Psychology 200
In which of the following statements is the speaker referring to a concrete concept?
"I want to have a million dollars."
Six-year-old Sydney's IQ score on the Stanford-Binet Intelligence test was typical for a six-year-old child. Which of the following is most likely to be Sydney's IQ score?
100
According to Alberrt Bandura's observational learning theory, your ability to learn a behavior by watching someone else model the behavior depends on
ALL of the above are considered necessary for observational learning to occur
Cognitive psychology emerged in the 1960s as psychologists recognized a need to include study of the human mind in their efforts to explain human behavior. Which of the following best describes what we would expect a cognitive psychologist to study?
ALL of these items could be the focus of cognitive psychological research
Habitual coffee drinkers often experience an almost immediate sense of alertness when they sip a fresh cup of coffee, even though it takes about twenty minutes for the caffeine in the coffee to reach significant levels in the bloodstream. What is the best explanation for this phenomenon?
After being repeatedly paired with the drug caffeine, the smell and taste of coffee have become a conditioned stimulus that elicits the conditioned response of alertness.
Which of the following best illustrates classical conditioning?
Because his older brother once locked him in a closet, Allen gets anxious in small enclosed rooms.
Which of the following statements best expresses the basic idea of operant conditioning?
Behavior is shaped and maintained by its consequences, such as rewards and punishments.
Which psychology subspecialty area are most psychologists trained in?
Clinical psychology
Jean Piaget is famous for his theory that describes the changes that occur in children's thinking processes as they grow from infancy, through childhood, and into adolescence. Psychologists who study changes that typically occur in humans across time are known as:
Developmental psychologists
Which of the following statements about alcohol is FALSE?
Even people who have a long history of alcohol abuse can easily stop drinking without experiencing any serious withdrawal symptoms.
One of the disadvantages of using the scientific method to examine the human mind and behavior is that psychologists must often subdivide the phenomena they study into several smaller parts or components. What psychological school of thought sought to reverse this subdividing (i.e., reductionistic) trend by emphasizing the human individual as a single whole entity rather than a being composed of various individual parts?
Gestalt theory
Which of the following is true of Sigmund Freud?
He emphasized the importance of the unconscious part of our minds
Professor Lake is a strong advocate of the behavioral perspective. He would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements?
Human behavior is shaped by experiences that have led to associative and observational learning
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
Hypnosis is most effective for people who are open to the power of suggestion.
Biopsychology, evolutionary psychology, and neurology are all considered part of a growing interdisciplinary specialty known as:
Neuroscience
After conducting a statistical analysis of responses to a survey, Professor Patterson finds a correlation of +2.36 between participation in sporting events and physical injuries. This indicates that:
Professor Patterson has made a serious error in calculating the correlation coefficient.
After looking at the graphic representation in your textbook for the distribution of IQ scores, how would you describe the way IQ scores are distributed?
Scores cluster around the average score.
All of the of psychodynamic theories of personality derive from the work of which of the following individuals?
Sigmund Freud
Howard's cat meows incessantly, and Howard frequently, but not always, gives in and feeds her. Howard decides to stop reinforcing this problem behavior, so he ignores his cat whenever the cat starts meowing. When Howard initiates this extinction procedure, what is likely to happen?
The cat's meowing may temporarily increase, but will then decrease and eventually become an extinct behavior
Prior to Bowlby and Ainsworth's theory of attachment, psychologist Harry Harlow studied rhesus monkeys, and which characteristics attracted infant monkeys to surrogate or substitute "mothers." After removing infant monkeys from their mothers soon after birth, Harlow exposed the infants to an artificial "substitute mother" made of terrycloth (which the infant would find physically comforting) and a less physically appealing mother (made of wire) from which the infant monkeys received food. When Harlow created conditions that frightened the infant monkeys, which mother did the infant monkeys run to for protection?
The infant monkeys preferred the soft terrycloth mother, regardless of whether she was the source of food
The first IQ test designed for testing adults was published in 1939, and has been repeatedly updated and revised. What is the current name of this popular IQ test, which includes subscales that measure both verbal and nonverbal abilities?
Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)
Which of the following is the best analogy for neurotransmitter binding to a receptor site?
a key fitting into a lock
What is empiricism?
a method for getting information based on observation and experimentation
Professor Wallace conducted research on depressed patients and found that patients who exercised more had lower rates of depression. In other words, as exercise rates increased, depression levels decreased. Which type of correlation does this represent?
a negative correlation
A hypothesis is:
a prediction about the relationship between two or more variables, usually based on theory and stated in a way that it can be tested
Dr. Ginsburg wants to study possible gender differences in the willingness of young children to engage in risky behaviors. To gather data, Ginsburg and a co-researcher carefully observe the willingness of boys and girls to try risky behaviors at a local zoo, such as petting a burro or feeding different animals. Dr. Ginsburg is using ________ to gather data.
