Unit 1 Chapter 1 Flashcards
1
Q
Which two disciplines provided foundations for the field of psychology?
a. physiology and theology
b. physiology and sociology
c. philosophy and physiology
d. sociology and philosophy
A
c. philosophy and physiology
2
Q
While the term “psychology” has existed since at least the early 1700s, when did psychology come to
be considered a science?
a. the 1750s
b. the early 1800s
c. the late 1800s
d. the 1940s
A
c. the late 1800s
3
Q
Which event marked the “birth” of psychology as a science?
a. Wilhelm Wundt established the first laboratory for psychological research.
b. Sigmund Freud first described the unconscious.
c. Charles Darwin published the theory of natural selection.
d. William James published the textbook Principles of Psychology.
A
a. Wilhelm Wundt established the first laboratory for psychological research.
4
Q
How did Wilhelm Wundt define psychology?
a. the scientific study of the unconscious
b. the scientific study of conscious experience
c. the scientific study of behaviour
d. the scientific study of the brain
A
b. the scientific study of conscious experience
5
Q
Which of the following is NOT one of the major contributions of G. Stanley Hall?
a. He established the first research laboratory for psychology in America.
b. He was the first president of the American Psychological Association.
c. He received the first Ph.D. in psychology in America.
d. He established the first American psychological journal.
A
c. He received the first Ph.D. in psychology in America.
6
Q
Who was the psychologist who established the first psychology research laboratory in America,
founded the first American psychological journal, and was the first president of the American
Psychological Association?
a. John Watson
b. G. Stanley Hall
c. William James
d. Wilhelm Wundt
A
b. G. Stanley Hall
7
Q
Which school of psychology stated that the task of psychology is to analyze conscious experience into
its basic elements?
a. functionalism
b. psychoanalysis
c. behaviourism
d. structuralism
A
d. structuralism
8
Q
What did both Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener believe should be the focus of psychology?
a. observable behaviour
b. the function or purpose of consciousness
c. unconscious determinants of behaviour
d. basic elements of conscious experience
A
d. basic elements of conscious experience
9
Q
Which technique would you be using if you take a sip of a soft drink and concentrate on what you are
experiencing (cold, bubbly, sweet, etc.)?
a. empiricism
b. behaviourism
c. introspection
d. functionalism
A
c. introspection
10
Q
What technique would you be using if, while watching a sunset, you stop and analyze your sensations,
thoughts, and feelings?
a. behaviourism
b. introspection
c. psychoanalysis
d. functionalism
A
b. introspection
11
Q
What did William James believe should be the focus of psychology?
a. the function or purpose of consciousness
b. basic elements of conscious experience
c. observable behaviour
d. unconscious determinants of behaviour
A
a. the function or purpose of consciousness
12
Q
Which individual is known as the founder of functionalism?
a. Sigmund Freud
b. John Watson
c. Wilhelm Wundt
d. William James
A
d. William James
13
Q
Which school of psychology stated that consciousness developed in humans because it serves a useful
purpose?
a. humanism
b. functionalism
c. behaviourism
d. structuralism
A
b. functionalism
14
Q
Which individual provided a significant influence for William James’s perspective on psychology?
a. Sigmund Freud
b. Plato
c. Aristotle
d. Charles Darwin
A
d. Charles Darwin
15
Q
Which of the following schools of thought was most influenced by Charles Darwin’s theory of natural
selection?
a. functionalism
b. psychoanalysis
c. behaviourism
d. structuralism
A
a. functionalism
16
Q
Which school of psychology had a practical focus and was interested in how people adapted their
behaviour to the demands of the world?
a. functionalism
b. behaviourism
c. psychoanalysis
d. structuralism
A
a. functionalism
17
Q
Which individual is associated with the concept of “stream of consciousness”?
a. William James
b. Wilhelm Wundt
c. Sigmund Freud
d. John Watson
A
a. William James
18
Q
Two scientists from another planet, Poz and Zog, visit earth and are attempting to study our computers.
Poz focuses on how the computer is used for conducting business, communicating with others, and
playing games, while Zog concentrates on the construction of the hard-drive, monitor, keyboard, and
mouse. If you were to compare their approaches to the original schools of psychology, which of the
following analogies is most accurate?
a. Poz’s approach is similar to functionalism.
b. Zog’s approach is similar to behaviourism.
c. Zog’s approach is similar to psychoanalysis.
d. Poz’s approach is similar to structuralism.
A
a. Poz’s approach is similar to functionalism.
19
Q
Which of the following most accurately describes the enduring influence of structuralism and
functionalism on psychology today?
a. Neither structuralism nor functionalism exerted a long-lasting influence on psychology.
b. Both structuralism and functionalism exerted a long-lasting influence on psychology.
c. Only structuralism exerted a long-lasting influence on psychology.
d. Only functionalism exerted a long-lasting influence on psychology.
A
d. Only functionalism exerted a long-lasting influence on psychology.
20
Q
Who is known as the founder of behaviourism?
a. John Watson
b. Carl Rogers
c. Wilhelm Wundt
d. Sigmund Freud
A
a. John Watson
21
Q
How did John Watson define psychology?
a. the scientific study of the brain
b. the scientific study of the unconscious
c. the scientific study of behaviour
d. the scientific study of conscious experience
A
c. the scientific study of behaviour
22
Q
Which school of psychology made a clear distinction between observable behaviours and
unobservable thoughts and feelings?
a. functionalism
b. behaviourism
c. psychoanalysis
d. structuralism
A
b. behaviourism
23
Q
What did John Watson believe should be the focus of psychology?
a. unconscious determinants of behaviour
b. observable behaviour
c. basic elements of conscious experience
d. the function or purpose of consciousness
A
b. observable behaviour
24
Q
Which psychological approach is often referred to as stimulus-response (S-R) psychology?
a. psychoanalytic theory
b. structuralism
c. evolutionary psychology
d. behaviourism
A
d. behaviourism
25
If Dr. Meharry is a behaviourist, which of the following would he most likely say is the cause of a
child’s disruptive behaviour in school?
a. a combination of his genetic inheritance and his prior experiences
b. his prior experiences
c. his genetic inheritance
d. a learning disability
b. his prior experiences
26
Which of the following schools of psychology was most influential in increasing the use of animals in
psychological research?
a. structuralism
b. humanism
c. behaviourism
d. animalism
c. behaviourism
27
Which of the following individuals would be most likely to focus on your thoughts, memories, and
desires that are beyond the control of conscious rational processes?
a. B. F. Skinner
b. Sigmund Freud
c. John Watson
d. Abraham Maslow
b. Sigmund Freud
28
What did Sigmund Freud believe should be the focus of studies of personality, motivation, and mental
disorders?
a. observable behaviour
b. basic elements of conscious experience
c. unconscious determinants of behaviour
d. the function or purpose of consciousness
c. unconscious determinants of behaviour
29
You act impulsively, and then wonder why. What would Sigmund Freud say is the cause of your
behaviour?
a. your unconscious mind
b. your lack of rational thought
c. your conscious mind
d. your inability to think quickly
a. your unconscious mind
30
Which of the following did NOT have a significant influence on the development of Sigmund Freud’s
theory?
a. the results of his experimental research
b. his observation of the slips of the tongue people tend to make
c. knowledge gained from his examination of his own anxieties, conflicts, and desires
d. knowledge gained as a result of working with patients
a. the results of his experimental research
31
What did Sigmund Freud believe prevented us from being totally in control of our own minds?
a. the physiological functioning of our bodies
b. environmental influences acting on us
c. the unconscious
d. introspection
c. the unconscious
32
Which of the following was NOT one of the reasons that psychoanalysis was controversial when it
was first developed?
a. its focus on the unconscious
b. its lack of experimental research
c. its emphasis on sexual issues
d. its focus on abnormal behaviour
d. its focus on abnormal behaviour
33
Which of the following statements is most accurate, regarding experimental psychology’s eventual
reaction to psychoanalytic theory?
a. Psychoanalytic theory was rejected by experimental psychologists.
b. Psychoanalytic theory was accepted by experimental psychologists.
c. Experimental psychologists began to reject behaviourism.
d. Experimental psychologists tested psychoanalytic hypotheses.
d. Experimental psychologists tested psychoanalytic hypotheses.
34
In the 1950s, of which school of psychology did B. F. Skinner argue that psychology should return to a
strict interpretation?
a. humanism
b. behaviourism
c. psychoanalysis
d. functionalism
b. behaviourism
35
Which of the following behaviourists was known for his concept of radical behaviourism?
a. B. F. Skinner
b. Ivan Pavlov
c. Edward Thorndike
d. John B. Watson
a. B. F. Skinner
36
Which psychologist believed that organisms tend to repeat responses that lead to positive outcomes?
a. Sigmund Freud
b. B. F. Skinner
c. William James
d. Carl Rogers
b. B. F. Skinner
37
According to B. F. Skinner, if you study “extra hard” for your first psychology midterm and earn an
“A,” what would you do for your next psychology midterm?
a. reduce your study time by approximately 50 percent
b. continue to study “extra hard”
c. devote all of your study time to your other courses
d. reduce your study time by approximately 25 percen
b. continue to study “extra hard”
38
If you wish to teach a child to pick up his toys, which of the following theorist’s principles and
techniques would be most useful?
a. Wilhelm Wundt
b. William James
c. B. F. Skinner
d. Abraham Maslow
c. B. F. Skinner
39
Lisa taught her son to buckle his seat belt in the car by allowing him to play one of his CDs on the car
stereo only after he was buckled up. Which school of psychology would most endorse this method?
a. cognitive psychology
b. humanism
c. biological psychology
d. behaviourism
d. behaviourism
40
Which of the following statements would Skinner disagree with?
a. Organisms tend to repeat responses that lead to positive outcomes.
b. Organisms tend not to repeat responses that lead to neutral or negative outcomes.
c. All behaviour is governed by external consequences.
d. Individuals have free will.
d. Individuals have free will.
41
Upon reflecting upon your own behaviour, you come to the conclusion that you behave in a very
predictable fashion. You feel that you don’t really choose your behaviours freely or consciously.
Rather, you believe that your behaviour is controlled by what has happened to you in the past. Which
of the following theorists would be most likely to agree with you?
a. B. F. Skinner
b. Edward Titchener
c. Carl Rogers
d. Sigmund Freud
a. B. F. Skinner
42
Which school of psychology developed in the 1950s?
a. psychoanalysis
b. behaviourism
c. functionalism
d. humanism
d. humanism
43
Which school of psychology believes people have a basic need to fulfill their potential for personal
growth and experience free will?
a. psychoanalysis
b. cognitive psychology
c. humanism
d. behaviourism
c. humanism
44
Which school of psychology would be least likely to compare humans to other animals?
a. behaviourism
b. functionalism
c. humanism
d. evolutionary psychology
c. humanism
45
Which of the following would both Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow agree with?
a. People have a basic need to fulfill their potential for personal growth.
b. Human behaviour is entirely shaped by environmental events.
c. People are not masters of their own destiny.
d. Human behaviour is largely determined by primitive sexual urges.
a. People have a basic need to fulfill their potential for personal growth.
46
As a young psychologist, your major goal is to help people reach their potential. Which school of
psychology do you endorse?
a. structuralism
b. humanism
c. psychoanalysis
d. behaviourism
b. humanism
47
Where was the first experimental psychology laboratory in Canada established?
a. University of Toronto
b. Dalhousie University
c. University of Alberta
d. McGill University
a. University of Toronto
48
Why was the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) established?
a. to promote the training of psychiatric residents
b. to assist psychologists in setting up new private practices and getting start-up grants
c. to provide public education on the importance of psychology in applied settings
d. to advance psychology as a science
d. to advance psychology as a science
49
What is the focus of applied psychology?
a. diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems
b. unique qualities of people
c. practical problems
d. mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge
c. practical problems
50
Tracey is conducting research on children’s learning styles, and her research is used to help create new
teaching activities in daycare centres. Which category would Tracey’s research fit into best?
a. clinical psychology
b. applied psychology
c. behaviourism
d. functionalism
b. applied psychology
51
Which area of psychology is concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems
and disorders?
a. applied psychology
b. clinical psychology
c. medical psychology
d. research psychology
b. clinical psychology
52
Which of the following major historical events influenced the development of psychology as a
profession?
a. World War II
b. the Cold War of the 1950s
c. World War I
d. the Great Depression of the 1930s
a. World War II
53
What did many psychologists begin to specialize in after World War II?
a. clinical psychology
b. experimental psychology
c. industrial psychology
d. research psychology
a. clinical psychology
54
Which type of psychology best categorizes the research on bullying described in the Featured Study?
a. behavioural psychology
b. cognitive psychology
c. experimental psychology
d. applied psychology
d. applied psychology
55
Dr. LeBlanc became a psychologist in 1925. Which of the following types of psychologists is Dr.
