Test Bank #1
Chapter 1
The Science of Psychology
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. According to the text, psychology is defined as the:
a. study of people’s subjective mental lives.
b. examination of unconscious factors.
c. scientific study of behavior and the mind.
d. study of personality.
Answer: c
Book: Passer
Difficulty: Low
Page: 2
Style: Knowledge
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 1.2
2. Which of the following examples is most consistent with your textbook authors’ definition of the term
behavior?
a. A developmental psychologist counts the number of times a child verbally taunts another student on
the playground to measure aggression.
b. A cognitive psychologist uses a reaction time experiment to assess prejudicial beliefs.
c. A biological psychologist watches the activity of a particular brain area in order to infer an animal’s
emotional state.
d. A clinical psychologist asks a client to describe how she thinks when she gets depressed.
Answer: a
Book: Passer
Difficulty: High
Page: 2
Style: Comprehension
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 3.2
3. The field of psychology is concerned with the scientific study of:
a. directly observable behaviors but not internal states and processes.
b. internal states and processes but not directly observable behaviors.
c. personality and abnormal behavior.
d. directly observable behaviors and internal states and processes.
Answer: d
Book: Passer
Difficulty: Low
Page: 2
Style: Knowledge
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 1.2
4. Compared to other ways of trying to understand the world, critical thinking is unique in that it emphasizes:
a. learning how to personally conduct actual research experiments.
b. taking an active role when attempting to understand something.
c. relying on experts to tell us what is accurate and true.
d. understanding the meaning of particular statistics.
Answer: b
1
, Book: Passer
Difficulty: Medium
Page: 6
Style: Comprehension
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 3.2
5. During dinner one evening, Arial mentions that she just read in a popular magazine that a particular herbal
substance improves memory. She’s very excited about trying this supplement in hopes that it might
improve her grades. Sitting across the table from her, Juan is skeptical. He begins to ask her about such
things as the nature of the evidence regarding the herb’s effectiveness and how big the memory
improvement effect is supposed to be. Juan’s behavior is most consistent with which of the following
concepts discussed in the text?
a. Gestalt psychology
b. functionalism
c. British empiricism
d. critical thinking
Answer: d
Book: Passer
Difficulty: High
Page: 6
Style: Comprehension
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 3.2
6. All of the following were specifically mentioned as questions to consider asking when engaged in critical
thinking about a claim, EXCEPT:
a. are there other possible explanations?
b. what is the evidence?
c. what do other people think about this?
d. what is the most reasonable conclusion?
Answer: c
Book: Passer
Difficulty: Medium
Page: 6
Style: Knowledge
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 3.2
7. Which of the following statements about basic and applied research is TRUE?
a. Basic research is usually less complex and less sophisticated than applied research.
b. Basic research is conducted simply to increase knowledge, whereas applied research is conducted to
solve practical problems.
c. Basic research is conducted to solve practical problems, whereas applied research is conducted simply
to increase knowledge.
d. Despite their different names, basic research and applied research have the exact same primary goals.
Answer: b
Book: Passer
Difficulty: Medium
Page: 9
Style: Knowledge
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 2.2
2
,8. Dr. Adams is a psychologist who works in the area of animal behavior. She has a particular interest in
crows, and her research is primarily aimed at gaining more information about the behaviors of these birds,
such as their mating habits, eating rituals, and so on. Dr. Adams’s research is best categorized as:
a. basic research.
b. applied research.
c. insight research.
d. interaction research.
Answer: a
Book: Passer
Difficulty: Medium
Page: 9
Style: Applied
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 4.4
9. Dr. Kohler is a developmental psychologist who is concerned with some problems in the area of youth
sport, such as overly critical coaches and children with poor self-esteem. He conducts research in which
coaches are observed during games and children are interviewed about their attitudes toward their sport and
their coaches. The results from these observations are then used to create an education program designed to
change coaching behavior and to help increase the self-esteem of the children they coach. Dr. Kohler’s
research is best characterized as:
a. basic research.
b. dualistic research.
c. applied research.
d. functional research.
