Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
,OpenStax Psychology 2e Test Bank – Chapter 1: Introduction to Psychology
Multiple Choice
1. Which choice is an accurate definition of a hypothesis?
A. An idea that proves a theory
B. A means of explaining social phenomena
C. A way of looking at the world
*D. A tentative explanation
Text Section: 1.1 What is Psychology?
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
2. Psychology refers to the ________.
A. empirical study of humanity
B. experimental study of individuals
*C. scientific study of the mind and behavior.
D. systematic study of human interaction
Text Section: 1.1 What is Psychology?
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
3. Which of the following choices refers to a broad explanation or group of explanations for
some aspect of the natural world that is consistently supported by evidence over time?
A. critical thinking
B. hypothesis
C. statistical validation
*D. scientific theory
Text Section: 1.1 What is Psychology?
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
4. The empirical method of study is based on ________.
A. logical positivism.
*B. observation of phenomena.
C. practice of skills or procedures.
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
,D. statistical validation.
Text Section: 1.1 What is Psychology?
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
5. Which of the following exemplifies the empirical method?
A. A student in a psychology class writes his term paper on whether or not fish feel pain.
B. A student writes a letter to his professor requesting a change in course policy.
C. Dr. Hysock-Witham decides to start her course later because so many students arrive late.
*D. Dr. Sarkeesian observes and records how watching cartoons influences heart rates.
Text Section: 1.1 What is Psychology?
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
6. Which individual wrote Principles of Physiological Psychology and is credited with
establishing a scientific laboratory of Psychology at the University of Leipzig?
A. Wolfgang Köhler
B. Sigmund Freud
*C. Wilhelm Wundt
D. William James
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
7. Introspection refers to a process by which someone examines ________ as objectively as
possible.
A. another person’s consciousness
*B. their own conscious experience
C. their own unconscious wishes
D. the social construction of consciousness
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
8. Guillermo spends some time each day applying the principles of structuralism to examine his
own conscious experience as carefully as possible. Guillermo is engaged in ________.
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
,A. behaviorism
B. client-centered therapy
*C. introspection
D. psychoanalysis
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
9. Which of the following is a criticism of structuralism?
A. Scientific instruments were not sensitive enough to measure precise reaction times.
B. Structuralism was parsimonious.
*C. The process was highly subjective.
D. Wilhelm Wundt falsified his results.
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Evaluation
Difficulty: Difficult
10. Functionalist psychologists focus on the function of behavior and ________.
A. explaining the subconscious
B. the operation of individual parts of the mind
*C. the operation of the whole mind rather than the individual parts
D. understanding the id, ego, and superego
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
11. Which of the following is an example of an objective measure used by functionalists?
*A. examination of anatomy and physiology
B. examination of existing archives and records
C. the use of introspection of one’s own experiences
D. interviews with research participants
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Moderate
12. According to William James, what was the true purpose of psychology?
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
,A. To interpret dreams for their unconscious messages
*B. Studying the function of behavior in the world
C. The manipulation human behavior to the betterment of society
D. Examining the structure and characteristics of the mind
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
13. A(n) ________ , also known as an operant chamber, is an instrument that isolates an animal
from the external environment and allows a researcher to control that animal’s rewards and
punishments
A. Gestalt room
B. isolation chamber
*C. Skinner box
D. Watson manipulator
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Moderate
14. Which of the following is one of the reasons that Gestalt psychology did not become more
popular in the United States?
*A. The rise of behaviorism overshadowed Gestalt psychology.
B. The proponents were supported and funded by the Nazi party.
C. European psychology is not as rigorous as American psychology.
D. The theories were not based on measurable data.
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Difficult
15. Behaviorism focuses on making psychology an objective science by ________.
A. studying how emotional responses influence behavior while deemphasizing the importance of
the subconscious
B. studying implicit motivations for behavior through the use of implicit association tests
*C. studying overt behavior and deemphasizing the importance of unobservable mental
processes
D. studying the genetic basis for behavior and theorizing how instincts influence behavior
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
,Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Difficult
16. Which perspective within psychology that emphasizes the potential for good that is innate to
all humans.
A. Behaviorism
B. Gestalt psychology
*C. Humanism
D. Structuralism
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
17. For which concept is Abraham Maslow best known?
A. Classical conditioning of non-human animals
B. Dream analysis for the latent and manifest content of a dream
*C. Proposing a hierarchy of human needs in motivating behavior
D. Studying the influence of reinforcement and punishment on behavior
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
18. A series of dots arranged in the shape of a face will be perceived as a face, not a series of
dots. A psychologist studying this phenomenon is applying the principals of ________.
