History & Systems of Psychology - Exam 1

knowledge results from linking or associating simple ideas to form complex ideas --> LEARNING What is the concept? Who is/are the philosopher(s)?

Concept: Association Philosopher(s): Hartley

knowledge is a construction of simple ideas received through senses; mind constructs complex ideas by associating simple sensations (auditory, visual, etc.) that we observe consistently go together What is the concept? Who is/are the philosopher(s)?

Concept: Association of Sensations Philosopher(s): Berkeley

A set of materials used for the experimental study of memory What is the concept? Who is/are the philosopher(s)?

Concept: CVCs Philosopher(s): Hermann Ebbinghaus

Reaction times for simple tasks subtracted from reaction times on complex tasks What is the concept? Who is/are the philosopher(s)?

Concept: Complication Experiment Philosopher(s): F.C. Donders

the mind plays an active role in the association of ideas; complex ideas are more than a sum of simple parts; combining mental events produces something distinct; chemistry (H+O=H2O) What is the concept? Who is/are the philosopher(s)?

Concept: Creative Synthesis Philosopher(s): Mills

arise from experiences of the senses What is the concept? Who is/are the philosopher(s)?

Concept: Derived Ideas Philosopher(s): Descartes

every act or event is caused by past events; we can predict based on the order & regularity with which parts function; once created by God, the universe would function without outside interference What is the concept? Who is/are the philosopher(s)?

Concept: Determinism Philosopher(s): Berkeley

how the mind acquires knowledge; knowledge grows through experiences (sensory); pursuit of knowledge through observation & experimentation --> in contrast to knowledge handed down from past, church or authority figures; break from theological & rigid intellectuals beliefs; SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY What is the concept? Who is/are the philosopher(s)?

Concept: Empiricism Philosopher(s): Locke; Descartes; Bacon

arise out of the mind independent of the senses; God, self, perfection, infinity What is the concept? Who is/are the philosopher(s)?

Concept: Innate Ideas (related to extinction, p. 29) Philosopher(s): Descartes

Observers give brief verbal responses to controlled stimuli What is the concept? Who is/are the philosopher(s)?

Concept: Internal perception Philosopher(s): Wilhelm Wundt

Point where the difference between 2 stimuli are perceived What is the concept? Who is/are the philosopher(s)?

Concept: Just Noticeable Difference (JND) Philosopher(s): Ernst Weber

recognizes only those facts that can be determined by scientific method; objectively observable & not debatable; everything else is inferential, speculative, illusory = nonsense = metaphysics & theology What is the concept? Who is/are the philosopher(s)?

Concept: Materialism Philosopher(s): Galilei; Newton

all natural phenomenon can be explained by laws of physics & chemistry; every physical effect follows from a direct cause What is the concept? Who is/are the philosopher(s)?

Concept: Mechanism (inductive reasoning, observe nature as it exists -- unlike deductive reasoning espoused by Aristotle) Philosopher(s): Descartes; Galilei; Newton; Bacon

Method of measuring the duration of nerve impulses or mental speed What is the concept? Who is/are the philosopher(s)?

Concept: Mental Chronometry Philosopher(s): Wilhelm Wundt

all knowledge is a function of mental phenomena; perception is the only reality; we can never know precisely the physical nature of objects --> rely only our perceptions of objects --> God permanent perceiver What is the concept? Who is/are the philosopher(s)?

Concept: Mentalism Philosopher(s): Berkeley

Sounds presented at varying intensity, in random order, subject reports whether or not they heard it What is the concept? Who is/are the philosopher(s)?

Concept: Method of Constant Stimuli Philosopher(s): Gustav Fechner

Is the mind separate from the body? Can the soul/spirit/mind be distinguished from body & physical qualities? Mind <-- --> body dualism; assigned a greater influence to the physical/body; directed questions away from theological concept of soul --> scientific study of mind & mental processes --> from subjective metaphysical to objective observation & experimentation What is the concept? Who is/are the philosopher(s)?

Concept: Mind/body Problem Philosopher(s): Descartes

exist in the object whether or not we observe it; size and shape that exist outside of perception What is the concept? Who is/are the philosopher(s)?

Concept: Primary Qualities (in the object) Philosopher(s): Locke

Relationship between perception of stimulus and physical dimensions What is the concept? Who is/are the philosopher(s)?

