AP Psych semester 1 exam

Which of the following best describes research typical of Wilhelm Wundt's first psychology laboratory? a. examining the unconscious to determine behavior motivation b. using a brain-scanning device to determine the impact events have on brain function c. measuring the reaction time between hearing a sound and pressing a button d. studying helping behavior, based on the premise that people are good e. examining how collective life experiences combine to create individually

C. measuring the reaction time between hearing a sound and pressing a button

With which of the following statements would John B. Watson most likely agree? a. psychology should study the growth potential in all people b. psychology should study the unconscious c. psychology should focus on observable behavior d. psychology should study mental thought processes e. psychology should study how culture and beliefs impact an individual

C. psychology should focus on observable behavior

Who coined the term "tabula rasa" (blank slate) to help explain the impact experience has on shaping an individual?

John Locke

Which philosopher proposed that nerve pathways allowed for reflexes?

Rene Descartes

By seeking to measure "atoms of the mind," who established the first psychology laboratory?

Wilhelm Wundt

Which neurotransmitter inhibits CNS activity in order to calm a person down during stressful situations? a. GABA b. norepinephrine c. acetylcholine d. dopamine e. serotonin

a. GABA

When is prosocial modeling most effective? a. When the model acts in a way consistent with the prosocial lesson b. When the model verbally emphasizes the prosocial lesson but acts as she chooses c. When the model is predisposed to the prosocial conduct d. When the observer has a close personal relationship with the model e. When the model is well-known

a. When the model acts in a way consistent with the prosocial lesson

Which of the following is an application of shaping? a. a mother who wants her daughter to hit a baseball first praises her for holding a bat, then for swinging it, and then for hitting the ball b. a pigeon pecks a disk 25 times for an opportunity to receive a food reinforcement c. a rat presses a bar when a green light is on but not when a red light is on d a rat gradually stops pressing a bar when it no longer receives a food reinforcement e. a gambler continues to play a slot machine, even though he has won nothing on his last 20 plays, and he has lost a significant amount of money

a. a mother who wants her daughter to hit a baseball first praises her for holding a bat, then for swinging it, and then for hitting the ball

Which of the following illustrates generalization? a. a rabbit that has been conditioned to blink to a tone also blinks when a similar tone is sounded b. a dog salivates to a tone but not to a buzzer c. a light is turned on repeatedly until a rat stops flexing its paw when it's turned on d. a pigeon whose disk-pecking response has been extinguished is placed in a skinner box 3 hours later and begins pecking the disk again e. a child is startled when the doorbell rings

a. a rabbit that has been conditioned to blink to a tone also blinks when a similar tone is sounded

An individual is having trouble with cognitive tasks related to learning and memory. Which of the following neurotransmitters is most likely to be involved with the problem? a. acetylcholine b. dopamine c.serotonin d. the endorphins e. GABA

a. acetylcholine

What is the brief electrical charge that travels down an axon called? a. action potential b. resting potential c. all-or-none impulse d. refractory period e. mylination response

a. action potential

Which of the following is a positive correlation? a. as study time decreases, students achieve lower grades b. as levels of self-esteem decline, levels of depression increase c. people who exercise regularly are less likely to be obese d. gas mileage decreases as vehicle weight increases e. repeatedly shooting free throws in basketball is associated with a smaller percentage of missed free throws

a. as study time decreases, students achieve lower grades

The basic idea behind classical conditioning is that the organism? a. associates events b. associates behavior and resulting events c. voluntarily operates on the environment d. associates response with a consequence e. quits responding when reward stops

a. associates events

The most noticable difference between human brains and other mammalian brains is the size of the? a. association areas b. frontal lobe c. glial cells d. reticular activating system e. visual cortex

a. association areas

Which of the following is most closely associated with hairlike receptors in the semicircular canals? a. body positions b. smell c. hearing d. pain e. touch

a. body positions

A split brain patient has a picture of a dog flashed to his right hemisphere and a cat to his left hemisphere. He will be able to identify the? a. cat using his right hand b. dog using his right hand c. dog using either hand d. cat using either hand e. cat using his left hand

a. cat using his right hand

What did Albert Bandura's Bobo doll experiments demonstrate? a. children are likely to imitate the behavior of adults b. there may be a negative correlation between televised violence and aggressive behavior c. children are more likely to copy what adults say than what adults do d. allowing children to watch too much television is detrimental to their development e. observational learning can explain the development of fears in children

a. children are likely to imitate the behavior of adults

Which of the following is most important when conducting survey research? a. choosing a representative sample b. choosing a large sample c. choosing a biased sample d. choosing a sample that includes every member of the population e. choosing a sample whose answers will likely support your hypothesis

a. choosing a representative sample

To walk across a street, a person would rely most directly on which division of the nervous system? a. cns b. sympathetic nervous system c. peripheral nervous system d. autonomic nervous system e. parasympathetic nervous system

a. cns

Which of the following psychologists most strongly emphasize that human behavior is powerfully influenced y the interaction between people and their physical, social, political, and economic environments? a. community b. clinical c. counseling d. industrial-organizational e. rehabilitation

a. community

Kimberly tells her brother to put on a suit on a warm summer day. Kimberly's brother knows to put on a swimsuit instead of a business suit because of? a. context b. ESP c. precognition d. bottom-up processing e. clairvoyance

a. context

Generally speaking, heritability is the extent to which? a. differences among people are accounted for by genes b. an individual's specific traits are due to genes or the environment c. differences among people are due to the environment d. differences among people are due to their cultural heritage e. an individual's height is related to the height of his or her parents

a. differences among people are accounted for by genes

a psychologist investigates the methods teachers use to enhance student learning. with which of the following subfields is the psychologist most likely aligned? a. educational psychology b. experimental psychology c. school psychology d. social psychology e. forensic psychology

