Psychology

Psychology is best defined as the study of

• mental health.

• the mind and behavior.

• learning and developmental delay.

• consciousness and intuition.

According to the social brain hypothesis, each of us can deal effectively with social interactions with roughly 150 people. This implies that

• most of us are able to maintain close, lifelong friendships with about 150 people.

• most of us cannot recognize more than 150 people at any given time in our lives.

• we are capable of maintaining social networks of up to 150 people throughout our lives.

• we function best in groups of roughly 150 people, whether all are friends or strangers.

The idea that children are born with no knowledge or “content” whatsoever and are “filled” by life experiences is called

• rationalism.

• determinism.

• tabula rasa.

• nature vs. nurture.

In Plato’s cave allegory, a prisoner was temporarily unchained and allowed to see the fire at the mouth of the cave. When he returned to the chains, the other prisoners

• refused to believe him.

• marveled at his great knowledge.

• began to reconsider their own views.

• immediately accepted his insight.

How is natural selection related to psychology?

• All organisms have been shown to be capable of learning.

• Humans behave as they do in part because that behavior promotes survival.

• Survival depends on environment just as much as it depends on genes.

• Animals share many genes with human beings.

The year 1879 might be thought of as the beginning of psychology as a science because that is the year

• Edward Thorndike conducted his first puzzle box experiments.

• Margaret Floy Washburn wrote The Animal Mind.

• Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species.

• Wilhelm Wundt developed and opened the first psychology laboratory.

Which of the following perspectives argues that human behavior develops in certain ways because it serves a useful purpose?

• Psychoanalysis

• Cognitive psychology

• Behaviorism

• Functionalism

Which of the following approaches to psychology did Edward Titchener advocate in the late 1800s?

• Humanistic psychology

• Psychoanalysis

• Functionalism

• Structuralism

A researcher presents his participant with a series of flashing lights at varying intervals. After each presentation of a light, he asks the participant to fully describe her internal experiences, a method known as

• functionalism

• introspection

• behaviorism

• psychoanalysis

A quarter in your hand casts a different image on your retina than a quarter taped to the wall across the room, yet you know that the quarters have exactly the same dimensions. This phenomenon would be best explained by a

• behaviorist

• Gestalt psychologist

• evolutionary psychologist.

• structuralist