Psych mod 1

positive psychology

A branch of psychology that emphasizes human strengths.

After encountering a number of patients who had physical problems without any apparent physical cause, Sigmund Freud reasoned that the causes must be psychological and beyond his patients' conscious awareness. For example, one of his patients, a woman named Anna O., sometimes developed paralysis in her limbs even though there was nothing physically wrong with her. Based on his observations, Freud eventually developed a theory he called psychoanalysis. What was Freud actually analyzing? A) Internal, mostly unconscious psychological forces B) Physical causes of psychological problems C) How the environment is constantly affecting our behavior D) How people find ultimate meaning in their lives

A) Internal, mostly unconscious psychological forces Feedback: Blooms: Analysis

Which of the following would a sociocultural psychologist be likely to study? A) The impact of media messages on women's body image B) The way in which neurotransmitters are implicated in the development of eating disorders C) The impact of thinking patterns on weight management D) The benefits of exercise in preventing obesity

A) The impact of media messages on women's body image

Behavior consists of everything a person does that can be directly observed. A) True B) False

A) True

Psychologists scientifically study behavior and mental processes. A) True B) False

A) True

Studying the brain's response to classical music would be an example of an activity that is consistent with physiological psychology. A) True B) False

A) True

The researcher most associated with functionalism is A) William James. B) Wilhelm Wundt. C) Charles Darwin. D) E. B. Titchener.

A) William James.

evolutionary approach

An approach to psychology centered on evolutionary ideas such as adaptation, reproduction, and natural selection as the basis for explaining specific human behaviors.

humanistic approach

An approach to psychology emphasizing a person's positive qualities, the capacity for positive growth, and the freedom to choose any destiny.

cognitive approach

An approach to psychology emphasizing the mental processes involved in knowing: how we direct our attention, perceive, remember, think, and solve problems.

behavioral approach

An approach to psychology emphasizing the scientific study of observable behavioral responses and their environmental determinants.

psychodynamic approach

An approach to psychology emphasizing unconscious thought, the conflict between biological drives (such as the drive for sex) and society's demands, and early childhood family experiences.

biological approach

An approach to psychology focusing on the body, especially the brain and nervous system.

sociocultural approach

An approach to psychology that examines the ways in which social and cultural environments influence behavior.

Psychologists only focus on people with mental illness. A) True B) False

B) False

The behavioral approach is interested in the ways that individuals from different cultures behave. A) True B) False

B) False

Positive psychology emphasizes the negative things that happen in people's lives. A) True B) False

B) False

A psychologist who focused on the ways in which people's family background related to their current functioning would be associated with which psychological approach? A) Behavioral approach B) Psychodynamic approach C) Humanistic approach D) Cognitive approach

B) Psychodynamic approach

Which of the following areas of inquiry would likely be of interest to a positive psychologist? A) The ways in which genetic factors influence the development of depression B) The ways in which survivors of Hurricane Katrina made meaning of their experience C) The ways in which parenting style relates to children's attachment D) The ways in which brain lesions affect personality

B) The ways in which survivors of Hurricane Katrina made meaning of their experience

Which of the following is NOT part of the definition of psychology? A) Science B) Therapy C) Behavior D) Mental process

B) Therapy

Why is it important to study positive psychology? A) Psychologists are only interested in the experiences of healthy persons. B) We get a fuller understanding of human experience by focusing on both positive and negative aspects of life. C) Negative experiences in people's lives tell us little about people's mental processes. D) Psychology has been too focused on the negative.

B) We get a fuller understanding of human experience by focusing on both positive and negative aspects of life.

Dr. Mateo believes that every child is born a "blank slate." Children's early environments shape their personalities, though the children may be continually affected by their environments as they grow. Everything comes down to a simple principle in Dr. Mateo's mind: If our behaviors are followed by satisfying consequences, we will repeat them, and if the consequences are unsatisfying, we won't repeat them. Dr. Mateo is probably a _____ therapist. A) psychodynamic B) behavioral C) cognitive D) humanistic

B) behavioral Feedback: Blooms: Application

Which approach would explain depression in terms of disordered thinking? A) Humanistic approach B) Evolutionary approach C) Cognitive approach D) Sociocultural approach

C) Cognitive approach

Temira tells her roommate, Carmella, that she recently read that people who paint their rooms blue get better grades. Carmella knows that painting their room will be a lot of work. Therefore, she asks Temira where she got her information and what evidence her sources had for their conclusion. She also wonders if there might not be another reason that people with blue rooms have higher grades—for example, maybe smart people prefer the color blue. What skill is Carmella using? A) Basic research B) Applied research C) Critical thinking D) Behaviorism

C) Critical thinking Feedback: Blooms: Application

How is natural selection related to psychology? A) Humans and animals are related. B) Survival is related to environmental conditions alone and not to genetics. C) Humans behave and think the way they do in part because it helped them survive. D) It is unrelated to psychology.

