Psychology Midterm
A 5-year-old girl observes a stranger in a toy store pretending to discipline a stuffed dog. When the stranger moves on to the next aisle, the girl picks up another stuffed animal and does the same thing. Her behavior seems consistent with the findings in studies conducted by:
Albert Bandura
Given findings from adoption studies, which of the following scenarios is the MOST likely? An adopted brother and sister raised together will share the same political and religious beliefs An adopted brother and sister raised together will not be similarly outgoing and agreeable An adopted brother and sister raised together will be similarly outgoing and agreeable A biological brother and sister raised apart will share the same political and religious beliefs.
An adopted brother and sister raised together will share the same political and religious beliefs
All of the following psychologists are considered stage theorists EXCEPT: Jean Piaget Lawrence Kohlberg Marc Bornstein Erik Erikson
Marc Bornstein
Which of the following is TRUE regarding action potentials? Action potentials travel down the axon only during refractory periods Action potentials operate under the 'maximum threshold law' Once an action potential is started, it is self-sustaining and continues to the end of the axon Partial action potentials result in fewer neurotransmitter molecules being released than during whole action potentials.
Once an action potential is started, it is self-sustaining and continues to the end of the axon
Which of the following is a function controlled mostly by the right side of the brain? Recognizing faces Language comprehension Language production Making literal interpretations of language.
Recognizing faces
There are three well-known stage theorists in developmental psychology: Jean Piaget, Lawrence Kohlberg, and Erik Erikson. Which of the following lists the first stage of their respective stage theories? Sensorimotor, preconvential, basic trust Preoperational conventional, concrete operational Concrete operational, preconventional, postconventional Concrete operational, competence, preconventional
Sensorimotor, preconvential, basic trust
What happened after Little Albert was classically conditioned to fear a tame white rat?
Stimulus generalization occurred; Albert responded with fear to other furry animals and fuzzy objects
_________ refers to people's ideas about their own and others' mental states; that is, how feelings, perceptions, or thoughts might predict behavior.
Theory of mind
According to the ______________ theory, the retina has three types of color receptors, each of which is sensitive to one of three colors: red, green, or blue:
Young-Helmholtz trichromatic
The 90-minute sleep cycle is an example of:
a biological rhythm
A neutral facial expression may be perceived as sadder at a funeral than at a circus. This best illustrates:
a context effect
An infant is most likely to be at risk for FAS if her mother is:
a heavy drinker
The all-or-none response of a neuron is similar to:
a light switch that only has two positions-- on and off
In Piaget's theory, a schema is:
a mental representation of the world
A framework that offers children temporary support as they develop higher levels of thinking is known as:
a scaffold
When we adapt our current understandings to incorporate information, we have engaged in:
accommodation
Piaget believed that every child:
actively tries to make sense of his or her enironment
Which of the following is TRUE about the link between thinking and learning and sleep? Interrupting a person's sleep to have her relearn information will enhance memory After people work on a task, then sleep on it, they solve difficult problems more insightfully than do those who stay awake Staying up late and cramming for exams is the best preparation for recalling the studied information After learning something new, it is best for the person to put it our of his mind before going to sleep
after people work on a task, then sleep on it, they solve difficult problems more insightfully than do those who stay awake
The opponent-process theory is most useful for explaining the characteristics of:
afterimages
Both classical and operant conditioning:
are forms of associative learning
When we interpret our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas, we have engaged in:
assimilation
Operant conditioning involves:
associating a response and a consequence
The _______________ of the cerebral cortex are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking.
association areas
Which of the following is NOT an attitude needed for scientific thinking: Authority Skepticism Humility Curiosity
authority
An example of the interaction of the nervous and endocrine systems can be seen in our response to danger. The _______________ orders the adrenal glands to release the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine, which act to provide a surge of energy.
automatic nervous system
In terms of your heartbeat, digestion, and glandular functioning, your body is pretty much a well-oiled machine that works even when you are asleep. This occurs due to your:
autonomic nervous system
Estimates of the influences of genetics and the environment on personality traits are most directly associated with the research efforts of:
behavior geneticists
A focus on how we learn observable responses is most relevant to the _____________ perspective.