a representative sample
William James, a famous American psychologist who lived over 100 years ago, referred to consciousness as being like:
a river, constantly flowing
The biological concept of homeostasis has been incorporated into psychological theories of motivation. Which of the following best explains the concept of homeostasis?
a state of equilibrium or balance, in which an organism's biological needs are met, the organism is functioning at an optimal level, and no further behavior is required
In psychological research, a theory is:
a well-developed set of ideas, which appears useful in explaining why observed events or behaviors occur
With regard to sexual behavior, certain brain areas are related to physiological arousal while other brain areas are involved in sexual desire and motivation. Which parts of the brain are identified as involved in motivation for sexual behavior?
amygdala and nucleus accumbens
Kelly struck her head when she fell down the stairs last week, and since then she has had difficulty remembering things like the names of new people she meets, or where she has parked her car. It appears that Kelly has
anterograde amnesia
In general, the sympathetic nervous system ________, while the parasympathetic nervous system ________.
arouses a person for fight-or-flight; returns bodily functions to a normal level
John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth are credited with proposing Attachment Theory. According to attachment theory, what are the three types of insecure attachment?
avoidant, resistent, disorganized
Since psychology includes the study of the human mind and human behavior, it is not surprising that eventually some psychologists developed a preference for one area over the other. Which psychological school of thought focuses exclusively on studying human behavior and does not investigate the human mind?
behaviorism
Which of the following correctly lists the three most commonly abused substances in the US?
caffeine; nicotine; alcohol
Different parts of the brain are involved in memory processes, and certain brain areas are associated with specific types of memories. Which part of the brain is most closely identified with creating and storing procedural memories?
cerebellum
One strategy to increase the amount of information that can be held in short-term memory is to group items together into manageable bits or chunks. This strategy is called:
chunking
During a severe thunderstorm, Christopher was talking on the phone with his girlfriend when lightning struck the house and the electrical shock traveled through the telephone wire (this happened before cell phones were invented!). Christopher received a strong shock and the fright of his life. Although he wasn't severely injured, he developed an intense fear of lightning and thunderstorms. What type of learning does this represent?
classical conditioning
In the preoperational stage, children do not realize that changing the shape or appearance of a substance doesn't change the amount of the substance, and that putting something into a different sized container doesn't alter the amount that is in the container. According to Piaget, children in the preoperational stage make these mistakes because they have not developed an understanding of _____________.
conservation
People who suffer from severe forms of epilepsy sometimes undergo an operation in which the fibers that connect the right and left hemispheres of the brain are cut. This procedure reduces the frequency and severity of seizures. What is the name of the bundle of nerve fibers that connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain?
corpus collosum
In an experiment, the independent variable is the variable that is:
deliberately manipulated or controlled by the researcher, so as to cause changes in the dependent variable.
Jared regularly takes a pain reliever for his back pain. After a few weeks, he notices that he needs to increase the amount of pain-relieving drug that he takes each day in order to achieve the same level of pain relief. The phenomenon that Jared is experiencing is called:
drug tolerance
The first step in creating a memory is called encoding. Some information is encoded almost automatically, especially information about recent events (e.g., what you had for supper last night). However, much of the information encoded into memory can only become a memory by our paying attention to it and working at learning or memorizing it. According to your textbook, when a person puts forth a lot of work and close attention to encode new information into memory, researchers say the individual has engaged in:
effortful processing
According to Carl Rogers, one of the founders of the humanistic approach to understanding personality, a child is more likely to develop a healthy personality if the parents
express unconditional love for the child
A pigeon in operant chamber #1 regularly receives a pellet of food after every ten pecks at a red disk, no matter how long it takes. A rat in operant chamber #2 regularly receives a pellet of food for the first bar press it makes after ten minutes have passed, no matter how many bar presses it makes. The pigeon is on a _____ schedule of reinforcement, and the rat is on a _____ schedule of reinforcement.
fixed-ratio; fixed-interval
You and your friend, MacGyver, have a pair of pliers and a bag of pecans in the shell. You are lamenting the fact that you can't shell the pecans because you do not have a nutcracker, when MacGyver suggests that maybe you could use the pliers as a makeshift nutcracker. MacGyver has just demonstrated his ability to overcome __________.
functional fixedness
Based on the case of David Reimer (described in your textbook), and also, based on most empirical research, gender identity is most likely determined by:
genetic inheritance and other biological factors that have been determined before birth
Which of the following list the three stages of prenatal development in the correct order?
germinal stage, embryonic stage, fetal stage
Samuel suffered damage to his temporal lobes during an operation to remove tumors from his brain. He is likely to have problems with his:
hearing
What two factors are considered when calculating a person's body mass index (BMI)?
