AP Psy Semester 1 final

Which two questions exemplify the scientific attitude?

What do you mean? How do you know?

Who used the method of introspection to scientifically identify basic elements of mind?

Edward Titchener

Your friend is taking her first psychology class. She comes to you saying "I don't understand why we are studying the brain; I thought this was a psychology class." Because of you background in psychology your best response should be

Everything psychology is simultaneously biology

Which perspective highlights the reproductive advantages of inherited psychological traits?

Evolutionary

Which of the following is not true regarding brain organization and handedness?

If a person has a left-handed identical twin, odds are that he or she will also be left-handed.

Which of the following demonstrates the need for psychological science?

Intuition and common sense are not always correct

Who would be most likely to emphasize the role of unconscious in affecting behavior

Ivan Pavlov

Which of the following psychologists most clearly rejected the value of introspection?

John B. Watson

Who would be most likely to agree with the statement, "Psychology should investigate only behaviors that can be observed"?

John B. Watson

Which philosopher is most well known for theorizing that the mind at birth is tabula rasa or a "blank state"?

John Locke

Dr. Jones' research centers on the relationship between changes in our thinking over the life span and changes in moral reasoning. Dr. Jones is most likely a:

developmental psychologist

Some people are better than others at detecting slight variations in the tastes of various blends of coffee. This best illustrates the importance of

difference thresholds

Mr. Key is interested in whether individual differences affect learning. Mr. Kay is most likely an _________ psychologist.

educational

In order to pinpoint the location of a tumor, a neurosurgeon electrically stimulated parts of the patient's sensory cortex. If the patient was conscious during the procedure, which of the following was probably experienced?

a sense of having the skin touched

Identical twins originate from the fertilization of

a single egg cell by a single sperm cell

Although Manuel was sitting right next to his parents, he smelled a skunk minutes before they did. Apparently, Manuel has a lower ___________ for skunk odor than his parents have

absolute threshold

Signal detection theory is most closely associated with

absolute thresholds

The movement of positively charged ions across the membrane of a neuron can produce an

action potential

Depending on environmental conditions, specific genes can be either

active or inactive

The diversity of human traits is enabled by our shared

adaptive capacity

Epinephrine and norepinephrine (also known as adrenaline and noradrenaline) -stress hormones- are released by the __________ glands

adrenal

slowed reactions, slurred speech, and decreased skill performance are associated with abuse of

alcohol

The purpose of a pupil is to:

allow light into the eye

The belief that weather conditions signal the onset of arthritis pain best illustrates:

an illusory correlation

An experiment was designed to study the potential impact of alcohol consumption on emotional stability. A specification of the procedures used to measure emotional stability illustrates:

an operational definition

Who wrote an important psychology textbook in the year 1890

William James

The first psychology laboratory was established by _________ in the year_______.

Wundt; 1879

Which lobe of the cerebral cortex is most directly involved in speaking?

frontal

Following a gunshot wound to his head, Jack became more uninhibited, irritable, and profane. It is likely that his personality change was the result of injury to his:

frontal lobe

The endocrine system's__________ secrete chemical messengers called hormones

glands

When most people stare at a red square and then shift their eyes to a white surface, the afterimage of the square is

green

The three major categories of drugs include depressants, stimulants, and

hallucinogens

Humanistic psychologist focused on the importance of

healthy growth potential

An adaptation is an inherited physical or behavioral characteristic that

increases an organism's chance for survival

Which subfield is most directly concerned with studying human behavior in the workplace?

industrial-organizational psychology

Light-wave amplitude determines the

intensity of colors

The unique personalities of children evoke predictable responses from their caregivers. This best illustrates the ________ of nature and nurture.

interaction

Information travels from the spinal cord to the brain via

interneurons

Which of the following are located exclusively within the brain and spinal cord

interneurons

Behaviorists dismissed the value of:

introspection

The self-reflective observation of one's own sensations and feelings is called

introspection

Following massive damage to his frontal lobes, Phineas Gage was most strikingly debilitated by:

irritability

Receptor cells for kinesis are located in the

joints, tendons, bones, and ear

Cocking your head would be most useful for detecting the ______________ of a sound

location

A cochlear implant would be most useful for those who suffer

loss of balance

Many hard-of-hearing people like sound compressed because they remain sensitive to ___________ sounds

loud

Brightness is to light as ______________ is to sound

loudness

In its early year, psychology focused on the study of __________. But from the 1920's into the 1960's, American psychologists emphasized the study of ___________.

