THINK Psychology 2e / Baird
Chapter 1 – Introduction
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of the following is found in the definition of the term Psychology?
a. Scientific study
b. Cognition
c. Relationships
d. Experimental methods
Answer: A
Page ref: 4
Skill: Factual
Easy
2. Psychologists use the scientific method for all but which of the following purposes?
- Explanation
- Supposition
- Prediction
- Control
Answer: B
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Skill: Conceptual
Easy
3. Maggie was sent to the school psychologist for an intelligence test. Based on the results of that test, it was decided that she would do well in the gifted child program. This is an example of which goal of psychology?
a. Describing behavior
b. Explaining behavior
c. Predicting behavior
d. Controlling behavior
Answer: C
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Skill: Applied
Moderate
4. Luther is a graduate student in clinical psychology, and his thesis research centers around uncovering the precursors of generalized anxiety disorder in college undergraduates. The main question he is asking is, “Why do college undergraduate students seem more susceptible to the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder than non-students of the same age?” Which goal of psychology is Luther’s research exploring?
a. Description
b. Explanation
c. Prediction
d. Control
Answer: B
Page ref: 4
Skill: Applied
Moderate
5. Luther is a graduate student in clinical psychology, and his thesis research centers around uncovering useful treatments for generalized anxiety disorder in college undergraduates. The main question he is asking is, “What are the most effective treatments for reducing the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder in college undergraduate students.” Which goal of psychology is Luther’s research exploring?
a. Description
b. Explanation
c. Prediction
d. Control
Answer: D
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Skill: Applied
Moderate
6. Until very recently, approximately 130 years ago, psychology was considered to be a branch of ______.
- Biology
- Physiology
- Philosophy
- Religion
Answer: C
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Skill: Factual
Easy
7. What is the main reason why many people do not believe that psychology is a science?
- Because much of what psychologists study may be personally experienced.
- Because much of what psychologists study are abstract concepts that have no bearing on the real world.
- Because psychology does not use the rigorous research methodologies of the ‘hard sciences’ like physics and chemistry.
- Because the uniqueness and individuality of every human being makes it truly impossible to generate any scientifically based theories that apply to larger groups of people.
Answer: A
Page ref: 4
Skill: Conceptual
Difficult
8. The view that knowledge originates through experience is called ______.
- scientology
- structuralism
- empiricism
- functionalism
Answer: C
Page ref: 4
Skill: Factual
Easy
9. Lizette is having a conversation with her sister, Drew, who happens to be a psychology researcher. “You know, I really don’t understand how you can claim that psychology is a science,” Lizette says. “You just ask questions and guess as to what the right answer is!” Drew smiles at Lizette and says “Well, I don’t think that you understand much about psychology, sis! We believe in empiricism, which means that
- “the use of logic is an adequate means with which to draw conclusions to problems.”
- “new knowledge comes from our experiences.”
- “there really is no right or wrong, but rather just individual perspectives.”
- “as long as you cannot disprove a researcher’s findings, that research is valid.”
Answer: B
Page ref: 4
Skill: Applied
Moderate
10. Identifying a problem is the first step in a scientific investigation. This step is derived from which goal of psychology?
a. describing
b. explaining
c. predicting
d. controlling
Answer: A
Page ref: 4-5
Skill: Conceptual
Difficult
11. Forming a hypothesis is the third step in a scientific investigation. This step is derived from which goal of psychology?
a. describing
b. explaining
c. predicting
d. controlling
Answer: B
Page ref: 4-5
Skill: Conceptual
Difficult
12. Testing a hypothesis is the fourth step in a scientific investigation. This step is derived from which goal of psychology?
a. describing
b. explaining
c. predicting
d. controlling
Answer: B
Page ref: 4-5
Skill: Conceptual
Difficult
13. The ______method refers to a process for conducting an objective inquiry through data collection and analysis.
- investigative
- experimental
- empirical
- scientific
Answer: D
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Skill: Factual
Easy
14. Once you have established a problem that can be studied empirically the next step is to identify the variables that will be investigated. How many variables that can change throughout an experiment should a researcher investigate?
