Question 1

Recall the levels of analysis described in Ch. 1 of your text. If you were sympathetic to the notion that psychology should limit itself to clearly observable phenomena, on which level of analysis might you concentrate?
A) the brain level
B) the individual level
C) the group level
D) the social level

Accepted Answer

The answer of Recall the levels of analysis described in...

Question 2

Which science uses Zodiac signs to predict the future and provide advice about relationships?
a) astrology
b) astronomy
c) Gestalt
d) Maharishi

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which science uses Zodiac signs to predict...

Question 3

In what way does astrology exemplify a pseudoscience?
A) It purports to help people with their lives.
B) It adopts the terms and topics found in psychology.
C) It makes grandiose claims regarding the influence of its key variables.
D) Its methods resemble those typical of personality psychology.

Accepted Answer

Astrology makes grandiose claims about the influence of celestial bodies on human behavior with no empirical evidence to support it. It relies on subjective interpretations rather than scientific methods and cannot be tested or falsified.

Question 4

According to your text, Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker argues that language is instinctual among human beings. Which of the following eminent psychologists of the past would be LEAST willing to entertain Pinker's claim?
A) Abraham Maslow
B) Roger Sperry
C) Ulrich Neisser
D) B.F. Skinner

Accepted Answer

B.F. Skinner was a behaviorist who believed that language is learned through conditioning and reinforcement, and therefore would argue against Pinker's claim that language is instinctual. Maslow, Sperry, and Neisser were all proponents of the idea that innate factors play a role in human behavior, including language acquisition.

Question 5

Why is psychology so often misrepresented and misapplied?
A) It is highly relevant to people's lives.
B) It has made little real progress in understanding thought and behavior.
C) It focuses on unobservable phenomena.
D) As a discipline, it has been hijacked by pseudopsychologists.

Accepted Answer

Psychology is highly relevant to people's lives, which can lead to misrepresentation and misapplication as individuals and media may oversimplify or misinterpret findings to fit personal beliefs or agendas.

Question 6

You are writing a history of psychology, focusing on the major themes and perspectives that have dominated the field over the past 150 years. Which phrase below offers the most fitting completion to the partial title, The Story of Psychology: __________?
A) Observing the Unobservable
B) Predicting the Unpredictable
C) Explaining the Inexplicable
D) Controlling the Uncontrollable

Accepted Answer

The answer of You are writing a history of psychology,...

Question 7

About how many of psychology's "celebrity practitioners" are legitimate?
A) none is
B) only a minority is
C) about half are
D) a majority is

Accepted Answer

While there are certainly some legitimate celebrity practitioners in psychology, the field is unfortunately plagued by a significant number of individuals who promote problematic or even dangerous ideas and practices. Therefore, only a minority of celebrity practitioners in psychology can be considered legitimate or reliable sources of information.

Question 8

In which century did psychology move from a field based on philosophy and religion to one based on science? A) the 17^th century B) the 18^th century C) the 19^th century D) the 20^th century

Accepted Answer

Psychology shifted from a philosophical and religious field to a scientific one in the 19th century, with the emergence of experimental psychology and the application of the scientific method to the study of behavior and mental processes.

Question 9

What is the guiding principle of astrology?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the guiding principle of astrology?...

Question 10

Psuedopsychology is based on the scientific method.

Accepted Answer

Pseudopsychology refers to any unfounded or unscientific belief or practice related to psychology. It is not based on the scientific method.

Question 11

How do pseudopsychologists differ from psychologists?
A) Psychologists are less likely to help people with their problems than are pseudopsychologists.
B) As compared to pseudopsychologists, psychologists are less likely to make exaggerated claims.
C) Pseudopsychologists are less likely to promote specific moral values than are psychologists.
D) Pseudopsychologists address different topics than do psychologists.

Accepted Answer

Pseudopsychologists differ from psychologists in that they make exaggerated claims about their abilities and the effectiveness of their treatments, while psychologists are trained to rely on empirical evidence and avoid making exaggerated claims.

Question 12

What is the difference between psychology and pseudopsychology?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the difference between psychology and...

Question 13

Psychology does not provide the means to answer all of life's major questions.

Accepted Answer

Psychology is a science that studies behavior and mental processes, but it cannot provide answers to questions related to personal beliefs, opinions, and values. It also cannot explain phenomena that are beyond its scope, such as supernatural events. Furthermore, psychology has its limitations in predicting human behavior accurately.

Question 14

What difficult balance, in regards to using psychology and pseudopsychology, must psychologists maintain?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What difficult balance, in regards to using...

