Psych CLEP Questions

How many pairs of chromosomes are in most human cells? a. 24 b. 17 c. 23 d. 18 e. 27

23

the total number of chromosomes found in a human cell is:

46

What is the psychological term for the use of self-deception to justify behaviors or ideas that are socially or personally unacceptable? A: rationalization B: loss aversion C: flagellation D: abstract thinking E: reactivity

A. All humans engage in rationalization as a means of self-protection.

Which part of the brain is responsible for primal functions, as for instance breathing? A: hindbrain B: midbrain C: cerebrum D: forebrain E: cerebellum

A. The hindbrain consists of the pons and the medulla oblongata.

The behavioral research perspective is similar to the sociocultural research perspective because both focus on how behavior and mental processes are explained by: A. internal factors such as genes B. the external environment C. memory systems D. evolution E. problem-solving skills and reasoning

B

Which of the following is a disadvantage of relying on external rewards to motivate behavior? A.There is potential to reduce extrinsic motivation. B. There is potential to reduce intrinsic motivation. C. It increases fear of failure. D. It increases fear of success. E. It decreases competency.

B

In Freud's model of the psyche, which component is responsible for the basic animal drives? A: ego B: id C: limbic system D: superego E: neurosis

B. According to Freud, the id is an entirely unconscious motivator of human behavior.

According to Abraham Maslow, human behavior is motivated by a _____. A: formal thought disorder B: hierarchy of needs C: coefficient of determination D: internalized oppression E: character orientation

B. Maslow's hierarchy of needs ranges from basic physiological needs like food and water to the more elevated need for self-actualization.

Which branch of psychology asserts that human behavior is the result of the interplay between subjective emotions and objective sensations? A: functionalism B: structuralism C: psychoanalysis D: behaviorism E: social Darwinism

B. Structuralists attempt to define psychological phenomena in terms of the laws that govern their operations.

bill, who is depressed, recently succeeded in getting a job he very much wanted. a cognitive therapist would want Bill to attribute his success to

Bills own talent and ability

What is the psychological term for a mental shortcut that is used to quickly arrive at the answer to a problem? A: monad B: anchor C: heuristic D: intuition E: learning curve

C. By definition, a heuristic must be replicable.

Who was the proponent of the notion of inherited character traits? A: William James B: Sigmund Freud C: Gordon Allport D: Abraham Maslow E: B.F. Skinner

C. Gordon Allport was unique in his emphasis on adult rather than child personality development.

What is the most important determinant of the representation of information in a semantic code? A: sequence B: content C: hierarchy D: meaning E: significance

D. A semantic memory is one in which meaning is considered to be the most important quality.

What kind of drug is typically prescribed to treat schizophrenia? A: anti-convulsive B: antiarrhythmic C: monoamine oxidase inhibitor D: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor E: antipsychotic

E. Antipsychotic medications are tranquilizers that aim to mitigate the violent swings of the schizophrenic.

What is the psychological term for the ability to recall better the last pieces of information in a series? A: memory foreclosure B: primacy effect C: hierarchy of order D: sequential recall E: recency effect

E. The recency effect, also known as the serial position effect, is believed to exist because the last items in the sequence are still residual in working memory.

Which task would definitely require someone to use serial learning? a. Memorizing the quickest route to the mall b. Memorizing a grocery list c. Memorizing someoneâs name and face d. Studying for a CLEP test e. Teaching a dog how to sit

Memorizing the quickest route to the mall

Which is the deepest state of sleep, and often includes rapid eye movement? a. Theta b. Delta c. REM d. SWS e. EMG

REM

A person who learns by connecting two stimuli is a product of:

The correct answer is (a), classical conditioning. Classical conditioning occurs when a person learns by associating a conditioned stimulus to an unconditioned stimulus. An unconditioned stimulus gets a certain response. The goal of classical conditioning is to get the same response from a neutral stimulus that an unconditioned stimulus gets. The neutral stimulus then becomes a conditioned stimulus.

