Psych Semester Final
In a group of five individuals, two report annual incomes of $10,000, and the other three report incomes of $14,000, $15,000, and $31,000, respectively. The mode of this group's distribution of annual incomes is $16,000 $15,000 $80,000 $31,000 $10,000
$10,000
The area of the retina where the optic nerve leaves the eye is called the visual cortex blind spot lens cornea pupil
blind spot
When the observed difference between the means of an experimental group and control group are not likely due to chance, researchers conclude that this difference is experimentally empirical positively correlated reliable statistically significant highly variable
statistically significant
The psychologist most likely to help an attorney make selections of jury members is a(n) ________ psychologist forensic educational counseling community cognitive
forensic
The ability to pay attention to only one voice at a time is called sensory interaction the cocktail party effect choice blindness frequency gestalt
the cocktail party effect
Distant trees were located closer to the top of the artist's canvas than were the nearby flowers. The artist was clearly using the distance cue known as linear perspective interposition light and shadow relative size relative height
relative height
Replication involves the selection of random samples repeating an earlier research study perceiving order in random events rejecting ideas that cannot be scientifically tested overestimating the extent to which others share our views
repeating an earlier research study
Professor Mata was skeptical about the accuracy of recently reported research on sleep deprivation. Which process would best enable her to assess the reliability of these findings? standard deviation naturalistic observation random sampling case study replication
replication
Evolutionary psychologists emphasize that environmentally adaptive behaviors are those that have promoted cultural diversity reproductive success personal happines individualism collectivism
reproductive success
When we stare at an object, each eye receives a slightly different image, providing a depth cue known as retinal disparity continuity relative motion linear perspective convergence
retinal disparity
Which brain structure might be the most active when answering the question "What do the following words have in common: plane, butter, insect?" left hemisphere right hemisphere brainstem reticular formation amygdala
right hemisphere
Damage to the hippocampus would result in what? Inability to regulate body temperature and hunger Difficulties with balance and coordination Difficulty in creating new memories Emotional outbursts The false sensation of burning parts in the body
Difficulty in creating new memories
An individual has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Which of the following neurotransmitters is most likely to be at fault? Dopamine GABA Acetylcholine Serotonin The endorphins
Dopamine
Brightness is to light as _______ is to sound wavelength frequency loudness amplitude pitch
loudness
The biggest danger of relying on case-study evidence is that it relies mostly on correlational rather than causational evidence overestimates the importance of operational definitions may be unrepresentative of what is generally true leads us to underestimate the causal relationships between events is based on naturalistic observation
may be unrepresentative of what is generally true
In a distribution of test scores, which measure of central tendency would likely be most affected by a couple of extremely high scores? mode mean standard deviation median range
mean
The arithmetic average of a distribution of scores is the standard deviation mean median range mode
mean
Your life would most immediately be threatened if you suffered destruction of the medulla amygdala hippocampus corpus callosum angular gyrus
medulla
A perceptual set is a readiness to perceive an object in an unfairly negative fashion tendency to fill in gaps to perceive a complete, whole object tendency to view objects higher in our field of vision as closer conditioned response to a perceived event mental predisposition that influences what we perceive
mental predisposition that influences what we perceive
Which of the following is most helpful in perceiving the distance of objects far away from you? perceptual constancy continuity monocular cues phi phenomenon binocular cues
monocular cues
Psychologists who carefully watch the behavior of chimpanzee societies in the jungle are using a research method known as the case study experimentation the survey naturalistic observation random sampling
naturalistic observation
If psychologists discovered that wealthy people are less satisfied with their marriages than poor people are, this would indicate that wealth and marital satisfaction are causally related dependent variables positively correlated independent variables negatively correlated
negatively correlated
Which of the following drugs is classified as a stimulant? marijuana alcohol LSD nicotine morphine
nicotine
Neurogenesis is the process by which our brain creates new neurons the amygdala and thalamus work together to keep the body awake and alert association areas expand as new material is learned one brain structure takes on the functions of an adjacent structure the brain adapts to new learning
