Term
| What is psychology? How would you define it? |
|
Definition
Psychology is the scientific study of the behaviour of individuals
and their mental processes. |
|
|
Term
What four goals apply to psychologists who conduct
research? |
|
Definition
The four goals are to describe, explain, predict, and control
behaviour. |
|
|
Term
Why is there often a close relationship between the
goals of explanation and prediction? |
|
Definition
Researchers regularly try to explain behaviours by identifying
underlying causes; successful causal explanations often allow
accurate predictions. |
|
|
Term
What are the central concerns of the structuralist and
functionalist approaches? |
|
Definition
Structuralism tries to understand mental experiences as the
combination of basic components. Functionalism focuses on
the purposes of behavioural acts. |
|
|
Term
How do the psychodynamic and behaviourist
perspectives conceptualize the forces that shape
people’s actions? |
|
Definition
The psychodynamic perspective focuses on powerful, instinctive
forces, and the behaviourist perspective focuses on how
consequences shape behaviours. |
|
|
Term
Which perspective suggests that people are active
creatures who strive for positive development? |
|
Definition
| The humanistic perspective takes this view. |
|
|
Term
| What is the purpose of cognitive neuroscience? |
|
Definition
Researchers in cognitive neuroscience combine the cognitive
and biological perspectives to understand the brain bases of
mental activities such as memory and language. |
|
|
Term
How do the evolutionary perspective and sociocultural
perspective complement each other? |
|
Definition
The evolutionary perspective focuses on the features that
all people share as a consequence of human evolution.
The sociocultural perspective focuses on the differences
brought about by cultures, against that shared evolutionary
background. |
|
|
Term
What is the relationship between research and
application? |
|
Definition
Research provides new insights that psychologists then try to
apply in real-world settings. |
|
|
Term
| In what two settings are most psychologists employed? |
|
Definition
Psychologists are most often employed in academic settings
(e.g., colleges and universities) and independent practice. |
|
|
Term
What does it mean to be an active participant in a
course? |
|
Definition
Being an active participant in a course means developing
your own understanding of what you hear in lectures and
read in the text. |
|
|
Term
What is the relationship between the Questions and
Read phases of PQ4R? |
|
Definition
In the Questions phase you invent questions that direct
your attention while you are reading; in the Read phase
you read the material with an eye to answering your
questions. |
|
|
Term
| What is the purpose of the Recite phase of PQ4R? |
|
Definition
When you attempt to recite explicit answers to questions, you
obtain concrete evidence of what you do and do not know. |
|
|
Term
The definition of psychology focuses on both
_______ and _______.
a. behaviours; structures
b. behaviours; mental processes
c. mental processes; functions
d. mental processes; structures |
|
Definition
| b. behaviours; mental processes |
|
|
Term
To what goal of psychology is “level of analysis”
most relevant?
a. explaining what happens
b. describing what happens
c. predicting what will happen
d. controlling what happens |
|
Definition
| b. describing what happens |
|
|
Term
If you want to _______ what will happen, you first
must be able to _______ what will happen.
a. describe; explain
b. describe; control
c. control; predict
d. explain; predict |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Who founded the first laboratory that was devoted to
experimental psychology?
a. William James
b. Wilhelm Wundt
c. Max Wertheimer
d. James Mark Baldwin |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
A researcher tells you that her main goal is to
understand mental experiences as the combination
of basic components. It is most likely that she finds
the historical roots of her research in _______
a. functionalism.
b. the humanistic perspective.
c. structuralism.
d. the evolutionary perspective. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Two professors at universities in Vancouver and
Tokyo are collaborating on a research project to
determine how their students in Canada and Japan
respond to the same reasoning problems. It is likely
that they take a _______ perspective in their research.
a. humanistic
b. sociocultural
c. biological
d. psychodynamic |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The _______ perspective draws on the ways in which
human mental abilities serve adaptive purposes.
a. cognitive
b. humanistic
c. evolutionary
d. sociocultural |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
It would not be unusual to see a _______ psychologist
testifying at a trial.
a. health
b. social
c. forensic
d. developmental |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
What type of question would a cognitive psychologist
be likely to ask?
a. Why do children sometimes have imaginary friends?
b. Why do some students get sick every time they
have a major exam?
c. How can we design a computer keyboard that
allows people to type more quickly?
