chapter 1 psy

Greek

"the study of the psyche, or soul" (psyche—"breath, spirit, soul" + logia—"study of").

Translational research can be thought of as the bridge between what and what?

Basic research and applied practice Translational research tries to take explanations for behavior (found from basic research) and use these explanations to develop better solutions to problems in the world (applied practice).

Which influence would we most likely be studying if we tried to understand the hormones and neurons involved in activating a "sense of fairness?"

Biological influences Try not to confuse evolutionary and biological influences -- evolutionary influences consider the history of a trait or behavior over the course of a species' history, while biological influences focus on an individual's biological processes that produce a behavior.

Early functionalists were heavily influenced by which of the following?

Darwin's evolutionary theory Darwin's theory of evolution was heavily influential; functionalists were interested in the function and purpose of psychological traits and human behaviors and how they may have helped us survive and reproduce.

abnormal

Describing the chemical imbalances in the brain that produce debilitating anxiety

social

Determining how people compare themselves to their peers

Early work on cultural influences on psychological processes focused on which of the following?

Discovering "psychological universals" that exist across culture Much of the early work in psychology sought to generalize its findings to as many people as possible. Psychological phenomena that occur cross-culturally are known as psychological "universals".

comparative

Drawing links between addictive behavior in rats and in humans

Nativism is best contrasted with ________.

Empiricism Nativism is the belief that humans have many inborn tendencies or "instincts". Empiricism is the opposite -- the belief that humans begin as a "blank slate" and experiences shape who we become. The truth lies somewhere in between.

Which influence would we most likely be studying if we tried to understand how a "sense of fairness" developed in humans compared to capuchin monkeys?

Evolutionary influences Evolutionary influences on psychology would consider how "fairness" developed over the course of a species' history -- and potentially compare and contrast its development across species.

Evolutionary psychologists' claims are often difficult to verify because of which of the following reasons?

Evolutionary psychologists' claims are often difficult to verify because of which of the following reasons? Because evolutionary claims rely on an understanding of the course of human history, evolutionary psychologists are forced to rely on an incomplete understanding of our evolutionary past -- there are no fossilized brains, after all!

Based on the description in the preceding section, which diagram do you think highlights the pineal gland correctly?

Figure A

What is the primary difference between clinical psychologists and psychiatrists?

The kinds of training they receive Psychiatrists have very different training compared to clinical psychologists -- they are medical doctors who have chosen to specialize in psychological issues, while clinical psychologists are more interested in behavior and mind than biology.

dualism (mind-body dualism)

The philosophical position that the mind and the body are entirely separate from one another.

Abnormal psychology research

is interested in explaining how and why unusual and maladaptive behavior patterns develop by examining thoughts and emotions as well as the underlying biology of mental illness.

Social psychology

is interested in how an individual's thoughts and actions are influenced by the social environment and the presence of others.

Comparative psychology

is the study of the behavior of non-human animals, and it is often (but not always) interested in making a comparison to human psychology in an effort to discover underlying universals.

Personality psychology

studies individual differences, investigating how and why people act differently based on their enduring characteristics or traits.

Developmental psychology

studies the way that people develop across the lifespan, including how our thoughts and behaviors change as we age.

According to Steven Pinker, what device was instrumental in reshaping understanding of the mind?

the computer The computer provided a framework for how to consider the mind -- as a processor of information much like a computer's CPU. This spurred on the cognitive revolution.

A ______________ describes one's genetic structure, while a ______________ describes one's physical traits.

genotype; phenotype Genotypes describe the genes an organism inherits, while phenotypes decribe how those genes are expressed in an environment.

development

Investigating the nature of declining mental ability with age

For its time, what made humanistic psychology unique?

It provided help for those who were having difficulties in life.

Ultimate explanation

Language's usefulness as an evolutionary adaptation

Behavioral neuroscience

(sometimes called cognitive neuroscience or neuropsychology) tries to understand how specific brain regions or activities produce behavior, allowing psychologists to understand the physical underpinnings of their observations.

Which of the following would a psychologist study? Select all that apply

- George's paranoid thoughts - Martha's behavior in class - The timing of Susan's reaction to her mother

What is clinical psychology?

A form of applied psychology Clinical psychology is the application of basic research on the human mind to solving problems related to mental health and well-being.

