Psychology 101

Question: Who is known as the father of classical conditioning?

Answer: Ivan Pavlov introduced the concept of classical conditioning (behavior modification based on creating a relationship between stimuli) with his salivating dog experiment. Pavlov would ring a bell and then give the dogs meat. After repeating it enough, the dogs would begin to salivate at the sound of the bell, before any meat was presented.

Question: Which type of behavior modification relies on consequences?

Answer: Operant conditioning relies on consequences to modify behavior. It includes positive/negative reinforcement and punishment. It was introduced by B.F. Skinner.

Question: What is the name of the book that holds the diagnosis criteria and overview of all documented psychological disorders?

Answer: This book is referred to as the DSM. As of 2017 it is in its fifth edition and has more than 900 pages of detailed diagnosis criteria for psychiatrists and psychologists across the globe.

Question: Which of these might be prescribed to a patient who has been diagnosed with major depressive disorder?

Answer: SSRI stands for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. These medications prevent the reuptake of serotonin, which forces the hormone to remain in the synapse longer and have a positive effect on the patient’s mood.

Question: Which animals were primarily used in B.F. Skinner’s “Skinner Boxes” of operant conditioning?

Answer: Skinner used these boxes to condition rats and sometimes pigeons. In the boxes, the animal would have to push some sort of lever or switch so as to receive an award or avoid a punishment.

Question: Patients with schizophrenia will most likely display ____ in their brains.

Answer: After comparing typical brains with those affected by schizophrenia, scientists found that fluid-filled sacs, called ventricles, had expanded. Whether this is a cause or a symptom of schizophrenia is still undetermined.

Question: Who was the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in psychology?

Answer: Washburn earned a Ph.D. in psychology in 1894.

Question: According to Freud, which inner force contains the libido?

Answer: The id is responsible for driving animalistic desires, specifically those related to sex and aggression. It contains the libido, which is the primary source of instinctual desires.

Question: In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which needs are considered the most primary?

Answer: These include breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, and homeostasis. Maslow argued that these needs must be fulfilled before other needs.

Question: Which of these is not one of Freud’s stages of psychosexual development?

Answer: Freud’s stages of psychosexual development are Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latent, and Genital.