Practice/ Module 1 and 2

Class: _ Date: _ Practice/ Module 1 and 2 Multiple Choice Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. 1. Which of the following statements best defines the field of psychology? a. Investigation into mental issues b. The scientific study of behavior and mental processes c. The science of the brain d. The science of treatment for psychological disorders 2. Which of the following is the best definition of the term "applied research"? a. research intended to solve practical problems b. research done in applied psychology programs c. research done to increase the scientific knowledge base of psychology d. research into how the human brain affects our everyday lives 3. Which of the following would be considered a mental process? a. running down the hall to get to class b. remembering your best friend's phone number c. flinching at the sound of the fire alarm d. standing in the lunch line 4. Psychology is defined as the science of behavior and mental processes because: a. psychology is involved with studying nonmeasurable attributes like consciousness. b. psychologists apply the scientific method to human behaviors and thoughts. c. psychology is now restricted to studying scientific matters like brain anatomy. d. psychology only uses experiments to prove theories. 5. The first psychology laboratory was established in by. a. Russia; Ivan Pavlov b. Germany; Wilhelm Wundt c. Austria; Sigmund Freud d. United States; William James 6. Which group of early psychologists, led by E.B. Titchener, believed that consciousness could best be understood by analyzing the basic elements of thoughts and sensations? a. functionalists b. psychoanalysts c. structuralists d. behaviorists 7. Which early psychological perspective emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes? a. functionalism b. Gestalt c. structuralism d. psychoanalysis 1

8. Participants were asked to press a button as soon as they saw a light come on. Their reaction time was recorded. The second task required that they push the left-handed button if the light was green, the right-handed button if the light was red. The reaction time was again recorded. Which early researcher conducted this experiment and what did he believe he was measuring? a. Freud; unconscious processes b. Titchener; the structure of conscious experiences c. James; the functions of consciousness d. Wundt; the speed of mental processes 9. Which theory of personality was established by Sigmund Freud? a. functionalism b. structuralism c. psychoanalysis d. Gestalt 10. The idea that unconscious thoughts and impulses influence thinking and behavior is a key element of which psychological theory? a. functionalism b. structuralism c. psychoanalysis d. Gestalt 11. Humanistic psychologists did not believe that humans could be reduced to various parts. Instead, they believed that the whole person is different from the sum of all the parts, like the brain, neurons, or emotions. Which early school of thought most influenced the humanists? a. structuralists b. functionalists c. Gestalt d. psychoanalysts 12. You overhear someone on the bus talking about how Sigmund Freud is the father of modern psychology. You might point out that Wilhelm Wundt is a better candidate for the honor because he: a. was more influential worldwide b. started the first psychology laboratory c. published more popular books on psychology d. had a longer career 13. Why was the research of Kenneth and Mamie Phipps Clark significant in the history of psychology? a. Their research demonstrated that black and white children used different learning styles in the classroom b. Kenneth and Mamie Clark were the first African-Americans to receive Ph.D.s in psychology c. Findings from their studies showed that children of the same age consistently make the same mistakes on developmental tasks d. The Clarks' findings were used by the Supreme Court to declare segregated schools unconstitutional 14. I believe that humans learn their behaviors through rewards, punishments, and by observing others. I am a: a. cognitive psychologist. b. behaviorist. c. humanist. d. biological psychologist. 2

15. Which modern psychological perspective focuses on how healthy people strive to reach their full potential? a. humanistic b. behavioral c. psychodynamic d. cognitive 16. Which modern psychological approach focuses on understanding how people think, process, store, and retrieve information? a. humanism b. social-cultural c. cognitive d. biological 17. Which psychological approach explains human behavior in the context of understanding the chemicals, hormones, and physical structures of the body? a. cognitive b. social-cultural c. psychodynamic d. biological 18. Psychological perspectives are: a. ways to explain human behavior. b. research methods used to test hypotheses. c. past historical movements like Gestalt psychology that don't really have any relevance in current psychology. d. biases that researchers avoid. 19. Which school of psychological thought has been criticized by modern psychologists for the lack of scientific evidence to support its proposals? a. cognitive b. behavioral c. humanistic d. biological 20. Which perspective explains human behavior by looking at the interaction of learning and inherited genetic traits? a. evolutionary psychology b. behavior genetics c. positive psychology d. structuralism 21. Which psychologists study behaviors that helped our ancestors survive? a. behavior geneticists b. positive psychologists c. Gestalt psychologists d. evolutionary psychologists 22. Which modern psychological movement focuses on the study of optimal human functioning and the factors that allow individuals and communities to thrive? a. humanism b. positive psychology c. evolutionary psychology d. behavior genetics 3