LeBlanc most likely to be?
a. a counselling psychologist
b. an experimental psychologist
c. an applied psychologist
d. a clinical psychologist
b. an experimental psychologist
56
Which pair of terms reflects the observation that “psychology returned to its roots” in the latter part of
the 20th century?
a. cognitive perspective and humanism
b. cognitive perspective and biological perspective
c. biological perspective and humanism
d. cultural perspective and biological perspective
b. cognitive perspective and biological perspective
57
Which psychological perspective emerged in the 1950s and 1960s, and reflected a renewed interest in
the study of the mind or consciousness?
a. mental perspective
b. philosophical perspective
c. biological perspective
d. cognitive perspective
d. cognitive perspective
58
If you were to ask a cognitive psychologist about her current research, which of the following is most
likely to be the topic?
a. unconscious emotional conflicts
b. problem-solving
c. the influence of hormones on behaviour
d. common attitudes across cultures
b. problem-solving
59
Which type of psychologist is most likely to study decision making, reasoning, problem solving, and
language?
a. an evolutionary psychologist
b. a cognitive psychologist
c. a behavioural psychologist
d. a biological psychologist
b. a cognitive psychologist
60
Which psychological perspective emerged in the 1950s and 1960s and reflected a renewed interest in
the study of the physiological bases of behaviour?
a. philosophical perspective
b. biological perspective
c. mental perspective
d. cognitive perspective
b. biological perspective
61
Which of the following psychological perspectives is most likely to focus on the interrelations among
the mind, body, and behaviour?
a. physiological perspective
b. cognitive perspective
c. behavioural perspective
d. evolutionary perspective
a. physiological perspective
62
According to the physiological perspective, what must psychologists focus on in order to fully
understand behaviour?
a. the interrelations among the mind, body, and behaviour
b. internal mental events
c. the adaptive value of a behaviour
d. the role of the unconscious
a. the interrelations among the mind, body, and behaviour
63
Which of the following is partly responsible for Donald Hebb’s tremendous impact on the field of
psychology?
a. his discovery that the hemispheres of the brain are specialized for different tasks
b. his collaborative work with Roger Sperry
c. his focus on the study of children’s development
d. his book, The Organization of Behavior: A Neuropsychological Theory
d. his book, The Organization of Behavior: A Neuropsychological Theory
64
Imagine that you are a graduate student in Montreal in the 1940s. You work under the supervision of a
very influential researcher who published The Organization of Behavior, which provided an
integrative approach to psychology. Which of the following are you likely to be researching?
a. history and systems of psychology
b. child development
c. brain mechanisms of behaviour
d. memory and problem solving
c. brain mechanisms of behaviour
65
Which of the following represents a major focus of psychology in both the 19th century and now?
a. the role of unconscious conflicts
b. a focus on physiological bases for behaviour
c. identifying the smallest units of conscious experience
d. striving for self-actualization
b. a focus on physiological bases for behaviour
66
Which of the following is likely to be true if a researcher’s work is ethnocentric?
a. The participants all experience the same experimental manipulation.
b. The research focuses on similarities among age groups.
c. The participants all come from the same cultural background.
d. The research focuses on differences between nations.
d. The research focuses on differences between nations.
67
Which of the following has become a recent focus of attention for psychologists?
a. unconscious mechanisms
b. intelligence
c. emotions
d. culture
d. culture
68
Based on the results of the Featured Study on bullying in Canadian schoolyards, which of the
following situations is most typical of bullying?
a. A student is bullied in isolation by someone with a reputation for aggression.
b. A group of students is bullied by a single individual.
c. A group of students is bullied by a much older group of students.
d. A student is bullied by someone, while other peers either take part or observe.
d. A student is bullied by someone, while other peers either take part or observe.
69
What do evolutionary psychologists focus on when they study behavioural processes?
a. adaptive value
b. influence on intelligence
c. hormonal substrate
d. cognitive correlates
a. adaptive value
70
Which area of psychology are your questions most consistent with if you wonder about the adaptive
purpose of a common behaviour (such as toddlers following their mothers around or teenagers wanting
more independence from their parents)?
a. humanism
b. cultural psychology
c. biological psychology
d. evolutionary psychology
d. evolutionary psychology
71
Dr. Tanaka is a researcher who has stated the hypothesis that men and women should differ in their
skills related to different types of video games. He suggests that men will outperform women in games
that require great hand-eye coordination, whereas women should outperform men in games that
require excellent memory for social interactions. Dr. Tanaka’s hypothesis is related to other research
suggesting that our ancestors lived in environments where men had more children if they were
successful hunters, and women had more children if they could foster strong social relationships. What
type of psychologist is Dr. Tanaka?
a. anthropological
b. cognitive
c. humanist
d. evolutionary
d. evolutionary
72
Terry is interested in doing research on creativity. She really wants to be able to help people develop
their creativity, so that they can improve their own lives. Which of the following terms describes
Terry’s area of interest?
a. educational psychology
b. positive psychology
c. functional psychology
d. clinical psychology
b. positive psychology
73
In promoting positive psychology, what did Seligman suggest had been the historical focus of the field
of psychology?
a. pathology, weakness, and damage
b. genetic and physiological influences
c. animal, child, and disordered behaviour
d. behaviourism and psychoanalysis
a. pathology, weakness, and damage
74
In addition to being a science, what is the other aspect of the field of psychology according to your
text’s definition?
a. career
b. profession
c. philosophy
d. art
b. profession
75
Which of the following is NOT included in your text’s definition of psychology?
a. Psychology is a profession that solves practical problems.
b. Psychology is a science.
c. Psychology studies behaviour including physiological and cognitive processes.
d. Psychology studies primarily the unconscious mind.
d. Psychology studies primarily the unconscious mind.
76
What percentage of Canadian psychologists work in colleges and universities?
a. 10 percent
b. 30 percent
c. 50 percent
d. 70 percent
b. 30 percent
77
Which of the following is NOT a major area of specialization in research psychology?
a. industrial/organizational
b. social
c. personality
d. psychometrics
a. industrial/organizational
78
What are currently the two largest areas of specialization in research-oriented psychology?
a. clinical and counselling
b. developmental and clinical
c. social and counselling
d. developmental and social
d. developmental and social
79
Which type of psychologist is concerned with changes in behaviour throughout the life span?
a. social
b. developmental
c. personality
d. cognitive
b. developmental
80
A newspaper article reported a study by a psychologist in which the attitudes of men and women
toward traditional sex roles were studied. Which type of psychologist likely conducted the study?
a. developmental
b. cognitive
c. social
d. counselling
c. social
81
Which area of research specialization in psychology studies many of the traditional topics in
psychology (such as sensation, learning, and motivation)?
a. psychometrics
b. experimental psychology
c. cognitive psychology
d. educational psychology
b. experimental psychology
82
Jane’s thyroid gland has become inactive, and, as a result, she is becoming lethargic and gained
weight. Which branch of psychology would include studies on these sorts of effects?
a. medical
b. physiological
c. experimental
d. clinical
b. physiological
83
Which of the following would be most interesting to a psychologist who specializes in psychometrics?
a. the development of techniques to monitor the functioning of the nervous system
b. explaining development across the life span
c. the development of psychological tests to measure intelligence or personality traits
d. conducting psychotherapy in a clinical setting
c. the development of psychological tests to measure intelligence or personality traits
84
Which of the following is NOT a major area of specialization of professional psychology?
a. industrial and organizational psychology
b. counselling psychology
c. school psychology
d. personality psychology
d. personality psychology
85
What is the largest specialization in professional psychology?
a. counselling psychology
b. industrial/organizational psychology
c. clinical psychology
d. developmental psychology
c. clinical psychology
86
Which specialization in applied psychology is primarily involved in the treatment of less severe
problems of everyday life?
a. social psychology
b. counselling psychology
c. cognitive psychology
d. clinical psychology
b. counselling psychology
87
Which of the following areas of specialization in psychology is involved with the development of
curricula and the training of teachers?
a. school psychology
b. experimental psychology
c. industrial/organizational psychology
d. educational psychology
d. educational psychology
88
Which psychologists work in schools and primarily help individual children having difficulties in
school, or aid parents and teachers in solving school-related problems?
a. educational psychologists
b. counselling psychologists
c. school psychologists
d. social psychologists
c. school psychologists
89
As the result of a breakdown in communication, morale is low among employees in a local factory.
Which type of psychologist would be most likely to be helpful in restoring communication and
improving morale?
a. clinical psychologist
b. social psychologist
c. educational psychologist
d. industrial/organizational psychologist
d. industrial/organizational psychologist
90
Which of the following professionals is a medical doctor?
a. physiological psychologist
b. clinical psychologist
c. psychiatrist
d. counselling psychologist
c. psychiatrist
91
Which of the following professionals could provide a prescription for antidepressant medication?
a. physiological psychologist
b. clinical psychologist
c. psychiatrist
d. counseling psychologist
c. psychiatrist
92
Your text describes seven unifying themes that provide continuity throughout psychology. What are
the two primary divisions of those themes?
a. psychology as a way of studying behaviour and the things that influence behaviour
b. psychology is a science, and psychology utilizes theories
c. psychology as a science and psychology as a profession
d. psychology studies behaviour, and people are subjective
a. psychology as a way of studying behaviour and the things that influence behaviour
93
Your text’s unifying theme that “psychology is empirical” implies that psychologists base their
conclusions on which of the following?
a. logical reasoning
b. direct observations
c. speculation
d. common sense
b. direct observations
94
Which of the following premises means that knowledge should be acquired through observation?
a. philosophy
b. empiricism
c. subjectivity
d. introspection
b. empiricism
95
Which of your text’s unifying themes is emphasized by John Watson proposing that psychology
should study only observable behaviours and not consciousness?
a. Behaviour is influenced by multiple causes.
b. Psychology should use theories.
c. Psychology should be empirical.
d. People’s experience of the world is highly subjective.
c. Psychology should be empirical.
96
What is a theory?
a. the premise that knowledge should be acquired through logical reasoning
b. a statement of fact that describes a set of observations
c. the premise that knowledge should be acquired through observation
d. a system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of observations
d. a system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of observations
97
Which of the following is implied by your text’s unifying theme that “psychology is theoretically
diverse”?
a. Psychology has not, as yet, focused on empirical observations.
b. Psychology values all opinions, and treats different views as equally valid.
c. Psychology can only be described as a social science, rather than a pure science.
d. There are often several ways to interpret a set of observations
d. There are often several ways to interpret a set of observations
98
While Sigmund Freud might explain an individual’s depression by focusing on the person’s
unconscious thoughts, a physiological psychologist might focus instead on a chemical imbalance in the
brain. Which of your text’s unifying themes is illustrated by this example?
a. Heredity and environment jointly influence behaviour.
b. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context.
c. Psychology is empirical.
d. Psychology is theoretically diverse.
d. Psychology is theoretically diverse.
99
Which of the following is one of your text’s unifying themes related to psychology as a field of study?
a. Heredity and environment jointly influence behaviour.
b. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context.
c. Behaviour is determined by multiple causes.
d. People’s experience of the world is highly subjective.
b. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context
100
Which of the following is NOT one of the text’s unifying themes related to psychology as a field of
study?
a. Psychology is empirical.
b. Heredity and environment jointly influence behaviour.
c. Psychology is theoretically diverse.
d. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context.
b. Heredity and environment jointly influence behaviour.
101
Which of the following is implied by your text’s unifying theme that “psychology evolves in a
sociohistorical context”?
a. Knowledge should be acquired through observation.
b. Dense interconnections exist between what happens in psychology and in society at large.
c. Shared customs, beliefs, and values are transmitted socially across generations.
d. There are often several ways to interpret a set of observations.
b. Dense interconnections exist between what happens in psychology and in society at large.
102
Which of the following best describes the unifying theme that “psychology evolves in a sociohistorical
context”?
a. Social trends and values have an impact on personal behaviour.
b. Social trends and values have an impact on psychology.
c. Psychology and society both influence each other.
d. Psychological research and theories have an impact on society
c. Psychology and society both influence each other.
103
During the last few decades people have become more aware of the sexual abuse of children by adults,
and psychologists have devoted more research attention to the long-term effects of childhood sexual
abuse. These observations best reflect which unifying theme in psychology?
a. People’s experience of the world is highly subjective.
b. Psychology is theoretically diverse.
c. Behaviour is determined by multiple causes.
d. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context.
d. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context.
104
Taken as a whole, your text’s review of the early schools of psychology best reflects which one
unifying theme in psychology?
a. Behaviour is shaped by cultural heritage.
b. Heredity and environment jointly influence behaviour.
c. Psychology is theoretically diverse.
d. People’s experience of the world is highly subjective.
c. Psychology is theoretically diverse.
