AP Psych Unit I Test
Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
____
1. Who would be most likely to emphasize the role of the unconscious in affecting behavior?
a. Ivan Pavlov
b. John B. Watson
c. Sigmund Freud
d. William James
e. Carl Rogers
____
2. Which perspective is most concerned with the unique ways in which individuals interpret their own
life experiences?
a. biological
b. evolutionary
c. psychodynamic
d. behavioral
e. cognitive
____
3. Dr. Tiao conducts basic research on the effects of head injuries on people's problem-solving and
abstract-reasoning skills. Which psychological specialty does her research best represent?
a. industrial-organizational psychology
b. developmental psychology
c. biological psychology
d. clinical psychology
e. personality psychology
____
4. Mr. Christian has designed a camera with buttons that are easy to reach and see. Mr. Christian is
most likely
a. engaged in introspection.
b. engaged in applied research.
c. conducting basic research.
d. a cognitive psychologist.
e. using psychometrics.
____
5. A concern with the reasoning processes that contribute to effective problem solving is most
characteristic of the ________ perspective.
a. social-cultural
b. behavioral
c. biological
d. cognitive
e. evolutionary
____
6. Janna has low self-esteem because she is often teased for being overweight. Appreciating the
complexity of Janna's difficulties requires
a. structuralism.
b. massed practice.
c. psychoanalysis.
d. introspection.
e. a biopsychosocial approach.
____
7. Dr. Santaniello conducts basic research on how children's moral thinking changes as they grow
older. It is most likely that Dr. Santaniello is a(n) ________ psychologist.
a. clinical
b. social
c. biological
d. developmental
e. industrial-organizational
____
8. Mrs. Alfieri believes that her husband's angry outbursts against her result from his unconscious
hatred of his own mother. Mrs. Alfieri is looking at her husband's behavior from a(n) ________
perspective.
a. psychodynamic
b. behavioral
c. evolutionary
d. biological
e. social-cultural
____
9. Which of the following best describes the view of the mind held by Plato and Socrates?
a. The mind is made up of knowledge that is a result of our experiences.
b. The mind results from biological processes produced by neural transmissions.
c. The mind is separate from the body and continues after the body dies.
d. The mind should be studied through careful, empirical observations.
e. The mind is an illusion produced by the brain.
____ 10. In the early 1960s, the cognitive revolution in psychology involved a renewal of interest in the
scientific study of
a. hereditary influences.
b. evolutionary influences.
c. learned behaviors.
d. mental processes.
e. unconscious motives.
____ 11. The self-reflective observation of one's own sensations and feelings is called
a. spaced practice.
b. clinical psychology.
c. humanism.
d. introspection.
e. Gestalt psychology.
____ 12. Functionalism was a school of psychology that focused attention on the
a. disruptive effects of unconscious motives.
b. adaptive value of conscious thoughts and emotions.
c. component elements of sensory experience.
d. inward immediate sensations, feelings, and impulses.
e. treatment of psychological disorders.
____ 13. While reading her AP Psychology textbook, Sara scans the section headings, noticing how the units
are organized, and forms questions to answer while reading. According to the text, her strategy best
reflects
a. how knowledge transforms us.
b. active processing of the material.
c. the nature of psychology as a science.
d. how we construct our perceptions.
e. how psychology affects other disciplines.
____ 14. Which perspective would suggest that the facial expressions associated with the emotions of lust and
rage are inherited?
a. cognitive
b. evolutionary
c. psychodynamic
d. social-cultural
e. behavioral
____ 15. In the context of debates regarding the origins of knowledge, Aristotle is to ________ as Plato is to
________.
a. soul; body
b. structuralism; functionalism
c. stability; change
d. introspection; observation
e. nurture; nature
____ 16. A clinical psychologist who explains behavior in terms of unconscious drives and conflicts is
employing a(n) ________ perspective.
a. psychodynamic
b. behavioral
c. cognitive
d. evolutionary
e. social-cultural
____ 17. The ideas that most directly helped form modern empiricism were proposed by
a. Plato and René Descartes.
b. Plato and Socrates.
c. Aristotle and Socrates.
d. Socrates and Confucius.
e. John Locke and Francis Bacon.