height and weight
Howard sets extremely high standards for both himself and others. He tends to be rigid and inflexible and rarely allows himself to enjoy life. Freud would probably conclude that Howard is dominated by
his superego
The limbic system includes a collection of brain structures associated with memory and emotion. Which part of the limbic system is most often associated with activation of the sympathetic nervous system?
hypothalamus
Sigmund Freud hypothesized that people's personalities are comprised of three components: the id, the ego, and the superego. According to Freud, which part of our personality is motivated by the "Pleasure Principle?"
id
A case study is a(n):
in-depth investigation of a single individual or a small group of individuals, often involving information from a wide variety of sources
We have already studied classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and social learning theory, which attempt to explain how humans acquire learned behaviors. However, humans appear to also exhibit some behaviors that are not learned. Psychologists disagree as to exactly which behaviors are not learned, but most agree that some genetically inherited behaviors do exist. What term is used to identify behaviors that are not learned but seem instead to be part of a genetic heritage commonly found in most humans?
instincts
What term is used to describe the number, obtained by dividing a child's mental age by his/her chronological age, and then multiplying the result by 100? (Hint: This number, which serves as a measure of general intelligence, involves comparing an individual's score on an intelligence test to the average score obtained by others in the same age group.)
intelligence quotient (IQ)
According to Erikson's theory, the psychosocial crisis of early adulthood centers on establishing close, personal relationships with others. This is the stage of
intimacy versus isolation
Many psychodynamic theorists, such as Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, believed that dreams often contain symbols or have symbolic meaning. What term did Freud use to indicate the hidden meaning of a dream, which often involved the interpretation of symbolic content?
latent content
The nightly sleep cycle progresses through stages of light sleep (characterized by alpha and theta waves), then a deeper stage of sleep (characterized by delta waves), and finally a stage of REM sleep. The cycle of light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep is repeated several times during a 7- to 8-hour sleep period. In general, as the night progresses and the sleep cycles repeat, later cycles tend to contain:
less delta wave sleep and more REM sleep
The memory system that has an almost unlimited storage capacity is
long-term memory
Multiple sclerosis is a degenerative autoimmune disorder affecting the nervous system. Symptoms can include dizziness, fatigue, and loss of motor control. Which of the following best describes the cause of multiple sclerosis?
loss of myelin from axons
If an action is negatively reinforced, it is _____ to be repeated. If an action is punished, it is _____ to be repeated
more likely; less likely
If an action is negatively reinforced, it is _____ to be repeated. If an action is positively reinforced, it is _____ to be repeated.
more likely; more likely
Which of the following is TRUE about language development in preschool-age children?
most children can understand far more words than they actually use when speaking
A disorder characterized by sudden and irresistible onsets of sleep during normal waking periods is:
narcolepsy
Feelings of hunger increase whenever a person's blood glucose levels drop, triggering signals to the brain that are interpreted as hunger. Likewise, an increase in blood glucose levels tends to decrease a person's sensations of hunger. Thus, using terms from the research methods chapter, we could say that blood glucose levels and feelings of hunger are:
negatively correlated
The adrenal glands produce hormones that are involved in:
our body's response to stress
You are waiting in line at Chick-fil-A, and there is a woman with her 4-year-old daughter standing in line behind you. The 4-year-old is excited about getting her chicken nuggets and keeps bumping against your leg while jumping around in line. In which lobe of your brain are you experiencing the sensation of the girl bumping and pushing against your leg while you are standing in line?
parietal lobe
After a study is completed, the research team prepares a report on their study, describing the methods and results of the research. The researcher team hopes their report will be accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Which of the following is an advantage of a peer-review process when selecting articles for publication in a psychology journal?
peer-reviewers check to make sure researchers do not engage in any unethical research practices
According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, when can an individual attempt to achieve his or her need for self-actualization?
people can attempt to become self-actualized only after addressing all lower-level needs
Your ________ is your unique set of enduring traits, your relatively consistent ways of thinking and feeling about things, and your typical patterns of behavior.
personality
Based on what you know about the history of psychology, what two areas of study, that have existed since the earliest days of civilization, were the two "parent" disciplines of psychology?
philosophy and physiology (or medicine)
In language development research, psychologists refer to the various sounds used in speech as ________, while the smallest units of meaning in a language are called _________.
phonemes; morphemes
Deirdre used to be shy and unwilling to speak out in class. Last semester she was in a class that involved a lot of discussion groups, and she found that her classmates were willing to listen attentively to her ideas, and often asked her for input when the discussion bogged down. Now Deirdre is more outspoken and confident during class discussions, which represents a change in her personality. Based on the behavioral perspective, Deirdre's new outspoken, confident manner is most likely a result of
positive reinforcement
When 9-year-old Jacob is asked by his mother to tidy up his room and put his toys away he does what he is told because he knows that she will give him a special treat afterwards. Kohlberg would say that Jacob is operating at the _____ level of moral reasoning
preconventional
Alfred Binet devised the first intelligence test in 1905 in order to
predict the school performance of children
In explaining why Cole is deceitful and has a tendency to lie, a psychologist who held a strong behavioral view toward personality development would consider Cole's
previous learning experiences and his experience with reinforcements for his behaviors
Knowledge of how to perform different skills and actions is called _____ memory while knowledge of facts, concepts, and ideas is called _____ memory.
