PSYC 1000-FINAL EXAM
A limitation of the experimental method is that a) participants know that they are in a research study and may vary their behavior accordingly b) causation cannot be established c) the results are rarely accepted by scientific peers d) experiments involving fear, panic, and stress may be so realistic that participants are harmed
a
A newspaper headline states, "Autism spectrum disorder correlation to wealth affirmed." Researchers found that affluent youngsters were almost twice as likely as the poorest children in the study to have autism spectrum disorder. This is a a) positive correlation b) reciprocal correlation c) negative correlation d) zero correlation
a
A well-known local herbalist sells the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) as "the body's natural tranquilizer," stating that it helps to calm the central nervous system and prevent anxiety and stress-related messages from reaching the motor centers of the brain. This portrayal reflects GABA's ____. a) inhibitory effect on brain activity b) depolarizing properties c) lack of hyperpolarization d) excitatory effect on brain activity
a
As a gate creaks open, Oscar the puppy notices a cat heading into his yard. The cat hisses and scratches Oscar on the nose, causing Oscar to yelp in pain. Which outcome to this scenario portrays discrimination? a) Now when Oscar sees the cat who scratched his nose he runs away, but he feels comfortable with the cat with whom he shares a home. b) Now when Oscar sees a cat or small dog coming toward him, he immediately begins to yelp in pain. c) Now whenever Oscar sees a cat, including the cat in his own home, he runs away. d) Now when Oscar hears a gate creak, regardless of who is coming through it, he runs away.
a
Christopher suffered a traumatic brain injury in an automobile accident. Since the accident, he has great difficulty in forming new memories but remembers his childhood well, which suggests that his ____ was damaged. a) hippocampus b) hypothalamus c) basal ganglia d) amygdala
a
Complying with a request from an authority figure is called a) obedience. b) submission. c) conformity. d) subservience.
a
Consider the following pairs of variables. Which pair is most likely to have a weak correlation? a) Hair color and intelligence b) Height and weight c) Salary and educational level d) Age and verbal ability up to age 20
a
Elaine, a graduate student in a neuroscience department, is interested in understanding the effects of popular herbal remedies on neuronal communication. After growing neurons in a petri dish, she exposes the neurons to several common herbal supplements. After performing a series of electrophysiology experiments, she notes that one class of herbal supplements caused the neurons to become depolarized. What does this mean? a) The difference between the electrical charges of the extracellular and intracellular recordings decreased, increasing the chances of an action potential. b) The difference between the electrical charges of the extracellular and intracellular recordings decreased, decreasing the chances of an action potential. c) The difference between the electrical charges of the extracellular and intracellular recordings increased, increasing the chances of an action potential. d) The difference between the electrical charges of the extracellular and intracellular recordings increased, decreasing the chances of an action potential.
a
Georgio is jogging barefoot along the beach when he suddenly steps on the sharp edge of a broken shell. He instantly feels pain due to the message carried to his brain by ____. He then slowly walks home with an achy foot. The message of the ache is carried by ____. a) myelinated axons; unmyelinated axons b) myelinated dendrites; unmyelinated axons c) unmyelinated dendrites; myelinated axons d) unmyelinated axons; myelinated axons
a
In the Tuskegee syphilis experiment, researchers from the U.S. Public Health Service a) studied the progression of syphilis in a group of African American men without providing diagnosis or treatment b) poured bacteria on scrapes made on prisoners' faces and arms to transmit syphilis for the purposes of study c) hired syphilis-infected prostitutes to sleep with soldiers to study the progression of the disease d) exposed prisoners, soldiers, and mental patients to syphilis and gonorrhea to test the effectiveness of penicillin
a
In which of the following examples is the person likely to show the highest and steadiest rate of response over time? a) In hopes of winning a big jackpot, Penny plays the slot machines at a nearby casino. b) Sam earns extra money by mowing his neighbors' lawns in the summer and shoveling their driveways and sidewalks in the winter. He charges $20 per job. c) Hoping to catch a message from her boyfriend, Wendy checks her e-mail again and again throughout the day. d) Jaime has a paper due once a month in his sociology course. His productivity is low at the beginning of the month and high as the deadline approaches.
