Problem Set #2

Short Answer Questions:

1. Why is psychology a science?

2. Define dualism.

3. What did Locke mean by “tabula rasa”?

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4. Why is Wundt considered by some psychologists to be the founder of modern psychology?

5. What is biological psychology?

6. What is self-actualization?

7. Define independant variable.

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8. Define dependant variable.

9. What are three measures of central tendency?

10. What is informed consent?

11. What are Type I and Type II errors?

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Multiple Choice Questions:
1. A cognitive psychologist would likely be most interested in:
(a) concentration of neural transmitters in the spinal cord.
(b) unconditional positive regard in the therapeutic setting.
(c) token economies in prisons.
(d) reaction times on word association tests.
(e) development of fine motor skills in toddlers.
2. The concept of tabula rasa, or “blank slate” is closely associated with:
(a) David Hume
(b) Charles Darwin
(c) John Locke
(d) Sigmund Freud
(e) Erich Fromm
3. The concept of dualism refers to the division of all things in the world into:

(a) thought and action

(b) body and spirit
(c) structural and functional
(d) theoretical and practical
(e) dependent and independent
4. Rene Descartes would most likely have DISAGREED with which of the following statements?
(a) The psysical world is observable, and, if sufficient knowledge is gained through such observation,
predictable.
(b) Divine influence controls every human action and thought.
(c) The mind is not subject to the laws of the physical world.
(d) There are some bodily movements or actions in humans that are not controlled directly by the
conscious mind.
(e) The mind and the body are separate entities but constantly interact.

5. The American psychologist William James is most closely identified with the theory of:
(a) natural selection
(b) behaviorism
(c) structuralism
(d) functionalism
(e) radicalism

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 6. In a double-blind experimental design, which of the following would be true?
(a) The experimental subjects know whether they are in an experimental group or in a control group,
but the researchers do not.
(b) The researchers know whether particular subjects have been assigned to an experimental group
or a control group, but the experimental subjects do not.
(c) Both the researchers and the experimental subjects know whether the latter have been assigned
to an experimental group or a control group.
(d) Neither the researchers nor the experimental subjects know whether the latter have been assigned
to an experimental group or a control group.
(e) The observers are unable to see the responses or behaviors of the experimental group during the
course of the experimental manipulation.
7. In a normal distribution of scores, approximately what percentage of all scores will occur within one
standard deviation from the mean?
(a) 34
(b) 68
(c) 95
(d) 97.5
(e) 100
8. When testing a hypothesis, a Type II error would involve:
(a) concluding a difference between groups exists after the experimental manipulation when in fact a
difference does not exist.
(b) concluding a difference between groups does not exist after the experimental manipulation when
in fact a difference does exist.
(c) concluding a score is two standard deviations above the mean when in fact it is two standard
deviations below the mean.
(d) concluding a score is two standard deviations below the mean when in fact it is two standard
deviations above the mean.
(e) rejecting the null hypothesis when in fact it should have been accepted.
9. Which of the following would NOT be considered essential for a proposed research design to meet the
requirements for ethicality?
(a) Research subjects must consent to participate in the project, and a full description of what their
participation consists of must be spelled out before they are asked to give consent.
(b) Participants must be allowed to withdraw from the project at any time.
(c) Both the subjects and the researchers must know which of the subjects will be part of the exper-
imental group.
(d) If deception is involved, a full debriefing of the subjects must occur soon after the completion of
the project.
(e) If keeping with protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the subjects, data should be obtained
as anonymously as possible.
10. The correlation between two observed attributes is -.84. From this, it can be concluded that
(a) as one attribute increases, the other is likely to increase.
(b) as one attribute increases, the other is likely to decrease.
(c) the two attributes are unrelated.
(d) one attribute causes the other attribute to occur.
(e) one attribute causes the other attribute not to occur.