Psychology 101 Flashcards

Which of the following viewpoints asserts that human behavior evolves in a particular way because it serves a purpose?

Answer: Functionalism

Functionalism, a school of thought in psychology, focuses on the purpose and adaptive functions of mental processes and behaviors. It asks 'why' we think and feel the way we do, emphasizing how these psychological attributes help us adapt to our environment and survive. This viewpoint directly aligns with the idea that human behavior evolves because it serves a specific, beneficial purpose.

Which of the aforementioned psychological theories did Edward Titchener support in the late 1800s?

Answer: Structuralism

Edward Titchener, a student of Wilhelm Wundt, was the leading proponent of Structuralism in the United States. Structuralism was an early school of thought in psychology that aimed to break down mental processes into their most basic components, or 'structures,' using introspection as its primary research method. Titchener focused on identifying the fundamental elements of consciousness, such as sensations, feelings, and images.

A person is exposed to a series of flashing lights from a researcher at various intervals. He asks the participant to completely describe her interior experiences after each presentation of a light, a technique known as?

Answer: introspection.

Introspection is a research method where individuals carefully observe and report their own conscious experiences, thoughts, and feelings in response to a stimulus. This technique was a cornerstone of early psychological schools like Structuralism, where researchers like Wundt and Titchener used it to systematically analyze the basic elements of consciousness. The scenario perfectly describes this systematic self-observation.

Despite having the exact same dimensions, a quarter in your hand and a quarter taped to a wall across the room produce very distinct images in your retina. The best explanation for this phenomena would be a

Answer: Gestalt psychologist.

Gestalt psychology emphasizes that the whole of experience is greater than the sum of its parts, focusing on how we perceive patterns and complete forms. A Gestalt psychologist would explain the quarter phenomenon through principles like perceptual constancy, specifically size constancy. Our brain maintains a stable perception of an object's size despite changes in its retinal image due to distance, perceiving the quarter as a consistent whole.

The investigation of the nerve system is known as?

Answer: neuroscience.

Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord, and all the nerves that connect them. It is an interdisciplinary field that explores the structure, function, development, genetics, biochemistry, physiology, and pathology of the nervous system. Its primary focus is understanding how the nervous system produces behavior, emotion, cognition, and consciousness.

Once the U.S. The "Doll Test," conducted by the University of Chicago Law School, had a significant impact on the Supreme Court's decision to overturn statutes allowing segregated schools while it was considering whether to mandate schools to integrate black and white students.

Answer: Kenneth Clark and Mamie Phipps Clark.

Kenneth Clark and Mamie Phipps Clark were pioneering African American psychologists whose 'Doll Test' research demonstrated the psychological harm of segregation on Black children. Their findings, showing that Black children often preferred white dolls and associated positive traits with them, were cited in the landmark 1954 Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education, which declared state-sponsored segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

What views of Sigmund Freud are most likely to be held by contemporary psychologists?

Answer: Freudian theory is untestable and not grounded in science.

While Sigmund Freud was highly influential, many of his core theories are largely considered untestable by modern scientific standards. Contemporary psychology values empirical evidence and falsifiability, which many Freudian concepts lack, leading to the view that they are not sufficiently grounded in science. However, some broader Freudian ideas, like the influence of the unconscious, have evolved into more empirically supported concepts within psychology.