the mind influences the body through the:

A)pituitary gland.
B)hippocampus.
C)prefrontal cortex.
D)pineal gland.

Question 14

Which is the primary reason why modern psychologists study lapses, errors, and mistakes in behavior and cognition?

A)They are more intriguing than normal psychological functioning.
B)They allow us to learn about the normal operations of mental life and behavior.
C)They provide a window into the sexual urges of the unconscious.
D)They vividly illustrate the fact that most psychological functioning is not adaptive.

Question 15

Today, psychologists believe that mental processes:

A)arise from electrical and chemical activities of the brain.
B)arise from a nonphysical mind interacting with the pineal gland in the brain.
C)are not proper subject matter for science research.
D)usually are not adaptive in helping us function effectively in the world.

Question 16

Using _____, Krings et al. (2000) demonstrated that the brains of professional piano players were _____ active than novice players when both groups made finger movements like those involved in piano play.

A)fMRI; more
B)fMRI; less
C)CT scans; more
D)CT scans; less

Question 17

Nature is to nurture as nativism is to:

A)experience.
B)adaptation.
C)behaviorism.
D)phrenology.

Question 18

Which early philosopher was interested in certain kinds of knowledge as being innate or inborn?

A)Hippocrates
B)Plato
C)Aristotle
D)Descartes

Question 19

_____ believed that the mind and body are different from each other, and linked by the pineal gland.

A)Gall.
B)Hobbes.
C)Descartes.
D)Aristotle.

Question 20

Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Behavior refers to:

A)perceptions, thoughts, memories, and feelings.
B)explanations.
C)urges.
D)observable actions of humans and nonhuman animals.

Question 21

The modern view that the subjective experience of having a mind is the result of brain activity can be traced to which philosopher?

A)Hobbes
B)Plato
C)Descartes
D)James

Question 22

Wundt believed that scientific psychology should focus on analyzing the basic elements comprising consciousness, an approach he called:

A)functionalism.
B)psychoanalysis.
C)structuralism.
D)dualism.

Question 23

Penny wanted to find out how long it would take her sister Cathy to remove her finger from the flame of a lighted match. Penny is studying what type of process?

A)classical conditioning
B)introspection
C)reaction time
D)stimulus time

Question 24

Hermann von Helmholtz is to _____ as Wilhelm Wundt is to _____.

A)phrenology; functionalism
B)reaction time; structuralism
C)reaction time; functionalism
D)phrenology; structuralism

Question 25

Phrenology suggested that specific mental abilities and characteristics were located in specific regions of the brain. It was developed by:

A)Descartes.
B)Flourens.
C)Gall.
D)Broca.

Question 26

An acupuncturist asks you to respond as soon as you feel a pinprick as she stimulates your upper thigh, hamstring, calf, and foot with a needle. Based on Helmholtz's research, you will react most quickly when the _____ is stimulated.

A)upper thigh
B)hamstring
C)calf
D)foot

Question 27

The research of Flourens and Broca:

A)established phrenology as a true science.
B)confirmed Descartes' belief that the mind and body were linked via the pineal gland.
C)is consistent with the view of the mind held by Thomas Hobbes.
D)demonstrated that mental processes can occur independently of brain activity.

Question 28

The study of biological processes, especially those of the human body, is called:

A)psychology.
B)anatomy.
C)phrenology.
D)physiology.

Question 29

After suffering a stroke, Lisa was able to understand what people said to her but was unable to speak to them. The stroke probably damaged her:

A)pineal gland.
B)Broca's area.
C)hippocampus.
D)temporal lobe.

Question 30

The first laboratory devoted exclusively to psychology as an independent field of study opened in:

A)Paris in 1859.
B)Leipzig in 1879.
C)Berlin in 1889.
D)Cornell University in 1909.

Question 31

A person's subjective experience of the world and the mind is:

A)empiricism.
B)dualism.
C)structuralism.
D)consciousness.

Question 32

The analysis of the basic elements that constitute the mind is:

A)psychoanalysis.
B)functionalism.
C)structuralism.
D)consciousness.

Question 33

Hermann von Helmholtz is most remembered for:

A)debunking phrenology.
B)opening the first laboratory to conduct purely psychological experiments.
C)being the first to measure the speed of a nervous impulse.
D)discovering the relation between emotion and the amygdala.

Question 34

Dr. Quack touches specific bumps on a patient's skull and then indicates specific character traits for the patient, for example, "This patient is cautious." Dr. Quack is engaging in:

A)structuralism.
B)phrenology.
C)mesmerism.
D)psychoanalysis.

Question 35

A participant seated in an otherwise dark room stares at the flickering of a lit candle and reports on her subjective experiences, such as the visual experience of the candle flickering and the hepatic sensation of warmth. The psychologist conducting this experiment is most likely to be _____, and the method being used is _____.

