AP Psych Module #1 Quiz

By seeking to measure “atoms of the mind,” who established the first psychology laboratory?

Wihelm Wundt

Which philosopher proposed that nerve pathways allowed for reflexes?

René Descartes

Who coined the term “tabula rasa” (blank slate) to help explain the impact experience has on shaping an individual?

John Locke

Which of the following best describes research typical of Wihelm Wundt’s first psychology laboratory?

Measuring the reaction time between hearing a sound and pressing a button

With which of the following statements would John B. Watson most likely agree?

Psychology should focus on observable behavior

Why did John B. Watson object to the definition preferred by Wundt, Titchener, and James? What group of psychologists did Watson’s ideas influence? How did Watson redefine psychology?

Watson objected to the “science of mental life” because he felt it was impossible to be scientific without observation; Watson’s ideas influenced the behaviorists; Watson preferred limiting psychology to behavior because behavior could be observed and scientifically analyzed.

What perspective is most likely to address how the encoding, storing, and retrieval of information might alter our thoughts?

Cognitive

Who would most likely study the interaction of people, machines, and physical environments?

Human factors psychologist

Psychiatrists differ from psychologists in that they

are medical doctors licensed to prescribe medication

A humanistic psychologist working with some poets might ask which question?

How can we get them to reach their highest potential?

Besty works in a human resources department. She plans training sessions, recruits people to work for the company, and implements techniques to boost morale around the office. Betsy is most likely a(n)

industrial-organizational psychologist

George is said to have an “easy-going” personality. How might the biopsychosocial approach be used to explain an easy-going personality?

Biological factors would include George’s genetic, physiological, and chemical makeup. For instance, George’s easy-going manner may be the result of brain chemistry; Psychological factors would include a discussion of how George learned that an easy-going personality makes people want to spend time with him. In response, he keeps anxiety and negative feelings to himself. He has the perception that others do not want to deal with his stress and anxiety; Social-cultural factors would include George’s family or cultural upbringing and expectations. If those who surround George expect him to be relaxed and laid-back, and this is what is supported in his community, George will be likely to act accordingly.

Six months ago, Carlos emigrated from Spain to the United States. Although fluent in English and an honor student in Spain, Carlos has had difficulty completing his assignments since moving to the United States. His parents don’t understand why he is not succeeding like he did in his last school. Carlos has quit participating in family traditions.

Explain how each of the following psychological perspectives might explain Carlos’behavior:

• Psychodynamic

• Cognitive

1\. Psychodynamic perspective can explain Carlos' change in study habits because of the transition of emigrating to the US. Maybe Carlos is having some inner conflicts that he is unaware of and this is how it is affecting his performance in school. His unconscious conflicts also show through his choice to stop participating in family traditions. This is possibly because he feels he is being stripped/taken away from his roots/heritage as another conflict he is unaware of/doesn't know how to react to. He is having inner conflict with the move that he cannot pin point and name/call it a conflict and that in turn effects his school life and family life. \n \n 2. Cognitive perspective can explain Carlos' behavior because he is possibly feeling angry about the move but doesn't know how to reason out why they had to move. Also, maybe he had a lot of friends he left behind in Spain and was upset about leaving them and left him feeling lost with no answer. Thus, that feeling of loss in turn made him feel angry and now he is resentful and is losing track of his priorities(school). Falling behind in his studies might be out of spite from the move or it could be because he is internally struggling and doesn't know how to solve the problem. He could also be upset/angry with his family for moving and maybe not want to participate in family traditions anymore. He may believe they're the reason he had to move to the US and lost all his friends and heritage. He could be upset and not know how to deal with it or he could be purposefully doing it. Either way, his internal issues and social issues clash and he is less like his old self, it is a huge behavioral change. Carlos may also be pressured by his parents and expected to succeed in school and that makes him upset that they have such high expectations that he cannot meet now in the US.

Which psychologists most strongly emphasize that human behavior is powerfully influenced by the interaction between people and their physical, social, political, and economic environments?

Community

Which psychologists would be most likely to investigate biological, psychological, cognitive, and social changes over time?

Developmental

A psychologist investigates the methods teachers use to enhance student learning. With which subfields is the psychologist most likely aligned?

