PSYC 2301 General Psychology Honors
Exam 1, Chapter 1 Questions with
Correct Answers Plus Rationales
Instant Pdf Download 2026
Section 1: History of Psychology – Founding Figures (Questions
1 –20)
1 . Who is credited with establishing the first formal laboratory for
p sychological research in Leipzig, Germany in 1879?
A. William James
B. Sigmund Freud
C. Wilhelm Wundt
D. John B. Watson
Correct Answer: C – Wilhelm Wundt established the first experimental
p sychology laboratory in 1879, marking psychology's emergence as a
s eparate scientific discipline.
2 . Wilhelm Wundt's approach to psychology, which focused on the
b asic elements of consciousness using introspection, is called:
A. Functionalism
B. Structuralism
C. Behaviorism
D. Psychoanalysis
,Correct Answer: B – Structuralism (further developed by Wundt's
s tudent E.B. Titchener) aimed to identify the basic structures of the
mind through introspection.
3 . Who wroteT he Principles of Psychology(1890) and is considered
the founder of American psychology?
A. Wilhelm Wundt
B. William James
C. G. Stanley Hall
D. E.B. Titchener
Correct Answer: B – William James wrote the seminal textT he
Principles of Psychologyand founded functionalism.
4 . William James and John Dewey were major figures in which school
o f psychology that emphasized the adaptive purpose of
c onsciousness?
A. Structuralism
B. Functionalism
C. Gestalt psychology
D. Behaviorism
Correct Answer: B – Functionalism (influenced by Darwin's evolution)
f ocused on how mental processes help organisms adapt to their
e nvironment.
5 . The statement "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts" is a
c ore principle of which school of psychology?
A. Structuralism
B. Behaviorism
C. Gestalt psychology
D. Psychoanalysis
,Correct Answer: C – Gestalt psychology (Wertheimer, Köhler, Koffka)
e mphasized that perception is organized into wholes, not just the sum
o f sensory parts.
6 . Which psychologist is most associated with behaviorism and the
"Little Albert" experiment demonstrating conditioned fear?
A. B.F. Skinner
B. John B. Watson
C. Ivan Pavlov
D. Edward Thorndike
Correct Answer: B – Watson founded behaviorism and, with Rosalie
Rayner, demonstrated conditioned fear in the "Little Albert" experiment.
7 . Sigmund Freud is best known for his theory of:
A. Operant conditioning
B. The unconscious mind, psychosexual stages, and defense
mechanisms
C. Self-actualization
D. Cognitive dissonance
Correct Answer: B – Freud's psychoanalytic theory emphasized
unconscious drives, childhood sexuality, and defense mechanisms.
8 . Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers are associated with which school
o f psychology?
A. Behaviorism
B. Psychoanalysis
C. Humanistic psychology
D. Cognitive psychology
Correct Answer: C – Humanistic psychology focused on free will,
s elf-actualization, and the inherent drive toward growth.
, 9 . The cognitive revolution in psychology (1950s–1960s) shifted focus
b ack to:
A. Observable behavior only
B. Mental processes such as memory, thinking, and problem-solving
C. Unconscious drives
D. Brain structure only
Correct Answer: B – Cognitive psychology returned to the study of
mental processes, influenced by computer science and neuroscience.
1 0. Who is considered the father of modern behaviorism known for
o perant conditioning (reinforcement and punishment)?
A. John B. Watson
B. Ivan Pavlov
C. B.F. Skinner
D. Edward Thorndike
Correct Answer: C – Skinner developed operant conditioning,
e mphasizing consequences (reinforcers, punishers) shaping behavior.
11. Mary Whiton Calkins is known for:
A. First female president of the American Psychological Association
(APA)
B. Research on memory and the self
C. Being denied a Harvard Ph.D. despite completing requirements
D. All of the above
Correct Answer: D – Calkins was the first female APA president,
s tudied memory, and was denied a Harvard Ph.D. due to her gender.
