PSYCH Exam 1
Autism spectrum disorder now is diagnosed in _____ American children by 8 years of age.
1 in 68
According to the lecture, parents account for roughly ___% of differences in the personalities of children
10
Genetically speaking, fraternal twins (or dizygotic twins) have ____% similarity
50
Suppose it was found that X correlates with Y. How can we explain this?
All of these are valid explanations
A telltale sign of ________ consists of protein fragments that accumulate as plaque at neuron tips where synaptic communication usually occurs.
Alzheimer's disease
Which of the following is NOT one of the four parallel processes in visual processing?
Change
Evolutionary psychology developed from the work of
Charles Darwin
Chromosomes are threadlike structures made of
DNA molecules
Which major force in psychology emphasized unconscious thought processes?
Freudian psychology
The first person to suggest that the mind is located in the brain was
Herophilos
What is one way we could summarize the differences in mate selection between men and women?
Men reproduce widely, women reproduce wisely
Which of the following is NOT true of the brain's association areas?
More intelligent animals have smaller association areas.
Yusef is told by his psychiatrist that he has ADHD. The psychiatrist explains to him that "ADHD is the result of deficient activity in the frontal lobes of the brain." What kind of explanation of ADHD did Yusef's psychiatrist use?
Neuroscience
Prof. Hayes has just heard about a new study that shows a correlation between authoritarian parenting and lower grades among high school students. Hayes is skeptical about this conclusion. What could he do about this?
Perform the same study to see if they can replicate the findings
Which of the following is the correct order of the stages of Piaget's theory of cognitive development?
Sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational
Which structure activates when we feel fear?
The amygdala
The first psychology experiment to be performed in a laboratory was done by
Wilhelm Wundt.
Who developed the first psychological laboratory?
Wundt
A type of descriptive research that looks intimately at one person with a unique condition or situation is called
a case study
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
For those who report experiencing a life crisis, the trigger is usually
a major event
A gender role refers to
a set of expected behaviors and traits for males or for females.
The case study is a research method in which
a single individual or group is studied in great depth.
Figure is to ground as ________ is to ________.
a white cloud; blue sky
The pupil is the
adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters.
According to Erikson, achieving a sense of identity is the special task of the
adolescent
A light wave's intensity is determined by its
amplitude
Any drug molecule that occupies a neurotransmitter receptor site and blocks the neurotransmitter's effect is a(n)
antagonist
The first time that 4-year-old Sarah saw her older brother play a flute, she thought it was simply a large whistle. Sarah's initial understanding of the flute best illustrates the process of
assimilation
"I don't care whether you want to wash the dishes, you will do so because I said so!" This statement is most representative of a(n) ________ parenting style.
authoritarian
From age 2 months on, as other children spend more and more time looking in others' eyes, those who later develop ________ do so less and less.
autism spectrum disorder
Neurotransmitters are released from knob-like terminals at the end of the
axon
Compared with women, men are likely to
behave in all of these ways: (initiate more sex think more about sex view more pornography)
Observing and recording people's behavior as they are conditioned was of most central interest to
behaviorism
A subliminal message is one that is presented
below one's absolute threshold for conscious awareness.
If the correlation between the physical weight and reading ability of children is +0.85, this would indicate that
better reading ability is associated with greater physical weight among children.
Unlike the concept of gender, the definition of people's sex is based only on
biological traits
The young science of psychology developed from the more established fields of philosophy and
biology
Certain stroke victims report seeing nothing when shown a series of sticks, yet they are able to correctly report whether the sticks are vertical or horizontal. This best illustrates
blindsight.
The central nervous system consists of
brain and spinal cord
The brain and spinal cord are a part of the
central nervous system
Along with the basal ganglia, the ________ enables nonverbal learning and skill memory.
cerebellum
____ react to detail and color, while ____ are sensitive to faint light.
cones; rods
In one study, a pictured woman was perceived by some as balancing a box on her head and by others as sitting under a window. The study best illustrated that perceptions are influenced by
context effects
Professor Kuilema compared the moral intuitions of one group of children, a second group of adolescents, and a third group of adults by assessing their reactions to a variety of moral dilemmas. Professor Kuilema conducted a ________ study.
cross-sectional
The transmission of shared knowledge and customs across generations is an indication of
culture
Dr. Matsuko's major research interest is the long-term effects of child-raising practices on the psychological adjustment of offspring. It is most likely that Dr. Matsuko is a ________ psychologist.
developmental
Weber's law is relevant to an understanding of
difference thresholds
Adolescence is typically a time of
diminishing parental influence and growing peer influence.