a
In which of the following two scenarios does Grace demonstrate that she has developed theory of mind? (1) Grace accidentally pops Max's red balloon. Max is furious and heartbroken. Grace tells her mother "Max thinks I did it on purpose." (2) Grace and Max play contentedly side by side with their blocks. Max builds a tower and Grace pushes it over believing that Max will think, as she does, that watching it fall is fun. a) Scenario (1) only b) Scenario (2) only c) Scenarios (1) and (2) d) Neither scenario
a
Keith feels that the results of his research study in autism spectrum disorder among the elderly is finally ready for submission to a journal. For the journal editor to recommend his article for publication, what must the peer reviewers conclude? a) His research is important, accurate, and explained thoroughly. b) His methods are novel and could contribute to the field. c) No other article on this topic has been published in the journal recently. d) His findings are the first of their kind.
a
Marguerite, a first-year doctoral student, scrutinizes the neural tissue that she prepared for study under her microscope. She knows from experience that the areas that look gray have a high density of cell bodies, while the areas that look white consist of large bundles of myelinated ____. a) axons b) dendrites c) soma d) nuclei
a
Martha wants to teach her dog Max the command, "Get beer, Max." This involves going to the refrigerator and opening it by pulling on a dishtowel tied to the handle, taking out a can of beer with his mouth, and bringing it to her dinner guest. Which of the following training methods is likely to work best? a) Chaining and positive reinforcement b) Shaping and positive punishment c) Chaining and negative punishment d) Shaping and negative reinforcement
a
Mrs. Collora teaches social studies to junior high school students. Two boys in her class often loudly make jokes about the material being discussed. She has tried several techniques without success: (1) ignoring them; (2) encouraging and rewarding them for contributing to the class discussion; (3) removing their opportunities to participate in field trips; and (4) requiring them each to write an essay on proper behavior. In the order presented, list the operant conditioning principles she has applied to the situation. a) Extinction, positive reinforcement, negative punishment, positive punishment b) Positive punishment, positive reinforcement, extinction, negative punishment c) Negative punishment, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, extinction d) Extinction, positive reinforcement, positive punishment, negative punishment
a
Noreen is a graduate student in psychology. She is designing a study regarding health care decision-making among teenagers. Which of the following research participants can legally provide his or her own informed consent? a) An 18-year-old male with HIV/AIDS b) A 19-year-old female with profound developmental disabilities c) A 17-year-old female with chronic kidney disease d) An 18-year-old male with schizophrenia
a
Police Officer Amy Randall suspects that the driver of a car in front of her is driving under the influence of alcohol. She pulls the driver over and administers a field sobriety test. She asks the driver to stand on one leg so that she can evaluate the driver's balance. This test is performed because the ____ is one of the first structures in the brain to be affected by alcohol. a) cerebellum b) cerebral cortex c) pons d) medulla
a
Professor Frankel is an editor for a psychology journal. She is considering which submissions to send out for peer review. Which of the following submissions is likely to receive the strongest consideration based on its research methods? a) A professor from Utah who submitted research that is important, accurate, and explained thoroughly b) A researcher from California who developed novel methods to study new technology c) A professor from Illinois who employed rarely used methods but makes dramatic new findings d) A postdoctoral fellow from Texas who used a controversial method and has already gained media attention for making sensational claims
a
Sophia and her brother James are both taking a psychology class together, and are studying for an examination. "I just can't remember where the body produces the majority of its serotonin," complains James. Sophia helps him by saying, "just remember that it is produced in the enteric nervous system, and you should have no problem knowing that the ________ is the body part you're looking for." a) gastrointestinal system b) dorsal ganglia c) basal ganglia d) pons
a
The assumption that good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people is called a(n) a) just-world belief. b) actor-observer bias. c) situational attribution. d) self-serving bias.
a
The just-world belief is illustrated in which of the following scenarios? a) When Mickey is mugged at 3:30 in the morning, one of his friends thinks, "Well, what did he expect would happen if he was on the street at that time of night"? b) Zell gets a promotion at work, and despite the fact that others wanted the job, they are genuinely happy for him and throw a congratulatory party. c) Marita is a woman of strong faith, and when she is diagnosed with leukemia she prays for healing and for the strength to endure her illness. d) Sharon has been working at a retail establishment for several years and has stolen small amounts of money from time to time. In spite of this, she has been promoted to assistant manager of the store.