d. How are bilingual individuals able to switch
between their two languages? |
|
Definition
d. How are bilingual individuals able to switch
between their two languages? |
|
|
Term
Which type of psychologist is least likely to focus on
genetic aspects of human psychology?
a. industrial-organizational psychologists
b. developmental psychologists
c. evolutionary psychologists
d. biological psychologists |
|
Definition
| a. industrial-organizational psychologists |
|
|
Term
Experiences with totalitarian regimes may have
made Russian students more sensitive to their
friends’ _______
a. betrayals of confidence.
b. romantic competition.
c. disrespectful behaviour.
d. jealousy. |
|
Definition
| a. betrayals of confidence. |
|
|
Term
Who was the first psychologist to set up a laboratory
at a Canadian university?
a. William James
b. Brenda Milner
c. James Mark Baldwin
d. Wilhelm Wundt |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Individuals with advanced degrees in psychology are
most likely to be working in _______
a. academic settings.
b. hospitals and clinics.
c. business and government.
d. independent practice. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
What is the proper order for these phases that are
part of PQ4R?
a. Questions, Recite, Reflect
b. Read, Reflect, Recite
c. Preview, Review, Read
d. Reflect, Review, Recite |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
In what phase of PQ4R should you try to relate the
textbook material to your prior knowledge about a
topic?
a. Reflect
b. Recite
c. Review
d. Questions |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
What is the relationship between theories and
hypotheses? |
|
Definition
Theories attempt to explain phenomena. Those explanations
should generate new hypotheses—testable consequences of a
theory. |
|
|
Term
What steps can researchers take to overcome observer
biases? |
|
Definition
Researchers can standardize their procedures and provide
operational definitions for their variables. |
|
|
Term
| Why do researchers use double-blind controls? |
|
Definition
Researchers use double-blind controls so that the expectations
they bring to the research setting cannot have an impact
on their studies’ results. |
|
|
Term
| What is meant by a within-subjects design? |
|
Definition
When an experiment has a within-subjects design, each
participant serves as his or her own control. |
|
|
Term
| Why does correlation not imply causation? |
|
Definition
A correlation coefficient indicates the extent to which two
variables are related; it does not give any indication of why
that relationship exists. |
|
|
Term
| Why can some measures be reliable but not valid? |
|
Definition
If a measure is reliable, it means that it yields a comparable
value when researchers use it repeatedly. However, that value
might still not accurately reflect the psychological variable the
researcher is seeking. That is why shoe size would be a reliable
but not a valid measure of happiness. |
|
|
Term
Why is it important for interviewers to establish
rapport? |
|
Definition
Interviewers seek to create a context in which people are willing
to provide information through self-reports that might be
highly personal or sensitive. |
|
|
Term
Suppose a researcher spends time observing children’s
behaviour on a playground. What kind of measure
would that be? |
|
Definition
The researcher is engaged in naturalistic observation of the
children’s behaviour. |
|
|
Term
| What is the purpose of informed consent? |
|
Definition
The purpose of informed consent is to make potential
research participants aware of the risks and benefits of an
experiment and to advise them of their rights and responsibilities
before they agree to engage in the experiment. |
|
|
Term
| What is the purpose of debriefing? |
|
Definition
During debriefing, participants have an opportunity to learn
something new about the psychological phenomena that were
the topic of the study. In addition, researchers can ensure that
participants do not leave the study upset or confused. |
|
|
Term
What recommendation about research settings do
researchers make with respect to the use of nonhuman
animals as research participants? |
|
Definition
Ethical considerations support a move toward research in
naturalistic or seminaturalistic settings. |
|
|
Term
A(n) _______ is an organized set of concepts that
explains a phenomenon or set of phenomena.
a. theory c. operational definition
b. hypothesis d. correlation |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Professor Peterson is testing the hypothesis that
people will co-operate less when a lot of people are
in a group. In the experiment he plans, he will vary
the number of people in each group. That will be
his _______
a. placebo control. c. double-blind control.
b. independent variable. d. dependent variable. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Rahul is serving as a research assistant. In the first
phase of the experiment, Rahul gives each participant
a can of cola or a can of caffeine-free cola. In the
second phase of the experiment, Rahul times the
participants with a stopwatch while they play a video
game. It sounds like this study is lacking a(n) _______
a. placebo control. c. operational definition.
b. correlational design. d. double-blind control. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Shirley visits an antique store. The owner explains to
her that the rarer an object is, the more he can
charge for it. This is an example of a _______
a. correlation coefficient. c. positive correlation.
b. negative correlation. d. placebo effect. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Sally is not very interested in movies. Her friend Rob
wants her attitude to be more favourable toward his
all-time favourite, Rock ’n’ Roll High School. Rob
might be best off asking Sally to generate _______
characteristics for the movie.
a. two negative c. ten positive
b. five positive d. five negative |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Dr. Paul is developing a new measure of hunger. He
says, “I need a measure that will accurately predict
how much food people will eat in their next meal.”