- Only one variable should change throughout the experiment.
- There are exactly three variables that should change throughout the experiment.
- The number of variables that change can differ based on the particular research question.
- It is impossible to limit the number of variables that can change throughout an experiment.
Answer: A
Page ref: 5
Skill: Conceptual
Difficult
15. Why is it optimal for a researcher to ensure that only one variable changes throughout an experiment?
- Because more than one variable creates a statistical nightmare that is exceedingly difficult to interpret.
- Because multiple variables will require more research participants, and thus more funding.
- Because more than one variable changing can influence our results and lead to incorrect conclusions.
- Because the definition of a true experiment is that only one variable should change at a time; otherwise, it is not an experiment.
Answer: C
Page ref: 5
Skill: Conceptual
Difficult
16. After a researcher has identified a problem that (s)he would like to explore, what is the next step in the scientific method?
- Report the question to established professional journals so that other researchers can get to work trying to find an answer.
- Gather data that can be used to generate a hypothesis about the research question.
- Formulate a hypothesis, or an educated guess, as to what the answer to the research question will be.
- Conduct background research to see what others have found about the question being explored.
Answer: D
Page ref: 5
Skill: Conceptual
Moderate
17. Dr. Esterson is studying the effect of caffeine on laboratory rats. He has decided that he will give the rats 100 milligrams of caffeine three times a day, and then run them through mazes at various points to see if there is any change in the time it takes to complete the maze. Based on his review of existing research addressing this topic, Dr. Esterson believes that the rats will complete the maze the fastest immediately after they ingest the caffeine. Dr. Esterson’s belief about the results he will find is called a(n):
- covariate.
- construct.
- theory.
- hypothesis.
Answer: D
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Skill: Applied
Moderate
18. Which of the following is an accurate synonym for the term ‘hypothesis’?
- An educated guess.
- A conclusion based on gathered data.
- An answer to a question that is based on logic.
- An untestable supposition.
Answer: A
Page ref: 5
Skill: Factual
Easy
19. “I wonder why Jim is so mean to Louise,” Mary commented to Sheila over coffee. “Maybe other people have always been mean to him, and so he is really angry all of the time. Maybe that makes him treat Louise badly, even though they are supposed to be in love,” replies Sheila. According to the scientific method, Sheila has just posed a ______.
- theory
- problem
- hypothesis
- relative truth
Answer: C
Page ref: 5
Skill: Applied
Moderate
20. After reading about the possible causes of schizophrenia, a scientist thinks that a virus is the most likely cause. What term most accurately describes the scientist’s idea?
a. hypothesis
b. dependent variable
c. formulation
d. theory
Answer: A
Page ref: 5
Skill: Applied
Moderate
21. “People who have relationship difficulties clearly have unresolved unconscious issues that remain from difficult experiences during childhood,” a researcher hypothesizes. What is the basic error of this hypothetical statement?
a. It is too subjective, and may be based on the researcher’s own personal issues.
b. It is not based on any specific, clearly stated problem.
c. The researcher’s hypothesis cannot be proven or disproven and thus is not open to scientific inquiry.
d. The hypothesis has been presented before any empirical data was collected to verify it.
Answer: C
Page ref: 5
Skill: Conceptual
Difficult
22. The very last step of the scientific method is to
- Conduct background research.
- Test your hypothesis.
- Generate a theory.
- Report you results.
Answer: D
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Skill: Factual
Easy
23. Dr. Hendricks conducts a thorough experimental investigation into the effects of alcohol consumption on the driving ability of college students. He concludes that even small amounts of alcohol – less than would make a person legally intoxicated – can still have very serious effects on one’s ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. According to the scientific method, what should Dr. Hendricks do with his conclusions?
- Report the findings by publishing in a scholarly journal or presenting at a research conference.
- Make sure to tell his students that alcohol is not safe, so that his research can potentially save lives.
- Hold onto his findings until he has conducted the same experiment several more times to verify his findings.
