Test Bank for Psychology 2nd Edition by Spielman,
Jenkins, Lovett
ISBN: 9781975076450
OpenStax Psychology 2e Test Bank – Chapter 1: Introduction to Psychology
Multiple Choice
1. Which choice is an accurate definition of a hypothesis?
A. An idea that proves a theory
B. A means of explaining social phenomena
C. A way of looking at the world
*D. A tentative explanation
Text Section: 1.1 What is Psychology?
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
2. Psychology refers to the ________.
A. empirical study of humanity
B. experimental study of individuals
*C. scientific study of the mind and behavior.
D. systematic study of human interaction
Text Section: 1.1 What is Psychology?
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
3. Which of the following choices refers to a broad explanation or group of explanations for some aspect of the natural world that is consistently supported by evidence over time?
A. critical thinking
B. hypothesis
C. statistical validation
*D. scientific theory
Text Section: 1.1 What is Psychology?
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
4. The empirical method of study is based on ________.
A. logical positivism.
*B. observation of phenomena.
C. practice of skills or procedures.
D. statistical validation.
Text Section: 1.1 What is Psychology?
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
5. Which of the following exemplifies the empirical method?
A. A student in a psychology class writes his term paper on whether or not fish feel pain.
B. A student writes a letter to his professor requesting a change in course policy.
C. Dr. Hysock-Witham decides to start her course later because so many students arrive late.
*D. Dr. Sarkeesian observes and records how watching cartoons influences heart rates.
Text Section: 1.1 What is Psychology?
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
6. Which individual wrote Principles of Physiological Psychology and is credited with establishing a scientific laboratory of Psychology at the University of Leipzig?
A. Wolfgang Köhler
B. Sigmund Freud
*C. Wilhelm Wundt
D. William James
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
7. Introspection refers to a process by which someone examines ________ as objectively as possible.
A. another person’s consciousness
*B. their own conscious experience
C. their own unconscious wishes
D. the social construction of consciousness
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
8. Guillermo spends some time each day applying the principles of structuralism to examine his own conscious experience as carefully as possible. Guillermo is engaged in ________.
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A. behaviorism
B. client-centered therapy
*C. introspection
D. psychoanalysis
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
9. Which of the following is a criticism of structuralism?
A. Scientific instruments were not sensitive enough to measure precise reaction times.
B. Structuralism was parsimonious.
*C. The process was highly subjective.
D. Wilhelm Wundt falsified his results.
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Evaluation
Difficulty: Difficult
10. Functionalist psychologists focus on the function of behavior and ________.
A. explaining the subconscious
B. the operation of individual parts of the mind
*C. the operation of the whole mind rather than the individual parts
D. understanding the id, ego, and superego
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
11. Which of the following is an example of an objective measure used by functionalists?
*A. examination of anatomy and physiology
B. examination of existing archives and records
C. the use of introspection of one’s own experiences
D. interviews with research participants
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Moderate
12. According to William James, what was the true purpose of psychology?
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A. To interpret dreams for their unconscious messages
*B. Studying the function of behavior in the world
C. The manipulation human behavior to the betterment of society
D. Examining the structure and characteristics of the mind
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
13. A(n) ________ , also known as an operant chamber, is an instrument that isolates an animal from the external environment and allows a researcher to control that animal’s rewards and punishments
A. Gestalt room
B. isolation chamber
*C. Skinner box
D. Watson manipulator
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Moderate
14. Which of the following is one of the reasons that Gestalt psychology did not become more popular in the United States?
*A. The rise of behaviorism overshadowed Gestalt psychology.
B. The proponents were supported and funded by the Nazi party.
C. European psychology is not as rigorous as American psychology.
D. The theories were not based on measurable data.
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Difficult
15. Behaviorism focuses on making psychology an objective science by ________.
A. studying how emotional responses influence behavior while deemphasizing the importance of the subconscious
B. studying implicit motivations for behavior through the use of implicit association tests
*C. studying overt behavior and deemphasizing the importance of unobservable mental processes
D. studying the genetic basis for behavior and theorizing how instincts influence behavior
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Difficult
16. Which perspective within psychology that emphasizes the potential for good that is innate to all humans.
A. Behaviorism
B. Gestalt psychology
*C. Humanism
D. Structuralism
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
17. For which concept is Abraham Maslow best known?
A. Classical conditioning of non-human animals
B. Dream analysis for the latent and manifest content of a dream
*C. Proposing a hierarchy of human needs in motivating behavior
D. Studying the influence of reinforcement and punishment on behavior
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
18. A series of dots arranged in the shape of a face will be perceived as a face, not a series of dots. A psychologist studying this phenomenon is applying the principals of ________.