behavioral
Which psychological perspective defines psychology as "the scientific study of observable behavior"?
behaviorism
Studies show that chronic sleep deprivation is associated with all of the following EXCEPT: Better academic performance Obesity Depression Conflicts in friendships and romantic relationships
better academic performance
One way to develop a complete picture of any given behavior or mental process is to incorporate an integrated viewpoint that examines biological, psychological, and social-cultural factors. This is also known as a ______________ approach.
biopsychosocial
Relative luminance most clearly contributes to:
brightness constancy
All of the following have been linked to sleep deprivation and health EXCEPT sleep deprivation: Can suppress immune cells that battle viral infections and cancer Can lead to limbic brain responses that can contribute to the development of sleep apnea May help explain why people who sleep 7 to 8 hours a night tend to outlive those who are chronically sleep deprived Slows reactions and increases errors on visual attention tasks and can lead to automobile or work-related accidents
can lead to limbic brain responses that can contribute to the development of sleep apnea
Our bodies synchronize with the 24-hour cycle of day and night by means of the biological clock called the
circadian rhythm
The human body naturally tends to follow a cycle of sleeping and waking that corresponds to a:
circadian rhythm of a 24-hour cycle
A learned association between two stimuli is central to:
classical conditioning
By directly experiencing a thunderstorm, we learn that a flash of lightning signals an impending crash of thunder. This best illustrates:
classical conditioning
Which of the following psychoactive drugs produces a quick and very powerful ruse of euphoria? Cocaine Alcohol Barbituates Marijuana
cocaine
The hammer, anvil, and stirrup are the three tiny bones that transmit vibrations to the:
cochlea
A focus on how we perceive, process, and remember information is most relevant to the ______________ perspective.
cognitive
Many psychologists have criticized Skinner for discounting the influence of _______________ on behavior.
cognitive process
Even when grass is seen through sunglasses, it appears equally as green as it does without glasses. This best illustrates:
color constancy
Two sealed, pyramid-shaped beakers contain what are clearly identical amounts of a liquid. However, a child judges them as holding different amounts of liquid after seeing one of the beakers inverted. The child apparent;y lacks a:
concept of conservation
In classical conditioning, a stimulus that originally elicited no response but after association with an unconditioned stimulus comes to trigger a conditioned response is call a(n):
conditioned response
Pavlov noticed that dogs began salivating at the mere sight of the person who regularly brought food to them. For the dogs, the sight of this person had become a(n):
conditioned stimulus (CS)
Pharmaceutical studies sometimes test their experimental drugs against an already available medication to see if the experimental drug works the same or better than the existing medication. Those participants who get assigned to the existing-medication group would be the:
control condition
Researchers used goggles to restrict the vision of a number of infant kittens for several months. Once the goggles were removed after infancy, the animals:
could distinguish only color and brightness
Psychologists use the scientific attitude of ___________ to examine assumptions, appraise sources, discern hidden biases, evaluate evidence, and assess conclusions.
critical thinking
Which of the following is NOT a psychologically induced altered state of consciousness? Meditation Daydreaming Hypnosis Sensory deprivation.
daydreaming
A neuron receives information from _____________.
dendrites and dendrite branches
In an experiment that examines the effect of sleep deprivation on mental alertness, mental alertness is the:
dependent variable
Alcohol initially produces feelings of euphoria, talkativeness, and outgoing behavior because it:
depresses activity in the brain regions involved with self-control and judgement, lowering inhibitions
Gibson and Walk placed 6- to 14-month-old infants on a visual cliff to determine whether the infants were able to use _____________ to determine whether the surface was safe to crawl across.
depth perception
Studies have shown that exposure to violence __________________ viewers when later viewing other violent programs on television
desensitizes
Improved judgement, impulse control, and the ability to plan for the future develops during the late teens and early twenties, largely as a result of:
development of the frontal lobe of the brain
______________ psychologists investigate the influence of multiple factors on how people change physically, mentally, and socially at every stage of life.
developmental
Just one week after conception, the cells of the zygote begin to _____________. In other words, the cells begin to specialize in structure and function.
