PSYCH 111: Introduction to Psychology: Week 1: Chapter 1 Quizzes: Introduction to Psychology

Correct Answer

A. Studying how motivation affects a basketball player’s free-throw performance

Explanation

Sport and exercise psychologists study how mental factors influence physical performance. This includes motivation, focus, anxiety, and confidence in sports or exercise. For example, examining how motivation or stress affects a basketball player’s performance directly relates to psychological influences on sport performance and mental well-being.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect

B. Designing a new fitness tracking app for smartphones

This is incorrect because creating apps is a technology or software development task, not a psychological study of sport or exercise.

C. Prescribing diet plans for athletes

This is incorrect because diet planning is typically done by nutritionists or dietitians, not sport and exercise psychologists.

D. Researching the cardiovascular benefits of running

This is incorrect because studying physical health outcomes falls under exercise physiology, not the psychological focus of sport and exercise psychology.

Correct Answer

B. Evolutionary psychology examines long-term evolutionary causes of behavior, while biopsychology focuses on immediate physiological mechanisms underlying behavior.

Explanation

Evolutionary psychology investigates the ultimate biological causes of behavior, considering how traits and behaviors have been shaped by natural selection over many generations. In contrast, biopsychology focuses on proximate or immediate physiological mechanisms, such as how the nervous system and brain processes produce behavior in humans and animals today. Both approaches are biological, but they differ in timescale and focus.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect

A. Evolutionary psychology studies immediate physiological causes of behavior, while biopsychology examines long-term evolutionary influences.

This is incorrect because it reverses the focus of the two fields; evolutionary psychology studies long-term causes, not immediate physiological mechanisms.

C. Evolutionary psychology and biopsychology both focus exclusively on human behavior, ignoring animal models.

This is incorrect because both fields use animal models extensively to study behavior and physiology, not only humans.

D. Evolutionary psychology emphasizes learning and reinforcement, whereas biopsychology emphasizes cultural influences.

This is incorrect because learning and reinforcement are central to behaviorism, and cultural influences are studied by cross-cultural psychology, not by evolutionary psychology or biopsychology.

Correct Answer

A. Conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness, extraversion

Explanation

The “Big Five” model identifies five broad dimensions that capture the most important aspects of human personality. These traits—conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness, and extraversion—have been shown through research to remain relatively stable throughout a person’s life, making them useful for predicting behavior across situations and over time.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect

B. Introversion, self-esteem, optimism, conscientiousness, sociability

This is incorrect because traits like self-esteem and optimism are not part of the Big Five; introversion is the opposite of extraversion but not separately listed.

C. Neuroticism, extraversion, imagination, honesty, flexibility

This is incorrect because imagination, honesty, and flexibility are not part of the standardized Big Five dimensions.

D. Openness, aggression, conscientiousness, agreeableness, dominance

This is incorrect because aggression and dominance are not included in the Big Five; they are considered narrower personality traits rather than core dimensions.

Correct Answer

B. Multicultural psychology focuses on diverse populations within one country, whereas cross-cultural psychology compares populations across countries.

Explanation

Multicultural psychology examines differences and similarities among diverse populations within a single country, considering how culture, ethnicity, and social context influence behavior. Cross-cultural psychology, by contrast, compares populations across different countries, identifying universal versus culture-specific patterns in perception, cooperation, moral reasoning, and other psychological phenomena. Both fields address cultural influences but at different scopes.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect

A. Multicultural psychology studies multiple countries, whereas cross-cultural psychology studies a single culture.

This is incorrect because multicultural psychology studies within one country, not across countries, while cross-cultural psychology is comparative across countries.

C. Multicultural psychology only studies WEIRD societies, whereas cross-cultural psychology studies non-WEIRD societies.

This is incorrect because multicultural psychology does not limit itself to WEIRD societies; it examines diverse populations regardless of the society type.

D. Multicultural psychology emphasizes biology, whereas cross-cultural psychology emphasizes culture.

This is incorrect because both fields emphasize cultural influences, not biology, although biological factors may be considered in interaction with culture.

Correct Answer

A. Biological, psychological, and sociocultural

Explanation

The biopsychosocial model emphasizes that health and illness are not caused by a single factor. Instead, they result from the interplay of biological factors (e.g., genetics, physiology), psychological factors (e.g., stress, coping mechanisms), and sociocultural factors (e.g., culture, social support). This approach provides a more holistic understanding of health outcomes.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect

B. Genetic, behavioral, and environmental

This is incorrect because while these factors overlap, the biopsychosocial model specifically uses the categories biological, psychological, and sociocultural rather than these terms.

C. Mental, emotional, and spiritual

This is incorrect because the model does not emphasize spirituality or only mental/emotional aspects; it includes physiological and social components.

D. Physical, chemical, and social

This is incorrect because “chemical” is too narrow and doesn’t capture the psychological dimension emphasized in the model.

Correct Answer

A. The study of a specific topic

Explanation

The suffix “-ology” comes from the Greek -logia, meaning “the study of.” It is used in words like biology (study of life), psychology (study of the mind), and anthropology (study of humans) to denote a systematic, scientific study of a subject.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect

B. The practice of a skill

This is incorrect because “-ology” refers to study, not practice or application.

C. A type of therapy

This is incorrect because therapy-related terms may end in “-therapy” or “-iatry,” not “-ology.”

D. A type of experiment

This is incorrect because “-ology” does not indicate a method or procedure, only the scientific study of a subject.

Correct Answer

B. It focuses on the innate potential for growth and goodness in all humans

Explanation

Humanistic psychology emphasizes that all individuals have an innate potential for growth, self-improvement, and goodness. This perspective values personal experience, free will, and self-actualization. Pioneers like Abraham Maslow, known for his hierarchy of needs, and Carl Rogers, known for client-centered therapy, contributed to this approach, highlighting human potential and the importance of personal fulfillment.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect

A. It emphasizes the study of unconscious motives and childhood experiences

This describes psychoanalytic theory, not humanism.

C. It studies observable behavior and the effects of reinforcement and punishment

This aligns with behaviorism, which focuses on measurable behavior.

D. It examines how sensory experiences are organized into meaningful wholes

This refers to Gestalt psychology, which emphasizes perception as a whole.

Correct Answer

D. I-O

Explanation

Industrial-Organizational (I-O) psychologists focus on workplace behavior, including personnel selection, employee performance, and organizational effectiveness. They use psychological principles to determine which employees are best suited for particular roles, improve productivity, and enhance job satisfaction.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect

A. personality

This is incorrect because personality psychologists study traits and individual differences, not specifically how these traits relate to job placement.

B. clinical

This is incorrect because clinical psychologists focus on diagnosing and treating mental health disorders, not workplace suitability.

C. social

This is incorrect because social psychologists study how people interact with others and their social environment, rather than employee-job fit in organizations.

Correct Answer

B. PsyD (Doctor of Psychology)

Explanation

A PsyD is a doctoral degree intended for those pursuing clinical practice. PsyD programs emphasize the application of psychological principles to help clients directly, rather than focusing extensively on research. Graduates are prepared to provide psychotherapy, assessment, and other clinical services, with less emphasis on conducting original experimental research compared to a PhD program.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect

A. PhD in Psychology

This is incorrect because a PhD emphasizes research and scientific investigation, often preparing graduates for academic, research, or applied roles with a strong research component.

C. EdD (Doctor of Education)

This is incorrect because an EdD focuses on educational leadership and practice, not clinical psychology or providing psychotherapy.

D. MD (Doctor of Medicine)

This is incorrect because an MD is a medical degree, preparing individuals to practice medicine and prescribe treatments, not specialize in clinical psychology.