Psychology Introduction

Contemporary psychology is best defined as the science of:

• conscious and unconscious mental activity

• observable responses to the environment

• observable behavior and mental processes

• thoughts, feelings, and perceptions

What makes psychology a science?

• Many psychologists have earned advanced college degrees.
• Psychologists may study the brain.
• The methods psychologists use to ask and answer questions.
• Psychologists focus on studying behavior and mental processes.

Sadie believes that she is the Queen of England and that the CIA is out to get her. What type of psychologist would be most likely to treat her psychological disorder?

• developmental
• cognitive
• clinical
• personality

What type of psychologist is most likely to wonder how the brain scans of someone experiencing an epileptic seizure differ from the scans of someone who has not had a seizure?

• clinical
• health
• developmental
• biological

What type of psychologist is most likely interested in conditions that lead to the greatest conformity?

• developmental
• cognitive
• social
• human-factors

Which subspecialty in psychology focuses on the cognitive differences between a 6-year-old and a 12-year-old?

• neuropsychologist

• social

• developmental

• forensic

Doctors Roger Sperry and Michael Gazzaniga (1983, 1988) studied split-brain patients—those who had surgery that separated the left and right hemispheres of the brain—and discovered that the two hemispheres had different talents, such as the left specializing in language processing. These psychologists are most likely:

• neuropsychologists

• cognitive psychologists

• developmental psychologists

• rehabilitation psychologists

Dr. Philip Zimbardo (1972) found that Stanford University students who had been randomly assigned to act as either a guard or prisoner in a simulated prison, adopted these roles completely. After 6 days the study had to be stopped as the guards became cruel and the prisoners suffered stress reactions. Dr. Zimbardo found that the behavior of the participants in the study began to shape their beliefs and attitudes. Dr. Zimbardo is most likely a:

• personality psychologist
• clinical psychologist
• forensic psychologist
• social psychologist

Dr. Jean Piaget (1952) showed 5-year-old children two identical glass beakers each containing the same amount of liquid. The children had no difficultly understanding that the amount of liquid was the same in both containers. However, when the liquid from one beaker was poured into a tall, thin beaker, the children mistakenly believed that the taller glass had more liquid. Dr. Piaget concluded that children at this age lack the ability to understand that volume remains the same even if its appearance changes. Dr. Piaget was most likely a(n):

• educational psychologist

• developmental psychologist

• social psychologist

• human-factors psychologist

A Psychiatrist is a 

• Therapist 
• Medical Doctor
• A nurse who treats mental illness