PSY101 - Module 1 - Week 1 Psychological Foundations
Which quote can be best attributed to Gestalt Psychology?
"The whole is other than the sum of its parts" Koffka
This school of thought, developed in the 1950s and 1960s, focuses on the potential of individuals and each person's unique viewpoint.
Humanistic
Functionalism focused on
How mental activities help a person adapt to its environment.
In Milgram's controversial study on obedience, nearly ________ of the participants were willing to administer what appeared to be lethal electrical shocks to another person because they were told to do so by an authority figure.
2/3
________ focused on the potential of humans to be creative, have a positive outlook and pursue higher values through a process of self-actualization.
Abraham Maslow
________ is most well-known for proposing his hierarchy of needs.
Abraham Maslow
Given the incredible diversity among the various areas of psychology that were described on this page and the previous pages, how do they all fit together?
Although the different perspectives all operate on different levels of analyses, have different foci of interests, and different methodological approaches, all of these areas share a focus on understanding and/or correcting patterns of thought and/or behavior.
Why is an undergraduate education in psychology so helpful in a number of different lines of work?
An undergraduate education in psychology hones critical thinking skills. These skills are useful in many different work settings.
Which person was most interested in studying learned behavior?
B.F. Skinner
________ presented ideas and techniques for rewarding and punishing behavior.
B.F. Skinner
Which of the following degrees would be the minimum required to teach psychology courses in high school?
Bachelor's Degree
You spend weeks teaching your new dog how to roll over. The rewards and reinforcers you use to shape her behavior are based on which early school of psychology?
Behaviorism
In part, what aspect of psychology was the behaviorist approach to psychology a reaction to?
Behaviorists studied objectively observable behavior partly in reaction to the psychologists of the mind who were studying things that were not observable.
Which psychological domain would include a study of neuroscience?
Biological
Psychologists have been studying retired professional football players to better understand chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative disease that is the result of repeated head injuries. They are interested in how certain types of brain injury might lead to aggressive actions. Which field would be the most appropriate for studying this situation?
Biopsychology
According to the ________ model, health and illness are determined by psychological, biological, and social factors.
Biopsychosocial
Marquesas is suffering from anxiety. According to the ________ model, her illness is probably determined by psychological, biological, and social factors.
Biopsychosocial
________ psychology focuses on the causes, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of different types of behavioral and emotional disorders.
Clinical
This school of thought from the 1920s and 1930s studied the mental processes of thinking, memory, and judgment.
Cognitive
Which psychological domain would include a study of memory and intelligence?
Cognitive
Which school of thought emphasized how people process information?
Cognitive psychology
According to the text, psychology students are most likely to benefit from exposure to
Critical thinking skills and the scientific method
The Early Schools of Psychology (No Longer Active)Adapted from Early Schools of Psychology from the Open Learning Initiative's Introduction to Psychology. CC-BY-NC-SA.School of PsychologyDescriptionHistorically Important PeopleStructuralismFocused on understanding the conscious experience through introspectionWilhelm WundtFunctionalismEmphasized how mental activities helped an organism adapt to its environmentWilliam James
Definitions!
If Marco is interested in changes in reasoning and thinking that occur during adolescence, he should specialize in ________ psychology.
Developmental
Which psychological domain would include a study of learning and conditioning?
Developmental
Which question(s) would a biopsychologist most likely address when studying Alzheimer's disease?
Does stress or lack of exercise affect the nervous system and hormones to activate or progress Alzheimer's disease? What medications could influence the chemicals in the brain to slow down the progressive loss of memory, mood, and bodily functions?
Which questions would a biopsychologist most likely address when studying depression?
Does stress or lack of exercise affect the nervous system or hormones to cause or prevent depression?
Which questions would a biopsychologist most likely address when studying schizophrenia?
Does stress or lack of exercise affect the nervous systems or hormones to either cause or prevent schizophrenia?
List and describe the 5 major Modern Perspectives of Psychology.