our brain creates new neurons
The scientific attitude of humility is most likely to be undermined by correlational evidence operational definitions naturalistic observation random assignment overconfidence
overconfidence
The ability to simultaneously process the pitch, loudness, melody, and meaning of a song best illustrates sensory adaptation kinesthesis accommodation subliminal perception parallel processing
parallel processing
Damage to the temporal lobe area of the brain essential for facial recognition produces a loss of perception transduction signal detection sensation accommodation
perception
A researcher interested in determining the size of a particular area of the brain would be most likely to use which of the following techniques? Lesion fMRI MRI EEG PET scan
MRI
Which of the following correlation coefficients expresses the weakest degree of relationship between two variables? +1.00 -0.50 -0.99 +0.25 -0.12
-0.12
During the last Central High School basketball game, the starting five players scored 11, 7, 21, 14, and 7 points, respectively. For this distribution of scores, the range is 7 11 21 12 14
14
Pychologist Michael Gazzaniga asked split-brain patients to stare at a dot as he flashed HE-ART on a screen. HE appeared in the left visual field, and ART appeared in the right. When asked, patients said they saw EA HE ART nothing, they were unable to complete the task HEART
ART
What is the brief electrical charge that travels down an axon called? All-or-none impulse Action potential Reticular formation Resting potential Refractory period
Action potential
Slowed reactions, slurred speech, and decreased skill performance are associated with abuse of which drug? Caffeine Alcohol Nicotine Methamphetamine Ecstasy
Alcohol
Which part of the nervous system begins the process for moving the muscles required to walk across the street? Sympathetic nervous system Peripheral nervous system Autonomic nervous system Parasympathetic nervous system Central nervous system
Central nervous system
Which of the following is an amphetamine derivative that acts as a mild hallucinogen? heroin LSD marijuana Nembutal Ecstasy
Ecstasy
An individual experiences brain damage that results in an inability to make plans about the future. Which part of the brain was probably damaged? Temporal lobe Frontal lobe Corpus callosum Parietal lobe Occipital lobe
Frontal lobe
Jason has been smoking marijuana. Which of the following best describes the effects of this psychoactive drug on Jason's behavior? Jason will become relaxed and experience mild hallucinations, followed by memory loss Jason will quickly experience a euphoric rush, then a significant "crash" as the drug wears off Jason will feel increased alertness and wakefulness Jason will experience blissful pleasure during use but extreme discomfort during withdrawal
Jason will become relaxed and experience mild hallucinations, followed by memory loss
Which philosopher is most well-known for theorizing that the mind at birth is a tabula rasa or a "blank slate"? Rene Descartes Plato Aristotle John Locke Immanuel Kant
John Locke
Why are researchers careful to use large, representative samples in their studies? It is more profitable to work with larger samples The general public perceives these kinds of samples to be more scientific Policymakers demand larger, more representative sample sizes for political reasons Statistical methods only work for larger sample sizes Larger, representative sample sizes help ensure reliable and valid results
Larger, representative sample sizes help ensure reliable and valid results
While engaged in an argument with his brother, a man suddenly falls asleep. With which sleep disorder is he most likely to be diagnosed? Insomnia Sleep apnea Night terrors Narcolepsy Sleepwalking
Narcolepsy
Evolutionary psychologists seek to understand how traits and behavioral tendencies have been shaped by what? Genes Chromosomes Natural selection DNA Prenatal nutrition
Natural selection
Which division of the autonomic nervous system calms a person down once a stressful event has passed? Somatic Endocrine Central Sympathetic Parasympathetic
Parasympathetic
At 3 o'clock in the morning, John has already slept for 4 hours. As long as his sleep continues, we can expect an increasing occurrence of REM sleep hypnagogic sensations muscle tension sleep talking NREM-3 sleep
REM sleep
Which region of the brain plays a significant role in our sense of alertness and arousal? Reticular formation Corpus callosum Pons Parietal lobe Hippocampus
Reticular formation
Why do people who have lost all hearing in one ear have difficulty locating sounds? A soft, pure tone activates only a few hair cells attuned to its frequency Long sound waves have low frequency, therefore lower pitch Because if the eardrum is punctured, the ear's ability to conduct vibrations diminishes Sound waves strike one ear sooner and more intensely than the other The ears transform the vibrating air into nerve impulses, which our brain decodes
Sound waves strike one ear sooner and more intensely than the other
What is the purpose of the myelin sheath? Establish a resting potential in the axon Speed up the transmission of information within a neuron Increase the amount of neurotransmitter available in the synapse Make the transfer of information across a synapse more efficient Reduce the antagonistic effect of certain drugs