a
Tim, who suffers from alcoholism, is prescribed disulfiram by his doctor to help halt his alcohol consumption. Disulfiram works by causing unpleasant physiological effects when even small amounts of alcohol are consumed. This type of treatment is best described as a) counterconditioning. b) flooding. c) systematic desensitization. d) inhibition.
a
Which of the following is an example of nonassociative learning? a) Andrea recently learned how to drive a car. At first she found merging into highway traffic stressful, but now can do it with ease. b) As a child, Maxwell had a frightening experience with his neighbor's large dog. He now fears all large dogs. c) Hoping to understand more about her parent's culture, Parvati carefully watches as her grandmother prepares a traditional South Indian meal. d) Gabriel tells his 4-year-old daughter each night: "No dessert until you eat your dinner without complaining." To get the dessert, his daughter obeys.
a
Which of the following is true of Lev Vygotsky's view of cognitive development? a) A child gains knowledge of the world by interacting socially and collaboratively with parents, teachers, and other members of the community. b) A child learns to understand the world by actively exploring it, like a miniature scientist. c) A child has a "zone" of development in which to learn how to accomplish tasks without help. d) A child develops according to a species perspective, largely independent of culture.
a
Which of the following reflects a problem that results from the self-serving bias? a) Failure to learn from one's mistakes b) Judging oneself too harshly c) Low self-esteem d) An increase in anxiety
a
Which of the following would decrease the likelihood of acquisition? a) The unconditioned stimulus is presented long after the conditioned stimulus. b) The unconditioned stimulus is presented shortly after the conditioned stimulus. c) The conditioned stimulus evokes an emotional response in the participant. d) The unconditioned stimulus evokes a negative response in the participant.
a
A mother's use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or cocaine during pregnancy can significantly reduce a) the development of the amygdala in her child's brain. b) the volume of gray matter in her child's brain. c) the development of the hippocampus in her child's brain. d) the volume of white matter in her child's brain.
b
An experimental study is conducted examining the relationship between drinking caffeine and reaction time. Participants given caffeine by the experimenters in different amounts, and then are assessed on various tests of reaction time. In this study, the amount of caffeine that a participant drinks is the ____. a) random variable b) independent variable c) dependent variable d) control variable
b
Consider the observation that many school shootings have been perpetrated by people with a history of playing violent video games. In this scenario, what could the third variable be? a) The school shootings b) The shooter's history of being bullied. c) The age of the shooter d) The type of violence in the video games
b
Dr. Crane is studying patients who are in the residual phase of schizophrenia. His colleague, Dr. Mellus, takes detailed notes during a series of interviews and interactions that Dr. Crane has with one such patient for later analysis. What research method are these doctors employing? a) Experimental study b) Case study c) Correlational study d) Experiential study
b
Dr. Jonas wants to know whether men or women are better drivers. He designs a study to examine this question, and before he begins to collect data, he writes up the plan for the research, including his hypothesis. Which of the following would represent a null hypothesis for this study? a) Women will demonstrate better driving ability than men. b) There will be no differences between the driving abilities of men and women. c) Age, not sex, will predict the driving ability of the participants. d) Men will demonstrate better driving ability than women.
b
In hopes of better understanding how glia affect brain repair, Dr. Jennings develops a special mouse lacking specific types of glia. In her experimental design, Dr. Jennings injures the brain of this special mouse and monitors neuronal repair. What is Dr. Jennings likely to observe? a) Action potentials can no longer propagate in unmyelinated nerves. b) Cell debris from damaged neurons is not cleared. c) A blood-brain barrier is formed in response to the injury. d) Neurons undergo hypermyelination.
b
Joan, a neuroscience graduate student, is asked by her laboratory mentor to study the communication of two neurons grown in a petri dish. She is asked to stimulate an action potential in the first neuron, which will send a depolarizing stimulus to the second, "receiving" neuron. However, her mentor would also like her to block the receiving neuron from generating an action potential. How can Joan accomplish this? a) She must cause the depolarization current in the receiving neuron to drift to the junction where the cell body and the axon meet. b) She must block the process of summation in the receiving neuron. c) She must cause the first neuron to release excitatory neurotransmitters. d) She must remove the myelin from the receiving neuron.
