Psych Ch 1 Review

17. A behaviorist would assert that an appropriate behavioral objective for a student must be A) understandable and broadly defined. B) observable and measurable. C) recognized as age-appropriate. D) modifiable for the numerous environmental settings in which students participate.

B) observable and measurable.

The idea that children are born with no knowledge or "content" whatsoever and are "filled" by life experiences is called A) rationalism. B) determinism. C) tabula rasa. D) nature vs. nurture.

C) tabula rasa.

10. 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 rates a mention in psychology textbooks. D) Rigorous research has proven that most of Freud's theories were correct.

A) Freudian theory is untestable and not grounded in science.

13. 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.

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

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. B) marveled at his great knowledge. C) began to reconsider their own views. D) immediately accepted his insight.

A) refused to believe him.

12. According to the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, A) we cannot necessarily rely on our senses to learn the truth. B) all of reality is simply an illusion. C) objective reality can be perceived only through experience. D) animal behavior has nothing to teach us about human behavior.

A) we cannot necessarily rely on our senses to learn the truth.

15. 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

B) functionalist

18. You are trying to overcome your fear of snakes. Inspired by the work of Mary Cover Jones, your therapist first shows you some pictures of snakes. Then she tells you that there is a small snake in a cage in the next room. She asks you to observe the live snake from a distance, and continues this process until your fear is conquered. Your therapist is using the technique called A) acceptance therapy. B) extinction. C) desensitization. D) Gestalt therapy.

C) desensitization.

20. 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.

D) has a weak effect on consumers, if any at all.

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.

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

14. In a psychology experiment, subjects listen to a variety of tones presented at different frequencies and then reflect on the experience, describing what they heard as precisely as possible. These individuals would have been using a process called A) behaviorism. B) introspection. C) hypnosis. D) Gestalt therapy.

B) introspection.

A _______ is most likely to study the brain activities that underlie human behavior. A) behaviorist B) neuroscientist C) functionalist D) structuralist

B) neuroscientist

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

C) Political science

9. The year 1879 might be thought of as the beginning of psychology as a science because that is the year A) Edward Thorndike conducted his first puzzle box experiments. B) Margaret Floy Washburn wrote The Animal Mind. C) Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species. D) Wilhelm Wundt developed and opened the first psychology laboratory.

D) Wilhelm Wundt developed and opened the first psychology laboratory.

11. Which of the following would be evidence against the social brain hypothesis? A) Students working in a group are better able to grasp a subject than students working individually. B) A quiet co-worker prefers to eat lunch at his desk every day instead of socializing with others in the company cafeteria. C) Your sister is clearly able to engage in meaningful social interactions with all of her 500 friends on Tumblr. D) You regularly strike up friendly conversations with the cashiers at your local grocery store.

C) Your sister is clearly able to engage in meaningful social interactions with all of her 500 friends on Tumblr.

Gestalt psychologists such as Max Wertheimer and Wolfgang Köhler A) insist that only readily measured, observable behaviors are worthy of study. B) believe that behaviors have an adaptive function that helps humans survive. C) argue that the overall experience of human perception is greater than the sum of its parts. D) claim that emotions and consciousness should be kept outside the realm of psychology as a science.

C) argue that the overall experience of human perception is greater than the sum of its parts.

16. 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.

C) asked to observe other people who are handling rats in a calm, relaxed manner.

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

C) explain human thought and behavior.

21. 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.

C) not substantiated through research.

19. 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.

D) 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

D) external behavior; internal mental processes