Dr. Paul’s statement is about the _______ of the
measure.
a. operational definition c. validity
b. standardization d. reliability |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Giovanna is worried that the results of her
experiment may be affected by her participants’
desire to provide favourable impressions of
themselves. It sounds like she might be using
_______ measures.
a. valid c. reliable
b. self-report d. operational |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Andrew wishes to test the hypothesis that people
give more freely to charities when the weather is
pleasant. To test this hypothesis, Andrew is likely to
make use of _______
a. double-blind controls. c. laboratory observation.
b. expectancy effects. d. archival data. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Before you participate in an experiment, the
researcher should provide you with information
about procedures, potential risks, and expected
benefits. This allows you to give _______
a. a risk/gain assessment. c. informed consent.
b. informed debriefing. d. operational definitions. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
When members of the American Psychological
Association were surveyed about the uses of
nonhuman animals in research, the majority
believed that _______
a. observational studies in naturalistic settings were
appropriate.
b. nonhuman animals should never be used as
replacements for human participants.
c. intentional deception is unethical for experiments
with nonhuman animals.
d. nonhuman animals should not be used in
undergraduate psychology courses. |
|
Definition
a. observational studies in naturalistic settings were
appropriate. |
|
|
Term
Always search for _______ explanations to the
obvious ones proposed.
a. optimistic c. negative
b. alternative d. opposite |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
When articles are submitted to most journals, they
are sent out to experts for detailed analyses. This
process is known as _______
a. debriefing. c. peer review.
b. informed consent. d. control procedures. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What theory did Darwin and Wallace propose? |
|
Definition
| Darwin and Wallace proposed the theory of evolution. |
|
|
Term
What two things did Darwin propose as a means for
selection? |
|
Definition
The two means for selection that Darwin proposed were natural
selection and sexual selection. |
|
|
Term
Why did Darwin say that bright feathers resulted from
female choice? |
|
Definition
Darwin’s theory of sexual selection suggested that females
choose mates based on their desirable characteristics. |
|
|
Term
What overarching ideas did Sir Francis Galton contribute
to the study of intelligence? |
|
Definition
Sir Francis Galton’s contribution to the study of intelligence
was that his ideas led people to focus on genes as more
important than the environment. |
|
|
Term
What did the promoters of environmental determinism
seek? |
|
Definition
Environmental determinism proposes that much of our
behaviour results from how we experience our environment.
Supporters of this perspective expected recognition of this
and a move away from genetic determination. |
|
|
Term
What three researchers shared a Nobel prize, and what
did they win it for? |
|
Definition
Lorenz, Tinbergen, and von Frisch shared a Nobel prize—
Lorenz for imprinting, Tinbergen for proposing a scheme for
the division of behaviour by proximate and ultimate causes,
and von Frisch for his research in honey bee communication. |
|
|
Term
| Why do cheaters fail to win in the long run? |
|
Definition
People become aware of who the cheaters are and try not to
be cheated multiple times. |
|
|
Term
| What was the controversy in sociobiology? |
|
Definition
Sociobiological theories tried to explain all human behaviour,
but there was little empirical evidence to support them. |
|
|
Term
What does Buss suggest may impact our
happiness? |
|
Definition
Buss suggests that there are limits to happiness based on differences
between modern and ancestral environments.We
evolved in small groups, but recently we have turned to living
in bigger urban centres, which include many people. These
people are, however, strangers. |
|
|
Term
What did Harlow’s monkeys tell us about
reinforcement? |
|
Definition
Harlow’s monkeys illustrated that reinforcement from the
external environment is not the only determinant of behaviour.