Psychoanalysis is Freud's system for:

Allowing people to gain insight into their unconscious mind Tapping into the contents of the unconscious mind Your answer Psychoanalysis was primarily used to access and understand the unconscious mind. Freud believed this led to better mental functioning, but traditional psychoanalysis doesn't teach a person how to lead a healthier mental life -- a psychoanalyst was required to help a person process the contents of the unconscious mind.

Which of the following people is likely NOT investigating or working with a topic in psychology, based on the description above?

An astronomer measuring the movement of Venus across the sky. Astronomers do not study behavior or the mind -- psychologists may also study non-human behavior (e.g., mice) or study the biological processes related to behavior (the brain).

behavior

Any observable action, including words, gestures, responses, and more that can be repeated, measured, and are affected by a situation to produce or remove some outcome. Behavior can also refer to biological activity, including actions on the cellular level.

Because the study of psychology is empirical, the field does which of the following?

Arrives at conclusions through observation and analysis

The peppered moth example could be applied to psychological traits. Which hypothetical example below is most similar to the peppered moths' situation?

As humans began to live in larger social groups, those who could effectively communicate with other humans survived and reproduced in greater numbers. This is called the social brain hypothesis, and is an example of how we can think about psychological traits evolving over the course of human history -- humans often use behavioral solutions to problems in the world around them. It's likely that human behavior has been shaped by evolution over the course of human history to help us survive and reproduce more effectively.

Which of these examples is basic research?

Attempting to understand the causes of depression Attempting to understand the causes of depression is basic research because it only seeks to understand depression, it doesn't try to fix it or improve on a way to address it.

Pinker lists a few topic areas that all fall under one "umbrella" term. What is this term?

Cognitive science cognitive science contains these other fields -- computer science and artificial intelligence, linguistics, and neuroscience, among others.

Sam has been having trouble sleeping this semester. He thinks it might be because his roommate is studying abroad and there is a new roommate that will move in next week. He realizes that he needs to talk to someone about his problems with sleeping. Which of the following psychologists is he most likely to see?

Counseling psychologist

Which influence would we most likely be studying if we tried to understand whether different groups of the same species of monkey had different rules regarding what was fair?

Cultural influences Cultural psychology investigates how different groups build a common understanding of the world; in this case, how these different groups of monkeys understand fairness.

the video describes four basic principles involved in natural selection. Which principle describes the fact that a trait must be able to be passed down from one generation to the next in order for it to be selected?

Heritability is important, because if a trait cannot be inherited from parent to child (e.g., the loss of a limb during life) it will likely have very little impact on generations to come.

Hector is studying how to create a better cell phone case that is easy to put on and better protects a phone for people to interact with it in their environment. What type of psychology is he involved in?

Human factors research

Gwen is a successful CEO of a fortune 500 company. She wants to boost morale and productivity and calls in her psychologist friend, Dan, to work with her employees. What type of a psychologist is Dan?

Industrial/Organizational

Evidence that the Ponzo illusion exists even in newly-sighted people demonstrates that which of the following is true?

Not all knowledge is a result of experience The fact that newly-sighted people are still influenced by a visual illusion tells us that at least some aspects of how the brain processes visual information seem biologically determined (native).

mind

The contents of conscious experience, including sensations, perceptions, thoughts, and emotions.

Psychology is often considered to be a union of what two fields?

Physiology and philosophy

To what level of explanation do biological influences on psychology generally point?

Process-oriented Process-oriented explanations are typically biological -- descriptions of the physical processes that explain why a psychological process has occurred.

According to the above text, which degree(s) are required to qualify as a clinical psychologist?

Psy.D. or Ph.D. Clinical psychologists are the foremost experts in clinical psychology -- therefore they have the most advanced degrees that focus specifically on clinical psychology itself (a Ph.D. focusing on research, or a Psy.D. focusing on practice). M.D.s are medical doctors (psychiatrists), Ed.D.s focus on education and are typically counselors, and O.D.s are doctors of osteopathy and typically do not treat mental health conditions exclusively.

Muhammad has been feeling really down since his dog passed away. He feels tired much of the time, isn't interested in his normal activities, and doesn't feel like eating. He realizes he might be depressed, and thinks medication would be very helpful. What type of psychologist should he seek out?