Answer: c
Book: Passer
Difficulty: High
Page: 9
Style: Applied
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 4.4
10. Which of the following activities best represents basic research?
a. studying methods for reducing depression after the death of a loved one.
b. studying changes in brain chemistry that are associated with depression.
c. studying how to help AIDS victims effectively cope with their disease.
d. studying the effects of a reading program designed to assist disadvantaged children.
Answer: b
Book: Passer
Difficulty: Low
Page: 9
Style: Applied
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 4.4
11. Kruger et al.’s (2005) research on the first instinct fallacy is considered to be an example of which type of
research?
a. basic
b. applied
c. insight
d. interaction
Answer: a
Book: Passer
Difficulty: Medium
Page: 9
3
, Style: Knowledge
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 2.2
12. You are at a party and have just made a new acquaintance. As you talk to this person, you find that you
continue talking to her just because you find her interesting and want to learn more about her. Your
motivation is most similar to the primary goals of:
a. the sociocultural perspective.
b. behaviorism.
c. applied research.
d. basic research.
Answer: d
Book: Passer
Difficulty: Medium
Page: 9
Style: Comprehension
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 2.2
13. The results from Kruger et al.’s (2005) research on the first instinct fallacy nicely illustrates that:
a. a good understanding of empiricism is essential for research to achieve its intended goals.
b. carefully structured competition can decrease intergroup hostility and prejudice.
c. results from basic research can sometimes have implications for applied settings.
d. basic research and applied research are strictly separate entities that have little or no impact on each
other.
Answer: c
Book: Passer
Difficulty: Medium
Page: 9
Style: Comprehension
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 2.2
14. Which of the following goals of psychology takes the form of hypotheses and theories that specify causes
for behavior?
a. description.
b. explanation.
c. control.
d. application.
Answer: b
Book: Passer
Difficulty: Low
Page: 7
Style: Knowledge
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 1.2
15. The four central goals of psychology are:
a. description, explanation, control, application.
b. description, understanding, reduction, influence.
c. rationalize, understanding, prediction, application.
d. simplify, analyze, influence, rationalize.
Answer: a
Book: Passer
Difficulty: Low
Page: 7
4
Chapter 1
The Science of Psychology
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. According to the text, psychology is defined as the:
a. study of people’s subjective mental lives.
b. examination of unconscious factors.
c. scientific study of behavior and the mind.
d. study of personality.
Answer: c
Book: Passer
Difficulty: Low
Page: 2
Style: Knowledge
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 1.2
2. Which of the following examples is most consistent with your textbook authors’ definition of the term
behavior?
a. A developmental psychologist counts the number of times a child verbally taunts another student on
the playground to measure aggression.
b. A cognitive psychologist uses a reaction time experiment to assess prejudicial beliefs.
c. A biological psychologist watches the activity of a particular brain area in order to infer an animal’s
emotional state.
d. A clinical psychologist asks a client to describe how she thinks when she gets depressed.
Answer: a
Book: Passer
Difficulty: High
Page: 2
Style: Comprehension
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 3.2
3. The field of psychology is concerned with the scientific study of:
a. directly observable behaviors but not internal states and processes.
b. internal states and processes but not directly observable behaviors.
c. personality and abnormal behavior.
d. directly observable behaviors and internal states and processes.
Answer: d
Book: Passer
Difficulty: Low
Page: 2
Style: Knowledge
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 1.2
4. Compared to other ways of trying to understand the world, critical thinking is unique in that it emphasizes:
a. learning how to personally conduct actual research experiments.
b. taking an active role when attempting to understand something.
c. relying on experts to tell us what is accurate and true.
d. understanding the meaning of particular statistics.
Answer: b
1
, Book: Passer
Difficulty: Medium
Page: 6
Style: Comprehension
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 3.2
5. During dinner one evening, Arial mentions that she just read in a popular magazine that a particular herbal
substance improves memory. She’s very excited about trying this supplement in hopes that it might
improve her grades. Sitting across the table from her, Juan is skeptical. He begins to ask her about such
things as the nature of the evidence regarding the herb’s effectiveness and how big the memory
improvement effect is supposed to be. Juan’s behavior is most consistent with which of the following
concepts discussed in the text?
a. Gestalt psychology
b. functionalism
c. British empiricism
d. critical thinking
Answer: d
Book: Passer
Difficulty: High
Page: 6
Style: Comprehension
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 3.2
6. All of the following were specifically mentioned as questions to consider asking when engaged in critical
thinking about a claim, EXCEPT:
a. are there other possible explanations?
b. what is the evidence?
c. what do other people think about this?
d. what is the most reasonable conclusion?
