Chapter 1: Understanding Psychology

What are the three characteristics of psychology?

1. psychology is a science 2. psychology studies individual behavior 3. psychology studies the variables that influence behavior

What is the dead person's test, and how does it help us to identify what are and are not behaviors?

A behavior is anything that a dead person cannot do

What is a subfield of psychology? What nine subfields are discusses in this text?

A subfield is an area of research that focuses on a specific set of influences on behavior. Biopsychology, sensation and perception, developmental psychology, behavior analysis, cognitive psychology, psychology of intelligence, personality psychology, abnormal psychology, social psychology.

Dr. Cross focuses on the strengths of her clients, including their potential. Her therapy highlights the goals, aspirations, and free will of her clients. Dr. Cross is most likely a: A.) behaviorist B.) humanist C.) gestaltist D.) structuralist

B.) humanist

The study of how the senses collect energy from the environment and then process the sensory information in order to create a mental model of the world is represented by which subfield of psychology? A.) biopsychology B.) cognitive psychology C.) developmental psychology D.) sensation and perception

D.) sensation and perception

What are the five types of interactions psychologists view as shaping our behavior?

Environment, physiology, mental processes, social interactions, cultural practices.

psychodynamic theory

Freud's argument that our psychological experience is the product of the conflict between our id and our superego

How does psychology differ from other social sciences, such as sociology and anthropology?

Other sciences focus on how groups of people interact with one another. Psychology is more focused on the individual.

How is psychology the study of you?

Psychology provides insight into all of the different experiences, thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that are part of what it is to be you.

How do the subfields of psychology help us understand behavior?

The separation of complex behavior into smaller parts is a necessary element of managing the scope of a given research project.

Where do psychologists work and what do they do?

The top three fields for psychology are sales, professional services, and management.

How is focusing on behavior beneficial when setting goals?

We have more success swapping one behavior for another than swapping one behavior for a non behavior.

behavior analysis

a scientific approach to the study of learning that focuses on laws and processes of behavior across species and the development of behavior technologies

evolutionary psychology

a subfield of psychology that aims to understand the evolutionary pressures that shaped behavior and the adaptive function of behavior

multicultural/diversity studies

a subfield of psychology that explores how behavior is influenced by culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, and disability

subfield of psychology

areas of research that focus on a specific set of influences on behavior

Why is It beneficial to study a limited range of behavior and environmental influences in a given study?

due to the complexity of human behavior, psychologists cannot focus on all the variables that influence behavior, or all the different behaviors that are up our experience of any given event, in each study.

biopsychology

how the physical systems produce behavior

Why must psychologists and other social scientists be vigilant regarding their own biases when conducting their research?

instead of focusing on science-driven explanations, people have a tendency to take their observations and informal explanations and use these to form theories to rationalize other people's actions.

perspectives of psychology

philosophical ways of thinking about the goals of psychology and the nature of human behavior

How is psychology a science?

psychology aims to accomplish its goals through systematic observation and measurement. psychologists conduct their research using the scientific method.

sensation and perception

the study of how the senses collect energy from the environment and then process this sensory information

social psychology

the study of how the social environment, including individuals and groups, influences the behavior of the individual, including how they think, act, and feel

psychology of intelligence

the study of individual differences in mental capacities and abilities

cognitive psychology

the study of memory, thinking, reasoning, and other mental activities

functionalism

the view that psychology's goal should be to study how consciousness and experience aid in adjusting to the environment

humanism

the view that psychology's goal should be to understand human strengths, aspirations, conscious experience, free will, and potential

bio-psycho-social-cultural perspective

this perspective is inclusive of the many factors that work together to influence behavior

If a psychologist was studying a group of individuals, which of the following would be a potential research question? A.) how is the culture of the group affecting the choices are made as a group? B.) how are the dynamics of the group affecting the choices of the individuals? C.) how could group efficiencies be increased in a way that would lead to stronger decision-making? D.) how would this group interact if divided into two groups?

B.) how are the dynamics of the group affecting the choices of the individuals?