Speed up the transmission of information within a neuron
Which of the following is sometimes referred to as the brain's sensory switchboard, because it directs incoming sensory messages (with the exception of smell) to their proper places in the brain? Limbic system Thalamus Pituitary Cerebellum Hypothalamus
Thalamus
Which of the following best describes the view of the mind held by Plato and Socrates? The mind results from biological processes produced by neural transmissions The mind is made up of knowledge that is a result of our experiences The mind should be studied through careful, empirical observations The mind is an illusion produced by the brain The mind is separate from the body and continues after the body dies
The mind is separate from the body and continues after the body dies
Why do researchers study the brains of animals more than humans? The technology is still being developed for the study of human brains It is not ethical to study human brains The same principles govern neural functioning in all species Human brains contain microbes that could endanger researchers Human brains are too complex to study meaningfully
The same principles govern neural functioning in all species
Why are researchers so careful about drawing conclusions regarding statistical significance? Statistical significance is primarily a subjective decision, so researchers need to be more careful Statistical significance determines which research method should be used for a hypothesis Statistical significance is used in case studies, not experiments, so researchers do not have a control group to rely on They need to make sure the results are important They want to make sure an observed difference isn't due to chance
They want to make sure an observed difference isn't due to chance
Giulio's bag of marbles is twice as heavy as Jim's. If it takes 5 extra marbles to make Jim's bag feel heavier, it will take 10 extra marbles to make Giulio's bag feel heavier. This best illustrates accommodation the opponent-process theory sensoruy adaptation the McGurk effect Weber's law
Weber's law
Which two questions exemplify the scientific attitude? Which truths does this agree with? Which truths does it contradict? What do you mean? How do you know? How common is this answer? How many people agree? Who believes you? What are their qualifications? Is this an established truth? How long has it been considered fact?
What do you mean? How do you know?
Evidence that some cones are especially sensitive to red light, others to green light, and still others to blue light is more directly supportive of the _________ theory. Young-Helmholtz signal detection gate-control opponent-process frequency
Young-Helmholtz
Which of the following is the best definition of illusory correlation? any independent variable that does not truly cause a dependent variable a statistical relationship between two variables a prediction about the relationship between two variables a scatterplot indicating the likelihood that a variable will or will not change a perceived but nonexistent correlation
a perceived but nonexistent correlation
According to Professor Alrahami, we like people who like us because their affection for us boosts our own self-esteem as one part of a larger work on attraction. His idea is an example of naturalistic observation illusory correlation a theory hindsight bias replication
a theory
During a hearing test, many sounds were presented at such a low level of intensity that Mr. Antall could hardly detect them. These sounds were below Mr. Antall's absolute threshold difference threshold auditory threshold adaptation threshold subliminal threshold
absolute threshold
Which neural center in the limbic system plays a central role in emotions such as aggression and fear? dendrite thalamus medulla amygdala cerebellum
amygdala
Feature detectors combine to form the optic nerve, which sends visual information to the brain are located primarily in the fovea are retinal cells that allow you to see in dim light and are located in the periphery of the eye are nerve cells in the brain's visual cortex that fire in response to specific edges, lines, and angles cause the lens to change its curvature in response to incoming light waves
are nerve cells in the brain's visual cortex that fire in response to specific edges, lines, and angles
An extensive survey revealed that children with relatively high self-esteem tend to picture God as kind and loving, whereas those with lower self-esteem tend to perceive God as angry. The researchers concluded that the children's self-esteem had apparently influenced their views of God. This conclusion best illustrates the danger of exaggerating the extent to which others share our beliefs randomly sampling children's views perceiving order in random events assuming that correlation proves causation generalizing from extreme examples
assuming that correlation proves causation
Which perspective most clearly focuses on how we learn observable responses? psychodynamic biological behavioral evolutionary humanistic
behavioral
Ms. D'Souza believes that severe depression results primarily from an imbalanced diet and abnormal brain chemistry. Ms. D'Souza favors a ________ perspective on depression. psychoanalytic psychodynamic cognitive behavioral biological