Margaux listened to two CD players in a department store. She noticed that the first CD player sounded slightly clearer than the second CD player. The difference in sound that Margaux noticed is called: (a) just noticeable difference (JND) (b) perception (c) sensation (d) sensory adaption (e) signal detection theory

The correct answer is (a), just noticeable difference (JND). Just noticeable difference is also known as the difference threshold. It is the noticeable difference that a person senses between two similar stimuli.

What prevents a person from physically acting out his dreams? (a) The brain stem prevents the transference of messages originating in the motor cortex. (b) The occipital lobes do not function during "s" sleep state. (c) The parietal lobes are in a temporary immobile state during REM sleep. (d) All of the above (e) None of the above

The correct answer is (a), the brain stem prevents the transference of messages originating in the motor cortex. This prevents people from acting out their dreams. The body becomes basically paralyzed when the brain stem does not allow messages from the motor cortex to reach the brain. The brain stem is located where the spinal cord connects to the skull. It regulates the heartbeat and breathing. It has the capacity to stop messages from getting to other parts of the brain.

Margie is under hypnosis, but she is fully conscious of all activities. This is known as a split in consciousness or ______________. (a) activation-synthesis theory (b) dissociation (c) latent content (d) manifest content (e) REM rebound

The correct answer is (b), dissociation. Dissociation occurs when a hypnotized person is still aware of all activities while under hypnosis. This is often called a split in consciousness. Hypnosis is said to be a relaxed state that is characterized by the ability to accept suggestions. There is no known research that proves that a hypnotized person would do something contrary to the person's nature.

According to Sigmund Freud, repressed sexual or aggressive desires that manifest themselves in dreams are referred to as: (a) activation-synthesis theory (b) dissociation (c) latent content (d) manifest content (e) REM rebound

The correct answer is (c), latent content. Latent content, according to Sigmund Freud, is repressed sexual or aggressive desires that manifest in dreams. The manifest content of dreams, according to Freud, consists of the actual pictures that the dreamer sees. Activation-synthesis theory suggests that dreamers make up dreams based on random pictures that were generated by the brain during sleep time. According to activation-synthesis theory, the construction of dreams is an attempt on the part of the dreamer to make sense out of the random pictures. When people miss dreaming for a length of time, they typically engage in what is known as "REM rebound," where they experience longer REM sleep periods at a later time.

People often misjudge how far an approaching train is from them. They usually think it is farther away than it is. This is because the farther away parallel objects such as train tracks are, the closer they appear to be to one another, distorting the distance perception. This is an occurrence of: (a) difference threshold (b) interposition (c) linear perspective (d) motion parallax (e) Weber's law

The correct answer is (c), linear perspective. Linear perspective is a type of depth perception in which only one eye is required. Our depth perception cues us to the distance between ourselves and visible objects. When we need only one eye to perceive distance, this is known as a monocular cue. Likewise, when two eyes are used to perceive distance, this is called a binocular cue. The monocular cue in linear perspective is that we perceive parallel lines as converging as they lie farther away.

Which sleep disorder causes a person to involuntarily fall into sudden sleep modes throughout the day? (a) Activation-synthesis theory (b) Insomnia (c) Narcolepsy (d) REM rebound (e) Sleep apnea

The correct answer is (c), narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder in which a person involuntarily falls into sudden sleep modes throughout the day. Insomnia is another sleep disorder in which a person is consistently unable to fall asleep or stay asleep. Likewise, sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder in which a person intermittently stops breathing while sleeping. This can happen as many as one hundred times a night. Each episode causes the sleeper not to get enough oxygen, which wakes the person up enough to gasp for more oxygen.

Psychophysics is the part of psychology that deals with___________________. just noticeable difference (JND) perception sensation sensory adaption signal detection theory

The correct answer is (c), sensation. Psychophysics is the part of psychology that deals with sensation. Sensation is the capacity one has to sense stimuli through the various senses.

The dream state is usually characterized by: (a) alpha waves (b) delta waves (c) hypnogogic sensation (d) REM (e) slow-wave sleep

The correct answer is (d), REM. The dream state is generally characterized by rapid eye movement (REM). This state of sleep is also referred to as paradoxical sleep because the person sleeping seems to be in a relaxed state, yet cortical activity is extensive. REM sleep is typically about ten minutes during the first cycle of sleep. REM sleep tends to get longer each time a sleeper passes through this stage in a cycle.