differentiate
Neither the participants nor the researchers participating in a drug-treatment study know whether the participant is receiving the experimental drug or the placebo. This is known as the:
double-blind procedure
Which of the following statements best captures Sigmund Freud's view of dreaming? Dream imagery is an obvious reflection of the everyday concerns of the dreamer The illogical content of dreams is a direct reflection of mental disorders The interpretation of dreams reveals more about the psychological makeup of the person doing the interpreting than it does about the dreamer Dream imagery is a symbolic expression of unacceptable urges, wishes, and desires
dream imagery is a symbolic expression of unacceptable urges, wishes, and desires
Which of the following is an altered state of consciousness that is spontaneously induced? Hallucinations Hypnosis Dreaming Meditating.
dreaming
___________ is a period from the age 18 to the mid-twenties when many young people in Western culture are no longer adolescents but have not yet achieved full independence as adults.
emerging adulthood
The parasympathetic nervous system is to ______________ as the sympathetic nervous system is to energy consumption.
energy conservation
External influences on development, such as social support, are said to constitute our:
environment
Environmental factors such as diet, drugs, or stress can alter gene expression by affecting:
epigenetic molecules
With continuous reinforcement, an organism is reinforced ____________.
every time the desired behavior occurs
Researchers now believe that developing a fear of darkness may have contributed to the survival of our human ancestors. This finding would be most relevant to the ______________ perspective.
evolutionary
Signal detection theory predicts that a person's ability to detect weak signals is partly dependent on the person's:
experience, motivation, and alertness
In an experiment, participants are often assigned to one of two groups. The _________ condition refers to the group that receives the treatment. The control condition refers to the group that does not receive the treatment.
experimental
When an extremely tired person is walking toward her parked car after a long day at work she is more likely to perceive it as being _________________ due to motivation effects.
farther away
Continuously checking to see if the cookies are ready is an example of the _______________ schedule of reinforcement.
fixed-interval
Conditioned (secondary) reinforcers are powerful tools for shaping behavior because they have become associated with primary reinforcers. Which of the following is NOT a conditioned reinforcer? Grades Food Money Praise
food
According to Piaget, during which stage of cognitive development do abstract logic and the potential for mature moral reasoning form?
formal operational
Most people achieve which of Piaget's intellectual stages during adolescence?
formal operations
According to the _____________, the spinal cord contains a neurological opening that either blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain.
gate-control theory of pain
Epigenetics is the study of environmental influences on _________________ that occur without a DNA change.
gene expression
A researcher subliminally flashes words that have either emotionally positive content (e.g., puppies, people embracing) or negative content (e.g., murder, accidents) immediately before showing them a picture of a house. Then, when asked to rate the house in terms of attractiveness, the participants:
give the houses that follow positive content words higher ratings
These cells in the nervous system support, nourish, and protect neurons.
glial cells
Research has demonstrated that premature human babies exposed to massage:
go home from the hospital sooner than babies not exposed to massage
In addition to controlling other endocrine glands, the pituitary also has primary responsibility for regulating:
growth
Shaping was a method used by Skinner to:
guide an organism to exhibit a complex behavior using successive approximations
A negative correlation between people's physical health and their marital happiness would indicate that:
higher levels of marital happiness are associated with lower levels of physical health.
The leader of a self-help group has asked you to recommend an approach to psychology that emphasizes personal growth and people's need for love and acceptance. Which of the following branches of psychology would you recommend for this group? Psychoanalysis Structuralism Humanistic psychology Functionalism
humanistic psychology
Studies examining certain traits are helping to clarify our understanding of the the effects of nature and nurture. For example, because _______________ have the same genes, researchers often use them in studies that examine the relative influence of environment and heredity on these traits.
identical twins
_________________ raised apart have less similar personalities than identical twins raised together and more similar personalities than fraternal twins raised apart.
identical twins
Magicians exploit a phenomenon known as _____________, which occurs when we fail to notice something in our clear field of view because our limited attentional resources are directed to another task or object in the environment.
inattentional blindness
One main difference between punishment and reinforcement is that the goal of reinforcement is to _____________ a behavior
increase
One in ten adults complains of this sleep disorder in which they have nightly problems falling or staying asleep.