1 2. Margaret Floy Washburn is significant because she was:
A. The first woman to receive a Ph.D. in psychology
B. The first female APA president
Exam 1, Chapter 1 Questions with
Correct Answers Plus Rationales
Instant Pdf Download 2026
Section 1: History of Psychology – Founding Figures (Questions
1 –20)
1 . Who is credited with establishing the first formal laboratory for
p sychological research in Leipzig, Germany in 1879?
A. William James
B. Sigmund Freud
C. Wilhelm Wundt
D. John B. Watson
Correct Answer: C – Wilhelm Wundt established the first experimental
p sychology laboratory in 1879, marking psychology's emergence as a
s eparate scientific discipline.
2 . Wilhelm Wundt's approach to psychology, which focused on the
b asic elements of consciousness using introspection, is called:
A. Functionalism
B. Structuralism
C. Behaviorism
D. Psychoanalysis
,Correct Answer: B – Structuralism (further developed by Wundt's
s tudent E.B. Titchener) aimed to identify the basic structures of the
mind through introspection.
3 . Who wroteT he Principles of Psychology(1890) and is considered
the founder of American psychology?
A. Wilhelm Wundt
B. William James
C. G. Stanley Hall
D. E.B. Titchener
Correct Answer: B – William James wrote the seminal textT he
Principles of Psychologyand founded functionalism.
4 . William James and John Dewey were major figures in which school
o f psychology that emphasized the adaptive purpose of
c onsciousness?
A. Structuralism
B. Functionalism
C. Gestalt psychology
D. Behaviorism
Correct Answer: B – Functionalism (influenced by Darwin's evolution)
f ocused on how mental processes help organisms adapt to their
e nvironment.
5 . The statement "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts" is a
c ore principle of which school of psychology?
A. Structuralism
B. Behaviorism
C. Gestalt psychology
D. Psychoanalysis
,Correct Answer: C – Gestalt psychology (Wertheimer, Köhler, Koffka)
e mphasized that perception is organized into wholes, not just the sum
o f sensory parts.
6 . Which psychologist is most associated with behaviorism and the
"Little Albert" experiment demonstrating conditioned fear?
A. B.F. Skinner
B. John B. Watson
C. Ivan Pavlov
D. Edward Thorndike
Correct Answer: B – Watson founded behaviorism and, with Rosalie
Rayner, demonstrated conditioned fear in the "Little Albert" experiment.
7 . Sigmund Freud is best known for his theory of:
A. Operant conditioning
B. The unconscious mind, psychosexual stages, and defense
mechanisms
C. Self-actualization
D. Cognitive dissonance
Correct Answer: B – Freud's psychoanalytic theory emphasized
unconscious drives, childhood sexuality, and defense mechanisms.
8 . Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers are associated with which school
o f psychology?
A. Behaviorism
B. Psychoanalysis
C. Humanistic psychology
D. Cognitive psychology
Correct Answer: C – Humanistic psychology focused on free will,
s elf-actualization, and the inherent drive toward growth.
, 9 . The cognitive revolution in psychology (1950s–1960s) shifted focus
b ack to:
A. Observable behavior only
B. Mental processes such as memory, thinking, and problem-solving
C. Unconscious drives
D. Brain structure only
Correct Answer: B – Cognitive psychology returned to the study of
mental processes, influenced by computer science and neuroscience.
1 0. Who is considered the father of modern behaviorism known for
o perant conditioning (reinforcement and punishment)?
A. John B. Watson
B. Ivan Pavlov
C. B.F. Skinner
D. Edward Thorndike
Correct Answer: C – Skinner developed operant conditioning,
e mphasizing consequences (reinforcers, punishers) shaping behavior.
11. Mary Whiton Calkins is known for:
A. First female president of the American Psychological Association
(APA)
B. Research on memory and the self
C. Being denied a Harvard Ph.D. despite completing requirements
D. All of the above
Correct Answer: D – Calkins was the first female APA president,
s tudied memory, and was denied a Harvard Ph.D. due to her gender.
1 2. Margaret Floy Washburn is significant because she was:
A. The first woman to receive a Ph.D. in psychology
B. The first female APA president