105
Which of the following is one of your text’s unifying themes related to the subject matter of
psychology?
a. Psychology is empirical.
b. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context.
c. Heredity and environment jointly influence behaviour.
d. Psychology is theoretically diverse.
c. Heredity and environment jointly influence behaviour.
106
Which of the following is NOT one of your text’s unifying themes related to the subject matter of
psychology?
a. Psychology is theoretically consistent.
b. Heredity and environment jointly influence behaviour.
c. Behaviour is determined by multiple causes.
d. People’s experience of the world is highly subjective.
a. Psychology is theoretically consistent.
107
Which of the following reflects psychology’s view of behaviour?
a. It has an objective cause.
b. It has a single cause.
c. It has subjective causes.
d. It has multiple causes.
d. It has multiple causes.
108
Your text’s two unifying themes of “our behaviour is shaped by our cultural heritage” and “heredity
and environment jointly influence behaviour” both describe more specialized statements of which
other theme?
a. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context.
b. Psychology is theoretically diverse.
c. People’s experience of the world is highly subjective.
d. Behaviour is determined by multiple causes.
d. Behaviour is determined by multiple causes.
109
Which of the following includes the widely shared customs, beliefs, values, norms, institutions, and
other products of a community that are transmitted socially across generations?
a. cultural heritage
b. legal heritage
c. religious heritage
d. sociohistorical heritage
a. cultural heritage
110
If you normally use a knife, fork, and spoon to eat dinner, what does that reflect?
a. evolutionary background
b. subjective thoughts concerning proper behaviour
c. objective thoughts concerning proper behaviour
d. cultural heritage
d. cultural heritage
111
Which of the following phrases reflects your text’s unifying theme of “heredity and environment
jointly influence behaviour”?
a. man versus nature
b. nature versus nurture
c. parent versus child
d. biology versus psychology
b. nature versus nurture
112
When John Watson claimed, “Give me a dozen healthy infants ...”what was he arguing that behaviour
is strongly influenced by?
a. environmental factors
b. heredity factors
c. cultural factors
d. subjective factors
a. environmental factors
113
Which of your text’s unifying themes is reflected in the fact that people sometimes see what they
either “want to see” or “expect to see”?
a. Heredity and environment jointly influence behaviour.
b. People’s experience of the world is highly subjective.
c. Behaviour is shaped by cultural heritage.
d. People’s experience of the world is empirical.
b. People’s experience of the world is highly subjective.
114
The unifying theme “people’s experience of the world is highly subjective” most directly impacts
which other unifying theme?
a. Psychology is empirical.
b. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context.
c. Behaviour is shaped by cultural heritage.
d. Heredity and environment jointly influence behaviour.
a. Psychology is empirical.
115
Which of the following is NOT good advice for developing sound study habits?
a. Find a place to study where you can concentrate.
b. Set up a schedule for studying.
c. Reward yourself for studying.
d. Avoid taking study breaks while studying.
d. Avoid taking study breaks while studying.
116
How would you describe cramming for an exam as a study strategy for most students?
a. ineffective
b. effective
c. beneficial
d. time efficient
a. ineffective
117
Which of the following is the best advice when faced with a major assignment such as a term paper?
a. Set aside a large block of time (for example, an entire weekend) to devote to the
assignment.
b. Break the assignment down into smaller components.
c. Start the assignment with a clear idea of your conclusion in mind.
d. Postpone beginning the assignment until shortly before the due date in order to incorporate
information from the instructor’s lectures into the project.
b. Break the assignment down into smaller components
118
What is the SQ3R study system designed to promote?
a. effective writing of themes and essays
b. effective reading of course material
c. effective test-taking strategies
d. effective note taking of course lectures
b. effective reading of course material
119
What is the correct order of the steps in the SQ3R method?
a. survey, question, read, review, recite
b. summarize, question, read, recite, review
c. survey, question, read, recite, review
d. summarize, question, read, review, recite
c. survey, question, read, recite, review
120
Which type of student is the SQ3R method most helpful for?
a. those with medium to high reading ability
b. those with low to medium reading ability
c. those with extremely low reading ability
d. those with extremely high reading ability
b. those with low to medium reading ability
121
Based on empirical studies, which of the following students would you expect to have the poorest
attendance during the semester?
a. Tom, who earned an A
b. Sue, who earned a B
c. Ashley, who earned a C+
d. Steve, who earned a D
d. Steve, who earned a D
122
Which of the following is good advice for getting more out of class lectures?
a. Concentrate on writing down the definitions of terms.
b. Read along in the text as the instructor is lecturing.
c. Read the relevant pages in the text before the lecture.
d. Avoid interrupting the instructor by asking questions.
c. Read the relevant pages in the text before the lecture.
123
Which of the following is NOT good advice for improving your test-taking ability?
a. Don’t waste too much time pondering difficult-to-answer questions.
b. Review the test if you have time left after completing the test.
c. Check for hidden complexities in simple-looking questions.
d. Make sure you use your time efficiently and have enough time to complete the test.
c. Check for hidden complexities in simple-looking questions.
124
Which of the following is good advice for taking multiple-choice exams?
a. Remember that options that use broad generalizations such as “always, never, and must”
tend to be correct.
b. Remember to continue to read all options even after you find your anticipated answer.
c. Remember that if “all of the above” is an option, it must be correct.
d. Remember that options that use qualified statements such as “often, sometimes, and may”
tend to be incorrect.
b. Remember to continue to read all options even after you find your anticipated answer.
125
Which questions should you answer first on an essay test?
a. the ones that are worth the most points
b. the ones that are listed first on the exam
c. the ones that cover material that was most recently discussed in class
d. the ones that you know best
d. the ones that you know best
126
Which of the following is NOT part of critical thinking?
a. working systematically toward a desired goal
b. originally believing that the stated position on a topic is incorrect
c. generating multiple solutions to problems
d. using principles of likelihood when dealing with probabilistic events
b. originally believing that the stated position on a topic is incorrect
127
Which of the following seems to be true about the skills and attitudes involved in critical thinking?
a. They naturally develop during early adulthood.
b. They develop only in individuals trained in scientific disciplines.
c. They need to be specifically taught to individuals.
d. They naturally develop during adolescence.
c. They need to be specifically taught to individuals.
128
Which of the following is consistent with your text’s suggestions for improving academic performance
by improving your reading, getting more out of lectures, and improving test-taking strategies?
a. subjective thinking skills
b. accepted thinking skills
c. critical thinking skills
d. objective thinking skills
c. critical thinking skills
129
Which of the following observations weakens the evolutionary explanation of gender differences in
spatial abilities?
a. There frequently was a sex-based division of labour in ancient hunting and gathering
societies.
b. Males are encouraged to engage in activities that provide more practice with spatial tasks.
c. Males frequently perform slightly better than females on tasks involving mental rotation of
images and navigation in space.
d. Females perform slightly better than males on tasks involving memory for locations.
b. Males are encouraged to engage in activities that provide more practice with spatial tasks.
130
Which of the following would you find if you were to compare and contrast the six contemporary
theoretical perspectives in psychology described in your text?
a. Psychoanalytic theory is the only approach that examines the role of thoughts and feelings.
b. The earlier approaches (pre-1950s) are very similar to one another, whereas the later
approaches are dramatically different from one another.
c. The structuralist approach permeates all contemporary theoretical perspectives.
d. The psychoanalytic, humanistic, and cognitive perspectives are very different from the
others with regard to focus on the human species.
d. The psychoanalytic, humanistic, and cognitive perspectives are very different from the
others with regard to focus on the human species.
131
Alex is a psychologist who is studying the way that various animals communicate with one another.
Alex believes that language and other forms of communication are useful to a species in many ways
that allow individuals in the species to survive and thrive in their environment. One particular line of
research involves comparing communication among raccoons with human language. Alex is trying to
determine whether raccoons are capable of learning to associate particular symbols with the identities
of other raccoons, similar to the way that humans learn names for each other. As part of his research,
he trains the raccoons to respond to particular symbols by pushing a button on a computer monitor.
Each time a raccoon makes the “correct” response, it gets a treat. Alex is also training students to do
this type of research. In particular, he sits down with each student to go over the data and shows him or
her how to determine whether the hypothesis was supported or disconfirmed. In this way, Alex can
help the next generation of scientists learn how to use the scientific method and to learn to carefully
evaluate information and ideas.
When Alex trains raccoons to respond to symbols, with which of the following psychologists are his
methods most consistent with?
a. Ms. Brenda Milner
b. Mr. Donald Hebb
c. Mr. B. F. Skinner
d. Mr. William James
c. Mr. B. F. Skinner
132
Which type of psychologist would be least interested in Alex’s research?
a. a cognitive psychologist
b. a humanist
c. a functionalist
d. a behaviourist
b. a humanist
133
Which of the following types of psychologists would be most interested in Alex’s research?
a. a clinical psychologist
b. a structuralist
c. an evolutionary psychologist
d. a humanist
c. an evolutionary psychologist
134
Which of your text’s themes is illustrated when Alex collects data in order to evaluate his ideas?
a. Psychology is theoretically diverse.
b. Psychology is empirical.
c. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context.
d. Behaviour is determined by multiple causes.
b. Psychology is empirical.
135
When Alex trains his students, which skill is he emphasizing?
a. critical thinking
b. structuralism
c. positive psychology
d. statistical training
a. critical thinking
136
Which of the following individuals is responsible for establishing psychology as an
independent discipline with its own subject matter?
a. Wilhelm Wundt
b. G. Stanley Hall
c. René Descartes
d. William James
a. Wilhelm Wundt
137
According to historians, when and where did the “birth” of psychology occur?
a. 1859 in England
b. 1879 in Germany
c. 1883 in the United States
d. 1909 in Austria
b. 1879 in Germany
138
According to Wilhelm Wundt, what was the focus of psychology?
a. to understand functions of behaviour
b. to understand unconscious motivation
c. the scientific study of observable behaviour
d. the scientific study of conscious experience
d. the scientific study of conscious experience
139
What did Wilhelm Wundt believe the focus of psychology should be?
a. studying stimulus-response associations
b. questioning the nature of existence
c. examining people’s awareness of their immediate experience
d. determining people’s unconscious motivation for behaviour
c. examining people’s awareness of their immediate experience
140
Who established the first psychological research laboratory in the United States and launched
that country’s first psychology journal?
a. William James
b. G. Stanley Hall
c. John Watson
d. Edward Titchener
b. G. Stanley Hall
141
Who was the first president of the American Psychological Association (APA)?
a. G. Stanley Hall
b. John Watson
c. William James
d. Sigmund Freud
a. G. Stanley Hall
142
What is the world’s largest organization devoted to the advancement of psychology?
a. Psychologists of North America
b. Western Psychological Society
c. World Psychology Organization
d. American Psychological Association
d. American Psychological Association
143
What were the first two major schools of psychology?
a. functionalism and behaviourism
b. behaviourism and psychoanalytic theory
c. behaviourism and Gestalt psychology
d. structuralism and functionalism
d. structuralism and functionalism
144
Which school of psychology focused on identifying and examining the fundamental
components of conscious experience, such as sensations, feelings, and images?
a. humanism
b. structuralism
c. functionalism
d. behaviourism
b. structuralism
145
Which type of psychologist was most likely to use the technique of introspection?
a. structuralist
b. behaviourist
c. cognitive
d. humanist
a. structuralist
146
Mariska is participating in a study in which she is asked to carefully observe and report her
conscious reactions to several stimuli. Which type of psychologist is most likely to conduct a
study like this?
a. structuralist
b. humanist
c. behaviourist
d. psychoanalytic
a. structuralist
147
Isabel is listening to a piece of classical music and tape recording all her feelings and
impressions as she experiences them. Which school of psychology was well-known for using
this sort of technique?
a. humanism
b. structuralism
c. functionalism
d. behaviourism
b. structuralism
148
In an attempt to learn something about his conscious experience, William looked at an
abstract painting and wrote down all of his impressions as they came to him. What is this
technique called?
a. retrospection
b. empiricism
c. introspection
d. psychoanalysis
c. introspection
149
Dr. Asgaard believes that in order to fully understand complex processes, such as auditory
processing, it is first necessary to understand all the separate component parts. Which of the
following psychologists are Dr. Asgaard’s views most consistent with?
a. Ivan Pavlov
b. Carl Rogers
c. William James
d. Edward Titchener
d. Edward Titchener
150
Which of the following was an important reason why structuralism ended as a dominant
school of psychology?
a. Introspection was a highly subjective method of analyzing consciousness, and it
was difficult for others to validate or evaluate the claims made about a subject’s
conscious experiences.
b. Psychoanalysis was a much better method than introspection for determining the
conscious experiences of an individual.
c. Structuralists did not want to examine important psychological issues like
sensation and perception.
d. Titchener died, and there were no other well-established structuralists to continue
his work
a. Introspection was a highly subjective method of analyzing consciousness, and it
was difficult for others to validate or evaluate the claims made about a subject’s
conscious experiences.