Educational Psychology

A psychologist works with children whose parents are divorcing. She helps them develop skills they need to cope with the situation. What kind of psychologist is most likely helping these children?

Counseling

Dwayne is interested in helping people make good decisions regarding their physical well-being. Dwayne should consider a career as a

health psychologist

Anisha, a high school junior, has been struggling recently in many areas of her life. She is overweight and spends several hours a day watching television. She is having trouble keeping up in her classes and says she cannot seem to keep her focus. She also is having trouble making friends and “fitting in” at school.

Explain how the following applied psychologists might attempt to help Anisha’s current situation.

• Health psychologists

• Social psychologists

• Counseling psychologists

A health psychologist might attempt to find ways to encourage Anisha to lead a more active lifestyle and focus on improving her diet and creating an exercise program. This should help her to lose some weight and become healthier in her daily habits; A school psychologist might work with Anisha’s parents, teachers, and counselors to determine why she is struggling in her classes and make recommendations for improving her classroom performance; A counseling psychologist might work with Anisha to find out why she has recently found numerous aspects of her life more challenging and might work on strategies for helping Anisha cope with challenging situations, such as how to make friends

Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, causing a staggering loss of life and cultural heritage and billions of dollars in damage. How might each of the following have contributed to making life better in New Orleans following the hurricane?

• Clinical psychologists

• Social psychologists

1) A clinical psychologist could contributed by evaluating communities and offering help to the people psychologically affected by the disaster  \n \n 2) A social psychologist could help by encouraging positive interaction between the communities. A social psychologist could contribute helping people work together to work through the damage to New Orleans and many families.

Which perspective would be most useful when explaining how people from different countries express anger?

Social cultural

The debate about the relative contributions of biology and experience to human development is most often referred to as what?

The nature-nurture issue

Which professionals is required to have a medical degree?

Psychiatrist

Which psychological principle best explains why studying an hour a day for a week is more effective than one 7-hour study session?

Distributed practice

Which kinds of psychologists would most likely explore how we process and remember information?

Cognitive

According to the behaviorist perspective, psychological science should be rooted in what?

Observation

Which psychologists would most likely conduct psychotherapy?

Clinical

Which field of psychology is most interested in studying the link between mental activity and brain activity?

Cognitive neuroscience

What was the main difference between the psychological thinking of Wilhelm Wundt and earlier philosophers who were also interested in thinking and behavior?

Wundt and his students gathered data about human thinking and behavior in a laboratory setting.

Which school of psychology focused on the adaptive nature of thinking and how our consciousness evolves to meet our needs?

Functionalist

The study of the importance of satisfying love and acceptance needs best describes which school of psychology?

Humanistic

Which statement is the best example of applied research?

Using psychological concepts to boost worker productivity

Self-reflective introspection about the elements of experience best describes a technique used by which school of psychology?

Structuralists

Which psychological perspective is most likely to focus on how our interpretation of a situation affects how we react to it?

Cognitive

The science of behavior and mental processes is the definition of which field of study?

Psychology

Arianna is nervous around large crowds, and often leaves social situations like school dances and parties because she feels like she might have a panic attack. Her father died when she was a young girl, but she still often has nightmares about his death. Arianna enjoys school, and because she generally receives good grades, she appreciates the positive feedback from her teachers that encourages her to improve her academic skills. Using the seven major modern approaches to psychology, explain how each approach might explain Arianna’s behavior.

The biological approach would likely attribute Arianna’s nervousness to brain chemistry, hormones, or genetic influences; The evolutionary approach would explore how avoiding social crowds might have been a survival advantage for early humans, such as by reducing exposure to germs and violence; The psychodynamic approach would examine Arianna’s early life and how she dealt with losing her father, focusing on Arianna’s childhood experiences and unconscious anxieties; The behavioral approach would look at how Arianna has learned in the past through rewards and punishments. She may have had a negative experience in a large group in the past and as a result has learned to avoid social gatherings; The cognitive approach would focus on examining how Arianna perceives situations. Her interpretation of social situations may impact the outcome; The humanistic approach would look at how Arianna’s environment may have hindered her growth and self-fulfillment; The social-cultural approach would examine how interactions within the cultures Arianna belongs to influence her expectations about social situations. If her family or other cultural influences encourage her to attend social functions, that might influence her to continue to try attending those kinds of events

What do the roots “psyche” and “logos” mean?

the soul, the study of (the study of the soul)

What is psychology?

the study of behavior

What concept did Plato, Socrates, and Renè Descartes believe in?