biological
Dr. Tiao conducts basic research on the effects of head injuries on people's problem-solving and abstract-reasoning skills. Which psychological specialty does her research best represent? developmental psychology industrial-organizational psychology clinical psychology biological psychology personality psychology
biological psychology
Which approach is most directly concerned with assessing the relative contributions of heredity and experience to personality development? cognitive psychodynamic biological behavioral biopsychosocial
biopsychosocial
The amplitude of electromagnetic waves determines the ________ of light. absolute threshold difference threshold wavelength brightness hue
brightness
Researchers use experiments rather than other research methods in order to distinguish between random samples and representative samples facts and theories case studies and surveys causes and effects hypotheses and operational definitions
causes and effects
With the approach of night, our body temperatures begin to drop. This best illustrates the dynamics of the hypnagogic state latent content alpha wave pattern REM rebound circadian rhythm
circadian rhythm
The coiled, fluid-filled tube in which sound waves trigger nerve impulses is called the eustachian tube auditory canal cochlea vestibular apparatus semicircular canal
cochlea
Which perspective is most concerned with how individuals interpret their experiences? biological cognitive behavioral psychodynamic social-cultural
cognitive
As your teacher dims the lights to show a video clip, you still perceive your friend's shirt as red. Which of the following best explains this phenomenon? lightness constancy context effects color constancy perceptual adaptation perceptual set
color constancy
A researcher who deceives participants about the goals of the research needs to fully inform them of the true nature of the study later, according to which ethical principle of human experimentation? coercion protection from harm debriefing informed consent confidentiality
debriefing
Dr. Santaniello conducts basic research on how children's moral thinking changes as they grow older. It is most likely that Dr. Santaniello is a(n) _________ psychologist social developmental clinical biological industrial-organizational
developmental
Which process allows more light to reach the periphery of the retina? accommodation of the lends focusing light effectively on the fovea transduction of the blind spot dilation of the pupil sensory adaptation of feature detectors
dilation of the pupil
Ernest Hilgard used the term ______ to describe a split between different levels of consciousness selective attention delta waves spindles dissociation REM sleep
dissociation
The perceived size of an object is most strongly influenced by that object's perceived frequency distance motion color shape
distance
A research method in which an investigator manipulates factors that potentially produce a particular behavior is called a(n) experiment case study correlational method survey naturalistic observation
experiment
Telepathy refers to the ability to understand and share the emotions of another person perception of future events, such as a person's fate extrasensory transmission of thoughts from one mind to another extrasensory perception of events that occur at places remote to the perceiver ability to move objects through the power of thinking
extrasensory transmission of thoughts from one mind to another
One of the ways we perceive images is by organizing stimuli into an object seen against its surroundings. What is this perceptual tendency called? figure-ground binocular cue retinal disparity sensory adaptation opponent-process theory
figure-ground
Because Marla is the first girl in her fourth-grade class to sexually mature, she is sometimes teased and rejected by her classmates. Marla's sense of social isolation and embarrassment result from the interaction of home environment and school environment chromosomes DNA and genes genetics and environmental factors genomes
genetics and environmental factors
Movement of the hair cells along the basilar membrane allows us to sense our body's position and movement stimulates the taste receptor cells and helps us distinguish between different taste sensations causes the olfactory bulb to send signals to the primary smell cortex initiates transduction and the transmission of neural messages to the auditory cortex produces large-fiber activity in the spinal cord that closes the "gate" so we don't feel pain
initiates transduction and the transmission of neural messages to the auditory cortex
Hadley is complaining to her physician that she has great difficulty falling asleep, and that when she does fall asleep, she regularly wakens later during the night. She will most likely be diagnosed with night terrors insomnia narcolepsy sleepwalking sleep apnea
insomnia
Research participants were asked to monitor and report their own immediate sensory reactions to differently colored objects. This research involved a technique known as psychometrics introspection empiricism functionalism structuralism
introspection