*A. Gestalt psychology
B. humanism
C. psychoanalytic theory
D. structuralism
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Difficult
19. Which of the following exemplifies the unconditional positive regard component of client-
centered therapy?
*A. Abby tells her therapist that she tripped a small child who got in her way, and her therapist
accepts this information without judgment.
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
,B. Boris tells his therapist that that he needs stronger medication and his therapist prescribes it.
C. Natasha is late for her therapy session and her therapist believes she did this because she
unconsciously dislikes therapy.
D. Xavier receives a hug from the doctor when he arrives on time; he does not get a hug when he
arrives late.
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
20. The cognitive revolution created an impetus for psychologists to focus their attention on
better understanding ________.
A. emotions and cultural norms that underlie emotional responses
B. genetics and the evolutionary adaptations that underlie behavior
C. stimulus-response and the instincts that underlie human reaction to pain
*D. the mind and mental processes that underlie behavior
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
21. Select the correctly ordered list of psychological perspectives, with the earliest perspective
listed first.
A. humanism, behaviorism, structuralism, functionalism
B. humanism, structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism
*C. structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism, humanism
D. structuralism, functionalism, humanism, behaviorism
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Difficult
22. What do structuralism, Gestalt psychology, and Sigmund Freud all have in common?
A. They were all concerned with describing and understanding animal behavior.
*B. They were all concerned with describing and understanding the inner experience.
C. They were all concerned with diagnosing and treating female psychosis.
D. They were all concerned with the nature of evil during the Nazi regime.
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Difficult
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
,23. Which of the following is not part of feminist psychology?
A. discovering the contributions of women to psychology
*B. favoring women over men
C. questioning the practice of science itself when it is male biased
D. studying psychological gender differences
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Difficult
24. Who was the first African American to receive a PhD in psychology in the United States?
A. Carl Rogers
*B. Francis Cecil Sumner
C. Naomi Weisstein
D. Noam Chomsky
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
25. In looking at the area of multicultural psychology, what is a recognized deficit of this
particular area of study?
*A. It can describe what happens between cultures, but not explain why those differences occur.
B. It ignores the relative importance of White psychologists to the larger field.
C. It is biased by serious political agendas among its researchers.
D. There are not enough non-White researchers engaged in data collection.
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Evaluation
Difficulty: Difficult
26. Which famous female psychologist completed all of the requirements for a doctorate in
psychology but was denied that degree because of her sex?
A. Margaret Floy Washburn
B. Inez Prosser
C. Mary Ainsworth
*D. Mary Whiton Calkins
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Moderate
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
,27. Penelope studies how the structure and function of the nervous system is related to behavior.
She is a ________.
*A. biopsychologist
B. developmental psychologist
C. humanist
D. social psychologist
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
28. Lucy wants to study changes in physical attributes, cognitive skills, moral reasoning, and
social behavior across the lifespan. Lucy should specialize in ________ psychology.
A. cognitive
*B. developmental
C. personality
D. social
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
29. What should be changed to make the following statement true? Jean Piaget is famous for his
theories regarding changes in emotional ability that occur as we move from infancy to adulthood.
*A. The word “emotional” should be changed to the word “cognitive.”
B. The word “famous” should be changed to the word “infamous.”
C. The word “infancy” should be changed to the word “adolescence.”
D. The name “Jean Piaget” should be changed to “Abraham Maslow.”
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Difficult
30. In developmental psychology, there is an increasing interest in researching cognitive changes
that occur later in life. Why?
A. The elderly are contracting more cognitive diseases.
B. People in developed nations revere the elderly.
*C. Populations of developed nations are living longer.
D. Populations of developing nations are dying sooner.
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
, Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
31. Cognitive psychology focuses on studying ________.
A. genetics and the effect of genetics on behavior
B. sensation and the effect of culture on perception
C. the effect of gender, race, and class on behavior
*D. thoughts and their relationship to our experiences and our actions
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
32. In the study of personality, the ________ model includes different traits that are believed to
underlie each individual’s basic tendencies.
A. H.O.P.E.S.
B. Either-Or
C. Fifth Dimension
*D. Five Factor
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Moderate
33. Edmund wants to identify relatively consistent patterns of thought and behavior, measure
these traits, and determine how these traits interact in a particular context to determine how a
person will behave in any given situation. Edmund wants to conduct research in the area of
________.
A. cognition
B. perception
*C. personality
D. social psychology
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
34. When studying personality traits, someone who is hardworking, dependable, and organized
will score high on the ________ trait.