Domain 1: Biological (includes biopsychology/neuroscience, consciousness, and sensation) Domain 2: Cognitive (includes the study of perception, cognition, memory, and intelligence) Domain 3: Development (includes learning and conditioning, lifespan development, and language) Domain 4: Social and Personality (includes the study of personality, emotion, motivation, gender, and culture) Domain 5: Mental and Physical Health (includes abnormal psychology, therapy, and health psychology)
Which of the following statements most closely aligns with humanism?
Each person is inherently good and motivated to be a healthy functioning individual.
________ psychology seeks to study the genetic causes of behavior.
Evolutionary
Psychologists have been studying how, over the course of their existence, humans forage for organisms in their ecosystem. They are interested in how humans have learned to balance finding organisms that are the most nutritious and those that are easiest to find. Which field would be the most appropriate for studying this situation?
Evolutionary Psychology
In the late 1800s, this approach examined how the mind operates and how conscious thoughts in the mind have continually evolved since the beginning of time.
Functionalism
________ psychologist Kurt Koffka is known for saying "the whole is other than the sum of its parts."
Gestalt
A series of dots arranged in the shape of a face will be perceived as a face, not a series of dots. A psychologist studying this phenomenon is applying the principles of You were correct.
Gestalt psychology.
Early Schools of Psychology: Still Active and Advanced Beyond Early IdeasSchool of PsychologyDescriptionEarliest PeriodHistorically Important PeoplePsychodynamic PsychologyFocuses on the role of the unconscious and childhood experiences in affecting conscious behavior.Very late 19th to Early 20th CenturySigmund Freud, Erik EriksonBehaviorismFocuses on observing and controlling behavior through what is observable. Puts an emphasis on learning and conditioning.Early 20th CenturyIvan Pavlov, John B. Watson, B. F. SkinnerHumanistic PsychologyEmphasizes the potential for good that is innate to all humans and rejects that psychology should focus on problems and disorders.1950sAbraham Maslow, Carl RogersCognitive PsychologyFocuses not just on behavior, but on on mental processes and internal mental states.1960s[1]Ulric Neisser, Noam Chomsky, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky
Glossary
behaviorism: focus on observing and controlling behavior humanism: perspective within psychology that emphasizes the potential for good that is innate to all humans
Glossary
biopsychology: study of how biology influences behavior evolutionary psychology: seeks to understand human behavior as the result of psychological adaptation and natural selection natural selection: a process by which heritable traits conferring survival and reproductive advantage to individuals tend to be passed on to succeeding generations and become more frequent in a population
Glossary
empirical method: method for acquiring knowledge based on observation, including experimentation, rather than a method based only on forms of logical argument or previous authorities ology: suffix that denotes "scientific study of" psyche: Greek word for soul psychology: scientific study of the mind and behavior
Glossary!
functionalism: focused on how mental activities helped an organism adapt to its environment structuralism: understanding the conscious experience through introspection
Glossary!
Which questions would a social psychologist most likely address when studying Alzheimer's disease?
How does caring for a person with Alzheimer's affect family members? How does it affect family members financially, physically, and emotionally? How do societies in other cultures provide care for persons with Alzheimer's disease?
Ryan notices that a lot of people he sees avoid making eye contact while they walk by him on their cell phones. He develops a tentative explanation that people are too focused on their conversation to be distracted by an outside passerby. Ryan's observation is an example of a The question has been evaluated. Your choice is correct.
Hypothesis
Jade plans to major in business then continue on to study ________ so that she can work as a consultant for businesses interested in improving employee motivation and increasing productivity.
I-O psychology
Stefan had a terrible work experience when cooking at a local diner while in high school. That experience led him to want to study business management and best practices in improving the workplace environment. He should consider studying
I-O psychology
How did the object of study in psychology change over the history of the field since the 19th century?
In its early days, psychology could be defined as the scientific study of mind or mental processes. Over time, psychology began to shift more towards the scientific study of behavior. However, as the cognitive revolution took hold, psychology once again began to focus on mental processes as necessary to the understanding of behavior.