b
Maxwell is a participant in a research study aimed at understanding how the brain responds to prolonged periods of isolation. After spending several hours in a room alone, Maxwell undergoes a(n) ____ procedure; a method that measures the brain's electrical activity using electrodes placed on the scalp. a) skin conductance response b) electroencephalogram c) magnetoencephalography d) electrical stimulation
b
Mrs. Agos is unable to recognize her husband by sight when he enters her hospital room. However, once she hears his voice, she recognizes him. Mrs. Agos has likely suffered damage to her ____. a) Wernicke's area b) temporal lobe c) Broca's area d) parietal lobe
b
Neil has gathered data regarding self-report of successful smoking cessation. He finds that one of the eight methods used by study participants accounts for a high proportion of the successes. The most useful measure of central tendency to report would be the a) distribution b) mode c) frequency d) mean
b
Parenting styles can be divided into four categories, which vary along _____ (Baumrind, 1975; Maccoby & Martin, 1983). a) four dimensions: empathy, recognition, discipline, and expectations b) two dimensions: parental support and behavioral regulation c) three dimensions: empathy, supervision, and expectations d) two dimensions: recognition and expectations
b
Piya suffers from severe jet lag when traveling between Bangkok and Boston. He might benefit from an added dose of the chemical messenger ____, which is endogenously released by the ____. a) thyroid hormone; thyroid gland b) melatonin; pineal gland c) oxytocin; pituitary gland d) insulin; islets of Langerhans
b
Research has indicated that teens have a lower risk for substance abuse when they _____ (Fulkerson et al., 2006). a) have older siblings b) eat dinners regularly with family c) spend substantial time with peers d) have a number of friendships
b
Research using animals must demonstrate a(n) a) physical or financial benefit to humans b) clear scientific purpose c) clear benefit to other animals d) absence of discomfort or invasive procedures
b
Teens begin to form an identity by asking "Who am I?" and "What kind of person do I want to be?" According to Erikson, failure to achieve a stable identity leads to a) a sense of stagnation and a mid-life crisis. b) role confusion and problems with subsequent stages. c) the potential for feelings of despair and an unhappy dying process. d) feelings of loneliness and isolation and an inability to create a relationship.
b
The best scientific theories not only explain and organize known facts but also a) use historical perspectives b) generate predictions c) establish new facts d) discredit other theories
b
What is a key distinction between classical conditioning and operant conditioning? a) Operant conditioning makes associations between two stimuli; classical conditioning associates a behavior with its consequence. b) Classical conditioning makes associations between two stimuli; operant conditioning associates a behavior with its consequence. c) In contrast to classical conditioning, operant conditioning leads to a relatively permanent behavioral change. d) In contrast to operant conditioning, classical conditioning leads to a relatively permanent behavioral change.
b
What is the likely purpose of the palmar reflex? a) Unknown as it disappears as nervous system matures b) A possible evolutionary remnant allowing primates to cling to an adult's fur c) A possible precursor to walking d) A behavior that helps the baby nurse
b
Which of the following is most accurate of stereotypes? a) Stereotypes simplify complex categories into meaningful ones. b) Stereotypes often contain an element of truth but become inaccurate due to the information they exclude. c) Stereotypes promote our valid desires to be viewed and treated as individuals. d) Stereotypes are exclusive and prioritize the most prevalent characteristics.
b
Which of the following modifications to Milgram's study design (1963) reduced the rate of obedience? a) Moving the experiment to an off-campus office b) Moving the teacher and the learner closer together c) Moving the teacher and the experimenter closer together d) Conducting the experiment with people of different ages and occupations
b
Who is among those least likely to develop dementia as he or she ages? a) Jane, who loves to cook favorites such as fish and chips, fried chicken, and homemade donuts b) Jack, who participates in 20 minutes or more of tai chi and brisk walking every day c) Frank, who enjoys life by drinking, smoking, and relaxing on the couch in the evenings d) Peg, whose mother and aunt had dementia
b
Why is the process of sensitization advantageous? a) It improves fixed action patterns. b) It improves reaction time. c) It improves cognition. d) It facilitates adaptation.
