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Understanding Psychology 12th Edition Morris
Test Bank
Chapter 1: The Science of Psychology
Multiple-Choice
What Is Psychology?
Psychology is the scientific study of _.
how personality can be determined by the size and shape of one’s head
behavior and mental processes
Correct: Psychology is the study of behavior and mental processes.
the physiological functions of the brain
Incorrect: While areas of psychology may examine this topic, it is the study of behavior and
mental processes.
how cultures and societies develop and interact with each other
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.1 Define psychology and describe some of the major subfields within
psychology.
Topic: What Is Psychology?
Skill: Remember the Facts
Difficulty: 1 – Easy
The American Psychological Association is made up of divisions of psychology
that study many different areas within the field.
about ten
about 25
over 30
over 50
Answer: d
Learning Objective: 1.1 Define psychology and describe some of the major subfields within
psychology.
Topic: What Is Psychology?
Skill: Remember the Facts
Difficulty: 2 – Moderate
A group of psychologists study physical, mental, social and emotional growth from the prenatal
period through childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age. They are most likely tobe
psychologists.
developmental
Correct: Developmental psychologists study all aspects of growth and change from conception
2
through death.
social
Incorrect: Social psychologists study the bidirectional effects that people have on each other,
including thoughts, feelings, and actions.
personality
organizational
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.1 Define psychology and describe some of the major subfields within
psychology.
Topic: What Is Psychology?
Skill: Apply What You Know
Difficulty: 1 – Easy
Developmental psychologists focus mainly on studying .
adolescent changes and development
adulthood
Incorrect: Developmental psychologists study more than just the period of adulthood.
the entire developmental spectrum from infancy through adulthood
Correct: Developmental psychologists study all aspects of human growth from the prenatal
period through old age.
infancy and childhood development
Answer: c
Learning Objective: 1.1 Define psychology and describe some of the major subfields within
psychology.
Topic: What Is Psychology?
Skill: Remember the Facts
Difficulty: 2 – Moderate
are interested in the workings of the brain and the nervous system.
Experimental psychologists
Incorrect: Experimental psychologists are interested in behavior and mental processes more
generally.
Psychobiologists
Behavioral geneticists
Neuropsychologists
Correct: Neuropsychologists are interested in the workings of the brain and nervous system.
Answer: d
Learning Objective: 1.1 Define psychology and describe some of the major subfields within
psychology.
Topic: What Is Psychology?
Skill: Remember the Facts
Difficulty: 1 – Easy
3
A group of psychologists are interested in how hormones, psychoactive medications, and
“social drugs” affect us. They are most likely to be .
neuropsychologists
Incorrect: A neuropsychologist would definitely be interested in how drugs affect the brain, but
the more general answer of psychobiologist is the best choice.
physiological psychologists
Correct: Physiological psychologists are interested in the biological bases of human behavior,
which includes the way that chemicals such as hormones and drugs affect individuals’ actions.
experimental psychologists
behavioral geneticists
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.1 Define psychology and describe some of the major subfields within
psychology.
Topic: What Is Psychology?
Skill: Apply What You Know
Difficulty: 2 – Moderate
A group of psychologists conduct research on basic psychological processes, including learning,
memory, sensation, perception, thinking, motivation, and emotion. They are most likelyto be
psychologists.
physiological
clinical
experimental
Correct: Experimental psychologists are interested in basic psychological processes.
psychometric
Incorrect: Psychometric psychologists are interested in measurement in psychology.
Answer: c
Learning Objective: 1.1 Define psychology and describe some of the major subfields within
psychology.
Topic: What Is Psychology?
Skill: Remember the Facts
Difficulty: 1 – Easy
A group of psychologists study the differences among individuals’ traits such as anxiety,
sociability, self-esteem, emotional stability, and aggressiveness. They are most likely to be
psychologists.
clinical
developmental
Incorrect: A developmental psychologist might have some interest in how personality develops,
but the process of development is his or her primary interest.
psychometric
personality
Correct: Personality psychologists have an interest in identifying and understanding the
differences between individuals.
Answer: d
4
Learning Objective: 1.1 Define psychology and describe some of the major subfields within
psychology.
Topic: What Is Psychology?
Skill: Apply What You Know
Difficulty: 1 – Easy
A group of psychologists at a cocktail party are discussing what kinds of questions are most
studied and useful in the field of psychology. Which of the following pairs of psychologists are
most likely to find agreement?
industrial/organizational and experimental psychologists
Incorrect: I/O psychologists are interested in the application of psychology in the workplace,
while experimental psychologists are more interested in conducting pure research.
industrial/organizational and physiological psychologists
clinical and counseling psychologists
Correct: Clinical and counseling psychology are two subdisciplines that share a lot of features,
including dealing with patients, mental illness, and treatment.
personality and experimental psychologists
Answer: c
Learning Objective: 1.1 Define psychology and describe some of the major subfields within
psychology.
Topic: What Is Psychology?
Skill: Apply What You Know
Difficulty: 3 – Difficult
2 yr.: 71% r = .21
A group of psychologists studies how people influence one another, exploring issues such as
first impressions, interpersonal attraction, and how attitudes are formed and maintained. These
psychologists are most likely to be psychologists.
developmental
experimental
social
Correct: Social psychologists focus on the manner in which the interactions between human
beings affect their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
personality
Incorrect: Personality psychologists focus more on the individual factors that differentiate one
individual from another, and do not emphasize the interactions between people as much as
social psychologists do.
Answer: c
Learning Objective: 1.1 Define psychology and describe some of the major subfields within
psychology.
Topic: What Is Psychology?
Skill: Apply What You Know
Difficulty: 1 – Easy