mental life; observed behavior

The subfield that studies the specific genes that influence behavior is

molecular genetics

DNA is a complex

molecule

When the release of Ach is blocked the result is

muscular paralysis

A random error in gene replication is known as

mutation

The speed at which a neural impulse travels is increased when the axon is encased by a

myelin sheath

Sudden sleep attacks at inopportune times best describes

narcolepsy

Evolutionary psychology studies the evolution of behavior and the mind using principles of

natural selection

The survival of organisms best suited to a particular environment is known as

natural selection

Fruit juices, energy drinks, mints, soap, and soda all have been known to contain

caffeine

The "little brain" attached to the rear of the brainstem is called the:

cerebellum

The benefits of brain plasticity are most clearly demonstrated in:

children who have had a cerebral hemisphere surgically removed

For no reason, Adam has recently begun to feel so tense and anxious that he frequently stays home form work. It would be most beneficial for Adam to contact a _________ psychologist.

clinical

Which professional specialty focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of people with psychological disorders?

clinical psychology

The retina is to the eye as the _____________ is to the ear

cochlea

The way the mind encodes, process, stores, and retrieves information is the primary concern of the _________ perspective

cognitive

Today, psychology is a discipline that:

connects with a diversity of other fields

Awareness of ourselves and our environment best describes

consciousness

The horizon Moon appears to shrink in size if it is viewed through a narrow tube that eliminates the perception of distance cues. This best illustrates the importance of

context effects

A questioning attitude regarding psychologists' assumptions and hidden values best illustrates:

critical thinking

In addition to cocaine and heroin, what drug does the British government consider one of the most dangerous

crystal meth

To study the development of relationships, Dr. Rajiv carefully observed and recorded patterns of verbal and nonverbal behaviors among boys and girls in the schoolyard. Which research method did Dr. Rajiv employ?

naturalistic observation

Neurotransmitter is to a hormone as ________ is to ________.

nervous system; endocrine system

In the brain, learning occurs as experience strengthens certain connections in cell work groups called:

neural networks

The basic building block of the nervous system

neuron

The philosopher views of John Locke are to those of Rene Descartes as ________ is to ____________.

nurture; nature

Which of the following would play a role in quickly alerting you to a gas leak in your home?

olfactory receptors

Which theory best explains the occurrence of afterimages?

opponent-process

The somatic nervous system is a component of the ________ nervous system.

peripheral

Bursts of rapid, rhythmic brain-wave activity while sleeping are called

sleep spindles

Which of the following is best described as a chemical sense?

smell

Today, psychology is defined as the:

study of behavior and mental process

A researcher interested in investigating the attitudes or opinions of a large sample of people is most likely to use which research method?

survey

An accelerated heartbeat is to a slowed heartbeat as the ________ nervous system is to the _________ nervous system.

sympathetic; parasympathetic

the physical junction between two neurons in called the

synapse

neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that travel across the

synaptic gap

The ability to recognize familiar faces is disturbed by damage to the ________ lobe

temporal

Wernicke's area is typically located in the left _________ lobe

temporal

Which brain structure relays information from the eyes to the visual cortex?

thalamus

Endocrine glands secrete hormones directly into

the bloodstream

To understand the unusual behavior of an adult client, a clinical psychologist carefully investigates the client's current life situation and his physical, social-cultural, and educational history. Which research method has the psychologist used?

the case study

The human genome is best defined as

the completed instructions for making an organism

The sequentially flashing Christmas tree lights appeared to generate pulsating waves of motion. The best illustrates

the phi phenomenon

The pineal gland's role in sleep involves

the production of melatonin

The impact of top-down processing on the sense of touch is best illustrated by

the rubber-hand illusion

What do scientists call an explanation that organizes observations and predicts future behaviors?

theory

Researchers studying gender have found that:

there are more similarities than differences between the genders

The brain's adaptation to a drug's chemistry, requiring larger and larger doses to experience the same effect, is called

tolerance

Heritability refers to the extent to which

trait differences among individuals are attributable to genetic variations

Our rods and cones ____________ electromagnetic energy into neural messages

transduce

The hammer, anvil, and stirrup

transmit sound waves to the cochlea

Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that

triggers muscle contractions

To estimate trait heritability, researchers are most likely to make use of

twin studies

The distinctive feature of the psychodynamic perspective is its emphasis on

unconscious conflicts

If we could stop our eyes from quivering as we stared at a stationary object, the object would probably

vanish

Which of the following is typically controlled by the left hemisphere?