Behaviour can also be determined by what is happening
in the brain, which is not directly observable. |
|
|
Term
What makes Daly and Wilson’s research so
controversial? |
|
Definition
Wilson and Daly have been criticized because their data suggest
a role for genes but not for environment. |
|
|
Term
What is the difference between a genotype and a
phenotype? |
|
Definition
The genotype is the underlying genetic material that helps
determine the phenotype, the outward appearance and
range of behaviours that is the expression of those genes
plus their interaction with the environment. |
|
|
Term
The evolution of a bigger brain did not mean humans
would become more intelligent. What was necessary
for this to happen? |
|
Definition
Our evolving intelligence depended not on brain size but
on the kind of tissue that developed and expanded in the
brain. |
|
|
Term
What were two evolutionary advances most critical in
human evolution? |
|
Definition
The two evolutionary advances that were most critical in
human evolution were bipedalism and encephalization. |
|
|
Term
| What is meant by heritability? |
|
Definition
Heritability is a measure of the relative influence of genetics
in determining an organism’s constellation of traits and
behaviours. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Though we do not have a comprehensive answer to the question
of why language evolved, communication would have
conferred many advantages. |
|
|
Term
How did language help provide a basis for cultural
evolution? |
|
Definition
Communication allows for major advances that produce
changes quickly in response to environmental conditions. |
|
|
Term
| Could gossip have evolved? |
|
Definition
Yes, gossip could have evolved as a means of sharing information
and manipulating the environment. |
|
|
Term
Why is language described as being responsible for
cultural evolution? |
|
Definition
Language is described as being responsible for cultural evolution,
which is the tendency of cultures to respond adaptively,
through learning, to environmental change. Cultural
evolution has given rise to major advances in toolmaking,
agricultural practices, and the development and refinement
of industry and technology. The use of language allows our
species to make these rapid adjustments to changes in environmental
conditions. |
|
|
Term
Why is depression difficult to explain with evolutionary
theory? |
|
Definition
If depression was well grounded with evolutionary theory, we
should see more depressives reviewing their behaviour for a
better outcome. |
|
|
Term
| Why would a phobia be adaptive? |
|
Definition
Even without learning them, some behaviours can be potentially
advantageous in certain situations. For example, some
snakes are poisonous, so fear of snakes could be beneficial.
Fear all the time would be better than no fear. |
|
|
Term
Why should you hope to wear the red uniform when
you play sports? |
|
Definition
Research has shown that wearing red seems to confer a
psychological advantage. |
|
|
Term
Why should fifth-grade teachers not mark with
a red pen? |
|
Definition
Red pen has been shown to negatively affect students’
performance. |
|
|
Term
When Peter and Rosemary Grant studied several
species of Darwin’s finches, they discovered that
major climate changes affected which populations
of finches survived. This is an example of _______
a. heritability. c. natural selection.
b. the all-or-none law. d. nature versus nurture. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Sharon is involved in a project in which she observes
the behaviours of young children. She is most able to
directly observe their _______
a. genotypes. c. chromosomes.
b. phenotypes. d. DNA. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Suppose you carried out a study to assess whether
there is a genetic component to “sense of humour.”
To conclude that genetics plays a role, you would
want to find that _______
a. DZ twins are more similar in their sense of
humour than MZ twins.
b. DZ twins always have a better sense of humour
than MZ twins.
c. MZ twins always have a better sense of humour
than DZ twins.
d. MZ twins are more similar in their sense of
humour than DZ twins. |
|
Definition
d. MZ twins are more similar in their sense of
humour than DZ twins. |
|
|
Term
According to the inclusive fitness theory, if you
win the lottery you are most likely to give money
to ______
a. your cousin. c. your brother.
b. your sister. d. your father. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
When would you expect the most amount of conflict
between parents and offspring?
a. about the time of weaning
b. in the womb
c. about age seven
d. never |
|
Definition
| a. about the time of weaning |
|
|
Term
What made sociobiology controversial?
a. no data
b. data collected in nonhumans
c. inconsistent data
d. plagiarized data |
|
Definition
| b. data collected in nonhumans |
|
|
Term
What is the Cinderella effect?
a. when girls believe they are going to meet a prince
b. when one foot is a different size than the other
c. when children living with a step-parent are at risk
for abuse
d. when children living with both biological parents
are at risk for abuse |
|
Definition
c. when children living with a step-parent are at risk
for abuse |
|
|
Term
Why would cognitive psychologists talk about the
brain as if it were a computer?
a. Both contain wires and chips that you do not see.
b. To do a task, both must solve a series of
information-processing problems.
c. We are really simple organisms.
d. There have been no other explanations of how
organisms do tasks. |
|
Definition
b. To do a task, both must solve a series of
information-processing problems. |
|
|
Term
Is language an adaptation or a by-product?