Which neurotransmitter influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion?
dopamine
Compared to individualist cultures, collectivist cultures tend to value
duties and tradition
Brenda is 29 years old. She recently graduated from college and now has a full-time job and lives independently. She is in the ________ years.
early adulthood
The gap between adolescence and independence is referred to as
emerging adulthood
The amygdala is responsible for the regulation of
emotion
Scary-sounding music accompanied a movie scene in which mountain climbers scaled a steep slope. The fact that the music made the climbing appear more dangerous to viewers illustrates that perceptions are influenced by
emotion.
The study of influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change is called
epigenetics
One of the key differences between an experiment and other kinds of research is that
experiments will manipulate one or more of the variables to see its effect on another variable.
A critical period is a phase during which
exposure to certain experiences is needed for proper development.
Bree has been raised in an individualist society. Which of the following is best associated with her upbringing?
express one's uniqueness
Which method of neuroimagery lets us see the brain's activity over a period of time?
fMRI
Which of the following body parts is associated with the greatest amount of brain tissue in the motor cortex?
face
Newborns tend to prefer the sight of
face-like images
Elaina is in the fourth month of her pregnancy. At this point, her developing baby would be referred to as a(n)
fetus
The point of central focus in the eye, where there are the most nerve cells for transducing light, is called the
fovea
Twins who develop from separate fertilized eggs are called ________ twins.
fraternal
According to Paul MacLean's "Triune Model", the human brain has evolved in three successive stages that have moved
from the inside, out
Phineas Gage's personality turned towards being much more aggressive and unfriendly. This was most likely caused by the large rail spike that pierced his
frontal lobes
During adolescence, maturation of the ________ lags behind maturation of the ________, which might help explain the sometimes-impulsive actions of teenagers.
frontal lobes; limbic system
Which of the following terms refers to the socially influenced characteristics by which people define boy, girl, man, and woman?
gender
The belief that boys are more independent than girls is a
gender schema.
The nature-nurture issue refers to the debate over the relative contributions that ________ make to the development of psychological traits.
genes and experience
Early in the twentieth century, a group of German psychologists noticed that people tend to organize a cluster of sensations into a(n)
gestalt
Joe's corpus callosum was severed in surgery. One of the most notable symptoms of this was
he could draw two shapes simultaneously with different hands
Professor Smith told one class that drinking alcohol has been found to increase sexual desire. He informed another class that drinking alcohol has been found to reduce sexual appetite. The fact that neither class was surprised by the information they received best illustrates the power of
hindsight bias
Some people believe after watching a sports competition that they could have easily predicted who the winner was going to be, even though they didn't. This phenomenon is known as
hindsight bias
Critics of evolutionary psychology are most likely to suggest that it underestimates the
impact of cultural expectations on human sexual behavior.
Molly has been diagnosed with ADHD, which she is told is a dopamine agonist. This means that it will likely
increase the activity of dopamine
In an experimental study of the impact of exposure to criticism on self-esteem, exposure to criticism would be the ________ variable.
independent
The unique genetically influenced traits of children often evoke predictable responses from their caregivers. This best illustrates the ________ of nature and nurture.
interaction
Two babies may be born with the same genetic predisposition to be happier than average. However, if one of them is raised by loving and interactive parents, while the other is raised in a crowded orphanage where they rarely get attention, then the second one likely won't grow up to be as happy. This underlines the importance of ____ on our personalities.
interaction between the genes and the environment
The monocular depth cue in which an object blocking another object is perceived as closer is
interposition
The left hemisphere of the brain is best at
interpreting language
Looking inward and reporting your immediate sensations, images, and feelings is called
introspection
A synapse is a(n)
junction between a sending neuron and a receiving neuron.
