PSYC 375 FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS
WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS.
,What were the 4 stages of early American psychology? - ANSWERStage 1: Moral and
Mental Philosophy (1640-1776)
Stage 2: intellectual philosophy (1776-1886)
Stage 3: The US Renaissance (1886-1896)
Stage 4: US Functionalism (1896 & beyond)
What were the beliefs during the first stage of early American psychology (1640-1776)?
- ANSWER"Psychology existed for the sake of logic, and logic for the sake of God"
What event caused the beginning of enlightenment during the first stage of early
American psychology (1640-1776)? - ANSWERIt began in 1714 when John Locke's "An
Essay Concerning Human Understanding" (1690) reached the US colonies and had a
widespread influence
What were the beliefs during the second stage of early American psychology (1776-
1886)? - ANSWERPsychology became a separate discipline largely under the influence
of Scottish commonsense philosophy and believed in naive realism when it came to
God
What were 4 events that brought on the third stage of early American psychology (1886-
1896)? - ANSWER(1) Herbert Spencer's Principles of Psychology (1880)
(2) John Dewey's Psychology (1886)
(3) American Journal of Psychology (1887)
(4) William James's The Principles of Psychology (1890)
What were the beliefs during the third stage of early American psychology (1886-1896)?
- ANSWERTitchener's structuralism competed with functionalism. It was also a fertile
ground for the development of practices to help individuals live more effective lives like
physiognomy, phrenology, mesmerism, and spiritualism
What were the beliefs during the fourth stage of early American psychology (1896 &
beyond)? - ANSWERScience, a concern for practicality, an emphasis on the individual,
and evolutionary theory combined into the school of functionalism
What event marked the beginning of the fourth stage of early American psychology
(1896 & beyond)? - ANSWERJohn Dewey's article "The Reflex Arc in Psychology." in
1896 marked the beginning of functionalism
What are the 8 characteristics of functionalists psychology? - ANSWER(1) opposed the
sterile search for the elements of consciousness in like the structuralists
(2) wanted to understand the function of the mind rather than provide a static
description of its contents.
,(3) wanted psychology to be a practical science, not a pure science, and they sought to
apply their findings to the improvement of humanity
(4) urged the broadening of psychology to include research on animals, children, and
abnormal humans. They also accepted an eclectic methodology; from mazes to mental
tests.
(5) Because an organism will act differently in the same environment as its needs
change, these needs must be understood before the organism's behavior can be
understood.
(6) accepted both mental processes and behavior as legitimate subject matter for
psychology, and viewed introspection as a valid research tool
(7) tended to be more ideographic than nomothetic, that is, they were more interested in
what made organisms different from one another than what made them similar.
(8) all were directly or indirectly influenced by William James.
What caused William James's (1842-1910) crisis? - ANSWERHe became depressed
because he believed that if materialism was correct, than anything that happened was
beyond his control but he had a turning point when he read an essay on free will bye
Renouvier and became a pragmatist and proposed radical empiricism
What was the goal of William James's (1842-1910) book, The Principles of Psychology?
- ANSWERJames tries to offer a fair consideration between the empirical and the
rational, between the experimental and the phenomenological with the booked
permeated with his themes of pragmatism and individuality
How did William James's (1842-1910) define the stream of consciousness? -
ANSWERTerm for the way James thought the mind worked. James described the mind
as consisting of an ever-changing stream of interrelated, purposive thoughts rather than
static elements that could be isolated from one another, as the structuralists had
suggested.
What did William James (1842-1910) say were the 5 characteristics of consciousness? -
ANSWER(1) consciousness is personal; it reflects the experiences of an individual, and
therefore, it is foolhardy to search for elements common to all minds.
(2) consciousness is continuous and cannot be divided up for analysis
(3) consciousness is constantly changing
(4) consciousness is selective; some vents permeate while others are inhibited
(5) conciseness is functional; its purpose is to aid the individual in adapting to the
environment
How did William James (1842-1910) define habits and instincts? - ANSWERHe believed
that instinctual behaviour is modifiable by experience and, therefore, new instinct-like
patterns of behaviour (called habits) develop throughout their lifetime. The habits are
vital for the functioning of society, learning from experience to develop new neural
pathways
, How did William James (1842-1910) define the empirical self and the 3 different types of
self? - ANSWERthe self that consists of everything a person can call his or her own.
The empirical self consists of the material self (all of one's material possessions), the
social self (one's self as known by others), and the spiritual self (all of which a person is
conscious).
