1.1 Introducing Psychology

G. Stanley Hall's storm and stress theory centralized around the concept of

Turmoil during adolescence and emerging adulthood.

A researcher installs a third brake light in 300 taxicabs and leaves 10 taxies without the extra brake light to create an experimental and control group. Drivers are randomly assigned to both groups and accident data is collected on all vehicles over a ten-month period. The researcher finds that accidents are greatly reduced when vehicles have a third brake light. The researcher MOST likely subscribes to which theoretical perspective?

Human factors

Dr. Johnson works for a car company designing dashboard control panels that are easy for drivers to intuitively use. Dr. Johnson MOST likely works in which subfield of psychology?

Human factors

Who determines the effectiveness of clinical treatments for mental disorders?

A clinical researcher who collects, analyzes data, and publishes studies.

Which psychologist would MOST likely propose that since we cannot see inside the human brain, there is no need to study it, and we should only focus our efforts on observable behavior?

B.F. Skinner

Dr. James hypothesizes that his patient, Jacob, misbehaves in class because it allows him to get attention from his peers.

Behavioral

In an effort to help a child overcome a fear of dogs, a therapist pairs a stimulus associated with dogs with a new, positive stimulus that creates an emotional response that is incompatible with fear?

Behavioral

Mrs. Adams teaches algebra. She believes that positive reinforcement is the key to classroom management. Even though she teaches high school, she puts stickers on good papers and offers candy treats for when her students exceed her expectations. Which psychological perspective is Mrs. Adams using with her approach to classroom management?

Behavioral

Which is NOT an explanation for why new approaches began to emerge in the 1950s and 1960s, challenging the dominance of psychodynamic and behaviorist approach?

Behaviorists were criticized for not being scientific.

A psychologist who believes depression is linked to a decrease in the availability of the neurotransmitter serotonin would be following which perspective?

Biological

A researcher who uses an fMRI machine to identify areas of the brain most active during REM sleep is emphasizing which psychological approach?

Biological

Trevor, a high school senior, has always been a great student. However, in the last few months, he has quit the soccer team, lost interest in hanging out with his friends, and has seen a severe drop in his grades. Even though he has always been very close to his parents, Trevor refuses to talk to them regarding his behavior change. As a result, his parents decide to take him to a doctor. His doctor feels Trevor is suffering from clinical depression as a result of a concussion he received earlier in the season. Which perspective BEST explains Trevor's behavior according to his doctor?

Biological

Which of the following approaches would explain a football player's aggressive tendencies by discussing their high levels of testosterone or unique brain anatomy?

Biological

Evolutionary theories in psychology have suggested that natural selection indicated certain behaviors could contribute to survival. Which historical figure in psychology was key in developing these theories?

Charles Darwin

What is the current view that behaviors result from an interaction of nature and nurture known as?

Biopsychosocial Approach

Which of the following statements regarding helping behavior is MOST likely to have come from an evolutionary psychologist?

By helping each other, we are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Sylvia believes you always have to look at the bright side of situations. Recently, she was in a minor traffic accident. Instead of focusing on the damage to her vehicle, shoe told onlookers she was just thankful that no one was hurt. Which psychologist would MOST likely agree with Sylvia's appraisal of her situation after the traffic accident?

Carl Rogers

Which of the following would be of LEAST interest to an evolutionary psychologist?

Classroom discipline procedures.

A school psychologist believes that a child is acting up in class because he perceives that the teacher does not like him and thinks that no matter how he behaves he will be reprimanded and called out. The school psychologist is working with the child to replace these thoughts with more realistic ideas about general expectations for class behavior. Which of the following perspectives is the school psychologist likely using with this child?

Cognitive

Carrie is a psychologist. She is studying how people think and how this perception affects their behavior by conducting research on problem-solving, memory, and metacognition. Carrie is which type of psychologist?

Cognitive

Dr. Thompson researches how different study techniques help people encode and store new memories. Which psychological approach BEST fits his research?

Cognitive

In the 1980s two psychologists, Kahneman and Tversky asked 600 people to imagine they were affected by a deadly disease. They told participants there was a treatment but it had serious side effects. Then, they randomly split the participants into two groups. The first group was told the drug had a 33% chance of saving all 600 people and a 66% possibility of saving no one. When told this, 72% of the participants thought they would want to take the drug. The second group was told that if they took the drug, there was a 33% chance that no one would die and a 66% probability that all 600 would die. When told by this scenario, only 22% of the people thought they would want to take the drug. The statistics for the drug scenario were exactly the same. The only difference between the two groups was the framing of the statistics. In which subfield of psychology do Kahneman and Tversky conduct research?

Cognitive

Beatrice is having difficulty balancing school, work, and family obligations. Beatrice should seek help from which of the following psychologists?

Counseling

Which type of psychologist would recommend walking a dog to motivate exercise, manage stress, connect with nature, and build community?

Counseling

Jon and Julie are expecting their first child. They want to know what to expect at each stage of their child's life, as well as how to deal with parenting challenges. In order to prepare them for parenthood, Jon and Julie should buy books from which of the following theoretical perspectives?

Development

Dr. Smith studies techniques and strategies to help the elderly live fulfilling and independent lives. Dr. Smith's career BEST fits with which subfield of psychology?

Developmental

Examining an individuals' life and their relationships over ten years represents which of the following perspectives?

Developmental

Which of the following figures is most closely associated with the reformation of mental asylums?

Dorthea Dix

Professor Goldsmith is interested in studying how feedback from teachers influences student achievement. Professor Goldsmith is MOST likely what type of psychologist?