a. educational psych

Which of the following refers to an effect of life experience that leaves a molecular mark that affects gene expression? a. epigenetics b. adaption c. evolution d. natural selection e. universal moral grammar

a. epigenetics

Mary checks her phone every 30 minutes for incoming text messages. Her behavior is being maintained by what kind of reinforcement schedule? a. fixed-interval b. variable-interval c. variable-ratio d. fixed-ratio e. continuous

a. fixed-interval

Damage to which of the following could interfere with the ability to plan for the future? a. frontal lobe b. temporal lobe c. parietal lobe d. occipital lobe e. somatosensory cortex

a. frontal lobe

Which school of psychology focused on the adaptive nature of thinking and how our consciousness evolves to meet our needs? a. functionalist b. structuralist c. behavioral d. humanistic e. psychodynamic

a. functionalist

Bringing order and form to stimuli, which illustrates how the whole differs from the sum of its parts, is called? a. grouping b. monocular cue c. binocular cue d. disparity e. motion

a. grouping

What are the three major categories of drugs? a. hallucinogens, depressants, and stimulants b. stimulants, barbiturates, and hallucinogens c. amphetamines, barbiturates, and opiates d. MDMA, LSD, and THC e. alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine

a. hallucinogens, depressants, and stimulants

a humanistic psychologist working with some poets might ask which of the following questions? a. how can we get them to reach their highest potential? b. how did their childhood experiences impact their current behavior? c. how have rewards and punishments shaped their behaviors? e. How do their brains differ from those of other successful people?

a. how can we get them to reach their highest potential?

Who among the following would most likely study the interaction of people, machines, and physical environments? a. human factors psychologist b. personality psychologist c. industrial- organizational psychologist d. counseling psychologist e. experimental psychologist

a. human factors psychologist

why is random assignment of participants to groups an important aspect of a properly designed experiment? a. if the participants are randomly assigned, the researcher can assume that the people in each of the groups are pretty similar b. by randomly assigning participants, the researcher knows that whatever is learned from the experiment will also be true for the population from which the participants were selected c. random assignment keeps expectations from influencing the results of the experiment d. if participants are not randomly assigned, it is impossible to replicate the experiment e. statistical analysis cannot be performed on an experiment if random assignment is not used

a. if the participants are randomly assigned, the researcher can assume that the people in each of the groups are pretty similar

Researchers have discovered that individuals with lower income levels report having fewer hours of total sleep. therefore, a. income and sleep levels are positively correlated b. income and sleep levels are negatively correlated c. income and sleep levels are inversely correlated d. income and sleep levels are not correlated e. lower income levels cause individuals to have fewer hours of sleep

a. income and sleep levels are positively correlated

Which of the following dream theories states that dreams help us sort out the day's events and consolidate our memories? a. information-processing b. wish-fulfillment c. physiological function d. neural activation e. neural disconnection

a. information-processing

Which is one of the major criticisms of the evolutionary perspective in psychology? a. it analyzes after the fact using hindsight b. it attempts to extend a biological theory into a psychological realm c. there is very little evidence to support it d. it has not been around long enough to "stand the test of time" e. it seems to apply in certain cultures but not in others

a. it analyzes after the fact using hindsight

Which of the following is true about daydreaming? a. it occurs spontaneously b. it is physiologically induced c. it is psychologically induced d. it is considered the same as waking awareness e. it it more like meditation that it is like dreaming

a. it occurs spontaneously

Sensing the position and movement of individual body parts is an example of which sense? a. kinesthetic b. vestibular c. auditory d. umami e. olfactory

a. kinesthetic

Thorndike's principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely is known as what? a. law of effect b. operant conditioning c. shaping d. respondent behavior e. discrimination

a. law of effect

Which statistical measure of central tendency is most affected by extreme scores? a. mean b. median c. mode d. skew e. correlation

a. mean

Which of the following is true regarding the initiation of sexual activity? a. men are more likely to initiate sexual activity than women b. women are more likely to initiate sexual activity than men c. the initiation of sexual activity for both men and women correlates with how many television sitcoms they viewed as children d. men and women are equally likely to initiate sexual activity e. who initiates sexual activity is largely determined by culture

a. men are more likely to initiate sexual activity than women

Cognitive neural prosthetics are placed in the brain to help control parts of the? a. motor cortex b. auditory cortex c. somatosensory cortex d. visual cortex e. parietal lobe

a. motor cortex

Evolutionary psychologists seek to understand how traits and behavioral tendencies have been shaped by what a. natural selection b. genes c. prenatal nutrition d. DNA e. chromosomes

a. natural selection

In classical conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus? a. naturally triggers a response b. is a naturally occurring response c. is initially irrelevant, and then come to trigger a response d. objectively studies psychology e. is pavlovian

a. naturally triggers a response

Which of the following is the best synonym for social learning? a. observational learning b. modeling c. mirror neuron imitation d. prosocial model e. imitation

a. observational learning

What do we call the kind of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer? a. operant conditioning b. respondent behavior c. classical conditioning d. shaping e. punishment

a. operant conditioning

Recent research most consistently supports the effectiveness of hypnosis in which of the following areas? a. pain relief b. recover of lost memories c. reduction of sleep deprivation d. forcing people to act against their will e. cessation of smoking

a. pain relief

Which of the following is an example of negative correlation? a. people who spend more time exercising tend to weigh less b. teenage females tend to have fewer speeding tickets than teenage males c. students with low IQ scores tend to have lower grades d. as hours studying for a test decrease, so do grades on that test e. students' shoe sizes are not related to their grades

a. people who spend more time exercising tend to weigh less

A teacher used distortion goggles, which shifted the wearer's gaze 20 degrees, to demonstrate an altered perception. A student wearing the goggles initially bumped into numerous desks and chairs while walking around, but chose to wear the goggles for a half hour. After 30 minutes, the student was able to smoothly avoid obstacles, illustrating the concept of? a. perceptual adaptation b. visual interpretation c. sensory restriction d. perceptual constancy e. binocular cues