What did William James (1842-1910) believe about self-esteem? - ANSWERHow a
person feels about himself or herself based on the ratio of successes to attempts. One
can increase self-esteem either by accomplishing more or attempting less.
What did William James (1842-1910) believe about emotions? - ANSWERPerception,
according to James, causes bodily reactions that are then experienced as emotions,
reversing the traditional belief that emotion results from the perception of an event
What did William James (1842-1910) believe about idea-motor theory of behaviour? -
ANSWERIdeas cause behavior, and thus we can control our behavior by controlling our
ideas; ideas of actions flow immediately and automatically (habitually or reflexively) into
behavior. What we think (concept that holds our attention) determines what we do, and
what we do determines how we feel.
What are the 2 types of personality of which pragmatism is a compromise between? -
ANSWER(1) Tender-minded people are rationalistic (principle-oriented), intellectual,
idealistic, optimistic, religious, and dogmatic, and they believe in free will
(2) tough-minded people are empiricistic (fact-oriented), sensationalistic, materialistic,
pessimistic, irreligious, skeptical, and fatalistic.
What did William James (1842-1910) contribute to psychology? - ANSWERHe helped
incorporate evolutionary theory into psychology and expanded research techniques in
psychology by not only accepting introspection but also encouraging any technique that
promised to yield useful information about people.
James's ideas are not only considered foundational for functional psychology and
pragmatic philosophy but can be seen in behaviorism, cognitive science, and
existential-phenomenological psychology, as well as clinical psychology and education
What was Hugo Munsterberg's (1863-1916) approach to clinical psychology? -
ANSWERreciprocal antagonism; a method of treating mentally disturbed individuals,
whereby he would strengthen thoughts antagonistic to those causing a problem.
Who was the first forensic psychologist? - ANSWERHugo Munsterberg (1863-1916)
What did Hugo Munsterberg (1863-1916) accomplish in founding forensic psychology? -
ANSWERHe pointed out that eyewitness testimony could be unreliable because
sensory impressions could be illusory, suggestion and stress could affect perception,
and memory is not always accurate. He also urged that psychological methods replace
the brutal interrogation of criminals because interrogation can lead to false confessions.
He published a book, On The Witness Stand (1908).
WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS.
,What were the 4 stages of early American psychology? - ANSWERStage 1: Moral and
Mental Philosophy (1640-1776)
Stage 2: intellectual philosophy (1776-1886)
Stage 3: The US Renaissance (1886-1896)
Stage 4: US Functionalism (1896 & beyond)
What were the beliefs during the first stage of early American psychology (1640-1776)?
- ANSWER"Psychology existed for the sake of logic, and logic for the sake of God"
What event caused the beginning of enlightenment during the first stage of early
American psychology (1640-1776)? - ANSWERIt began in 1714 when John Locke's "An
Essay Concerning Human Understanding" (1690) reached the US colonies and had a
widespread influence
What were the beliefs during the second stage of early American psychology (1776-
1886)? - ANSWERPsychology became a separate discipline largely under the influence
of Scottish commonsense philosophy and believed in naive realism when it came to
God
What were 4 events that brought on the third stage of early American psychology (1886-
1896)? - ANSWER(1) Herbert Spencer's Principles of Psychology (1880)
(2) John Dewey's Psychology (1886)
(3) American Journal of Psychology (1887)
(4) William James's The Principles of Psychology (1890)
What were the beliefs during the third stage of early American psychology (1886-1896)?
- ANSWERTitchener's structuralism competed with functionalism. It was also a fertile
ground for the development of practices to help individuals live more effective lives like
physiognomy, phrenology, mesmerism, and spiritualism
What were the beliefs during the fourth stage of early American psychology (1896 &
beyond)? - ANSWERScience, a concern for practicality, an emphasis on the individual,
and evolutionary theory combined into the school of functionalism
What event marked the beginning of the fourth stage of early American psychology
(1896 & beyond)? - ANSWERJohn Dewey's article "The Reflex Arc in Psychology." in
1896 marked the beginning of functionalism
What are the 8 characteristics of functionalists psychology? - ANSWER(1) opposed the
sterile search for the elements of consciousness in like the structuralists
(2) wanted to understand the function of the mind rather than provide a static
description of its contents.
,(3) wanted psychology to be a practical science, not a pure science, and they sought to
apply their findings to the improvement of humanity
(4) urged the broadening of psychology to include research on animals, children, and
abnormal humans. They also accepted an eclectic methodology; from mazes to mental
tests.