Answer: c
Book: Passer
Difficulty: Medium
Page: 6
Style: Knowledge
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 3.2
7. Which of the following statements about basic and applied research is TRUE?
a. Basic research is usually less complex and less sophisticated than applied research.
b. Basic research is conducted simply to increase knowledge, whereas applied research is conducted to
solve practical problems.
c. Basic research is conducted to solve practical problems, whereas applied research is conducted simply
to increase knowledge.
d. Despite their different names, basic research and applied research have the exact same primary goals.
Answer: b
Book: Passer
Difficulty: Medium
Page: 9
Style: Knowledge
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 2.2
2
,8. Dr. Adams is a psychologist who works in the area of animal behavior. She has a particular interest in
crows, and her research is primarily aimed at gaining more information about the behaviors of these birds,
such as their mating habits, eating rituals, and so on. Dr. Adams’s research is best categorized as:
a. basic research.
b. applied research.
c. insight research.
d. interaction research.
Answer: a
Book: Passer
Difficulty: Medium
Page: 9
Style: Applied
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 4.4
9. Dr. Kohler is a developmental psychologist who is concerned with some problems in the area of youth
sport, such as overly critical coaches and children with poor self-esteem. He conducts research in which
coaches are observed during games and children are interviewed about their attitudes toward their sport and
their coaches. The results from these observations are then used to create an education program designed to
change coaching behavior and to help increase the self-esteem of the children they coach. Dr. Kohler’s
research is best characterized as:
a. basic research.
b. dualistic research.
c. applied research.
d. functional research.
Answer: c
Book: Passer
Difficulty: High
Page: 9
Style: Applied
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 4.4
10. Which of the following activities best represents basic research?
a. studying methods for reducing depression after the death of a loved one.
b. studying changes in brain chemistry that are associated with depression.
c. studying how to help AIDS victims effectively cope with their disease.
d. studying the effects of a reading program designed to assist disadvantaged children.
Answer: b
Book: Passer
Difficulty: Low
Page: 9
Style: Applied
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 4.4
11. Kruger et al.’s (2005) research on the first instinct fallacy is considered to be an example of which type of
research?
a. basic
b. applied
c. insight
d. interaction
Answer: a
Book: Passer
Difficulty: Medium
Page: 9
3
, Style: Knowledge
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 2.2
12. You are at a party and have just made a new acquaintance. As you talk to this person, you find that you
continue talking to her just because you find her interesting and want to learn more about her. Your
motivation is most similar to the primary goals of:
a. the sociocultural perspective.
b. behaviorism.
c. applied research.
d. basic research.
Answer: d
Book: Passer
Difficulty: Medium
Page: 9
Style: Comprehension
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 2.2
13. The results from Kruger et al.’s (2005) research on the first instinct fallacy nicely illustrates that:
a. a good understanding of empiricism is essential for research to achieve its intended goals.
b. carefully structured competition can decrease intergroup hostility and prejudice.
c. results from basic research can sometimes have implications for applied settings.
d. basic research and applied research are strictly separate entities that have little or no impact on each
other.
Answer: c
Book: Passer
Difficulty: Medium
Page: 9
Style: Comprehension
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 2.2
14. Which of the following goals of psychology takes the form of hypotheses and theories that specify causes
for behavior?
a. description.
b. explanation.
c. control.
d. application.
Answer: b
Book: Passer
Difficulty: Low
Page: 7
Style: Knowledge
Topic: Science of Psychology
APA Goal: 1.2
15. The four central goals of psychology are:
a. description, explanation, control, application.
b. description, understanding, reduction, influence.
c. rationalize, understanding, prediction, application.
d. simplify, analyze, influence, rationalize.
Answer: a
Book: Passer
Difficulty: Low
Page: 7
4