A)Wundt; psychoanalysis
B)Wundt; introspection
C)James; functionalism
D)Titchener; functionalism

Question 36

A spiritual leader believes that the soul and the body are fundamentally different from each other, but are linked via a special structure in the brain. His beliefs are similar to those of:

A)Gall.
B)Descartes.
C)Hobbes.
D)Broca.

Question 37

Presented with a stimulus, student observers in Wundt's lab were asked to report on their "raw" sensory experience, a technique known as:

A)inspection.
B)circumspection.
C)retrospection.
D)introspection.

Question 38

The problem of dualism refers to how:

A)different areas in the brain control different types of behavior and cognition.
B)mental activity can be reconciled and coordinated with physical behavior.
C)brain activity produces consciousness.
D)both genetic and environmental factors influence human behavior.

Question 39

Historians generally credit the emergence of psychology as a science to:

A)Wundt.
B)Helmholtz.
C)Watson.
D)Titchener.

Question 40

What technique did psychologists who studied structuralism use?

A)conditioning
B)introspection
C)psychoanalysis
D)hypnosis

Question 41

William James viewed consciousness as similar to:

A)a flowing stream.
B)the parts of an atom.
C)an explanatory fiction.
D)the parts of a clock.

Question 42

Which accomplishment was G. Stanley Hall NOT the first to achieve?

A)Open a psychological laboratory in the United States.
B)Establish an empirical journal devoted to publishing psychological research.
C)Establish a professional association for psychologists.
D)Measure the speed of a nervous impulse.

Question 43

G. Stanley Hall is to _____ as _____ is to Wilhelm Wundt.

A)William James; Charles Darwin
B)William James; Edward Titchener
C)Edward Titchener; Charles Darwin
D)Hermann von Helmholtz; William James

Question 44

G. Stanley Hall is known for his contributions in the research areas of:

A)language and memory.
B)sensation and perception.
C)development and education.
D)reinforcement and punishment.

Question 45

The study of the purpose mental processes serve in enabling us to adapt to our environment is called:

A)structuralism.
B)social Darwinism.
C)functionalism.
D)behaviorism.

Question 46

Which psychologist established the structuralism school of psychology in the United States?

A)John Watson
B)Edward Titchener
C)G. Stanley Hall
D)William James

Question 47

William James was a noted:

A)structuralist.
B)behaviorist.
C)functionalist.
D)empiricist.

Question 48

William James is to _____ as Wilhelm Wundt is to _____.

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

Question 49

The major reason why structuralism ultimately failed as a school of psychology was that:

A)by associating itself with Darwin it drew harsh criticism from some religious authorities.
B)there was no evidence suggesting that Freud's theories were accurate.
C)the methods used by structuralists did not produce replicable observations.
D)it denied the existence of the mind.

Question 50

The unpredictable nature of results from introspection contributed to the decline of:

A)empiricism.
B)functionalism.
C)humanism.
D)structuralism.

Question 51

William James's school of functionalism was most influenced by the works of:

A)B. F. Skinner.
B)Wilhelm Wundt.
C)Charles Darwin.
D)René Descartes.

Question 52

Wundt argued that James's approach to psychology was flawed because James:

A)relied too much on introspection as a research method.
B)did not conduct much laboratory research.
C)unnecessarily constrained his research to observable behavior.
D)advocated a theory inconsistent with the tenets of natural selection.

Question 53

Who opened the first psychological laboratory in North America?

A)G. Stanley Hall
B)William James
C)John Watson
D)Wilhelm Wundt

Question 54

Which school of psychology was most concerned with the adaptive importance of mental processes?

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

Question 55

Studies have demonstrated that we attend to only a fraction of the sensory information that the brain receives. Based on this information, William James would be MOST interested in which research question?

A)What are the basic elements of sensory information?
B)Do unattended sensory experiences exist in the unconscious?
C)Will more information be perceived if participants are reinforced by cash incentives for better attention?
D)Why might it be advantageous for the mind to filter out most sensory information?

Question 56

Research participants are asked to rotate a three-dimensional object in their minds. William James would be MOST interested in which research question?

A)What are the subjective experiences of the participants as they do this task?
B)In what ways does the ability to manipulate objects in the mind aid problem solving in the real world?
C)At what age does this ability develop?
D)What are the unconscious processes underlying this task?

Question 57

In one experiment, Wundt instructed participants in one group to concentrate on perceiving a tone when it sounded before pressing a button. Participants in another group were simply instructed to press the button as soon as the tone sounded. Wundt found that participants in the first group responded slightly more slowly. This experiment was designed to distinguish between:

A)the sensation and perception of a stimulus.
B)reaction time and accuracy.
C)the perception and interpretation of a stimulus.
D)the sensation of a stimulus and reaction time.

Question 58

The functionalist approach was MOST influenced by the theory of:

A)phrenology.
B)nativism.
C)natural selection.
D)psychodynamics.

