Perspectives in Psychology Practice Questions

When it comes to perspectives, my students for some reason, seem to have difficulty.  Sometimes I will make the unit at the beginning of the semester for regular psych.  Sometimes I will incorporate and integrate the ideas throughout the course and summarize after we've done some units.

Below is a sheet that I created to help my kids practice.  After going over the main perspectives, reading in and out of the text, outside outlines from Britain, a chart that Drew Appleby created and more, I use this sheet to see how well they understand the major points of view--psychoanalytic, behavioral, cognitive, humanistic, biological, and sociocultural (my book is from 2003). I have them do it as homework, but we go over it as a class and I help them identify key words in the clues.

A Word Version Linked Here
Key to Doc-Word Version

Perspectives Practice Questions                   Name                                                                           Block              

Below are a set of scenarios and ideas that a psychologist from a particular perspective might use.  Choose the best perspective of the following:  Psychodynamic, Behavioral/Learning, Cognitive, Humanistic, Biological, Socio-cultural/social psychological.

Scenario	Perspective
1.      When looking at why a person chooses to behave a particular way, I will examine how they think and process information.
2.      When looking at why a person chooses to behave a particular way, I will examine what happened in childhood and what kinds of issues the patient is fixated on.
3.      When looking at why a person chooses to behave a particular way, I will examine the brain chemistry and hormonal issues of the person.
4.      When looking at why a person chooses to behave a particular way, I will examine if the behavior helps the person reach his/her own potential.
5.      When looking at why a person chooses to behave a particular way, I will examine what consequences (pleasant or unpleasant) the person experienced.
6.      Examining how a person’s gender will affect their actions.
7.      The unconscious mind influences everything we do.
8.      How do people remember and forget?
9.      Depression is influenced by genetic predisposition and brain chemistry.
10.  Depression is influenced by how we perceive the work and how our thoughts can betray us.
11.  Depression is the result of not being able to express our anger toward those at whom we are angry, so we “swallow” it, leading to depression.
12.  Depression is the result of the depressive behavior being reinforced by important others in our lives.
13.  Depression is caused when an individual has a specific self-concept, but important others in our lives have different views of who we are and what we should be.
14.  When we watch important people in our lives being depressed, we imitate it.
15.  Recent research has found that being a part of any ethnic group changes the way our brains are wired.  This has two answers.
16.  Examining the structures of the brains of schizophrenic twins and comparing them to their healthy twins.
17.  What makes people watch a commercial repeatedly, then go out and buy a product?  There are multiple responses here.
18.  We are constantly trying to become who we are.  Our lives are a process of growth.
19.  There seem to be a few things that motivate people:  hunger, thirst, and sex.  Examining the hormones of each uses this perspective.
20.  Analyzing dreams is a part of this point of view.
21.  An individual’s behavior is connected to a person’s feelings and self-image.
22.  Examining how an eyewitness will interpret a situation and how a lawyer can best cross-examine that witness.
23.  Using drugs to treat various mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression.
24.  When parents use punishment to change their child’s behavior, they are using a technique from this perspective.

25.  When learning song lyrics, you are using techniques from this perspective.
26.  How the body and brain creates emotions, memories, and sensory experiences.
27.  Examining the whole person, not just their biology or culture—we need to examine the entirety of a person and his/her perceptions of their world.
28.  Looking at thinking and the “unconscious mind” is folly.  Psychology should examine only observable behavior.
29.  The biggest influence on personality is what happens to us from birth to five years.
30.  The biggest influence on personality is a person’s genetics.
31.  The biggest influence on personality is a person’s culture.
32.  Individual free will is more important for a person becoming who they are as any other factor.
33.  Our mind uses defense mechanisms to reduce anxiety when we face uncomfortable realities.
34.  Teachers will attempt to make the classroom a “safe place” so you can maximize your comfort level and learn more effectively.
35.  Schools provide meals for students so they can avoid hunger and be able to learn more effectively.
36.  Teachers will often get some students to study more by offering extra credit
37.  If you show the same picture of a house on a hill to a Maori and to someone from Iowa, the Maori is more likely to be interested in the hillside, while the Iowan is more likely to be interested in the house.
38.  The reason students will act inappropriately in school is because of how they were raised in their home environment—they never learned how to behave properly but were reinforced to act without manners.
39.  A student tells a teacher to “f-off” while walking out of class.  The reason for that was because the student under the influence of an illicit substance.
40.  A student plays the role of “class clown” in one class and the role of “brain” in another class.  This approach explains it by examining a student’s interpretations of how well the student assesses his/her own abilities in each subject.
41.  A student realizes that she and her boyfriend just cannot continue dating—he really like monster truck races and working on his car.  She prefers the finer things in life such as gourmet foods and expensive clothes/fashion.  They just cannot agree on what to do together.  They come from two different worlds.
42.  A sports psychologist will work with an athlete to help him/her visualize the proper mechanics of the sport to improve performance.
43.  An athlete knows that there will be a bonus if s/he scores more than 25 points in this last game.  Which perspective is being utilized?
44.  David Eagleman wrote “Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain.”  From which perspective does he write?
45.  As children, we need unconditional positive regard (acceptance without anything in return) in order to grow up and become healthy adults.
46.  Daniel Kahneman wrote “Thinking, Fast and Slow.”  From which perspective is he writing?
47.  Your psychology teacher likes to spend lots of time running and hiking because of how it makes him feel.  He always feels physically better after he works out.  Which two perspectives can explain this?

posted by Chuck Schallhorn

Share