CHAPTERS 1 & 2 INTRODUCTION AND RESEARCH METHODS
PRACTICE TEST
1.
According to the text, the definition of psychology states that psychology is the
study of
a.
behavior and mental processes
b.
thought, perception, and emotion
c.
human and animal behavior
d.
conscious and unconscious processes
2.
In a class lecture, Professor Hamilton emphasized the extent to which genetic
abnormalities can contribute to psychological disorders. The professor’s lecture
highlighted a
perspective in psychology.
a.
psychodynamic
b.
behavioral
c.
biological
d.
social-cultural
e.
cognitive
3.
Mrs. Morris believes that her niece has learned to play the flute because she
consistently rewards her efforts to learn with praise and affection. Her belief
best illustrates a ___ perspective in psychology.
a.
psychiatric
b.
cognitive
c.
biological
d.
psychodynamic
e.
behavioral
4.
Rita has recently begun to feel anxious and paranoid. These feelings cause her to
miss work quite frequently. It would be most beneficial for Rita to contact a(n)
____ psychologist.
a.
developmental
b.
clinical
c.
psychiatrist
d.
personality
e.
psychoanalyst
5.
Professor Stanton predicts that because people are especially attracted to those
who are good-looking, handsome men will be more successful than average-looking
men in securing employment. The professor’s suggestion regarding employment
success exemplifies
a.
an independent variable
b.
c.
d.
a correlation
a hypothesis
a theory
6.
Dr. Hammond wants to conduct a study that will explore the conditions under which
some children are completely rejected by their peers. Dr. Hammond begins his
study on the first day of a new school year and he carefully observes and records
the behavior of first-graders in the classroom at a local elementary school. Dr.
Hammond is using the ___ method.
a.
survey
b.
naturalistic observation
c.
case study
d.
experimental method
e.
correlational
7.
In order to understand the unusual behavior of an adult client, a clinical
psychologist has carefully investigated the client’s current life situation and his
physical, social, and educational history. Which research method has the
psychologist employed?
a.
the survey
b.
the case study
c.
experimentation
d.
naturalistic observation
8.
In which type of research is a representative sample of people asked to answer
questions about their behaviors or opinions?
a.
experimentation
b.
the survey
c.
the case study
d.
naturalistic observation
9.
A correlation between physical attractiveness and dating frequency of +0.60 would
indicate that
a.
More frequent dating is associated with higher levels of physical
attractiveness.
b.
More frequent dating is associated with lower levels of physical
attractiveness.
c.
It is impossible to predict levels of physical attractiveness based on
knowledge of dating frequency.
d.
Physical attractiveness has no causal influence on dating frequency.
10.
Which of the following correlations represents the strongest relationship between
two variables?
a.
.00
b.
+.50
c.
-.10
d.
+.01
e.
-.83
11.
In the control group of an experiment, the
a.
experimenter exerts the greatest influence on participants’ behavior.
b.
research participants are exposed to all the different experimental
treatments.
c.
research participants are exposed to the most favorable levels of
experimental treatment.
d.
experimental treatment is absent.
12.
Being randomly assigned to the experimental condition in a research project
involved being assigned
a.
to that condition by chance
b.
to the condition in which subjects are representative of people in general
c.
in a fashion that ensures that the independent variable will have a strong
impact
d.
to the condition in which subjects are all very similar in personality
characteristics
13.
In a study of the effects of alcohol consumption, some participants drank a
nonalcoholic beverage that smelled and tasted like alcohol. This nonalcoholic
beverage was a
a.
dependent variable
b.
replication
c.
placebo
d.
random sample
e.
double-blind
14.
Allison has volunteered to participate in an experiment evaluating the effectiveness
of aspirin. Neither she nor the experimenters know whether or not the pills she
takes during the experiment contain aspirin or are merely placebos. The
experimenters are using the
a.
naturalistic observation procedure
b.
random sampling procedure
c.
double-blind procedure
d.
single-blind procedure
15.
In order to understand the parenting behavior of pandas, two psychologists spent
three years observing panda in the mountains of Western China. The method used
was most likely
a.
naturalistic observation
b.
the case study method
c.
survey method
d.
the experimental method
16.
A psychologist is studying the effects of fatigue on competition. She has subjects
skip one, two, or three nights of sleep and then play a competitive game, noting the
number of points scored by subjects in the three conditions. In this example, the
dependent variable is
a.
the number of points scored
b.
number of games played
c.
number of nights sleep was missed
d.
fatigue
17.
Dr. Albert conducted a study in which he explored the relationship between
caffeine consumption and the ability to memorize words on a list. What is the
independent variable?
a.
the length of the word list to be remembered
b.
time between learning and attempting recall
c.
amount of caffeine consumed
d.
the number of words recalled
18.
Which name is associated with psychoanalysis?
a.
William James
b.
Sigmund Freud
c.
Carl Rogers
d.
Ivan Pavlov
e.
Wilhelm Wundt
19.
The major emphasis of the behavioral perspective in understanding behavior is the
role of
a.
biological processes and heredity
b.
learning and environmental factors
c.
mental processes
d.
the unconscious and early childhood experiences
20.
The main focus of social psychology is on
a.
the diagnosis and treatment of social problems
b.
how people feel, think, and behave in social situations
c.
how people grow, develop, and change throughout the lifespan
d.
the relationships between people and their work environment
ANSWERS
1. A
2. C
3. E
4. B
5. C
6. B
7. B
8. B
9. A
10. E
11. D
12. A
13. C
14. C
15. A
16. A
17. C
18. B
19. B
20. B