TEST-ITEM FILE
,
,CHAPTER 1 Human Nature, Science, and
Behavior Theory
6. Behavior theorists study processes of learning by (p.
1. Scientific understanding entails (p. 3)
9)
a. an identification of necessary and sufficient
a. assuming that all human nature can be understood
conditions.
scientifically.
b. an identification of external causal events.
b. directly measuring internal processes that give
c. an identification of general causal laws.
rise to changes in behavior.
*d. all the above.
c. determining the environmental constraints on
2. Scientific understanding is best achieved through (p. expressions of free will.
5) *d. determining how environmental events change an
a. the careful observation of causal generalizations. organism and influence its behavior.
b. the collection of facts about nature.
7. The experimental study of an organism’s behavior is
*c. experimental tests of causal generalizations.
valuable because (p. 9)
d. the careful observation of relevant facts.
a. expressions of free will can only be made sense
3. Scientific and teleological explanations of human of in this way.
nature differ in that the (p. 7) b. the organism’s goals, expectations, and purposes
a. former identify internal, and the latter external, can only be made apparent in this way.
influences. c. it is only through an organism’s behavior that we
*b. former identify external, and the latter internal, can identify its reasons for action.
influences. *d. it enables us to make inferences about internal
c. former are based on beliefs and desires. processes that we cannot measure directly.
d. latter offer no practical consequences for social
8. Phenomena of learning depend on internal processes
policy-making decisions.
of (p. 9)
4. Experimental psychologists and physicists both agree a. perception.
that (p. 8) b. categorization.
a. human nature cannot be studied scientifically. c. memory.
b. human nature is best understood by analyzing *d. all the above.
reasons, beliefs, and goals.
9. According to Descartes, (p. 10)
*c. there exist discoverable eternal regularities in
a. voluntary and involuntary behaviors are to be
nature.
explained in nonmechanical ways.
d. there are fundamental differences between
b. voluntary and involuntary behaviors are to be
animate and inanimate objects.
explained in mechanical ways.
5. Behavior theory attempts to discover (p. 8) *c. voluntary behaviors are to be explained in
a. an organism’s reasons for its actions. nonmechanical, and involuntary behaviors in
b. whether organisms should be held responsible for mechanical, ways.
their actions. d. voluntary behaviors are to be explained in
*c. laws by which an organism’s past experience mechanical, and involuntary behaviors in
influences its future actions. nonmechanical, ways.
d. all the above.
, 4 | Chapter 1
10. The conception of the reflex arc was used by c. natural selection, intelligent variation, and within-
Descartes to explain (p. 11) generational transmission of important
a. all human behavior. characteristics.
b. all human and animal behavior. *d. natural selection, random variation, and across-
c. all human and some animal behavior. generational transmission of important
*d. some human and all animal behavior. characteristics.
11. The British associationists argued that (p. 12) 16. Herbert Spencer applied Darwin’s theory to the life
a. the source of all knowledge is sensory of individual organisms by assuming that (p. 15)
experience. *a. pleasurable consequences select among the
b. simple elements of knowledge could combine to randomly occurring behaviors that precede them.
form complex ideas. b. evolution selects for intelligent, goal-directed
c. a science of mind could develop with laws of behaviors.
combination of mental elements. c. evolution selects for only those behaviors that
*d. all the above. promote survival.
d. all the above.
12. The principle of temporal contiguity states that (p.
12) 17. Suburbanites who learn to ignore sounds of the city
a. two experiences widely separated in time are can be said to exemplify (p. 17)
likely to become associated. a. event-event learning.
*b. two experiences occurring closely together in b. behavior-event learning.
time are likely to become associated. *c. single event learning.
c. two highly similar experiences are likely to d. fatigue.
become associated.
18. Pavlovian conditioning refers to (p. 17)
d. two frequently occurring experiences are likely to
*a. event-event learning.
become associated.
b. behavior-event learning.
13. The Russian physiologist I. M. Sechenov argued that c. single event learning.
spontaneously occurring thoughts could be explained d. the study of inborn salivary reflexes in digestion.
by (p. 14)
19. Association philosophy is to Pavlovian conditioning
*a. undetected environmental stimuli triggering
as (p. 18)
reflexes.
a. animal spirits are to conditioned reflexes.
b. the voice of self-consciousness.
b. the law of effect is to the conditioned reflex.
c. the release of animal spirits in the brain.
c. ideas are to sensory experience.
d. all the above.
*d. knowledge is to the conditioned reflex.
14. According to Darwinian theory, natural selection
20. Operant conditioning refers to (p. 18)
ensures the survival of (p. 14)
a. single event learning.
a. all members of a species.
b. event-event learning.
b. only those members of a species that fit into
*c. behavior-event learning.
nature’s grand design.
d. the study of randomly occurring behaviors.
*c. only those members of a species that display
useful individual variations. 21. E. L. Thorndike carefully investigated (p. 18)
d. only those members of a species that display a. single event learning.
natural intelligence. b. event-event learning.
*c. behavior-event learning.
15. Three crucial elements of evolutionary theory are (p.
d. the study of randomly occurring behaviors.
15)
a. random selection, intelligent variation, and 22. Thorndike saw the law of effect as a mechanism (p.
within-generational transmission of important 20)
characteristics. *a. that could explain goal-directed behaviors.
b. purposeful selection, random variation, and b. that could explain psychic reflexes.
across-generational transmission of important c. whereby goal-directed behavior could be
characteristics. transmitted across generations.
d. that could explain all conditioned behaviors.