Severing a cat's reticular formation from higher brain regions causes the cat to
lapse into a coma
A tendency for the brain's left and right hemispheres to serve different functions is called
lateralization
Surgical destruction of brain tissue is called a(n)
lesion
Compared with men, women are ________ likely to desire more frequent sex and ________ likely to misperceive simple friendliness as a sexual come-on.
less; less
Substance use disorders may stem from malfunctioning reward centers in the
limbic system
As the farmer looked across her field, the parallel rows of young corn plants appeared to converge in the distance. This provided her with a distance cue known as
linear perspective
As you look down the highway in front of you, the edges of the road seem to converge in the distance. This is an example of the monocular cue
linear perspective
Which of the following is an example of a secondary sex characteristic?
male facial hair
The sequence in which babies master the skills of rolling over, sitting, crawling, and walking is the same around the world. This best illustrates the importance of ________ in motor development.
maturation
Heterosexual women are most likely to be sexually attracted to men who appear to be
mature and affluent
The part of the brainstem that controls heartbeat and breathing is called the
medulla
Compared with women, men are ________ likely to feel comfortable about having casual sex with different partners and ________ likely to cite affection as a reason for their first sexual intercourse.
more; less
A random error in gene replication is known as a(n)
mutation
If a genetically based attraction to beautiful people contributes to survival, that trait will likely be passed on to subsequent generations. This best illustrates
natural selection
Twin and adoption studies have been most helpful for teasing apart the influences of
nature and nurture
It has been suggested that humans share a general aversion, or disliking, to hurting each other. This suggests that
nature selected humans with a "universal moral grammar" to pass on their genes.
Research has repeatedly shown that, the more you smoke cigarettes, the shorter your lifespan will likely be. This is an example of a _________ correlation.
negative
If psychologists discovered that wealthy people are less satisfied with their marriages than poor people are, this would indicate that wealth and marital satisfaction are
negatively correlated
Neurons are best described as
nerve cells that function as the building blocks of the nervous system.
The process of forming new neurons within the brain is called
neurogenesis
Professor Lopez believes that severe depression results primarily from an imbalanced diet and abnormal brain chemistry. Professor Lopez favors a ________ perspective on depression.
neuroscience
The cognitive revolution of the 1960s is said to have been aided by
new technology
Our tendency to believe we know more than we do best illustrates
overconfidence
Which lobes of the brain receive the input that enables you to feel someone scratching your back?
parietal
Retinal disparity is an important cue for
perceiving distance.
After learning that her new college roommate had experienced several depressive episodes during her high school years, Erin incorrectly perceived her roommate's laughter as artificial and phony. This best illustrates the impact of
perceptual set.
Psychology can be considered to be a combination of biology and
philosophy
The hypothalamus influences the ________ to send messages to the ________.
pituitary; endocrine glands
Terri was in a serious car accident when she was only 13 months old and suffered brain damage. Her brain recovered because of the aspect of early brain development referred to as
plasticity
The reorganization of neural tissue in response to new experiences is referred to as
plasticity
Mark believes that choosing to violate government laws is morally justifiable if it is done to protect the lives of innocent people. Kohlberg would suggest that this illustrates ________ morality.
postconventional
Lacking exposure to spoken, written, or signed language before adolescence, a person will never master any language. This indicates that infancy and childhood represent a(n) ________ for language development.
preoperational stage
According to Piaget, egocentrism is to conservation as the ________ stage is to the ________ stage.
preoperational; concrete operational
Carmella, Jorge, and Gail were all sitting behind the same bowling lane, so Ruth perceived that they were all members of the same
proximity
Much like trimming the branches off a bush, our brain _________ unused neural connections to allow those we use more frequently to grow stronger.
prunes
The period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing, is called
puberty
To assess reactions to a proposed tuition hike at her school, Ariana sent a questionnaire to every fifteenth person in the registrar's alphabetical listing of all currently enrolled students. Ariana is ensuring that her survey results are accurate by using
random sampling
Humans experience the longest visible electromagnetic waves as the color ________ and the shortest visible waves as ________.
red; blue-violet
Infants who were exposed to the visual cliff
refused to cross over onto the glass over the cliff to their mother
Glenda has spread false rumors about a classmate in order to ruin his reputation. Her behavior best illustrates
relational aggression.