a. perceptual adaptation

What do we call the illusion of movement that results from two or more stationary, adjacent lights blinking on and off in quick succession? a. phi phenomenon b. perceptual constancy c. binocular cues d. retinal disparity e. depth perception

a. phi phenomenon

Which of the following endocrine glands may explain unusually tall height in a 12 year old? a. pituitary b. adrenal c. pancreas d. parathyroid e. testes

a. pituitary

Which is the most influential of the endocrine glands? a. pituitary gland b. adrenal glands c. dendrites d. threshold glands e. parasympathetic

a. pituitary gland

which of the following professionals is required to have a medical degree? a. psychiatrist b. psychologist c. clinician d. counselor e. psychotherapist

a. psychiatrist

Which of the following best describes genetic mutation? a. random errors in gene replication b. the study of the mind's evolution c. the study of behavioral evolution d. passing on successful, inherited traits e. survival of the genetically successful

a. random errors in gene replication

which is the following is a measure of variation? a. range b. mean c. mode d. frequency e. median

a. range

Frequency theory relates to which element of the hearing process? a. rate at which the basilar membrane vibrates b. number of fibers in the auditory nerve c. point at which the basilar membrane exhibits the most vibration d. decibel level of a sound e. number of hair cells in each cochlea

a. rate at which the basilar membrane vibrates

The two monocular depth cues that are most responsible for our ability to know that a jet flying high overhead is at an elevation of several miles. One cue is relative size. What is the other? a. relative motion b. retinal disparity c. interposition d. light and shadow e. linear perspective

a. relative motion

Why is an operational definition necessary when reporting research findings? a. an operational definition allows other to replicate the procedure b. an operational definition provides more context and includes many examples of the concept described c. an operational definition is easier to translate into multiple languages than a dictionary definition d. an operational definition uses more scientific language than a dictionary definition e. an operational definition is not necessary since a dictionary definition will work as well for replication

a. replication

Which of the following represents naturalistic observation? a. researchers watch and record how elementary school children interact on the playground b. researchers bring participants into a laboratory to see how they responds to a puzzle with no solution c. a principal looks at the relationship between the number of student absences and their grades d. a social worker visits a family home and gives feedback on family interactions e. 2 grandparents sit in the front row to watch their grandson's first piano recital

a. researchers watch and record how elementary school children interact on the playground

What do we call behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus? a. respondent behavior b. operant behavior c. extinguished behavior d. biofeedback conditioning e. skinnerian conditioning

a. respondent behavior

The view from Narmeen's left eye is slightly different from the view from her right eye. This is due to which depth cue? a. retinal disparity b. relative size c. linear perspective d. relative motion e. convergence

a. retinal disparity

Which ability is a good predictor of good adjustment, better grades, and social success? a. self-control b. locus of control c. problem-focused coping d. learned helplessness e. emotion-focused coping

a. self-control

Which perspective would be most useful when explaining how people from different countries express anger? a. social cultural b. psychodynamic c. behavioral d. functionalist e. biological

a. social cultural

Which of the following best describes a discriminative stimulus? a. something that elicits a response after association with a reinforcer b. an innately reinforcing stimulus c. something that when removed increases the likelihood of the behavior d. an event that decreases the behavior it follows e. an amplified stimulus feeding back information to responses

a. something that elicits a response after association with a reinforcer

Which of the following is most likely to be a function of the left hemisphere? a. speech b. evaluating perceptual tasks c. making inferences d. identifying emotion in other people's faces e. identifying one's sense of self

a. speech

A dog is trained to salivate when it hears a tone associated with food. Then the tone is sounded repeatedly without an unconditioned stimulus until the dog stops salivating. Later, when the tone sounds again, the dog salivates again. This is a description of what part of the conditioning process? a. spontaneous recovery b. extinction c. generalization d. discrimination e. acquisition

a. spontaneous recovery

Neurotransmitters cross the ___ to carry information to the next neuron a. synaptic gap b. axon c. myelin sheath d. dendrites e. cell body

a. synaptic gap

researchers studying gender have found that a. there are more similarities than differences between the genders b. there are no significant cognitive differences between the genders c. there are no significant emotional differences between the genders d. research tools are not capable of determining if there are true differences or not e. differences between the genders are becoming more pronounced over time

a. there are more similarities than differences between the genders

What do we call the conversion of stimulus energies, like sights and sounds, into neural impulses? a. transduction b. perception c. priming d. signal detection theory e. threshold

a. transduction

There is a negative correlation between TV watching and grades. What can we properly conclude from this discovery? a. we can conclude that a student who watches a lot of tv is likely to have lower grades b. we can conclude that tv watching leads to lower grades c. we can conclude that tv watching leads to higher grades d. we can conclude that the grades students get impact their tv watching habits e. we can conclude that this is an illusory correlation

a. we can conclude that a student who watches a lot of tv is likely to have lower grades

Psychiatrists differ from psychologists in that they

are medical doctors licensed to prescribe medication

In which state of sleep are you likely to experience hypnagogic sensations of falling? a. alpha sleep b. NREM 1 c. NREM 2 d. NREM e. REM

b. NREM 1

Opiate drugs such as morphine are classified as what? a. antagonists, because they block neurotransmitter receptors for pain b. agonists, because they mimic other neurotransmitters' pain diminishing effects c. excitatory neurotransmitters, because they activate pain-control mechanisms d. sympathetic nervous system agents, because they prepare the body for a challenge e. parasympathetic nervous system agents, because they calm the body

b. agonists, because they mimic other neurotransmitters' pain diminishing effects