Question 15

Which of the following is an example of pseudopsychology?
A) astronomy
B) astrology
C) Gestalt
D) Maharishi

Accepted Answer

Astrology is considered pseudopsychology as it claims to predict personality traits and future events based on the position of celestial bodies, despite the lack of scientific evidence to support these claims. Astronomy, on the other hand, is a legitimate scientific field that studies celestial objects and phenomena. Gestalt refers to a school of psychology focused on perception and cognition, while Maharishi is a reference to the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of Transcendental Meditation, which could be considered a pseudo-scientific practice.

Question 16

Which discipline is credited with transforming psychology from a philosophical field to a scientific one?
A) biology
B) chemistry
C) physics
D) mathematics

Accepted Answer

Biology is credited with transforming psychology from a philosophical field to a scientific one during the late 19th century with the development of methods for studying the brain and behavior through empirical observation and experimentation.

Question 17

Which of the following alternatives accurately states a key difference between psychology and the other sciences?
A) Psychology is less concerned with practical applications than are some of the other sciences.
B) Psychology is more likely to deal with "morally-loaded" issues than are the other sciences.
C) Psychology is more concerned with the goal of control than are the other sciences.
D) Psychology is less interested in building theories than are the other sciences.

Accepted Answer

Psychology often deals with complex topics such as ethics, human behavior, and emotions that are perceived by some as "morally-loaded" issues. This distinguishes psychology from other sciences that are not necessarily associated with such issues.

Question 18

According to your text, which scientific goal seems to pose a particular challenge for psychology?
A) description
B) prediction
C) explanation
D) control

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to your text, which scientific goal...

Question 19

Which of the following statements best expresses the relationship between psychology and such natural sciences as biology?
A) Psychology is the same as any other natural science.
B) Psychology pursues different goals and uses different methods than do such natural sciences as biology.
C) Psychology is unlikely ever to become a true natural science.
D) Psychology differs in some ways from the other natural sciences.

Accepted Answer

Psychology shares some similarities with natural sciences like biology in terms of studying human behaviors and mental processes, but it differs in some ways, particularly with regards to studying the individual and subjective experiences. Psychology also uses different methods, such as experimental and observational techniques, to gather information about human behavior and cognition. Therefore, while psychology is a natural science, it has its unique characteristics that set it apart from other natural sciences.

Question 20

"The process of observation is a challenging one for psychology, given its subject matter,"offers Frederico. "That's why psychology should investigate only phenomena which are clearly observable," Grady responds. "But psychologists can use observable behavior to make reliable statements about internal processes that can't be seen," counters Holly. "Not to mention, technology continues to expand the range of psychological processes we can actually observe," Indira notes. Which of these discussants is paired with the psychological perspective they most clearly reflect?
A) Grady - psychodynamic perspective
B) Holly - behaviorist perspective
C) Indira - neuroscience perspective
D) Grady - cognitive perspective

Accepted Answer

Indira's focus on the role of technology in expanding the range of psychological processes that can be observed aligns with the perspective of neuroscience, which emphasizes the importance of brain function and structure in explaining behavior and mental processes. The other discussants' perspectives are not clearly aligned with a specific psychological perspective.

Quiz 2: Psychology As a Science

Recall the levels of analysis described in Ch. 1 of your text. If you were sympathetic to the notion that psychology should limit itself to clearly observable phenomena, on which level of analysis might you concentrate?

Which science uses Zodiac signs to predict the future and provide advice about relationships? a) astrology b) astronomy c) Gestalt d) Maharishi

In what way does astrology exemplify a pseudoscience?

According to your text, Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker argues that language is instinctual among human beings. Which of the following eminent psychologists of the past would be LEAST willing to entertain Pinker's claim?

Why is psychology so often misrepresented and misapplied?

You are writing a history of psychology, focusing on the major themes and perspectives that have dominated the field over the past 150 years. Which phrase below offers the most fitting completion to the partial title, The Story of Psychology: __________?

About how many of psychology's "celebrity practitioners" are legitimate?

In which century did psychology move from a field based on philosophy and religion to one based on science?

What is the guiding principle of astrology?

Psuedopsychology is based on the scientific method.

How do pseudopsychologists differ from psychologists?

What is the difference between psychology and pseudopsychology?

Psychology does not provide the means to answer all of life's major questions.

What difficult balance, in regards to using psychology and pseudopsychology, must psychologists maintain?

Which of the following is an example of pseudopsychology?

Which discipline is credited with transforming psychology from a philosophical field to a scientific one?

Which of the following alternatives accurately states a key difference between psychology and the other sciences?

According to your text, which scientific goal seems to pose a particular challenge for psychology?

Which of the following statements best expresses the relationship between psychology and such natural sciences as biology?