151
Which of the following schools of psychology focused on understanding the purpose of
behaviour?
a. structuralism
b. functionalism
c. neodynamism
d. behaviourism
b. functionalism
152
Which of the following statements is most likely to be made by a researcher who studies pain
perception from a functionalist perspective?
a. We can understand pain perception only if we understand the unconscious
processes that initiate the sensation of pain.
b. We can study pain only by observing the outward expression of pain in response to
different stimuli.
c. We can study pain only if all the component parts that make up the experience of
pain are understood.
d. We can understand pain perception only if we understand the role of pain in
human survival and adaptation
d. We can understand pain perception only if we understand the role of pain in
human survival and adaptation
153
Which of the following theorists most heavily influenced William James, who was a pioneer
in the development of functionalism?
a. theorist Charles Darwin
b. theorist Sigmund Freud
c. theorist B. F. Skinner
d. theorist John Watson
a. theorist Charles Darwin
154
Which school of psychology stressed that psychology should study the purpose of
consciousness rather than its structure?
a. psychoanalysis
b. structuralism
c. Gestalt psychology
d. functionalism
d. functionalism
155
Dr. Smythe believes that in order to fully understand complex processes, such as taste, it is
necessary to understand the role that taste plays in survival, not the elementary components
that combine to produce taste sensations. With which school of thought are Dr. Smythe’s
views most consistent?
a. structuralist approach
b. behaviourist approach
c. functionalist approach
d. psychoanalytic approach
c. functionalist approach
156
Dr. Ramos believes that it is not possible to fully understand emotions unless we understand
the role that the conscious experiences associated with emotions play in survival and
adaptation. With which theorist are Dr. Ramos’s views most consistent with?
a. Ivan Pavlov
b. Carl Rogers
c. Edward Titchener
d. William James
d. William James
157
What is the term used by William James to describe a continuous flow of thoughts?
a. phenomenological flow
b. stream of consciousness
c. transcendental meditation
d. existential awareness
b. stream of consciousness
158
Which of the following is a concept that is least associated with functionalism?
a. mental testing
b. elements of consciousness
c. stream of consciousness
d. adapting to the environment
b. elements of consciousness
159
Which of the following was an early approach in psychology that fostered the development of
modern-day applied psychology?
a. behaviourism
b. functionalism
c. pragmatism
d. structuralism
b. functionalism
160
Which of the following was a major focus of study for structuralists, but not functionalists?
a. effectiveness of educational practices
b. sensation and perception
c. development in children
d. mental testing
b. sensation and perception
161
. Who was the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in psychology?
a. Mary Calkins
b. Anna Freud
c. Margaret Washburn
d. Leta Hollingworth
c. Margaret Washburn
162
What is Leta Hollingworth most well known for?
a. debunking theories which proposed that women are inferior to men
b. founding one of the early psychology laboratories in America
c. being the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in psychology
d. being the first woman president of the American Psychological Association
a. debunking theories which proposed that women are inferior to men
163
. Which psychologist proposed that the study of consciousness should be replaced by the study
of behaviour?
a. G. Stanley Hall
b. John B. Watson
c. Sigmund Freud
d. Abraham Maslow
b. John B. Watson
164
Which theoretical orientation insisted that observations be verifiable?
a. behaviourism
b. functionalism
c. psychoanalysis
d. structuralism
a. behaviourism
165
With which of the following statements would a behaviourist agree?
a. Psychology should be the science of observable behaviour.
b. Behaviour can be explained only in terms of phenomenology, that is, an
individual’s interpretation of experience.
c. In order to understand behaviour, one must understand the motives behind the
behaviour.
d. Conscious experiences can be studied in an objective, precise way
a. Psychology should be the science of observable behaviour.
166
Which of the following did John B. Watson argue that psychologists should do?
a. confine their work to people who are diagnosed as mentally ill
b. use the method of introspection to establish the structural aspects of consciousness
c. abandon the study of consciousness
d. concern themselves with the intentionality of behaviour
c. abandon the study of consciousness
167
According to John Watson, by which of the following is behaviour governed, primarily?
a. personal motives
b. heredity
c. environment
d. unconscious desires
c. environment
168
With which of the following statements would strict behaviourists most likely agree?
a. The primary causes for human behaviour are unknown.
b. Human behaviour is caused primarily by environmental factors.
c. Human behaviour is caused primarily by inherited factors.
d. Human behaviour is caused primarily by equal contributions of inherited and
environmental factors.
b. Human behaviour is caused primarily by environmental factors.
169
What did Watson state that psychologists should study?
a. only the things that people or other animals do, because those are observable
behaviours
b. only the things that people do as a result of experience, because reflexes are not
valid behaviours
c. things that people do, think, and feel
d. only the things that people think and feel, because those are psychological
processes
a. only the things that people or other animals do, because those are observable
behaviours
170
What is another name for the behavioural approach in psychology?
a. structuralism
b. applied psychology
c. Gestalt psychology
d. stimulus-response psychology
d. stimulus-response psychology
171
Ariadne believes that individuals learn to be either aggressive or non-aggressive as a result of
the experiences they have. With which type of psychology are Ariadne’s views most
consistent?
a. functionalist
b. structuralist
c. psychoanalytic
d. behaviourist
d. behaviourist
172
Lynelle is crying because her brother just punched her in the arm. Lynelle’s mother asks her
what she did just before she was punched. In looking for a link between her daughter’s actions
and her son’s response to those actions, which type of analysis is Lynelle’s mother using?
a. structuralist
b. behaviourist
c. psychoanalytic
d. functionalist
b. behaviourist
173
Which school of psychology was most responsible for the rise of animal research in
psychology?
a. structuralism
b. psychoanalysis
c. behaviourism
d. Gestaltism
c. behaviourism
174
Which type of psychologist would be most likely to study rats in a laboratory setting?
a. psychoanalyst
b. behaviourist
c. structuralist
d. Gestaltist
b. behaviourist
175
Dr. Tsang is a psychologist who conducts research on the effects of reward on maze learning
in rats. Which type of psychologist is Dr. Tsang?
a. behaviourist
b. structuralist
c. Gestaltist
d. psychoanalyst
a. behaviourist
176
Which of the following statements best reflects the main advantage of conducting
psychological research with animals?
a. With research on animals, there are no ethical issues to be concerned with.
b. In their biological makeup, animals are fundamentally similar to humans.
c. A researcher can exert more control over an animal than over a human subject.
d. It is much cheaper to conduct research on animals than on humans
c. A researcher can exert more control over an animal than over a human subject.
177
Sigmund Freud developed an innovative procedure for treating people with psychological
problems. What did he call this procedure?
a. rational-emotive therapy
b. behaviour modification
c. primal therapy
d. psychoanalysis
d. psychoanalysis
178
According to Sigmund Freud, what determines an individual’s personality?
a. strivings for superiority
b. forces in the unconscious
c. self-actualizing tendencies
d. forces in the environment
b. forces in the unconscious
179
You are interviewing a new member of the psychology department for the university
newspaper. The faculty member states: “Many times people are unaware of the unconscious
motivations that drive their overt actions.” Which theorist is this faculty member’s view most
similar to?
a. Wilhelm Wundt
b. Carl Rogers
c. Ivan Pavlov
d. Sigmund Freud
d. Sigmund Freud
180
What did Freud conclude are the dominant causes of psychological disturbances?
a. conflicts between conscious desires and environmental constraints
b. personal conflicts existing at an unconscious level
c. unrealistic demands from family and friends
d. genetic predispositions to behave in a particular way
b. personal conflicts existing at an unconscious level
181
How did Freud’s theories about human behaviour differ from prevailing viewpoints in the
early 1900s?
a. He proposed the existence of free will.
b. He saw people as not fully aware of the forces that control their behaviour.
c. He emphasized environmental forces on behaviour.
d. He saw abnormal behaviour as resulting from biological causes
b. He saw people as not fully aware of the forces that control their behaviour.
182
Why did many people resist psychoanalysis?
a. due to its use of introspection
b. due to its emphasis on unconscious motivation
c. due to its focus on the role of heredity
d. due to its explanations in terms of stimulus-response associations
b. due to its emphasis on unconscious motivation
183
Which of the following statements about the current status of Freud’s psychoanalytic theory is
most accurate?
a. Freud’s views exert a tremendous influence on other disciplines, but not on
psychology.
b. Freud’s views have been largely abandoned and they exert relatively little, if any,
influence on current mainstream psychology.
c. Many psychoanalytic concepts have filtered into the mainstream of psychology.
d. Freud’s views exert a tremendous influence on developmental and abnormal
psychology, but not on other areas of mainstream psychology.
c. Many psychoanalytic concepts have filtered into the mainstream of psychology.
184
Liserel is a graduate student who believes that the best approach to the study of psychology is
to focus exclusively on the unconscious determinants of behaviour. Which perspective
matches Liserel’s views toward the study of psychology?
a. humanistic
b. psychoanalytic
c. structuralist
d. cognitive
b. psychoanalytic
185
Which psychologist took the position that organisms tend to repeat responses that lead to
positive outcomes and tend not to repeat responses that lead to neutral or negative outcomes?
a. Abraham Maslow
b. Carl Rogers
c. Sigmund Freud
d. F. Skinner
d. F. Skinner
186
With which individual is B. F. Skinner most in agreement on the issue of internal mental
events?
a. Abraham Maslow
b. Sigmund Freud
c. John Watson
d. Wilhelm Wundt
c. John Watson
187
Janet trained her dog to sit on command by rewarding the dog’s behaviour of sitting with a
dog biscuit and praise. Which psychological perspective principles did Janet use?
a. psychoanalysis
b. humanism
c. functionalism
d. behaviourism
d. behaviourism
188
“Organisms tend to repeat responses that lead to positive outcomes, and they tend not to
repeat responses that lead to neutral or negative outcomes.” These words would most likely
have been said by which theorist?
a. theorist Wilhelm Wundt
b. theorist Abraham Maslow
c. theorist B. F. Skinner
d. theorist William James
c. theorist B. F. Skinner
189
You are interviewing a new member of the psychology department for the university
newspaper. The faculty member states, “Internal states undoubtedly exist, but it is not
necessary to draw inferences about unobservable states in order to understand behaviour.”
Which theorist’s views are most similar to the views held by this faculty member?
a. Sigmund Freud
b. F. Skinner
c. William James
d. Carl Rogers
b. F. Skinner
190
A group of psychologists is conducting research to determine whether people eat more when
they are in the presence of environmental stimuli such as loud noises or flashing lights. Which
perspective in psychology do these scientists most likely follow?
a. behavioural
b. humanistic
c. psychodynamic
d. structuralist
a. behavioural
191
Marissa wants to study people’s emotional reactions to increases in temperature. Her
classmate, Bernard, tells her that she should focus on observable behaviours, rather than
internal states in her study. Which psychological perspective are Bernard’s views most similar
to?
a. evolutionary
b. psychodynamic
c. biological
d. behavioural
d. behavioural
192
Caroline conducts research in which she systematically changes some aspect of the
environment and then measures changes in observable behaviour. Which psychological
perspective’s basic ideas is this approach to research consistent with?
a. cognitive
b. humanist
c. behaviourist
d. psychoanalytic
c. behaviourist
193
Which of the following is characteristic of Skinner’s behaviourism?
a. It left room for free will.
b. It made the study of behaviour and its outcome the basis of the whole approach.
c. It encouraged speculative statements about consciousness.
d. It included constructs about motives
b. It made the study of behaviour and its outcome the basis of the whole approach.
194
Which of the following psychologists would have been most likely to say, “You think that
you’re in control of your own behaviour, but you’re not truly in control.”?
a. F. Skinner
b. Abraham Maslow
c. Wilhelm Wundt
d. Carl Rogers
a. F. Skinner
195
What was the dominant school of thought in psychology during the 1950s and 1960s?
a. behaviourism
b. structuralism
c. Gestaltism
d. functionalism
a. behaviourism
196
Which of the following groups of psychologists would be most likely to focus on individual
uniqueness, freedom, and potential for growth as a person?
a. psychoanalysts
b. humanists
c. behaviourists
d. Gestaltists
b. humanists
197
Which school of psychology takes the most optimistic view of human nature?
a. structuralism
b. behaviourism
c. humanism
d. functionalism
c. humanism
198
Which type of psychologist would be least likely to generalize from studies of animal subjects
to human behaviour?
a. psychoanalyst
b. humanist
c. cognitive psychologist
d. behaviourist
b. humanist
199
Oliver is studying motivation in chimpanzees. His roommate doesn’t think that Oliver’s
research will produce much useful information about human motivation because he believes
that information from animal studies will not provide meaningful information about human
experiences. Which perspective does Oliver’s roommate apparently take?
a. cognitive
b. biological
c. humanistic
d. evolutionary
c. humanistic
200
Which theoretical viewpoint is most closely associated with Carl Rogers and Abraham
Maslow?
a. cognitive approach
b. humanism
c. structuralism
d. biological approach
b. humanism
201
Which of the following statements is least likely to be made by a humanist?
a. Research on animals has little relevance to understanding human behaviour.
b. Humans have a basic need to fulfill their potential.
c. The behaviour of humans tends to be dictated by environmental circumstances.
d. Humans are unique
c. The behaviour of humans tends to be dictated by environmental circumstances.