What must a researcher do to fulfill the ethical principle of informed consent? a. keep information about participants confidential b. allows participants to choose whether to take part c. protect participants from potential harm d. provide participants with a pre-experimental explanation of the study e. provide participants with a post-experimental explanation of the study

b. allows participants to choose whether to take part

A gymnast falls and hits her head on the floor. She attempts to continue practicing, but has trouble maintaining balance. What part of her brain has probably been affected? a. reticular formation b. cerebellum c. amygdala d. frontal lobe e. brainstem

b. cerebellum

Hormones are ____ released into the _____ a. neurons; neurotransmitters b. chemical messengers; bloodstream c. electrical messengers; bloodstream d. electrical messengers; synapse e. chemical messengers; synapse

b. chemical messengers; bloodstream

Which of the following beliefs would most likely be held by an individual in a collectivist culture? a. children should be encouraged to focus on personal goals and aspirations b. children should be encouraged to develop harmonious relationships c. it is important to be competitive and assertive in order to get ahead in life d. if you want something done well, you should do it yourself e. it is important to satisfy personal needs before those of the larger community

b. children should be encourage to develop harmonious relationships

Which of the following psychologists would most likely conduct psychotherapy? a. biological b. clinical c. industrial-organizational d. cognitive e. evolutionary

b. clinical

Sleep deprivation can lead to weight gain, reduced muscle strength, suppression of the cells that fight common colds, and most likely which of the following? a. increased productivity b. depression c. decreased mistakes on homework d. increased feeling of well being e. sleep apnea

b. depression

Lynn is teaching learning. Every time she claps her hands, Charlie turns off the light. When Randy claps in approval of Lynn's presentation, Charlie does not turn the light off. What concept has Charlie demonstrated? a. habituation b. discrimination c. spontaneous recovery d. extinction e. habituation

b. discrimination

Which psychological principle best explains why studying an hour a day for a week is more effective than one 7-hour study session a. testing effect b. distributed practice c. SQ3R d. retrieval practice effect e. psychometrics

b. distributed practice

Which of these drugs, which acts as both a stimulant and a hallucinogen, can also cause dangerous dehydration? a. LSD b. ecstasy c. alcohol d. cocaine e. caffeine

b. ecstasy

The effects of opiates are similar to the effects of which neurotransmitter? a. barbiturates b. endorphins c. tranquilizers d. nembutal e. acetylcholine

b. endorphins

Which method should a psychology researcher use if she is interested in testing whether a specific reward in a classroom situation causes students to behave better? a. case study b. experiment c. survey d. naturalistic observation e. correlation

b. experiment

What do we call a desire to perform a behavior in order to receive promised rewards or to avoid threatened punishment? a. latent learning b. extrinsic motivation c. intrinsic motivation d. insight learning e. emotion-focused coping

b. extrinsic motivation

Which of the following is the best example of sensory interaction? a. finding that despite its delicious aroma, a weird looking meal tastes awful b. finding hat food tastes bland when you have a bad cold c. finding it difficult to maintain your balance when you have an ear infection d. finding that the cold pool water doesn't feel so cold after a while e. all of these are examples

b. finding hat food tastes bland when you have a bad cold

Which of the following reflects the notion that pitch is related to the number of impulses traveling up the auditory nerve in a unit of time? a. place theory b. frequency theory c. volley principle d. sound localization e. stereophonic hearing

b. frequency theory

Which of the following is most closely associated with the idea of epigenetics? a. eye color b. gene display based on environmental factors c. IQ as a function of educational experiences d. height at birth e. shoe size

b. gene display based on environmental factors

monday morning quarterbacks rarely act surprised about the outcome of weekend football games. this tendency to believe they knew how the game would turn out is best explained by which psychological principle? a. overconfidence b. hindsight bias c. intuition d. illusory correlation e. random sampling

b. hindsight bias

Which of the following states of consciousness occurs when one person suggest to another that certain thoughts or behaviors will spontaneously occur? a. dreaming b. hypnosis c. daydreaming d. hallucination e. waking awareness

b. hypnosis

A testable prediction that drives research is known as a(n) a. theory b. hypothesis c. operational definition d. guess e. random sample

b. hypothesis

The dual-processing model refers to which of the following ideas? a. the right and left hemispheres of the brain both process incoming messages b. incoming information is processed by both conscious and unconscious tracks c. each lobe of the brain processes incoming information d. the brain first processes emotional information and then processes analytical information e. the thalamus and hypothalamus work together to analyze incoming sensory information

b. incoming information is processed by both conscious and unconscious tracks

A women had been pondering a problem for days and was about to give up when, suddenly, the solution came to her. Her experience can be best described as what? a. cognitive mapping b. insight c. operant conditioning d. classical conditioning e. unconscious associative learning

b. insight

Damage to the hippocampus would result in what? a. difficulties with balance and coordination b. memory problems c. the false sensation of burning in parts of the boyd d. emotional outbursts e. death

b. memory problems

Which of the following statements has been supported by the research of evolutionary psychologists? a. women are attracted to men who appear virile b. men are attracted to women who appear fertile and capable of bearing children c. the connection between sex and pleasure is mostly determined by culture d. the same factors determine sexual attractions in both males and females e. most adults are attracted to partners that in some way remind them of their parents

b. men are attracted to women who appear fertile and capable of bearing children

Which of the following carries the information necessary to activate withdrawal of the hand from a hot object? a. sensory neuron b. motor neuron c. interneuron d. receptor neuron e. reflex

b. motor neuron

A student studies diligently to avoid the bad feelings associated with a previously low grade on a test. In this case, the studying behavior is being strengthened because of what kind of reinforcement? a. positive reinforcement b. negative reinforcement c. delayed reinforcement d. primary reinforcement e. conditioned reinforcement

b. negative reinforcement

According to the behaviorist perspective, psychological science should be rooted in what? a. introspection b. observation c. cultural influences d. growth potential e. basic needs

