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CHAPTER
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Review
01
Chapter Summary
WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY AND WHY
DOES IT FASCINATE US? p. 4
• Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and
mental processes.
• We study psychology in response to a fundamental curiosity about ourselves and our world.
HOW IS THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
USED TO STUDY PSYCHOLOGY?
p. 4
• Scientists aim to reduce error and bias in their
psychological studies by employing the principles of
empiricism and the scientific method.
• The six steps of the scientific method that psychologists generally follow are identifying the problem, conducting background
research, formulating a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis,
analyzing the results, and reporting the results.
Chapter 01
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WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF
PSYCHOLOGY? p. 7
• The Greek philosophers Socrates and Plato
believed that knowledge is built within us, whereas
John Locke (1632–1704) believed that the human
mind is a blank slate at birth.
• William Wundt, the “father of psychology,” set up his laboratory
in 1879. His student, Edward Titchener, founded structuralism.
William James proposed functionalism, and Max Wertheimer put
forth the concept of Gestalt psychology.
• Modern approaches to psychology include Freud’s psychodynamic theory, behaviorism, the humanistic approach, cognitive
psychology, and evolutionary psychology.
WHAT MAJOR QUESTIONS DO
PSYCHOLOGISTS SEEK TO
ANSWER? p. 11
• The question of whether our traits, behaviors,
and mental processes are primarily the result of
inherited characteristics (nature) or environmental
factors (nurture) has been, and continues to be, a controversial
topic in psychology.
• Most psychologists agree that humans are influenced by a
unique combination of hereditary and environmental factors
WHAT ARE SOME DIFFERENT
SUBTYPES OF PSYCHOLOGY? p. 12
• Clinical psychologists diagnose and treat people
with mental or behavioral problems, while
academic psychologists teach and carry out
psychological research.
• Applied psychology refers to the use of psychological theory and
practice to tackle real-world problems. Industrial organizational psychologists and sports psychologists are examples of people who use
applied psychology day-to-day.
Test Your Understanding
1. Why are people’s personal observations of human behavior
often unreliable?
a. They are not empirical.
b. They are not conducted in a laboratory setting.
c. They are not conducted in an objective, scientific manner.
d. They are not based on the principles of physics and chemistry.
2. Maria wants to use the principles of empiricism to investigate
whether alcohol consumption affects people’s sleeping patterns.
Maria is most likely to:
a. monitor people’s alcohol consumption and then observe their
brain activity during sleep
b. interview sleep specialists about the effects of alcohol on
sleeping patterns and then write an essay
c. ask people to tell her about their personal experiences with
alcohol and sleep
d. read about the effects of alcohol on sleeping patterns in an
approved psychology journal
3. Which of the following exemplifies an effective hypothesis?
a. It is difficult to motivate people to complete a task.
b. The promise of chocolate will motivate people to complete a
task faster than will the promise of carrots.
c. People’s relative levels of motivation seem to depend on their
age, gender, and personality types.
d. Food rewards are usually the best motivators, especially
for children.
4. Which of the following is NOT a method psychologists use to test
their hypotheses?
a. conducting case studies
b. conducting experiments
c. conducting surveys
d. conducting background research
5. Psychologists should report the results of their studies:
a. when they prove their hypotheses
b. when they disprove their hypotheses
c. when they prove or disprove their hypotheses
d. when their studies seem particularly important
6. Which of the following statements would Socrates and Plato
most likely have agreed with?
a. We can access innate knowledge through logic.
b. The body and the mind are one.
c. At birth, the human mind is a blank slate.
d. People gain knowledge through experience.
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7. Jack believes in structuralism; Jiaxun believes in functionalism.
Which of the following statements best summarizes the differences between their concepts of the human mind?
a. Jack believes the mind is a sum of parts; Jiaxun believes the
mind is a unified whole.
b. Jack believes the mind is best studied through empiricism;
Jiaxun believes the mind is best studied through introspection.
c. Jack believes the mind is a unified whole; Jiaxun believes the
mind is a sum of parts.
d. Jack believes the mind is best studied through Gestalt psychology;
Jiaxun believes the mind is best studied through empiricism.
