AP Psych Midterm Prep MCQ questions

All summer Thomas hears the sound of the ice-cream truck approaching before his brother Oscar hears it. Thomas most likely has which of the following? A. A lower absolute threshold for hearing than Oscar B. A greater difference threshold for hearing than Oscar C. A deficit in a sensory system other than hearing D. A greater amount of experience with approaching ice Crean trucks than Oscar E. a tendency for confabulation

A lower absolute threshold for hearing than Oscar

Which of the following is the best example of shaping? A. A child receives five dollars each time he cleans his room B. An employee receives a termination notice after coming to work late every day over a period of three months C. A child gets candy from a dispenser one time but gets nothing from the dispenser the next two times D. A teacher rewards a student for sitting quietly for ten minutes on Monday, fifteen minutes on Tuesday, twenty minutes on Wednesday, and thirty minutes on Thursday E. a rat receives a mild shock each time it tries to open to door of its cage

A teacher rewards a student for sitting quietly for ten minutes on Monday, fifteen minutes on Tuesday, twenty minutes on Wednesday, and thirty minutes on Thursday

Researchers looking to create a drug to reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease would most likely focus their efforts on which of the following neurotransmitters? A. Gamma-aminobutyruc acid (GABA) B. Serotonin C. Norepinephrine D. Dopamine E. Acetylcholine

Acetylcholine

Damage to which of the following brain structures may cause the inability to detect the emotional significance of facial expressions, especially those demonstrating fear? A. Hippocampus B. Thalamus C. Cerebellum D. Hypothalamus E. Amygdala

Amygdala

When trying to solve a problem, Bret uses a logical, step-by-step formula called A. A heuristic B. Incubation C. Insight D. Priming E. An algorithm

An algorithm

In Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, which of the following best exemplifies the concept of accommodation? A. a newborn touched lightly on the right cheek turns his head to the light B. An infant reaches out toward the moon as if to grasp it C. An infant stops reaching for a toy as soon as it is covered by a cloth D. An infant acquires a fear of heights after learning to crawl E. An infant trying unsuccessfully to suck her fist opens her mouth wider and is successful

An infant trying unsuccessfully to suck her fist opens her mouth wider and is successful

Which of the following refers to the potential of an individual to perform an as-yet unlearned task? A. Aptitude B. Interest C. Cultural fairness D. Achievement E. Projection

Aptitude

Which process transfers information from sensory memory to short-term memory? A. Attention B. Cognition C. Differentiation D. Perception E. Sensation

Attention

Which of the following pairs subdivisions within the major divisions of the human nervous system? A. somatic...endocrine and exocrine B. Central...somatic and sympathetic C. Autonomic...sympathetic and parasympathetic D. Sympathetic...parasympathetic and autonomic E. peripheral...central nervous system and spinal cord

Autonomic...sympatetic and parasympathetic

Which theoretical perspective in psychology attempts to characterize the way in which humans store and processes sensory information? A. rehearsal B. Psychodynamic C. Evolutionary D. Cognitive E. Sociocultural

Cognitive

A young child shown a nine-inch round bowl and a six-inch round bowl containing equal amounts of popcorn says he is certain the smaller bowl has more popcorn than the larger bowl. This child has yet to acquire what Jean Piaget called A. object permanence B. equilibrium C. functional fixedness D. conservation E. circular reaction

Conservation

Edward L. Thorndike argued that responses that lead to satisfying outcomes are more likely to be repeated, and that responses followed by unpleasant outcomes are less likely to be repeated. This became known as the law of A. Reinforcement B. Associations C. Punishment D. Effect E. Outcomes

Effect

Which of the following systems produces, circulates, and regulates levels of hormones in the body? A. Circulatory system B. Endocrine system C. Limbic system D. Sympathetic nervous system E. Parasympathetic nervous system

Endocrine system

Chuck recalls the day last summer when he fell off his bicycle and scraped his knee. This is an example of A. Iconic memory B. Procedural memory C. Semantic memory D. Episodic memory E. Short-term memory

Episodic memory

In a research study, informed consent is a concern of A. replicability B. ethics C. statistical significance D. Practical applicability E. Cross-cultural representativeness

Ethics

The reversible figure above illustrates the gestalt organizing principle of A. proximity B. figure-ground C. closure D. common fate E. simplicity

Figure-ground

A researcher shows the same video of an automobile accident to two different participants. Participants in group one are asked: "Did you see a broken headlight?" Participants in group two are asked: "Did you see the broken headlight." The researcher finds that participants in group two are much more likely to recall having seen a broken headlight in the video. The researcher is investigating the effects of which of the following on recall? A. Algorithms B. Heuristics C. Framing D. Proactive interference E. the primacy effect