____ 18. Dr. Caleigh conducts basic research on the relationship between adults' language skills and their
capacity to solve mathematical problems. Dr. Caleigh is most likely a(n) ________ psychologist.
a. industrial-organizational
b. social
c. biological
d. clinical
e. cognitive
____ 19. Professor Reed attempts to assess the relative contributions of heredity and home environment on
children's susceptibility to depression. Her research best illustrates the concerns of the ________
approach.
a. cognitive
b. behavioral
c. biopsychosocial
d. psychodynamic
e. humanistic
____ 20. The distinctive feature of the psychodynamic perspective is its emphasis on
a. unconscious conflicts.
b. learned behaviors.
c. brain chemistry.
d. introspection.
e. natural selection.
____ 21. Depression is an illness that may be related to chemical imbalances in the brain, illogical thinking,
and impaired social skills. Such an integrated explanation best illustrates the
a. evolutionary perspective.
b. use of psychometrics.
c. advantage of applied research.
d. role of empiricism in science.
e. biopsychosocial approach.
____ 22. Research participants who carefully observe and report their immediate reactions and feelings in
response to different musical sounds are using the method known as
a. natural selection.
b. psychoanalysis.
c. spaced practice.
d. SQ3R.
e. introspection.
____ 23. The biological perspective in psychology would be most likely to emphasize that behavior is
influenced by
a. memory processes.
b. environmental circumstances.
c. unconscious conflicts.
d. blood chemistry.
e. subjective interpretations.
____ 24. Dr. Winkle conducts basic research on the systematic changes in intelligence associated with aging.
It is most likely that Dr. Winkle is a(n) ________ psychologist.
a. biological
b. industrial-organizational
c. developmental
d. personality
e. social
____ 25. The personality theorist, Sigmund Freud, was an Austrian
a. philanthropist.
b. chemist.
c. politician.
d. physician.
e. theologian.
____ 26. Which perspective highlights the reproductive advantages of inherited psychological traits?
a. cognitive
b. social-cultural
c. humanistic
d. evolutionary
e. behavioral
____ 27. Which perspective most clearly focuses on how we learn observable responses?
a. behavioral
b. humanistic
c. evolutionary
d. psychodynamic
e. biological
____ 28. Who was the American philosopher who authored a textbook in 1890 for the emerging discipline of
psychology?
a. Sigmund Freud
b. William James
c. Wilhelm Wundt
d. Mary Calkins
e. John B. Watson
____ 29. Dr. MacPherson believes that the way students organize and think about the information in their
textbooks will strongly influence their ability to later remember and use what they have studied. Dr.
MacPherson's ideas most directly exemplify the ________ perspective.
a. biological
b. psychodynamic
c. social-cultural
d. humanistic
e. cognitive
____ 30. The behavioral perspective is most likely to emphasize the importance of
a. natural selection.
b. cognition.
c. observable responses.
d. introspection.
e. self-esteem.
____ 31. Professor Crisman believes that most women prefer tall and physically strong partners because this
preference enhanced the survival of our ancestors' genes. This viewpoint best illustrates the
________ perspective.
a. social-cultural
b. cognitive
c. evolutionary
d. behavioral
e. psychodynamic
____ 32. The biopsychosocial approach provides an understanding of social-cultural influences integrated
within the larger framework of
a. humanistic psychology.
b. functionalism.
c. structuralism.
d. multiple levels of analysis.
e. introspection.
____ 33. Mr. Lopez believes that severe depression results primarily from an imbalanced diet and abnormal
brain chemistry. Mr. Lopez favors a ________ perspective on depression.
a. cognitive
b. psychoanalytic
c. behavioral
d. biological
e. psychodynamic
____ 34. Who highlighted the reproductive advantages of environmentally adaptive traits?
a. Charles Darwin
b. William James
c. Aristotle
d. Plato
e. John Locke
____ 35. The inheritance of behavioral characteristics was emphasized by
a. John Watson.
b. John Locke.
c. Charles Darwin.
d. Wilhelm Wundt.
e. B. F. Skinner.