202
What do humanists believe governs people’s behaviour?
a. unconscious sexual urges
b. outcomes of an individual’s responses
c. biochemical processes
d. self-concepts
d. self-concepts
203
Micha tends to be very passive and allows people to take advantage of him. What would a
humanist most likely say about Micha?
a. Micha simply needs to take an assertiveness training class in which he can learn
and practise assertive behaviours.
b. Micha should undergo analysis so that he can begin to resolve whatever
unconscious conflict is at the root of his passivity.
c. Micha will find it difficult to change because he probably has deep-seated feelings
of inferiority.
d. Micha can become more assertive once he begins to feel better about himself and
recognizes that he has the ability to fulfill his potential
d. Micha can become more assertive once he begins to feel better about himself and
recognizes that he has the ability to fulfill his potential
204
Which of the following psychologists would be most likely to stress that each person has a
drive to grow and fulfill his or her potential?
a. Sigmund Freud
b. F. Skinner
c. G. Stanley Hall
d. Abraham Maslow
d. Abraham Maslow
205
Imagine that the editor of your local newspaper writes a column supporting a reduction in
government intervention with a transfer of more rights to individual citizens. The editor bases
this argument on the assumption that people are rational beings who will fulfill their
maximum potential as long as others do not infringe on their basic human needs. Which
psychological perspective does this editor’s views reflect?
a. evolutionary
b. humanistic
c. behavioural
d. psychodynamic
b. humanistic
206
Where and when was the first experimental psychology laboratory in Canada established?
a. Dalhousie in 1888
b. University of Toronto in 1891
c. McGill in 1897
d. University of Alberta in 1904
b. University of Toronto in 1891
207
At most Canadian universities, which academic department typically offered the first courses
in psychology?
a. sociology
b. physiology
c. philosophy
d. medicine
c. philosophy
208
Which organization was established in 1939 to advance psychology as a science in Canada,
and continues to play a vital role in the field?
a. APA–Canada
b. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA)
c. Association of Canadian Experimental Psychologists (ACEP)
d. Canadian Society of Psychologists (CSP)
b. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA)
209
Which branch of psychology is concerned with everyday, practical problems?
a. cognitive
b. developmental
c. applied
d. abnormal
c. applied
210
Dr. LeBlanc is an industrial psychologist who advises companies on how to improve worker
morale. As a psychologist who attempts to solve practical problems, what type of psychologist
would Dr. LeBlanc most likely be considered??
a. applied
b. humanistic
c. behavioural
d. academic
a. applied
211
Which of the following sounds least like the work of an applied psychologist?
a. finding ways to teach learning-disabled children
b. looking for ways to increase efficiency in an organization
c. treating someone with a phobia
d. studying basic learning processes in rats
d. studying basic learning processes in rats
212
Which of the following would be most interesting to a clinical psychologist?
a. studying the nature of optical illusions
b. determining how small groups make decisions
c. studying facial expressions of emotion
d. figuring out the most effective ways of treating anxiety
d. figuring out the most effective ways of treating anxiety
213
. Which branch of psychology is concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of psychological
disorders?
a. counselling psychology
b. developmental psychology
c. clinical psychology
d. social psychology
c. clinical psychology
214
Which type of psychologist would be the greatest help to you if you were having problems
with depression?
a. social psychologist
b. experimental psychologist
c. developmental psychologist
d. clinical psychologist
d. clinical psychologist
215
Michael is having problems relating to other people because he is very paranoid and
experiences hallucinations. Which type of psychologist should Michael contact for help?
a. physiological psychologist
b. clinical psychologist
c. developmental psychologist
d. experimental psychologist
b. clinical psychologist
216
Which area of applied psychology was most stimulated by World War II?
a. quantitative psychology
b. clinical psychology
c. educational psychology
d. child psychology
b. clinical psychology
217
Which of the following was one of the first areas of applied psychology to develop?
a. personnel psychology
b. counselling psychology
c. psychological testing
d. sports psychology
c. psychological testing
218
Which of the following contributed most to the development of applied psychology?
a. the advent of high-speed computers
b. an increase in the number of people earning advanced degrees in psychology
c. high demand for screening of military recruits and treatment of traumatized war
veterans
d. an increase in public awareness of the symptoms of psychological disorders, and
the rise of behaviourism
c. high demand for screening of military recruits and treatment of traumatized war
veterans
219
. Which of the following organizations were established in the late 20th century to serve
exclusively as advocates for the science of psychology in the United States and Canada,
respectively?
a. Society for the Study of Scientific Psychology and Canadian Research
Psychologists
b. American Psychological Association and Canadian Psychological Association
c. American Association for the Advancement of Science and Canadian Society of
Research in Psychology
d. American Psychological Society and Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour, and
Cognitive Science
d. American Psychological Society and Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour, and
Cognitive Science
220
Which of the following is least likely to be included under the umbrella of applied
psychology?
a. experimental psychology
b. school psychology
c. counselling psychology
d. industrial/organizational psychology
a. experimental psychology
221
Which of the following terms refers to the mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge?
a. introspection
b. pedagogy
c. empiricism
d. cognition
d. cognition
222
Which of the following is a recent movement in psychology that has revived the old interest in
mental and conscious events?
a. psychoanalysis
b. cognitive psychology
c. physiological psychology
d. behavioural psychology
b. cognitive psychology
223
Which of the following individuals is most closely associated with the cognitive perspective
in psychology?
a. Noam Chomsky
b. F. Skinner
c. Abraham Maslow
d. David Buss
a. Noam Chomsky
224
Which psychological approach contends that psychology must study internal mental events in
order to fully understand behaviour?
a. cognitive psychology
b. humanism
c. evolutionary psychology
d. behaviourism
a. cognitive psychology
225
Which of the following is most likely to be studied by a cognitive psychologist?
a. factors that determine group cohesiveness
b. whether or not a job incentive program is effective
c. play behaviour in preschool children
d. strategies used by college students to solve a particular problem
d. strategies used by college students to solve a particular problem
226
Programmers who were working on a chess-playing super computer asked a psychologist
from their university for some help in working out the problem-solving algorithms they would
be using. Which type of psychologist would be most likely to help with this project?
a. biological psychologist
b. humanistic psychologist
c. behavioural psychologist
d. cognitive psychologist
d. cognitive psychologist
227
Darnell is working on a computer system that will have full language recognition capabilities.
Which type of psychologist could probably give Darnell the most help in developing this
computer system?
a. biological psychologist
b. cognitive psychologist
c. humanistic psychologist
d. behavioural psychologist
b. cognitive psychologist
228
In approximately what year did the cognitive perspective surpass the behavioural perspective
in influence, according to results from a recent study?
a. 1920
b. 1950
c. 1970
d. 1990
c. 1970
229
Which of the following psychologists demonstrated that electrical stimulation of the brain
could evoke emotional responses such as pleasure and rage in animals?
a. psychologist Roger Sperry
b. psychologist James Olds
c. psychologist Abraham Maslow
d. psychologist B. F. Skinner
b. psychologist James Olds
230
Annabel wants to investigate differences in the way language is processed by the brain
hemispheres. With whom would Annabel most likely choose to work with if she could work
with a psychologist who has made a significant contribution in this area of research?
a. Roger Sperry
b. Carl Rogers
c. Alfred Adler
d. John B. Watson
a. Roger Sperry
231
The Human Genome Project involves a large number of scientists who are trying to determine
the biochemical nature of all the genes on each chromosome in the human body. These
scientists come from a variety of areas, including psychology. Which type of psychologist is
most likely to work on this project?
a. behavioural
b. biological
c. cognitive
d. cross-cultural
b. biological
232
A recently published case study described a person who showed obsessive behaviour.
Recordings of brain activity indicated this same individual also experienced a number of mild
epileptic seizures each day. When the epileptic seizures were brought under control using
medication, the obsessive behaviour also disappeared. Which type of psychologist would be
most interested in this case study?
a. cognitive
b. behavioural
c. humanistic
d. biological
d. biological
233
Which of the following theoretical perspectives is most likely to be associated with studies
using animals?
a. behavioural or biological
b. psychoanalytic or cognitive
c. behavioural or psychoanalytic
d. biological or psychoanalytic
a. behavioural or biological
234
. Professor Vasquez believes that nearly all psychological disorders can ultimately be traced to
abnormalities in brain chemistry. With which perspective are Professor Vasquez’s beliefs
most consistent?
a. behavioural
b. biological
c. cognitive
d. humanistic
b. biological
235
What is the key to understanding the organization of behaviour, according to Hebb?
a. measurement of observable behaviour
b. introspection
c. analysis of unconscious conflicts
d. activity at the neuronal level
d. activity at the neuronal level
236
Research in neuroscience owes a great deal of its inspiration to Donald Hebb, who wrote the
book The Organization of Behaviour: A Neuropsychological Theory. What did Hebb theorize
about?
a. the importance of behaviourist models of learning for understanding how neurons
work
b. the concept of cell-assemblies, and the importance of neuronal processes for
behaviour
c. the importance of unconscious experiences, and the role of cell-assemblies for the
execution of behaviour
d. the role of social interaction for the organization of the cortex during childhood
b. the concept of cell-assemblies, and the importance of neuronal processes for
behaviour
237
In which country has most of psychology’s research historically been conducted?
a. United States
b. Germany
c. England
d. Japan
a. United States
238
Historically, which of the following groups has been used most often as subjects for
psychological research?
a. middle- and upper-class white males
b. lower-class males
c. lower-class males and females
d. middle- and upper-class white females
a. middle- and upper-class white males
239
Which of the following is cited in your text as a reason for the narrow focus of Western
psychology?
a. Anthropologists are more research-oriented than psychologists.
b. Psychology traditionally has emphasized the study of groups rather than
individuals.
c. The influence of behaviourism narrowed the perspective of Western psychologists.
d. Cross-cultural research is time consuming and costly
d. Cross-cultural research is time consuming and costly
240
Western psychology has mainly focused on evidence gathered from North American and
European populations, partly due to a lack of interest in other cultures. Which of the following
terms is used to describe this tendency?
a. discriminatory sampling
b. cultural ignorance
c. ethnocentrism
d. xenophobia
c. ethnocentrism
241
A number of factors have contributed to the recent increased interest in research dealing with
“cultural” variables in psychology. Which of the following is NOT one of these contributing
factors?
a. depersonalization of human beings by modern psychology
b. various groups (such as civil rights groups and women’s groups) arguing that
society has paid little attention to human diversity
c. increased ethnic diversity in North America
d. increased contact with non-Western cultures due to advances in communication
and travel
a. depersonalization of human beings by modern psychology
242
. Dr. Conrad has found that many Asians feel uncomfortable with the expression of emotions
and disclosure of personal information. As a consequence, Dr. Conrad has made several
suggestions for ways in which psychological counselling might be modified to benefit people
from Asian backgrounds. Based on this information, what could you infer that Dr. Conrad
investigates?
a. the biological determinants of behaviour
b. the impact of evolutionary factors in psychological functioning
c. psychometrics and cognitive psychology
d. the role of cultural factors in psychological processes
d. the role of cultural factors in psychological processes
243
What does the technique of naturalistic observation allow researchers to do?
a. see and document important phenomena outside the constraints of the laboratory
b. observe behaviours that have been manipulated by the researchers
c. make causal statements about the observed behaviours
d. exert more control over the experimental situation
a. see and document important phenomena outside the constraints of the laboratory
244
Although naturalistic observation has its benefits, which of the following is one of its
weaknesses?
a. It lacks the systematic observation that can be performed in a laboratory.
b. It is useful only if the subjects are children.
c. Observed behaviour is contaminated by scientists’ intervention.
d. It does not allow researchers to make definitive statements about the causes of the
observed behaviour
d. It does not allow researchers to make definitive statements about the causes of the
observed behaviour
245
Which psychology approach examines behavioural processes in terms of their adaptive value
for a species over the course of many generations?
a. physiological
b. cognitive
c. clinical
d. evolutionary
d. evolutionary
246
Professor Immel believes that behaviours that are predominant in certain species probably
serve some adaptive function. With which perspective are Professor Immel’s beliefs most
consistent?
a. humanistic
b. evolutionary
c. cognitive
d. behavioural
b. evolutionary
247
In which of the following endeavours does the basic premise of evolutionary psychology state
that natural selection favours behaviours that enhance organisms’ success?
a. aggressive interactions with members of other species
b. passing on their genes to the next generation
c. locating a source of food
d. establishing a territory
b. passing on their genes to the next generation
248
In which of the following visual-spatial tasks do females tend to perform somewhat better
than males, on average?
a. map reading
b. memory for locations
c. maze learning
d. mental rotation of images
b. memory for locations
249
Which early psychologist would be most likely to endorse the tenets of evolutionary
psychology?
a. Edward Titchener
b. John Watson
c. William James
d. Wilhelm Wundt
c. William James
250
Which of the following individuals is most closely associated with the recent development of
evolutionary psychology?
a. Roger Sperry
b. David Buss
c. Alfred Binet
d. James Olds
b. David Buss
251
Damion wants to investigate whether specific dating patterns among young adults are the
result of evolved predispositions. With whom would Damion most likely choose to work with
if he could work with a psychologist who has made a significant contribution in this area of
research?
a. David Buss
b. F. Skinner
c. Herbert Simon
d. Carl Jung
a. David Buss
252
Currently a large proportion of the North American population is overweight. Dr. Laker thinks
that this may be due to an innate preference for foods that are rich in fats and sugars. Dr.