Framing

The claim that a whole is different from the sum of its parts is central to which of the following schools for thought? A. Connectionism B. Functionalism C. Gestalt theory D. Structuralism E. Behaviorism

Gestalt theory

Which psychologist reported that infant attachment to another goes beyond the satisfaction of the need for nourishment? A. Albert Bandura B. Jean Piaget C. Harry Harlow D. Erik Erikson E. Kondrad Lorenz

Harry Harlow

Mental shortcuts or rules of thumb that help solve problems and reduce mental effort are called A. heuristics B. algorithm C. syllogisms D. propositions E. concepts

Heuristics

Martha is an undergraduate student who is interested in pursuing a career in psychology. She wants to use her knowledge of psychology to help employees become more productive in the workplace. Which field of psychology should Martha select in graduate school? A. Physiological B. Cognitive C. Educational D. Clinical E. Industrial-organizational

Industrial-organizational

Researcher Renee Baillargeon found that four month old infants will look longer at at all ball if it appears to roll through a solid barrier, demonstrating that babies seem to grasp basic physical laws intuitively. Which of the following theories does this finding challenge? A. Lawrence Kohlberg's theory of mural development B. Lev Vygotsky's social cognition learning model C. Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development D. Mary Ainsworth's findings from the Strange Situation

Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development

The area of the brain stem that is important in controlling breathing is the A. suprachiasmatic nucleus B. Cerebellum C. Limbic System D. Medulla E. hippocampus

Medulla

After staring at a green, black, and orange "American flag" for about a minute, an individual will see a red, white, and blue flag afterimage. Which of the following explains this phenomenon? A. Trichromatic theory B. Opponent-process theory C. Retinex theory D. Color constancy E. Convergence

Opponent -process theory

Two year old Jia tells her grandmother that she "sweeped" the floor yesterday. The scenario illustrates that children A. cannot learn grammatical rules during the first two years of life B. learn language primarily through operant conditioning C. will model only words used by adults in their environment D. Overgeneralize the use of grammatical rules E. are not born with an innate language acquisition devices

Overgeneralize the use of grammatical rules

All human language have several basic sounds in common called A. Pheromones B. semantic units C. Syntactic units D. Morphemes E. Phonemes

Phonemes

Which of the following provides information regarding brain function by monitoring the brain at work through metabolism of glucose? A. Computed tomography (CT) B. Electroculography (EOG) C. Electroencephalography (EEG) D. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) E. Positron emission tomography (PET)

Positron emission tomography (PET)

Which of the following types of validity is established by demonstrating that there is a correlation between scores on a test and later academic performance? A. content B. Predictive C. Face D. concurrent E. test-retest

Predictive

Egocentrism, animism, and artificialism are characteristic of which of Jean Piaget's stages of cognitive development? A. Sensorimotor B. Preoportional C. Postformal D. Concrete operations E. Formal operations

Preoportional

In phase one of a study, a researcher classically conditions a dog to salivate to the ringing of a bell. In the second phase, the researcher pairs a flashing light with the ringing of the bell. After several pairings of the light and the bell, the dog will A. No longer salivate when the bell is rung B. Only salivate when the bell is rung C. Salivate when the light is flashed D. Stop salivating when the light is flashed E. Salivate when the researcher comes into the room

Salivate when the light is flashed

A student's test score of 86 is at the 42nd percentile. This means that this student has A. received the 42nd highest score B. Answered 86 percent of the test items correctly C. Scored the same as 42 of her fellow students D. Scored the same as or higher than 42 percent of her fellow students E. scored the same as or higher than 58 percent of her fellow students

Scored the same as or higher than 42 percent of her fellow students

Which of the following most accurately describes a dependent variable? A. Some characteristics of research participants that is constant, such as gender B. Some aspect of a participant's response that is measured in an experiment C. A factor that is manipulated by the experimenter in order to observe its effects on some other factor D. A factor that can be used to predict how people in an experiment will respond E. A factor that is equated for the experimental and the control group

Some aspect of a participant's response that is measured in an experiment

Researchers find that there is a significant, positive correlation between the number of hours students sleep and their grades. The researchers would be justified in concluding that A. Earning good grades causes people to sleep more. B. Sleeping more causes students to perform better in school. C. Students who earn good grades tend to sleep more than those who do not. D. More sleep has beneficial impact on students' grades. E. Sleep deprivation has no impact on school performance.