23. The movement called positive psychology investigates such topics as: a. wellness and healthy people fulfilling their potential b. positive (or active) symptoms in schizophrenics. c. conditioning developmentally disabled children to function positively in society. d. adding positive behaviors to the list of symptoms used to diagnose psychological disorders. 24. Humans may fear snakes because this fear has historically allowed them to survive. This perspective would most likely be shared by a(n): a. evolutionary psychologist. b. behavior geneticist. c. psychoanalyst. d. humanist. 25. Which perspective might explain helping behavior as a combination of an individual possessing a helping trait and being raised by a family that promotes helping those in need? a. humanistic b. positive psychology c. behavior genetics d. evolutionary psychology 26. The behavior genetics perspective can be described as a combination of which two other psychological perspectives? a. psychoanalytic and behavioral b. behavioral and humanistic c. biological and behavioral d. cognitive and behavioral 27. What is the best reason to use the scientific method to investigate psychological questions? a. Experiments in psychology are easy to do. b. It's easier to convince people by using the scientific methodology. c. It's more likely to answer certain kinds of questions correctly. d. Science is more respected than opinion. 28. Camille reads a headline in the newspaper, Eating dark chocolate increases intelligence! As a student of psychology, Camille should: a. immediately go to the grocery store to buy dark chocolate. b. read the article carefully looking for more information about how researchers came to this conclusion. c. survey her friends to see if they think this conclusion is correct. d. stop reading the newspaper so she is not exposed to such ridiculous stories. 29. The tendency to search for information that confirms a preconception is called: a. participant bias. b. prejudice. c. confirmation bias. d. replication. 30. Participant bias occurs: a. in every experiment because everyone has a bias. b. when participants decide to disrupt the experiment due to a dislike of the experimenter. c. when participants respond differently because they know they are being observed. d. when you only examine a certain sample group instead of investigating everyone in a population. 4

31. Which method of research involves watching and recording behaviors without manipulating or controlling the situation? a. case study b. experiment c. naturalistic observation d. correlational study 32. Confirmation bias can be controlled by: a. using independent variables b. using the naturalistic observation technique c. using the double-blind procedure d. using a representative sample 33. Dr. Reese is smiling at adults, who are complete strangers to him, in a shopping mall and recording whether they smile in response. What is one method by which Dr. Reese can reduce confirmation bias in his study? a. He should conduct his research in the same place in the mall each day. b. Dr. Reese should not tell the people at the mall what he is doing there. c. He should have another researcher record whether his smile is returned. d. Dr. Reese should only record when someone smiles back, not when he is ignored. 34. A case study is: a. a research technique in which one person is studied in depth. b. an outdated research method not used in current psychology. c. research conducted by experimenters who observe a participant in the natural environment without interfering with her in any way. d. a set of specific responses from one participant out of a large group. 35. Which of the following is the most likely reason a researcher might choose the case study research method? a. Case studies are less prone to participant and confirmation bias. b. A case study may be the only ethically possible study to perform. c. Studying one individual yields more reliable and valid data than studying larger groups. d. Experiments need to focus on one or a small group of people in order to control confounding variables. 36. A correlational study is: a. a cause-and-effect study using control and experimental groups. b. a research project designed to discover the degree to which two variables are related to each another. c. a research technique that involves studying one group of people over a long amount of time. d. a survey study using a sample from a large population. 37. If psychologists discovered that wealthy people are less satisfied with their marriages than poor people are, this would indicate that wealth and marital satisfaction are: a. causally related. b. dependent variables. c. independent variables. d. negatively correlated. 5