Concept: Psychophysics Philosopher(s): Gustav Fechner

we can understand the workings of the physical universe by reducing/analyzing the simplest parts What is the concept? Who is/are the philosopher(s)?

Concept: Reductionism (chemistry analogy p. 44) Philosopher(s): Mills

Inference from activity between learning a list and recalling it What is the concept? Who is/are the philosopher(s)?

Concept: Retroactive Inference Philosopher(s): G.E. Muller

color, sounds, taste exist in the person's perception of the object; tickle of a feather - in the brain, not in the object What is the concept? Who is/are the philosopher(s)?

Concept: Secondary Qualities (perceived color, warmth and taste in the brain) Philosopher(s): Locke

Which psychologist studies memory using CVCs? a. Hermann Ebbinghaus b. Oswald Kulpe c. G.E. Muller d. James Cattell

a. Hermann Ebbinghaus

What was the significance of Phineas Gage a. It showed the importance of the frontal lobes b. It showed that brain functions were not localized

a. It showed the importance of the frontal lobes

Which colors did Helmholtz believe comprised the trichromatic theory? a. Red, green, blue b. Purple, white, and orange

a. Red, green, blue

I shared the 1906 Nobel Prize for medicine for my work on neuron theory and believed that neurons did not physically connect to other neurons, but were merely in contact with them. Who am I? a. Santiago Ramon y Cajal b. Charles Sherrington c. Camillo Golgi d. David Ferrier

a. Santiago Ramon y Cajal

Broca was convinced that women were inferior to men because: a. Their brains were smaller b. Their hair was longer

a. Their brains were smaller

Suppose you hypothesize that having a flower garden reduces stress. Using Mill's method of agreement, you would hope to find that a. everyone with a garden has low stress levels b. everyone without a garden has high stress levels c. both alternatives a. and b. d. none of the above

a. everyone with a garden has low stress levels

Why did Ebbinghaus use CVCs in his research? a. he was trying to examine the how associations were initially created b. he wanted simple materials that he could learn more quickly than prose c. he was only interested in short-term memory, not long-term memory d. there was no way he could measure recall if he used meaningful materials

a. he was trying to examine the how associations were initially created

Furumoto's concept of "old" history is characterized by a. internal history b. naturalistic history c. an emphasis on historical context d. historicism

a. internal history

Which of the following is true about an external history of psychology? a. it examines the influence of such things as the social and political context in which important events occurred b. it emphasizes the importance of how theories evolve c. it emphasizes the accomplishments of great individuals d. it evaluates the past with reference to present knowledge and values

a. it examines the influence of such things as the social and political context in which important events occurred

In the period called the Enlightenment, a. it was believed that truth could be attained by means of objective science b. the writings of Plato and Aristotle were rediscovered c. the authority of the Church was higher than it had ever been d. intellectuals became skeptical about the value of science

a. it was believed that truth could be attained by means of objective science

What was the essential flaw in the complication experiment? a. the assumption that mental events could simply be added together b. the apparatus lacked precision, so the times were unreliable c. the subjectivity of introspection d. some people are just faster than others—no general conclusions could be drawn

a. the assumption that mental events could simply be added together

Johannes Mueller believed that we perceive the world directly? a. True b. False

b. False

Who established the 1st psychological laboratory? a. Newton b. Wundt c. Ebbinghaus d. Kant

b. Wundt

According to Descartes, a. mind and body interact at a place in the body that is not duplicated anywhere else, namely, in the area of the heart b. animals are pure machines; humans have bodies that are machines, but they also have rational minds c. the sensory and motor components of the reflex occur in two different sets of nerves d. the ideas of self and God are learned through the experiences of early childhood

b. animals are pure machines; humans have bodies that are machines, but they also have rational minds

Watsonian behaviorism, Darwinian biology, and Freudian psychoanalysis are examples of a. multiples b. eponyms c. a naturalistic rather than a personalistic strategy d. an external rather than an internal strategy

b. eponyms

Chapter 2 opens with the Ebbinghaus quote about psychology having a short past but a long history. What did Ebbinghaus mean? a. he meant that it was important for psychology to break completely with philosophy in order to become scientific b. he meant that the issues of interest to psychologists could be traced to ancient times c. he meant that psychology really has a lengthy history, but most people don't remember any of it so they believe that psychology has just a short history d. none of the above

b. he meant that the issues of interest to psychologists could be traced to ancient times