b. observation

One reason that identical twins might show slight difference at birth is? a. they did not develop from a single fertilized egg b. one twin's placenta may have provided slightly better nourishment c. they develop from different sperm d. one twin gestated much longer in the uterus than the other e. their relative positions in the uterus

b. one twin's placenta may have provided slightly better nourishment

What do we call the tendency to exaggerate the correctness or accuracy of our beliefs and predictions prior to testing? a. hindsight bias b. overconfidence c. critical thinking d. skepticism e. reliability

b. overconfidence

What do we call a mental predisposition that influences our interpretation of a stimulus? a. a context effects b. perceptual set c. extrasensory perception d. emotion e. motivation

b. perceptual set

An individual experiences brain damage that produces a coma. Which part of the brain was probably damaged? a. corpus callosum b. reticular formation c. frontal lobe d. cerebellum e. limbic system

b. reticular formation

Juanita does not feel like getting out of bed, has lost her appetite, and feels tired for most of the day. Which of the following neurotransmitters likely is in short supply for Juanita? a. dopamine b. serotonin c. norepinephrine d. acetylcholine e. glutamate

b. serotonin

Your best friend decides to paint her room an extremely bright electric blue. Which of the following best fits the physical properties of the color's light waves? a. no wavelength; large amplitude b. short wavelength; large amplitude c. short wavelength; small amplitude d. long wavelength; large amplitude e. no wavelength; small amplitude

b. short wavelength; large amplitude

What do we call the reappearance, after a rest period, of an extinguished response? a. acquisition b. spontaneous recovery c. discrimination d. operant conditioning e. classical conditioning

b. spontaneous recovery

Superstitious behavior can be produced by? a. careful manipulation of a classical conditioning experiment b. the accidental timing of rewards c. possession of a large number of traditionally lucky items d. cognitive awareness of superstitious behavior in others e. the change in a reinforcement schedule from ratio to interval

b. the accidental timing of rewards

Which of the following phrases accurately describes top-down processing? a. the entry-level data captured by our various sensory systems b. the effect that our experiences and expectation have on perception c. our tendency to scan a visual field from top to bottom d. or inclination to follow a predetermined set of steps to process sound e. the fact that information is processed by the higher regions of the brain before it reaches the lower brain

b. the effect that our experiences and expectation have on perception

Which of the following is most likely to influence our memory of a painful event? a. the overall length of the event b. the intensity of pain at the end of the event c. the reason for the pain d. the amount of rest you've had in the 24 hours preceding the event e. the specific part of the body that experiences the pain

b. the intensity of pain at the end of the event

A researcher wants to conduct an experiment to determine if eating a cookie before class each day improves student grades. He uses two psychology classes for the experiment providing daily cookies to one and nothing to the other. At the end of the semester, the researcher compares the final grades of students in the two classes. what is the independent variable for this experiment? a. the students in the class that received cookies b. the presence or absence or absence of cookies c. the students in the class that didn't receive cookies d. the period of the day that the two classes met e. semester grades

b. the presence or absence or absence of cookies

What is the pineal gland's role in sleep? a. activating the SCN b. the production of melatonin c. the location of hypnagogic images d. remembering dreams upon waking e. emitting alpha waves

b. the production of melatonin

Which of the following is the most likely consequence of the brain's tendency to vicariously experience something we observe? a. actual physical injury b. the risk of misremembering our own actions c. interference with associative learning d. the elimination of classically conditioned responses to stimuli e. a confusion between reinforcers and reward in an operant conditioning setting

b. the risk of misremembering our own actions

A journalism student is writing an article about her school's new cell-phone policy, and she'd like to interview a random sample of students. which of the following is the best example of a random sample? a. the writer arrives at school early and interviews the first five students who come through the main entrance b. the writer pulls the names of five students from a hat that contains all students' names. she interviews the five selected students c. the writer asks her teacher if she can distribute a brief survey to the students in her ap psych class d. the writer passes out brief surveys to 50 students in the hall and uses the 18 surveys returned to her as the basis of her article e. the writer asks the principal for the names of 10 students who have had their cells phones confiscated for a day for violating the policy. she interviews these 10 students

b. the writer pulls the names of five students from a hat that contains all students' names. she interviews the five selected students

A researcher calculates statistical significance for her study and finds a 5 percent chance that results are due to chance. which of the following is an accurate interpretation of this finding? a. this is well beyond the range of statistical significance b. this is the minimum result typically considered statistically significant c. this is not statistically significant d. there is no way to determine statistical significance without replication of the study. e. chance or coincidence is unrelated to statistical significance

b. this is the minimum result typically considered statistically significant

What term describes the brain's adaptation to a drug's chemistry, requiring larger and larger doses to experience the same effect? a. withdrawl b. tolerance c. addiction d. substance use disorder e. disinhibiting

b. tolerance

Interneurons are said to? a. send messages from specific body part to the brain b. transmit and process information within the brain and spinal cord c. act as connectors, supporting other neurons in the brain d. send messages from the brain to body parts e. influence the pituitary gland

b. transmit and process information within the brain and spinal cord

Which of the following statements is the best example of applied research? a. investigating personality traits b. using psychological concepts to boost worker productivity c. experimenting with how people perceive different stimuli d. studying the changing abilities of children from ages 2 to 5 e. exploring the neural changes that occur during adolescence

b. using psychological concepts to boost worker productivity

Light's __ is the distance from one wave peak to the next. This dimension determines the __ we experience? a. hue; wavelength b. wavelength; hue c. hue; intensity d. wavelength; intensity e. intensity; wavelength

b. wavelength; hue

A researcher interested in determining the size of a particular area of the brain would be most likely to use what kind of test? a. lesion b. EEG c. MRI d. fMRI e. PET scan

