Deck 1: Introducing Psychology and Research Methods

Question 1

What is psychology?

A) the science of mental activity and human behaviour
B) the science of human behaviour
C) the study of observable behaviour
D) the science of behaviour and mental processes

Answer 1

the science of behaviour and mental processes

Question 2

Which of the following is the best definition of psychology?

A) the systematic scientific study of behaviour and mental processing
B) the systematic scientific study of human behaviour
C) the systematic study of abnormal behaviour of both humans and animals
D) the application of science to human and animal behaviour

Answer 2

the systematic scientific study of behaviour and mental processing

Question 3

In the definition of psychology presented in the textbook, what is covert behaviour?

A) mental processes such as thinking and remembering
B) observable actions and responses
C) private internal activities such as thinking, remembering, and mental events
D) various behaviours performed by human beings

Answer 3

private internal activities such as thinking, remembering, and mental events

Question 4

In the definition of psychology presented in the textbook, what is overt behaviour?

A) mental processes
B) observable actions and responses
C) private internal activities such as thinking, remembering, and mental events
D) various behaviours performed by human beings

Question 5

Which of the following best describes covert behaviour?

A) it consists of activities such as thinking, remembering, and internal activities
B) it is a synonym for internal processing such as memory and feelings
C) it consists of observable actions and responses
D) it refers to acts such as walking, talking, and crying

Question 6

How is covert behaviour best defined?

A) as behavioural processes such as walking, talking, and working
B) as any act that requires observable, physical behaviour
C) as any act such as eating, talking, and crying
D) as internal processes such as remembering, thinking, and learning

Question 7

Data in psychology are typically gathered to answer questions about which of the following?

A) clinical problems
B) human groups
C) human cognition
D) directly studied behaviour

Question 8

Why do psychologists have a special respect for empirical evidence?

A) because subjective experiences are not necessarily accurate
B) because self-appointed authorities are often wrong
C) because indirect observation is the best means for gathering information
D) because measurements are often imprecise tools

Question 9

In the field of psychology, how are data best defined?

A) as observed fact
B) as truth
C) as numbers
D) as statistics

Question 10

How do psychologists gather empirical evidence?

A) by making thoughtful conclusions based on personal experience
B) by direct observation and measurement
C) by simply thinking objectively and applying common sense
D) by reading knowledgeable authorities in the field

Question 11

Why do many questions remain unanswered in the field of psychology?

A) because various ethical concerns often frighten potential research subjects
B) because there are not enough suitable research subjects to conduct studies
C) because suitable research methods are often lacking
D) because many interesting research questions have not yet been asked

Question 12

What type of psychologist studies physical changes from infancy through old age?

A) a behavioural psychologist
B) a developmental psychologist
C) a school psychologist
D) a psychoanalytic psychologist

Question 13

What type of psychologist would most likely write an article comparing the value of breast feeding versus formula feeding on infant development?

A) a developmental psychologist
B) a social psychologist
C) a clinical psychologist
D) an educational psychologist

Question 14

I investigate how people come to understand the world through their various visual and auditory abilities. Who am I?

A) a cognitive psychologist
B) a visual-developmental psychologist
C) a sensation and perception psychologist
D) a learning theorist

Question 15

What field of psychology studies and contrasts the behaviour of different species?

A) personality psychology
B) forensic psychology
C) comparative psychology
D) developmental psychology

Question 16

What type of psychologist would be most interested in studying motivation, character traits, and individual differences?

A) a personality psychologist
B) a behavioural psychologist
C) a social psychologist
D) a humanistic psychologist

Question 17

What type of psychologist researches attitudes, persuasion, conformity, racism, and friendship?

A) a social psychologist
B) a personality psychologist
C) a behavioural psychologist
D) a humanistic psychologist

Question 18

You see an attractive person at a party and go over to introduce yourself. What type of psychologist would be most interested in the attraction between strangers?

A) a social psychologist
B) a personality psychologist
C) a behavioural psychologist
D) a humanistic psychologist

Question 19

Deirdre believes that mental disorders are caused by imbalances in the brain. Which perspective do her beliefs reflect?