insomnia
The primary function of the myelin sheath is to:
insulate the axon and increase the speed at which neurons convey their message
According to Erik Erikson, at what stage of life do people struggle to form close relationships and to gain the capacity for romantic love?
intimacy versus isolation
Researchers today may ask their research participants to describe elements of their experiences (for example, sensations, images, feelings) while undergoing brain scans. This modern technique shares some qualities with the methodology of:
introspection
Classical conditioning is to operant conditioning as:
involuntary responses are to voluntary responses
The factor that differentiates case studies from surveys is that case studies:
involve in-depth analyses of individuals
The sensory experience of bending one's knees or raising one's arms illustrates:
kinesthesia
The Moon illustration refers to our tendency to perceive the Moon as usually:
large when it is near the horizon
Bright light affects our feelings of sleepiness by increasing or decreasing the production of:
melatonin
Cognitive neuroscience is best described as the interdisciplinary study of brain activity linked with:
mental process
What type of research design combines the results of many studies in order to avoid the problems of small samples and determine an overall effect?
meta-analysis
If a child is watching a favorite sibling getting scolded for misbehavior, which type of neuron is likely to be activated in an empathetic response to this observation?
mirror neurons
Relative size, interposition, relative motion, and relative height are examples of:
monocular cues
Adopted children grow up to be:
more self-giving than average
People with this sleep disorder experience periodic, overwhelming sleepiness.
narcolepsy
Which type of parent is neither demanding nor responsive?
negligent
The brain often attempts to self-repair by reorganizing existing tissue, but it sometimes also attempts to mend itself by producing new brain cells. The latter process is known as:
neurogenisis
For conditioning to occur, a(n) ________________ must repeatedly come before a(n) unconditioned stimulus.
neutral stimulus (NS)
It is 1965, and professor B. F. Skinner is lecturing in your introductory course. He defines psychology as "the scientific study of ______________."
observable behavior
When a 4-year-old suddenly picks up her toy ironing board and plays it like an electric guitar, it is likely that she has seen someone playing a real electric guitar in the same manner. Thus she has learned via:
observation
The empirical approach relies on:
observation and experimentation
After one chimpanzee sees a second chimpanzee open a box that contains a food reward, the first animal opens a similar box with great speed. This best illustrates:
observational learning
One chimpanzee watches a second chimp solve a puzzle for a food reward. The first chimp then imitates how the second chimp solved the puzzle. This best illustrates:
observational learning
Individuals who text while driving have a much higher risk of getting into a car accident. This is because our attention can focus:
on only one area at a time
A dog learns that if she sits, her owner will give her a treat. The dog likes treats, so she will repeat the sitting behavior often in order to get a treat. This example best illustrates:
operant conditioning
A learned association between a behavior and its consequences is central to:
operant conditioning
Children often learn to associate pushing a vending machine button with the delivery of a candy bar. This best illustrates the process underlying:
operant conditioning
In order to determine if a finding from one study can be applied to other populations, it is necessary for researchers to __________ variables, thus making it possible for other researchers to try to replicate the study.
operationally define
At the beginning of the school year, college students were asked to predict a variety of their own social behaviors, such as calling their parents or voting in an election. The students reported being 84 percent assured in their self-predictions. However, they correctly predicted their own behavior only 71 percent of the time. This human tendency is known as:
overconfidence
Botox injections smooth facial wrinkles because botulin is an ACh antagonist that:
paralyzes underlying facial muscles
According to operant conditioning principles, which of the following strategies would NOT be recommended when dealing with young girl who is resistant to going to school every morning? Parents should express their anger by yelling at the girl, but let her stay home once in a while. Parents should reward the girl when she cooperates by getting into the car in the morning. Parents should ignore complaints or whining about school. If the girl refuses to get in the car, parents should explain why this is a problem and use time-outs.
parents should express their anger by yelling at the girl, but let her stay home once in a while
Cross-sectional studies are those in which:
people of different ages are compared with one another
In terms of vision, ___________ is the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or inverted visual field.
