Chapter 1
What Is Psychology?
1. Psychology is formally defined as
A. the study of the human brain.
B. the subjective study of human behavior.
C. the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
D. the exclusive study of abnormal behavior.
Page: 4
APA Outcome: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Low
Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Definition of Psychology
Feedback: Defining Psychology
2. One way to tell that an explanation is pseudoscientific rather than scientific is to
A. see if the explanation is historically accurate.
B. look at the emotional impact of the explanation on people.
C. see if the explanation has scientific terminology in it.
D. look at how readily proponents of the explanation will accept evidence to the contrary.
Page: 5
APA Outcome: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Understand
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Definition of Psychology
Feedback: Defining Psychology
3. Which of the following is an example of a behavior?
A. A man imagines that he is a bat.
B. A student remembers an answer to a question.
C. A woman drives to work.
D. An old man forgets his birthday.
Page: 4
APA Outcome: 1.2 Develop a working knowledge of psychology's content domains
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Understand
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Definition of Psychology
Feedback: Defining Psychology
4. _____ are the thoughts, feelings, and motives that each of us experiences privately but that cannot be observed
directly.
A. Mental processes
B. Behaviors
C. Fetal processes
D. Mannerisms
Page: 4
APA Outcome: 1.2 Develop a working knowledge of psychology's content domains
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Low
Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Definition of Psychology
Feedback: Defining Psychology
5. According to the science of psychology, a behavior is a(n)
,A. feeling that is acknowledged.
B. attitude that can be changed.
C. action that can be directly observed.
D. goal for life.
Page: 4
APA Outcome: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Low
Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Definition of Psychology
Feedback: Defining Psychology
6. Which of the following statements is true of mental processes?
A. Each of us experiences them publicly.
B. They are considered to be pseudoscientific.
C. They are the same as behaviors.
D. They cannot be observed directly.
Page: 4
APA Outcome: 1.2 Develop a working knowledge of psychology's content domains
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Understand
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Definition of Psychology
Feedback: Defining Psychology
7. According to the science of psychology, which of the following is a mental process?
A. Swimming
B. Feeling proud
C. Crying
D. Reading out loud
Page: 4
APA Outcome: 2.2 Demonstrate psychology information literacy
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Understand
Difficulty: Low
Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Definition of Psychology
Feedback: Defining Psychology
8. _____ is the process of reflecting deeply and actively, asking questions, and evaluating the evidence.
A. Subjectivity
B. Creative thinking
C. Critical thinking
D. Selective wisdom
Page: 4
APA Outcome: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Low
Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Critical Thinking
Feedback: The Psychological Frame of Mind
9. Which of the following statements best defines critical thinking in psychology?
A. It is the process of accepting observed events as true.
B. It is the process of reflecting deeply, asking questions, and evaluating evidence.
C. It is a form of thinking intended to create something new and different.
D. It is a form of thinking that has been rejected by contemporary psychologists.
,Page: 4
APA Outcome: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Critical Thinking
Feedback: The Psychological Frame of Mind
10. Behaviors differ from mental processes in that behaviors
A. are controlled externally.
B. stem from critical thinking.
C. are expressed privately.
D. can be observed directly.
Page: 4
APA Outcome: 1.2 Develop a working knowledge of psychology's content domains
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Understand
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Definition of Psychology
Feedback: The Psychological Frame of Mind
11. Which of the following scenarios demonstrates the attitude of skepticism in psychology?
A. Martina asks her pharmacist to repeat the instructions for taking her medication.
B. Doug tells a customer at his clothing boutique that she can buy clothes that are cheaper at another store.
C. Lindsey wonders if the sleeping pill she has been prescribed can really help her sleep.
D. Alex buys the newest exercise ball in the market to help him lose weight in just five days.
Page: 5
APA Outcome: 2.2 Demonstrate psychology information literacy
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Apply
Difficulty: High
Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Definition of Psychology
Feedback: The Psychological Frame of Mind
12. In psychology, being skeptical means
A. using personal opinions to predict behavior.
B. arriving at conclusions through conjecture.
C. questioning what everybody knows.
D. accepting viewpoints without evidence.
Page: 5
APA Outcome: 2.2 Demonstrate psychology information literacy
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Low
Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Definition of Psychology
Feedback: The Psychological Frame of Mind
13. Using the _____ means gaining knowledge through the observation of events, the collection of data, and logical
reasoning.