A) the humanistic perspective
B) the cognitive perspective
C) the psychoanalytic perspective
D) the biopsychological perspective

Question 20

Dr. Laurie is investigating the impact of American and Canadian ways of life on attitudes toward guns. What type of psychologist is Dr. Laurie?

A) a comparative psychologist
B) a cultural psychologist
C) a developmental psychologist
D) a biopsychologist

Question 21

To which of the following does psychology's study of animal behaviour contribute?

A) our understanding of conformity
B) our understanding of compassion
C) our understanding of psychosis
D) our understanding of humour

Question 22

What are the goals of psychology?

A) classify, analyze, test, and treat
B) summarize, infer, interpret, and insist
C) describe, understand, predict, and control
D) explain, describe, predict, and interpret

Question 23

What is the correct sequence of the goals of psychology?

A) describe, predict, understand, and control
B) describe, understand, predict, and control
C) understand, describe, predict, and control
D) understand, predict, describe, and control

Question 24

What is the first basic goal of psychology?

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

Question 25

Dr. Patterson states that Kitty Genovese was murdered in New York while bystanders witnessed the attack, and that no one helped her due to "diffusion of responsibility." Which goal of psychology is Dr.
Patterson expressing?

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

Question 26

From which of the following disciplines did psychology originate?

A) biology
B) history
C) philosophy
D) chemistry

Question 27

Which psychologist is considered the "Father of Psychology"?

A) John Watson
B) Wilhelm Wundt
C) William James
D) Max Wertheimer

Question 28

As a focus of psychological research, who among the following placed the greatest emphasis on introspection?

A) John Watson
B) Max Wertheimer
C) Margaret Washburn
D) Wilhelm Wundt

Question 29

Who opened the first psychological laboratory in 1879?

A) William James
B) John Watson
C) Wilhelm Wundt
D) Edward Titchener

Question 30

If Wilhelm Wundt asked you to report your sensations and perceptions by looking inward, in what would you be engaging?

A) functionalism
B) introspection
C) psychoanalysis
D) observation

Question 31

Wundt and his students wanted to break the mind down into its elements or "raw sensations" through which of the following?

A) the scientific method
B) the logic method
C) the reduction method
D) the introspection method

Question 32

Which perspective stated that psychological experiences must be broken down into their fundamental elements?

A) the functionalist perspective
B) the structuralist perspective
C) the Gestalt perspective
D) the behaviourist perspective

Question 33

Which area of psychology is based on Darwin's principle of natural selection?

A) functionalism
B) cultural psychology
C) structuralism
D) cognitive psychology

Question 34

Which school of thought is interested in how humans and animals adapt to their environment?

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

Question 35

An article entitled "The Mind: Function and Purpose" would likely be written by someone who most identified with which of the following?

A) Wundt and structuralism
B) Watson and behaviourism
C) Freud and psychoanalysis
D) James and functionalism

Question 36

Watson rejected structuralism, stating that psychology should instead study which of the following?

A) observable and measurable behaviour
B) unconscious motivations
C) sensations and perception
D) introspection

Question 37

How does the behavioural approach attempt to explain behaviour?

A) by examining the person's heredity background
B) by examining the person's environment
C) by examining abnormalities of the brain
D) by examining physical characteristics that may influence thinking

Question 38

Which of the following statements is consistent with the behavioural perspective?

A) "The study of the mind through introspection is objective."
B) "Misguided rewards lead some of us to destructive actions."
C) "The investigation of observable actions is necessary to understand behaviour."
D) "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

Question 39

Who agreed with Watson in wanting to limit psychology to observable and measurable behaviour?

A) B. F. Skinner
B) Max Wertheimer
C) William James
D) Wilhelm Wundt

Question 40

Who theorized that desirable behaviour could be encouraged by using positive reinforcement within a
"designed culture"?

A) Wilhelm Wundt
B) John Watson
C) F. Skinner
D) William James

Question 41

Which behaviourist believed that rewards or positive reinforcers often dictate our behaviour?