Dualism

What is dualism?

the concept of the mind being a separate entity to the body

What concept did Aristotle believe in that clashed with the beliefs of Plato and Socrates?

Aristotle- realism: if I can’t touch, see, taste, or smell it, it’s not real

Plato/Socrates- idealism: opposite

What were the 4 humors and who coined the term?

black bile, yellow bile, blood, phelgm; Hippocrates

What is empiricism?

the idea that what we know comes from experience, observation and experimentation (knowledge is not innate)

What is the evolutionary perspective?

  

**Evolutionary**

1980s - present

David Buss    Martin Daly        Margo Wilson  

Evolutionary bases of behavior in humans and animals

Behavior patterns have evolved to solve adaptive problems; natural selection favors behaviors that enhance reproductive success.

What is psychophysics?

the world and how it is perceived

Who established the first American psychology laboratory and in which school was it in?

G. Stanley Hall; John Hopkins University

Who believed in introspection and what is it?

Edward Titchner; when a person examines their own feelings sensation (self-reflection)

What is structuralism?

vision, hearing, and touch can give you a structure of your mind (using introspection)

What is functionalism?

the function or purpose of the brain; adaptation of living persons to their environment

Who was the first female president of the APA and refused the degree offered by Radcliffe because Harvard would not give her a degree?

Mary Whion Calkins

Who was the first woman to get a PhD in psychology?

Margaret Hay Washburn

Did functionalism or structuralism leave a bigger impact?

Functionalism

What is gestalt?

humans perceive the “whole” not just the parts; the whole (our perceptual experience) is greater than the sum of its parts

What did Sigmund Freud believe in and what was it?

psychoanalysis; behaviors are a result of thoughts and desires that manifest at a level below one’s conscious awareness (to understand behavior, look at early childhood + the unconscious

What is behaviorism?

\
**Behavioral**

1913- present

John Watson     Ivan Pavlov       B.F. Skinner

Effects of environment on the overt behavior of humans and animals

Only observable events (stimulus - response relations) can be studied scientifically. Rewards and punishments shape behavior through conditioning. Behavior shaped by learning. 

What is reinforcement and who is associated with it?

organisms tend to repeat responses that lead to positive outcomes and do not repeat responses that lead to neutral or negative outcomes; B.F. Skinner

What is the humanistic approach?

\
**Humanistic**

1950s - present

Carl Rogers   Abraham Maslow

Unique aspects of human experience

Humans are free, rational beings with the potential for personal growth and are fundamentally different than animals. Choose what's best for growth. Self-actualization. Free will. 

What is the cognitive approach?

\
**Cognitive**

1950s - present

Jean Piaget     Noam Chomsky   Herbert Simon

Thoughts, mental processes

Human behavior cannot be fully understood without examining how people acquire, store and process information. Interpretation of others' actions shape behavior. Schemas.  

What is the biological/neuroscience approach?

\
**Biological/ Neuroscience**

1950s - present

James Olds      Roger Sperry   David Hubel   Torsten Wiesel

Physiological bases of behavior in humans and animals

An organism's functioning can be explained in terms of the bodily structures and biochemical processes that underlie behavior.

What is the psychoanalytic approach?

 

**Psychoanalytic**

1900 - present

Sigmund Freud   Carl Jung         Alfred Adler

Unconsciousness determinants of behavior

Unconscious motives and experiences in early childhood govern personality and mental disorders. Dream interpretations. Unscientific and unverifiable. 

What is the socio-cultural approach?

  

**Socio-Cultural**

1986 -present

Lev Vygotsky

Higher order functions develop out of social interaction

Proposes that children learn behavior through problem-solving interactions with other children and adults. Through these interactions, they learn the values and norms of their society.

What term did Max Wertheimer coin?

Gestalt