perceptual adaptation
Kittens, monkeys, and humans who temporarily experience sensory deprivation after the critical period of development all suffer no permanent effects to their visual functioning as a result of the deprivation experience. This is because of:
perceptual adaptation
We recognize objects ad having a consistent form regardless of how the viewing angle changes. This fact illustrates:
perceptual constancy
Both _____________ indicate how our experiences help us to construct perception
perceptual set and context
When people look at a photograph of an adult-child pair and are told that the two individuals are parent and child, they tend to say the pair looks more alike than people who are told the pair is unrelated. This is most likely due to:
perceptual sets
The spinal cord is like an information highway that connects the _____________ to the brain.
peripheral nervous system
Which of the following refers to an experimental result caused by expectations alone? Positive correlation Hindsight bias Wording effect Placebo effect
placebo effect
The successful functioning of children who have had an entire cerebral hemisphere surgically removed best illustrates the significance of:
plasticity
In order, the three distinct levels of moral reasoning that Kohlberg proposed are:
preconventional, conventional, postconventional
One common thinking error is the assumption that a strong correlation:
proves causation
The way in which you quickly group the indivutal letters in this test item into separate words best illustrates the principle of:
proximity
A therapist who is interested in the way(s) unconscious forces in childhood influence later adult behavior would most likely follow which of the following perspectives? Functionalism Humanistic psychology Psychoanalysis Behaviorism
psychoanalysis
A lock is to a key as a neurotransmitter is to a ________________
receptor site
What is NOT a monocular depth cue that drivers rely on? Retinal disparity Interposition Linear perspective Relative size
retinal disparity
If hindsight bias and overconfidence often lead us to overestimate our intuition, what can help sift reality from illusions?
scientific inquiry
When parents are consistently warm with and responsive to their infant, the infant is likely to develop a(n) ______________ attachment to the parents.
secure
Drivers are slower to detect traffic signals if they are also conversing on a cell phone. This best illustrates the impact of:
selective attention
Experiencing sudden pain is to _____________ as recognizing that you are suffering a heart attack is to ______________.
sensation; perception
During Piaget's sensorimotor stage, children acquire a:
sense of object permanence
Which of the following is NOT a physiologically induced altered state of consciousness? Hallucinations Oxygen starvation Sexual orgasm Sensory deprivation.
sensory deprivation
A number of antidepressant medications work to increase this neurotransmitter since low levels of it are linked to depression.
serotonin
A scientist who begins by doubting and who analyzes all scientific claims while asking "how does it work?" is exemplifying which scientific attitude?
skepticism
Psychologists persistently ask two questions ("What do you mean?" and "How do you know?") because they approach the world of behavior with a curious:
skepticism
Which of the following sleep disorders is MOST strongly associated with obesity? Narcolepsy Sleep apnea Night terrors Insomnia.
sleep apnea
Parents of newborns often complain about being chronically tired because of their infants' crying, feeding, and diaper changing interrupt their sleep. After many nights, they develop what is known as:
sleep debt
Psychologists believe that there are five main reasons for sleep. Which of the following is NOT one of those reasons? Sleep helps us restore our immune system Sleep helps restore and rebuild our fading memories of the day's experiences Sleep helps us eliminate unconscious conflicts from memory Sleep protects us from dangers in the night.
sleep helps us eliminate unconscious conflicts from memory
Which of the following statements about the nature of sleep is TRUE? Absolutely no processing of external stimuli is done by the brain when a person is sleeping General anesthesia is just a chemically induced state of sleep Sleep is a periodic, natural loss of consciousness one experiences within a 24-hour period When in a coma, a person is just in an extended period of sleep.
sleep is a periodic, natural loss of consciousness one experiences within a 24-hour period
Compared to messages delivered by the nervous system, messages delivered by the endocrine system are:
slower to arrive and longer lasting
Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky believed that cognitive development is strongly influenced by:
social and cultural factors
A focus on how behavior and thinking vary across situations and societies is most relevant to the ______________ perspective.
social-cultural
A focus on the different marriages rituals practiced by members of different ethnic groups is most relevant to the ______________ perspective.
social-cultural
Which of the following promotes better retention of material studied than massed practice? Intermediate practice Spaced practice Delayed practice Massed practice.
