Psych Practice Test Questions Exam 1

In the context of how neurons fire, which of the following is defined as an impulse of positive charge that runs one way down an axon? A. An event-related potential. B. A neurotransmission. C. An Action Potential. D. An ionic potential.

C. An Action Potential.

One of the main ethical concerns to the use of Big Date and studying technology and behavior is __________. A. Random assignment has not been established. B. Understanding whether people have been properly debriefed. C. That people may not know their data are being collected and analyzed. D. Whether an IRB has reviewed the methods of the study or not.

C. That people may not know their data are being collected and analyzed.

Replication of a study is important to?

Confirm the results of the study.

State two reasons why random assignment is important.

Creates equal opportunity of being selected in a population. Helps reduce bias by giving a better more diverse representation of a population.

In the context of brain plasticity, which of the following was discovered by the neuroscientist Helen Neville?

Deaf People have better peripheral vision that sighted people.

In medieval Europe from approximately 400 to 1400 CE psychological disorders were attributed to...

Demons, possessions.

According to your textbook abnormal levels of Serotonin typically leads to what?

Depression and anxiety. Also Serotonin Syndrome.

In the context of how neurons fire, which of the following is defined as an impulse of positive charge that runs one way down an axon?

An action potential.

Why is random assignment critical for research studies?

Because it ensures that on average the groups in an experiment will be similar with respect to all possible variables when the experiment begins.

The two main branches of the automatic nervous system are____________________ and _____________________.

Sympathetic nervous system and the Parasympathetic nervous system.

How is the control group different from the experimental group.

The control group is given a placebo and the experimental group is given the treatment.

Acetylcholine

A neurotransmitter that enables learning and memory and also triggers muscle contraction Low levels cause Alzheimers. Most common Excitotary Neuron

Define representative sample.

A subset of a population used for multiple types of research and experimentation.

Define Neuroplasticity...

Neuroplasticity is defined as the brains ability to adopt new functions, reorganize itself, or make new neural connections throughout life, as a function of experience.

In the endocrine system, glands secrete chemicals called hormones, which travel through the bloodstream to tissues and organs all over the body and regulate body functions. True or false

True.

Dopamine

Voluntary movement, and feelings of pleasure and the reward system. It is usually inhibitory.

Tamara sustained a brain injury and as a result cannot comprehend speech. Her doctors note that she speaks fluently, but her words are streams of speech that lack meaning. Which one of the following disorders best explains Tamaras symptoms?

Wernicke's aphasia.

Tamera had a brain injury and can not comprehend speech but can speak it fluently what does she have?

Wernickes Aphasia.

Beneficence involves ________________. A. Informing participants of the costs and benefits of participation in research. B. Protecting the privacy of participants, generally by keeping all responses confidential. C. Telling participants in general terms what the study is about before they agree to participate. D. Safeguarding the dignity of the individual and taking extra precautions when dealing with participants who are less likely to understand that their participation is voluntary.

A. Informing participants of the costs and benefits of participation in research.

In the context of how neurons fire what is defined as a impulse of positive charge that runs one way down an axon?

Action Potential

Which of the following is the first basic process of the scientific method?

Observation(Observe)

________ is defined as the degree to which a test is accurately measures what it purports to measure, such as intelligence, and not something else, and the degree to which it predicts real world outcomes.

Validity

A subset of a population is called what?

A sample

What does APA stand for in the world of Psychology?

American Psychological Association.

Where does a researcher collect data in a naturalistic environment?

From his surroundings. The real world.

As salma views a famous impressionist painting that is hung on a wall, her ________ receive visual information about the art and carry this information to her brain.

Sensory Neurons

Most prehistoric cultures had medicine men or women known as...

Shamans

The pituitary gland is now as the master gland of the body. (True or false)

True The Pituitary gland is also located under the hypothalamus and secretes hormones that give signals for all other hormones

An advantage of naturalistic observation is that it gives researchers a look at behavior in the real world. True or False.

True.

The design chosen for a given study depends the...

Question being asked.

What is trephination?

Trephination involves drilling a small hole in a persons skull, usually less than an inch in diameter.

In Milgram's research, after the study ended, he explained to subjects that they had not really been shocking the learner. His explanation is an example of_____________. A. Beneficence. B. Confidentiality. C. Debriefing. D. Deception.

C. Debriefing.

Name 3 sub fields of psychology...

Forensic Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Experimental Psychology, etc...

Define psychology...

Psychology is the scientific study of thought and behavior.