C) Humans behave and think the way they do in part because it helped them survive.

Why is psychology considered a science? A) It focuses on internal mental processes. B) It classifies mental disorders. C) It focuses on observation, drawing conclusions, and prediction. D) It focuses on behavior.

C) It focuses on observation, drawing conclusions, and prediction.

What is the relationship between the mind and the body? A) The mind impacts the body. B) The body impacts the mind. C) The mind and body have reciprocal effects on each other. D) There is no relationship between the mind and the body.

C) The mind and body have reciprocal effects on each other.

Dewayne is taking a psychology class. He isn't really interested in discussions about the unconscious, childhood influences, or the way different structures in the brain work. Instead, he is interested in the purpose of certain psychological mechanisms. For example, he wonders why we feel disgusted by a food that made us sick or why some emotions are the same all over the world and others aren't. Dewayne is thinking most like a A) monist. B) British empiricist. C) structuralist. D) functionalist.

C) structuralist. Feedback: Blooms: Application

________ wrote On the Origin of Species.

Charles Darwin

From where did psychology emerge? A) The work of Wilhelm Wundt B) Early philosophical thought C) The natural science D) All of the answers are correct.

D) All of the answers are correct.

While reading a magazine, Jordan sees an advertisement that claims that a new weight-loss pill will help anyone lose weight without exercising. The advertisement includes a picture of a woman when she was obese and another picture of her looking thin and fit. Though the pictures are very compelling, Jordan knows that she needs to examine advertisements critically. Which of the following questions BEST represents critical thinking? A) Why would a woman agree to be in this advertisement? B) Is this woman a professional model? C) What would my friends think about my taking a weight-loss pill? D) Are there other possible explanations for the woman's weight loss, other than the pill being advertised?

D) Are there other possible explanations for the woman's weight loss, other than the pill being advertised? Feedback: Blooms: Analysis

A psychologist is attempting to understand why certain physical characteristics are rated as attractive. The psychologist explains that certain characteristics have been historically adaptive, and thus are considered attractive. This explanation is consistent with which of the following approaches? A) Sociocultural approach B) Humanistic approach C) Cognitive approach D) Evolutionary approach

D) Evolutionary approach

natural selection

Darwin's principle of an evolutionary process in which organisms that are best adapted to their environment will survive and produce off spring.

behavior

Everything we do that can be directly observed.

________ is the approach to psychology that focuses on the way in which mental processes allow us to adapt to our environments.

Functionalism

empirical method

Gaining knowledge through the observation of events, the collection of data, and logical reasoning.

functionalism

James's approach to mental processes, emphasizing the functions and purposes of the mind and behavior in the individual's adaptation to the environment.

________ is the approach to psychology that focuses on the basic elements, or "structures," of mental processes.

Structuralism

critical thinking

The process of reflecting deeply and actively, asking questions, and evaluating the evidence.

psychology

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

neuroscience

The scientific study of the structure, function, development, genetics, and biochemistry of the nervous system, emphasizing that the brain and nervous system are central to understanding behavior, thought, and emotion.

mental processes

The thoughts, feelings, and motives that each of us experiences privately but that cannot be observed directly.

science

The use of systematic methods to observe the natural world, including human behavior, and to draw conclusions.

The researcher most often regarded as the "founding father of modern psychology" was ________ .

Wilhelm Wundt

structuralism

Wundt's approach to discovering the basic elements, or structures, of mental processes; so called because of its focus on identifying the structures of the human mind.

Psychologists who take a biological approach are interested in how the ________ and ________ impact behavior and mental processes.

brain and nervous system

Asking someone to think about their conscious experience while listening to poetry would be an example of ________ .

introspection

Psychologists interested in how the unconscious and early childhood experiences impact behavior and mental processes are most likely to take a(n)m ________ approach.

psychodynamic