A. pseudoscientific method
B. empirical method
C. unskeptical method
D. superfluous method
Page: 5
APA Outcome: 2.2 Demonstrate psychology information literacy
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Low
, Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Definition of Psychology
Feedback: The Psychological Frame of Mind
14. Psychology has advanced as a field because
A. psychologists always agree with one another about why the mind and behavior work as they do.
B. it does not foster controversies.
C. psychologists think deeply and reflectively and examine the evidence on all sides.
D. it is not based on an empirical method.
Page: 5
APA Outcome: 2.2 Demonstrate psychology information literacy
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Understand
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: Describe the history and early foundations of psychology.
Topic: Definition of Psychology
Feedback: The Psychological Frame of Mind
15. Positive psychology is a branch of psychology that emphasizes
A. all sides of human experience.
B. human strengths.
C. the unconscious experiences of people.
D. psychological problems.
Page: 7
APA Outcome: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Low
Learning Objective: Describe the history and early foundations of psychology.
Topic: Positive Psychology
Feedback: Psychology as the Science of All Human Behavior
16. Which of the following is a criticism of positive psychology?
A. It focuses on how and why things go wrong in life.
B. It relies on Freud’s ideas about human nature.
C. It neglects certain sides of human experience.
D. It emphasizes human weaknesses.
Page: 8
APA Outcome: 1.2 Develop a working knowledge of psychology's content domains
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Understand
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: Describe the history and early foundations of psychology.
Topic: Positive Psychology
Feedback: Psychology as the Science of All Human Behavior
17. Psychology emerged as a science from the field of
A. philosophy.
B. physics.
C. chemistry
D. spirituality.
Page: 8
APA Outcome: 2.2 Demonstrate psychology information literacy
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Low
Learning Objective: Describe the history and early foundations of psychology.
Topic: History of Psychology
Feedback: Psychology in Historical Perspective
What Is Psychology?
1. Psychology is formally defined as
A. the study of the human brain.
B. the subjective study of human behavior.
C. the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
D. the exclusive study of abnormal behavior.
Page: 4
APA Outcome: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Low
Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Definition of Psychology
Feedback: Defining Psychology
2. One way to tell that an explanation is pseudoscientific rather than scientific is to
A. see if the explanation is historically accurate.
B. look at the emotional impact of the explanation on people.
C. see if the explanation has scientific terminology in it.
D. look at how readily proponents of the explanation will accept evidence to the contrary.
Page: 5
APA Outcome: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Understand
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Definition of Psychology
Feedback: Defining Psychology
3. Which of the following is an example of a behavior?
A. A man imagines that he is a bat.
B. A student remembers an answer to a question.
C. A woman drives to work.
D. An old man forgets his birthday.
Page: 4
APA Outcome: 1.2 Develop a working knowledge of psychology's content domains
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Understand
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Definition of Psychology
Feedback: Defining Psychology
4. _____ are the thoughts, feelings, and motives that each of us experiences privately but that cannot be observed
directly.
A. Mental processes
B. Behaviors
C. Fetal processes
D. Mannerisms
Page: 4
APA Outcome: 1.2 Develop a working knowledge of psychology's content domains
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Low
Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Definition of Psychology
Feedback: Defining Psychology
5. According to the science of psychology, a behavior is a(n)
,A. feeling that is acknowledged.
B. attitude that can be changed.
C. action that can be directly observed.
D. goal for life.
Page: 4
APA Outcome: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Low
Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Definition of Psychology
Feedback: Defining Psychology
6. Which of the following statements is true of mental processes?
A. Each of us experiences them publicly.
B. They are considered to be pseudoscientific.
C. They are the same as behaviors.
D. They cannot be observed directly.
Page: 4
APA Outcome: 1.2 Develop a working knowledge of psychology's content domains
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Understand
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Definition of Psychology
Feedback: Defining Psychology
7. According to the science of psychology, which of the following is a mental process?
A. Swimming
B. Feeling proud
C. Crying
D. Reading out loud
Page: 4
APA Outcome: 2.2 Demonstrate psychology information literacy
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Understand
Difficulty: Low
Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Definition of Psychology
Feedback: Defining Psychology
8. _____ is the process of reflecting deeply and actively, asking questions, and evaluating the evidence.
