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Fundamentals of psychology

Total questions: 26

Worksheet time: 17mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Tyler, a psychologist, believes that listening to classical music while studying will increase academic performance. This is an examples of a(n)

a)

Hypothesis

b)

Case study

c)

Experimental design

d)

Theory

2.

Piaget based much of his theory of cognitive development on his observations of how his children interacted with the world as they grew. Piaget’s research method was _______ and his scientific goal was ________.

(a)  

3.

Which of the following is not one of the five questions that provide a strategy for critical thinking?

a)

Are there alternative ways of interpreting the evidence?

b)

What am I being asked to believe or accept?

c)

What evidence is available to support the assertion?

d)

What is the reputation of the researcher(s)?

4.

After the magician pulled a rabbit from her hat, Audrey exclaimed, “I’d like to see her do that again!” In other words Audrey is challenging the (a)   of the magician.

5.

Jason answered a series of vocabulary and reading comprehension questions on a website. When he finished, the site gave him a rating of intelligence. “I don’t think that test really measured intelligence”, thought Jason. Jason is questioning the test’s

a)

Consistency

b)

Reliability

c)

Validity

d)

Datum

6.

Researchers who want to find the best explanation of a phenomenon when they have several rival hypotheses should:

a)

Describe the correlation among the variables involved

b)

Conduct research in the real world instead of a laboratory

c)

Continue observing the phenomenon of interest until the best explanation becomes clear

d)

Conduct controlled research using experimental methods

7.

Logan is interested in studying cooperation in children between the ages of two and six. He suspects that cooperation is greatest in groups of girls as opposed to groups of boys or co-ed groups. After carrying out his observation, he decides to examine the results to determine any relationships between gender and cooperation. Logan is planning to carry out a(n):

a)

Double-blind experiment

b)

Random assignment

c)

Experiment

d)

Correlational study

8.

Psychologists are most likely to use case studies instead of other research methods when they wish to study

a)

People without being intrusive

b)

Group behaviour and public opinion

c)

Cause-effect relationships between variables

d)

Phenomena that are new, complex or rare

9.

Which of the following is not one of the four main goals for researchers in psychology?

a)

Control and eliminate all maladaptive behaviour and mental processes

b)

Describe behaviour and mental processes

c)

Make predictions about behaviour and mental processes

d)

Explain how and why behaviour and mental processes occur

10.

The measure of central tendency that is most affected by extremely high or extremely low scores is the (a)  

11.

Hilary wants to know whether women are getting paid the same amount of money as men for equal work. She asks men and women in several business firms for information about their salaries. What research method is Hilary using?

a)

Experimental

b)

Naturalistic observation

c)

Case study

d)

Survey

12.

Research on a new treatment method is most likely to begin with (a)  

13.

Studying language by listening to people in public places is an example of (a)   research

14.

Correlation coefficients of +0.50 and -0.50 indicate relationships that are of different strengths

a)

True

b)

False

15.

The (a)   method is most likely to use a double-blind design

16.

Fred has decided to learn to play the harmonica. To learn this skill most efficiently, Fred should adopt an approach that emphasises:

a)

Visualisation

b)

Practice

c)

Observation

d)

Insight

17.

The association between media violence, including violence on television and aggressive behaviour, is often attributed to _______ learning

a)

Observational

b)

Insight

c)

Programmed

d)

Avoidance

18.

It’s a very hot summary day and Ai is sweating in her apartment. She turns on the air conditioning and right away her apartment gets cooler. Because Ai is now more likely to turn on the AC when she is hot to reduce her discomfort, this is an example of:

a)

Positive reinforcement

b)

A penalty

c)

Punishment

d)

Negative reinforcement

19.

Extinction will be most rapid after a history of (a)   reinforcement

20.

Which of the following is an example of habituation?

a)

A dog learns not to chew on his owner’s slippers after he is scolded

b)

A child learns how to turn on the television by watching her farther

c)

A cat learns that the sound of the electric can opener means that she will be fed soon

d)

An infant gradually stops paying attention to a continuous buzzing noise

21.

If a research team is going to Perth to conduct a study on latent learning, they would be most interested in interviewing a:

a)

Street performer who learned to play guitar by watching others

b)

A taxi driver who can give directions to a location he’s never visited

c)

A teacher who has her first grade students solve problems in groups

d)

A homeless woman who believes she has no control over the outcomes of her life

22.

Psychologists have defined learning as:

a)

The modification through experience of pre-existing behaviour and understanding

b)

A temporary change in behaviour that results from past experience

c)

The adaptation of instinctual responses to new environments

d)

The systematic organisation of information that facilitates later recall and use

23.

In an experiment, a flash of light is paired with a mild electric shock to a subject’s finger. After several trials, the subject begins to pull their finger away after seeing the flash of light. The experimenter then begins to present just the flash, but no shock. After several trials, the subject will:

a)

Gradually cease pulling their finger away after the flash of light

b)

Pull their finger away some times but not others

c)

Pull their finger away more quickly on each trial

d)

Keep pulling their finger away after seeing the light

24.

Joanna developed a phobia of dogs after a dog bit her on the leg. This can be explained as classical conditioning. The pain of the dog bite would be:

a)

Both the conditioned and the unconditioned stimulus

b)

Conditioned stimuls

c)

Stimulus generalisation

d)

The unconditioned stimulus

25.

Response rates tend to be higher under _____ schedules of reinforcement than under ________ schedules

(a)  

26.

ignoring the attention-getting behaviour of hyperactive children can be a helpful tool to classroom teachers because often the frequency of the misbehaviour will decrease and even stop. What operant conditioning process does this technique utilise?

a)

Shaping

b)

Negative reinforcement

c)

Stimulus discrimination

d)

Extinction