What are the potential ethical concerns associated with Milgram's research on obedience
In particular the deception and potential emotional harm to participants that are not fully apprised of the purpose of the study. Informed consent stemmed out of this debate. Many people have questioned how ethical this research was. Although no one was actually harmed in Milgram's study, many people have questioned how the knowledge that you would be willing to inflict incredible pain and/or death on another person, simply because an authority figure told you to do so, would affect someone's self-concept and psychological health. Furthermore, the degree to which was used in this particular study raises a few eyebrows.
________ psychologist may serve as a human resources specialist, helping organizations with staffing, training and employee development.
Industrial-Organizational (I-O)
The superego is
a person's conscious and the voice of reason and goodness
Cognitive psychology is characterized by all of the following EXCEPT
It emphasizes introspection
If Kayla is interested in personality psychology, she is most likely to study
Long standing traits and patterns that propel behavior
One would need at least a(n) ________ degree to serve as a school psychologist.
Master's degree
Katie spends most of her daytime hours taking care of her four kids, but enjoys teaching two psychology courses in the evenings at a local community college. Katie likely has a
Masters degree in psychology
Which psychological domain would include a study of abnormal psychology?
Mental and physical health
Which researcher studied types of conditioned reflexes?
Pavlov.
If someone wanted to become a psychology professor at a 4-year college, then they would probably need a ________ degree in psychology. The question has been evaluated. Your choice is correct.
PhD
Psychologist Abraham Maslow introduced the concept of a hierarchy of needs, which suggests that people are motivated to fulfill basic needs before moving on to other, more advanced needs. Consider how this may influence our development, motivation, and accomplishments. Choose which level of needs would best explain the following scenario. Mario has not been doing well in his third grade classroom. His teacher noticed that he wasn't focusing in class and mistakenly thought he was being lazy. In fact, the truth was that Mario's family couldn't afford enough food to feed their family and therefore, he regularly goes to school without any breakfast. Which level of need would best describe what is going on with Mario?
Physiological
The ________ places less emphasis on research and more emphasis on application of therapeutic skills.
PsyD
Which type of psychology degree focuses more on the clinical practice and less on research?
PsyD
Which of the following refers to a broad explanation or group of explanations for some aspect of the natural world that is consistently supported by evidence over time? You were correct.
Scientific theory
Which statement below is true about the early school of psychodynamic psychology?
Sigmund Freud who developed the psychodynamic approach believed that it is possible to help a person experiencing anxiety or depression if the person could remember unconscious early childhood memories.
The operant conditioning chamber (a.k.a. ________ box) is a device used to study the principles of operant conditioning.
Skinner.
Which psychological domain would include a study of motivation and gender?
Social and personality
In the late 19th century, this approach to psychology measured basic elements of conscious experiences to provide scientific evidence to understand the mind.
Structuralism
Wilhelm Wundt's usage of introspection to measure the workings of the mind is known as
Structuralism
Other than a potentially greater salary, what would be the reasons an individual would continue on to get a graduate degree in psychology?
The graduate degree would be a stronger guarantee of working in a psychology-related field and one would have greater control over the specialty of that work. It would allow one to practice in a clinical setting. In general, it would allow someone to work in a more independent or supervisory capacity.
The ego is
The rational and reasonable part of personality
Define psychology.
The scientific study of the mind. Since science only studies observable phenomena, definition includes this - the scientific study of the mind and behavior.
Which questions would a cognitive psychologist most likely address when studying Alzheimer's disease?
To what extent does Alzheimer's disease affect one's thinking, memory, and language abilities? How does one's memory, decision making, and language usage change as Alzheimer's disease progresses?
Which questions would a personality psychologist most likely address when studying Alzheimer's disease?
What are the personality characteristics displayed by a person with Alzheimer's disease? Are these characteristics the same in all persons with Alzheimer's disease or are there differences? How do these characteristics change as the disease progresses? What conditions could help a person to maintain their personality?
Which questions would a clinical psychologist most likely address when studying Alzheimer's disease?
Who gets Alzheimer's disease? What are the chances of a person developing Alzheimer's disease based on age, gender, and ethnicity? What kind of therapeutic support is needed for family members of a person with Alzheimer's disease?