8. William James pioneered the idea that:
a. the mind can be studied scientifically
b. advantageous behavioral traits can be inherited
c. people seek patterns in sensory information
d. repressed urges affect the conscious mind
9. Which of the following influenced Watson’s development of the
behavioral approach?
a. an interest in using past research to study psychology
b. an interest in using direct measurement and observation to
study psychology
c. an interest in using introspection to study psychology
d. an interest in using self-7report data to study psychology
10. Which of the following is NOT an aspect of the humanistic
approach to psychology?
a. People should be encouraged to express themselves.
b. People should strive to achieve their full potential.
c. People should attempt to get in touch with their unconscious
12. Yuri is investigating the thought patterns of people afflicted with
their performance if they are able to transfer to a more
successful school.
15. Which of the following is NOT true of the American Psychological
Association?
a. It is geared toward psychological research.
b. It produces the journal American Psychologist.
c. It promotes the interests of psychology nationally and worldwide.
d. It is the world’s largest organization of professional
psychologists.
16. Job prospects in the field of psychology would likely be the most
numerous and lucrative for a graduate who holds:
a. a bachelor’s degree in developmental psychology
b. a master’s degree in cognitive psychology
c. a doctorate in school psychology
d. a doctorate in social psychology
17. Neuropsychologists, counselors, and social workers are specialists within the field of:
a. academic psychology
b. research psychology
c. developmental psychology
d. clinical psychology
18. Vivien, a professor of psychology, focuses much of her research
on the patterns of thought, feelings, and behavior that make a
person unique. Vivien’s academic specialty is:
a. cognitive psychology
b. personality psychology
c. applied psychology
d. clinical psychology
19. Which of the following is NOT an example of applied psychology?
a. A health psychologist researches a potential link between
depression and heart disease.
b. A sports psychologist tells a soccer player to visualize herself
kicking the ball into the goal.
schizophrenia. Which of the following represents a question Yuri
might ask at the level of the world?
c. An I/O psychologist leads a group of office workers on a team-
a. How do a schizophrenic patient’s thought patterns vary over
d. A clinical psychologist teaches a patient to use breathing exer-
the course of the day?
b. How are schizophrenic thought patterns reflected in brain
activity?
c. How do a patient’s thought patterns vary in response to
different stimuli?
d. How do schizophrenic thought patterns vary across cultures?
13. Which of the following supports the “nature” side of the nature vs.
building scavenger hunt.
cises to calm his anxiety.
20. Which of the following is true of clinical psychologists?
a. They always work in hospitals.
b. They tend to focus their research on cognitive psychology.
c. They diagnose and treat people with specific mental or behavioral problems.
d. They are medical doctors.
nurture debate?
a. Aristotle’s ideas of self
b. Darwin’s theory of natural selection
c. Locke’s concept of a “tabula rasa”
d. Skinner’s behaviorist approach
Remember to check www.thethinkspot.com for additional information, downloadable flashcards, and other helpful resources.
14. Which of the following arguments is most likely based on ideas
from the “nurture” side of the nature vs. nurture debate?
a. Scientists should develop a method of genetic manipulation to
and money.
Answers: 1) c; 2) a; 3) b; 4) d; 5) c; 6) a; 7) a; 8) b; 9) b; 10) c; 11) a;
12) d; 13) b; 14) d; 15) a; 16) c; 17) d; 18) b; 19) a; 20) c
create “designer babies.”
b. Programs that aim to rehabilitate criminals are a waste of time
Introduction
11. The rapid rise of cognitive psychology can be largely attributed to:
a. developments in brain imaging technology
b. the findings of Ivan Pavlov
c. the development of the concept of self-actualization
d. Darwin’s theory of natural selection
virtually guaranteed to develop that illness.
d. Children who perform poorly at failing schools will improve
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desires.
d. People should understand the importance of free will and
self-esteem.
c. A person who is predisposed to have a mental illness is