Question 1

Which type of early psychologist believed that "the whole is more than the sum of its parts"?

Accepted Answer

This statement is the fundamental principle of Gestalt psychology, which emphasizes the importance of studying perception and experience as a whole, rather than breaking them down into isolated components.

Question 2

The class is playing a game of Jeopardy! and it is your turn. "I'll take Pioneers in Psychology for $50." The revealed answer is "Focused on unconscious influences on behavior." Just before the buzzer sounds, what will you say?

Accepted Answer

The answer provided is a clear reference to Sigmund Freud and his psychoanalytic theory, which focused extensively on the role of the unconscious mind in shaping behavior. B.F. Skinner and the behaviorists were primarily concerned with the role of the environment in shaping behavior, while the humanists emphasized the importance of personal growth and subjective experience.

Question 3

The school of psychology called structuralism used a technique called ________, which involved reporting the contents of consciousness to study a person's experiences.

Accepted Answer

The school of psychology called structuralism used a technique called objective introspection, which involved reporting the contents of consciousness to study a person's experiences.

Question 4

The belief that the unconscious mind has an influence on one's behavior is part of what early field of psychology?

Accepted Answer

The belief that the unconscious mind has an influence on behavior is a fundamental concept of psychoanalytic theory, which was one of the earliest fields of psychology. Structuralism and functionalism focused on the conscious experience, while behaviorism rejected the concept of the unconscious altogether.

Question 5

Who was an early proponent of functionalism?

Accepted Answer

William James was an early proponent of functionalism, which emphasized the adaptive purpose and function of behavior and mental processes rather than their structure. Ivan Pavlov and Wilhelm Wundt were associated with the development of behaviorism and structuralism, respectively. Max Wertheimer was a founder of Gestalt psychology.

Question 6

The early perspective called Gestalt psychology has evolved into the current perspective called ________.

Accepted Answer

Gestalt psychology was focused on the idea that people's perceptions are more than the sum of their individual sensations. This idea evolved into the cognitive psychology perspective, which takes a broader look at mental processes such as attention, perception, memory, and problem-solving.

Question 7

How our minds help us adapt to the world around us was a primary question addressed by which early movement of psychology?

Accepted Answer

Functionalism was an early movement in psychology that sought to understand how mental processes function to help individuals adapt to their environment. This approach emphasized the practical application of psychology to everyday life and the study of behavior in real-life situations.

Question 8

What is the best analogy for Wundt's and Titchener's mission for psychology?

Accepted Answer

Wundt and Titchener aimed to identify the basic elements or building blocks of conscious experience, similar to how a chart lists the basic chemical elements.

Question 9

What did Sigmund Freud consider as the key to understanding the nervous disorders he observed?

Accepted Answer

Sigmund Freud believed that the key to understanding nervous disorders was through accessing and interpreting the unconscious mind. He developed the field of psychoanalysis, which focused on uncovering and resolving unconscious conflicts and repressed emotions as a way to alleviate psychological distress.

Question 10

Which of the following terms do NOT belong together?

Accepted Answer

Structuralism focuses on analyzing the conscious experience into its basic elements, whereas observable behavior is a focus of behaviorism. They do not belong together.

Question 11

Why was the perspective followed by Wilhelm Wundt and his followers called structuralism?

Accepted Answer

The perspective followed by Wilhelm Wundt and his followers was called structuralism because their primary focus was on describing the structure of the mind. They aimed to break down conscious experience into its basic components and analyze the sensory experiences that make up the structure of our conscious awareness.

Question 12

"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts" is a statement associated with the perspective of ________.

Accepted Answer

The principle "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" is a fundamental idea of Gestalt psychology, which emphasizes the importance of looking at the entirety of an experience or perception, rather than just examining individual components.

Question 13

If an individual believed that why people think and feel as they do is more important than what they think and how they think, that individual would be a proponent of the ________approach to psychology.

Accepted Answer

The functionalist approach to psychology focuses on why people behave and think as they do, rather than just the structure of their experiences. This approach is interested in how mental processes serve adaptive purposes and help individuals meet their goals. Therefore, someone who believes that why people think and feel as they do is more important than what they think and how they think would align with the functionalist approach.

Question 14

While on a visit to a large city, you observe several billboards in which a series of lights seems to move. Which perspective in psychology would most likely help you understand this phenomenon?

Accepted Answer

The Gestalt perspective focuses on the way that we interpret and organize sensory information in order to make sense of the world around us. The moving lights on the billboards are an example of how our brain integrates and organizes visual stimuli in order to create the perception of movement.

Question 15

Gestalt psychology attempted to discover:

Accepted Answer

Gestalt psychology sought to understand the overall patterns of perceptions and thoughts, rather than breaking them down into basic components. It emphasized how the brain organizes sensory information into meaningful wholes.

Question 16

Which noted African-American psychologist held a post as president of Shaw University in North Carolina and then president of Virginia State College?

Accepted Answer

Robert Prentiss Daniel held posts as president of both Shaw University in North Carolina and Virginia State College.

Question 17

The structuralists were important in the history of psychology because they:

Accepted Answer

The structuralists were interested in examining consciousness and the basic elements or structures of mental processes through introspection. This approach to studying the mind was the foundation of the early psychological movement, and their focus on the structure of experience paved the way for later schools of psychology, such as functionalism and behaviorism.

Question 18

Early psychologist Edward Titchener taught ________at Cornell University. This woman became famous for becoming the first woman to receive the Ph.D. in psychology.

Accepted Answer

Edward Titchener taught at Cornell University and Margaret F. Washburn is famous for being the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in psychology.

Question 19

Which psychologist was the first African American to receive a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Chicago in 1925?

Accepted Answer

Charles Henry Thompson was the first African American to receive a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Chicago in 1925.

Question 20

The first African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in psychology in the United States was ________in 1934 at the University of Minnesota.

Accepted Answer

Ruth Howard is recognized as the first African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. in psychology in the United States, which she received in 1934 from the University of Minnesota.

Quiz 1: The Science of Psychology