Associative learning can be summed up as:

The correct answer is (d), all of the above. Classical conditioning, observational learning, and operant conditioning are all techniques used to produce associative learning. Classical conditioning is a procedure whereby learning takes place by connecting two stimuli, while operant conditioning is a procedure that associates a stimulus with a response in order to stop or cause a behavior. Observational learning is where operant behavior can be learned indirectly by watching what happens to the person being conditioned.

The train tracks seemed to be moving as I drove by the stationary train. Which of the following terms would explain this? (a) Difference threshold (b) Interposition (c) Linear perspective (d) Motion parallax (e) Weber's law

The correct answer is (d), motion parallax. Motion parallax is also known as relative motion. It is a monocular cue that causes stable objects to appear to be in motion when a person is in motion. Objects closer to the fixation point (the thing the person is looking at) appear to be moving backward. The closer the object is to the fixation point, the faster the object would seem to be moving. Things that are farther from the fixation point will appear to be moving with the person at a slower pace as the object gets farther away.

When my perception of the couch in my living room diminishes to the point where I barely pay any attention to it, I am experiencing: just noticeable difference (JND) perception sensation sensory adaption signal detection theory

The correct answer is (d), sensory adaptation. A person experiences sensory adaptation when her awareness of a table in the kitchen diminishes to the point where she gives almost no thought to it. When people see certain items all the time, they stop taking note of them, diminishing sensitivity to these items. In order for attention to stimulus to remain constant, the stimulus must change in some way.

______________ is dependent upon an individual's expectations, past experiences, and motivation. Just noticeable difference (JND) Perception Sensation Sensory adaption Signal detection theory

The correct answer is (e), signal detection theory. Signal detection theory is dependent upon an individual's expectations, past experiences, and motivation. These psychological factors determine a person's capacity to give attention to stimulus.

After initial conditioning, an unconditioned stimulus is no longer presented with the conditioned stimulus, and the conditioned response gradually stops occurring. This change in behavior is called A. extinction B. counterconditioning C. higher-order conditioning D. stimulus discrimination E. stimulus generalization

a

Alcohol is which of the following? A) Sedative B) Narcotic C) Stimulant D) Hallucinogen E) Cannabis

a

Priming is considered part of implicit memory because it A. occurs without conscious awareness B. often involves emotions C. helps in recognition but not in recall D. plays an important role in autobiographical memory E. requires deep encoding

a

Visual sensory memory is called A) Iconic memory B) Echoic memory C) Short-term memory D) Chunking E) Encoding

a

Which of the following conducted the Baby Monkey experiment? A) Harry Harlow B) Mary Ainsworth C) Sigmund Freud D) Jean Piaget E) Lawrence Kohlberg

a

which of the following greatly speeds up the transmission of signals through a neuron

a myelin sheath

developmental psychologists use the term instrumental aggression to refer to behavior in which an aggressor -hurts someone by accident -acts to achieve a goal -reacts to an attack with greater force than the attacker used -attacks with a weapon -repeatedly attacks the same person without provocation

acts to achieve a goal

if someone is awake, has his or her eyes closed and is in a relaxes state, an EEG would most likely indicate the presence of

alpha waves

the placebo effect is:

an individual showing improvement due to the individual's belief in the therapy

a circadian rhythm is

any pattern of biological functioning that happens over (roughly) a 24 hour cycle

three year old tim, who sees lots of horses on his family farm, saw a zebra at the zoo and thought it was a horse. what cognitive processes described by Piaget does this illustrate

assimilation

which subsystem of the nervous system regulates internal organs and glands? Autonomic Parasympathetic Peripheral Somatic Sympathetic

autonomic

Amy appears to have an irrational and maladaptive fear of flying. She will not fly to visit her children and grandchildren, and she has even lost a job because she refused to fly to meet clients. Amy would most likely be diagnosed with which of the following anxiety disorders? A. Generalized anxiety B. Specific phobia C. Social anxiety D. Obsessive-compulsive E. Panic

