Question 1

John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner were two important American psychologists associated with the school of behaviorism.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

When Renate bought her memory-enhancing subliminal tapes, she was pleased to read about a study that showed that their use could produce positive results. However, she ignored the evidence from many other studies that did not support the claims made for the effectiveness of the subliminal tapes. This example illustrates:

Accepted Answer

A)  the effect of demand characteristics. 
B)  critical thinking. 
C)  the confirmation bias. 
D)  the practice effect.

Question 3

Two key figures in the development of humanistic psychology include:

Accepted Answer

A)  Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers. 
B)  Sigmund Freud and B. F. Skinner. 
C)  Mary Calkins and Margaret Floy Washburn. 
D)  John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner.

Question 4

Which of the following statements is NOT one of the reasons that animals are used in psychological research?

Accepted Answer

A)  There are many similarities between human and animal behavior. 
B)  It is often easier to study changes over the lifespan with nonhuman animals. 
C)  Research with nonhuman animal research is not subject to ethical rules and guidelines. 
D)  The results may promote the quality of life for zoo animals and the survival of endangered species in the wild.

Question 5

In his practice, Dr. Kallin applies psychological principles to help people with chronic and disabling health conditions adapt to their situation and attain optimal psychological, interpersonal, and physical functioning. Dr. Kallin is a _____ psychologist.

Accepted Answer

A)  forensic 
B)  social 
C)  rehabilitation 
D)  health

Question 6

In the Crum and Langer hotel experiment, one half the participants was given the health supplement ginkgo biloba and the other half was given a placebo.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

The event that marked the formal beginning of psychology as a separate experimental science occurred when William James taught the first course in psychology at Harvard University in the early 1870s.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

In psychological research, the practice effect refers to:

Accepted Answer

A)  the likelihood that researchers will improve in their interviewing techniques over time. 
B)  a change in performance of a task that is the result of mere repetition of that task. 
C)  the fact that the performance of skills that are well-practiced is more likely to decline when those skills are repeatedly measured. 
D)  a well-known technique for improving the memory of nonsense syllables or other meaningless stimuli.

Question 9

Brain-imaging techniques, such as PET scans, MRI, and fMRI, provide extremely accurate and detailed images of the brain and have virtually no known limitations.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Which of the following statements is a key advantage of naturalistic observation?

Accepted Answer

A)  Researchers can manipulate animal and human behavior. 
B)  Operational definitions are not needed, since only natural behaviors are studied. 
C)  Researchers can easily duplicate conditions that have been first investigated in laboratory settings. 
D)  Researchers can study behavior that could not ethically be manipulated in an experiment.

Question 11

What is the difference between the independent variable and the dependent variable?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the difference between the independent...

Question 12

Researchers were interested in the effects of alcohol consumption on the perceived attractiveness of members of the opposite sex. One group of participants was given four drinks containing alcohol, another group was given four drinks that did not contain alcohol, but both the alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks tasted identical. A final group was given no drinks at all. Next, all three groups of participants rated the attractiveness of members of the opposite sex by viewing pictures and rating attractiveness on a 1-to-10 scale. Which of the following is the dependent variable in this study?

Accepted Answer

A)  whether the drink contained alcohol or not 
B)  ratings on the attractiveness scale 
C)  the taste of the drinks 
D)  alcohol consumption

Question 13

Psychological research using animals as research participants:

Accepted Answer

A)  is much more common than research using humans as participants. 
B)  has contributed to the understanding of memory, stress, and psychological disorders and their treatment. 
C)  almost always involves exposing the animals to pain or suffering. 
D)  almost always involves the use of monkeys or chimpanzees.

Question 14

The positive psychology perspective is concerned primarily with:

Accepted Answer

A)  helping people of all ages adjust, adapt, and cope with personal and interpersonal problems in such diverse areas as relationships, work, education, marriage, child rearing, and aging. 
B)  the role of psychological factors in the development, prevention, and treatment of illness and developing ways of promoting health-enhancing behaviors. 
C)  the study of positive emotions and psychological states, positive individual traits, and the social institutions that foster positive qualities in individuals and communities. 
D)  studying the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of different types of behavioral and emotional disorders, such as anxiety, major depressive disorder, or eating disorders.

Question 15

The established science most responsible for the emergence of psychology as a scientific discipline was physiology.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

The dependent variable is also called the treatment variable.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

The specialty area in psychology that uses psychological theory and knowledge to enhance athletic motivation, performance, and consistency is called _____ psychology.

Accepted Answer

A)  health 
B)  positive 
C)  rehabilitation 
D)  sports

Question 18

The early psychological school called structuralism emphasized the study of:

Accepted Answer

A)  habits and adaptive behavior. 
B)  physiology. 
C)  the relative importance of nature versus nurture. 
D)  the elemental components of sensations, feelings, and conscious experience.

Question 19

One potential problem with surveys and questionnaires is that:

Accepted Answer

A)  people may misrepresent their personal characteristics or lie in their responses. 
B)  random selection procedures are not possible with these forms of data collection. 
C)  expectancy effects usually invalidate the findings. 
D)  these techniques produce illusory correlations rather than true correlations.

Question 20

Skepticism is the rule, not the exception, in science.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 1: Introduction and Research Methods

John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner were two important American psychologists associated with the school of behaviorism.

Two key figures in the development of humanistic psychology include:

Which of the following statements is NOT one of the reasons that animals are used in psychological research?

In his practice, Dr. Kallin applies psychological principles to help people with chronic and disabling health conditions adapt to their situation and attain optimal psychological, interpersonal, and physical functioning. Dr. Kallin is a _____ psychologist.

In the Crum and Langer hotel experiment, one half the participants was given the health supplement ginkgo biloba and the other half was given a placebo.

The event that marked the formal beginning of psychology as a separate experimental science occurred when William James taught the first course in psychology at Harvard University in the early 1870s.

In psychological research, the practice effect refers to:

Brain-imaging techniques, such as PET scans, MRI, and fMRI, provide extremely accurate and detailed images of the brain and have virtually no known limitations.

Which of the following statements is a key advantage of naturalistic observation?

What is the difference between the independent variable and the dependent variable?

Psychological research using animals as research participants:

The positive psychology perspective is concerned primarily with:

The established science most responsible for the emergence of psychology as a scientific discipline was physiology.

The dependent variable is also called the treatment variable.

The specialty area in psychology that uses psychological theory and knowledge to enhance athletic motivation, performance, and consistency is called _____ psychology.

The early psychological school called structuralism emphasized the study of:

One potential problem with surveys and questionnaires is that:

Skepticism is the rule, not the exception, in science.