Question 1

In a survey conducted on October 26, researchers find that 55% of the registered voters favor the passage of the school bond issue.These survey results illustrate which goal of psychology?
A)description
B)prediction
C)understanding
D)control

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a survey conducted on October 26,...

Question 2

Students who do well on an intelligence test tend to do well in their school grades.This ability of the IQ tests to forecast future school success illustrates which goal of psychology?
A)description
B)prediction
C)understanding
D)control

Accepted Answer

The ability of the IQ tests to predict future school success shows that the goal of psychology being illustrated is prediction.

Question 3

For most psychologists, control refers to
A)punishment of unwanted responses.
B)legal limitations on the use of conditioning principles.
C)techniques for reducing personal freedom of choice.
D)altering conditions that influence behavior.

Accepted Answer

Control in psychology typically refers to altering or manipulating conditions that influence behavior. This can include adjusting environmental factors, providing reinforcement or punishment, or implementing interventions to change a person's behavior. It does not generally refer to punishments or legal limitations, nor does it aim to reduce personal freedom of choice.

Question 4

John's poor performance in reading was found to be due to visual discrimination problems.This determination of the cause for his poor reading performance illustrates which goal of psychology?
A)description
B)prediction
C)understanding
D)control

Accepted Answer

Understanding is the goal of psychology that is illustrated by determining the cause of John's poor reading performance as visual discrimination problems. This involves explaining why a behavior occurs.

Question 5

Animal studies have helped us in our understanding of
A)stress, learning, obesity, aging, and sleep.
B)how to care for domestic animals.
C)how to care for the endangered species in zoos.
D)all of these.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Animal studies have helped us in our...

Question 6

Which question below relates most directly to the goal of controlling behavior?
A)Do men and women differ in intellectual abilities?
B)How can test anxiety be prevented?
C)Why does a blow to the head cause memory loss?
D)Does depth perception occur when an individual has only one eye?

Accepted Answer

Preventing test anxiety is directly related to controlling behavior, as it aims to manage and reduce anxious behavior during testing situations. The other options do not directly relate to controlling behavior.

Question 7

A psychologist uses systematic desensitization to assist a student in overcoming test anxiety.This illustrates the goal of
A)description.
B)prediction.
C)control.
D)understanding.

Accepted Answer

Using systematic desensitization to overcome test anxiety is an example of attempting to control behavior, specifically the anxiety response during a testing situation.

Question 8

Why questions refer to which of psychology's goals?
A)description
B)understanding
C)preservation
D)control

Accepted Answer

Why questions are focused on understanding the reason or cause for a behavior or phenomenon, which is a key aspect of psychology's goal of understanding human behavior and mental processes.

Question 9

An engineering psychologist helps redesign an airplane to make it safer to fly.The psychologist's work reflects which goal of psychology?
A)description
B)control
C)prediction
D)understanding

Accepted Answer

The goal of control in psychology is to use scientific knowledge to influence behavior in beneficial ways. In this case, the engineering psychologist is using knowledge gained from psychological research to redesign the airplane in a way that will make it safer to fly.

Question 10

_____ is a frequently questioned and misunderstood goal of psychology because it _____.
A)Control; may seem like a threat to personal freedom
B)Description; does not provide any useful information
C)Understanding; often refers to constructs we cannot see
D)Prediction; stereotypes people

Accepted Answer

Control is often misunderstood as it can be perceived as a threat to personal freedom, as it involves influencing or managing behavior.

Question 11

The psychological goal of understanding behavior is achieved when
A)control over behavior is made possible.
B)a careful description of behavior is made.
C)psychologists can explain why a behavioral phenomenon occurs.
D)empirical evidence is obtained.

Accepted Answer

Understanding behavior means being able to explain why a particular behavior occurs. This goes beyond just describing the behavior or obtaining empirical evidence. Control over behavior is not necessarily the goal of psychology, although it may be an outcome in some cases.

Question 12

An industrial psychologist uses psychometric tests and interviews to select the best candidate for a specialized task.The psychologist's work directly illustrates which goal of psychology?
A)description
B)understanding
C)prediction
D)control

Accepted Answer

The psychologist's work directly illustrates the goal of prediction, which is the ability to forecast future behavior based on current data. The use of psychometric tests and interviews is aimed at predicting how a candidate will perform in a specialized task, making this the best choice. The goal of description is to accurately describe and measure behavior or mental processes, while understanding seeks to explain the causes of behavior. Control involves using psychological knowledge to influence or manipulate behavior for a specific purpose. None of these goals are directly demonstrated by the psychologist's work in this scenario.

Question 13

When current knowledge about an individual and his or her environment can be used to accurately forecast behavior at another time or in another setting, the scientific goal of _____ has been achieved.
A)description
B)understanding
C)prediction
D)control

Accepted Answer

The scientific goal of prediction is achieved when current knowledge can be used to accurately forecast behavior at another time or in another setting. Description simply involves summarizing the characteristics of an individual or environment, understanding involves explaining why certain behavior occurs, and control involves manipulating variables to cause behavior to occur or cease.

