Chapter 1 Psychology

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

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

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.

The steps in the scientific method do NOT include

Preparing meta-analyses

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.

______ is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Psychology

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

Sociocultural approach

Psychological research at colleges and universities must be approved by an institutional review board (IRB).

True

Psychology is the scientific study of human behavior.

True

Psychology marks the spot where the mind and body meet.

True

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

True

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

True

The biological approach to psychology focuses on the brain and nervous system.

True

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.

True.

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

True.

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

True.

Psychology is best characterized as

a general science practiced in several environments

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

active

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

cognitive

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

Journalists are often not trained in psychological research; therefore, they frequently have issues presenting material appropriately. One of the better sources for learning about research is

college professionals.

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

controlled

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

correlational descriptive experimental

Which of the following are types of psychological research?

descriptive correlational experimental

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

drawing conclusions observing some phenomenon formulating hypotheses and predictions

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

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 NOT among the contemporary approaches to psychology?

exploratory physical

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

humanistic sociocultural behavioral cognitive

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

Which of the following are descriptive research methods?

interviews case studies observation surveys

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

An experiment involves Blank______ one variable and observing the effect on another variable.

manipulating

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

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

psychological factors biological factors social factors

Correlational research involves gathering data on

sets of variables

Which approach to psychology did Wilhelm Wundt endorse?

structuralism

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.

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

value-free

One must consume psychological information in the media

with a critical eye.

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