Dr. Sanders is interested in how people understand feedback about their performance and incorporate it into their view of themselves. She has large groups of participants take a bogus personality test and then, in front of the group, tells each of them that they either did very well, average, or very poorly. She also tells them that their scores on the test accurately predict future life and success. Dr. Sanders then has the participants write a short paragraph describing their personal strengths and weaknesses. At the end of the study, the group turns in their paragraphs and is excused. At no time does Dr. Sanders inform them that the test and feedback were actually false. In fact, she never tells them about the nature of the study. Dr. Sander's study violates which ethical standard? A. Protection from harm. B. Informed consent. C. Confidentiality/privacy. D. Debriefing.

A. Protection from harm.

Informed consent to participate in a psychological study means that _____________. A. The participant knows his or her role in the study and understands its risks and benefits. B. The researched carefully selects and approves each participant for the study. C. The institution in which the study will be has approved the study. D. All parties in a study--including researchers, participants, and institutional administrators-- know the study's hypothesis.

A. The participant knows his or her role in the study and understands its risks and benefits.

Case 2: Flirting Behavior Study In a recent study, social psychologists went into a bar to try to determine whether men or women flirted more. The procedure involved secretly observing the behavior of individuals, and counting the number of their flirtatious actions. The participants were not aware that they were being observed, and no names were ever recorded. Do you think this experiment should have been allowed according to the ethics guidelines outlined earlier? And if not, why? A. Yes, it should be allowed. B. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the ethical rule that participants must be informed about the nature of the experiment and its procedures. C. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the rule that participants must be protected from undue physical or mental harm. D. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the rule that participants' privacy must be protected. E. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the rule that participants must freely choose to participate in a study and must be free to withdraw at any time.

A. Yes, it should be allowed. It would be allowed. Even though the participants were not notified about the experimental procedures, public behavior does not require informed consent; the procedures, did not cause harm to the participants; and the since names were not recorded, it did not violate their privacy.

Case 3: Attraction Study Social psychologists wanted to learn whether a man would be more attracted to a woman when he met her in a dangerous situation that would produce a physiological arousal. Prior to the experiment, the men were told they would be interviewed by a researcher. They were also told that they could quit the study at any time and were assured that all of the data would be confidential. All of the men freely agreed to participate. In the study itself, the men in the control group were interviewed by a female researcher in a sterile laboratory setting. In contrast, the men in the experimental group were interviewed by the same female researcher while standing on a narrow, wobbly bridge that spanned a raging river. In this latter case, the men were in no real danger, although the bridge certainly induced anxiety in some. After the experiment, men in both groups were informed about the real purpose of the investigation. If this experiment were conducted today, would a committee approve it? And if not, why? A. Yes, it should be allowed. B. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the ethical rule that participants must be informed about the nature of the experiment and its procedures. C. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the rule that participants must be protected from undue physical or mental harm. D. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the rule that participants' privacy must be protected. E. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the rule that participants must freely choose to participate in a study and must be free to withdraw at any time.

A. Yes, it should be allowed. This experiment would be allowed. Even though participants were not notified about the entire purpose of the experiment, this omission was justifiable.

What does IRB stand for? A. Institutional Research Board. B. Institutional Review Board. C. Informational Review Board. D. Individual Research Board.

B. Institutional Review Board

Dr. MacLeod is the chair of an institutional review board at a local university. He recently received a research proposal from Dr. Portree. Dr. Portree wants to conduct a study in which she tells graduating seniors that they have failed all of their classes and will not be graduating college to see how college students cope with stress. She wants to randomly choose enrolled students at the university to send her "failing notices" and she points out that she cannot have them sign a consent form because if they knew that they are in a research study they might not believe that they are failing and it will ruin the results of the study. Should Dr. Macleod allow Dr. Portree to conduct her study with the university students? A. Yes, the forward progress of science, especially in the area of stress and health is very important. He should let her conduct her research. B. No, He should not let her conduct her research because it violates the ethical rule that participants must freely choose to participate in a study and must be free to withdraw at any time. C. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the rule that participants' privacy must be protected. D. Yes, he should let her conduct her research. Although being told about not passing their classes and flunking out of college would be severely stressing, it would not likely rise to the level of violating the rule that participants must be protected from undue physical or mental harm.

B. No, He should not let her conduct her research because it violates the ethical rule that participants must freely choose to participate in a study and must be free to withdraw at any time.

Case 5: Cookie Research A market researcher wants to discover which cookie recipe is most popular among college students. However, the researcher does not want to reveal to the students that he works for a food manufacturer. The researcher invites 50 volunteer participants into his laboratory, and tells them that they are going to fill out a survey which will assess their knowledge of political issues. He promises that their data will be kept confidential, and that they can quit at any time.As students complete the survey, the researcher offers them two types of cookies, free of charge. He keeps track of which cookie the participants prefer by counting the number of each kind that are eaten. Afterward, the researcher thanks the participants and sends them home. If this experiment were conducted today, would a committee approve it? And if not, why? A. Yes, it should be allowed. B. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the ethical rule that participants must be informed about the nature of the experiment and its procedures. C. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the rule that participants must be protected from undue physical or mental harm. D. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the rule that participants' privacy must be protected. E. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the rule that participants must freely choose to participate in a study and must be free to withdraw at any time.

B. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the ethical rule that participants must be informed about the nature of the experiment and its procedures. The committee might disallow this procedure because the researcher never reveals the real purpose of the experiment. In some cases, a research committee will permit a limited amount of deception during the experiment if it is necessary to maintain the integrity of the investigation. However, in this case, the experimenter should reveal the real purpose of the experiment during the debriefing.

John is planning on conducting an experiment to see how men and women differ in geography performance. After describing the study to the participants, he gives them a written geography test. To make sure he does not mix up his data, he has each person write their name at the top of their test. Before john leaves the room, he informs the participants that they should drop their exams in an open box outside his office door so that he can pick up the exams when he returns later that week. John's study should ____________. A. Not be approved because he has violated the ethical standard of protection from harm. B. Not be approved because he has violated the ethical standard of confidentiality/privacy. C. Not be approved because he has incorporated unnecessary deception in his study. D. Be approved. John has followed all ethical guidelines appropriately.

B. Not be approved because he has violated the ethical standard of confidentiality/privacy.

Which Researcher conducted the study known as the Stanford Prison Experiment? A. Stanley Milgrim B. Phillip Zimbardo C. Kitty Genovese D. Alfred Kinsey

B. Phillip Zimbardo

Professor Cognition is examining how time delays affect memory performance. He decides to use students in his psychology course as his subjects. During a class session, he tells the students about the study. They will take a memory test in class and then again, an hour later. As an incentive, he informs the class that those who are willing to participate will receive 10 points extra credit. Those not willing to participate will have 10 points deducted from their overall course grade. The students who decide to participate complete the two memory tests anonymously and then are explained the basis for the experiment. Professor Cognition is violating which ethical standard? A. Informed consent. B. Voluntary participation. C. Confidentiality/privacy. D. Debriefing.

B. Voluntary participation.

Why do researchers draw on small subsets of each population to collect data?

Because most populations are too large to survey or interview directly.

If you have a brain injury and can understand speech fluently but cannot speak fluently what do you most likely have?

Brocus Aphasia

Which of the following statements about Stanley Milgram's early research is true? A. Although Milgram's research was on memory and learning, it has come to serve as an all-purpose lighting rod for discussions about the human heart of darkness. B. Although Milgram's research was on memory and learning, it has come to serve as an all-purpose lighting rod for discussions about obedience. C. Although Milgram's research was on obedience, it has come to serve as an all-purpose lighting rod for discussions about the human heart of darkness. D. Although Milgram's research was on the human heart of darkness, it has come to serve as an all-purpose lightning rod for discussions about memory and learning.

C. Although Milgram's research was on obedience, it has come to serve as an all-purpose lighting rod for discussions about the human heart of darkness.

Which of the following is true of Stanley Milgram's famous study of obedience? A. It explained many aspects of infant-caregiver interactions. B. It showed how people are quick to make judgements about groups. C. Although it yielded powerful results, it placed great distress on participants. D. All of the choices are correct.

C. Although it yielded powerful results, it placed great distress on participants.

Case 1: Little Albert In this a famous study from 1924, John Watson wanted to explore what causes children to develop phobias. After explaining the purpose of the study to the child's mother, he exposed a child to a friendly white rat. Each time the boy touched the rat, Watson made a loud noise. Eventually, the child developed a fear of the rat. He published the research referring to the baby with a generic first name. This research was conducted before the use of standards of ethical research. However, if this experiment were conducted today, would a committee approve it? A. Yes, it should be allowed. B. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the ethical rule that participants must be informed about the nature of the experiment and its procedures. C. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the rule that participants must be protected from undue physical or mental harm. D. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the rule that participants' privacy must be protected. E. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the rule that participants must freely choose to participate in a study and must be free to withdraw at any time.

C. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the rule that participants must be protected from undue physical or mental harm. This is the best answer. The procedures clearly may have resulted in psychological harm to the child, and if the experiment were proposed today, it would be disallowed.

The _________ releases hormones, including insulin, that play a vital role is regulating the blood sugar levels. A. Esophagus. B. Jejunum. C. Pancreas. D. Stomach.

C. Pancreas

Which of the following is NOT an APA ethical standard for psychology? A. Participants must be informed of the nature of the experiment and its procedures. B. Participants must be able to withdraw from the experiment at any time without penalty. C. Participants must to be allowed to select the conditions of the experiment in which they participate. D. Participants must be protected from physical or mental harm.