In terms of the effect of culture on behavior, how do psychologists conceptualize culture? A.) the geographic region that the organism comes from that affects processing of the world B.) the norms and rules that have been adopted by the social group and have become part of the environment C.) the ways various groups can change the interaction patterns within a larger region D.) the biological predisposition to behave in a certain way

B.) the norms and rules that have been adopted by the social group and have become part of the environment

According to what we know about behavior, which of the following goals would be most likely to elicit a behavioral change? A.) "I want to do better in school, so I won't watch TV" B.) "I want to do better in school, so I will not go out on the weekend." C.) "I want to do better in school, so I will study for two hours a day." D.) "I want to do better in school, so I will stop drinking."

C.) "I want to do better in school, so I will study for two hours a day."

Mental processes are: A.) the natural world around the organism, which can include lighting, temperature, sound levels, and other features B.) the groups and individuals who we interact with throughout our life C.) the biological structure of the organism, functioning of the organs, and genetic makeup D.) the information-processing systems and structures that are part of the mental capacities of the individual and serve to process sensory information

D.) the information-processing systems and structures that are part of the mental capacities of the individual and serve to process sensory information

How did Darwin's views of human nature differ from Descartes's dualism?

Dualism said that behavior was driven by both a physical component and a mental element. Darwin's theory demonstrated how both the physical and behavioral aspects change over time in response to the environment.

personality psychology

the study of the relatively consistent patterns of thinking, feelings and behaving within an individual

positive psychology

the subfield of psychology that aims to understand the strengths, virtues, and values of human behavior

industrial/organizational psychology

the subfield of psychology that examines the application of psychological principles tow work and business

structuralism

the view that psychology's goal should be to identify and understand the basic elements of human experience

behaviorism

the view that psychology's goal should be to study directly observable behavior and to understand how the events in the environment outside the organism produce behavior

gestalt

the view that psychology's goal should be to study experience as a whole rather than the sum of its parts

zeitgeist

the major intellectual theories and philosophies that dominate an area during a specific time in history

anthropomorphization

the projecting of human experience and abilities onto nonhuman objects

What is the formal definition of psychology?

the scientific study of individual organisms' behaviors and how environmental, physiological, mental, social, and cultural events influence these behaviors

psychology

the scientific study of the behavior of individual organisms and how environmental, physiological, mental, social, and cultural events influence these behaviors

developmental psychology

the study of how the individual changes physically, cognitively, and emotionally over the life span

abnormal psychology

the scientific study of psychological problems, including mental illness, and their treatment

The idea that the goals of psychology should be the study of how consciousness and experience aid in adjusting to the environment is known as: A.) functionalism B.) structuralism C.) gestalt D.) behaviorism

A.) functionalism

What are some of the key events in the early history of psychology?

Modern psychological science is often considered to have begun in 1879 when Wilhelm Maximillian Wundt established a laboratory at the University of Leipzig.

Which of the following statements would Edward B. Titchener most agree with? A.) the human experience loses its essence when it is broken down, and it should be looked at as a whole B.) the elementary components of experience will best help us understand consciousness C.) psychology should focus on high mental processes, because these tell us more about conscious experience than physiology D.) rather than focusing on the "what" of experience, we should focus on the "why"

B.) the elementary components of experience will best help us understand consciousness

What is a potential source of challenge that is unique to psychologists studying behavior compares to other scientists? A.) the types of tools that the psychologist uses to study behavior B.) the psychologist's own personal experiences and behavior C.) the particular culture the the psychologist lives in while conducting his or her research D.) the subfield of psychology that the psychologist studies

B.) the psychologist's own personal experiences and behavior

What does it mean to say that psychology is an integrative study of behavior?

Because we need to understand how all of the aspects of the environment work together to produce our behavior, we say that psychology is an integrative study behavior.

Oskar Pfungst found that Clever Hans's correct answers were produced by: A.) what he had learned in his training B.) secret prompts that he had been taught C.) unconscious cues from the audience D.) auditory signals given by a plant in the audience

C.) unconscious cues from the audience