The peripheral nervous system is limited to the control of voluntary movement is the part of the nervous system that does not include the brain and the spinal cord calms the body after an emergency connects the brain to the spinal cord controls only the arms and legs
is the part of the nervous system that does not include the brain and the spinal cord
With her eyes closed, Sierra can accurately touch her mouth, nose, and chin with her index finger. Sierra's accuracy illustrates the importance of accommodation kinesthesis sensory interaction sensory adaptation feature detectors
kinesthesis
The localization of a function such as speech production to the right or left side of the brain is called reticular formation plasticity hemispherectomy neurogenesis lateralization
lateralization
The convergence of parallel lines provides the distance cue known as interposition continuity linear perspective relative height closure
linear perspective
Which theory best explains the occurrence of afterimages? trichromatic frequency signal-detection opponent-process place
opponent-process
ESP refers to a readiness to perceive an object in a distorted fashion how we perceive patterns through neural images perception that occurs apart from sensory input the ability of our brain to use feature detectors the ability to move objects without touching them
perception that occurs apart from sensory input
In 1972, a British newspaper published pictures of a "Loch Ness Monster." Many people readily perceived photographs of a floating tree trunk as the partially submerged monster. This illustrates the powerful influence of sensory interaction sensory adaptation interposition perceptual set feature detectors
perceptual set
After losing his left hand in an accident, Jacob continued to experience pain in his nonexistent hand. His experience illustrates the vestibular sense bottom-up processing top-down processing phantom limb sensations sensory adaptation
phantom limb sensations
If Marty doesn't drink caffeinated sodas daily, he experiences severe headaches. Marty is most clearly showing signs of a hypnagogic state physical dependence tolerance psychological dependence dissociation
physical dependence
Which of the following provides the clearest indication of a drug addiction? narcolepsy physical dependence REM rebound alpha waves hallucinations
physical dependence
After a small section of his basilar membrane was damaged, Jason experienced a noticeable loss of hearing for high-pitched sounds only. Jason's hearing loss is best explained by the _______ theory. opponent-process place gate-control Young-Helmholtz frequency
place
In a study of the effects of alcohol consumption, some participants drank a nonalcoholic beverage that actually smelled and tasted like alcohol. This nonalcoholic drink was a placebo replication dependent variable double blind random sample
placebo
When Melea was a child, a brain disease required the surgical removal of her left cerebral hemisphere. Melea is now a successful high school student who lives a normal life. Her success best illustrates the importance of lateralization reuptake tomography phrenology plasticity
plasticity
Just prior to awakening Chinua from a hypnotic state, the therapist told him that during the next few days he would feel nauseous whenever he reached for a cigarette. Chinua's therapist was attempting to make use of hypnagogic sensations REM rebound posthypnotic suggestion parallel processing age regression
posthypnotic suggestion
The perceptual tendency to group together stimuli that are near each other is called proximity disparity closure interposition perceptual set
proximity
Although John never experiences caffeine withdrawal symptoms, he feels that he needs coffee every morning as part of his daily routine. John best illustrates dissociation the pop-out phenomenon REM rebound narcolepsy psychological dependence
psychological dependence
Which procedure helps to ensure that the participants in a survey are representative of a larger population? naturalistic observation replication random assignment random sampling correlation
random sampling
Under very dim levels of illumination feature detectors in the retina activate rods are more light-sensitive than cones the iris expands to allow more light to reach the retina foveas react to increase the sensitivity of the optic nerve rods fire according to place theory to perceive the available light
rods are more light-sensitive than cones
George was worried about his bakery's new cupcakes after two customers disliked them on the first day, but when he surveyed his customers over the next week, more than 90% of customers said they loved them. By giving too much weight to those two customers before the survey, George also committed an error known as sampling bias confusing correlation with causation replication error not following ethical guidelines wording effects
sampling bias
To graphically represent the correlation between two variables, researches often construct a scatterplot pie chart skewed distribution bar graph standard deviation
scatterplot
Because she was listening to the news on the radio, Mrs. Schultz didn't perceive a word her husband was saying. Her experience best illustrates gate-control theory gestalt selective attention opponent-process theory choice blindness
selective attention