word recognition

People typically recognize __________ more rapidly and accurately when they are flashed to the left hemisphere; they typically recognize ___________ more rapidly and accurately when they are flashed to the right hemisphere

words; pictures

Identical twins separated at birth would be most likely to have similar

personality

Two historical roots of psychology are the disciplines of:

philosophy and biology

The nineteenth-century theory that bumps on the skull reveal a person's abilities and traits is called

phrenology

Endorphins are most directly involved in the control of

physical pain

The personality theorist, Sigmund Freud, was an Austrain

physician

Which endocrine gland regulates body growth?

pituitary

Adoptive parents are most likely to influence the _____ of their adopted children.

political attitudes

The complete set of cases from which samples may be drawn is called a(n):

population

To say that "psychology is a science" means that:

psychologist approach the study the study of thoughts and actions with careful observation and rigorous analysis

The adjustable opening in the center of the eye is the

pupil

Which of the following is most useful for helping survey researchers avoid false generalizations?

random sampling

Frequency theory relates to the

rate at which the basilar membrane vibrates

the primary function of dendrites is to

receive incoming information

A simple, automatic, inborn response to a sensory stimulus is called a

reflex

Replication involves:

repeating an earlier research study

Phantom limb sensations best illustrate that pain can be experienced in the absence of

sensory input

The green-colored ham and eggs had such a strange appearance that they tasted terrible to Sam. This illustrates the importance of

sensory interaction

Choose the neurotransmitter believed to be involved in the regulation of sleep, appetite, and depression.

serotonin

The genome is the complex

set of genetic material in an organism's chromosomes

The IQ scores of the five members of the Duluth family are 100, 82, 104, 96, and 118. For this distribution of scores, the range is:

36

Carl Rogers and ____________ were the early leaders of humanistic psychology

Abraham Maslow

Which of the following is a positive correlation?

As study time decreases, students achieve lower grades

The fourth century scholar who anticipated health psychology's focus on mind-body interactions was:

Augustine

The part of the cerebral cortex that directs the muscle movements involved in speech is known as:

Broca's area

In explaining human behavior, psychoanalysts are likely to focus on _________, whereas humanistic psychologists concentrate on____________.

Childhood experiences and unconscious thought process' current environmental influences on potential

In order to monitor the electrical activity in the brain that is triggered by hearing one's own name, researchers would make use of a(n):

EEG

Which area of psychology might be best suited to investigate the following research question: what happens in our brain when we forget details about stressful life events and how does this process effect behavior?

Cognitive neuroscience

When molecular geneticists take a blood sample or a cheek swap, what are they trying to obtain

DNA form the nucleus of a cell

Deep sleep occurs in which stage

Delta

The seventeenth century philosopher who believed that some ideas are innate and the mind is not a "blank slate" at birth is

Descartes

What did Ernest Hilgard call a split between different levels of consciousness

Dissociation

Who believed that bumps on the skull reveal mental abilities and character traits

Franz Gall

The best way to detect enlarged fluid-filled brain regions in some patients who have schizophrenia is to use a(n):

MRI

Who was a student of William James and the first female president of the American Psychological Association

Mary Calkins

Anton is applying for a technician's job with a neurosurgeon. In trying to impress his potential employer with his knowledge of the brain, he says, "After my father's stroke I knew immediately that the blood clot had affected his left cerebral hemisphere because he no longer recognized a picture of his friend." Should Anton be hired?

No. The right hemisphere, not the left, specializes in picture recognition.

The brain research technique that involves monitoring the brain's usage of glucose is called (in abbreviated form) the:

PET scan

The Greek philosopher who believed that intelligence was inherited was

Plato

The unreliability of introspection contributed to the waning popularity of

Structuralism

which term does not belong with the others: synapse, dendrite, axon, or cell body.

Synapse

Which of the following exemplifies the issue of the relative importance of nature and nurture on our behavior?

The issue of the relative influence of biology and experience on behavior

There is a negative correlation between TV watching and grades. What can we properly conclude from this discovery?

We cannot conclude anything about cause and effect

Which of the following research questions would be most interesting to a molecular geneticist?