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
,OpenStax Psychology 2e Test Bank – Chapter 1: Introduction to Psychology
Multiple Choice
1. Which choice is an accurate definition of a hypothesis?
A. An idea that proves a theory
B. A means of explaining social phenomena
C. A way of looking at the world
*D. A tentative explanation
Text Section: 1.1 What is Psychology?
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
2. Psychology refers to the ________.
A. empirical study of humanity
B. experimental study of individuals
*C. scientific study of the mind and behavior.
D. systematic study of human interaction
Text Section: 1.1 What is Psychology?
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
3. Which of the following choices refers to a broad explanation or group of explanations for
some aspect of the natural world that is consistently supported by evidence over time?
A. critical thinking
B. hypothesis
C. statistical validation
*D. scientific theory
Text Section: 1.1 What is Psychology?
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
4. The empirical method of study is based on ________.
A. logical positivism.
*B. observation of phenomena.
C. practice of skills or procedures.
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
,D. statistical validation.
Text Section: 1.1 What is Psychology?
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
5. Which of the following exemplifies the empirical method?
A. A student in a psychology class writes his term paper on whether or not fish feel pain.
B. A student writes a letter to his professor requesting a change in course policy.
C. Dr. Hysock-Witham decides to start her course later because so many students arrive late.
*D. Dr. Sarkeesian observes and records how watching cartoons influences heart rates.
Text Section: 1.1 What is Psychology?
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
6. Which individual wrote Principles of Physiological Psychology and is credited with
establishing a scientific laboratory of Psychology at the University of Leipzig?
A. Wolfgang Köhler
B. Sigmund Freud
*C. Wilhelm Wundt
D. William James
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
7. Introspection refers to a process by which someone examines ________ as objectively as
possible.
A. another person’s consciousness
*B. their own conscious experience
C. their own unconscious wishes
D. the social construction of consciousness
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
8. Guillermo spends some time each day applying the principles of structuralism to examine his
own conscious experience as carefully as possible. Guillermo is engaged in ________.
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
,A. behaviorism
B. client-centered therapy
*C. introspection
D. psychoanalysis
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
9. Which of the following is a criticism of structuralism?
A. Scientific instruments were not sensitive enough to measure precise reaction times.
B. Structuralism was parsimonious.
*C. The process was highly subjective.
D. Wilhelm Wundt falsified his results.
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Evaluation
Difficulty: Difficult
10. Functionalist psychologists focus on the function of behavior and ________.
A. explaining the subconscious
B. the operation of individual parts of the mind
*C. the operation of the whole mind rather than the individual parts
D. understanding the id, ego, and superego
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
11. Which of the following is an example of an objective measure used by functionalists?
*A. examination of anatomy and physiology
B. examination of existing archives and records
C. the use of introspection of one’s own experiences
D. interviews with research participants
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Moderate
12. According to William James, what was the true purpose of psychology?
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
,A. To interpret dreams for their unconscious messages
*B. Studying the function of behavior in the world
C. The manipulation human behavior to the betterment of society
D. Examining the structure and characteristics of the mind
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
13. A(n) ________ , also known as an operant chamber, is an instrument that isolates an animal
from the external environment and allows a researcher to control that animal’s rewards and
punishments
A. Gestalt room
B. isolation chamber
*C. Skinner box
D. Watson manipulator
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Moderate
14. Which of the following is one of the reasons that Gestalt psychology did not become more
popular in the United States?
*A. The rise of behaviorism overshadowed Gestalt psychology.
B. The proponents were supported and funded by the Nazi party.
C. European psychology is not as rigorous as American psychology.
D. The theories were not based on measurable data.
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Difficult
15. Behaviorism focuses on making psychology an objective science by ________.
A. studying how emotional responses influence behavior while deemphasizing the importance of
the subconscious
B. studying implicit motivations for behavior through the use of implicit association tests
*C. studying overt behavior and deemphasizing the importance of unobservable mental
processes
D. studying the genetic basis for behavior and theorizing how instincts influence behavior
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
,Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Difficult
16. Which perspective within psychology that emphasizes the potential for good that is innate to
all humans.
A. Behaviorism
B. Gestalt psychology
*C. Humanism
D. Structuralism
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
17. For which concept is Abraham Maslow best known?
A. Classical conditioning of non-human animals
B. Dream analysis for the latent and manifest content of a dream
*C. Proposing a hierarchy of human needs in motivating behavior
D. Studying the influence of reinforcement and punishment on behavior
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
18. A series of dots arranged in the shape of a face will be perceived as a face, not a series of
dots. A psychologist studying this phenomenon is applying the principals of ________.
