NEUROSCIENTIFIC BASIS AND PRACTICAL
APPLICATIONS EXAM SCRIPT
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE
●● Who are psychologists?
Answer: Scientists who work in various subfields studying behavior and
underlying mental processes.
●● Name two major professional organizations in psychology.
Answer: American Psychological Association (APA) and Association for
Psychological Science (APS).
●● What is the goal of basic research?
Answer: To gather knowledge for the sake of knowledge and build on
existing knowledge.
●● What is applied research?
Answer: Research aimed at changing behaviors and outcomes, often
leading to real-world applications.
●● What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative research?
,Answer: Quantitative research focuses on measurable data, while
qualitative research gathers in-depth information from a subjective
perspective.
●● Define critical thinking in psychology.
Answer: The process of weighing evidence, synthesizing information,
and evaluating contributions while being open-minded and skeptical.
●● What is pseudopsychology?
Answer: An approach that appears to be psychology but lacks objective
evidence and makes broad, vague assertions.
●● Who is considered the 'father of psychology'?
Answer: Wilhelm Wundt, who founded the first psychology laboratory.
●● What technique did Wilhelm Wundt use in his research?
Answer: Introspection, or the examination of one's own conscious
activities.
●● Who was Mary Whiton Calkins?
Answer: The first female president of the APA who established her own
lab at Wellesley College.
●● What is structuralism in psychology?
, Answer: An early school of psychology that used introspection to
determine the structure of the mind.
●● Who is associated with functionalism?
Answer: William James, who focused on how thoughts and behaviors
help us adapt to the environment.
●● What is the behavioral perspective in psychology?
Answer: The view that behaviors and personality are primarily
determined by learning.
●● What is operant conditioning?
Answer: A learning process where behaviors are modified through
rewards or punishments, associated with B.F. Skinner.
●● What does humanistic psychology emphasize?
Answer: The positive aspects of human nature and the direction toward
growth.
●● What is the cognitive perspective in psychology?
Answer: An approach examining the mental processes that direct
behavior.
●● What does the evolutionary perspective focus on?
APPLICATIONS EXAM SCRIPT
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE
●● Who are psychologists?
Answer: Scientists who work in various subfields studying behavior and
underlying mental processes.
●● Name two major professional organizations in psychology.
Answer: American Psychological Association (APA) and Association for
Psychological Science (APS).
●● What is the goal of basic research?
Answer: To gather knowledge for the sake of knowledge and build on
existing knowledge.
●● What is applied research?
Answer: Research aimed at changing behaviors and outcomes, often
leading to real-world applications.
●● What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative research?
,Answer: Quantitative research focuses on measurable data, while
qualitative research gathers in-depth information from a subjective
perspective.
●● Define critical thinking in psychology.
Answer: The process of weighing evidence, synthesizing information,
and evaluating contributions while being open-minded and skeptical.
●● What is pseudopsychology?
Answer: An approach that appears to be psychology but lacks objective
evidence and makes broad, vague assertions.
●● Who is considered the 'father of psychology'?
Answer: Wilhelm Wundt, who founded the first psychology laboratory.
●● What technique did Wilhelm Wundt use in his research?
Answer: Introspection, or the examination of one's own conscious
activities.
●● Who was Mary Whiton Calkins?
Answer: The first female president of the APA who established her own
lab at Wellesley College.
●● What is structuralism in psychology?
, Answer: An early school of psychology that used introspection to
determine the structure of the mind.
●● Who is associated with functionalism?
Answer: William James, who focused on how thoughts and behaviors
help us adapt to the environment.
●● What is the behavioral perspective in psychology?
Answer: The view that behaviors and personality are primarily
determined by learning.
●● What is operant conditioning?
Answer: A learning process where behaviors are modified through
rewards or punishments, associated with B.F. Skinner.
●● What does humanistic psychology emphasize?
Answer: The positive aspects of human nature and the direction toward
growth.
●● What is the cognitive perspective in psychology?
Answer: An approach examining the mental processes that direct
behavior.
●● What does the evolutionary perspective focus on?
