Psych 7A Midterm 1 Chapter 1

As you and your roommate watch a news report about a big fight that broke out at a local club, he turns to you and says, "I'm not surprised. It's a full moon, after all. People always go crazy around the full moon." As a student of psychology, your response should be: A)"Is it a full moon tonight? No wonder I was feeling so weird!" B)"When you look at police records, the actual data do not really support that idea." C)"Well, people tend to be more accident-prone around the full moon, but the crime rate doesn't really go up." D)"I don't think the moon has anything to do with this. It's too cloudy. You can't even see the moon tonight."

"When you look at police records, the actual data do not really support that idea."

Which of the following would be most likely to argue that an individual regularly drinks to excess because she grew up in an environment where the adults were heavy drinkers? A) Structuralist B) Cognitive psychologist C) Gestalt psychologist D) Behaviorist

Behaviorist

What is a mainstream psychologist most likely to think about Sigmund Freud? A)Freudian theory is untestable and not grounded in science. B)Freud, a great pioneer in psychology, discovered the unconscious. C)Freud was a complete fraud who barely ratesa mention in psychology textbooks. D)Rigorous research has proven that most of Freud's theories were correct.

Freudian theory is untestable and not grounded in science.

_______ is often credited with establishing the first psychological laboratory, thus establishing psychology as an experimental science. A) Margaret Floy Washburn B) Max Wertheimer C) William James D) Wilhelm Wundt

Wilhelm Wundt

A _______ would be most likely to argue that a 13-year-old boy took up smoking because his father, older brothers, and friends were smokers. A) cognitive psychologist B) behaviorist C) neuroscientist D) functionalist

behaviorist

Which of the following is an empirical statement? A)The temperature right now is higher than it was 24 hours ago. B)The 1927 New York Yankees are the greatest baseball team of all time. C)The social construction of gender in modern society imposes penalties on both men and women. D)Women are naturally better parents than men; it is just part of their nature.

The temperature right now is higher than it was 24 hours ago.

Your psychology professor tells the class, "Experience cannot be analyzed successfully into its elements." Your professor is most likely A) a behaviorist. B) a Gestalt psychologist. C) a structuralist. D) an empiricist.

a Gestalt psychologist.

A research psychologist is most interested in discovering the answers to questions like, "Why is empathy helpful to people?" and "How does education contribute to social stability?" This approach is most consistent with the _______ perspective. A) structuralist B) functionalist C) empiricist D) behaviorist

functionalist

According to René Descartes, the very fact that he is thinking proves that A)he exists. C)the brain is nothing like a machine. B)knowledge relies on our senses alone. D)he cannot be deceived by his senses.

he exists.

Scientific investigation has revealed that the "Mozart Effect" (the notion that children become smarter from listening to the music of Mozart) is A)a question that cannot be answered through science. B)dependent on the gender of the child. C)not substantiated through research. D)supported by findings from numerous studies.

not substantiated through research.

The social brain hypothesis states that A)humans have a primitive, innate understanding of animal behavior. B)people can keep close tabs on only about 150 different personal relationships. C)social behaviors among people are intrinsically human. D)excessive social stimulation interferes with brain cell networks.

people can keep close tabs on only about 150 different personal relationships.

In Plato's cave allegory, a prisoner was temporarily unchained and allowed to see the fire at the mouth of the cave. When he returned to the chains, the other prisoners A)refused to believe him. C)began to reconsider their own views. B)marveled at his great knowledge. D)immediately accepted his insight.

refused to believe him.

Psychologists now believe that subliminal advertising A)is a powerful influence on consumers that should be regulated by government. B)is effective only on young people, whose brains are still developing. C)succeeds because the messages register unconsciously. D)has a weak effect on consumers, if any at all.

succeeds because the messages register unconsciously.

The foundations of psychology are most closely related to which of the following disciplines? A) Chemistry B) Philosophy C) Political science D) Astrology

Philosophy

Which statement reflects a reasonable attitude for a good student of psychology to have toward any claim about human behavior? A)The older an idea is, the more likely it is to be correct. B)It is fine to accept an idea until it is proven wrong. C)The more popular an idea is, the more likely it is to be correct. D)Skepticism is advisable until an idea is proven right.

Skepticism is advisable until an idea is proven right

The goal of psychology is to A)develop ways to treat the mentally ill. C)explain human thought and behavior. B)control human behavior D)determine the causes of mental illness.

explain human thought and behavior.

Parents who agree with John Locke's notion of tabula rasa would most likely A)believe that their children will develop adequately with little parental support. B)view their children as their intellectual equals. C)expose their children to a rich variety of sensory experiences. D)reject the notion that they need to "teach" their children, since all knowledge is innate.

expose their children to a rich variety of sensory experiences.

Psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Phipps Clark found that doll tests A)demonstrated that observational learning can promote aggressive as well as nurturing behavior in children. B)showed that most people are willing to obey authority figures, even if those orders conflict with their own personal values. C)confirmed that behavior can be modified based on a system of positive or negative reinforcements. D)exposed internalized racism in African-American children, particularly among children attending segregated schools.

exposed internalized racism in African-American children, particularly among children attending segregated schools.

Behaviorism examines _______, whereas cognitive psychology examines _______. A)brain function; behavior B)an individual's environment; an individual's actions C)the adaptive function of behavior; the genetic component of behavior D)external behavior; internal mental processes

external behavior; internal mental processes

Research participants in early psychology studies might have been given a stimulus such as a ticking metronome and would reflect on the experience, reporting what the stimulus made them think and feel. These individuals would have been using a process called A) psychoanalysis. B) introspection. C) Gestalt therapy. D) hypnosis.

introspection

An overwhelming amount of scientific evidence indicates that A)the crime rate increases dramatically around the time of a full moon. B)people are born with specific sexual orientations. C)subliminal advertising can compel people to buy things they do not really want. D)exposing young children to classical music increases their IQs.

people are born with specific sexual orientations.

In a behaviorist approach to treatment for a patient with a fear of rats, the patient is A)urged to talk about this fear to determine why he feels this way. B)repeatedly exposed to stimuli that are gradually more and more like rats. C)asked to observe other people who are handling rats in a calm, relaxed manner. D)given medication to help reduce his anxiety.

repeatedly exposed to stimuli that are gradually more and more like rats.

An important principle to remember when studying psychology is that A)we are consciously aware of all the events that affect our behavior. B)genetics has very little influence on our behavior. C)adults rarely alter their behavior according to what those around them are doing. D)the act of learning changes the physical structure of the brain.

the act of learning changes the physical structure of the brain.