Chapter 1 Psychology

Psychology is best characterized as

a general science practiced in several environments

Before it can be conducted, all psychological research is subject to review by

an institutional review board.

The ______ approach focuses on the mental processes involved in knowing how we direct our attention, perceive, remember, think, and solve problems.

cognitive

Which of the following are among the contemporary approaches to psychological science?

cognitive humanistic behavioral sociocultural

Which psychological perspective focuses on the mental processes involved in knowing—that is, how we direct our attention, perceive, remember, think, and solve problems?

cognitive approach

Laboratory research is conducted in a(n) __ setting.

controlled

A(n) _____ is a carefully regulated procedure in which one or more variables believed to influence the behavior being studied are manipulated while all other variables are held constant.

experiment

Which of the following are types of psychological research? (More than one option may be correct.)

experimental descriptive correlational

An experiment involves______ one variable and observing the effect on another variable.

manipulating

The steps in the scientific method do NOT include

preparing meta-analyses.

Many psychologists believe that because psychologists are human, they cannot be _____, even if they try.

value-free

Correlational research involves studies that are concerned with identifying the relationships between two or more---------- in order to describe how they change together.

variables

One must consume psychological information in the media

with a critical eye.

Which of the following are examples of the areas in which psychological animal research has provided benefits to human populations?

Alleviation of the effects of stress and pain Drugs to treat anxiety and severe mental illness Behavioral medicine Rehabilitation of neuromuscular disorders

research serves the purpose of determining the basic dimensions of a phenomenon and defining what it is or how often it occurs, but it cannot provide causal information.

Descriptive

Animal research has provided no benefit to humans.

False

What challenges can arise from relying on the media for information about psychological research?

Journalists frequently lack the knowledge to evaluate psychological research. Due to time and space limitations, media reports frequently omit important details about research studies.

Some psychologists argue that psychology should be value-free and morally neutral. Why do some psychologists think this would this be difficult to do?

Psychologists are human and therefore cannot be value-free, even if they try.

Which psychological perspective examines the ways in which the social and cultural environments influence behavior?

Sociocultural approach

Structuralism

_____ is a nineteenth-century school of psychology that argued that breaking down mental processes into elemental parts offers the best way to understand thought and behavior.

Critical thinking is a(n) _____ process that involves engaging with ideas and not settling for simple answers.

active

humanistic

approach to psychology emphasizes a person's positive qualities, the capability for positive growth, and the freedom to choose any destiny.

evolutionary

approach uses evolutionary ideas such as adaptation, reproduction, and natural selection as the basis for explaining specific human behaviors.

Psychologists study

behavior and mental processes

Which approach to psychology emphasizes the role of physical processes such as brain and nervous system functioning?

biological

The _____ perspective on human behavior asserts that biological, psychological, and social factors are all significant ingredients in producing behavior.

biopsychosocial

Research that involves determining the relationship between variables and whose purpose is to examine whether and how two variables change together is

correlational

What are the three basic types of research used in psychology?

descriptive correlational experimental

Critical thinking is the practice of evaluating

evidence

Which is the psychological perspective that uses concepts such as adaptation, reproduction, and natural selection as the basis for explaining specific human behaviors?

evolutionary approach

Which of these are among the steps in the scientific method?

formulating hypotheses and predictions observing some phenomenon drawing conclusions

Which psychological perspective emphasizes a person's positive qualities, capability for positive growth, and the freedom to choose any destiny?

humanistic approach

Researchers must submit their research proposal to an _____ review board that evaluates the ethical nature of research conducted at their college or university.

institutional

Psychology

is generally defined as the science of human behavior.

Structuralism

is the name of the approach to psychology endorsed by Wilhelm Wundt.

Psychology

is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

What setting would researchers choose if they needed to remove the complex factors of the real world to conduct their research?

laboratory

A behaviorist might study

learning through environmental determinants

The biological approach to psychology focuses on the brain and

nervous system

Which of the following are NOT among the contemporary approaches to psychology that represent the intellectual backdrop of psychological science? (More than one option may be correct.)

physical exploratory

The entire group about which the investigator draws conclusions is known as a

population

The entire group about which the investigator draws conclusions is known as a

population.

What approach is practiced by a psychologist who believes that the way people think, feel, and behave are influenced by sexual and aggressive impulses that are buried deep within the unconscious mind?

psychodynamic approach

Which psychological perspective emphasizes unconscious thought, the conflict between biological drives and society's demands, and early family experiences?

psychodynamic approach

experimental research

research concerned with establishing causal relationships between variables

Descriptive

research serves the purpose of determining the basic dimensions of a phenomenon and defining what it is or how often it occurs, but it cannot provide causal information.

descriptive research

research that involves finding out about the basic dimensions of some variable

correlational research

research that is interested in discovering relationships between variables

Which of the following are significant ingredients in producing behavior, according to the biopsychosocial approach?

social factors psychological factors biological factors

The ______ examines the influences of social and cultural environments on behavior.

sociocultural approach

The behavioral perspective

suggests that observable, measurable behavior should be the focus of study.

In psychological research, the population is

the group about which the researcher would like to draw conclusions.

Overall, psychology may concern itself with the nervous system, emotion and motivation, and mind and body. However, it is essentially all about

the individual.