________ was a German psychologist who argued that psychology is independent from philosophy and that the conscious elements of the mind should be scientifically studied and classified.
Wilhelm Wundt
________ focused on examining the physiology of one's behavior and other psychological aspects of the mind.
William James
Discuss the origins of psychology.
Word psychology - Greek Psyche which means soul, and -ology which means the scientific study of. As a discipline, it didn't develop until the mid 1800's. Prior to that, it fell under the umbrella of philosophy under such terms as the mind, heart, soul, spirit, and brain. Interest dates back to ancient Greece, Egypt, China, and India. As it's own scientific discipline, began in German and American labs with foundations in Structuralism and Functionalism. Behavior, which is also tied to psychology, has it's roots in biology, so also considered a social science.
Which researcher was more likely to use recording devices and objective measures to examine the mind?
Wundt
The cognitive revolution turned the emphasis in psychology away from the behavioral focus on only observable behavior to instead You were correct.
acknowledge the existence of internal mental states.
While behaviorism focused on only observable behavior, cognitive psychology
acknowledges the existence of internal mental states
Scientific theories
are supported by evidence
Proponents of the early school of ________ psychology argue that our thoughts, feelings, and motive are unimportant in understanding human behavior and that only observable actions should be studied.
behaviorism
The Sea World animal trainers use rewards (reinforcements) to teach whales, sea lions and dolphins to perform tricks. These training techniques are based on principles from which early school of psychology? You were correct.
behaviorism
Which school of thought in the early 20th century focused on observable behavior and relationships between stimuli and responses?
behaviorism
A researcher interested in how changes in the cells of the hippocampus (a structure in the brain related to learning and memory) are related to memory formation would be most likely to identify as a(n) ________ psychologist.
biological
Which of the following are the main psychological domains?
biological, cognitive, developmental, social & personality, mental, & physical health
Pavlov is to ________ and B.F. Skinner is to ________.
classical conditioning, operant conditioning
Ashya wants to focus on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and other problematic patterns of behavior. What area of psychology should she work in?
clinical psychology
Which area of psychology focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and other problematic patterns of behavior?
clinical psychology
Proponents of the early school of ________ psychology argue that our thoughts, feelings, and motives are important in understanding human behavior and that more than just observable actions should be studied.
cognitive
________ is the area of psychology that focuses on studying thoughts and their relationship to our experiences and our actions.
cognitive
________ psychologists emphasized the importance of thoughts and internal mental states instead of just observable actions.
cognitive
psychoanalytic theory: focus on the role of the unconscious in affecting conscious behavior
definitions
A psychologist is interested in observing and recording infants' temperaments for changes and stability as the children age to young adulthood. He plans to study these children's temperaments as they evolve into personalities for 18 years. This psychologist's perspective is most likely the ________ perspective of psychology.
developmental
Lucy wants to study changes in cognitive skills, moral reasoning, and social behavior across the lifespan. Lucy should specialize in ________ psychology.
developmental
A person's conscious and voice of reason and goodness is the
ego
The rational and reasonable part of personality is known as the
ego
Which of the following are the best examples of skills that psychology students will develop during their course of study?
evaluating information and using the scientific method
________ psychology seeks to study the ultimate biological causes of a behavior.
evolutionary
________ psychologists might help a judge decide which parent should have custody of a child or evaluate a defendant's mental competence to stand trial.
forensic
In the late 19th century, the early school of psychology that was heavily influenced by biology was ________.
functionalism
The focus on how mental activities help a person adapt to his or her environment is known as
functionalism
Which school of psychology was more likely to focus on the operation of the entire mind instead of specific parts?
functionalism
William James's focus on how mental activities help a person adapt to his or her environment is known as
functionalism
American Psychological Association: professional organization representing psychologists in the United States
glossary
biopsychosocial model: perspective that asserts that biology, psychology, and social factors interact to determine an individual's health clinical psychology: area of psychology that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and other problematic patterns of behavior
glossary
cognitive psychology: area of psychology that focuses on studying thoughts and their relationship to our experiences and actions.
