ORIGINAL HISTORY OF MODERN
PSYCHOLOGY PRACTICE
QUESTIONS — PART 1 (1–180)
Chapter 1: Introducing Psychology's History (1–6)
1. In the historiography of psychology, the term "presentism"
refers to:
A. The practice of understanding historical events within their own
context
B. The tendency to interpret historical events through the lens of
present-day knowledge and values
C. The belief that history is driven primarily by external social
forces
D. The study of history through biographical analysis only
Answer: B
Rationale: Presentism is the tendency to interpret past events in
terms of modern values and concepts, often leading to distorted
historical narratives. It is contrasted with historicism, which
emphasizes understanding events within their own era .
2. The distinction between "internal" and "external" history in
psychology refers to:
A. Internal history focuses on the history of the field's ideas and
research, while external history considers social, political, and
cultural influences
,B. Internal history is written by psychologists, while external
history is written by historians
C. Internal history focuses on European psychology, while external
history focuses on American psychology
D. Internal history addresses clinical psychology, while external
history addresses experimental psychology
Answer: A
Rationale: Internal history is the history of the ideas, theories, and
methods of the field itself. External history considers the broader
social, political, and cultural context that influences psychology's
development .
3. The "personalistic" approach to history is best described as:
A. History driven by the contributions of specific individuals
B. History driven by broader naturalistic forces and social currents
C. History driven by economic factors only
D. History driven by chance events
Answer: A
Rationale: Personalistic history emphasizes the role of individual
people — their creativity, insights, and contributions — in shaping
historical outcomes. It is contrasted with naturalistic history, which
emphasizes broader contextual forces .
4. Which of the following is an example of a primary source in
historical research?
A. A contemporary textbook summarizing Freud's theories
B. A letter written by Wilhelm Wundt
C. A documentary about the history of psychology
D. A Wikipedia article about behaviorism
, Answer: B
Rationale: Primary sources are original documents or artifacts
from the period being studied, such as letters, diaries, research
notes, and original publications. Textbooks, documentaries, and
encyclopedia articles are secondary sources .
5. The phrase "history is written by the victors" most closely
reflects which problem in historiography?
A. Data selection bias
B. The interpretive problem
C. Digital history limitations
D. The naturalistic fallacy
Answer: A
Rationale: Data selection bias occurs when the historical record is
incomplete or skewed because certain voices, perspectives, or
marginalized contributions were not recorded or preserved .
6. Edwin G. Boring's contributions to the history of psychology are
best characterized as:
A. Developing the first experimental psychology laboratory
B. Writing influential historical accounts of experimental
psychology and serving as a "gatekeeper" of psychology's history
C. Founding behaviorism
D. Developing psychoanalysis
Answer: B
Rationale: Edwin G. Boring was a prominent historian of
psychology whose work, including A History of Experimental
Psychology, shaped how the field's history was told for decades.
PSYCHOLOGY PRACTICE
QUESTIONS — PART 1 (1–180)
Chapter 1: Introducing Psychology's History (1–6)
1. In the historiography of psychology, the term "presentism"
refers to:
A. The practice of understanding historical events within their own
context
B. The tendency to interpret historical events through the lens of
present-day knowledge and values
C. The belief that history is driven primarily by external social
forces
D. The study of history through biographical analysis only
Answer: B
Rationale: Presentism is the tendency to interpret past events in
terms of modern values and concepts, often leading to distorted
historical narratives. It is contrasted with historicism, which
emphasizes understanding events within their own era .
2. The distinction between "internal" and "external" history in
psychology refers to:
A. Internal history focuses on the history of the field's ideas and
research, while external history considers social, political, and
cultural influences
,B. Internal history is written by psychologists, while external
history is written by historians
C. Internal history focuses on European psychology, while external
history focuses on American psychology
D. Internal history addresses clinical psychology, while external
history addresses experimental psychology
Answer: A
Rationale: Internal history is the history of the ideas, theories, and
methods of the field itself. External history considers the broader
social, political, and cultural context that influences psychology's
development .
3. The "personalistic" approach to history is best described as:
A. History driven by the contributions of specific individuals
B. History driven by broader naturalistic forces and social currents
C. History driven by economic factors only
D. History driven by chance events
Answer: A
Rationale: Personalistic history emphasizes the role of individual
people — their creativity, insights, and contributions — in shaping
historical outcomes. It is contrasted with naturalistic history, which
emphasizes broader contextual forces .
4. Which of the following is an example of a primary source in
historical research?
A. A contemporary textbook summarizing Freud's theories
B. A letter written by Wilhelm Wundt
C. A documentary about the history of psychology
D. A Wikipedia article about behaviorism
, Answer: B
Rationale: Primary sources are original documents or artifacts
from the period being studied, such as letters, diaries, research
notes, and original publications. Textbooks, documentaries, and
encyclopedia articles are secondary sources .
5. The phrase "history is written by the victors" most closely
reflects which problem in historiography?
A. Data selection bias
B. The interpretive problem
C. Digital history limitations
D. The naturalistic fallacy
Answer: A
Rationale: Data selection bias occurs when the historical record is
incomplete or skewed because certain voices, perspectives, or
marginalized contributions were not recorded or preserved .
6. Edwin G. Boring's contributions to the history of psychology are
best characterized as:
A. Developing the first experimental psychology laboratory
B. Writing influential historical accounts of experimental
psychology and serving as a "gatekeeper" of psychology's history
C. Founding behaviorism
D. Developing psychoanalysis
Answer: B
Rationale: Edwin G. Boring was a prominent historian of
psychology whose work, including A History of Experimental
Psychology, shaped how the field's history was told for decades.