Those who survive a hippocampal brain tumor in childhood are likely to have difficulty ________ in their adulthood.
remembering new information
The occipital lobes are to ________ as the temporal lobes are to ________.
seeing; hearing
During Piaget's sensorimotor stage, children acquire a
sense of object permanence
Which of the following is the correct order of Piaget's stages of cognitive development?
sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational
If you move your watchband up your wrist an inch or so, you will feel it for only a few moments. This best illustrates
sensory adaptation
Rodesia insists that Dr. Phillips' theory of aggression be checked against observable evidence. She is demonstrating the scientific attitude of
skepticism.
A collectivist culture is especially likely to emphasize the importance of
social harmony
Questions about the extent to which maladaptive habits learned in childhood can be overcome in adulthood are most directly relevant to the issue of
stability and change
A stimulus that falls below our absolute threshold for perception is said to be
subliminal
Under certain conditions, people are affected by stimuli so weak that they fail to consciously notice them. This is best illustrated by experiments involving
subliminal priming.
Compared with environmentally impoverished rats, those rats housed in enriched environments experienced a dramatic increase in the number of their
synapses
Because of the shortening of ________, aging cells may die without being replaced.
telomeres
If research suggested that a pregnant mother's use of an artificial sweetener caused harm to the fetus, the artificial sweetener would be considered a(n)
teratogen
The brain structure that acts as a sensory control center, and is the inspiration for Prof. Rickgauer's jazz funk band "The Grand Central Station of Sensation," is the
thalamus
There has been a lot of wonder and amazement at the similarities found between the Jim twins, a set of twins separated at birth who only met at the age of 29. However, before we get too excited it should be important to remember that
the Jims have a strong cultural similarity, since they were both raised in Ohio.
Evidence that some cones are especially sensitive to red light, others to green light, and still others to blue light is most directly supportive of
the Young-Helmholtz theory.
The fovea refers to
the central focal point in the retina.
One's sexual orientation refers to
the direction of one's sexual attraction.
Four-year-old Karen can't remember anything of the first few months of her life. This is best explained by the fact that
the hippocampus and frontal lobes are immature during early infancy.
The ongoing debate that asks how much of who we are comes from the contributions of genetic endowments or personal experiences is called
the nature-nurture debate.
The fact that people diagnosed with specific learning disorder exhibit the same brain malfunctions whether they are Italian, French, or British demonstrates that
the same underlying processes guide people everywhere.
Which division of the autonomic nervous system arouses the body and mobilizes its energy in stressful situations?
the sympathetic nervous system
David asked Cheryl, his girlfriend, if he could go hang out with his friends instead of make dinner for her. She glared at him and said "I don't care what you do!" David interpreted this as meaning she was OK with leaving her to be with his friends. David was unable to use ____________ to process that she was actually very angry with him.
top-down processing
Information processing guided by higher-level mental processes is called
top-down processing.
The conversion of a fresh coffee aroma into neural impulses by sensory receptor cells best illustrates
transduction
The local fire department sounds the 12 o'clock whistle. The process by which your ears transform the sound waves from the siren into neural impulses is an example of
transduction.
Professor X is studying the effect of exposure to sexual content on sexual thoughts. She assigns students to one of two conditions. In the first condition, participants are exposed to explicit sexual content and then given a word-completion task, which involves filling in the letter missing from each word. Based on the letter added, the word could be of a sexual nature or not. For instance, b_d could be completed as "bed," indicating sexual thought, or as "bad," which has no sexual connotation. In the second condition, participants are not exposed to explicit sexual content but are assigned the same word-completion task. The experimental group consisted of the students who
were exposed to explicit sexual content.
It can be said that evolutionary psychologists mostly focus on
what makes humans so alike
Surveys indicate that people are less likely to support "welfare" than "aid to the needy." These somewhat paradoxical survey results best illustrate the importance of
wording effects
During the course of successful prenatal development, a human organism begins as a(n) ______ and ends as a(n) ________.
zygote; fetus.