ap psych semester exam review (units 1-5)

Mary has an IQ score within one standard deviation above the mean score. This indicates her score was a) high enough for Mary to be considered a genius b) higher than at least 75% of people who took the test c) within the middle 68% of people who took the test d) lower than exactly 7% of people who took the test e) higher than exactly 93% of people who took the test

within the middle 68% of people who took the test

Which of the following anatomical structures is involved in the vestibular sense? a) Semicircular canals b) Olfactory bulb c) Nociceptors d) Taste buds e) Retinas

Semicircular canals

Which of the following is the process of detecting environmental stimuli and converting them into signals that can be detected by the nervous system? a) Perception b) Sensation c) Top-down processing d) Difference threshold e) False alarm

Sensation

7, 5, 10, 4, 4 What is the median of the numbers above? a) 4 b) 5 c) 6 d) 7 e) 10

5

Professor Gustafson is developing a new intelligence test and wants to ensure the test has good inter-rater reliability. Which of the following strategies will most directly help him achieve this goal? a) Allowing only a small subset of highly trained researchers to grade the test, because this ensures standardization of test conditions b) Allowing only a small subset of highly trained researchers to grade the test, because this ensures validity, which is crucial to establish reliability c) Allowing only trained researchers to grade the test, as they will have a good understanding of the proper way to score certain things and will be more likely to agree d) Ensuring that a representative sample of participants take the test, as this is the best way to establish reliability e) Comparing scores from the test to scores from a similar test designed to measure the same construct, because this will establish reliability between the tests

Allowing only trained researchers to grade the test, as they will have a good understanding of the proper way to score certain things and will be more likely to agree

Which of the following statements about automatic processing or effortful processing is true? a) Effortful processing does not require conscious awareness b) Effortful processing makes other processing more difficult. c) Automatic processing requires little mental effort. d) Automatic processing does not improve with practice. e) Effortful processing is affected by intelligence.

Automatic processing requires little mental effort.

Arthur is helping his friend set up her new phone. Arthur has never used this type of phone, but he uses his knowledge of setting up his own phone to help figure out how to use the new phone. According to Robert Sternberg's triarchic theory of intelligence, Arthur is using which type of intelligence? a) Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence b) Practical intelligence c) Creative intelligence d) General intelligence e) Visual-spatial intelligence

Creative intelligence

A drug that is used to treat seizures functions by preventing inhibitory neurotransmitters from returning to the presynaptic neuron. This slows the rate of neurons firing by increasing the amount of the inhibitory neurotransmitter in the synapse. The drug is most likely to be classified as a a) GABA reuptake inhibitor (GRI) b) selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) c) hallucinogen d) stimulant e) beta blocker

GABA reuptake inhibitor (GRI)

Which of the following examples is most consistent with the theory that executive functioning provides the basis for general intelligence? a) Geoff is able to easily remember a long list of instructions after hearing them only once and also scores higher than average on intelligence tests. b) Reilly began walking earlier than most children and also scores higher than average on intelligence tests. c) Amir is good at understanding other peoples' emotions and also scores higher than average on intelligence tests. d) Jake can read very quickly and also scores higher than average on intelligence tests. e) Rose has perfect pitch and also scores higher than average on intelligence tests.

Geoff is able to easily remember a long list of instructions after hearing them only once and also scores higher than average on intelligence tests.

Which of the following best illustrates the most predictable effect of schemas on perception? a) Roberto sees trees that are higher up in a painting as being farther away than lower trees. b) Lindsey recognizes that her shirt's color has not changed in the dim light, even though the color is less brilliant. c) Grant has more difficulty recognizing a penguin as a bird than he does a blue jay. d) Doris sees a shape as a five-pointed star, even though one of the points is blocked from her vision. e) Erick has more difficulty understanding a speech made by someone with a British accent than by someone with an American accent.

Grant has more difficulty recognizing a penguin as a bird than he does a blue jay.

In which scenario does sunblock serve as a conditioned stimulus? a) Ernesto received a free lifetime supply of sunblock when he won a trivia contest. b) Sophia broke out in a painful rash when she spread sunscreen on her skin because she is allergic to an ingredient in it. c) Helen pictures sunblock on her mantle to help her remember to buy some at the store. d) Lowell feels relaxed when he smells sunblock because it reminds him of his vacations at the beach. e) Sarah avoids sunblock because people compliment her on her tan when she goes without it.

