Name: 
 

Ch1 The Nature of Psychology



Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 

 1. 

The overjustification effect is when people go overboard and explain their own behavior
a.
with more emphasis on personal causes.
b.
with too much emphasis on salient individual reasons.
c.
with too much emphasis on salient situational causes.
d.
with exaggerated consideration of situational and personal causes.
 

 2. 

The field of Psychology is defined as the
a.
scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
b.
study of all mental activities.
c.
methodological analysis of behavior.
d.
observational record of behaviors.
 

 3. 

One of the original ideas upon which psychology was founded is that
a.
all human behavior is reducible to its neurobiological roots.
b.
observable behavior is the appropriate subject for psychological study.
c.
mind and behavior can be subject to scientific investigation.
d.
humans are irrational animals.
 

 4. 

One of the earliest debates concerning human psychology
a.
questioned whether human capabilities are inborn or acquired.
b.
concerned the importance of religion in development.
c.
related to the role of unconscious processes.
d.
related to the moral development of the child.
 

 5. 

The nature-nurture debate might be envisioned as
a.
the information processing analysis of psychology.
b.
the associationist analysis of psychology.
c.
the cognitive versus analytic debate.
d.
the genetics versus learning debate.
 

 6. 

The debate about human psychology that suggests human capacities are either inborn or acquired is called the
a.
the information processing analysis of psychology.
b.
the associationist analysis of psychology.
c.
the cognitive versus analytic debate.
d.
the nature-nurture debate.
 

 7. 

A psychologist who studies visual perception by recording the activity of nerve cells in the appropriate region of the brain is using the _____ approach.
a.
biological
c.
behavioral
b.
psychoanalytic
d.
phenomenological
 

 8. 

If a scientist tried to analyze your social life based on the behavioral perspective, the analysis would focus on
a.
your thoughts and other mental processes.
b.
the electrical activity of your brain cells.
c.
your unconscious motivations for the social interactions.
d.
the people you interact with and your responses to them.
 

 9. 

The _____ approach to the study of psychology focuses on the active processing and transformation of information.
a.
humanistic
c.
cognitive
b.
behavioral
d.
biological
 

 10. 

Of the following schools of thought, which emphasizes the importance of unconscious processes?
a.
humanistic
c.
cognitive
b.
psychoanalytic
d.
behavioral
 

 11. 

A _____ psychologist would be more interested in people's subjective interpretations of their experiences than their observable actions.
a.
biological
c.
behavioral
b.
cognitive
d.
subjectivist
 

 12. 

Dr. Fisher is studying the effects of entering puberty earlier or later than one's peers on adolescent self-esteem. Dr. Fisher is most likely a(n) _____ psychologist.
a.
educational
c.
cognitive
b.
school
d.
developmental
 

 13. 

Katie wants to combine her interests in art and psychology. She is interested in understanding what characteristics about an artist such as Van Gogh or Picasso might account for their particular style of art. Katie should consider taking a course in _____ psychology to begin to explore her interest in the individual differences of artists.
a.
biological
c.
personality
b.
social
d.
clinical
 

 14. 

One important variable in an athlete's recovery from injury is having a strong network of friends for emotional support. What type of psychologist would be likely to study this variable?
a.
biological
c.
personality
b.
social
d.
clinical
 

 15. 

Which specialty is best known for teacher training and research on teaching methods?
a.
learning
c.
educational
b.
school
d.
developmental
 

 16. 

Psychology is a science primarily because
a.
it attempts to understand mental and behavioral processes.
b.
it utilizes the scientific method to study mental and behavioral processes.
c.
its intellectual roots are in philosophy.
d.
its research findings are understood only by intelligent people.
 

 17. 

If you were to perform an experiment analyzing the statement "If you drop out of school, you're damaging your future," your future is the _____ variable.
a.
independent
c.
treatment
b.
dependent
d.
experimental
 

 18. 

Psychologists typically assign numbers representing quantities to the variables they are studying. This process of assigning numerical values to variables is called
a.
assessment.
c.
measurement.
b.
statistical analysis.
d.
establishing significance.
 

 19. 

The _____ method is important in beginning the study of a psychological phenomenon, prior to conducting precisely controlled studies.
a.
experimental
c.
developmental
b.
antecedent
d.
observational
 

 20. 

The survey method is useful for investigating phenomena that
a.
cannot be pretested.
b.
are difficult to study by direct observation.
c.
may involve biased responses from the subjects.
d.
involve individuals rather than groups.
 



 
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