Laker has suggested that in times when foods were not so readily available, this innate
preference would ensure enough calories for energy and survival. Which type of psychologist
is Dr. Laker?
a. cognitive
b. behavioural
c. cross-cultural
d. evolutionary
d. evolutionary
253
Females tend to place more emphasis on potential mates’ economic resources than do males.
What would an evolutionary psychologist suggest is the main reason for this preference
among modern females?
a. Ancestral females with this preference got a larger territory.
b. Ancestral females with this preference could acquire more food.
c. Ancestral females with this preference had more mates.
d. Ancestral females with this preference had more offspring
d. Ancestral females with this preference had more offspring
254
Some researchers have suggested that people currently tend to sleep during periods of
darkness because sleeping under these conditions was an adaptive behaviour that helped to
increase survival among early humans. Which of the following perspectives is taken by
psychologists who make this type of argument?
a. biological
b. behavioural
c. cognitive
d. evolutionary
d. evolutionary
255
Which of the following statements best reflects the current thinking about evolutionary
psychology?
a. It is a simplistic rehash of ideas proposed by Charles Darwin over 140 years ago.
b. It is a widely accepted approach to the study of human behaviour.
c. It is a radical perspective supported by a small group of fringe scientists.
d. It is a thought-provoking, innovative perspective that is rapidly gaining influence.
d. It is a thought-provoking, innovative perspective that is rapidly gaining influence
256
What is the basic goal for the approach of positive psychology?
a. have a positive impact on fields outside psychology
b. create a more positive experience for psychologists
c. treat all patients with positive methods
d. understand the positive aspects of human behaviour and experience
d. understand the positive aspects of human behaviour and experience
257
Which of the following is one of the main areas of interest for positive psychologists?
a. situations that facilitate health and well-being
b. symptoms of mania
c. acquisition of wealth
d. factors involved in making first impressions
a. situations that facilitate health and well-being
258
Seligman believed that psychology was too focused on negative aspects of human behaviour,
including pathology, weakness, damage, and suffering. Which new perspective within
psychology did this inspire him to initiate?
a. psychology of hope
b. positive psychology
c. optimistic psychology
d. strength psychology
b. positive psychology
259
Which of the following is a criticism of the recent positive psychology approach?
a. Although it claims to be positive, it is actually focused on very damaging aspects
of human behaviour.
b. Dividing human experience into “positive” and “negative” is oversimplified.
c. The approach is just a restatement of behaviourist principles from decades ago.
d. Positive psychologists refuse to acknowledge that negative traits exist, and this is
counterproductive to progress.
b. Dividing human experience into “positive” and “negative” is oversimplified.
260
Dr. Andrus studies the factors that predict good sleep habits and the ability to relax. She
believes that both sleep and relaxation are key to living a balanced life, as well as being happy
and productive. Which psychological approach does Dr. Andrus appear to take?
a. positive
b. psychoanalytic
c. behaviourist
d. cognitive
a. positive
261
What is psychology, according to the definition that appears in your text?
a. a school of thought and an occupation
b. a science and a profession
c. a theory and an academic discipline
d. a cognitive process and an undergraduate major
b. a science and a profession
262
. What is one of the key changes that has occurred in psychology over the past few decades?
a. Fewer psychologists now work in colleges and universities.
b. Psychologists have gone from being specialists to being generalists.
c. The number of clinicians is decreasing.
d. Psychology has become less applied in its focus.
a. Fewer psychologists now work in colleges and universities.
263
Which of the following areas is considered an experimental area of psychology?
a. clinical
b. perception
c. organizational
d. education
b. perception
264
Likely what kind of psychologist is someone whose major interest focuses on how behaviour
changes as a function of age?
a. social psychologist
b. cognitive psychologist
c. developmental psychologist
d. physiological psychologis
c. developmental psychologist
265
Which of the following is likely to be of most interest to a developmental psychologist?
a. effects on children of being raised in a single-parent home
b. dynamics of small group decision making
c. use of physical exercise as a means of combating depression
d. effect of anxiety on problem-solving behaviour
a. effects on children of being raised in a single-parent home
266
What area of psychology would a psychologist most likely specialize in who is interested in
the psychological effect of aging?
a. developmental psychology
b. psychometrics
c. experimental psychology
d. cognitive psychology
a. developmental psychology
267
Chiwe is a graduate student whose major area of interest is social psychology. In which of the
following would you expect that Chiwe is most interested?
a. how people relate to each other and influence each other
b. the internal factors that lead people to act consistently across a variety of situations
c. the ways in which physical or genetic factors influence and determine behaviour
d. the ways in which behaviour and mental processes change over a lifetime
a. how people relate to each other and influence each other
268
Which of the following questions would a social psychologist be most likely to ask?
a. How stable is personality over the lifespan?
b. Why do we like some people and not others?
c. What effect does anxiety have on test performance?
d. Do depressed people think differently than non-depressed people?
b. Why do we like some people and not others?
269
Dr. Evoy does research that has examined the behaviour of individuals when they are in
groups, as well as when they are alone. She has found that people tend to conform to the
opinion of a dominant person within a group, and that this conforming behaviour is much
different than the behaviour that would occur if the individual were alone. Based on this
information, which sort of psychologist do you think Dr. Evoy is?
a. social psychologist
b. developmental psychologist
c. cognitive psychologist
d. psychometrist
a. social psychologist
270
How might the term “experimental psychologist” be somewhat misleading?
a. Experimental psychologists don’t actually conduct true experiments.
b. The research conducted in experimental psychology is well established.
c. Researchers in other areas of psychology also conduct experiments.
d. Experimental psychologists are also counsellors
c. Researchers in other areas of psychology also conduct experiments.
271
Which of the following areas of research in psychology is concerned with understanding the
role of the endocrine system in the regulation of behaviour?
a. cognitive psychology
b. physiological psychology
c. developmental psychology
d. psychometrics
b. physiological psychology
272
Phillip is a graduate student whose major area of interest is physiological psychology. What
would Phillip be most interested in?
a. the ways in which physical or genetic factors influence and determine behaviour
b. the internal factors that lead people to act consistently across a variety of situations
c. how people relate to each other and influence each other
d. the ways in which behaviour and mental processes change over a lifetime
a. the ways in which physical or genetic factors influence and determine behaviour
273
Which of the following would a physiological psychologist be most likely to ask?
a. What effect does reward have on learning?
b. How do hormones affect behaviour?
c. What are the stages of problem solving?
d. Why do we like some people and not others?
b. How do hormones affect behaviour?
274
What type of psychologist studies information processing and decision making?
a. social
b. developmental
c. cognitive
d. physiological
c. cognitive
275
What would be of greatest interest to a cognitive psychologist?
a. information processing
b. adolescent identity crisis
c. behaviour in small groups
d. interpersonal attraction
a. information processing
276
Ramon is a graduate student whose major area of interest is cognitive psychology. What
would Ramon be most interested in?
a. understanding mental processes such as memory and learning
b. the internal factors that lead people to act consistently across a variety of situations
c. the ways in which physical or genetic factors influence and determine behaviour
d. how people relate to each other and influence each other
a. understanding mental processes such as memory and learning
277
Marie is a graduate student whose major area of interest is personality psychology. What
would Marie be most interested in?
a. the internal factors that lead people to act consistently across a variety of situations
b. how people relate to each other and influence each other
c. the ways in which behaviour and mental processes change over a lifetime
d. the ways in which physical or genetic factors influence and determine behaviour
a. the internal factors that lead people to act consistently across a variety of situations
278
Which type of psychologist would most likely be interested in developing an assessment tool
(a test or an interview strategy, for example) that would allow him or her to predict how
someone would respond across a variety of situations?
a. cognitive psychologist
b. developmental psychologist
c. physiological psychologist
d. personality psychologist
d. personality psychologist
279
Which of the following areas of research in psychology is concerned with assessing individual
differences, developing tests, and developing new statistical techniques?
a. psychometrics
b. social psychology
c. cognitive psychology
d. physiological psychology
a. psychometrics
280
Which of the following would a psychologist who specializes in psychometrics most likely be
concerned with?
a. counselling
b. animal experimentation
c. relationship between brain chemistry and behaviour
d. developing tests
d. developing tests
281
Which of the following is a medical doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating mental
disorders?
a. clinician
b. psychiatrist
c. clinical psychologist
d. podiatrist
b. psychiatrist
282
Which of the following statements regarding the difference between a clinical psychologist
and a psychiatrist is most accurate?
a. Both clinical psychologists and psychiatrists receive medical training.
b. Clinical psychologists tend to take a non-medical approach to the treatment of
psychological disorders.
c. Psychiatrists cannot prescribe drugs.
d. A clinical psychologist has a medical degree
b. Clinical psychologists tend to take a non-medical approach to the treatment of
psychological disorders.
283
What degree does a psychiatrist typically have?
a. MSc in psychology
b. medical degree
c. Ph.D. in pharmacology
d. doctorate in physiology
b. medical degree
284
Which of the following areas is most likely to be classified as an applied area of specialization
in psychology?
a. counselling psychology
b. personality psychology
c. developmental psychology
d. experimental psychology
a. counselling psychology
285
Which of the following areas is most similar to clinical psychology?
a. school psychology
b. social psychology
c. industrial psychology
d. counselling psychology
d. counselling psychology
286
Which of the following is primarily an applied area of psychology?
a. social psychology
b. industrial/organizational psychology
c. cognitive psychology
d. physiological psychology
b. industrial/organizational psychology
287
In which type of psychology would a psychologist who works on trying to increase job
satisfaction and productivity in a large company most likely have received training?
a. counselling psychology
b. industrial and organizational psychology
c. clinical psychology
d. educational and school psychology
b. industrial and organizational psychology
288
Which of the following would be expected of an industrial/organizational psychologist?
a. providing group or individual psychotherapy
b. providing assistance to people struggling with everyday problems
c. testing and counselling children who are having difficulty in school
d. working to improve employee morale and attitudes
d. working to improve employee morale and attitudes
289
Which of the following would be expected of a clinical psychologist?
a. study the effects of reward on learning
b. conduct psychotherapy
c. study the factors that motivate behaviour
d. examine the relationship between sleep deprivation and task performance
b. conduct psychotherapy
290
Psychology is based on systematic observation rather than pure reasoning or common sense.
What is another way of saying this?
a. Psychology is rational.
b. Psychology is empirical.
c. Psychology is behavioural.
d. Psychology is speculative.
b. Psychology is empirical.
291
Researchers in psychology have to “see it to believe it.” Which approach to knowledge is this
orientation is most consistent with?
a. empiricism
b. humanism
c. structuralism
d. functionalism
a. empiricism
292
Through what method should knowledge be acquired, according to empiricism?
a. logical reasoning
b. direct observation
c. historical tradition
d. common sense
b. direct observation
293
What is the name of the approach which holds that knowledge should be acquired through
observation?
a. empiricism
b. structuralism
c. functionalism
d. nativism
a. empiricism
294
What is empiricism?
a. a theoretical orientation about life
b. a sub-field of psychology
c. a position on how information should be acquired
d. a school of psychology
c. a position on how information should be acquired
295
Which of the following qualifies as empirically-based knowledge?
a. logical consistency
b. intuition
c. observed actions
d. insight
c. observed actions
296
Which of the following is least characteristic of empiricism?
a. observation
b. documentation
c. speculation
d. skepticism
c. speculation
297
Which of the following statements is consistent with the idea that psychology is empirical?
a. Conclusions should be guided by theories.
b. Conclusions should be based on direct observation.
c. Research should focus on underlying internal events.
d. Reason and logic are primary to psychology.
b. Conclusions should be based on direct observation.