Lowell feels relaxed when he smells sunblock because it reminds him of his vacations at the beach.

Mr. Gregg wants to help his second-grade students improve their reading skills. He tests the students with 20 reading comprehension questions at the beginning of the year. Every week throughout the year he gives the students 30 minutes of reading comprehension tips. He tests the students at the end of the year with 20 reading comprehension questions that are similar in difficulty to those on the original test. He finds that the students' reading comprehension has increased and concludes that his tips worked. Which of the following describes the most significant problem with Mr. Gregg's study? a) Mr. Gregg should have had someone else test the children in case he was showing experimenter bias. b) Mr. Gregg should have tested his students every month so he could more accurately track their progress. c) It was unethical of Mr. Gregg to test the children without their parents' consent. d) Mr. Gregg should have used the same test to ensure reliability. e) Mr. Gregg failed to account for changes in the students' maturity.

Mr. Gregg failed to account for changes in the students' maturity.

Rogelio has a number of health problems and would like to avoid medication as much as possible. He is considering biofeedback as an alternative form of treatment. Biofeedback would most benefit which of Rogelio's health problems? a) Obesity, because Rogelio can use the cues from biofeedback to control his eating b) Arthritis, because Rogelio can use the cues from biofeedback to learn to relax c) Tension headaches, because Rogelio can use the cues from biofeedback to learn to relax d) Depression, because Rogelio can use the cues from biofeedback to keep him from having depressive thoughts e) Indigestion, because Rogelio can use the cues from biofeedback to control his indigestion

Tension headaches, because Rogelio can use the cues from biofeedback to learn to relax

Which of the following describes what happens when a neuron sends a signal? a) The neuron goes from being positively charged to briefly being negatively charged, and finally returns to being positively charged again. The magnitude of the negative charge is fixed regardless of the strength of the input signal it receives. b) The neuron goes from being negatively charged to briefly being positively charged, and finally returns to being negatively charged again. The magnitude of the negative charge is fixed regardless of the strength of the input signal it receives. c) The neuron goes from being negatively charged to briefly being positively charged, and finally returns to being negatively charged again. The magnitude of the positive charge varies depending on the strength of the input signal it receives. d) The neuron goes from being positively charged to briefly being negatively charged, and finally returns to being positively charged again. The magnitude of the negative charge varies depending on the strength of the input signal it receives. e) The neuron goes from being negatively charged to being positively charged, and then it remains at that level until it fires again. The magnitude of the positive charge varies depending on the strength of the input signal it receives.

The neuron goes from being negatively charged to briefly being positively charged, and finally returns to being negatively charged again. The magnitude of the negative charge is fixed regardless of the strength of the input signal it receives.

If a body does not have enough potassium, how might that affect neuronal firing? a) The neurons will fire too easily because there will not be enough negatively charged ions to maintain a negatively charged resting state. b) The neurons will fire too easily because there will not be enough positively charged ions to maintain a positively charged resting state. c) The neurons will struggle to fire because there will not be enough positively charged ions to trigger the firing of the neuron. d) The neurons will struggle to fire because there will not be enough negatively charged ions to trigger the firing of the neuron. e) The neurons will struggle to fire because potassium binds to receptors and inhibits neuronal firing.

The neurons will struggle to fire because there will not be enough positively charged ions to trigger the firing of the neuron.

A researcher wants to study the human sense of taste over a life span. The researcher has a group of participants taste foods that are salty, bitter, sweet, sour, and umami. Which study would best allow the researcher to test the sensation of taste as people age, and what is the likely outcome? a) The researcher follows the same group of people over the course of 40 years. The researcher also measures the number of the people's taste buds throughout the 40 years. The researcher finds that as people grow older, their sense of taste diminishes and their number of taste buds decreases. b) The researcher follows the same group of people over the course of 40 years. The researcher also measures the number of the people's taste buds throughout the 40 years. The researcher finds that as people grow older, their sense of taste remains the same because as their number of taste buds decreases, each taste bud becomes more sensitive. c) The researcher tests a group of 50 ten to twenty-five year olds, 50 twenty-six to fifty year olds, and 50 fifty-one to seventy-five year olds at the same time. The researcher also measures the number of the people's taste buds for each group. The researcher finds that as people grow older, their sense of taste diminishes and their number of taste buds decreases. d) The researcher tests a group of 50 ten to twenty-five year olds, 50 twenty-six to fifty year olds, and 50 fifty-one to seventy-five year olds. The researcher also measures the number of the people's taste buds for each group. The researcher finds that as people grow older, their sense of taste remains the same because as their number of taste buds decreases, each taste bud becomes more sensitive. e) The researcher tests a group of 50 ten to twenty-five year olds, 50 twenty-six to fifty year olds, and 50 fifty-one to seventy-five year olds. The researcher also measures the number of the people's taste buds for each group. The researcher finds that as people grow older, their sense of taste remains the same because as their number of taste buds increases, each taste bud becomes less sensitive.

