Sample essay questions:
1. Describe the components of the theory of natural selection (4 parts). What was the theory developed to account for? How does natural selection differ from artificial selection?
2. How did Galton propose to measure human intelligence? What was wrong with his proposal?
3. Contrast Skinner’s approach to language with that of Chomsky. Describe how Skinner and Chomsky viewed the process of language acquisition. Discuss strengths and weaknesses of each approach.
4. Describe the formation of a conditioned response according to the classical conditioning theory developed by Pavlov. Include an example, and describe the roles of the unconditioned stimulus (US), unconditioned response (UR), conditioned stimulus (CS), and conditioned response (CR).
5. Describe the James-Lange theory of emotion. What led James to propose this theory? Discuss both strengths and weaknesses of the theory.
6. What were the four main stages of intellectual development according to Piaget? List and describe each stage, and provide an operational definition, i.e. state the criteria that Piaget felt were necessary to move to the next stage.
7. Compare and contrast the approaches taken by the behaviorists and the ethologists to the study of animal behavior. Explain the rationale for each approach with an example.