Question 14

Which goal of psychology is illustrated by a psychologist seeking to discover why sociopaths tend to repeat their destructive behavior?
A)understanding
B)prediction
C)description
D)control

Accepted Answer

The goal of understanding is to gain insight into why individuals behave in a particular way, which is relevant in this scenario where the psychologist is seeking to understand the underlying causes of sociopathic behavior.

Question 15

Research on "bystander apathy" reveals that people often fail to help when other possible helpers are nearby due to a "diffusion of responsibility." Explaining this perplexing problem meets which goal of psychology?
A)description
B)prediction
C)understanding
D)control

Accepted Answer

Understanding why people fail to help in the presence of others is a key goal of social psychology which aims to explain human behavior and thoughts in social situations.

Question 16

On an old science fiction series, TV viewers were always able to tell which crew member would be the most likely to die when the crew was exploring a new planet.It was the crew member wearing the yellow suit, although one never knew the reason for this occurrence.The ability to forecast the demise of the yellow-suited crew member illustrates the ability to
A)describe behavior.
B)predict behavior.
C)understand behavior.
D)influence or control behavior.

Accepted Answer

The ability to forecast the demise of the yellow-suited crew member is an example of predicting behavior.

Question 17

A psychologist who observes a child for a week and writes a report that identifies and classifies the child's behavior is working toward the goal of
A)description.
B)understanding.
C)prediction.
D)control.

Accepted Answer

The psychologist is observing and classifying the child's behavior, which is a method of describing their behavior. This is the goal of the descriptive method in psychology.

Question 18

The goals of psychology are to describe, understand, _____, and control behavior.
A)predict
B)preserve
C)perpetuate
D)prescribe

Accepted Answer

One of the primary goals of psychology is to predict future behavior based on past observations and behavior patterns. This helps psychologists identify potential issues and develop treatment plans accordingly. Describing and understanding behavior are also important aspects of psychology, but predicting behavior is crucial to the field's practical applications. Controlling behavior, on the other hand, is a controversial topic and not a primary goal of psychology. Preserving and perpetuating behavior are not goals of psychology either. Prescribing behavior would be unethical and not aligned with the principles of psychology.

Question 19

Michelle has learned to avoid situations in which she tends to abuse alcohol.She is exercising the goal of
A)manipulation.
B)prediction.
C)explanation.
D)control.

Accepted Answer

The goal of Michelle's behavior is to control her alcohol abuse by avoiding situations that trigger it.

Question 20

The goals of psychology are to
A)develop effective methods of psychotherapy and cure mental illness.
B)describe, understand, predict, and control behavior.
C)research, infer, summarize, and publish.
D)compare, analyze, and control human behavior.

Accepted Answer

The goals of psychology are to describe, understand, predict, and control behavior. While psychotherapy and curing mental illness may be a focus of some psychologists, it is not the overarching goal of the field. Research, inference, summarization, comparison, and analysis are all important aspects of conducting psychological research, but they are not the primary goals of psychology as a discipline.

Quiz 1: Extension A: Introduction to Psychology and Research Methods

In a survey conducted on October 26, researchers find that 55% of the registered voters favor the passage of the school bond issue.These survey results illustrate which goal of psychology?

Students who do well on an intelligence test tend to do well in their school grades.This ability of the IQ tests to forecast future school success illustrates which goal of psychology?

For most psychologists, control refers to

John's poor performance in reading was found to be due to visual discrimination problems.This determination of the cause for his poor reading performance illustrates which goal of psychology?

Animal studies have helped us in our understanding of

Which question below relates most directly to the goal of controlling behavior?

A psychologist uses systematic desensitization to assist a student in overcoming test anxiety.This illustrates the goal of

Why questions refer to which of psychology's goals?

An engineering psychologist helps redesign an airplane to make it safer to fly.The psychologist's work reflects which goal of psychology?

_ is a frequently questioned and misunderstood goal of psychology because it _.

The psychological goal of understanding behavior is achieved when

An industrial psychologist uses psychometric tests and interviews to select the best candidate for a specialized task.The psychologist's work directly illustrates which goal of psychology?

When current knowledge about an individual and his or her environment can be used to accurately forecast behavior at another time or in another setting, the scientific goal of _____ has been achieved.

Which goal of psychology is illustrated by a psychologist seeking to discover why sociopaths tend to repeat their destructive behavior?

Research on "bystander apathy" reveals that people often fail to help when other possible helpers are nearby due to a "diffusion of responsibility." Explaining this perplexing problem meets which goal of psychology?

A psychologist who observes a child for a week and writes a report that identifies and classifies the child's behavior is working toward the goal of

The goals of psychology are to describe, understand, _____, and control behavior.

Michelle has learned to avoid situations in which she tends to abuse alcohol.She is exercising the goal of

The goals of psychology are to