A cochlear implant would be most helpful for those who suffer conduction hearing loss loss of position loss of balance sensorineural hearing loss loss of movement
sensorineural hearing loss
Diminished sensitivity to an unchanging stimulus is known as sensory adaptation equilibrium accommodation transduction blindsight
sensory adaptation
An exhausted forest ranger may notice the faintest scent of a forest fire, whereas much stronger but less important odors fail to catch her attention. This fact would be of greatest relevance to opponent-process theory signal detection theory place theory frequency theory the Young-Helmholtz theory
signal detection theory
Which theory emphasizes that personal expectations and motivations influence the level of absolute thresholds? opponent-process theory place theory frequency theory bottom-up theory signal detection theory
signal detection theory
As the retinal image of a horse galloping toward you becomes larger, it is unlikely that the horse will appear to grow larger. This best illustrates the phenomenon of closure binocular cues linear perspective convergence size constancy
size constancy
Audiotapes of soothing ocean sounds accompanied by faint and imperceptible verbal messages designed to increase a desire to lose weight best illustrate synesthesia difference thresholds sensory interaction subliminal stimulation parallel processing
subliminal stimulation
Sir Charles Sherrington observed that impulses took more time to travel a neural pathway than he might have anticipated. His observation provided evidence for the existence of neural networks synaptic gaps hormones endorphins interneurons
synaptic gaps
REM rebound involves the increase in REM sleep that characteristically follows intense learning episodes or stressful daytime experiences replacement of REM sleep with NREM sleep tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation tendency for REM sleep periods to become increasingly longer and more frequent as a normal night of sleep progresses unusual symptoms of tiredness and irritability that follows periods of REM sleep deprivation
tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation
A hypothesis is a(n) unprovable assumption about unobservable processes that underlie psychological functioning testable prediction that gives direction to research observable relationship between specific independent and dependent variables set of principles that organizes observations and explains newly discovered facts statement of procedures used to define research variables
testable prediction that gives direction to research
The pitch of a sound is determined by what? the frequency of the sound wave the loudness of the sound wave the decibel level of the sound wave the vestibular level of the sound wave the amplitude of the sound wave
the amplitude of the sound wave
An axon is a layer of fatty tissue that encases the fibers of many neurons a cell that serves as the basic building block of the nervous system the extension of a neuron that carries messages away from the cell body an antagonist molecule that blocks neurotransmitter receptor sites a junction between a sending and receiving neuron
the extension of a neuron that carries messages away from the cell body
People have always responded so positively to Alyssa's good looks that she has developed a socially confident and outgoing personality. This best illustrates the interaction of nature and nurture the impact of personality on gender identity the importance of nurture rather than nature the reciprocal influence of norms and roles that ideas about gender and social roles are complementary
the interaction of nature and nurture
Sequentially flashing lights appear to generate pulsating waves of motion. This best illustrates frequency theory relative motion retinal disparity the phi phenomenon perceptual adaptation
the phi phenomenon
In the hypothesis "Students who study a list of terms in the morning, just after waking up, will recall more terms than students who study the list just before falling asleep," what is the independent variable? number of terms remembered students memorization time of day list of terms
time of day
Fraternal twins originate from the fertilization of a single egg cell by a single sperm cell two egg cells by a single sperm cell two egg cells by two sperm cells a single egg cell by two sperm cells a divided egg cell and one sperm cell
two egg cells by two sperm cells
The hindsight bias leads people to perceive research findings as inexplicable invalid unsurprising unpredictable unreplicable
unsurprising
Participants in an experiment are said to be blind if they are uninformed about the experimental hypothesis being tested which experimental treatment, if any, they are receiving whether the experimental findings will be statistically significant what research method is being used how the dependent variable is measured
which experimental treatment, if any, they are receiving
A majority of respondents in a national survey agreed that "classroom prayer should not be allowed in public schools." Only 33 percent of respondents in a similar survey agreed that "classroom prayer in public schools should be banned." These divergent findings illustrate the importance of wording effects overconfidence the hindsight bias random assignment operational definition
wording effects