b
You decide to study the effects of violent video games on aggression for a sociology term paper. To do this, you attend several LAN parties at a friend's apartment, week after week. What method of research are you employing? a) Case study b) Naturalistic observation c) Survey d) Experiential observation
b
A 40-year-old woman has a greater probability of giving birth to a child with Down syndrome than a 25-year-old woman because the 40-year-old woman is more likely to a) produce a flawed egg due to body aging, leading to chromosomal abnormalities. b) have eggs that suffer genetic mutations, leading to recessive illnesses. c) experience more exposure to harmful environmental influences, leading to faulty cell division. d) fail to produce eggs rapidly enough, leading to eggs that are not fully developed at the time of ovulation.
c
A murder would most likely be described as having a situational rather than a dispositional basis in which country? a) The United States b) England c) Korea d) France
c
A pattern of infant-caregiver bonding in which children explore confidently and return to the parent or caregiver for reassurance is called _____ attachment. a) avoidant b) insecure c) secure d) disorganized
c
A surgeon had severed Barbara's corpus callosum in order to reduce the severity of her epileptic seizures. After the surgery, when she was shown an image in her left visual field, she could not ____. a) see it b) point to it with her left hand c) name it d) remember it
c
Ada is almost 1 month old. What does he spend most of his day doing? a) Crying b) Eating c) Sleeping d) Defecating and urinating
c
Aiden and Rey live next to a busy highway. When they first moved, it was difficult to sleep with the noise of the traffic, but now they don't seem to notice, which is the result of a) observational learning. b) sensitization. c) habituation. d) imprinting.
c
As a child, Jordan would jump excitedly when the Sponge Bob Square Pants theme song started playing on the television, receiving laughter and attention from adults for the excited jumping. Now that Jordan is a teenager, adults no longer direct laughter and attention at the excited jumping, and Jordan no longer reacts to the familiar theme song. This scenario illustrates the process of a) latent inhibition. b) discrimination. c) extinction. d) generalization.
c
Benny received a C on his Psychology exam and an A on his Western Civilization exam. Which of the following would best reflect Benny's reasoning if he exhibited a self-serving bias? a) His Psychology grade was because he was coming down with the flu, and his Western Civilization grade was because the professor was an easy grader. b) His Psychology grade was because he is not good with understanding abstract concepts, and his Macroeconomics grade was because the professor was an easy grader. c) His Psychology grade was because he was coming down with the flu, and his Western Civilization grade was because he has an innate gift for understanding the past. d) His Psychology grade was because he does not study, and his Western Civilization grade was because the professor happened to ask the questions he studied the most.
c
Cliff has a problem where he tends to speak without thinking, and this has caused him to lose friends and damage relationships at work. To reduce the frequency of this behavior, Cliff wears a rubber band that fit loosely around his wrist. Whenever he begins to speak without thinking, he "snaps" himself with the rubber band just hard enough to sting a little bit. This is an example of _____ therapy. a) systematic desensitizing b) insight c) aversion d) flooding
c
Dr. Tyler, a drug addiction researcher, hopes to find a drug that will stop heroin addiction. Which area of the brain is most likely a focus of Dr. Tyler' research? a) The hypothalamus b) The hippocampus c) The nucleus accumbens d) The amygdala
c
During prenatal development the _____ begins to differentiate into the cells of the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm a) placenta b) fetus c) zygote d) embryo
c
Fourth-grade teacher Maria promised her class a pizza party if everyone got an "A" on the next math test. This is an example of a) associative learning. b) classical conditioning. c) a token economy. d) negative reinforcement.
c
In a research study on cognitive dissonance (van Veen, Krug, Schooler, & Carter, 2009), one group of participants undergoing functional MRI was asked to describe the somewhat unpleasant scanner experience as pleasant. The other group was asked to describe it as neutral. Which part(s) of the brain showed higher levels of activity in the participants who made dissonant statements, as compared to those who made neutral statements? a) Amygdala b) Prefrontal cortex c) Anterior cingulate cortex and insula d) Cerebellum and pons
c
Long-term marriage partners show more similarities with each other due to a lifetime spent in each other's company, along with a(n) _____ (O'Rourke & Cappeliez, 2005). a) accurate assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of their relationship b) a decrease of the opportunity of other relationships c) lack of attention to past negative events and personality traits d) healthy engagement in conflict when necessary
c
Participants in an experiment on stress management are given stress reduction techniques and then measured for the effect. What is the role of the control group in this experiment? a) They receive no stress management techniques, and they are not measured. b) They receive a random stress management technique. c) They receive no stress management techniques, but they are measured. d) They receive the same stress management techniques as the experimental group, but they are not measured.