*A. Gestalt psychology
B. humanism
C. psychoanalytic theory
D. structuralism
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Difficult
19. Which of the following exemplifies the unconditional positive regard component of clientcentered therapy?
*A. Abby tells her therapist that she tripped a small child who got in her way, and her therapist accepts this information without judgment.
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
B. Boris tells his therapist that that he needs stronger medication and his therapist prescribes it.
C. Natasha is late for her therapy session and her therapist believes she did this because she unconsciously dislikes therapy.
D. Xavier receives a hug from the doctor when he arrives on time; he does not get a hug when he arrives late.
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
20. The cognitive revolution created an impetus for psychologists to focus their attention on better understanding ________.
A. emotions and cultural norms that underlie emotional responses
B. genetics and the evolutionary adaptations that underlie behavior
C. stimulus-response and the instincts that underlie human reaction to pain
*D. the mind and mental processes that underlie behavior
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
21. Select the correctly ordered list of psychological perspectives, with the earliest perspective listed first.
A. humanism, behaviorism, structuralism, functionalism
B. humanism, structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism
*C. structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism, humanism
D. structuralism, functionalism, humanism, behaviorism
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Difficult
22. What do structuralism, Gestalt psychology, and Sigmund Freud all have in common?
A. They were all concerned with describing and understanding animal behavior.
*B. They were all concerned with describing and understanding the inner experience.
C. They were all concerned with diagnosing and treating female psychosis.
D. They were all concerned with the nature of evil during the Nazi regime.
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Difficult
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
23. Which of the following is not part of feminist psychology?
A. discovering the contributions of women to psychology
*B. favoring women over men
C. questioning the practice of science itself when it is male biased D. studying psychological gender differences
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand Difficulty: Difficult
24. Who was the first African American to receive a PhD in psychology in the United States?
A. Carl Rogers
*B. Francis Cecil Sumner
C. Naomi Weisstein
D. Noam Chomsky
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember Difficulty: Easy
25. In looking at the area of multicultural psychology, what is a recognized deficit of this particular area of study?
*A. It can describe what happens between cultures, but not explain why those differences occur.
B. It ignores the relative importance of White psychologists to the larger field.
C. It is biased by serious political agendas among its researchers.
D. There are not enough non-White researchers engaged in data collection.
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Evaluation Difficulty: Difficult
26 Which famous female psychologist completed all of the requirements for a doctorate in psychology but was denied that degree because of her sex?
A. Margaret Floy Washburn
B. Inez Prosser
C. Mary Ainsworth
*D. Mary Whiton Calkins
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember Difficulty: Moderate
27. Penelope studies how the structure and function of the nervous system is related to behavior. She is a ________.
*A. biopsychologist
B. developmental psychologist
C. humanist
D. social psychologist
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
28. Lucy wants to study changes in physical attributes, cognitive skills, moral reasoning, and social behavior across the lifespan. Lucy should specialize in ________ psychology.
A. cognitive
*B. developmental
C. personality
D. social
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
29. What should be changed to make the following statement true? Jean Piaget is famous for his theories regarding changes in emotional ability that occur as we move from infancy to adulthood.
*A. The word “emotional” should be changed to the word “cognitive.”
B. The word “famous” should be changed to the word “infamous.”
C. The word “infancy” should be changed to the word “adolescence.”
D. The name “Jean Piaget” should be changed to “Abraham Maslow.”
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Difficult
30. In developmental psychology, there is an increasing interest in researching cognitive changes that occur later in life. Why?
A. The elderly are contracting more cognitive diseases.
B. People in developed nations revere the elderly.
*C. Populations of developed nations are living longer.
D. Populations of developing nations are dying sooner.
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
31. Cognitive psychology focuses on studying ________.
A. genetics and the effect of genetics on behavior
B. sensation and the effect of culture on perception
C. the effect of gender, race, and class on behavior
*D. thoughts and their relationship to our experiences and our actions
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
32. In the study of personality, the ________ model includes different traits that are believed to underlie each individual’s basic tendencies.
A. H.O.P.E.S.
B. Either-Or
C. Fifth Dimension
*D. Five Factor
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Moderate
33. Edmund wants to identify relatively consistent patterns of thought and behavior, measure these traits, and determine how these traits interact in a particular context to determine how a person will behave in any given situation. Edmund wants to conduct research in the area of ________.