- Contact the local newspaper so that he can let the general public know what he found.
Answer: A
Page ref: 6
Skill: Applied
Moderate
24. Which of the following would be a good title for a book discussing the scientific method?
a. “The Rules: Do NOT bend!”
b. “The Scientific Method: Different processes for different questions.”
c. “The Scientific Method: Why empiricism is the wrong way to go.”
d. “Science vs. Logic: Who would win?”
Answer: B
Page ref: 6
Skill: Conceptual
Difficult
25. Dr. Llewellyn conducted research into the effects of classroom temperature on exam score, and hypothesized that subjects who took a test in a colder room would do better on that test than subjects who took a test in a warmer room. After he gathered his data, he found exactly the opposite of what he hypothesized. What should Dr. Llewellyn do now?
- He should use a different research method so that he can find ways of proving his hypothesis.
- He should look for other explanations for his observations and construct a new hypothesis.
- He should find a new research question, because research is not valuable when our hypotheses are disproven by the data.
- He should conduct his research again repeatedly until he gets the data that he was expecting.
Answer: B
Page ref: 6
Skill: Applied
Moderate
26. Which of the following is the most important reason why researchers should report their results?
- So that other researchers can use those findings as the basis for future investigation.
- Because research is a “publish or perish” world and failure to report your findings means that you will probably lose your job.
- Because research is not considered valuable until others have lent their support to it.
- So that the subjects who were investigated can go to professional journals and read the findings.
Answer: A
Page ref: 6
Skill: Conceptual
Easy
27. ______thinking is a way of processing information in which a person examines assumptions, evaluates evidence, looks for hidden agendas, and assesses conclusions.
a. Empirical
b. Subjective
c. Critical
d. Psychological
Answer: C
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Skill: Factual
Easy
28. Byron was reading an article in the New York Times that discussed the effectiveness of a new medication for those suffering from scleroderma. The article interviewed the medicine’s inventor, who gave a plethora of information as to why this medication is safe, effective, and economical. Because Byron is a critical thinker, he is cautious in his acceptance of the article’s claims. Why?
a. Byron understands that anything printed in a newspaper should be viewed with caution because it is not a scholarly journal.
b. Byron knows that medical science cannot possibly produce a medication that can be both effective and safe while also being economical.
c. The article does not actually report on the methods used in the research, so the methods must have something wrong with them.
d. Byron knows that the medicine’s inventor may have an agenda that influences his interpretation of the research into the safety and effectiveness of the new medicine.
Answer: D
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Skill: Applied
Easy
29. Which of the following statements best summarizes the concept known as dualism?
a. We are all alone in the world until we found a person with whom we can share our innermost secrets.
b. The mind exists as an entity that is separate from the body.
c. All research requires the presents of exactly two variables – one independent and one dependent variable.
d. Psychology is the result of the merging of two disciplines – biology and philosophy.
Answer: B
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Skill: Factual
Moderate
30. Who was the first philosopher to investigate Socrates’s idea that the mind is distinct from the body?
a. René Descartes
b. John Locke
c. Aristotle
d. Wilhelm Wundt
Answer: A
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Skill: Factual
Difficult
31. What did John Locke mean when he stated that the human mind is a tabula rasa?
a. Human beings are naturally evil.
b. We are like sponges that can only hold a specific amount of information.
c. We are born with no innate knowledge.
d. We are nothing more than the sum of our chromosomes, and we can never exceed the restrictions of genetics.
Answer: C
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Skill: Conceptual
Moderate
32. ______is often credited as being the father of modern psychology.
a. Wilhelm Wundt
b. Plato
c. Sigmund Freud
d. William James
Answer: A
Page ref: 7
Skill: Factual
Easy
33. In 1879 in Germany, the first psychological laboratory was developed by ______.
a. Edward Titchener
b. Sigmund Freud
c. Max Wertheimer
d. Wilhelm Wundt
Answer: D
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Skill: Factual
Easy
34. Titchener believed psychologists should analyze complex experiences in terms of ______.
a. individual emotions and sensations.