298
Psychologists need to define all their research variables clearly, so that other researchers can
objectively evaluate the results of the research. Which underlying theme does this aspect of
psychology illustrate?
a. Behaviour is determined by multiple causes.
b. Our experience of the world is highly subjective.
c. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context.
d. Psychology is empirical
d. Psychology is empirical
299
Liam is reading a magazine article about a new “wonder drug” and finds himself wondering
who participated in the study, and what evidence the claims are based on. Which of the
following ideas does Liam’s thinking illustrate?
a. Sciences do not exist in a cultural vacuum.
b. Single-cause explanations are often inaccurate.
c. Motives and expectations can colour our experiences.
d. Information needs to be viewed with a certain degree of skepticism
d. Information needs to be viewed with a certain degree of skepticism
300
What is the term for a system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of observations?
a. empirical set
b. theory
c. hypothesis
d. sociohistorical context
b. theory
301
Which of the following best describes what a theory is?
a. explanation of unobservable phenomena
b. related speculations that are based on common sense
c. system of interrelated ideas used to explain some observation
d. string of unrelated observations
c. system of interrelated ideas used to explain some observation
302
Dr. Kline takes an eclectic approach in treating psychological disorders. She often prescribes
medications that influence neurotransmitter levels, but she also works with her clients to
change their behaviour and understand the impact of social factors in their problems. Which
underlying theme does Dr. Kline’s approach to therapy illustrate?
a. Differing theoretical perspectives can provide a more complete understanding of
behaviour.
b. Motives and expectations can colour our experiences.
c. Unconscious motivation has little impact on overt behaviour.
d. Our cultural backgrounds exert a considerable influence over our behaviour
a. Differing theoretical perspectives can provide a more complete understanding of
behaviour.
303
In trying to understand the psychology of addiction, Dr. Jackson focuses on the neurochemical
changes that occur, Dr. Fong focuses on the consequences that people experience for their
behaviour, and Dr. Wenkle focuses on the cognitive processes that people use in choosing
their actions. Which underlying theme does the different perspectives of these three
professionals help to illustrate?
a. Our experience of the world is highly subjective.
b. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context.
c. Psychology is empirical.
d. Psychology is theoretically diverse
d. Psychology is theoretically diverse
304
Which of the following is NOT a reason for psychology’s theoretical diversity?
a. Data can often be interpreted in several different ways.
b. Psychology lacks adequate objective data to support theory.
c. We need more than one theory to cover the variety of data available today.
d. Different theories focus on different aspects of behaviour.
b. Psychology lacks adequate objective data to support theory.
305
One psychologist explains a phobia in terms of learning principles, whereas another looks to
the unconscious for an explanation. What is most likely happening in this scenario?
a. The two psychologists are using different theoretical perspectives.
b. The two psychologists are probably using different sociohistorical contexts.
c. Insufficient data have been collected to support either explanation.
d. One of the two psychologists is mistaken
a. The two psychologists are using different theoretical perspectives.
306
. If your friend asked you whether psychology is connected to issues in “the real world,” which
of the following would be the most accurate answer?
a. Social trends influence psychology’s development.
b. Psychology influences social trends and practices.
c. Interconnections exist between what happens in psychology and what happens in
society at large.
d. There is little relationship between what happens in psychology and what happens
in society at large.
c. Interconnections exist between what happens in psychology and what happens in
society at large.
307
Which of the following has influenced the development of psychology as a science?
a. historical factors but not social factors
b. social factors but not historical factors
c. neither historical nor social factors
d. both historical and social factors
d. both historical and social factors
308
In the late 19th century, psychology’s rapid growth as a laboratory science was due, in part, to
its fascination with which model discipline?
a. sociology
b. philosophy
c. zoology
d. physics
d. physics
309
Freud’s theory was based, in part, on prevailing values during his lifetime. Based on this idea,
which of the following contexts influences psychology’s development?
a. social
b. empirical
c. historical
d. sociohistorical
d. sociohistorical
310
John Watson argued that psychology should study only observable behaviour. Which of your
text’s unifying themes is this position most consistent with?
a. Psychology is empirical.
b. Heredity and environment jointly influence behaviour.
c. Our experience of the world is highly subjective.
d. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context.
a. Psychology is empirical.
311
In the 1920s, there were many fundamental disputes between competing schools of thought in
psychology. Which unifying theme from your text do these disputes illustrate?
a. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context.
b. Psychology is empirical.
c. Our experience of the world is highly subjective.
d. Psychology is theoretically diverse.
d. Psychology is theoretically diverse.
312
In the 19th century, Wilhelm Wundt attempted to shape the new discipline of psychology
along the lines of physics, because in his era physics was admired as a “model” science.
Which unifying theme from your text does Wundt’s attempt to imitate physics illustrate?
a. Behaviour is determined by multiple causes.
b. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context.
c. Our experience of the world is highly subjective.
d. Psychology is theoretically diverse.
b. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context.
313
World War I and World War II stimulated the growth of psychology as a profession. Which
unifying theme from your text does this influence illustrate?
a. Psychology is empirical.
b. Our experience of the world is highly subjective.
c. Psychology is theoretically diverse.
d. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context
d. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context
314
In criticizing the structuralists’ reliance on the method of introspection, William James argued
that two people could view the same stimulus quite differently. Which unifying theme from
your text does James’s argument illustrate?
a. Our experience of the world is highly subjective.
b. Psychology is empirical.
c. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context.
d. Heredity and environment jointly influence behaviour.
a. Our experience of the world is highly subjective.
315
The civil rights movement and the women’s movement raised concerns about whether basic
psychological principles could be applied to groups other than white males. Consequently,
psychologists began to select samples of subjects that were more diverse for research studies.
Which underlying theme does this change in practice illustrate?
a. Motives and expectations can colour our experiences.
b. Science evolves in a sociohistorical context.
c. Theoretical diversity is an important component in science.
d. Behaviour is determined by multiple causes.
b. Science evolves in a sociohistorical context.
316
Which of the following would you focus on if you were using a multifactorial approach to
explaining your performance in a course?
a. personal factors more than situational factors
b. situational factors more than personal factors
c. both personal and situational factors
d. the relationship between you and your professor
c. both personal and situational factors
317
Which of the following is best supported by the fact that your performance in this course will
be affected by both personal and situational factors?
a. multifactorial causation of behaviour approach
b. psychoanalytic approach to explaining behaviour
c. single-cause explanation of behaviour
d. dual-cause explanation of behaviour
a. multifactorial causation of behaviour approach
318
Zoe believes that Samantha has trouble forming long-term relationships because her parents
were overly strict and because Samantha inherited a very stubborn personality. Which of the
following views is this type of explanation for Samantha’s current behaviour most consistent
with?
a. Heredity and the environment jointly influence behaviour.
b. Perception is often subjective.
c. Psychology is theoretically diverse.
d. Behaviour is shaped by cultural heritage
c. Psychology is theoretically diverse.
319
Dr. Scarply believes that if all violent programming were banned, aggressive behaviour would
almost completely disappear. Which of the following views is NOT consistent with this type
of explanation for the prevalence of aggressive behaviour?
a. Behaviour is determined by multiple causes.
b. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context.
c. Perception is often subjective.
d. Behaviour is shaped by cultural heritage
a. Behaviour is determined by multiple causes.
320
What does the concept of culture refer to?
a. individuals’ collective unconscious
b. unconscious urges to satisfy one’s basic instincts
c. widely shared customs, beliefs, and values among members of a group
d. genetic predisposition to behave in a particular way
c. widely shared customs, beliefs, and values among members of a group
321
Which of the following refers to widely shared customs, beliefs, values, and norms?
a. phylogeny
b. ideographic nature
c. culture
d. ontogeny
c. culture
322
A host in which of the following countries is most likely to be insulted if dinner guests eat all
the food they are served?
a. Germany
b. India
c. United States
d. Brazil
b. India
323
Quan Lee recently lost her job at American Industries Inc. because she would often show up
for important meetings 20 to 30 minutes after they had started. She was confused about why
this upset her boss because her relatives and friends from her home country are almost always
late for appointments and meetings. What principle does Quan Lee’s confusion illustrate?
a. Motives and expectations can colour our experiences.
b. Our cultural backgrounds exert a considerable influence over our behaviour.
c. Behaviour is determined by multiple causes.
d. Theoretical diversity is an important component in science.
b. Our cultural backgrounds exert a considerable influence over our behaviour.
324
Sunlin prepared a meal for his new girlfriend and she enjoyed it so much that she cleaned her
plate. Later she was surprised that he had found her behaviour somewhat insulting; she
thought she was showing her appreciation. Which underlying theme does the couple’s
miscommunication illustrate in this case?
a. Behaviour is determined by multiple causes.
b. Heredity and environment jointly determine our behaviour.
c. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context.
d. Our behaviour is shaped by our cultural heritage.
d. Our behaviour is shaped by our cultural heritage.
325
What are researchers attempting to describe when they talk about the distinction between
nature and nurture?
a. personality and preference
b. heredity and experience
c. behaviour and attitude
d. experience and environment
b. heredity and experience
326
Dr. Escher believes that individuals may inherit a predisposition for some psychological
disorders, but that the disorders will not develop unless there is some stressful event that acts
as a trigger. Which underlying theme do Dr. Escher’s views reflect?
a. Theoretical diversity is an important component in science.
b. Our cultural backgrounds exert a considerable influence over our behaviour.
c. Motives and expectations can colour our experiences.
d. Genetic factors and experience interact to shape behaviour
d. Genetic factors and experience interact to shape behaviour
327
. Which of the following best characterizes people’s understanding of reality?
a. it is a passive process
b. it is highly objective
c. it is highly subjective
d. it is genetically determined
c. it is highly subjective
328
Which theme is most consistent with the fact that Princeton students “saw” Dartmouth
students engage in twice as many infractions as the Dartmouth students did in a PrincetonDartmouth football game?
a. reliance on empirical evidence
b. unconscious motivation
c. multifactorial causation of behaviour
d. subjectivity of perception
d. subjectivity of perception
329
Based on Harold Kelley’s research, if you are led to believe that you are going to hear a
lecture given by a warm and friendly instructor, how will this information influence your
perception of that instructor?
a. You may perceive the instructor as warm and friendly, but only if the lecture topic
is interesting to you.
b. You will probably perceive the instructor as being warm and friendly.
c. You will probably not be affected much by this expectation unless the instructor is,
in fact, warm and friendly.
d. You will probably not be affected unless you are allowed to compare the instructor
to one who is cold
b. You will probably perceive the instructor as being warm and friendly.
330
Rafael and Lydia met for a blind date. Rafael had been told by his best friend that Lydia was
charismatic and vivacious. During their date Lydia was friendly but she was quite shy and
didn’t initiate much of the conversation. Still, Rafael thinks that Lydia is one of the most
exciting people he has met, and he can’t wait to see her again. Which theme does Rafael’s
reaction to his date with Lydia illustrate?
a. Behaviour is determined by multiple causes.
b. Cultural heritage has a large impact on behaviour.
c. People’s experience of the world is highly subjective.
d. Unconscious motivation has little impact on overt behaviour
c. People’s experience of the world is highly subjective.
331
Carly was in favour of the proposed convention centre; Colin was against the project. When
Carly surveyed people she found that 70 percent of those she questioned were in favour of the
project. Colin’s survey found that 75 percent of those he surveyed were against building the
convention centre. Which idea does these differing survey results support?
a. Motives and expectations can colour our experiences.
b. Sciences do not exist in a cultural vacuum.
c. Theoretical diversity is an important component in science.
d. Single-cause explanations are often inaccurate
a. Motives and expectations can colour our experiences.
332
What is the scientific method designed to do?
a. counteract subjectivity
b. utilize subjectivity
c. enhance subjectivity
d. ignore subjectivity
a. counteract subjectivity
333
Which of the following is the best advice for developing sound study habits?
a. Make yourself comfortable in your study area by having your favourite music
playing.
b. Try to avoid interrupting your study time with breaks.
c. Tackle simple, routine tasks before taking on larger tasks.
d. Plan your study schedule in advance.
d. Plan your study schedule in advance.