c. MRI

Natalia is washing her hands and adjusts the faucet handle until the water feels just slightly hotter than it did before. Natalia's adjustment until she feels a difference is an example of? a. a subliminal stimulus b. an absolute threshold c. a difference threshold d. signal detection e. weber's law

c. a difference threshold

Signal detection theory is most closely associated with which perception process? a. vision b. sensory adaptation c. absolute thresholds d. smell e. context effects

c. absolute thresholds

When Kluver and Bucy surgically lesioned the amygdala of a rhesus monkey's brain, what was the impact on the monkey's behavior? a. lost its ability to coordinate movement b. died because its heartbeat became irregular c. became less aggressive d. lost its memory of where food was stored e. sank into an irreversible coma

c. became less aggressive

What is the study of specific genes and teams of genes that influence behavior called? a. molecular genetics b. evolutionary psychology c. behavior genetics d. heritability e. natural selection

c. behavior genetics

Classical and operant conditioning are based on the principles of which psychological perspective? a. cognitive b. biological c. behaviorist d. evolutionary e. humanist

c. behaviorist

Which of the following represents a circadian rhythm? a. a burst of growth occurs during puberty b. a full moon occurs about one a month c. body temperature rises each day as morning approaches d. when it is summer in the northern hemisphere, it is winter in the southern hemisphere e. pulse rate increases when we exercise

c. body temperature rises each day as morning approaches

Latent learning is evidence for which of these conclusion? a. punishment is an ineffective means of controlling behavior b. negative reinforcement should be avoided when possible c. cognition plays an important role in operant conditioning d. conditioned reinforcers are more effective that primary reinforcers e. shaping is usually not necessary for operant conditioning

c. cognition plays an important role in operant conditioning

Elephants appear to have the capacity to remember large-scale spaces over long periods. Which of the following best identifies this capacity? a. latent learning b. insight c. cognitive maps d. intrinsic motivation e. extrinsic motivation

c. cognitive maps

Computer-enhanced X-rays used to create brain images are known as a. position emission tomography b. functional magnetic resonance images c. computed tomography scans d. electroencephalograms e. magnetic resonance images

c. computed tomography scans

What type of hearing loss is due to the mechanism that transmits sound waves to the cochlea? a. sensorineural b. window-related c. conduction d. cochlear e. basilar

c. conduction

What do we call the transparent, protective layer that light passes through as it enter the eye? a. pupil b. iris c. cornea d. lens e. fovea

c. cornea

Which of the following might result from a disruption of you vestibular sense? a. inability to detect the position of you arm without looking at it b. loss of the ability to detect bitter tastes c. dizziness and a loss of balance d. an inability to detect pain e. loss of color vision

c. dizziness and a loss of balance

Morphine elevates mood and eases pain, and is most similar to which of the following? a. dopamine b. serotonin c. endorphins d. acetylcholine e. GABA

c. endorphins

Students are accustomed to a bell ringing to indicate the end of a class period. The principal decides to substitute popular music for the bell to indicate the end of each class period. Students quickly respond to the music in the same way they did to the bell. What principle does this illustrate? a. acquisition b. habituation c. generalization d. functional fixedness e. stimulus

c. generalization

What was one of the major findings of Thomas Bouchard's study of twins? a. it demonstrated that peer influence is more important than parental influence in the development of personality traits b. it proved that the influence of parental environment becomes more and more important as children grow into adults c. he discovered almost unbelievable similarities between adult identical twins who had been separated near birth d. fraternal twins showed almost as much similarity as identical twins when they reached adulthood e. it provided evidence that heritability is less important than researchers previously suspected

c. he discovered almost unbelievable similarities between adult identical twins who had been separated near birth

Which of the following explains reversed-color afterimages? a. young-helmholtz trichromatic theory b. the blind spot c. hering's opponent-process theory d. feature detectors e. parallel processing

c. hering's opponent-process theory

Which of the following drugs is classified as an opiate? a. nicotine b. marijuana c. heroin d. methamphetamine e. cocaine

c. heroin

All of the following are examples of primary reinforcers except a? a. rat's food reward in a skinner box b. cold drink on a hot day c. high score on an exam for which a student studied diligently d. hug from a loved one e. large meal following an extended time without food

c. high score on an exam for which a student studied diligently

After the student council election, a friend tells you he has known for weeks who would be elected president. What does this seem to illustrate? a. skepticism b. critical thinking c. hindsight bias d. overconfidence e. perceiving order in random events

c. hindsight bias

Which of the following describes a perception process that the gestalt psychologists would have been interested in? a. depth perception and how it allows us to survive in the world b. why we see an object near us as closer rather than larger c. how an organized whole is formed out of its component pieces d. what the smallest units of perception are e. the similarities between shape constancy and size constancy

c. how an organized whole is formed out of its component pieces

The study of the importance of satisfying love and acceptance needs best describes which school of psychology? a. behavioral b. functionalish c. humanistic d. psychodynamic e. structuralist

c. humanistic

a scientist's willingness to admit that she is wrong is an example of a. curiosity b. intelligence c. humility d. skeptical e. cynicism

c. humility

Which of the following brain areas is responsible for regulating thirst? a. reticular activating system b. amygdala c. hypothalamus d. hippocampus e. brainstem

c. hypothalamus

Which field of psychology is most interested in studying the link between mental activity and brain activity? a. humanistic psychology b. gestalt psychology c. industrial-organizational d. psychodynamic perspective e. evolutionary perspective

c. industrial-organizational

Recurring problems in falling asleep or staying asleep are characteristic of which sleep disorder? a. sleep apnea b. narcolepsy c. insomnia d. sleep talking e. sleepwalking

c. insomnia

The perception that we control our own fate is also called what? a. self-control b. learned helplessness c. internal locus of control d. external locus of control e. emotion-focused coping