Question 59

Whereas Wundt was interested in the relationship between the elements of consciousness, Titchener was interested in identifying the:

A)basic elements themselves.
B)functional value of those elements.
C)behavioral correlates of those elements.
D)cross-cultural differences in those elemental relationships.

Question 60

Edward Titchener is known for:

A)establishing structuralism in the United States.
B)writing a devastating critique of the functionalist works of John Watson.
C)establishing the behaviorist concentration within psychology.
D)writing Beyond Freedom and Dignity.

Question 61

Psychoanalysis became quite controversial in American culture because it:

A)proposed that behavior was governed, in part, by unconscious sexual desires.
B)lacked empirical support for its effectiveness.
C)denied the existence of the mind and human free will.
D)focused only on observable behavior and ignored the role of cognition.

Question 62

Within psychology, psychoanalysis had its greatest influence on:

A)cognitive psychology.
B)clinical practice.
C)developmental psychology.
D)social psychology.

Question 63

Freud termed the _____ as the part of the mind that operates outside of conscious awareness but influences conscious thoughts, feelings, and actions.

A)preconscious
B)unconscious
C)self-conscious
D)subconscious

Question 64

Freud's view of human nature was largely _____, whereas the view of humanistic psychologists was largely _____.

A)objective; subjective
B)optimistic; pessimistic
C)negative; positive
D)positive; negative

Question 65

An approach that advocates that psychologists restrict themselves to the scientific study of objectively observable behavior is called:

A)objectivism.
B)behaviorism.
C)absolutism.
D)relativism.

Question 66

Sigmund Freud is to Edward Titchener as _____ is(are) to _____.

A)the elements of the unconscious; the elements of consciousness
B)psychoanalysis; behaviorism
C)empiricism; structuralism
D)structuralism; functionalism

Question 67

_____ is described as the scientific study of objectively observable behavior.

A)Functionalism
B)Structuralism
C)Behaviorism
D)Psychoanalysis

Question 68

Which psychologist was NOT part of the psychoanalytic movement?

A)Sigmund Freud
B)Alfred Adler
C)Carl Jung
D)Carl Rogers

Question 69

The term "patient" is to psychoanalysis as the term "client" is to:

A)cognition.
B)behaviorism.
C)humanism.
D)functionalism.

Question 70

A psychological approach that stressed a person's potential for positive growth was developed by:

A)Freud and Jung.
B)Skinner and Watson.
C)Rogers and Maslow.
D)Gall and Broca.

Question 71

Freud emphasized that the problems of many patients could be traced to:

A)effects of painful childhood experiences that could not be remembered.
B)"mind bugs," or curious failures of otherwise adaptive cognitive processes.
C)feelings of shame and inadequacy acquired during adolescent sexual development.
D)maladaptive patterns of behavior that could be observed during infancy.

Question 72

Which statement is NOT a reason why psychoanalysis gradually lost influence within psychology?

A)It failed to advance from a theory to a clinical practice.
B)Its themes of unconscious sexual motivations were too risqué for scientific discussion.
C)Freud's theories were difficult to test.
D)There was a rise of humanistic psychologists who opposed Freud's pessimistic view of humanity.

Question 73

Carrie is working with a patient to uncover the patient's early experiences as well as trying to bring unconscious anxieties and conflicts into awareness. Carrie is using which approach to work with her patient?

A)cognitive
B)psychoanalytical
C)Gestalt
D)humanistic

Question 74

Psychoanalysis focuses on:

A)the adaptability of certain psychological disorders.
B)deconstructing consciousness into its component parts.
C)bringing unconscious material into conscious awareness.
D)ways to banish anxiety into the unconscious.

Question 75

The theory that emphasizes the importance of unconscious mental processes in shaping feelings, thoughts, and behaviors is called:

A)Gestalt theory.
B)structuralism.
C)functionalism.
D)psychoanalytic theory.

Question 76

In the late 1800s, Charcot and Janet noted that symptoms of hysteria were eliminated when patients:

A)were paid for not exhibiting those symptoms.
B)received electroconvulsive shock therapy.
C)were hypnotized.
D)introspected on the causes of their hysteria.

Question 77

In the late 1800s, a temporary loss of cognitive or motor function, usually as a result of emotionally upsetting experiences, was termed:

A)agoraphobia.
B)hysteria.
C)neurosis.
D)generalized anxiety.

Question 78

Mariah is a teacher and believes that all her students have an inherent need to develop, grow, and reach their full potential. Mariah's beliefs are best characterized by which approach?

A)social-cultural
B)behaviorism
C)psychoanalysis
D)humanistic

Question 79

The branch of psychology that emphasizes the positive potential of human beings is called:

A)humanistic.
B)Gestalt.
C)cognitive.
D)idealistic.

Question 80

In terms of its subject matter for analysis, which school of psychology most differs from the others?

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