glossary
developmental psychology: scientific study of development across a lifespan
glossary
dissertation: long research paper about research that was conducted as a part of the candidate's doctoral training PhD: (doctor of philosophy) doctoral degree conferred in many disciplinary perspectives housed in a traditional college of liberal arts and sciences postdoctoral training program: allows young scientists to further develop their research programs and broaden their research skills under the supervision of other professionals in the field PsyD: (doctor of psychology) doctoral degree that places less emphasis on research-oriented skills and focuses more on application of psychological principles in the clinical context
glossary
forensic psychology: area of psychology that applies the science and practice of psychology to issues within and related to the justice system sport and exercise psychology: area of psychology that focuses on the interactions between mental and emotional factors and physical performance in sports, exercise, and other activities
glossary
personality psychology: study of patterns of thoughts and behaviors that make each individual unique personality trait: consistent pattern of thought and behavior
glossary
Functionalism focused on
how mental activities help a person adapt to his/her environment
Social psychology is the study of
how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others.
Which perspective within psychology emphasizes the potential for good that is innate to all people?
humanism
The unconscious part of personality responsible for drives like sex and aggression is the
id
Which factors influence health, according to the biopsychosocial model?
interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors
Which of the following are major areas of interest in cognitive psychology?
knowledge and memory
Which of the following are major areas of interest in cognitive psychology? The question has been evaluated. Your choice is correct. Multiple Choice Questionpersonality and developmentsleep and dreams
knowledge and memory
Ryan wants to be a high school football coach and school counselor. He will need at least a ________ degree in counseling psychology.
master's degree
Typically, an adjunct psychology professor will have a
master's degree in psychology
Which of the following topics are included in the biological domain of psychology?
neuroscience
I provide Ralph with the positive reinforcement of a candy bar when he does something I like. I punish him by squirting him with a squirt gun when he does something I don't like. I am applying the principles of ________ in an attempt to modify Ralph's behavior. You were incorrect.
operant conditioning
Susanna's parents give her an allowance every day that her bed is made and her room is picked up. Her parents are utilizing principles of
operant conditioning
Which of the following are major areas of interest in cognitive psychology? The question has been evaluated. Your choice is correct.
perception and language
An individual's consistent pattern of thought and behavior is known as a(n) ________.
personality
Edmund wants to identify relatively consistent patterns of thought and behavior, measure these traits, and determine how these traits interact in a particular context to determine how a person will behave in any given situation. Edmund wants to conduct research in the area of ________.
personality
Before psychology became a recognized academic discipline, matters of the mind were undertaken by those in ________.
philosophy
In the scientific method, a hypothesis is a(n) ________.
proposed explanation
Abraham Maslow is best known for
proposing a hierarchy of human needs in motivating behavior.
Which school of thought examined mental processes that are in the unconscious mind to explain behavior?
psychodynamic
________ is the study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others
social
Psyche is a Greek word meaning
soul
Jenny's softball team always came close to winning, but seemed to give up during the 6th inning. Her coach scheduled an appointment with the ________ to discuss performance anxiety.
sport psychologist
As a sprinter on the track and field team, Shaun knows that the way he visualizes and thinks about his race can have a major impact on his performance. His coach encourages him to talk to the
sports psychologist
Which school of thought emphasized observable behavior and objectivity?
structuralism
Which school of thought emphasized the use of introspection to categorize and break down sensations into basic elements?
structuralism
Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener's approach to asking patients to look inward and describe their feelings in order to understand consciousness was known as
structuralism
Cognitive psychology focuses on
studying thoughts and their relationship to our experiences and actions
Psychology is a social science discipline. Psychologists scientifically study ________.
the mind and behavior
The most accurate definition of psychology is the scientific study of
the mind and behavior
the ego is
the rational and reasonable part of personality
Rogers believed that providing genuineness, empathy, and ________ in the therapeutic environment for his clients was critical to their being able to deal with their problems.
unconditional positive regard