c
People are likely to use faces to form impressions. According to research (Rule et al., 2010), our abilities to shape accurate first impressions based on facial features a) are dependent on gender. b) decline with age. c) interact with culture. d) depend on visual acuity.
c
Professor Kingston is interested in understanding the origins of gambling addictions. To study the brain activity of gambling addicts, Professor Kingston tracks oxygen flow in their brains while they engage in online gambling. What method is he most likely using? a) Single cell recording b) Transcranial magnetic stimulation c) Functional magnetic resonance imaging d) Magnetoencephalography
c
Professor Laurent wants to understand how violence in the media affects arousal in adolescents. What method should she use to monitor the arousal state of adolescents while they view a news report of a violent crime? a) Single cell recording b) Magnetoencephalography c) Skin conductance response d) Electrical stimulation
c
Professor Scott conducts research on teenage risk-taking behavior. He would like to develop a hypothesis on the parental influence on teenage risk-taking at the extreme end of the spectrum, with a focus on teenagers who sail around the world alone. Would a case study be an appropriate first step, and why or why not? a) Yes, because Professor Scott already knows that parents are the driving influence behind teenage circumnavigation. b) No, because it will not generate a sufficient amount of data to be tested statistically. c) Yes, because teenagers who sail around the world alone are rare and the data will help generate new, or possibly falsify existing, hypotheses. d) No, because case studies are too idiosyncratic and lack scientific rigor.
c
Researchers found that "the widespread and highly publicized stereotype about female talkativeness is unfounded." This conclusion illustrates that science relies primarily on a) strongly held beliefs b) subjective evidence c) observable, repeatable evidence d) laboratory experiments
c
Results from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (2000) show that healthy aging is accompanied by a) a significant and rapid decline in the speed of learning and problem solving. b) a steady and debilitating decline in cognition, vision, and hearing from age 50 onward. c) mild changes in the speed of learning and problem solving and that most of these observable changes occur late in life. d) deep changes in intellect and sensory capacities, some of which are remediable.
c
Sonia first trains her new dog by saying "good dog!" before giving him a food treat. She then trains her dog to sit and stay, saying "good dog!" when he provides the correct behavior, while continuing to periodically provide a food treat. Sonia is using which method(s)? a) Operant conditioning only b) Operant conditioning and observational learning c) Classical conditioning and operant conditioning d) Classical conditioning only
c
Steve and Bethany both work full time. Because Steve usually arrives home first, he takes on the burden of cooking and cleaning, but he is becoming frustrated with the current division of chores. Which of the following learning approaches is likely to work best to increase Bethany's participation in the household duties? a) Steve should consistently comment upon Bethany's lack of help with cooking and dish washing until her behavior changes. b) Steve should refuse to cook and clean, forcing Bethany to realize how her actions affect their relationship. c) Steve should ignore negative behaviors and reward positive behaviors, gradually increasing Bethany's participation in cooking and dish washing. d) Steve should make a list of how all of Bethany's behaviors have affected his life.
c
Tomas, age 15, experienced a severe head injury and his prefrontal cortex was damaged by the trauma. Tomas now has difficulty with a) processing visual stimuli. b) producing and processing speech. c) planning of behavior, attention, and judgment. d) fine motor movement and sensing touch.
c
Vito, age 5, and his uncle are playing with cookie dough. They make two round balls of the same size. Vito flattens one ball of cookie dough into a pancake shape on the baking sheet and says, "Look, now this one has more dough." In this context, Vito does not yet understand a) assimilation. b) egocentrism. c) conservation. d) object permanence.
c
Which of the following is a drawback of longitudinal studies? a) They are subject to cohort effects. b) They cannot be used to discuss causality. c) Participants may drop out of the study over time. d) They have limited generalizability.
