History of Modern Psychology Exam Practice
Questions Correctly Solved to Score A+
Problems of History (4) - Answer 1) fragility and loss
2) errors
3) context
4) bias in perspective
Historiography - Answer the study of the proper way to write history
Psychology - Answer the study of the psyche, or mind, and this study is as old as the human species
Plato and Aristotle - Answer created elaborate theories that attempted to account for such processes as
memory, perception, and learning
Why does it seem unsatisfactory that psychology came into existence when it emerged as a separate
science in the 19th century? - Answer 1) it ignored the vast philosophical heritage that molded it into
the type of science that it eventually became
2) it omits important aspects of psychology that are outside of the realm of science
Presentism - Answer attempts to understand the past in terms of contemporary knowledge and
standards
Historicism - Answer the study of the past for its own sake without attempting to relate the past and
present
Why is history selective? - Answer There is so much detail, what should be included? The usual solution
is to omit large amounts of information. Only those individuals who did the most to develop or
popularize an idea are covered
,Zeitgeist - Answer German for 'spirit of the times'. An approach to writing history that says it is less
about the particular people and more about understanding the spirit of the time period
Great Person Approach - Answer The approach to history that concentrates on the most prominent
contributors to the topic or field under consideration. (the handful of key people).
But it leaves out a lot of the 'connective tissue' or the 'supportive cast'. The sin of omission.
Historical Development Approach - Answer Showing how various individuals or events contributed to
changes in an idea or concept throughout the years
Eclectic Approach - Answer Taking the best from a variety of viewpoints. Using whatever methods seem
best to illuminate an aspect of the history of psychology
E.G Boring - Answer Served as the president of the American Psychological Association in 1928 and
stressed the importance of the zeitgeist.
"Pure Science" - Answer the gaining of knowledge without any concern for its usefulness
Science - Answer The systematic attempt to rationally categorize or explain empirical observations. It
came into existence as a way of answering questions about nature directly rather than depending on the
church dogma, past authorities, and superstition.
Science is often characterized as having two major components- - Answer 1) empirical observation
2) theory
Empirical Observation - Answer The direct observation of nature
Empiricism - Answer The belief that the basis of all knowledge is sensory experience.
Passive process. Biology has given you everything you need, you don't have to do anything.
,Aristotle
Bottom-Up
Britain
Rationalism - Answer The rules of logic. The philosophical belief that knowledge can be attained only by
engaging in some type of systematic mental activity
Always actively filtering information.
Top-Down
Active process.
Germany.
Scientific Theory - Answer A proposed explanation of a number of empirical observations
According to Popper, scientific theory is- - Answer A proposed solution to a problem.
1) it organizes empirical observations
2) it acts as a guide for future observations
Scientific Law - Answer A consistently observed relationship between classes of empirical events
Correlational Laws - Answer Laws that specify the systematic relationships among classes of empirical
events. Does not need to be casually related. An example is as average daily temperatures rise, so does
crime rate without knowing if the two events are casually related
, Casual Laws - Answer specify the conditions that are necessary and sufficient to produce a certain event.