C. Participants must to be allowed to select the conditions of the experiment in which they participate

If informed consent is the key to ethical treatment of human research participants, ____________ is the key to the ethical use of animal subjects. A. Free-range housing. B. Eliminating biomedical research C. Informed consent. D. Humane treatment.

D. Humane treatment.

Which of the following terms refers to the type of scientific misconduct where someone presents other people's words or ideas as their own? A. Fabrication B. Falsification C. Mimicking D. Plagiarism

D. Plagiarism

Deception is psychological research ______________. A. Should never be allowed. B. Should always be allowed. C. Should be allowed only if participants are never informed of the study at its conclusion D. Should be allowed only if the procedure yields a significant social benefit and causes, at the most, only minimal harm.

D. Should be allowed only if the procedure yields a significant social benefit and causes, at the most, only minimal harm.

In which of the following examples could informed consent be omitted? A. Martha, who is 83 and lives in a nursing home, is not responsible for her own care and is participating in a longitudinal study. B. Timmy, who is 16 and lives with his parents, is going to participate in an experiment. C. Michael, who is 21 and lives on his own in an apartment, is going to be part of an observational study. D. Tara, who is 15 and lives at home with her parents, is going to be a part of an anonymous survey.

D. Tara, who is 15 and lives at home with her parents, is going to be a part of an anonymous survey.

A control group differs from an experimental group in that the control group.

Does not receive the independent variable, or treatment.

Case 4: Food Consumption, Soda and Fruit Drinks Study A researcher wants to determine whether college students consume more food when the food is accompanied by a cola beverage or by a fruit drink. The researcher explains the goal and the procedure to her introductory psychology students and assigns them to attend a party at her home. All of the food and drinks are provided free of charge. One group of students is assigned to drink cola, and the other group is assigned to drink a fruit beverage. An assistant observes the students and counts the amount of food each of them consumes. All of the students in her class are required to participate in order to pass her class, but all of the data are kept confidential. If this experiment were conducted today, would a committee approve it? And if not, why? A. Yes, it should be allowed. B. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the ethical rule that participants must be informed about the nature of the experiment and its procedures. C. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the rule that participants must be protected from undue physical or mental harm. D. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the rule that participants' privacy must be protected. E. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the rule that participants must freely choose to participate in a study and must be free to withdraw at any time.

E. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the rule that participants' privacy must be protected. No, it should not be allowed because it violates the rule that participants must freely choose to participate in a study and must be free to withdraw at any time. This procedure would not be allowed because the instructor required the students to participate, and therefore they were not free to decline. Many colleges request or even require students to participate in research as part of their training in psychology. However, if students do not want to participate in a particular study (or any studies), they have the right to participate in some alternative educational activity such as writing a short paper.

What is the all or none principle?

Once the threshold has been crossed, an action potential either fires or it does not.

A ________ is designed as a substance or treatment that appears identical to the actual treatment but lacks the active substance.

Placebo.

A(n) ________ design can be defined as a research method that makes use of naturally occurring groups rather than randomly assigning subjects to group.

Quasi-experiment.

When a neuron is at rest, the charge difference between the inside and the outside of the axon is -70 millivolts (mV). This value is the _____________ of the neuron.

Resting Potential

When a neuron is at rest, the charge difference between the inside and the outside of the axon is -70 millivolts(mv) this is the value of the ________ of the neuronal membrane.

Resting Potential

What are Glial Cells?

The "glue" that holds the central nervous system together. Insulation (Myelin), Blood-Brain-Barrier, Metabolism, Regulation of neuronal transmission.

The _________ is the part of the nervous system that comprises the brain and spinal cord.

The CNS (central nervous system).

What are the two key parts of the Nervous System.

The Central Nervous System (CNS) and the Peripheral Nervous System.

Dr. Adriana conducts a study to determine if players who wear a new type of soccer uniform made from a specifically designed fabric will perform better in soccer matches. She recruits a professional soccer team to participate in her study. She randomly assigns half of the men to wear the new-material uniforms made in the color blue and the other half to wear old-material uniforms made in the color red. Although the men know about the test, they are not told which one of the two uniforms is made from the new material. They are asked to wear their assigned uniforms and score as many goals as possible in a game against one another. Dr. Adriana notes the number of goals scored. Ultimately, the players who are wearing the old uniforms score more goals, and therefore, win the game. Dr. Adriana speculates that the new uniforms are not more beneficial to performance than the old uniforms, but she decides to conduct the test a few more times. What was the control group in Dr. Adriana's study?

The players who wore red uniforms made from the old material.

Why do we draw on small subsets of a population to collect data?

They give an accurate representation of the entire population. Too much effort to collect data from an entire population.