(5) Because an organism will act differently in the same environment as its needs
change, these needs must be understood before the organism's behavior can be
understood.
(6) accepted both mental processes and behavior as legitimate subject matter for
psychology, and viewed introspection as a valid research tool
(7) tended to be more ideographic than nomothetic, that is, they were more interested in
what made organisms different from one another than what made them similar.
(8) all were directly or indirectly influenced by William James.
What caused William James's (1842-1910) crisis? - ANSWERHe became depressed
because he believed that if materialism was correct, than anything that happened was
beyond his control but he had a turning point when he read an essay on free will bye
Renouvier and became a pragmatist and proposed radical empiricism
What was the goal of William James's (1842-1910) book, The Principles of Psychology?
- ANSWERJames tries to offer a fair consideration between the empirical and the
rational, between the experimental and the phenomenological with the booked
permeated with his themes of pragmatism and individuality
How did William James's (1842-1910) define the stream of consciousness? -
ANSWERTerm for the way James thought the mind worked. James described the mind
as consisting of an ever-changing stream of interrelated, purposive thoughts rather than
static elements that could be isolated from one another, as the structuralists had
suggested.
What did William James (1842-1910) say were the 5 characteristics of consciousness? -
ANSWER(1) consciousness is personal; it reflects the experiences of an individual, and
therefore, it is foolhardy to search for elements common to all minds.
(2) consciousness is continuous and cannot be divided up for analysis
(3) consciousness is constantly changing
(4) consciousness is selective; some vents permeate while others are inhibited
(5) conciseness is functional; its purpose is to aid the individual in adapting to the
environment
How did William James (1842-1910) define habits and instincts? - ANSWERHe believed
that instinctual behaviour is modifiable by experience and, therefore, new instinct-like
patterns of behaviour (called habits) develop throughout their lifetime. The habits are
vital for the functioning of society, learning from experience to develop new neural
pathways
, How did William James (1842-1910) define the empirical self and the 3 different types of
self? - ANSWERthe self that consists of everything a person can call his or her own.
The empirical self consists of the material self (all of one's material possessions), the
social self (one's self as known by others), and the spiritual self (all of which a person is
conscious).
What did William James (1842-1910) believe about self-esteem? - ANSWERHow a
person feels about himself or herself based on the ratio of successes to attempts. One
can increase self-esteem either by accomplishing more or attempting less.
What did William James (1842-1910) believe about emotions? - ANSWERPerception,
according to James, causes bodily reactions that are then experienced as emotions,
reversing the traditional belief that emotion results from the perception of an event
What did William James (1842-1910) believe about idea-motor theory of behaviour? -
ANSWERIdeas cause behavior, and thus we can control our behavior by controlling our
ideas; ideas of actions flow immediately and automatically (habitually or reflexively) into
behavior. What we think (concept that holds our attention) determines what we do, and
what we do determines how we feel.
What are the 2 types of personality of which pragmatism is a compromise between? -
ANSWER(1) Tender-minded people are rationalistic (principle-oriented), intellectual,
idealistic, optimistic, religious, and dogmatic, and they believe in free will
(2) tough-minded people are empiricistic (fact-oriented), sensationalistic, materialistic,
pessimistic, irreligious, skeptical, and fatalistic.
What did William James (1842-1910) contribute to psychology? - ANSWERHe helped
incorporate evolutionary theory into psychology and expanded research techniques in
psychology by not only accepting introspection but also encouraging any technique that
promised to yield useful information about people.
James's ideas are not only considered foundational for functional psychology and
pragmatic philosophy but can be seen in behaviorism, cognitive science, and
existential-phenomenological psychology, as well as clinical psychology and education
What was Hugo Munsterberg's (1863-1916) approach to clinical psychology? -
ANSWERreciprocal antagonism; a method of treating mentally disturbed individuals,
whereby he would strengthen thoughts antagonistic to those causing a problem.
Who was the first forensic psychologist? - ANSWERHugo Munsterberg (1863-1916)
What did Hugo Munsterberg (1863-1916) accomplish in founding forensic psychology? -
ANSWERHe pointed out that eyewitness testimony could be unreliable because
sensory impressions could be illusory, suggestion and stress could affect perception,
and memory is not always accurate. He also urged that psychological methods replace
the brutal interrogation of criminals because interrogation can lead to false confessions.
He published a book, On The Witness Stand (1908).