b

What is the school of thought that studies and observes behavior? A) Cognitive B) Behavioral C) Biological D) Psychoanalytical E) Humanistic

b

Which of the following conducted the famous Bobo doll study, showing that children do not need negative nor positive reinforcement to learn? A) Alfred Adler B) Albert Bandura C) Alfred Binet D) Abraham Maslow E) Lewis Terman

b

Which type of approach would I be following if I believed we act based on rewards and punishments? a. Cognitive b. Compensation c. Heuristic d. Behaviorism e. Dependent

behaviorism

Researchers know that infants' sense of smell is fairly well developed at birth because newborns prefer the smell of A. sweet-smelling to the smell of sour-smelling foods B. meat to the smell of fruits C. a nursing pad from their mother to the smell of a pad from another mother D. an acid to the smell of a base E. a baby's clothing to the smell of an adult's clothing

c

wally is allergic to cat fur and it makes him sneeze violently. anita has a lot of cats and her clothes often have fur on them, after three dates with anita, wally has begun to sneeze violently as soon as he sees her. what type of learning does this illustrate?

classical conditioning

which of the following types of therapy try to correct irrational beliefs that lead to psychological distress? -behavioral -cognitive -existential -gestalt -psychoanalytic

cognitive

all of the following are psychological motives EXCEPT -hunger -fatigue -curiosity -thirst -pain

curiosity

A psychologist wishes to examine whether childhood exposure to domestic pets within the household relates to sociability as an adult. He asks a group of 100 adults to complete a test of sociability and to report the number of pets in their households when they were between five and ten years old. The psychologist is using which of the following research methods? A. Experiment B. Longitudinal study C. Case study D. Correlational study E. Naturalistic observation

d

In Maslow's Hierarchy of needs if you are in the third stage you are experiencing which need? A) Safety B) Food C) Respect from others D) Love E) Realized full potential

d

What is it called when a person has a fear of enclosed spaces, such as elevators? A) Obsessive-compulsive disorder B) Depression C) Arachnophobia D) Claustrophobia E) Mania

d

Which is a surgical procedure which removes the nerve tracts in the frontal lobes? A) Chemical castration B) Effort effect C) MRI D) Lobotomy E) None of the above

d

Which of the following cortical areas is most closely associated with vision? A. Frontal B. Prefrontal C. Temporal D. Occipital E. Parietal

d

Which of the following was a psychoanalyst? A) Harry Harlow B) Mary Ainsworth C) Sigmund Freud D) Jean Piaget E) Lawrence Kohlberg

d

the process that causes people in a large group to lose some of their inhibitions is called -deindividuation -reciprocity -group polarization -guilt complex aphasia

deindividuation

a diagnosis of schizophrenia typically includes which of the following symptoms: -hysteria -multiple personality -guilt -panic attacks -delusions

delusions

the means of reducing aggressive impulses shows which of the following? -abreaction -cathexis -displacement -repression -sublimation

displacement

Which syndrome is caused by an extra chromosome? a. Hunter syndrome b. Down syndrome c. Cushingâs syndrome d. Feingold syndrome e. Asperger syndrome

down syndrome

Which of the following would probably bring you to an altered state of consciousness? a. Drinking alcohol b. Sleeping c. Playing chess d. Daydreaming e. Thinking about a problem

drinking alcohol

In order to illustrate how often a particular score occurs in a given data set, researchers use A. inferential techniques B. cognitive mapping C. cluster analysis D. the median E. a frequency distribution

e

Tom fails his math exam. If he explains his failure by using an internal attribution, his reason for failing might be which of the following? A. The teacher was unclear when presenting the material in class. B. Tom's job did not leave him enough time to study. C. The person sitting next to Tom during the exam was very distracting. D. There was not enough time allotted to complete the exam. E. Tom is not smart or not good at math.