a. a by-product
b. an adaptation
c. both a by-product and an adaptation
d. We cannot know because we do not know the
true evolutionary history. |
|
Definition
d. We cannot know because we do not know the
true evolutionary history. |
|
|
Term
Suppose you had a phobia. Which of the following is
likely not to be something you naturally fear?
a. water c. spiders
b. snakes d. heights |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
What is the pattern of information flow through the
major parts of each neuron? |
|
Definition
In general, the dendrites receive incoming signals. The soma
integrates information from the many dendrites and then
passes that information along to the axon. |
|
|
Term
| What is meant by the “all-or-none law”? |
|
Definition
The all-or-none law suggests that, once the threshold for
firing has been reached, the strength of an action potential
is constant. |
|
|
Term
How do neurotransmitters pass from one neuron to the
next? |
|
Definition
Neurotransmitters are released into synapses when synaptic
vesicles rupture; the neurotransmitters then bind to receptor
molecules on the receiving neuron. |
|
|
Term
What chemical substance is the most common
inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain? |
|
Definition
| GABA is the brain’s most common inhibitory neurotransmitter. |
|
|
Term
What are the advantages of fMRI over other brainimaging
techniques? |
|
Definition
fMRI allows researchers to make claims about both structures
and functions. |
|
|
Term
What are the two major divisions of the autonomic
nervous system? |
|
Definition
The autonomic nervous system is divided into the sympathetic
and parasympathetic divisions. |
|
|
Term
| What are some of the major functions of the amygdala? |
|
Definition
The amygdala plays a role in emotional control and the
formation of emotional memories. |
|
|
Term
What processing styles are reflected by the two
hemispheres of the brain? |
|
Definition
For most individuals, the processing style of the left
hemisphere is relatively more analytic, whereas the processing
style of the right hemisphere is relatively more holistic. |
|
|
Term
| Why is the pituitary gland often called the master gland? |
|
Definition
The pituitary gland produces hormones that influence the
activity of all the other endocrine glands. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Neurogenesis is the creation of new neurons. |
|
|
Term
One of the jobs of _______ is to receive stimulation
from other neurons.
a. axons c. synapses
b. terminal buttons d. dendrites |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
After Jonas withdraws money from the bank, he has
to wait two minutes before his card will work again.
This sounds a lot like the _______ in neural
transmission.
a. all-or-none law c. refractory period
b. action potential d. ion channels |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Wilma is creating an illustration of neural
transmission. She leaves a small gap between a
terminal button on one neuron and the dendrite of
the next. She should label that gap the _______
a. ion channel. c. node of Ranvier.
b. glia. d. synapse. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Bea has decided to undergo an acupuncture
treatment to help her with her back pain. You explain
that researchers believe that acupuncture leads to
the release of _______ in the brain.
a. GABA c. endorphins
b. acetylcholine d. dopamine |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Suppose you want to understand the genetics of
impulsivity. You might concentrate your research
on variations in genes that affect the brain’s use
of _______
a. glia. c. GABA.
b. dopamine. d. ion channels. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which technique allows researchers to create
reversible “lesions”?
a. fMRI c. PET scans
b. rTMS d. EEG |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The _______ nervous system processes incoming
neural messages and sends commands to different
parts of the body.
a. central c. somatic
b. autonomic d. peripheral |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
After he experienced damage to his _______, H. M.
experienced difficulties acquiring new information.
a. reticular formation c. hippocampus
b. thalamus d. Broca’s area |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
As you are chatting with Tejus, you notice that she is
right-handed. You think it is most likely that her ability
to produce speech is controlled by _______
a. her left hemisphere.
b. her right hemisphere.
c. both the left and right hemispheres.
d. neither the left nor the right hemisphere. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which brain structure serves as a relay station
between the brain and the endocrine system?
a. the hippocampus c. the pons
b. the hypothalamus d. the amygdala |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Brain-imaging techniques reveal that the brain
representation of the fingers of the left hand is
enhanced for people who play the violin versus
nonplayers. This result provides an example of
_______
a. neurogenesis. c. lateralization.
b. heritability. d. brain plasticity. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
When people listen to _______ music, they are likely
to experience relatively more activity in the _______
hemisphere of their brains.
a. happy; left c. sad; left
b. happy; right d. upbeat tempo; right |
|
Definition
|
|