c. internal locus of control

Which of the following is best defined as a relatively permanent change in behavior due to experience? a. acquisition b. stimulus c. learning d. habituation e. response

c. learning

Which of the following processes is the best term for explaining how we learn languages? a. biofeedback b. discrimination c. modeling d. insight e. creativity

c. modeling

Multiple sclerosis is a result of degeneration in the a. dendrites b. axon c. myelin sheath d. terminal button e. neuron

c. myelin sheath

Researchers are interested in finding out if winning congressional candidates display more positive facial expressions than losing candidates. the researchers attend political debates and record how frequently each candidate displays positive facial expressions. which research method are the researchers using? a. random sample b. case study c. naturalistic observation d. survey e. interview

c. naturalistic observation

Which of the following demonstrates the need for psychological science? a. psychology's methods are unlike those of any other science b. psychological experiments are less valuable without psychological science c. our intuitions about human thinking and behavior are not always accurate d. intuition does not provide correct answers unless it is applied through the scientific method e. psychological science research is superior to that of other sciences like biology and physics

c. our intuitions about human thinking and behavior are not always accurate

Jarod's muscles are relaxed, his body is basically paralyzed, and he is hard to awaken. His sleep state would most likely be called? a. sleep apnea b. hypnagogic c. paradoxical d. delta e. sleep deprivation

c. paradoxical

Which branch of the nervous system calms a person? a. CNS b. sympathetic c. parasympathetic d. somatic e. endocrine

c. parasympathetic

Our tendency to see faces in clouds and other ambiguous stimuli is partly based on what perception principle? a. selective attention b. ESP c. perceptual set d. shape constancy e. bottom-up processing

c. perceptual set

Which of the following is more likely to be emphasized in individualist cultures than in collectivistic cultures? a. gender differences b. shared goals c. personal achievement d. cooperation with the group e. preservation of tradition

c. personal achievement

Which of the following most accurately describes an impact of punishment? a. punishment is a good way to increase a behavior, as long as it is not used too frequently b. punishment may create problems in the short term but rarely produces long-term side effects c. punishment can be effective at stopping specific behaviors quickly d. punishment typically results in an increase of a behavior that caused the removal of an aversive stimulus e. punishment should never be used (in the opinion of most psychologists), because the damage it causes can never be repaired

c. punishment can be effective at stopping specific behaviors quickly

When there is a negative charge inside an axon and a positive charge outside it, the neuron is? a. in the process of reuptake b. not in the refractory period c. said to have a resting potential d. said to have an action potential e. depolarizing

c. said to have a resting potential

What do we call the sleep disorder that causes you to stop breathing and awaken in order to take a breath? a. narcolepsy b. insomnia c. sleep apnea d. nightmares e. night terrors

c. sleep apnea

Stimulation at a point on which of the following may cause a person to report being touched on the knee? a. motor cortex b. cerebellum c. somatosensory cortex d. temporal lobe e. thalamus

c. somatosensory cortex

When we go to the movies, we see smooth continuous motion rather than a series of still images because of which process? a. the phi phenomenon b. perceptual set c. stroboscopic movement d. relative motion e. illusory effect

c. stroboscopic movement

self reflective introspection about the elements of experience best describes a technique used by which school of psychology? a. darwinists b. empiricists c. structuralists d. behaviorists e. psychiatrists

c. structuralists

Which of the following is an example of gene-environment interaction? a. yeh lin experiences flushing syndrome, which mostly occurs in those of Asian heritage b. Alfonso gets food poisoning from eating undercooked meat c. ted gets diabetes, which runs in his family, because he eats too much sugary food d. Samantha has a food allergy to shellfish e. Jordan has an autoimmune disorder that causes him to lose hair

c. ted gets diabetes, which runs in his family, because he eats too much sugary food

Why do researchers study the brains of nonhuman animals? a. it is not ethical to study human brains b. human brains are too complex to study meaningfully c. the same principles govern neural functioning in all species d. it is too expensive to study human brains e. the technology is still being developed for the study of human brains

c. the same principles govern neural functioning in all species

Why do researchers find the study of fraternal twins important? a. they share similar environments and the same genetic code b. data collected concerning their similarities is necessary for calculating heritability c. they are the same age and are usually raised in similar environments, but they do not have the same genetic code d. results allow us to determine exactly how disorders ranging from heart disease to schizophrenia are inherited e. they are typically raised in less similar environments than non twin siblings

c. they are the same age and are usually raised in similar environments, but they do not have the same genetic code

Which of the following is a potential problem with case studies? a. they provide too much detail and the researcher is likely to lose track of the most important details b. they are generally too expensive to be economical c. they may be misleading because they don't fairly represent other cases d. they are technically difficult and most researchers don't have the skills to do them properly e. the dependent variable is difficult to operationally define in a case study

c. they may be misleading because they don't fairly represent other cases

What is the purpose of the iris? a. to focus light on the retina b. to process color c. to allow light into the eye d. to enable night vision e. to detect specific shapes

c. to allow light into the eye

What is one of the principal functions of mirror neurons? a. to allow an organism to replace an unconditioned response with a conditioned response b. to help produce intrinsic motivation in some children c. to be the mechanism by which the brain accomplishes observational learning d. to produce the neural associations that are the basis of both classical and operant conditioning e. to explain why modeling prosocial behavior is more effective than modeling negative behavior

c. to be the mechanism by which the brain accomplishes observational learning

While taking a standardized test with randomly scrambled answers, you notice that your last four answers have been "c." Which of the following is true concerning the probability of the next answer being "c"? a. it is higher. Once a streak begins, it is likely to last for a while b. it is lower. Since answers are distributed randomly, "c" answers become less common c. it is unaffected by previous answers. It is a s likely to be "c" as any other answer d. you should check your previous answers. four "c's" in a row is impossible e. It is higher. Test constructors trick students by keeping the same answer many times in a row.