38. The survey method is: a. exclusively opinion based; it cannot measure any factual information. b. a research technique designed to discover self-reported attitudes or behaviors through questionnaires. c. a research technique that involves studying one group of people over a long amount of time. d. a research technique that manipulates a single variable to see its affect on another variable. 39. Which research design is focused on gathering information about self-reported perceptions or attitudes through questionnaires? a. survey method b. correlational study c. naturalistic observation d. case study 40. In a research study, the term population refers to: a. all of the researchers in a given field of study. b. the group of participant volunteers that shows up on the day of the experiment. c. the group of people the researcher draws his sample from. d. the specific group of participants the researcher chooses to work with. 41. To learn about the TV viewing habits of all the children attending Oakbridge School, Professor Devries randomly selected and interviewed 50 of the school's students. In this instance, all the children attending the school are considered to be a(n): a. case study. b. control group. c. independent variable. d. population. 42. Longitudinal studies: a. are too expensive and impractical for modern psychological researchers. b. compare individuals from different age groups at one time. c. examine individuals in the long-distant past and attempt to determine their motives. d. study the same group of people over a long period. 43. Cross-sectional studies: a. compare individuals from different age groups at one time. b. compare individuals from different ethnic groups at one time. c. primarily examine gender differences. d. study the same group of people over a long period. 44. A developmental psychologist wants to study how a specific personality trait changes as people age. Which two research methods is this researcher most likely to choose between? a. experimental or naturalistic observation study b. correlational or survey study c. cross-sectional or longitudinal study d. confirmation or case study 6

45. In an experiment, the researcher: a. manipulates one or more factors to observe the effect on another factor. b. manipulates the environment of nonhuman animals to answer a specific question (humans can't be used in experiments for ethical reasons). c. measures two factors about one individual to see if they are correlated. d. observes the participants in their natural environment without interfering with them in any way. 46. A hypothesis is: a. an educated guess that may or may not be testable. b. a fact established by research evidence. c. a question about behavior resulting from observation. d. a researcher's testable prediction about the outcome of research. 47. The difference between the experimental group and the control group is defined by the presence of the: a. confounding variable. b. dependent variable. c. independent variable. d. sample group. 48. A confounding variable: a. could influence the results of an experiment because of researcher bias. b. is a variable other than the independent variable that may influence the dependent variable. c. is an outside influence affecting the results of a naturalistic observation study. d. is the one factor the researcher changes between the control and experimental groups. 49. The dependent variable in an experiment is: a. the effect of participant and researcher bias on the results of the experiment. b. the variable that depends on the experimenter's hypothesis. c. the variable the experimenter manipulates in order to examine its effect on the independent variable. d. the variable the experimenter measures in order to see if it was affected by the change in the independent variable. 50. In a test of the effects of sleep deprivation on problem-solving skills, research participants are allowed to sleep either 4 or 8 hours on each of three consecutive nights. This research is an example of: a. a case study. b. an experiment. c. correlational research. d. naturalistic observation. 51. Which of the following methods is most helpful for revealing whether a person's personality is caused by the types of games he or she played as a child? a. correlational research b. naturalistic observation c. the experiment d. the survey 7

52. How do we know that the American Psychological Association's ethical guidelines are being followed by researchers? a. Before a study can be done all research proposals must be screened by an ethics committee for compliance to these guidelines. b. Researchers follow internal checks and are responsible for making sure their studies follow these guidelines. c. Research participants are responsible for making sure the researchers follow the guidelines. d. No one really knows if the ethical guidelines are being followed by researchers. 53. The right to debriefing is especially important if: a. the research study was not screened by an ethics committee beforehand. b. the study included any deception. c. the researcher plans on publishing the results. d. no informed consent was given. 54. In a 1984 study (Cole & Miller) researchers checked every animal study published in the journals of the American Psychological Association for reports of animal abuse. What did they find? a. Only 10% of the studies reported inappropriate abuse. b. An astonishingly high number (48%) reported inappropriate abuse. c. Not a single instance of inappropriate abuse was identified. d. The study was inconclusive. 55. A researcher was interested in whether children who were spanked would behave better than those who were not spanked. Why couldn't this be studied with an experiment? a. You can't control for confounding variables. b. It would be impossible to find a suitable population. c. This experiment would be too difficult to set up. d. It would be unethical to conduct this experiment. 56. A researcher who uses participants' names in a paper about the results of a study violates which of the ethical principles established by the APA? a. confidentiality b. debriefing c. harm and discomfort d. informed consent 57. Marcus agrees to participate in a study regarding stress and concentration on problem-solving tasks. Researchers plan to induce mild stress by asking participants to count backwards from 100 by 3s. After researchers explain the task to Marcus, he begins to feel uncomfortable about being involved in the study. What ethical guideline should Marcus remember? a. confidentiality b. debriefing c. informed consent d. random assignment 58. Dr. White wanted to test if hypnotized participants, with one arm in an ice water bath, would still be able to signal if they were in pain. Which of the ethical guidelines should Dr. White be especially concerned with? a. confidentiality b. debriefing c. protection from harm and discomfort d. informed consent 8