334
Which of the following would be a poor studying strategy?
a. Study in a place where distractions are minimal.
b. Break major assignments down into smaller component tasks.
c. Set up a schedule for studying.
d. Concentrate your study time immediately before an exam
d. Concentrate your study time immediately before an exam
335
Which type of psychology is consistent with the systematic use of rewards in developing
effective study habits?
a. functionalism
b. humanism
c. structuralism
d. behaviourism
d. behaviourism
336
What is SQ3R?
a. a study system designed to promote effective reading
b. a technique designed to reduce test anxiety
c. a method of preparing a study schedule
d. a mnemonic device used to recall key information
a. a study system designed to promote effective reading
337
Which of the following does the “Q” in the SQ3R method of studying refer to?
a. quiet
b. quiz
c. question
d. quantify
c. question
338
Which of the following is one of the “Rs” in the SQ3R method of studying?
a. review
b. retain
c. remember
d. render
a. review
339
Which of the following steps in the SQ3R method constitutes saying out loud the answers to
key questions in your text?
a. read
b. recite
c. survey
d. review
b. recite
340
Which of the following conclusions is supported by research comparing “successful” to
“unsuccessful” students?
a. Successful students and unsuccessful students attended class equally often.
b. Successful students attended class more often than unsuccessful students.
c. Successful students used an instructor’s office hours more than unsuccessful
students.
d. Successful students made better use of the textbook than did unsuccessful students
b. Successful students attended class more often than unsuccessful students
341
Which of the following is most likely to be associated with poor grades, according to research
findings?
a. being absent from class
b. changing answers on a multiple-choice test
c. rewarding yourself for studying
d. overlearning the material
a. being absent from class
342
According to research findings, which of the following has been found to be associated with
higher grades?
a. writing down everything your instructor says
b. attending class regularly
c. putting off studying until just before an exam
d. not changing answers on tests
b. attending class regularly
343
Which of the following is good advice for getting more out of lectures?
a. Pay attention to clues from the instructor about what is important.
b. Resist the temptation to anticipate what is coming next.
c. Avoid reading ahead in your text, especially if the material is complex.
d. When you take notes, try to be a “human tape recorder.
a. Pay attention to clues from the instructor about what is important.
344
Which of the following is most likely to help you get more out of lectures?
a. skipping lectures on topics you find confusing
b. avoiding the temptation to anticipate what the lecturer will say next
c. trying to write down everything the lecturer says
d. paying attention to clues about what is most important
d. paying attention to clues about what is most important
345
Which of the following is a counterproductive strategy for notetaking?
a. Trying to record the lecturer’s comments verbatim.
b. During the lecture, trying to anticipate what’s coming next and searching for
deeper meanings.
c. Asking questions during the lecture.
d. When the material is especially complex, reading ahead on the topic to be covered
in class.
a. Trying to record the lecturer’s comments verbatim.
346
Which of the following is typical of “testwise” students?
a. knack for identifying “trick” questions
b. being skilled at using clues contained within a test to improve their scores
c. being particularly knowledgeable about the subject matter being tested
d. tendency to score high on standardized tests
b. being skilled at using clues contained within a test to improve their scores
347
What do most people tend to do when changing answers on a multiple-choice test, according
to research findings?
a. change a right answer to a wrong answer
b. change a wrong answer to a right answer
c. change a right answer to a wrong answer and back again to the right answer
d. change a wrong answer to another wrong answer
b. change a wrong answer to a right answer
348
Which of the following is good advice for someone about to take a multiple-choice test?
a. Do the most difficult and time-consuming questions first.
b. Stick with your first answer.
c. Always read each question completely.
d. As you read the question, try to avoid the temptation to anticipate the answer
c. Always read each question completely.
349
What is suggested by the word “critical” in the term “critical thinking”?
a. Effective critical thinkers tend to be judgmental of others’ views.
b. Thinking is essential to success in our culture.
c. Critical thinkers are vigilant about their thinking.
d. The skills of effective thinking are learned early in life
c. Critical thinkers are vigilant about their thinking.
350
Why are critical thinking skills sometimes called transcontextual skills?
a. If you have critical thinking skills, you can teach them to others.
b. Context determines when these skills are necessary.
c. The skills allow you to determine the role of context in a given problem.
d. These skills are useful in a wide variety of situations.
d. These skills are useful in a wide variety of situations.
351
Which skill is generally involved in the spatial tasks which males tend to do better than
females?
a. processing verbal directions to a specific location
b. identifying objects in a visual field
c. remembering locations
d. mentally rotating objects
d. mentally rotating objects
352
Which of the following explanations is most likely to be used by an evolutionary psychologist
to explain gender differences in spatial abilities?
a. When they are young, males are more likely than females to be encouraged to
engage in spatially oriented activities.
b. The principles of natural selection tend to operate differently in males and females.
c. Through evolution, males were classically conditioned to develop certain kinds of
spatial abilities.
d. Division of labour between the sexes in hunting and gathering societies created
different adaptations for males and females
d. Division of labour between the sexes in hunting and gathering societies created
different adaptations for males and females
353
Which of the following questions should you ask if you wish to critically evaluate
evolutionary hypotheses regarding gender differences in spatial abilities?
a. Are there alternative explanations for the results, such as differences in experience
between males and females?
b. Are there other differences between males and females that are more important,
such as differences in intelligence?
c. Are there other data that confirm this difference, such as performance among
professional athletes?
d. Are there ethical reasons that we should not conduct this research, such as the risk
of stereotyping females
a. Are there alternative explanations for the results, such as differences in experience
between males and females?
354
Suppose that there is evidence that ancestral females travelled long distances to acquire food,
or that males required good memory for locations in order to find their way home. Why would
this evidence be important for the critical evaluation of hypotheses about evolved sex
differences in spatial ability?
a. This evidence runs counter to the hypothesized selective pressures that would have
created existing sex differences.
b. This evidence supports the notion that these sex differences are learned.
c. This evidence is irrelevant because ancestral gender roles have no importance for
understanding modern socialization processes.
d. This evidence is important for predicting what people in primitive societies will be
able to do if they are tested for spatial abilities.
a. This evidence runs counter to the hypothesized selective pressures that would have
created existing sex differences.
355
What can we conclude from the case of Reena Virk, described at the beginning of Chapter 1,
and information about bullying by females presented in the Featured Study on bullying
behaviour?
a. Bullying refers to only minor, non-violent behaviours, and the case of Reena Virk
is about murder rather than bullying.
b. Although the rate of bullying by females is lower, it is increasing at a faster rate for
girls than for boys, and females may use different “styles” of bullying.
c. Violent bullying is done by males and non-violent bullying is done by females.
d. Bullying is mainly a female behaviour, but males tend to get caught more often.
b. Although the rate of bullying by females is lower, it is increasing at a faster rate for
girls than for boys, and females may use different “styles” of bullying.
356
Which of the following do behaviourism and psychoanalytic theory have in common?
a. an emphasis on the role of sexuality in behaviour
b. the implication that people are not necessarily in complete control of behaviour
c. the notion that unconscious motives have a major influence on behaviour
d. a resistance to the use of animal subjects in psychological research
b. the implication that people are not necessarily in complete control of behaviour
357
Much like Freud, Skinner’s views on human behaviour were controversial and often
criticized. Which controversies were predominant for each of Freud and Skinner?
a. Freud’s focus on sexual motivation and Skinner’s suggestion that free will was an
illusion
b. Freud’s focus on sexual motivation and Skinner’s belief that maladaptive
behaviour was biological in origin
c. Freud’s insensitive treatment of patients and Skinner’s violation of existing animal
ethics rules
d. Freud’s focus on conscious processes and Skinner’s focus on unconscious
processes
a. Freud’s focus on sexual motivation and Skinner’s suggestion that free will was an
illusion
358
Rhianna has decided to major in psychology. She is very interested in human behaviour, and
would like to have a career where she could help people. Rhianna takes the approach that
people are very much influenced by their experiences. In fact, she’s working with one of her
professors on a research project in which they are looking at the effects of self-reward on
study habits. Rhianna believes that she can take this knowledge and use it in other settings,
like the workplace, in order to help people improve their productivity
Which psychological approach is consistent with Rhianna’s perspective that people are
influenced by their experiences?
a. cognitive
b. psychodynamic
c. behaviourist
d. sociocultural
c. behaviourist
359
Which of the following concepts is consistent with the research project that Rhianna is
working on?
a. Skinner’s behaviour modification
b. Titchener’s introspection
c. Rogers’s humanism
d. Pavlov’s stimulus-response learning
a. Skinner’s behaviour modification
360
Which type of psychologist is Rhianna’s professor most likely to be?
a. clinical
b. structuralist
c. biological
d. educational
d. educational
361
What sort of psychologist will Rhianna be if she uses her ideas to help people improve their
productivity in the workplace?
a. experimental
b. clinical
c. industrial/organizational
d. career
c. industrial/organizational
362
Which unifying theme is reflected by Rhianna’s use of research to investigate her ideas about
human behaviour?
a. Psychology is theoretically diverse.
b. Psychology is empirical.
c. Behaviour is shaped by cultural heritage.
d. People’s experience of the world is highly subjective.
b. Psychology is empirical.
363
Discuss the contributions of structuralism and functionalism to the evolution of psychology as
a discipline.
Both perspectives reflect the early view that consciousness is the appropriate subject matter
for the new science, but they differed in regard to how consciousness should be studied. With
Wilhelm Wundt, the structuralists believed that consciousness should be broken down into its
basic elements through introspection. This approach generated numerous laboratory studies of
sensory and perceptual phenomena. Structuralism eventually died out due to the inconsistent
results of introspective studies. Along with William James, the functionalists emphasized the
adaptive purposes of consciousness, arguing that psychologists should look at the continuous
flow of thought rather than its static elements. Its practical and applied focus generated
advances in the study of mental testing, child development, and gender differences.
Functionalism, too, gradually faded away, but left applied psychology and behaviourism as its
enduring descendants
364
Compare and contrast the psychoanalytic, behaviourist, and humanist assumptions about
human nature
Psychoanalysts view humans as essentially “bad” (primitive, animalistic, sexual, and
irrational) and unconsciously driven to behave in certain ways. This is a pessimistic view of
humanity. Behaviourists view human nature as nonexistent. Rather, behaviour develops under
the control of the environment. Since behaviour is regarded as conditioned reactions to
observable stimuli, the implication is that there is no such thing as free will. Humanists view
humans as essentially “good” and unique among species because they have free will
(conscious and rational), a natural potential for growth, and a basic need to fulfill this
potential. This is an optimistic view of humanity.
365
Provide a definition for “Psychology,” and then describe the field of psychology by referring
to at least three different areas of research and two different areas of applied psychology
Definition: Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and the physiological and cognitive
processes that underlie it, and it is also the profession that applies the accumulated knowledge
of this science to practical problems (this portion of the answer should probably be graded in
terms of understanding the concept, rather than a word-for-word repetition of the text’s
definition).
Three distinct areas of research: (must describe three of the seven available)
Developmental: human development across the lifespan
Social: interpersonal behaviour and the influence of social forces on behaviour
Experimental: traditional core topics, sensation, perception, learning, motivation, and emotion
Physiological: examines the role of genetics, the nervous system, and biochemistry for
behaviour
Cognitive: focus on higher mental processes like memory, reasoning, language, information
processing
Personality: consistency of behaviour across situations as a result of “personality”
Psychometrics: measurement of behaviour, mental testing, statistics
Two areas of applied psychology: (must describe two of the four available)
Clinical: evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of serious mental disorders as well as less severe
problems
Counselling: focus on assessment and treatment of people dealing with everyday problems
such as difficulties with the family, marital difficulties, or problems with careers
Educational/School: creating, assessing, and training within the educational system; may
provide some counselling for students
Industrial/Organizational: focus is on business or work environment, improving efficiency,
morale, job satisfaction, and productivity
366
Your text identifies three unifying themes that relate to psychology as a field of study.
Identify each of these themes and show how each theme might be relevant in investigating
clinical depression
Psychology is empirical, theoretically diverse, and develops in a sociohistorical context.
Answers to the remainder of this question will require students to come up with applications
of these themes that go beyond the information in the text. Some points that might be covered
include clearly defining depression and specifying the population to be observed and studied
(empirical); looking for possible biological, social, and environmental causes of, or treatments
for, depression (theoretically diverse); and changing perceptions of depression from a hidden
disorder to one that has advertisements for treatments in magazines and on television
(sociohistorical context)
367
Imagine that you have been asked to speak to a group of Grade 10 students who have signed
up for a study skills seminar offered by a local youth group. Based on the information
provided in the Personal Application, what are ten concrete points that you would make in
your presentation?
Good answers to this question should include positive advice (such as setting up a study
schedule, rewarding studying, and regular classroom attendance), and some “myth
clarification” (such as “never changing answers on multiple-choice tests”)
368
The Critical Thinking Application in your text lists five skills that are exhibited by critical
thinkers. Identify these five skills and show how they might be used by a woman who was
trying to decide whether or not to begin hormone therapy once she was past menopause.
Critical thinkers
• understand and use the principles of scientific investigation. (How can the risks
and benefits of hormone therapy be determined?)
• apply the rules of formal and informal logic. (If hormone therapy is safe, why
did the FDA stop the Women’s Health Initiative study?)
• think effectively in terms of probabilities. (What can overall health risks tell an
individual about her personal risk of developing health problems?)
• carefully evaluate the quality of information. (Can the claims made by the drug
manufacturers be trusted?)
• analyze arguments for the soundness of the conclusions. (Does the increased
risk for some women mean that hormone therapy should be stopped for all
women?)
