Description

Essential Psychology 4th Edition Test Bank –

by Daniel L. Schacter

Table of Contents

1. Definition and Scope of Psychology
2. Mental Processes and Brain Function
3. Research Methods and Case Studies
4. Historical Foundations
5. Philosophical Perspectives
6. Mind-Body Problem
7. Early Brain Research

Definition and Scope of Psychology

Question 1: Psychology is the scientific study of:

• A) mind and body
• B) mind and behaviour ✓
• C) mood and behaviour
• D) mood and body

Question 2: Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behaviour. Behaviour refers to:

• A) perceptions, thoughts, memories, and feelings
• B) explanations
• C) urges
• D) observable actions of humans and nonhuman animals ✓

Question 8: Which is the primary reason why modern psychologists study lapses, errors, and mistakes in behaviour and cognition?

• A) They are more intriguing than normal psychological functioning
• B) They allow us to learn about the normal operations of mental life and behaviour ✓
• C) They provide a window into the sexual urges of the unconscious
• D) They vividly illustrate the fact that most psychological functioning is not adaptive

Mental Processes and Brain Function

Question 3: Today, psychologists believe that mental processes:

• A) arise from electrical and chemical activities of the brain ✓
• B) arise from a nonphysical mind interacting with the pineal gland in the brain
• C) are not proper subject matter for science research
• D) usually are not adaptive in helping us function effectively in the world

Question 4: Today, most psychologists would agree with which statement concerning mental processes?

• A) The scientific method cannot be applied to mental processes
• B) Mental processes are nonphysical entities that control the brain and body
• C) Mental processes arise from brain functioning ✓
• D) Mental processes are the only subject matter worthy of study in psychology

Question 5: Using __, Krings et al. (2000) demonstrated that the brains of professional piano players were __ active than novice players when both groups made finger movements like those involved in piano play.

• A) fMRI; more ✓
• B) tMRI; less
• C) CT scans; more
• D) CT scans; less

Research Methods and Case Studies

Question 6: The case of Elliot, as documented by Damasio (1994), suggests that:

• A) cognitive functioning can be severely impaired while emotion remains unaffected
• B) emotions usually interfere with adaptive behaviour
• C) even negative emotions such as anxiety and sorrow have adaptive functions ✓
• D) emotion and intelligence share a common neural substrate

Question 7: William James (1890) believed that the influence of __ could help explain absentmindedness.

• A) habit ✓
• B) sleep deprivation
• C) emotions
• D) personality

Historical Foundations

Question 9: The early roots of psychology are firmly planted in physiology and in:

• A) anatomy
• B) logic
• C) dualism
• D) philosophy ✓

Question 18: The major limitation of the works of the classical Greek philosophers to an understanding of human behaviour is that:

• A) much of these works remains lost to history
• B) differences among translations have fueled misunderstanding and debate
• C) the works tended to underestimate the role of nurture in shaping human behaviour
• D) these philosophers did not develop ways to test their theories ✓

Philosophical Perspectives

Nativism vs. Empiricism

Question 10: Some early philosophers believed that certain kinds of knowledge were innate or inborn, a theory known as:

• A) functionalism
• B) nativism ✓
• C) philosophical empiricism
• D) structuralism

Question 11: Which early philosopher was interested in certain kinds of knowledge as being innate or inborn?

• A) Hippocrates
• B) Plato ✓
• C) Aristotle
• D) Descartes

Question 12: The older position of nativism is reflected in psychological views that emphasize the effect of __ on behaviour.

• A) nurture
• B) intuition
• C) schemas
• D) nature ✓

Question 13: Plato is to __ as Aristotle is to __

• A) philosophical structuralism; nativism
• B) nativism; philosophical empiricism ✓
• C) nativism; dualism
• D) dualism; nativism

Question 14: Nature is to nurture as nativism is to:

• A) experience ✓
• B) adaptation
• C) behaviourism
• D) phrenology

Question 15: Some early philosophers believed that all knowledge was acquired through experience, an idea now known as:

• A) functionalism
• B) philosophical empiricism ✓
• C) structuralism
• D) nativism

Question 16: The notion that the mind at birth is a tabula rasa is consistent with the views of:

• A) Plato
• B) Descartes
• C) Aristotle ✓
• D) Gall

Question 17: The fact that very young children almost universally master the basics of language without formal training is most consistent with:

• A) Plato’s nativism ✓
• B) Gall’s phrenology
• C) Aristotle’s philosophical empiricism
• D) Locke’s tabula rasa

Mind-Body Problem

Question 19: __ believed that the mind and body are different from each other, and linked by the pineal gland.

• A) Gall
• B) Hobbes
• C) Descartes ✓
• D) Aristotle

Question 20: Descartes believed that the mind influences the body through the:

• A) pituitary gland
• B) hippocampus
• C) prefrontal cortex
• D) pineal gland ✓

Question 21: A spiritual leader believes that the soul and the body are fundamentally different from each other, but are linked via a special structure in the brain. His beliefs are similar to those of:

• A) Gall
• B) Descartes ✓
• C) Hobbes
• D) Broca

Question 22: The modern view that the subjective experience of having a mind is the result of brain activity can be traced to which philosopher?

• A) Hobbes ✓
• B) Plato
• C) Descartes
• D) James

Question 23: The problem of dualism refers to how:

• A) different areas in the brain control different types of behaviour and cognition
• B) mental activity can be reconciled and coordinated with physical behaviour
• C) brain activity produces consciousness ✓
• D) both genetic and environmental factors influence human behaviour

Early Brain Research

Question 24: Phrenology suggested that specific mental abilities and characteristics were located in specific regions of the brain. It was developed by:

• A) Descartes
• B) Flourens
• C) Gall ✓
• D) Broca

Question 25: [Incomplete] Dr. Quack touches specific bumps on a patient’s skull and then indicates specific character traits for the patient, for example… [Question appears to be cut off]

Key Concepts Summary

Important Figures:

• Plato: Advocate of nativism (innate knowledge)
• Aristotle: Advocate of empiricism (tabula rasa)
• Descartes: Mind-body dualism, pineal gland theory
• Hobbes: Early materialist view of mind
• Gall: Developer of phrenology
• William James: Studied habits and consciousness
• Damasio: Studied emotion and cognition (Elliot case)

Key Theories:

• Nativism: Knowledge is innate/inborn
• Empiricism: Knowledge comes from experience
• Dualism: Mind and body are separate substances
• Phrenology: Mental abilities localized in brain regions
• Modern View: Mental processes arise from brain activity

Research Methods:

• fMRI: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Case Studies: In-depth study of individuals (e.g., Elliot)
• Comparative Studies: Professional vs. novice piano players