A. cognition
B. perception
*C. personality
D. social psychology
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
34. When studying personality traits, someone who is hardworking, dependable, and organized will score high on the ________ trait.
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
A. agreeableness
*B. conscientiousness
C. extroversion
D. openness
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Difficult
35. Susan wants to study prejudice, attraction, how we explain our own behavior versus how we explain the behavior of others, and how we resolve interpersonal conflicts. Susan should conduct research in the area of ________.
A. Gestalt psychology
B. personality
C. psychoanalysis
*D. social psychology
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
36. Oona wants to conduct research on personnel management, workplace environment, and what type of environment results in high levels of employee productivity and efficiency. Oona should conduct research in the area of ________ psychology.
A. existential-phenomenological
*B. industrial-organizational
C. clinical
D. theoretical
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Difficult
37. Which of the following is an example of research someone might conduct in the area of health psychology?
A. how the age of a leader affects the productivity of the group
B. what personality traits are present more often in men compared to women
C. whether culture influences perception
*D. whether people working at a desk are more likely to be obese
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
38. Ashya wants to focus on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and other problematic patterns of behavior. What area of psychology should she work in?
*A. clinical psychology
B. cognitive psychology
C. counseling psychology
D. social psychology
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Difficult
39. Which kind of psychologist would be consulted in jury selection and witness preparation?
A. cognitive
B. counseling
*C. forensic
D. legal
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Easy
40. Which of the following is a common requirement of a PhD across different schools and/or countries?
A. A year-long internship
*B. A dissertation
C. A minimum of three years of coursework
D. Earning licensure
Text Section: 1.4 Careers in Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Moderate
41 Dr. Singh has just completed her PhD program and is now applying for a year-long program at a nationally-recognized hospital. If accepted, she will greatly advance her knowledge of behavioral neuroscience. Dr. Singh is applying for a(n) ________ training program.
A. fellows
B. applied
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
C. psychiatric
*D. postdoctoral
Text Section: 1.4 Careers in Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Easy
Short-Answer
42. ________ is the active application of a set of skills to information for the understanding and evaluation of that information.
Answer: Critical thinking
Text Section: 1.1 What is Psychology?
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Moderate
43. This student of Wilhelm Wundt developed Wundt’s ideas into an area called structuralism, a field that focused on understanding the contents rather than the function of mental processes.
Answer: (Edward) Titchener
Text Section: 1.1 What is Psychology?
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Difficult
44 The expression “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” would be most applicable to a person who studies ________ psychology, an older model that continues to influence areas like sensation and perception.
Answer: Gestalt
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Difficult
45. What three features are central to Carl Rogers’s client-centered therapy?
Answer: Unconditional positive regard, empathy, and genuineness
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Moderate
46. List some facts about the American Psychological Association.
Sample Answer: The American Psychological Association (APA) is a professional organization that represents psychologists in the United States. The APA is the largest organization of psychologists in the world, and its mission is to advance and disseminate psychological knowledge for the betterment of people. There are 56 divisions within the APA. Members, affiliate members, and associate members span the spectrum from students to doctoral-level psychologists; they come from a variety of places including educational settings, criminal justice, hospitals, the armed forces, and industry.
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
47. Why are the five trait dimensions in the Five Factor model used to account for personality variation?
Sample Answer: The dimensions of conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness, and extroversion are used to account for personality variation because they have been demonstrated to be relatively stable over the lifespan, and they are influenced by genetics.
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Difficult
Essay
48. Compare and contrast structuralism and functionalism.
Sample Answer: While structuralism focused on understanding the conscious experience, functionalism focused on how mental activities helped an organism adapt to its environment. Wilhelm Wundt, a structuralist theorist, believed that our cognitive experience was best understood by breaking that experience into its component parts using introspection. William James was a functionalist: Functionalism focused on how mental activities served as adaptive responses to an organism’s environment. Like Wundt, James also relied on introspection; however, James’s research approach also incorporated more objective measures.
Text Section: 1.1 What is Psychology?
Bloom’s Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Difficult
49. List and describe at least three different subspecialties within the field of psychology. What are the major emphases of these different areas of study?
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
Answers may vary
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Moderate
50. Why would someone choose to work as an adjunct instructor rather than a professor?
Sample Answer: Adjunct faculty members and instructors usually have an advanced degree in psychology, but they may have a primary career outside academia and work as adjunct faculty as a secondary job. Alternatively, they may not hold the doctoral degree required by most four-year institutions and use these opportunities to gain experience in teaching. They may seek to teach in two-year colleges and schools rather than a four-year university.
Text Section: 1.4 Careers in Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Difficult
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.