Students who earn good grades tend to sleep more than those who do not.

Which of the following studies demonstrates a cross-sectional research design? A. Testing the first graders, and testing them again when they are in third grade B. Testing first graders at the end of the school year C. Testing the first, third, and fifth graders at the beginning of the school year D. Observing the first graders as they test in two different subject areas E. Observing first graders as they interact with either third or fifth graders

Testing the first, third, and fifth graders at the beginning of the school year

Which of the following statements is supported by the results of this experiment? A. the severity of headaches diminished among the group that received the medicine, whereas the severity of headaches in the control group was unchanged B. The groups showed equivalent decreases in the severity of their headaches from pretest to post test. C. The medicine was more effective in reducing the severity of the headaches than was quiet rest D. the medicine eliminated the headaches of participants to whom it was administered E. quiet rest is not effective in reducing headaches

The medicine was more effective in reducing the severity of the headaches than was quiet rest

Students who enjoyed solving a puzzle were rewarded for doing so. Later, they played less with the puzzle than did their counterparts who were not rewarded for the same task. This illustrates which of the following principles? A. Latent Learning B. Self-fulfilling prophecy C. Intermittent reinforcement D. The overjustification effect E. The law of effect

The over justification effect

Neurotransmitters are typically stored in which of the following parts of a neuron? A. The nodes of Ranvier B. The myelin sheath C. The terminal buttons D. The soma E. The axon

The terminal buttons

Which of the following best describes the response of members of the American Psychological Association to ethical issues in research? (A) They have just begun to address such issues (B) They disclaim ethical concerns regarding research. (C) They have developed codes of ethics for research with human participants only. (D) They have developed codes of ethics for research with animal subjects only. (E) They have developed codes of ethics for research with both human participants and animal subjects

They have developed codes of ethics for research with both human participants and animal subjects

Which of the following is a partial reinforcement schedule that is most resistant to extinction? A. non contingent B. shaping C. variable ratio D. fixed ratio E. fixed interval

Variable ratio

The fact that imprinting is most certain to occur if the opportunity for imprinting is presented to the organism at a very specific age indicates the existence of: A. a schema B. a reflex C. an archetype D. a critical period E. an unconscious inference

a critical period

Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system results in which of the following? A. an increase in pupil dilation B. An increase in respiratory rate C. a decrease in digestion D. a decrease in salivation E. a decrease in heart rate

a decrease in heart rate

Charles Spearman's concept of g is most accurately defined as A. A specific type of performance that is affected by intelligence B. One of seven fundamental abilities that determine behavior C. a single, underlying intellectual capacity measured by intelligence tests D. the ability to create novel solutions to complex intelligence tests E. the storehouse of knowledge and facts that we accumulate during our adult years

a single, underlying intellectual capacity measured by intelligence tests

Which of the following characterizes a behavioral approach to psychology? A. a study of unconscious motives involved in behavior B. an introspective study of the mental imagery used in problem solving C. an analysis of the neurons involved in memory storage D. the use of a projective test to assess personality E. a study of how reinforcement affects learning

a study of how reinforcement affects learning

Reuptake of a neurotransmitter refers to: A. absorption of the neurotransmitter into the dendrites of the receiving neuron B. absorption of the neurotransmitter into the terminal buttons of the sending neuron C. release of the neurotransmitter by the soma of the originating neuron D. the rate at which a neurotransmitter is created for use by a neuron E. the rate at which a neurotransmitter is broken down metabolically in the neuron

absorption of the neurotransmitter into the terminal buttons of the sending neuron

A dog retrieves the newspaper every day because in the past it received a food reward for this behavior. The dog's behavior is an example of which of the following? A. an operant response B. A discriminative stimulus C. an unconditioned response D. an unconditioned stimulus E. A classically conditioned response

an operant response

If Juan tried to learn a long list of words, he would be most likely to forget words that A. appeared early in the list B. appeared near the end of the list C. appeared in the middle of the list D. were very unlike the rest of the words E. were randomly dispersed throughout the list

appeared in the middle of the list

Psychologist characterizes parents who consistently demand their children's compliance with: discussion as A. indifferent B. permissive C. indulgent D. authoritative E. authoritarian

authoritarian

Whenever Sarah's mother answered the phone. Sarah would yell for her mother's attention and her mother would end the conversation. The Sarah's mother began ignoring Sarah's yelling and eventually Sarah stopped behaving that way. The change in Sarah's behavior is an example of A. discrimination B. response generalization C. systematic desensitization D. extinction E. spontaneous recovery