allows both prediction and control. more powerful and more desirable
Traditional view on science- - Answer empirical observation, theory formulation, theory testing, theory
revision, prediction, control, the search for lawful relationships, and the assumption of determinism
Two fundamental ways that Popper disagreed with the traditional description of science- - Answer 1) He
disagreed that scientific activity starts with empirical observation. He believed scientific activity starts
with a problem and that the problem determines what observations scientists will make
2) Proposed solutions to the problem and attempted to find fault with proposed solutions
Popper saw scientific method as having three stages- - Answer 1) problems
2) theories / proposed solutions
3) criticism
Principle of Falsifiability - Answer Popper's contention that for a theory to be considered scientific it
must specify the observations that could refute the theory. A theory must make risky predictions
Postdiction - Answer explaining the phenomena after they have already occurred
Thomas Kuhn - Answer Believed that scientific communities are governed by a shared set of beliefs
(paradigm). There is a pattern to the evolution of all sciences
Paradigm - Answer A viewpoint shared by many scientists. A paradigm determines what constitutes
legitimate problems and the methodology used in solving those problems
Correspondence Theory of Truth - Answer Scientific laws and theories accurately mirror events in the
physical world
Questions Correctly Solved to Score A+
Problems of History (4) - Answer 1) fragility and loss
2) errors
3) context
4) bias in perspective
Historiography - Answer the study of the proper way to write history
Psychology - Answer the study of the psyche, or mind, and this study is as old as the human species
Plato and Aristotle - Answer created elaborate theories that attempted to account for such processes as
memory, perception, and learning
Why does it seem unsatisfactory that psychology came into existence when it emerged as a separate
science in the 19th century? - Answer 1) it ignored the vast philosophical heritage that molded it into
the type of science that it eventually became
2) it omits important aspects of psychology that are outside of the realm of science
Presentism - Answer attempts to understand the past in terms of contemporary knowledge and
standards
Historicism - Answer the study of the past for its own sake without attempting to relate the past and
present
Why is history selective? - Answer There is so much detail, what should be included? The usual solution
is to omit large amounts of information. Only those individuals who did the most to develop or
popularize an idea are covered
,Zeitgeist - Answer German for 'spirit of the times'. An approach to writing history that says it is less
about the particular people and more about understanding the spirit of the time period
Great Person Approach - Answer The approach to history that concentrates on the most prominent
contributors to the topic or field under consideration. (the handful of key people).
But it leaves out a lot of the 'connective tissue' or the 'supportive cast'. The sin of omission.
Historical Development Approach - Answer Showing how various individuals or events contributed to
changes in an idea or concept throughout the years
Eclectic Approach - Answer Taking the best from a variety of viewpoints. Using whatever methods seem
best to illuminate an aspect of the history of psychology
E.G Boring - Answer Served as the president of the American Psychological Association in 1928 and
stressed the importance of the zeitgeist.
"Pure Science" - Answer the gaining of knowledge without any concern for its usefulness
Science - Answer The systematic attempt to rationally categorize or explain empirical observations. It
came into existence as a way of answering questions about nature directly rather than depending on the
church dogma, past authorities, and superstition.
Science is often characterized as having two major components- - Answer 1) empirical observation
2) theory
Empirical Observation - Answer The direct observation of nature
Empiricism - Answer The belief that the basis of all knowledge is sensory experience.
Passive process. Biology has given you everything you need, you don't have to do anything.
,Aristotle
Bottom-Up
Britain
Rationalism - Answer The rules of logic. The philosophical belief that knowledge can be attained only by
engaging in some type of systematic mental activity
Always actively filtering information.
Top-Down
Active process.
Germany.
Scientific Theory - Answer A proposed explanation of a number of empirical observations
According to Popper, scientific theory is- - Answer A proposed solution to a problem.
1) it organizes empirical observations
2) it acts as a guide for future observations
Scientific Law - Answer A consistently observed relationship between classes of empirical events
Correlational Laws - Answer Laws that specify the systematic relationships among classes of empirical
events. Does not need to be casually related. An example is as average daily temperatures rise, so does
crime rate without knowing if the two events are casually related
, Casual Laws - Answer specify the conditions that are necessary and sufficient to produce a certain event.
allows both prediction and control. more powerful and more desirable
Traditional view on science- - Answer empirical observation, theory formulation, theory testing, theory
revision, prediction, control, the search for lawful relationships, and the assumption of determinism
Two fundamental ways that Popper disagreed with the traditional description of science- - Answer 1) He
disagreed that scientific activity starts with empirical observation. He believed scientific activity starts
with a problem and that the problem determines what observations scientists will make
2) Proposed solutions to the problem and attempted to find fault with proposed solutions
Popper saw scientific method as having three stages- - Answer 1) problems
2) theories / proposed solutions
3) criticism
Principle of Falsifiability - Answer Popper's contention that for a theory to be considered scientific it
must specify the observations that could refute the theory. A theory must make risky predictions
Postdiction - Answer explaining the phenomena after they have already occurred
Thomas Kuhn - Answer Believed that scientific communities are governed by a shared set of beliefs
(paradigm). There is a pattern to the evolution of all sciences
Paradigm - Answer A viewpoint shared by many scientists. A paradigm determines what constitutes
legitimate problems and the methodology used in solving those problems
Correspondence Theory of Truth - Answer Scientific laws and theories accurately mirror events in the
physical world