,
,CHAPTER 1 Human Nature, Science, and
Behavior Theory
6. Behavior theorists study processes of learning by (p.
1. Scientific understanding entails (p. 3)
9)
a. an identification of necessary and sufficient
a. assuming that all human nature can be understood
conditions.
scientifically.
b. an identification of external causal events.
b. directly measuring internal processes that give
c. an identification of general causal laws.
rise to changes in behavior.
*d. all the above.
c. determining the environmental constraints on
2. Scientific understanding is best achieved through (p. expressions of free will.
5) *d. determining how environmental events change an
a. the careful observation of causal generalizations. organism and influence its behavior.
b. the collection of facts about nature.
7. The experimental study of an organism’s behavior is
*c. experimental tests of causal generalizations.
valuable because (p. 9)
d. the careful observation of relevant facts.
a. expressions of free will can only be made sense
3. Scientific and teleological explanations of human of in this way.
nature differ in that the (p. 7) b. the organism’s goals, expectations, and purposes
a. former identify internal, and the latter external, can only be made apparent in this way.
influences. c. it is only through an organism’s behavior that we
*b. former identify external, and the latter internal, can identify its reasons for action.
influences. *d. it enables us to make inferences about internal
c. former are based on beliefs and desires. processes that we cannot measure directly.
d. latter offer no practical consequences for social
8. Phenomena of learning depend on internal processes
policy-making decisions.
of (p. 9)
4. Experimental psychologists and physicists both agree a. perception.
that (p. 8) b. categorization.
a. human nature cannot be studied scientifically. c. memory.
b. human nature is best understood by analyzing *d. all the above.
reasons, beliefs, and goals.
9. According to Descartes, (p. 10)
*c. there exist discoverable eternal regularities in
a. voluntary and involuntary behaviors are to be
nature.
explained in nonmechanical ways.
d. there are fundamental differences between
b. voluntary and involuntary behaviors are to be
animate and inanimate objects.
explained in mechanical ways.
5. Behavior theory attempts to discover (p. 8) *c. voluntary behaviors are to be explained in
a. an organism’s reasons for its actions. nonmechanical, and involuntary behaviors in
b. whether organisms should be held responsible for mechanical, ways.
their actions. d. voluntary behaviors are to be explained in
*c. laws by which an organism’s past experience mechanical, and involuntary behaviors in
influences its future actions. nonmechanical, ways.
d. all the above.
, 4 | Chapter 1
10. The conception of the reflex arc was used by c. natural selection, intelligent variation, and within-
Descartes to explain (p. 11) generational transmission of important
a. all human behavior. characteristics.
b. all human and animal behavior. *d. natural selection, random variation, and across-
c. all human and some animal behavior. generational transmission of important
*d. some human and all animal behavior. characteristics.
11. The British associationists argued that (p. 12) 16. Herbert Spencer applied Darwin’s theory to the life
a. the source of all knowledge is sensory of individual organisms by assuming that (p. 15)
experience. *a. pleasurable consequences select among the
b. simple elements of knowledge could combine to randomly occurring behaviors that precede them.
form complex ideas. b. evolution selects for intelligent, goal-directed
c. a science of mind could develop with laws of behaviors.
combination of mental elements. c. evolution selects for only those behaviors that
*d. all the above. promote survival.
d. all the above.
12. The principle of temporal contiguity states that (p.
12) 17. Suburbanites who learn to ignore sounds of the city
a. two experiences widely separated in time are can be said to exemplify (p. 17)
likely to become associated. a. event-event learning.
*b. two experiences occurring closely together in b. behavior-event learning.
time are likely to become associated. *c. single event learning.
c. two highly similar experiences are likely to d. fatigue.
become associated.
18. Pavlovian conditioning refers to (p. 17)
d. two frequently occurring experiences are likely to
*a. event-event learning.
become associated.
b. behavior-event learning.
13. The Russian physiologist I. M. Sechenov argued that c. single event learning.
spontaneously occurring thoughts could be explained d. the study of inborn salivary reflexes in digestion.
by (p. 14)
19. Association philosophy is to Pavlovian conditioning
*a. undetected environmental stimuli triggering
as (p. 18)
reflexes.
a. animal spirits are to conditioned reflexes.
b. the voice of self-consciousness.
b. the law of effect is to the conditioned reflex.
c. the release of animal spirits in the brain.
c. ideas are to sensory experience.
d. all the above.
*d. knowledge is to the conditioned reflex.
14. According to Darwinian theory, natural selection
20. Operant conditioning refers to (p. 18)
ensures the survival of (p. 14)
a. single event learning.
a. all members of a species.
b. event-event learning.
b. only those members of a species that fit into
*c. behavior-event learning.
nature’s grand design.
d. the study of randomly occurring behaviors.
*c. only those members of a species that display
useful individual variations. 21. E. L. Thorndike carefully investigated (p. 18)
d. only those members of a species that display a. single event learning.
natural intelligence. b. event-event learning.
*c. behavior-event learning.
15. Three crucial elements of evolutionary theory are (p.
d. the study of randomly occurring behaviors.
15)
a. random selection, intelligent variation, and 22. Thorndike saw the law of effect as a mechanism (p.
within-generational transmission of important 20)
characteristics. *a. that could explain goal-directed behaviors.
b. purposeful selection, random variation, and b. that could explain psychic reflexes.
across-generational transmission of important c. whereby goal-directed behavior could be
characteristics. transmitted across generations.
d. that could explain all conditioned behaviors.