procedural; semantic
Meagan is strongly attracted to one of the men that she works with. However, the male coworker is married and Meagan feels guilty and embarrassed about being attracted to a married man. Thus, Meagan unconsciously avoids awareness of her feelings for her coworker by claiming that he is attracted to her, which helps Meagan keep her own feelings of attraction for the coworker from emerging. According to Freud, Meagan may be unconsciously dealing with the anxiety caused by her feelings for her coworker by using the defense mechanism of
projection
Erik Erikson and Jean Piaget are possibly the two most influential developmental theorists in psychology. Erikson's theory focused on __________ development, while Piaget's theory focused on __________ development.
psychological and social; cognitive
Which of the following best describes the place of psychology within the scientific world?
psychology can, at times, be classified as a natural science, a biological science, and a social science
The Big Five personality factors actually translate into 10 factors, because each factor can also be expressed in terms of its opposite. For example, the opposite of extraversion is introversion. Which of the following would be the best way of describing the opposite of neuroticism?
relaxed, secure, calm
Which of the following statements about sleep is CORRECT?
research shows that we are partially paralyzed during REM sleep.
According to Albert Bandura and social-cognitive theory, a person's confidence in his/her ability to perform a behavior is referred to as
self-efficacy
According to Piaget, during which stage of cognitive development do children come to realize that an object continues to exist, even when they cannot see it or touch it?
sensorimotor
The type of memory where information is stored for the shortest period of time (only an instant) is:
sensory memory
The purpose of the control group in an experiment is to:
serve as a comparison group, so that when there is a difference between the control group and the experimental group, it can be assumed that the treatment or condition to which the experimental group was exposed made a significant difference.
Which of the following IS NOT one of the 7 universal facial expressions of emotion?
shame
Jasmine takes her 1-year-old son, Randal, to visit a day-care center where she plans to enroll him. Randal casually explores the playroom without any hesitation, and when his mom leaves the room to fill out some forms, he shows no signs of concern. Also, when she returns, he shows little interest and continues playing with some toy cars. This is the type of interaction you might observe between a child and a parent who
share an avoidant attachment relationship
Imagine you were asked to do the following in your head: Add 37 + 65, then subtract 11. To perform this task without paper-and-pencil, you would have to hold and process the information in which memory store?
short-term or working memory.
According to Howard Gardner's theory of eight types of intelligence, one would expect a navigator on a ship, who must be an expert at reading maps and calculating location, to possess a high level of __________.
spatial intelligence
Which hormone is believed to be most responsible for sexual motivation in both men and women?
testosterone
Several areas of the brain are involved in memory. Which two brain areas seem most involved in the consolidation of memories (i.e., the transfer of memories into long-term memory)?
the amygdala and the hippocampus
Of the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain, the largest would be the forebrain, which is composed of several brain structures. Which of the following represents the largest structure in the forebrain?
the cerebrum
Broca's area and Wernicke's area are two parts of the brain associated with understanding and using language. For most people, in which brain region are these two areas located?
the left cerebral hemisphere
Several correlational studies point to the basic conclusion that the more time students spend playing violent video games, the greater their tendency to engage in delinquent behavior. Based on this result, you would be justified in stating that:
there is a positive correlation between delinquent behavior and playing violent video games.
Noted memory researcher Daniel Schacter has identified and named the "Seven Sins of Memory," which he believes help explain many of the memory mistakes we all make. What name did Schacter assign to the common phenomenon of memories fading over time?
transience
While at work, your boss hands you a keyring with more than a dozen keys on it and tells you to get the company's 2015 tax return file out of the locked file cabinet in the fileroom. Not knowing which key unlocks the file cabinet, you systematically try each key in the lock until you discover the right one. What type of problem solving technique is this?
trial-and-error
In the case of the genetically-based disorder known as sickle-cell anemia (which is caused by a recessive gene), how many recessive sickle-cell anemia genes would a person have to inherit from his/her biological parents to develop full-blown sickle-cell anemia?
two recessive genes, one inherited from the mother and one inherited from the father
After hiking to a remote area and setting up camp, Brendan and Beth (both serious coffee drinkers) discovered that neither of them had packed any coffee. Over the next few days, both Beth and Brendan experienced constant low-intensity headaches and felt groggy, sleepy, and listless. Beth and Brendan's symptoms indicate they were probably experiencing:
withdrawal symptoms.