A) William James b.
B) F. Skinner
C) Albert Bandura
D) Margaret Washburn

Question 42

Anthony taught his dog to roll over on command by rewarding the dog with food whenever she exhibited the appropriate action. Anthony's method is similar to which psychological approach?

A) the behavioural approach
B) the cognitive approach
C) the psychoanalytic approach
D) the humanistic approach

Question 43

Regarding our various sensations, what do Gestalt psychologists study?

A) how sensations are experienced by the sensory organs
B) how sensations are assembled into meaningful and recognizable units
C) how sensations are observed and recorded
D) how sensations are broken into smaller units

Question 44

With which school of psychology is Wertheimer associated?

A) functionalism
B) psychoanalysis
C) behaviourism
D) Gestalt psychology

Question 45

We see a painting and experience it as a lovely landscape rather than as the series of separate, differently coloured dots of which the painting is actually composed. Which perspective does this phenomenon illustrate?

A) Gestalt psychology
B) structuralism
C) functionalism
D) behaviourism

Question 46

Which view stated that many psychological experiences cannot be broken into smaller elements without losing their meaning?

A) functionalism
B) structuralism
C) Gestalt psychology
D) behaviourism

Question 47

Which area of psychology did Sigmund Freud develop?

A) behavioural psychology
B) cognitive psychology
C) humanistic psychology
D) psychoanalytic psychology

Question 48

Who was most likely to have stated "dreams are windows to our unconscious"?

A) Sigmund Freud
B) Wilhelm Wundt
C) John Watson
D) Max Wertheimer

Question 49

What perspective would say, "The child shapes the man"?

A) the structuralist perspective
B) the functionalist perspective
C) the behaviourist perspective
D) the psychoanalytic perspective

Question 50

Sandra claims that Hong's anxiety originates from unresolved sexual conflicts residing in his unconscious. With which perspective is this observation about Hong most consistent?

A) the behavioural perspective
B) the cognitive perspective
C) the psychodynamic perspective
D) the humanistic perspective

Question 51

According to Freud, which of the following contributes to problems in adulthood?

A) bad dreams that have yet to be interpreted
B) "Freudian slips" of the tongue
C) childhood experiences
D) faulty cognition

Question 52

Who conducted pioneering work on memory and became the first woman president of the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1905?

A) Ruth Howard
B) Christine Ladd-Franklin
C) Mary Calkins
D) Margaret Washburn

Question 53

Which psychologist studied colour vision in 1906 and was ranked by the American Psychological Association (APA) as one of the 50 most important psychologists?

A) Margaret Washburn
B) Christine Ladd-Franklin
C) Mary Calkins
D) Ruth Howard

Question 54

Who published an influential textbook on animal behaviour entitled The Animal Mind?

A) Margaret Washburn
B) Christine Ladd-Franklin
C) Mary Calkins
D) Ruth Howard

Question 55

Who was the first woman to be awarded a Ph.D. in psychology, in 1894?

A) Margaret Washburn
B) Christine Ladd-Franklin
C) Mary Calkins
D) Ruth Howard

Question 56

Which approach suggests that none of our words or actions are accidental?

A) the behavioural approach
B) the psychoanalytic approach
C) the humanistic approach
D) the functionalist approach

Question 57

Which perspective discusses behaviour in terms of human experience, problems, potentials, and free will?

A) the cognitive perspective
B) the behavioural perspective
C) the humanistic perspective
D) the psychoanalytic perspective

Question 58

Taylor believes that he has power to control his fate and reach his full potential. Which perspective has he adopted?

A) the cognitive perspective
B) the behavioural perspective
C) the humanistic perspective
D) the psychoanalytic perspective

Question 59

Which of the following is an element of humanistic psychology?

A) the unconscious
B) self-image
C) frame of self
D) other-evaluation

Question 60

How do we classify psychologists who draw from various sources to study human behaviour?

A) as psychoanalysts
B) as therapists
C) as hypnotists
D) as eclectics

Question 61

Dr. Prinz has found that amphetamines help control hyperactivity in children by stimulating the frontal lobe. What approach is Dr. Prinz using?

