UNDERSTANDING PSYCHOLOGY BY MORRIS & MIASTO 12TH
EDITION (CHAPTER 1) REVIEW EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
LATEST UPDATE
What are the major subfields of psychology?
Developmental, physiological, experimental, personality, clinical & counseling, social, &
industrial & organization.
What is the focus of Developmental Psychology?
The study of how people grow & change physically, cognitively, emotionally, & socially,
from prenatal to death.
What is the focus of Physiological Psychology?
Includes the biological basis of behavior, thoughts, & emotions. Concerned with the
brain, the nervous system, & the body's biochemistry.
What is the focus of Experimental Psychology?
Investigates basic psychological processes such as sensation & perception, memory,
intelligence, learning, & motivation.
What is the focus of Personality Psychology?
Studies the differences between people & such traits as sociability, emotional stability,
conscientiousness, & self-esteem.
,What is the focus of Clinical & Counseling Psychology?
Applies the principles of psychology to mental health & adjustment. Clinical: focuses on
diagnosis & treatment of mental disorders; Counseling: focuses on "normal" adjustment
issues such as making a difficult decision or coping with a troubled relationship.
What is the focus of Social Psychology?
Explores how society influences thoughts, feelings, & behavior.
What is the focus of Industrial & Organization Psychology?
Applies the principles of psychology to the workplace.
What are the 5 enduring issues that cut across the subfields of psychology?
Person-Situation, Nature-Nurture, Stability-Change, Diversity-Universality, & Mind-Body.
Enduring Issue - Person-Situation
To what extent is the behavior caused by such internal processes as thoughts,
emotions, motives, attitudes, values, personality, & genes? In contrast, to what extent is
behavior caused by such external factors as incentives, environmental cues, & the
presence of other people?
Enduring Issue - Nature-Nurture
, To what extent are we the product of innate, inborn tendencies, & to what extend are we
a reflection of experiences & upbringing? What is the relative influence of genes versus
experience?
Enduring Issue - Stability-Change
Are the characteristics we develop in childhood more or less permanent or fixed, or do
we change significantly over the course of our lives?
Enduring Issue - Diversity-Universality
Does our understanding of behavior apply equally well to every human? Men/women?
Racial/ethnic group or particular societies? Do we need "different psychologies" to
account for the wide diversity of human behaviors?
Enduring Issue - Mind-Body
How are our mind & body connected? The relationship between thoughts & feelings &
our biological processes (such as the nervous system).
How is psychology like other sciences?
Like all scientists, psychologists use the scientific method to describe, understand,
predict, & achieve some measure of control over what they study.
What is the scientific method?
An approach to knowledge that relies on collecting data, generating a theory to explain
the data, producing testable hypotheses based on the theory, & testing them empirically.
EDITION (CHAPTER 1) REVIEW EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
LATEST UPDATE
What are the major subfields of psychology?
Developmental, physiological, experimental, personality, clinical & counseling, social, &
industrial & organization.
What is the focus of Developmental Psychology?
The study of how people grow & change physically, cognitively, emotionally, & socially,
from prenatal to death.
What is the focus of Physiological Psychology?
Includes the biological basis of behavior, thoughts, & emotions. Concerned with the
brain, the nervous system, & the body's biochemistry.
What is the focus of Experimental Psychology?
Investigates basic psychological processes such as sensation & perception, memory,
intelligence, learning, & motivation.
What is the focus of Personality Psychology?
Studies the differences between people & such traits as sociability, emotional stability,
conscientiousness, & self-esteem.
,What is the focus of Clinical & Counseling Psychology?
Applies the principles of psychology to mental health & adjustment. Clinical: focuses on
diagnosis & treatment of mental disorders; Counseling: focuses on "normal" adjustment
issues such as making a difficult decision or coping with a troubled relationship.
What is the focus of Social Psychology?
Explores how society influences thoughts, feelings, & behavior.
What is the focus of Industrial & Organization Psychology?
Applies the principles of psychology to the workplace.
What are the 5 enduring issues that cut across the subfields of psychology?
Person-Situation, Nature-Nurture, Stability-Change, Diversity-Universality, & Mind-Body.
Enduring Issue - Person-Situation
To what extent is the behavior caused by such internal processes as thoughts,
emotions, motives, attitudes, values, personality, & genes? In contrast, to what extent is
behavior caused by such external factors as incentives, environmental cues, & the
presence of other people?
Enduring Issue - Nature-Nurture
, To what extent are we the product of innate, inborn tendencies, & to what extend are we
a reflection of experiences & upbringing? What is the relative influence of genes versus
experience?
Enduring Issue - Stability-Change
Are the characteristics we develop in childhood more or less permanent or fixed, or do
we change significantly over the course of our lives?
Enduring Issue - Diversity-Universality
Does our understanding of behavior apply equally well to every human? Men/women?
Racial/ethnic group or particular societies? Do we need "different psychologies" to
account for the wide diversity of human behaviors?
Enduring Issue - Mind-Body
How are our mind & body connected? The relationship between thoughts & feelings &
our biological processes (such as the nervous system).
How is psychology like other sciences?
Like all scientists, psychologists use the scientific method to describe, understand,
predict, & achieve some measure of control over what they study.
What is the scientific method?
An approach to knowledge that relies on collecting data, generating a theory to explain
the data, producing testable hypotheses based on the theory, & testing them empirically.
