Question 1

Rodesia insists that Dr. Phillip's theory of aggression be checked against observable evidence. She is demonstrating the scientific attitude of

Accepted Answer

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

Question 2

Professor Bolden claims that his experimental research demonstrates that eating an apple every day improves children's reading skills. How might he best offer further support for the reliability of this finding?

Accepted Answer

A)  replication 
B)  naturalistic observation 
C)  case studies 
D)  correlational research

Question 3

Debriefing refers to

Accepted Answer

A)  a technique for assessing the attitudes of those who respond to a survey. 
B)  repeating a research study with a different set of participants than those in the original study. 
C)  a procedure designed to inhibit hindsight bias. 
D)  an explanation of a research study given to those who have been its participants.

Question 4

In a survey, psychologists select a random sample of research participants in order to ensure that

Accepted Answer

A)  the participants are representative of the population they are interested in studying. 
B)  there will be a large number of participants in the research study. 
C)  the study will not be influenced by the researcher's personal values. 
D)  the same number of participants will be assigned to each of the experimental conditions.

Question 5

Professor Shalet contends that parents and children have similar levels of intelligence largely because they share common genes. His idea is best described as a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)  theory. 
B)  replication. 
C)  naturalistic observation. 
D)  operational definition.

Question 6

A negative correlation between degree of wealth and likelihood of suffering from a psychological disorder would indicate that

Accepted Answer

A)  poverty makes people vulnerable to psychological disorders. 
B)  people who are poor are more likely to have a psychological disorder than are wealthy people. 
C)  psychological disorders usually prevent people from accumulating wealth. 
D)  all of these statements are correct.

Question 7

In a drug-treatment study, participants given a pill containing no actual drug are receiving a

Accepted Answer

A)  random sample. 
B)  double blind. 
C)  replication. 
D)  placebo.

Question 8

The nature-nurture issue refers to the debate over the relative contributions that ________ make to the development of psychological traits.

Accepted Answer

A)  massed practice and spaced practice 
B)  unconscious and conscious motives 
C)  behavior and mental processes 
D)  genes and experience

Question 9

Natassia believes that boys learn to be more aggressive than girls primarily because boys are more frequently pressured to defend themselves with fists. Natassia's belief is best described as an example of the ________ perspective.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 10

Mrs. Alfieri believes that her husband's angry outbursts against her result from his unconscious hatred of his own mother. Mrs. Alfieri is looking at her husband's behavior from a(n) ________ perspective.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 11

A concern with the reasoning processes that contribute to effective problem solving is most characteristic of the ________ perspective.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 12

On a series of coin tosses, Oleg has correctly predicted heads or tails seven times in a row. In this instance, we can reasonably conclude that Oleg's predictive accuracy

Accepted Answer

A)  defies the laws of statistical probability. 
B)  illustrates the phenomenon of hindsight bias. 
C)  is inconsistent with the placebo effect. 
D)  is a random and coincidental occurrence.

Question 13

Focusing on the extent to which behavior is influenced by motives outside our own awareness is most relevant to the ________ perspective.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 14

Three key attitudes of scientific inquiry are

Accepted Answer

A)  pride, enthusiasm, and ingenuity. 
B)  ingenuity, practicality, and certainty. 
C)  certainty, creativity, and curiosity. 
D)  curiosity, skepticism, and humility.

Question 15

Dr. Wilcox conducts basic research on the behavioral differences between shy and outgoing people. Dr. Wilcox is most likely a(n) ________ psychologist.

Accepted Answer

A)  biological 
B)  cognitive 
C)  industrial-organizational 
D)  personality

Question 16

Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow are most closely associated with

Accepted Answer

A)  cognitive psychology. 
B)  behaviorism. 
C)  psychodynamic theory. 
D)  humanistic psychology.

Question 17

To maximize control over the factors they are studying, researchers engage in

Accepted Answer

A)  case studies. 
B)  correlation research. 
C)  experimentation. 
D)  surveys.

Question 18

Lissette wonders whether personality differences between her African-American and Asian-American friends result from biological or cultural influences. In this instance, Lissette is primarily concerned with the relative contributions of

Accepted Answer

A)  neuroscience and cognition. 
B)  nature and nurture. 
C)  behavior and mental processes. 
D)  conscious and unconscious thoughts.

Question 19

Based on scientific theory of social influence, researchers tested the prediction that a threat to self-esteem increases conformity to peer pressure. The prediction that was tested best illustrates a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)  psychodynamic perspective. 
B)  independent variable. 
C)  operational definition. 
D)  hypothesis.

Question 20

The study of psychology is potentially dangerous because

Accepted Answer

A)  psychological knowledge can be used for destructive purposes. 
B)  psychologists generally believe that people are not personally responsible for their actions. 
C)  psychological research necessitates performing stressful experiments on people. 
D)  psychological research typically violates personal privacy rights.

Exam 1: Thinking Critically With Psychological Science