A) the biological approach
B) the behavioural approach
C) the psychoanalytic approach
D) the cognitive approach

Question 62

Dr. Causey is interested in the effects of dopamine levels on schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease.
Which type of psychologist is Dr. Causey most likely to be?

A) a cognitive psychologist
B) a neuropsychologist
C) a social psychologist
D) a structuralist

Question 63

How might a cognitive psychologist study the way we react when we see someone who is homeless?

A) by investigating how we process, store, and use information to react
B) by analyzing the rewards that make us stop and help
C) by trying to understand the unconscious motivations that make us respond to the homeless person
D) by researching the family dynamics that would make us stop and help

Question 64

Jamal is interested in discovering how people process, store, and use information. Which psychological perspective do his interests reflect?

A) the biological perspective
B) the humanistic perspective
C) the cognitive perspective
D) the behavioural perspective

Question 65

Which area of psychology studies human strengths, virtues, and optimal behaviour?

A) cognitive psychology
B) positive psychology
C) cultural psychology
D) functional psychology

Question 66

Why can cultural relativity be helpful?

A) because it helps in developing universal behavioural standards
B) because it helps us diagnose cultural disorders
C) because it helps us assess how people live within various cities
D) because it helps us understand the impact of values on behaviour

Question 67

How does the cultural perspective add a valuable dimension to psychology?

A) by stating that anthropology explains behaviour
B) by proposing that in order to understand people of different backgrounds we must spend time with them
C) by knowing that what we learn about one race is probably not true about other races
D) by stating that our culture, ethnicity, race, sex, and so forth influence our behaviour

Question 68

What do we call the rules defining acceptable and expected behaviour for members of various groups?

A) norms
B) dynamic thoughts
C) values
D) reality

Question 69

A young, inexperienced teacher from the United States has taken a job in Korea. She is very apprehensive and confused by certain differences between the two countries. Which approach would help give her insight into these differences?

A) the behavioural approach
B) the ethological approach
C) the cultural approach
D) the psychoanalytic approach

Question 70

If you know someone with anxiety problems, which type of psychologist should you advise that person to see?

A) an educational psychologist
B) a developmental psychologist
C) a personality psychologist
D) a counselling psychologist

Question 71

If your therapist is interested in dreams, blocked memories, and unconscious causes of behaviour, which approach to psychology are they using?

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

Question 72

Who among the following is most likely to treat the physical causes of psychological problems?

A) a scientist-practitioner
B) a psychoanalyst
C) a forensic psychologist
D) a psychiatrist

Question 73

Katya has a family history of depression and is currently suffering from depression due to a chemical imbalance. What type of professional should Katya see?

A) a psychologist
B) a social worker
C) a psychotherapist
D) a psychiatrist

Question 74

What is applied research?

A) research that tries to understand cultural behaviour
B) research that finds solutions to specific problems
C) research that is research for its own sake
D) research with lower-level animals

Question 75

A psychologist decides to study some of the issues faced by secondary-school teachers who have more than 30 students in their class. What is this type of research called?

A) pure research
B) applied research
C) complex research
D) basic research

Question 76

When gathering information in psychology, why must the scientific method supersede common sense?

A) because common sense relies on personal beliefs and experiences
B) because common sense does not employ skepticism
C) because the scientific method often contradicts common sense
D) because the scientific method is less biased

Question 77

Why is psychology considered a legitimate science?

A) because a body of psychological knowledge has been accumulated
B) because of the type of training psychologists are given
C) because the scientific method is used to gather information
D) because of psychology's similarity to biology and chemistry

Question 78

What is a hypothesis?

A) the independent correlation
B) the variable that remains once the others have been eliminated
C) an informed guess as to a relationship or possible explanation
D) the dependent relationship

Question 79

Along with carefully recording facts and events, what is at the heart of all sciences?

A) theory
B) observation
C) thinking
D) a hypothesis

Question 80

Which method involves studying people or animals in their real-life setting without imposing laboratory conditions?

A) the independent method
B) the laboratory observation method
C) the correlation method
D) the naturalistic observation method