A. Subjectivity
B. Creative thinking
C. Critical thinking
D. Selective wisdom
Page: 4
APA Outcome: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Low
Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Critical Thinking
Feedback: The Psychological Frame of Mind
9. Which of the following statements best defines critical thinking in psychology?
A. It is the process of accepting observed events as true.
B. It is the process of reflecting deeply, asking questions, and evaluating evidence.
C. It is a form of thinking intended to create something new and different.
D. It is a form of thinking that has been rejected by contemporary psychologists.
,Page: 4
APA Outcome: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Critical Thinking
Feedback: The Psychological Frame of Mind
10. Behaviors differ from mental processes in that behaviors
A. are controlled externally.
B. stem from critical thinking.
C. are expressed privately.
D. can be observed directly.
Page: 4
APA Outcome: 1.2 Develop a working knowledge of psychology's content domains
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Understand
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Definition of Psychology
Feedback: The Psychological Frame of Mind
11. Which of the following scenarios demonstrates the attitude of skepticism in psychology?
A. Martina asks her pharmacist to repeat the instructions for taking her medication.
B. Doug tells a customer at his clothing boutique that she can buy clothes that are cheaper at another store.
C. Lindsey wonders if the sleeping pill she has been prescribed can really help her sleep.
D. Alex buys the newest exercise ball in the market to help him lose weight in just five days.
Page: 5
APA Outcome: 2.2 Demonstrate psychology information literacy
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Apply
Difficulty: High
Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Definition of Psychology
Feedback: The Psychological Frame of Mind
12. In psychology, being skeptical means
A. using personal opinions to predict behavior.
B. arriving at conclusions through conjecture.
C. questioning what everybody knows.
D. accepting viewpoints without evidence.
Page: 5
APA Outcome: 2.2 Demonstrate psychology information literacy
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Low
Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Definition of Psychology
Feedback: The Psychological Frame of Mind
13. Using the _____ means gaining knowledge through the observation of events, the collection of data, and logical
reasoning.
A. pseudoscientific method
B. empirical method
C. unskeptical method
D. superfluous method
Page: 5
APA Outcome: 2.2 Demonstrate psychology information literacy
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Low
, Learning Objective: Define psychology.
Topic: Definition of Psychology
Feedback: The Psychological Frame of Mind
14. Psychology has advanced as a field because
A. psychologists always agree with one another about why the mind and behavior work as they do.
B. it does not foster controversies.
C. psychologists think deeply and reflectively and examine the evidence on all sides.
D. it is not based on an empirical method.
Page: 5
APA Outcome: 2.2 Demonstrate psychology information literacy
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Understand
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: Describe the history and early foundations of psychology.
Topic: Definition of Psychology
Feedback: The Psychological Frame of Mind
15. Positive psychology is a branch of psychology that emphasizes
A. all sides of human experience.
B. human strengths.
C. the unconscious experiences of people.
D. psychological problems.
Page: 7
APA Outcome: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Low
Learning Objective: Describe the history and early foundations of psychology.
Topic: Positive Psychology
Feedback: Psychology as the Science of All Human Behavior
16. Which of the following is a criticism of positive psychology?
A. It focuses on how and why things go wrong in life.
B. It relies on Freud’s ideas about human nature.
C. It neglects certain sides of human experience.
D. It emphasizes human weaknesses.
Page: 8
APA Outcome: 1.2 Develop a working knowledge of psychology's content domains
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Understand
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: Describe the history and early foundations of psychology.
Topic: Positive Psychology
Feedback: Psychology as the Science of All Human Behavior
17. Psychology emerged as a science from the field of
A. philosophy.
B. physics.
C. chemistry
D. spirituality.
Page: 8
APA Outcome: 2.2 Demonstrate psychology information literacy
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Low
Learning Objective: Describe the history and early foundations of psychology.
Topic: History of Psychology
Feedback: Psychology in Historical Perspective