c
Which of the following is a primary advantage of observational learning? a) It synchronizes behaviors, particularly between two unacquainted individuals. b) It creates imprinting in both human beings and lower animal species. c) It transmits information across generations within families and cultures. d) It provides rapid adaptation to situations beyond our control.
c
Which of the following is true regarding latent inhibition? a) Learning associated with latent inhibition involves forgetting a response, resulting in relatively poor learning. b) Learning associated with latent inhibition involves forgetting a response, resulting in very effective learning. c) Learning associated with latent inhibition is slow, resulting in relatively poor learning. d) Learning associated with latent inhibition is slow, resulting in very effective learning.
c
A newspaper headline reads, "Are intellectual pursuits the key to preventing Alzheimer's disease?" The researchers scanned the brains of healthy seniors with no memory loss and asked the seniors to recall how much reading, writing, and game-playing they did in childhood. Those who reported doing daily brain activities from a young age had very low levels of amyloid plaques, which are associated with Alzheimer's disease. Which of the following best describes this study's findings? a) Intellectual pursuits and presence of amyloid plaque are positively correlated. b) Amyloid plaques are the main cause of Alzheimer's disease. c) Intellectual pursuits prevent Alzheimer's disease. d) There is a negative correlation between intellectual pursuits and the presence of amyloid plaques.
d
As a gate creaks open, Ollie the puppy notices a strange cat heading into the yard. The cat hisses and scratches Ollie on the nose, causing Ollie to yelp in pain. Which outcome to this scenario portrays higher order conditioning? a) Now when seeing the cat that scratched Ollie's nose, Ollie runs away, but Ollie still feels comfortable with the cat that lives in the same house with Ollie. b) Now when seeing a cat or small dog approaching, Ollie immediately begins to yelp in pain. c) Now seeing a cat, including the cat that lives in the same house, Ollie runs away. d) Now when hearing a gate creak, regardless of who is coming through it, Ollie runs away.
d
Dr. Livingston is conducting a study on the effectiveness of a new time-release antidepressant medication. Once a week, participants receive a small white pill from Dr. Stanley, which they take immediately without knowing if the pill is the new medicine or a placebo. Dr. Livingston then observes the participants, without knowing which participants received the placebo. This type of study uses the a) blind procedure. b) blind procedure with placebo. c) naturalistic observation approach. d) double-blind procedure.
d
Dr. Segal is testing the hypothesis that television watching in children under the age of two enhances the development of language skills. In her study, the use of random assignment _ a) ensures that the dependent variable reflects the personal qualities of the participants b) addresses situational confounding variables, such as the time of day or weather conditions c) ensures that the independent variable reflects the outcomes of the dependent variables d) tends to cancel out individual differences among participants in the experimental group and the control group
d
Dr. Snape was skeptical after reading a study concluding that chocolate truffles reduced the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. Therefore, he initiated a similar study to determine whether he would achieve the same results. Dr. Snapeʼs study would be termed a a) statistical sampling b) validity test c) regressive analysis d) replication
d
Elsie, an 85-year-old woman, has been diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's disease. Her doctor has prescribed the medication that will help prevent deterioration of brain circuits and slow the progression of her illness. Which neurotransmitter does this medication directly impact? a) GABA b) Epinephrine c) Glutamate d) Acetylcholine
d
Henry works the night shift at a convenience store. He sees a man entering the store with his hood up, hands in his pockets, and eyes darting around. This causes Henry's stress level to surge. At times of stress, pituitary hormones activate the ____ gland(s), which release(s) other hormones, including ____, that travel throughout the body and brain to provide a general "wake up" message. a) pancreatic; insulin b) pineal; melatonin c) thyroid; serotonin d) adrenal; cortisol
d
In Dr. Segal's study of the effects of television watching on the language development of children under the age of two, which of the following would you recommend to operationalize the dependent variable? a) The cumulative amount of time spent watching television during the study b) A count of the number of words each child knows at the end of the study c) The amount of time per session spent watching television d) A count of the number of words each child knows at the beginning and end of the study
d
Jeanine, a research psychologist, has developed a hypothesis. Her next step is to a) interpret the data necessary to evaluate it b) conduct the statistical analysis c) undergo peer review of her hypothesis d) collect the data necessary to evaluate it
d
John reports to his doctor that he has been experiencing changes in his appetite. This suggests that John is experiencing fluctuations in which neurotransmitter? a) Acetylcholine b) Histamine c) Glutamate d) Serotonin
d
Juan, a graduate student in an electrophysiology lab, stimulates an isolated neuron grown in a petri dish and measures its action potential. How will the neuron respond to the firing of the action potential? a) Its dendrites will retract. b) Its dendrites will extend. c) It will take up chemical messengers. d) It will release chemical messengers.