The researcher follows the same group of people over the course of 40 years. The researcher also measures the number of the people's taste buds throughout the 40 years. The researcher finds that as people grow older, their sense of taste diminishes and their number of taste buds decreases.

At a synapse, neurotransmitters released by the sending neuron do which of the following? a) They combine with neurotransmitters released by the receiving neuron. b) They combine with neurotransmitters released by other sending neurons. c) They pass through channels into the receiving neuron. d) They bind to receptors at the receiving neuron, which opens ion channels. e) They bind to ions in the synapse, which creates a chemical reaction that causes the receiving neuron to fire.

They bind to receptors at the receiving neuron, which opens ion channels.

An example of state-dependent memory is a) Tommy finding it easier to remember the materials on an exam while taking it because he was sad while studying for the exam b) Jeremy saying he knew his favorite football team was going to lose all along after they lost the game c) Josef remembering only the first five linking verbs during his English exam despite studying to remember the entire list d) Wilda believing she is always sad when it rains despite her being sad sometimes when it is sunny e) Geoff liking Francine more than when he had met her the first day of class after sitting next to her in class each week

Tommy finding it easier to remember the materials on an exam while taking it because he was sad while studying for the exam

Bryan perceived a duck instead of other animals when viewing an ambiguous image because he watched a documentary about ducks the previous night. Which of the following best explains why Bryan perceived a duck? a) Bottom-up processing, because he constructed the image of the duck piece by piece, starting with his sensory receptors. b) Bottom-up processing, because his perception of the duck was influenced by past experience. c) Top-down processing, because he constructed the image of the duck piece by piece, starting with his sensory receptors. d) Top-down processing, because his perception of the duck was influenced by past experience. e) Color constancy, because his perception of the duck was not affected by different illuminations.

Top-down processing, because his perception of the duck was influenced by past experience.

Samantha experienced a traumatic brain injury and afterward began to exhibit bizarre symptoms that no one had ever documented before. The best research method to study Samantha would be a) an experiment b) a correlational study c) a case study d) a survey e) naturalistic observation

a case study

When seeking approval to conduct an experiment using participants from her college psychology course, a student researcher should a) ask her professor b) request permission from the dean of the department c) get consent from students' parents d) apply to the institutional review board at the university e) apply to the IACUC at the university

apply to the institutional review board at the university

Vandana, a 12-month-old infant, is listening to her father talk to her and suddenly repeats a word that he just said. Her father praises her and gives her a cookie. After she gets the cookie, she repeats the word again. Vandana's behavior can be best explained by using the theory of a) universal grammar b) linguistic determinism c) behaviorism d) attachment e) classical conditioning

behaviorism

Audra is working on a puzzle book and comes across the following figure. The Gestalt law that would affect Audra's perception of the picture above is influenced by the law of a) closure b) similarity c) proximity d) continuity e) transference

closure

Explicit memories are a) retrieved from the amygdala b) created in the thalamus c) retrieved from the cerebellum d) created in the hippocampus e) stored in the basal ganglia

created in the hippocampus

The psychodynamic theory of dreaming would postulate that a) time spent dreaming helps with problem solving and creativity b) people sleep more after they have engaged in strenuous physical activity c) dreams are the brain's way of making sense of random neural activity d) dreams fulfill unconscious wishes e) lions sleep more than deer

dreams fulfill unconscious wishes

A person whose body is not producing enough testosterone is most likely to exhibit a) overly aggressive behavior b) fatigue c) memory loss d) increased hunger e) increased thirst

