Psychology exam 1

The founding of positive psychology has been attributed to

A five-year-old who pointed out that if she could stop whining, her father could stop being a grouch, a past president of the American Psychological Association, and an epiphany about how we raise children by nurturing their strengths

The dependent variable is the variable manipulated by the researcher. true or false

False

Positive psychology requires a shift in perspective toward​

Helping people harness their strengths, virtues, and other good qualities to enhance their lives

Brenda's mother told her to stop her overt behavior. To which behavior might her mother be referring?

Tapping her foot.

what is the best definition of psychology?

The study of behavior and the profession that applies knowledge from these studies to solving practical problems.

One of the criticisms of self-help books is that they tend to use psychobabble rather than empirical evidence. true or false

True

Until the 1950s, psychologists were found almost exclusively in

academic institutions.

The paradox of progress is the notion that ____________

despite unparalleled advances in technology, we seem to have more social and personal difficulties.

Despite having information at our fingertips through smartphone devices, most of us still complain about not having enough access to information. true or false

false

In general, women are less happy than men; this is evident in the statistics indicating that women are treated for depression about twice as often as men. true or false

false

_____ is a social and intellectual movement within the discipline of psychology that focuses on human strengths and how people can flourish and be successful.

positive psychology

The rapid growth of clinical psychology was stimulated mainly by

the demands of World War II

With technology such as Facebook available, Americans report

a sense of loneliness and isolation related to the superficial communication in the online world.

Which of the following is the basis of empiricism?

Systematic observation.

According to Schwartz, increased freedom of choice available in modern societies

has contributed to depression and anxiety

A psychological researcher is best able to draw conclusions about cause-and-effect relationships by using which of the following research methods?

Experiment

You can reasonably expect some assistance from a book that is intended to help you to

learn to eat more healthily and gradually include more exercise in your weekly routine.

Social psychologist Stanley Schachter hypothesized that increases in anxiety would cause increases in the desire to be with others. In this study, the independent variable was

level of anxiety

Which of the following is NOT one of the underlying assumptions of this textbook? a. You can change your behavior only by consulting a professional psychologist. b. You should think of this text as a resource that can introduce you to other books, techniques, or therapies. c. Critical thinking involves skeptical scrutiny. d. Knowledge of psychological principles may be of value in everyday life.

a

An educational researcher wants to determine whether diet causes children to learn better in school. In this study, the dependent variable is

a measure of learning

what should you look for in self-help books?

a. Provide explicit directions about how to alter behavior. b. Focus on a particular kind of problem. c. Some mention of the theoretical or research basis for the advice.

Many theorists agree that the basic challenge of modern life involves struggling with such problems as

a. forming a solid sense of identity. b. arriving at a coherent set of values. c. developing a clear vision of a future that realistically promises fulfillment.

The process of adjustment relates to

a. how people deal with stress. b. behavior in groups. c. friendship and love.

Many social critics believe that the quality of our lives

and our sense of personal fulfillment have declined.

"Any overt response or activity by an organism" defines the term

behavior

Modern Western society has made extraordinary technological progress

but social and personal problems seem more prevalent and more prominent than ever before.

Which of the following is NOT a guideline to choose a good self-help book? a. Find out about the author or authors' credentials. b. Look for books that do not promise too much in the way of immediate change. c. Avoid books with explanations of theories or research. d. Look for books with detailed directions on how to alter your behavior.

c

On the way to work, Brice went to a new coffeehouse. The barista told him that there were seven different ways that his morning cup of coffee could be prepared. According to research, it is MOST reasonable to expect that he will experience ________

choice overload.

The branch of psychology concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems and disorders is called _____ psychology.

clinical

Modern technology has provided us with

countless time-saving devices.

A control group consists of subjects who

do not receive the special treatment given to the experimental group.

A research wants to know whether children eating a high-protein breakfast will have a higher test grade. Half of the children in the study eat a high-protein breakfast while the other half eat their normal diet. The control group consists of the children who

eat their normal diet.

Many self-help books

encourage a narcissistic approach to life.

The experimental method rests heavily on the assumption that

experimental and control groups are alike in all important matters except for the independent variable.

According to your text, the two main types of research methods in psychology are ______ research methods and ______ research methods.

experimental; correlational.

According to research, many commonsense notions about happiness appear to be accurate. true or false

false

Psychology confines itself to the study of human behavior true or false

false

"Psychobabble" is best defined as

ill-defined terminology.

The range of life choices has

increased in recent decades.

A condition or event that an experimenter varies to see its impact on another variable is called a(n) ______ variable.

independent

An experiment is a research method in which the investigator manipulates the ______ variable and observes whether any changes occur in a(n) ______ variable as a result.

independent; dependent

A person who has low well-being and low mental health is said to be​

languishing

The technological advances of the past century, impressive though they may be, have not led to perceptible improvement in our collective health and happiness. This issue is known as the

paradox of progress.

It appears people enroll in "self-realization" programs because these programs appear to provide __

profound enlightenment.

An experimental group consists of subjects who

receive some special treatment in regard to the independent variable.

Stephen was trying to choose a good self-help book. He noticed that one book seemed touchingly human in tone and he found himself thinking the examples of problems were just like what he was facing. Stephen is most likely to find that

the book only provides some vague advice or common sense.

Clinical psychology is primarily concerned with

the diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems

An educational researcher wants to determine whether diet causes children to learn better in school. In this study, the independent variable is

the type of diet.

Surveys exploring psychotherapists' opinions of self-help books suggest

there are some excellent books that offer authentic insights and sound advice.

Societal advances have provided us the increased freedom to choose between multiple alternatives in a variety of contexts. This choice overload appears to be positively correlated with rumination, postdecision regret, and anticipated regret. true or false

true

The process of adjustment involves a person's coping with life challenges. True or False

true

When people take an empirical approach, they are asking for evidence. true or false

true

The experimental and control groups should be the same in every respect except for the

variation created by the manipulation of the independent variable.

Dr. Prather randomly assigns 100 student volunteers who experience test anxiety to either a group that will receive training in relaxation exercises or a group that will sit in a waiting area for the same length of time as those learning relaxation. She will then measure their symptoms of test anxiety. Based on her results, Dr. Prather will have evidence of

whether or not relaxation exercises may cause an alleviation of symptoms of test anxiety.