Educational

Researchers perform a study on a group of high school students to determine whether better nutrition produces higher scores on standardized tests. They randomly select half of their participants to be give nutritious meals the week before the standardized test, and the other half do not change their diet. The researchers then compare the test scores of these two groups. Which domain of psychology does the researchers' study fit into?

Experimental Psychology

"The most important thing a psychologist can study is how a behavior or thought helps a person navigate the world, rather than how that thought comes to be or what it is made of." This viewpoint probably comes from somebody who believes in what historical theoretical approach?

Functionalism

Which theoretical approach to explaining human behavior considers the mind holistically instead of based on its components?

Gestalt psychology

John is a psychologist that works for a firm that designs kitchen appliances. His most recent project was on the digital display of refrigerators. He helped design a digital display that was easy to see from any location in the room and at any height. Which type of psychologist is John?

Human factors

Which of the following types of psychology focuses on how people work to improve the efficiency of a group?

Industrial-Organizational

A company's headquarters include laundry facilities, a gym, fitness classes, massage therapy, a hairstylist, as well as automotive services. The goal is for employees to be less distracted by daily minutia, thereby allowing them to focus their cognitive energy on productivity. The incorporation of these services is a result of studies by which type of psychologist?

Industrial-organizational

Dr. Gary Namie wrote and administered the largest survey on bullying in the workplace. His research has been used to improve workplace relationships. Dr. Gary Namie is a major contributor to which subfield in psychology?

Industrial-organizational

Jenna is interested in pursuing a career that allows her to devise plans on how to motivate employees to provide the best customer service possible. Which psychological career would be MOST suitable for Jenna?

Industrial-organizational

Marnie is handed a teddy bear and begins to describe what she is experiencing: "This is brown. It is soft. It is wearing a red bow." What historic research technique is she using?

Introspection

Toddler Kevin is playing outside when he sees a flash of lightning. The lightning does not startle Kevin, but the next flash of lightning is accompanied by a very loud crack of thunder. The crack of thunder scares Kevin and he runs inside. Now, whenever Kevin sees lightning, he feels fear. This type of conditioning is most closely associated with which of the following psychologists?

Ivan Pavlov

Five-year-old Clair is watching her mother pour juice into two glasses that each hold eight ounces of liquids. One glass is tall and slim and the other is short and wide. When Clair is given the shorter glass, she is upset that she has gotten less juice than the taller glass. Clair's reaction to the juice could best be explained by the work of

Jean Piaget

Which of the following historical figures was the first female to receive a Ph.D. in psychology?

Margaret Floy Washburn

Maya cannot stop binge-watching television. At first, she believes that this is a genetic trait that she inherited from her father, who also loves to watch television shows. However, Maya also notices that all of her friends watch television, and it is considered a popular pastime in the community in which she was raised. Maya cannot decide if her genetics or community is the stronger influence. Maya's reasoning exemplifies which psychological debate?

Nature versus nurture

Shelby works in the HR department at a small company. She is looking for a scientific approach to hiring and training new personnel. She reads a study showing that conscientiousness has consistent positive correlations with all job performance criteria and wants to incorporate this into her practice. Shelby should hire which type of psychologist to design hiring and training surveys?

Personality

Which of the following domains of psychology focuses on creating a more fulfilling life rather than treating mental illness or disorders?

Positive psychology

Many of Wilhelm Wundt's early laboratory experiments focused on measuring which of the following?

Reaction Times

Which of the following psychological approaches would MOST likely examine the unconscious motives of a man who is overly aggressive towards his wife and children.

Psychodynamic

Tyler doubled majored in math and psychology in college. As a psychologist, he works as a consultant for a data collection company. Part of his job is making sure the data has been analyzed correctly and any conclusions made are truly representative of the data presented. Tyler is MOST likely which type of psychologist?

Psychometric

Which of the following psychologists would MOST likely study gang behavior?

Social Psychologist

Many humans across cultures share similar taboos, ideas, or behaviors that are unacceptable. The perspective of evolutionary psychology term-41would MOST likely explain this by saying

Taboos develop because of behaviors that have caused harm or diminished reproductive success across past generations.

Jennifer has been having difficulty in school. Her grades have dropped, and she seems completely uninterested in participating in after school activities. Her mom believes her new boyfriend is the reason Jennifer's attitude has changed. Which perspective would BEST align with the explanation Jennifer's mom gives for her behavior change.

Sociocultural

Ambre believes that each thought or memory can be broken down into smaller elements, such as emotions and concepts behind them. In which historical approach to psychology would she find people who believe the same thing?

Structuralism

Psychologists associated with which early school of psychology developed the method of introspection to understand the nature of consciousness?

Structuralism

Which of the following explanations of obesity BEST fits with an evolutionary perspective of psychology.

The ability to gain weight and difficulty in losing weight carries a survival advantage.

In explaining human behavior, cognitive psychologists are MOST likely to focus on which of the following.

The way we perceive, process, and remember information.

Which of the following is a limitation to applying psychological theories to explain real-world behavior?

Theories are not proven true and therefore cannot create definitive explanations for behaviors.

Which of the following individuals disagreed with the structuralist perspective that people, like chemicals, could be broken down into their most basic components but rather believed that individuals should be examined as a whole and emphasis should be placed on how they function in the world?

William James

An industrial-organizational psychologist would MOST likely to

Work with businesses to help train employees and create productive work environments.

Dr. James and Dr. Wundt are walking along a cobblestone street in 1905. They come across an overly-expensive sports car. Both recognize it as an automobile, but both are overwhelmed by its power and complexity. Both men of science wish to study it, but they cannot agree upon the best way. Choose the answer that reflects how you think the two fathers of psychology would study the sports car.

Wundt would want to take it apart and analyze the components, and James would want to see how it drives.