Chapter 1 - The History and Scope of Psychology

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1 According to the definition offered in your textbook, psychology is the science of:
the human mind.
human and animal behavior.
thinking, feeling, and motivation.
behavior and the mind.

2 In psychology, data regarding behavior are ________, and data regarding the mind are ________.
always based on observations of behavior; always based on observations of the mind
always based on observations of behavior; sometimes based on observations of the mind and sometimes based on observations of behavior
sometimes based on observations of behavior and sometimes based on observations of the mind; always based on observations of the mind
always based on observations of behavior; always based on observations of behavior

3 If psychology can be defined as the science of behavior and the mind, why are the data in psychology always drawn from behavior?
Behavior can be influenced by physiology but the mind cannot.
Behavior can be influenced by the environment but the mind cannot.
Behavior can be observed but the mind cannot.
All of the above.

4 Psychology arose in the nineteenth century from developments in a number of areas, primarily:
science and medicine.
culture and philosophy.
science and philosophy.
philosophy and religion.

5 According to the theory of dualism, behavior is controlled by the:
mind and the brain.
heart and the will.
body and the soul.
brain and the muscles.

6 What aspect of Descartes' version of dualism helped pave the way to a scientific psychology?
His belief in a nonphysical soul that influences observable behavior in accordance with natural laws.
His belief that human thought could be studied scientifically.
His emphasis on the role of the body and its ability to control behavior mechanically.
His view that all of human behavior is purely reflexive, carried out by stimulus-response connections in the nervous system.

7 Why did Descartes' version of dualism suggest that it is possible to study behavior scientifically?
Descartes proposed that all human behaviors are produced by the interaction of body and soul.
Descartes proposed that behaviors common to both human beings and animals are produced by the body alone.
Descartes proposed that the soul does not exist outside the body.
Descartes proposed that the body controls movement by physical means and the soul controls thought by nonphysical means.

8 Why was Descartes' version of dualism unsuitable as a foundation for a complete psychology?
It underemphasized the physiological component of behavior.
It overemphasized the role of thought in behavior.
It assumed that thought is not subject to natural law.
All of the above.

9 What limitation makes Descartes' theory of dualism unacceptable to most contemporary psychologists?
The body is described as a physical machine that operates according to natural law.
Thought and thought-related phenomena are not accessible to scientific study.
Many actions are described in terms of reflexes.
The organ in which Descartes claimed the soul resides does not in fact exist.

10 Which aspect of Hobbes's philosophy of materialism could be considered a precursor to a science of psychology?
The belief that the soul is a physical entity residing in the brain.
The reasoning that if physical effects can be caused only by matter and energy, then the soul, which is nonmaterial, must be pure energy.
The belief that thought is a result of physical processes in the brain.
The belief that even though the soul is intangible, its influence on the body is tangible and can therefore be studied scientifically.