What are the genetic differences between siblings who are and are not depressed

Professor Delano suggests that because people are especially attracted to those who are good-looking, handsome men will be more successful than average-looking men in getting a job. The professor's prediction regarding employment success is an example of:

a hypothesis

In psychology, "behavior" is best described as

any action we can observe and record

An impaired use of language is known as:

aphasia

Due to an automobile accident, Jenny suffered damage to her cerebral cortex in Broca's area. Jenny is most likely to experience:

aphasia

A psychologist who studies how worker productivity might be increased by changing office layout is engaged in ___________ research

applied

After he suffered a stroke, Mr. Santore's physical coordination skills and responsiveness to sensory stimulation quickly returned to normal. Unfortunately, however, he began to experience unusual difficulty in scheduling his daily activities and solving simple problems. It is most likely that Mr. Santore suffered damage to his:

association areas

The regions of the parietal lobes that are involved in mathematical and spatial reasoning are known as:

association areas

Which part of a neuron is often encased by the myelin sheath

axon

A psychologist who conducts experiments solely intended to build psychology's knowledge base is engaged in:

basic research

Assessing the relative effects of nature and nurture on individual differences in personality would be of most direct interest to

behavior geneticists

Psychologists who study the degree to which genes influence our personality are working within the ___________ perspective.

behavior genetics

Akira believes that her son has become a good student because she is always praises his learning efforts. Her belief best illustrates a ________ perspective.

behavioral

B.F. Skinner was a leading_______.

behaviorist

A subliminal message is one that is presented

below one's absolute threshold for awareness

Mr. Lopez believes that severe depression results primarily from an imbalanced diet and abnormal brain chemistry. Mr. Lopez favors a __________ perspective on depression.

biological

Which perspective is most directly concerned with how the physical properties of the brain influence behaviors and mental states?

biological

Which type of psychologist most directly investigates the links between biological activity and out thinking and behaviors?

biological psychologist

When people discuss the "nature vs. nurture" controversy, Nature refers to _______ and Nurture refers to ________.

biology; environment

Chromosome are located within human

bone cell

The part of the human brain that is most like that of a fish is the:

brainstem

The reticular formation is located in the:

brainstem

The sequence of brain regions from oldest to newest is:

brainstem; limbic system; cerebral cortex

which of the following is least likely to occur as a result of good sleep habits

decreased concentration

In transmitting sensory information to the brain, an electrical signal travels from the _______ of a single neuron.

dendrites to the cell body to the axon

In an experiment, researchers manipulate one factor to see its effect on another factor, called the:

dependent variable

The organization of two-dimensional retinal images into three-dimensional perceptions is called

depth perception

Basing decisions or conclusions on observable evidence describes which of the following?

empirical approach

the brain's own opiates are called

endorphines

Opiate drugs (such as heroin and morphine) occupy the same receptor sites as ______.

endorphins

Professor Assad suggested that a cautious attitude toward sexual encounters has proven to be more reproductively advantageous to women than to men because the birth process is time-consuming. This suggestion best illustrated the logic of a_______ theory of sexual behavior.

evolutionary

Dr. Ross believes that principles pf natural selection help explain why infants come to fear strangers about the time they become mobile. Dr. Ross is most likely an

evolutionary psychologist

The hindsight bias refers to people's tendency to:

exaggerate their ability to have foreseen the outcome of past events

In a recent car accident, Tamiko sustained damage to his right cerebral hemisphere. This injury is most likely to reduce Tamiko's ability to:

facially express emotions

Which portion of the cerebral cortex is most directly involved in making plans and formulating moral judgments?

frontal lobes

The psychological views of William James are to those of Edward Titchener as ________ is to _________.

functionalism; structuralism

Research most clearly suggests that personality traits are more strongly influenced by

genes than by home environment

Brittla frequents only the most expensive clubs in a effort to attract a desirable mate. According to evolutionary psychologists, Brittla's behavior is a product of

genetic predispositions

According to evolutionary psychologists, behaviors that promote reproductive success are likely to be

genetically predisposed

A scientist's willingness to admit that she is wrong is an example of:

humility

Stress-related disorders, asthma, and headaches have been successfully alleviated using

hypnosis

If Dr. Rogers wishes to conduct an experiment on the effects of stimulating the reward centers of a rat's brain, he should insert an electrode into the:

hypothalamus

A split-brain patient has a picture of a knife flashed to her left hemisphere and that of a fork to her right hemisphere. She will be able to:

identify the fork using her left hand

Our tendency to believe we know more than we do illustrates:

overconfidence

Jarod's muscles are relaxed, his body is basically paralyzed and he is hard to awaken. His sleep state would most likely be called

paradoxical

The ability to simultaneously recognize the color, shape, size, and speed of an oncoming automobile best illustrates

parallel processing

The study of phenomena such as clairvoyance and telepathy is called

parapsychology

The explanatory power of a scientific theory is more closely linked to its capacity to generate testable:

predicitions

Correlational research is most useful for purposes of:

prediction

Hearing-impaired people who use sign language typically:

process language in their left cerebral hemisphere

the specialist most likely to have a medical degree is a

psychiatrist

You typically fall to consciously perceive that your own nose is in your line of vision. This best illustrates:

selective attention