Chapter1

Question 1

adaptations

Answer 1

In evolutionary theory, the physical characteristics, skills, or abilities that increase the chances of reproduction or survival and are therefore likely to be passed along to future generations.

Question 2

behaviorism

Answer 2

A psychological approach that emphasizes the role of environmental forces in producing behavior.

Question 3

cognitive neuroscience

Answer 3

The study of the neural mechanisms that underlie thought, learning, and memory.

Question 4

cognitive psychology

Answer 4

The study of how people think, learn, and remember.

Question 5

critical thinking

Answer 5

A systematic way of evaluating information to reach reasonable conclusions.

Question 6

culture

Answer 6

The beliefs, values, rules, and customs that exist within a group of people who share a common language and environment and that are transmitted through learning from one generation to the next.

Question 7

evolutionary theory

Answer 7

In psychological science, a theory that emphasizes the inherited, adaptive value of behavior and mental activity throughout the history of a species.

Question 8

functionalism

Answer 8

An approach to psychology concerned with the adaptive purpose, or function, of mind and behavior.

Question 9

Gestalt theory

Answer 9

A theory based on the idea that the whole of personal experience is different from simply the sum of its constituent elements.

Question 10

introspection

Answer 10

A systematic examination of subjective mental experiences that requires people to inspect and report on the content of their thoughts.

Question 11

mind/body problem

Answer 11

A fundamental psychological issue that considers whether mind and body are separate and distinct or whether the mind is simply the subjective experience of the physical brain.

Question 12

natural selection

Answer 12

Darwin’s theory that those who inherit characteristics that help them adapt to their particular environments have a selective advantage over those who do not.

Question 13

nature/nurture debate

Answer 13

The arguments concerning whether psychological characteristics are biologically innate or acquired through education, experience, and culture.

Question 14

psychoanalysis

Answer 14

A method developed by Sigmund Freud that attempts to bring the contents of the unconscious into conscious awareness so that conflicts can be revealed.

Question 15

psychological science

Answer 15

The study of mind, brain, and behavior.

Question 16

social psychology

Answer 16

The study of group dynamics in relation to psychological processes.

Question 17

stream of consciousness

Answer 17

A phrase coined by William James to describe one’s continuous series of ever-changing thoughts.

Question 18

structuralism

Answer 18

An approach to psychology based on the idea that conscious experience can be broken down into its basic underlying components or elements.

Question 19

unconscious

Answer 19

The mental processes that operate below the level of conscious awareness.