PSYCHOLOGY CHAPTERS 1-14
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH
SOLUTIONS 2024
psychology - ANSWER The scientific study of mind and behavior.
data - ANSWER Any information collected through formal observation or measurement.
hindsight bias - ANSWER The tendency to think that we could have predicted something that has already
occurred that we probably would not have been able to predict.
scientific method - ANSWER The set of assumptions, rules, and procedures that scientists use to conduct
empirical research.
levels of explanation - ANSWER The perspectives that are used to understand behavior.
individual differences - ANSWER The variations among people on physical or psychological dimensions.
structuralism - ANSWER Uses the method of introspection to identify the basic elements or "structures"
of psychological experience
functionalism - ANSWER Attempts to understand why animals and humans have developed the
particular psychological aspects that they currently possess
psychodyamic - ANSWER Focuses on the role of our unconscious thoughts, feelings, and
memories and our early childhood experiences in determining behavior
behaviorism - ANSWER Based on the premise that it is not possible to objectively study the mind, and
therefore that psychologists should limit their attention to the study of behavior itself
,cognitive - ANSWER The study of mental processes, including perception, thinking, memory, and
judgments
social-cultural - ANSWER The study of how the social situations and the cultures in which people find
themselves influence thinking and behavior
heritability - ANSWER The proportion of the observed differences on characteristics among people (e.g.,
in terms of their height, intelligence, or optimism) that is due to genetics.
nature vs nurture - ANSWER Are genes or environment most influential in determining the behavior of
individuals and in accounting for differences among people?
free will vs determinism - ANSWER This question concerns the extent to which people have control over
their own actions. Are we the products of our environment, guided by forces out of our control, or are
we able to choose the behaviors we engage in?
accuracy vs inaccuracy - ANSWER To what extent are humans good information processors?
conscious vs unconscious - ANSWER To what extent are we conscious of our own actions and the causes
of them, and to what extent are our behaviors caused by influences that we are not aware of?
differences vs similarities - ANSWER To what extent are we all similar, and to what extent are we
different?
plato and aristotle - ANSWER Earliest psychologists that we know about. One believed that knowledge
was innate, and the other believed that each human is born as an empty slate.
introspection - ANSWER A method of learning about psychological processes in which research
participants are asked to describe exactly what they experience as they work on mental tasks.
evolutionary psychology - ANSWER A branch of psychology that applies the Darwinian theory of natural
selection to human and animal behavior.
,fitness - ANSWER The extent to which having a given genetic characteristic helps an individual organism
survive and reproduce at a higher rate than do other members of the species who do not have the
characteristic.
psychodynamic psychology - ANSWER An approach to understanding human behavior that focuses on
the role of unconscious thoughts, feelings, and memories.
social norms - ANSWER The ways of thinking, feeling, or behaving that are shared by group members and
are perceived by them as appropriate.
culture - ANSWER A common set of social norms, including religious and family values and other moral
beliefs, shared by the people who live in a geographical region.
biopsychology and neuroscience - ANSWER This field examines the physiological bases of behavior in
animals and humans by studying the functioning of different brain areas and the effects of hormones
and neurotransmitters on behavior.
clinical and counseling psychology - ANSWER These are the largest fields of psychology. The focus is on
the assessment, diagnosis, causes, and treatment of mental disorders.
developmental psychology - ANSWER These psychologists conduct research on the cognitive, emotional,
and social changes that occur across the lifespan.
forensic psychology - ANSWER Apply psychological principles to understand the behavior of judges,
attorneys, courtroom juries, and others in the criminal justice system.
health psychology - ANSWER Concerned with understanding how biology, behavior, and the social
situation influence health and illness.
industrial- organizational and environmental psychology - ANSWER Applies psychology to the workplace
with the goal of improving the performance and well-being of employees.
, personality psychology - ANSWER These psychologists study people and the differences among them.
The goal is to develop theories that explain the psychological processes of individuals, and to focus on
individual differences.
school and educational psychology - ANSWER This field studies how people
learn in school, the effectiveness
of school programs, and the psychology of teaching.
social and cross-cultural psychology - ANSWER This field examines people's interactions with other
people. Topics of study include conformity, group behavior, leadership, attitudes, and person perception
sports psychology - ANSWER This field studies the psychological aspects of sports behavior. The goal is to
understand the psychological factors that influence performance in sports, including the role of exercise
and team interactions.
basic research - ANSWER Research that answers fundamental questions about behavior.
applied research - ANSWER Research that investigates issues that have implications for everyday life and
provides solutions to everyday problems.
empirical - ANSWER Based on systematic collection and analysis of data.
objective - ANSWER Free from the personal bias or emotions of the scientist
laws - ANSWER Principles that are so general as to apply to all situations in a given domain of inquiry.
theory - ANSWER An integrated set of principles that explains and predicts many, but not all, observed
relationships within a given domain of inquiry.
falsifiable - ANSWER A characteristic of a theory or research hypothesis in which the variables of interest
can be adequately measured and the predicted relationships among the variables can be shown through
research to be incorrect.