NVCC PSY 200-E43L EXAM 1
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE 2026
QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS
◉ What is structuralism. Answer: Structuralism sought to analyze
the adult mind (defined as the sum total of experience from birth to
the present) in terms of the simplest definable components and then
to find the way in which these components fit together in complex
forms.
◉ What is introspection. Answer: the examination or observation of
one's own mental and emotional processes
◉ What is the problem with using introspection as a research
method. Answer: The observer is expected to perform two mental
activities simultaneously. He experiences his mental processes, and
at the same time analyzes what these experiences were like. At the
same time, he acts as the 'observed', and the 'observer'. Obviously,
his mental experiences would be distorted, and not reflect the true
nature of mental activities.
◉ What is functionalism. Answer: the study of the structure and
function of each part of society
, ◉ What is natural selection. Answer: differential survival and
reproduction of individuals due to differences in phenotype. It is a
key mechanism of evolution, the change in the heritable traits
characteristic of a population over generations.
◉ What is hysteria. Answer: a temporary loss of cognitive or motor
functions, usually as a result of emotionally upsetting experiences
◉ What is the unconscious. Answer: thoughts, feelings, wishes,
memories, desires below conscious awareness
◉ What is the emphasis in Freud's psychoanalytic theory. Answer:
human behavior is influenced by unconscious memories, thoughts,
and urges.
◉ What is psychoanalysis. Answer: an approach to studying mental
illness that assumes mental illness is caused by subconscious
conflicts
◉ What is humanistic psychology. Answer: a perspective that
emphasizes looking at the whole individual and stresses concepts
such as free will, self-efficacy, and self-actualization.
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE 2026
QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS
◉ What is structuralism. Answer: Structuralism sought to analyze
the adult mind (defined as the sum total of experience from birth to
the present) in terms of the simplest definable components and then
to find the way in which these components fit together in complex
forms.
◉ What is introspection. Answer: the examination or observation of
one's own mental and emotional processes
◉ What is the problem with using introspection as a research
method. Answer: The observer is expected to perform two mental
activities simultaneously. He experiences his mental processes, and
at the same time analyzes what these experiences were like. At the
same time, he acts as the 'observed', and the 'observer'. Obviously,
his mental experiences would be distorted, and not reflect the true
nature of mental activities.
◉ What is functionalism. Answer: the study of the structure and
function of each part of society
, ◉ What is natural selection. Answer: differential survival and
reproduction of individuals due to differences in phenotype. It is a
key mechanism of evolution, the change in the heritable traits
characteristic of a population over generations.
◉ What is hysteria. Answer: a temporary loss of cognitive or motor
functions, usually as a result of emotionally upsetting experiences
◉ What is the unconscious. Answer: thoughts, feelings, wishes,
memories, desires below conscious awareness
◉ What is the emphasis in Freud's psychoanalytic theory. Answer:
human behavior is influenced by unconscious memories, thoughts,
and urges.
◉ What is psychoanalysis. Answer: an approach to studying mental
illness that assumes mental illness is caused by subconscious
conflicts
◉ What is humanistic psychology. Answer: a perspective that
emphasizes looking at the whole individual and stresses concepts
such as free will, self-efficacy, and self-actualization.