It is generally true of history that a. once a set of facts has been accurately described, there is no longer a need to investigate b. historians themselves are influenced by the context of the time in which they are writing c. selection of material is easy, but interpretation is difficult d. everything is relative—the historical truth about anything cannot be known

b. historians themselves are influenced by the context of the time in which they are writing

In his memory research, Ebbinghaus found that a. for the first 24 hours, the rate of forgetting is very slow; then it speeds up b. if there were seven or fewer syllables in a list, they could be learned in just a single repetition c. surprisingly, varying the number of original repetitions when studying the lists had no significant effect on recall d. studying a list by massing the practice all at one time produced better recall than spreading out the studying of the list

b. if there were seven or fewer syllables in a list, they could be learned in just a single repetition

According to Wundt, laboratory psychology was to be the study of a. mediate conscious experience b. immediate conscious experience c. individual differences in conscious experience d. higher mental processes

b. immediate conscious experience

Why did phrenology fail as legitimate science? a. it was wrong about localization (the brain acts as a whole; there are no localized functions) b. it relied heavily on anecdotal evidence and ignored information that did not fit the theory c. it didn't propose a large enough number of faculties d. it never caught on with the general public

b. it relied heavily on anecdotal evidence and ignored information that did not fit the theory

Which of the following is the least important reason for studying history (in general, not just psychology's history)? a. it enables us to understand the present better b. knowing history is the only sure way to predict the future c. it prevents us from thinking that things were always much better in the past d. it helps us to understand human nature

b. knowing history is the only sure way to predict the future

Hemholtz's demonstration of the speed of a nervous impulse a. showed that neurons worked just like wires in an electrical system—impulses traveled just as fast as electrons b. led eventually to the development of reaction time as an important research method c. showed that sensory nerves were twice as fast as motor nerves d. showed that an impulse could travel in both directions, equally fast, within a single neuron

b. led eventually to the development of reaction time as an important research method

After you have learned a new phone number, you might have some difficulty trying to recall your old phone number. This phenomenon is called a. Muller's law b. retroactive inhibition c. remote association d. proactive inhibition

b. retroactive inhibition

According to Lashley's principle of mass action, a. learning occurs in a very specific area of the cortex b. the ability to learn is directly proportional to the amount of brain damage c. both the brain and the spinal cord are equally able to produce reflexes d. there is no specific localization of function, at least with regard to learning

b. the ability to learn is directly proportional to the amount of brain damage

The French philosopher Leibniz argued that a. the human mind is a blank slate, "mind at birth = white paper" b. the human mind is more like veined marble than a blank slate, with the veins representing our innate predispositions c. both alternatives a. and b. d. none of the above

b. the human mind is more like veined marble than a blank slate, with the veins representing

John Locke was the first major British Empiricist. He is associated with all of the following ideas except a. government is based on a social contract between the governors and the governed b. the only reality we can be sure of is our perception c. there are two sources of ideas: sensation and reflection d. the mind at birth is like a white paper

b. the only reality we can be sure of is our perception

The finding that the anterior spinal nerve roots contain only motor fibers and the posterior roots only contain sensory fibers is attributed to: a. Hermann Ebbinghaus b. Robert Whytt c. Bell-Magendie d. Paul Broca

c. Bell-Magendie

Which of the following is correct about contralateral functioning? a. The right hemisphere controls the left side of the body b. The left hemisphere controls the right side of the body c. Both a and b are correct d. Neither a or b are correct

c. Both a and b are correct

If someone cannot detect a difference in weight between 30 grams and 32 grams, but can tell the difference between 30 grams and 33 grams, the discrimination between 30 and 33 grams is called a. a two-point threshold b. a limits threshold c. a jnd d. a limit

c. a jnd

Wundt is considered the founder of experimental psychology because he a. was the first to be doing experimental research on psychological phenomena b. established the most popular laboratory in Europe c. explicitly set out to identify and establish a "new" science d. wrote the first book that dealt with research topics of interest to psychologists

c. explicitly set out to identify and establish a "new" science

James Mill's model of the mind (exemplified by the quote about complex and duplex ideas in houses) could be described as _____; his son's model was more of _______. a. traditional empiricism; a rationalist system b. mental chemistry; a mental mechanics c. mental mechanics; a mental chemistry d. rationalism; an empiricist system

c. mental mechanics; a mental chemistry

The logic of the modern correlational method is essentially the same as Mill's a. method of agreement b. method of difference c. method of concomitant variation d. method of cause and effect

c. method of concomitant variation

On the mind-body question, Descartes believed that a. mind and body were two aspects of the same essence b. mind and body were two distinct, noninteracting essences c. mind and body were two distinct essences that interacted directly with each other d. mind could be reduced to body (i.e., brain)—thus, he rejected dualism

c. mind and body were two distinct essences that interacted directly with each other