e

Which area is the largest part of the brain? A) Occipital lobe B) Temporal lobe C) Frontal lobe D) Hypothalamus E) Cerebral cortex

e

the belief that one's own culture is morally superior to others is called: -normative behavior -social darwinism -cultural relativism -xenophobia -ethnocentrism

ethnocentrism

similarity, proximity, and familiarity are important determinants of: -aggression -imprinting -friendship formation -observational learning -sexual orientation

friendship formation

what is the philosophical approach to studying human behavior that emphasizes the purpose or usefulness of behavior

functionalism

Larry often feels nervous and anxious, but he doesn't know why. Occasionally, his heart will start pounding for no apparent reason and he'll break out in a cold sweat. Which disorder does Larry have?

generalized anxiety

hostility correlates most closely with which of the following? -lunch cancer -diabetes -heart disease -cataracts -blood thinning

heart disease

what part of the brain deals with the functioning of memory? Amygdala Hippocampus Hypothalamus Reticular formation Thalamus

hippocampus

a neuron is said to be polarized when: -it is in a resting state -it is about to undergo an action potential -it is in the refractory period -chemicals outside the cell body cross the cell membrane -the synaptic terminals release chemicals into the synaptic gap

it is in a resting state

Johnny recently moved to a new town and got a new phone number. After memorizing it, he found that it was hard to remember his old number. This situation can best be seen as an example of what? a. Proactive interference b. Output interference c. Retroactive interference d. Short-term memory e. Memory interference

memory interference

Which of the following would be considered a secondary reinforcer? a. Sex b. Sleep c. Food d. Money e. Water

money

which of the following is the most common form of psychological disorder? -dissociative -mood -psychosexual -psychotic -somatoform

mood

What is the biochemical substance used to carry information between neurons? a. Kinetic energy b. Hippocampus c. Neurotransmitter d. Depolarization e. Axons

neurotransmitter

serotonin is a neurotransmitter that affects: a)arousal b)mood c)sleep d)all of the above e)none of the above

none of the above - serotonin affects _______

one major difference between operant and Pavlonian conditioning is that -operant conditioning never uses food as a stimulus -operant responses are voluntary, while Pavlonian responses are involuntary -Pavlonian conditioning is permanent -an operant response is instantaneous, while a Pavlonian response follows a long delay -Pavlonian stimuli are always sonic

operant responses are voluntary while Pavlovian responses are involuntary

______________ is the act of mentally developing a picture of one's outside environment. Just noticeable difference (JND) Perception Sensation Sensory adaption Signal detection theory

perception

overwhelming and irrational fear associated with a particular thing or experience is called a -mesomorph -fetish -premoral stage -phobia -separation anxiety

phobia

When she was young, Mary suffered a traumatic experience but has blocked this for several years. Under psychoanalysis this experience was discovered. What is this type of memory called? a. Hidden b. Cathexis c. Sublimation d. Removed e. Repressed

repressed

freud believed that the superego is the portion of the psyche which is -hedonistic -sexual -narcissistic -emotional -socialized

socialized

which division of the nervous system control voluntary skeletal muscle movements? Autonomic Parasympathetic Peripheral Somatic Sympathetic

somatic

if darlene plays basketball as a way to vent her angry impulses in a socially acceptable way, which defense mechanism is she using

sublimation

according to Freud, the conscience resides in the -id -ego -eros -thanatos -superego

superego

according to psychoanalytical theory, the part of your personality that steers you toward socially acceptable behavior, even if it doesn't satisfy needs is called

superego

A patient is suffering from diabetes. the patients blood sugar is elevated. which division of the nervous system raises the blood sugar level? Autonomic Parasympathetic Peripheral Somatic Sympathetic

sympathetic

neurons stimulate nearby glands muscles or other neurons through chemicals released from their

terminal buttons

which of the following parts of the brain is primarily responsible for relaying incoming sensory information to the cerebral cortex? -cerebellum -thalamus -medulla -hypothalamus -reticular activating system

thalamus

a childs ability to recognize speech sounds that aren't used in the language begins to disappear during which stage of language development

the babbling stage

checking the soda machine's coin return each time that you pass by is a specific type of behavior that is reinforced by which type of schedule? -fixed ratio only -variable ratio only -fixed interval only -variable interval and fixed ratio -fixed interval and variable ratio

variable ratio only