*A. Gestalt psychology
B. humanism
C. psychoanalytic theory
D. structuralism
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Difficult
19. Which of the following exemplifies the unconditional positive regard component of client-
centered therapy?
*A. Abby tells her therapist that she tripped a small child who got in her way, and her therapist
accepts this information without judgment.
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
,B. Boris tells his therapist that that he needs stronger medication and his therapist prescribes it.
C. Natasha is late for her therapy session and her therapist believes she did this because she
unconsciously dislikes therapy.
D. Xavier receives a hug from the doctor when he arrives on time; he does not get a hug when he
arrives late.
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
20. The cognitive revolution created an impetus for psychologists to focus their attention on
better understanding ________.
A. emotions and cultural norms that underlie emotional responses
B. genetics and the evolutionary adaptations that underlie behavior
C. stimulus-response and the instincts that underlie human reaction to pain
*D. the mind and mental processes that underlie behavior
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
21. Select the correctly ordered list of psychological perspectives, with the earliest perspective
listed first.
A. humanism, behaviorism, structuralism, functionalism
B. humanism, structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism
*C. structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism, humanism
D. structuralism, functionalism, humanism, behaviorism
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Difficult
22. What do structuralism, Gestalt psychology, and Sigmund Freud all have in common?
A. They were all concerned with describing and understanding animal behavior.
*B. They were all concerned with describing and understanding the inner experience.
C. They were all concerned with diagnosing and treating female psychosis.
D. They were all concerned with the nature of evil during the Nazi regime.
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Difficult
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
,23. Which of the following is not part of feminist psychology?
A. discovering the contributions of women to psychology
*B. favoring women over men
C. questioning the practice of science itself when it is male biased
D. studying psychological gender differences
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Difficult
24. Who was the first African American to receive a PhD in psychology in the United States?
A. Carl Rogers
*B. Francis Cecil Sumner
C. Naomi Weisstein
D. Noam Chomsky
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
25. In looking at the area of multicultural psychology, what is a recognized deficit of this
particular area of study?
*A. It can describe what happens between cultures, but not explain why those differences occur.
B. It ignores the relative importance of White psychologists to the larger field.
C. It is biased by serious political agendas among its researchers.
D. There are not enough non-White researchers engaged in data collection.
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Evaluation
Difficulty: Difficult
26. Which famous female psychologist completed all of the requirements for a doctorate in
psychology but was denied that degree because of her sex?
A. Margaret Floy Washburn
B. Inez Prosser
C. Mary Ainsworth
*D. Mary Whiton Calkins
Text Section: 1.2 History of Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Moderate
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
,27. Penelope studies how the structure and function of the nervous system is related to behavior.
She is a ________.
*A. biopsychologist
B. developmental psychologist
C. humanist
D. social psychologist
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
28. Lucy wants to study changes in physical attributes, cognitive skills, moral reasoning, and
social behavior across the lifespan. Lucy should specialize in ________ psychology.
A. cognitive
*B. developmental
C. personality
D. social
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
29. What should be changed to make the following statement true? Jean Piaget is famous for his
theories regarding changes in emotional ability that occur as we move from infancy to adulthood.
*A. The word “emotional” should be changed to the word “cognitive.”
B. The word “famous” should be changed to the word “infamous.”
C. The word “infancy” should be changed to the word “adolescence.”
D. The name “Jean Piaget” should be changed to “Abraham Maslow.”
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Difficult
30. In developmental psychology, there is an increasing interest in researching cognitive changes
that occur later in life. Why?
A. The elderly are contracting more cognitive diseases.
B. People in developed nations revere the elderly.
*C. Populations of developed nations are living longer.
D. Populations of developing nations are dying sooner.
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
, Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
31. Cognitive psychology focuses on studying ________.
A. genetics and the effect of genetics on behavior
B. sensation and the effect of culture on perception
C. the effect of gender, race, and class on behavior
*D. thoughts and their relationship to our experiences and our actions
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
32. In the study of personality, the ________ model includes different traits that are believed to
underlie each individual’s basic tendencies.
A. H.O.P.E.S.
B. Either-Or
C. Fifth Dimension
*D. Five Factor
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Remember
Difficulty: Moderate
33. Edmund wants to identify relatively consistent patterns of thought and behavior, measure
these traits, and determine how these traits interact in a particular context to determine how a
person will behave in any given situation. Edmund wants to conduct research in the area of
________.
A. cognition
B. perception
*C. personality
D. social psychology
Text Section: 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
Bloom’s Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
34. When studying personality traits, someone who is hardworking, dependable, and organized
will score high on the ________ trait.
Copyright 2020, OpenStax, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.