spaced practice
Axons are to ____________ as dendrites are to hearing
speaking
Exposure to sunlight and other bright light:
suppresses the production of melatonin
Chronic sleep deprivation is most likely to contribute to:
suppression of the immune system
Drugs that block the reuptake of serotonin will thereby increase the concentration of serotonin molecules in the:
synaptic gap
The areas of the motor cortex responsible for precise movements, for example, of the fingers and the mouth:
take up a larger area of the motor cortex
A pregnant woman was recently arrested for using heroin. She is addicted to it, and there is a risk that her fetus will develop abnormally. Heroin is clearly a _______________ for the fetus
teratogen
A researcher subliminally presents a visual image to participants, which increases the likelihood that they will later recognize the same briefly presented image. This best illustrates:
that information can be processed outside of conscious awareness
The FBI is considering a new identification method. Instead of using old-fashioned fingerprints, they have decided to scan which part of the eye confirm people's identity?
the iris
Which lobes of the cerebral cortex are most directly involved in vision?
the occipital lobes
Which of the following is TRUE regarding attachment? Attachment can be formed only between infants and their mothers. The infant can form multiple attachment relationships, but the mother-infant relationship is most important While the attachment bond is important to psychological development, is has no effect on the infant's physical development. The quality of attachment plays an important role in determining an infant's ability to thrive physically and psychologically
the quality of attachment plays an important role in determining an infant's ability to thrive physically and psychologically
Which of the following statements BEST represents contemporary thinking on the nature-nurture issue? While genetic factors determine personality, environmental factors determine intelligence and cognitive ability Environmental factors can determine the expression of genetic potential, but only during infancy Genetic factors alone determine physical appearance, but only environmental factors influence personality characteristics The relationship between genetics and environment is interactive; each influences the other
the relationship between genetics and environment is interactive; each influences the other
Detecting a weak stimulus, or signal, does NOT depend in part on: Whether the stimulus has been primed The sense being used to detect the stimulus The psychological state of a person The context of the stimulus
the sense being used to detect the stimulus
Based on research into the responses of infants immediately after they are born, we can be MOST certain that the human fetus would be aware of and learn to recognize:
the sound of the mother singing
In response to bright morning light:
the suprachiasmatic nucleus causes the pineal gland to decrease production of melatonin
Which area is NOT a part of the limbic system? The hippocampus The thalamus The amygdala The hypothalamus.
the thalamus
Gestalt psychologists were fond of saying that in perception:
the whole may exceed the sum of its parts
Kittens, monkeys, and humans who experience prolonged sensory deprivation early in life all end up with permanent damage to their visual functioning. This finding suggests that:
there is a critical period for normal sensory and perceptual development
Which of the following is NOT a long-term consequence of regular marijuana use? There is an increase in memory and intellectual capabilities Marijuana use is related to chronic bronchitis, psychosis, and social anxiety disorder Marijuana use is predictive of increase automobile accidents Marijuana disrupts memory formation and interferes with recall of information learned just minutes before
there is an increase in memory and intellectual capabilities
What characterizes a relationship between adolescents and their parents?
though peer influence grows, parents remain influential throughout their children's adolescence
When a person needs a gradual increase in the amount of a psychoactive drug to produce the desired effect, ____________ has occurred
tolerance
The fact that perception involve more than the sum of our sensations best illustrates the importance of:
top-down processing
Erik Erikson proposed that at each stage of life we face a psychosocial task that needs resolution. The first task, the one infants wrestle with, is:
trust versus mistrust
Blinking in response to a puff of air directed into your eye is a(n):
unconditioned response (UR)
In classical conditioning, what is the unlearned, naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus (US), such as salivation, when food is in the mouth?
unconditioned response (UR)
Pop quizzes at college and random checks of quality in a factory are examples of the _______________ schedule of reinforcement.
variable-interval
Gamblers and fishermen sometimes have a difficult time controlling their need to gamble and fish, respectively, because of the ___________ schedule of reinforcement
variable-ratio
Cognitive neuroscientists believe that the visual system is a dual-processing system in which a _____________ enables us "to think about the world" --that is, to recognize things and to plan future actions.
visual perception track
In observational learning, the most effective models are those:
who use consistent actions and words
_______________ tend to have a night owl sleep pattern
young adults