extinction

Failure to recognize that an object typically not used for a particular purpose can, in fact, serve that purpose illustrates which of the following? A. Schema B. functional fixedness C. availability D. insight E. confirmation bias

functional fixedness

Martin fell off his skateboard and badly bruised his elbow. He immediately began rubbing the area around the bruise until the pain subsided. This method of reducing pain can be explained by which of the following? A. gate control theory B. opponent-process theory C. Trichromatic theory D. Expectancy theory E. Phantom pain

gate-control theory

Four-year-old Scott fell down the stairs at his grandmother's house. Although he was not badly hurt, he was very frightened. Now, whenever his parents mention visiting his grandmother's house, he feels anxious and fearful. In classical conditioning terms, what are the conditioned stimulus (CS) and the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) in the scenario, respectively? A. grandmothers house; fear B. grandmothers house; falling C. fear; grandmother's house D. falling; anxiety E. anxiety; fear

grandmothers house; falling

A female student was rejected by a college because her score on a test used by the college to predict performance there was below the college's cutoff score. An influential alumnus of the college intervened on the student's behalf and the student was admitted. Four years later the student graduated with honors. The most likely explanation of this outcome is that the test: A. contained some degree of bias against women B. had less than perfect validity C. was partly an achievement test D. was not standardized E. had less than perfect reliability

had less than perfect reliability

Damage to which of the following best explains conduction deafness? A. basilar membrane B. hammer, anvil, and stirrup C. auditory nerve D. temporal lobe E. central sulcus

hammer, anvil, and stirrup

When confronted with the sequence "____N_____" at the end of a word in a crossword puzzle, Tony inserts the letters "T" and "O" in the two blanks because the procedure has often led to the correct in previous puzzles. This example illustrates the use of A. mental rotation B. elaborative rehearsal C. a heuristic D. a prototype E. a syllogism

heuristic

According to Erik Erickson, in late adulthood the individual reaches the eighth and final stage of the life span in which one reviews and evaluates one's life and the choices one has made. Erikson labeled this stage A. initiative versus guilt B. integrity versus dispair C. generatively versus stagnation D. identity versus role confusion E. intimacy versus isolation

integrity versus dispair

A study can be regarded as scientific only if a. it utilizes an effective placebo b. its findings are accepted by experts in the field c. its findings are consistent with established theories d. its conclusions are based on strong correlational data e. its conclusions can be verified or refuted by subsequent studies

its conclusions can be verified or refuted by subsequent studies

In a classic study, a group of rats learned to run through a maze to obtain food, and another group of rats explored the maze without receiving food. Some time later, the researcher compared the two groups of rats to determine if both groups would find the food at the end of the maze. According to the researcher, the untrained rats found the food at the end of the maze as quickly as the trained rats as a result of A. latent learning B. observational learning C. avoidance learning D. Counterconditioning E. Aversive conditioning

latent learning

When Mary was young, her father was trying to learn how to speak German and would listen to German tapes for hours in her presence. Mary paid very little attention to the tapes. Many years later, when Mary was in Germany, she was able to say a few German words in order to make herself understood. This is an example of A. Procedural B. Latent learning C. regression D. telegraphic speech E. retroactive interference

latent learning

Which monocular depth cue is illustrated in the figure above? A. Accommodation B. texture gradient C. relative size D. interposition E. linear position

linear position

A sound is often detected by one ear more intensely and a fraction of a second earlier than it is detected by the other ear. These cues help individuals determine the A. pitch of the sound wave B. timbre of the sound perception C. absolute threshold for sound perception D. frequency of the sound wave E. location of the source

location of the source

A researcher is trying to determine whether a new painkilling medicine is effective in reducing headaches. Twenty adult participants sit in a noisy environment for 30 minutes and then rate the severity of their headaches on a scale from 0 (none) to 5 (intense). Group M (the medicine group) receives a normal dose of the medicine. Group C (the control group) rests quietly. After 20 minutes, all participants again complete the headache rating scale. The statistically significant differences in headache severity on the post test appear in the graph below. Which of the following independent variable in this experience? A. The rating of headache severity B. the medecine C. the age of the participants D. the 3 minutes of noise E. the 20-minute interval

medicine

In the dark, an object is viewed in the peripheral vision than when viewed directly. This phenomenon occurs because the rods located in the retina are A. more sensitive in the dark than cones and are not found in the fovea B. less sensitive in the dark than cones and are not found in the fovea C. as sensitive in the dark as cones are are few in number in the fovea D. more numerous than cones are in the fovea E. as numerous as cones are all over the retina

more sensitive in the dark than cones and are not found in the fovea

A disadvantage of longitudinal studies is that: A. differences observed among participants of different ages are usually due to differences in the environment in which they were reared B. Participants who drop out during the course of the study may be different in important ways from one's who do not drop out C. Unfamiliarity with testing situations can put older participants at a disadvantage D. personality traits do not remain constant across the life span E. men and women confront different developmental crises in the course of their lives because of their different social roles

participants who drop out during the course of the study may be different in important ways from one's who do not drop out