fatigue

The advantage of an experiment is that it allows a researcher to a) infer cause and affect b) test a large number of people c) see how people behave in their natural environment d) gain an in-depth knowledge of a person or small group of people e) find the relationship between two variables

infer cause and affect

Consolidation can be described as the process of a) long-term memories being formed from short-term memories b) the body trying to keep itself in a set state of being c) new information becoming integrated with previous knowledge d) determining where information is coming from e) retrieving information from long-term memory

long-term memories being formed from short-term memories

Researchers trained monkeys to perform two tasks: an object-matching task and a location task. In the object-matching task, the monkeys are given an object and must choose a matching object from two objects placed in front of them. In the location task, an object is placed near one of two locations, and the monkeys must reach toward the location the object is closest to. Separating the monkeys into two groups, researchers created a lesion in one area of the brains of the monkeys in one group and a lesion in a different area of the brains of the monkeys in the second group. The researchers then tested the monkeys' performance on the two tasks. The figures below show the monkeys' accuracy on the two tasks. The lesions were most likely performed in the a) frontal lobe for Group 1 and the occipital lobe for Group 2 b) occipital lobe for Group 1 and the frontal lobe for Group 2 c) temporal lobe for Group 1 and the parietal lobe for Group 2 d) temporal lobe for Group 1 and the parietal lobe for Group 2 e) parietal lobe for Group 1 and the temporal lobe for Group 2

parietal lobe for Group 1 and the temporal lobe for Group 2

Dr. Sampson follows the structuralist school of thought. Her techniques would most likely include a) presenting a participant with an ambiguous stimuli, such as a picture of an older woman looking over the shoulder of a younger woman, and then asking the participant to make up a story about what is going on in the picture b) asking a participant to describe whatever thoughts come to mind, without censorship c) presenting a participant with an object, such as a can of soda, and having the subject report his or her perceptions or experience of the can d) encouraging a client to reevaluate distorted or unhelpful thoughts and work on coping strategies e) rewarding a student with a sticker for every day that the student does not talk in class and with an extra ten minutes of recess after the student accumulates ten stickers

presenting a participant with an object, such as a can of soda, and having the subject report his or her perceptions or experience of the can

The parietal lobe is most involved in a) processing sensory information b) storing information in long-term memory c) coordinating complex motor movements d) regulating emotions e) triggering the fight-or-flight response

processing sensory information

Michael Gazzaniga is best known for a) showing that cats can learn to escape puzzle boxes b) conditioning Little Albert to be fearful of rats c) studying attachment styles in children d) studying false memories e) studying split-brain patients

studying split-brain patients

A researcher wanted to test the psychometric properties of a new intelligence test for children. She administered the test twice, two months apart, to children in a fourth-grade classroom. On the second administration, she noticed that the children who performed well were not the same children who performed well on the first administration and that there appeared to be no relationship between student performance on the first and second administration of the test. Based on this scenario, the psychological construct missing from this intelligence test is a) test-retest reliability, because the researcher is administering the same test twice b) test-retest reliability, because the researcher is administering equivalent forms of the test twice c) split-half reliability, because the researcher is administering the same test twice d) split-half reliability, because the researcher is administering equivalent forms of the same test twice e) internal-consistency reliability, because the researcher is administering the same test twice

test-retest reliability, because the researcher is administering the same test twice

Ms. Li, a principal, is interested in the differences in student behavior between two of the third-grade classrooms at her school. She asks the teachers, Mr. Williams, whose class meets at 9:00, and Ms. Walsh, whose class meets at 1:00, to record over a week the number of times students in their classrooms act out. Mr. Williams' class has 31 students, and Ms. Walsh's class has 32 students. "Acting out" is defined as students speaking without raising their hand or getting out of their seats without being given permission. At the end of the week, Mr. Williams reports that on average, his students acted out 73 times a day, and Ms. Walsh reports that, on average, her students acted out 27 times a day. Ms. Li decides that the students in Ms. Walsh's classroom act out more often than those in Mr. William's class. The results of this study are inconclusive because a) the sample size is too small to draw valid conclusions b) the number of students in the classrooms is unequal c) Ms. Li did not use random assignment d) Ms. Li did not use random selection e) the time of day was a confounding variable

the time of day was a confounding variable

The phenomenon of declining physiological effects of taking a drug after sustained use is referred to as a) endorphin release b) withdrawal c) long-term potentiation d) tolerance e) a relapse

tolerance