Berkeley's philosophy has come to be called "subjective idealism" or immaterialism. He believed that a. all knowledge is innate but dormant; we have to use our reason to get at the knowledge b. the uncertainty of the physical world meant that God probably didn't exist c. our belief in the existence of the external world depends on our perception of it d. we learn mostly through experience, but visual phenomena like depth perception are innate

c. our belief in the existence of the external world depends on our perception of it

What is the Bell-Magendie law? a. the spinal cord controls voluntary movement, while the brain controls involuntary movement b. the brain controls voluntary movement, while the spinal cord controls involuntary movement c. the posterior root controls sensation, while the anterior root controls motion d. the posterior root controls motion, while the anterior root controls sensation

c. the posterior root controls sensation, while the anterior root controls motion

Which of the following is true about people, like Broca's patient "Tan," who suffer from what is today called motor aphasia? a. their cerebellum has probably been destroyed b. they cannot produce logical coherent speech and cannot understand questions asked of them c. they have normal comprehension but cannot verbalize their thoughts d. they have suffered major damage to the visual cortex

c. they have normal comprehension but cannot verbalize their thoughts

According to Helmholtz, unconscious inference refers to: a. Remarkable capabilities to perceive yet design flaws in the system b. The id, ego, and superego of the mind c. Our brains automatically engage in functional processes without being aware of them d. A process outside our awareness by which our perceptions are influenced by past experiences

d. A process outside our awareness by which our perceptions are influenced by past experiences

Which is an example of multiples? a. John Mill and Robert Whytt b. Bell and Magendie c. Helmholtz and Herring d. Darwin and Wallace

d. Darwin and Wallace

While studying visual afterimages, I inadvertently looked too long at the sun and seriously damaged my eyes, to the extent that I had to take a medical leave from work. Who am I? a. Ernst Weber b. Hermann Ebbinghaus c. Oswald Külpe d. Gustav Fechner

d. Gustav Fechner

Who coined the phrase "the mind was like white papers?" a. John Locke b. Leibnitz c. Renee Descartes d. J. S. Mills

d. J.S. Mills

Which of the following are not attributed to Descartes? a. Derived ideas b. Mind/Body problem c. Innate ideas d. Mentalism

d. Mentalism

In his research that eventually ruined phrenology, Flourens used which method? a. directly stimulating the brain with electrodes b. the clinical method c. stimulating frog legs with varying amounts of electrical current d. ablation: observing the results of brain tissue destruction

d. ablation: observing the results of brain tissue destruction

Wundt used the term ___________ to refer to a process that brought mental contents into the focus of attention. a. apprehension b. perception c. voluntarism d. apperception

d. apperception

Someone taking a naturalistic approach to history would say that a. without Descartes, the history of reflex action would be totally different b. history changes because of the work of highly creative and forceful individuals c. the importance of the zeitgeist has been overstated; people are more important d. biography matters, but the zeitgeist is a more critical factor

d. biography matters, but the zeitgeist is a more critical factor

Wundt's influence has been reevaluated recently, in part because of his psychology has shifted interests in the late twentieth century. In particular, Wundt's research was similar to the work completed by modern-day ______ psychologists. a. physiological b. social c. behavioral d. cognitive

d. cognitive

When reading about Goddard and the immigrants, someone taking a presentist approach would a. emphasize how Goddard and others were affected by the theory of evolution b. try to understand the zeitgeist c. concentrate on understanding the mental processes involved in scoring well on an IQ test d. criticize Goddard for failing to recognize the importance of an immigrant's cultural background

d. criticize Goddard for failing to recognize the importance of an immigrant's cultural background

Which of the following is true about a heliocentric view of the universe? a. it was rejected by Galileo on the basis of his telescopic observations b. it assumes that the earth is at the center of the universe c. it was the official view of the Church into the 17th century d. it eventually replaced the geocentric view

d. it eventually replaced the geocentric view