____ 36. Dr. Mills conducts research on why individuals conform to the behaviors and opinions of others.
Which specialty area does his research best represent?
a. industrial-organizational psychology
b. cognitive psychology
c. clinical psychology
d. developmental psychology
e. social psychology
____ 37. Clinical psychologists specialize in
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
animal research.
providing drugs to treat behavioral disorders.
constructing surveys.
treating patients in clinical settings.
providing therapy to troubled people.
____ 38. Which of the following psychologists most clearly rejected the value of introspection?
a. Edward Titchener
b. William James
c. John B. Watson
d. Wilhelm Wundt
e. Sigmund Freud
____ 39. Professor Brody attempts to measure the relative contributions of inborn traits and social influences
on homosexual behavior. Her research efforts best illustrate the interests of the ________ approach.
a. psychodynamic
b. behavioral
c. cognitive
d. biopsychosocial
e. social-cultural
____ 40. Which statement best exemplifies contemporary psychology's understanding of the nature and
nurture issue?
a. Intelligence is purely an inborn trait.
b. Children learn grammar mostly from experience.
c. Humans are alike because of our evolutionary history.
d. Sexual behaviors are more “pushed” by inner biology.
e. Depression is a disorder of the brain and of thought.
____ 41. Dr. Karima conducts basic research on the relative effectiveness of massed practice and spaced
practice on a person's ability to remember information. Dr. Karima is most likely a ________
psychologist.
a. personality
b. biological
c. developmental
d. cognitive
e. social
____ 42. The method of introspection was used by Titchener to identify
a. unconscious motives.
b. elements of sensory experience.
c. learned responses.
d. maladaptive behaviors.
e. inherited traits.
____ 43. Natassia believes that boys learn to be more aggressive than girls primarily because boys are more
frequently exposed to external pressures to fight. Natassia's belief most directly exemplifies the
________ perspective.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
evolutionary
behavioral
biological
cognitive
psychodynamic
____ 44. Mrs. Thompson believes that her son has become an excellent student because she consistently uses
praise and affection to stimulate his learning efforts. Her belief best illustrates a ________
perspective.
a. biological
b. psychodynamic
c. behavioral
d. cognitive
e. humanistic
____ 45. Who would have been most likely to ignore mental processes and to define psychology as “the
scientific study of observable behavior”?
a. Wilhelm Wundt
b. Jean Piaget
c. John B. Watson
d. Edward Titchener
e. William James
____ 46. Which psychologist was the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in psychology after Harvard University
declined to give Mary Calkins the Ph.D.?
a. Margaret Washburn
b. Rosalie Rayner
c. Francis Bacon
d. Jean Piaget
e. Mary Calkins
____ 47. Akira believes that her son has become a good student because she always praises his learning
efforts. Her belief best illustrates a ________ perspective.
a. biological
b. psychodynamic
c. biopsychosocial
d. structural
e. behavioral
____ 48. Working in a community mental health center, Dr. Thatcher treats adults who suffer from severe
depression. Dr. Thatcher is most likely a(n) ________ psychologist.
a. industrial-organizational
b. personality
c. developmental
d. clinical
e. social
____ 49. Dr. Kozak has concluded that the unusually low incidence of alcohol dependence among citizens of
a small African country can be attributed to strong fundamentalist religious influences in that region.
This belief best illustrates a(n) ________ perspective.
a. biological
b. psychodynamic
c. evolutionary
d. humanistic
e. social-cultural
____ 50. Margaret has difficulty speaking in front of her classmates and explains to a friend, “Everybody in
my family is shy, so it must be genetic.” Using the biopsychosocial approach to understanding her
behavior, Margaret should
a. reduce her experience in class to her immediate sensation and feelings.
b. examine additional psychological and social-cultural influences on shyness.
c. focus on possible unconscious motivations for her fears.
d. explore how her perceptions affect her ability to speak in class.
e. examine how fear is adaptive and has contributed to her ancestors' survival.