A conscientious objector refuses to engage in combat because he cannot support the taking of human life. His reasoning best illustrates which stage of Lawerence Kohlberg's theory of moral development? A. authoritative B. post-conventional C. concrete operational D. conventional E. egocentric

post-conventional

Which of the following is required for a psychological experiment? A. more than one independent variable B. sophisticated equipment C. highly generalizable units D. precise operational definitions E. a longitudinal design

precise operational definitions

Memory for automatic activities, such as riding and handwriting, is known as A. declarative B. semantic C, sensory D, procedural E. repressed

procedural

A test is administered to 1000 fourth graders across the country, and then it is read ministered to the same children 90 days later. The test-retest results will yield an evaluation of the test's: A. validity B. reliability C. cross-cultural fairness D. factor analysis E. Goodness of fit

reliability

the correlation between scores obtained on two halves of a single test yields information about the test's A. reliability B. validity C. frequency distribution of scores D. central tendency of scores E. standard error of measurement

reliability

In order to yield information that is generalizable to the population from which it was drawn, a sample must be A. made up of at least 30 members of the population B. as large as possible C. normally distributed D. representative of the population E. made up at least 50 percent of the members of the population

representative of the population

When a newborn infant is touched on the cheek, the infant will turn its head toward the source of stimulation. This behavior is known as A. rooting B. suckling C. the patellar reflex D. the Moro reflex E. the Babinski reflex

rooting

On individual intelligence tests such as the Stanford-Binet and Wechsler scales, an IQ of 100 indicates that the test taker A. correctly answered all of the items on the test B. obtained the highest scores in the standardization sample C. scored at the average level for test takers of the same age D. scored above the level of the average American adult E. took as long as the average test taker to answer the test items

scored at the average level for test takers of the same age

Balance is influenced by the A. cochlea B. basilar membrane C. eardrum D. auditory nerve E. semicircular canals

semicircular canals

Which part of the nervous system is most immediately activated by sudden fear? A. parasympathetic B. sympathetic C. neostriatum D. somatic E. cortical

sympathetic

A reason that one typically does not notice a blind spot in the visual field is that: A. the blind spot is very small, and no visual stimuli are likely to be so small that the blind spot completely obscures them B. most visual stimuli affect only one visual hemisphere, and one hemisphere can cover for the other C. visual stimuli usually affect the occipital cortex in both hemispheres D. the blind spit habituates to a stimulus when the head is held still E. the brain fills in missing information so there is no awareness that the visual field is incomplete

the brain fills in missing information so there is no awareness that the visual field is incomplete

Which of the following graphs shows the most desirable test-retest correlations? A. the graph going up B. the graph going down C. the straight graph D. the sad-face graph E. the straight-line graph

the graph going up

Which of the following is true of a neuron in the resting state? A. the inside of the cell membrane is negative compared to the outside B. the outside of the cell membrane is negative compared to the inside C. the concentration of sodium ions is equal inside and outside the cell membrane D. both sodium and the potassium channels are open E. the neuron is not polarized

the inside of the cell membrane is negative compared to the outside

According to psychoanalytic theory, the bases for development of mental disorders are: A. maladaptive, learned patterns of behavior B. Social, economic, and cultural factors C. unconscious conflicts that produce anxiety D. Physiological events that cause chemical imbalances in the brain E. inherent moral weakness and lack of willpower

unconscious conflicts that produce anxiety

Damage to the occipital lobe would most likely affect a person's A. Balance B. Ability to develop plans C. vision D. fine motor movements E. language processing

vision

Marie has to assemble a shelf but cannot find her screwdriver. Which of the following would help her complete this task? A. confirmation bias B. Functional fixedness C. rigidity D. divergent thought E. mental set

divergent thought

Brain damage that leaves a person capable of understanding speech but with an impaired ability to produce speech most likely indicates injury to which of the following? A. the basal ganglia B. Wenicke's area C. The substantial nigra D. Broca's area E. The inferior colliculi

Broca's area