d
Junko's grandmother survived a stroke but is paralyzed on her left side. She has likely suffered damage to her ____. a) left hemisphere b) cerebellum c) brain stem d) right hemisphere
d
Myelination of the frontal lobes is much greater in adults aged 23 to 30 than in youth between the ages of 12 and 16. Unfortunately, the adolescent's white matter is more susceptible than an adult's to damage from a) schizophrenia. b) unprotected sex. c) marijuana use. d) binge drinking.
d
Nick wants to encourage his 6-year-old daughter, Anna, to help with family chores. He makes an outline of a rainbow with seven bands so that Anna can color in a band each time she does a chore. If she does seven chores in a week, coloring in the full rainbow, she gets $1. Nick's technique demonstrates which methods? a) Habituation, positive punishment, and a fixed interval schedule b) Shaping, negative reinforcement, and a variable interval schedule c) Chaining, negative punishment, and a variable ratio schedule d) A token economy, positive reinforcement, and a fixed ratio schedule
d
Professor Freeman calls on his student Maya to describe how the presence of myelin affects an action potential. Maya should respond with which of the following statements? a) Current flows along the unmyelinated segments and action potentials propagate along the myelinated portions of the axon, decreasing the speed and efficiency of the action potential. b) Current flows under the myelin and action potentials propagate along the unmyelinated segments of the axon, decreasing the speed and efficiency of the action potential. c) Current flows along the unmyelinated segments and action potentials propagate along the myelinated portions of the axon, increasing the speed and efficiency of the action potential. d) Current flows under the myelin and action potentials propagate along the unmyelinated segments of the axon, increasing the speed and efficiency of the action potential.
d
Remarkably, Phineas Gage survived a horrific traumatic brain injury in 1848, but was not the same person as before his accident. Although outwardly normal in his intelligence, speech, and movement, Gage became prone to? a) Seizures and strokes b) Difficulties with speech and movement c) memory loss and difficulty with computations d) angry outbursts and unreliability
d
What is a teratogen? a) A stimulus that results in heightened reflexes in the fetus b) An abnormality in physiological development c) A condition resulting from alcohol consumption by the mother during pregnancy d) Any agent that can harm the zygote, embryo, or fetus
d
What role does habituation play in evaluating a baby's sensory capacities? a) When the baby spends equal time looking at two stimuli, he or she has likely learned to distinguish between them. b) When the baby cries while looking at a familiar stimulus, he or she likely is not yet habituated to it. c) When the baby cries while looking at an unfamiliar stimulus, he or she has likely become habituated to it. d) When the baby spends equal time looking at two stimuli, he or she likely cannot tell the difference between them.
d
Which of the following is a finding from Harry Harlow's study (1958) of rhesus monkeys and attachment? a) The pleasure obtained through feeding formed the basis of the infant-mother bond. b) The wire mothers with an attached milk bottle were the preferred source of comfort for food and emotional needs. c) The infant was positively reinforced with food for staying near the mother. d) The mother's ability to provide contact comfort was critical in forming a strong attachment on the part of her infant.
d
Which of the following is an accurate definition of accommodation? a) The ability to form mental representations of objects that are no longer present b) The incorporation of new learning into an existing schema, without the need to revise the schema c) The ability to understand that changing the form or appearance of an object does not change its quantity d) The incorporation of new learning into an existing schema that requires revision of the schema
d
Which of the following is an advantage of observational learning? a) Anyone in a child's life can act as a role model. b) It is most effective for teaching desirable rather than undesirable behaviors. c) The learning occurs rapidly. d) It expands learning capacity.
d
Which of the following is likely to be most effective in reducing prejudice among two groups? a) Increased contact of any kind between the groups b) Increased contact between people of varying socioeconomic standing between the groups c) Reduced contact between the groups d) Increased contact between people of similar social standing in the groups
d