Psychiatrist

Which of these is evidence for a nativist stance regarding knowledge?

Some perceptual illusions are not the result of experience

Jane is examining how her car engine is put together. She takes apart all the pieces and attempts to reconfigure the engine. What area of psychology is she currently engaging in?

Structuralism

cognitive

Studying how much information people can remember over the short term

An example of the techniques that structuralists like Titchener utilized to make inferences about the mind is:

Systematic introspection

Aristotle believed the mind was like a blank slate upon which our experiences are written. What is the term for this idea?

Tabula rasa

The functionalist movement in psychology began in:

The United States William James was one of the biggest proponents of functionalism, and was based out of Harvard University in Massachusetts, United States.

Where was the first psychology laboratory founded?

The University of Leipzig

Which of these was not a factor in the rise of behaviorism?

The beginning of World War I World War I if anything may have delayed the influence of behaviorist approaches as attentions were turned to the war effort. Each of the other answers speaks to a reason why the behaviorist movement became popular.

What was the fundamental disagreement between the psychoanalysts and the humanists?

The capacity for free will and change Psychoanalysts believed many of our actions were outside of our control, grounded in the unconscious mind. Meanwhile, the humanists rejected this and embraced human potential for change and growth.

Psychologists studying cognitive influences on psychology typically investigate which of the following?

The role of information processing on a problem or situation "Cognition" refers to how humans process information (thinking, remembering, deciding, etc.).

From where did Freud believe psychological problems originate?

The unconscious mind Freud was very interested in "hidden" or "repressed" parts of the psyche, which he called the unconscious mind.

An intersectional approach looks at _________.

The unique experiences that people of color have intersectional approaches to psychology are interested in the way that a person's unique blend of social identities (e.g., race, gender, class, etc.) affect the way the person experiences the world.

Psychologists use the term behavior to refer to which of the following?

To anything that can be observed and measured in a systematic way

Which of the following was the primary goal of structuralism?

To break down conscious experience into its most basic parts Structuralists wanted to discover the building blocks of mental experience -- the most basic tastes, colors, and sensations, for example. Their logic was similar to breaking down a chemical into its component atoms.

The video describes four basic principles involved in natural selection. Which principle describes the fact that in order for selection to occur, there must be different physical traits present in the population?

Variations in phenotypes Phenotypes are the way an organism's genes express themselves in the world. In order for evolution to occur, there must be variability in phenotypes -- without differences, particular traits cannot be favored or disfavored.

Who is considered the "father of modern psychology?"

Wilhelm Wundt is considered the "Father of Modern Psychology" as he was among the first to seriously study human behavior through a scientific lens.

Who is considered the "father of American psychology?"

William James is considered the "Father of American Psychology" as he was among the most influential early writers on psychological topics in North America.

Basic research

Work done by psychologists to understand the fundamental principles of behavior and mind.

functional explanation

answering questions about its function (e.g., use for deception)

Behavioral genetics research

attempts to explain individual differences in behavior patterns in terms of variation in genetic structure and expression.

Basic research is to ________ as applied research is to ________.

causes; solutions Basic research tries to explain why a behavior occurs (investigates its cause) while applied research attempts to find solutions to problems related to human behavior.

process-oriented explanation

description of how language is produced and understood in the brain because it focuses on how the behavior occurs.

Most research in psychology is done with clinical or special populations, such as prisoners.

false

Most of the discoveries made by behaviorists are no longer considered valid today.

false Psychologists largely owe behaviorism for its influence in increasing the scientific rigor of psychological studies, and many of the movement's theories as still very relevant today.

Cognitive psychology

research is broadly interested in how people process information and includes areas such as attention, perception, memory, problem solving, language, and thought.

Which of the following is not an example of "behavior" as defined by psychologists?

the mind is that it is the sum of all brain activity Emotions, thoughts, and other subjective experiences of the mind are not directly measurable -- we can only measure the behaviors that they produce (e.g., anger producing aggression, or a verbal response like "I am angry") or behaviors that produce them (e.g., cutting yourself causes a subjective experience of pain).

psychology

the scientific study of behavior and mental

empiricism

the view that knowledge arises directly from experience

Psychologists are usually only qualified to do either basic or applied research; few do both.

true Many psychologists go between basic and applied research, as they may seek to apply the findings they have discovered through basic research to problems in the world.