PSYCH 210 FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS (LATEST
UPDATED 2026\2027) GRADE A+
Definition of Psychology -CORRECT ANSWERS- The scientific study of the mind and behavior
Definition of Science -CORRECT ANSWERS- Knowledge or a system of knowledge covering general truths
or the operation of general laws, especially as obtained and tested through the scientific method
Psychology as Science (Combined Definition) -CORRECT ANSWERS- A system of knowledge of general
truths, or the operation of general laws of the mind and behavior, as obtained and tested through the
scientific method
APA Mission Aims -CORRECT ANSWERS- To promote the advancement, communication, and application
of psychological science and knowledge to benefit society and improve lives
Evolution of Psychology as a Science -CORRECT ANSWERS- Influenced by natural sciences, particularly
the theories of Isaac Newton (mechanistic determinism) and Charles Darwin (natural
selection/evolution)
Newton's laws -CORRECT ANSWERS- Suggested that humans, both physically and mentally, could be
reduced to mechanistic properties
Darwin's theory -CORRECT ANSWERS- Suggested that people were divorced from divine intervention
Historical Schools of Thought: Structuralism -CORRECT ANSWERS- Focused on consciousness and
introspection (self-reported, descriptive means) to reduce conscious experience into its component
parts
Historical Schools of Thought: Functionalism -CORRECT ANSWERS- Shifted focus to the study of behavior
and searching for lawful relationships between a person's environment and their behavior (external
cause of behavior)
, Behaviorism -CORRECT ANSWERS- Formalized by B. F. Skinner, it fell squarely in the realm of natural
science, focusing on objective, observable behavior (stimulus-response) and divorcing itself from
internal processes/consciousness
Cognitive Science -CORRECT ANSWERS- The current zeitgeist; it is the study of mental processes
(thinking, remembering, intelligence, etc.), applying the experimental methods first developed by
behaviorists
What Makes Science, Science -CORRECT ANSWERS- Science is not a 'thing,' but a process—a way of
thinking—that uses the systematic and stepwise scientific method to ask and answer questions and
uncover explanations
Psychology: Applied vs. Scientific -CORRECT ANSWERS- Psychology is both an applied (e.g., therapy,
counseling) and a scientific field
Psychological Misconception -CORRECT ANSWERS- Commonsense beliefs about the mind, brain, and
behavior that are held contrary to what is known from psychology research
The Problem of Common Sense/Intuition -CORRECT ANSWERS- The pervasive assumption that
psychology is merely common sense leads people to think formal study is unnecessary
Common Psychological Misconceptions -CORRECT ANSWERS- Examples include: Stick with your initial
hunch (90.2%), most people only use 10% of their brains (60.7%), and subliminal messages induce
people to consume products (72.8%)
Scientific Method vs. Intuition -CORRECT ANSWERS- The scientific method is necessary to reduce the
influence of potentially misleading intuitions and allows for the study of psychological phenomena
without beliefs, biases, or gut feelings interfering
'Gut Feelings' -CORRECT ANSWERS- These refer to intuition but are often linked to the enteric nervous
system (ENS), the 'second brain' in the gastrointestinal tract
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS (LATEST
UPDATED 2026\2027) GRADE A+
Definition of Psychology -CORRECT ANSWERS- The scientific study of the mind and behavior
Definition of Science -CORRECT ANSWERS- Knowledge or a system of knowledge covering general truths
or the operation of general laws, especially as obtained and tested through the scientific method
Psychology as Science (Combined Definition) -CORRECT ANSWERS- A system of knowledge of general
truths, or the operation of general laws of the mind and behavior, as obtained and tested through the
scientific method
APA Mission Aims -CORRECT ANSWERS- To promote the advancement, communication, and application
of psychological science and knowledge to benefit society and improve lives
Evolution of Psychology as a Science -CORRECT ANSWERS- Influenced by natural sciences, particularly
the theories of Isaac Newton (mechanistic determinism) and Charles Darwin (natural
selection/evolution)
Newton's laws -CORRECT ANSWERS- Suggested that humans, both physically and mentally, could be
reduced to mechanistic properties
Darwin's theory -CORRECT ANSWERS- Suggested that people were divorced from divine intervention
Historical Schools of Thought: Structuralism -CORRECT ANSWERS- Focused on consciousness and
introspection (self-reported, descriptive means) to reduce conscious experience into its component
parts
Historical Schools of Thought: Functionalism -CORRECT ANSWERS- Shifted focus to the study of behavior
and searching for lawful relationships between a person's environment and their behavior (external
cause of behavior)
, Behaviorism -CORRECT ANSWERS- Formalized by B. F. Skinner, it fell squarely in the realm of natural
science, focusing on objective, observable behavior (stimulus-response) and divorcing itself from
internal processes/consciousness
Cognitive Science -CORRECT ANSWERS- The current zeitgeist; it is the study of mental processes
(thinking, remembering, intelligence, etc.), applying the experimental methods first developed by
behaviorists
What Makes Science, Science -CORRECT ANSWERS- Science is not a 'thing,' but a process—a way of
thinking—that uses the systematic and stepwise scientific method to ask and answer questions and
uncover explanations
Psychology: Applied vs. Scientific -CORRECT ANSWERS- Psychology is both an applied (e.g., therapy,
counseling) and a scientific field
Psychological Misconception -CORRECT ANSWERS- Commonsense beliefs about the mind, brain, and
behavior that are held contrary to what is known from psychology research
The Problem of Common Sense/Intuition -CORRECT ANSWERS- The pervasive assumption that
psychology is merely common sense leads people to think formal study is unnecessary
Common Psychological Misconceptions -CORRECT ANSWERS- Examples include: Stick with your initial
hunch (90.2%), most people only use 10% of their brains (60.7%), and subliminal messages induce
people to consume products (72.8%)
Scientific Method vs. Intuition -CORRECT ANSWERS- The scientific method is necessary to reduce the
influence of potentially misleading intuitions and allows for the study of psychological phenomena
without beliefs, biases, or gut feelings interfering
'Gut Feelings' -CORRECT ANSWERS- These refer to intuition but are often linked to the enteric nervous
system (ENS), the 'second brain' in the gastrointestinal tract