c. unaffected

which of the following represents perceptual constancy? a. we recognize the taste of McDonalds food each time we eat it b. in photos of people, the people almost always are perceived as figure and everything else as ground c. we know that the color of a printed page has not changed as it moves from sunlight into shadow d. from the time they are very young, most people can recognize the smell of a dentist's office e. the cold water in a lake doesn't seem so cold after you have been swimming in it for a few minutes

c. we know that the color of a printed page has not changed as it moves from sunlight into shadow

Which of the following communicates with the pituitary which in turn controls the endocrine system? a. parathyroids b. autonomic nervous system c. hypothalamus d. spinal cord e. pancreas

c.hypothalamus

Which of the following correlation coefficients represents the strongest relationship between two variables? a. + .30 b. +.75 c. +1.3 d. -.85 e. -1.2

d. -.85

in a normal distribution, what percentage of the scores in the distribution falls within one standard deviation on either side of the mean? a. 34 percent b. 40 percent c. 50 percent d. 68 percent e. 95 percent

d. 68 percent

Psychologists who study the brain's activity during sleep are most likely to use which of these technologies? a. MRI b. CT scan c. PET scan d. EEG e. EKG

d. EEG

Which of the following represents drug tolerance? a. Hans has grown to accept the fact that his wife likes to have a beer with her dinner, even though he personally does not approve of the use of alcohol b. Jose often wakes up with a headache that lasts until he has his morning cup of coffee c. Pierre enjoys the effect of marijuana and is now using the drug several times a week d. Jacob had to increase the dosage of his pain medication when the old dosage no longer effectively controlled the pain from his chronic back condition e. Chau lost his job and is now homeless as a result of his drug use

d. Jacob had to increase the dosage of his pain medication when the old dosage no longer effectively controlled the pain from his chronic back condition

Which of the following is an example of hindsight bias? a. Tom is certain that electric cars will represent 80 percent of vehicles in 30 years and only reads research studies that support his hypothesis b. Liza underestimates how much time it will take her to finish writing her college application essays and as a result fails to meet an important deadline. c. Experts predicting world events with 80 percent confidence turned out to be correct less than 40 percent of the time d. Marcy cannot recognize a definition on a flashcard. After turning the card over and viewing the term, she tells herself she knew what the answer was all along. e. Dr. Grace overestimates how effectively her new treatment method works because she fails to seek out any evidence refuting her theory.

d. Marcy

Which of the following scanning techniques measure glucose consumption as an indicator of brain activity? a. CT b. MRI c. fMRI d. PET e. EEG

d. PET

Which of the following best represents an absolute threshold? a. a guitar player knows that his D string has just gone out of tune b. a photographer can tell that the natural light available for a photograph has just faded slightly c. your friend amazes you by correctly identifying unlabeled glasses of coke and pepsi d. a cook can just barely taste the salt she has added to her soup e. your mom throws out the milk because she says the taste is "off"

d. a cook can just barely taste the salt she has added to her soup

Slowed reactions, slurred speech, and decreased skill performance are associated with abuse of which drug? a. nicotine b. methamphetamine c. caffeine d. alcohol e. ecstasy

d. alcohol

Which of the following statements is true of alcohol? a. alcohol is a stimulant because it produces insomnia b. alcohol is a depressant because it produces bipolar disorder c. alcohol is a stimulant because people do foolish things while under its influence d. alcohol is a depressant because it calms neural activity and slows body function e. alcohol is a stimulant because it increases instances of casual sex

d. alcohol is a depressant because it calms neural activity and slows body function

Classical conditioning is the type of learning in which a person links two or more stimuli and? a. forgets about them b. lays them out in sequence c. shuts down d. anticipates events e. receives a reward

d. anticipates events

The work of Ivan Pavlov and John Watson fits best into which of psychology's perspectives? a. humanism b. gestalt psychology c. trait theory d. behaviorism e. neuropsychology

d. behaviorism

Phrenology has been discredited, but which of the following ideas has its origins in phrenology? a. brain lateralization b. brain cavities contributing to sense of humor c. bumps in the left hemisphere leading or emotional responses d. brain function localizations e. belief that the mind pumps warmth and vitality into the body

d. brain function localizations

An individual with an exceptional memory is identified. she is capable of recalling major events, the weather, and what she did on any given date. what research method is being used if a psychologist conducts an in-depth investigation of this individual including questionnaires, brain scans, and memory tests? a. naturalistic observation b. survey c. interview d. case study e. correlational method

d. case study

Which of the following kinds of psychologists would most likely explore how we process and remember information? a. developmental b. biological c. social d. cognitive e. personality

d. cognitive

Which of the following perspectives is most likely to address how the encoding, storing, and retrieval of information might alter our thoughts? a. behavioral b. psychodynamic c. humanistic d. cognitive e. biological

d. cognitive

A psychologist works with children whose parents are divorcing. She helps them develop skills they need to cope with the situation. Of the following, what kind of psychologist is most likely helping these children? a. industrial-organizational b. social c. research d. counseling e. community

d. counseling

Which ethical principle requires that at the end of the study participants be told about the true purpose of the research? a. institutional review board approval b. informed consent c. confidentiality d. debriefing e. protection from physical harm

d. debriefing

Which is the term most closely associated with the split in consciousness that allows some thought and behaviors to occur simultaneously with other? a. consciousness b. hypnosis c. hallucination d. dissociation e. meditation

d. dissociation

What do we call it when the CR decreases as the CS is repeatedly presented alone? a. generalization b. discrimination c. spontaneous recovery d. extinction e. acquisition

d. extinction

Neurons that fire in response to specific edges, lines, angles, and movements are called what? a. rods b. cones c. ganglion cells d. feature detectors e. bipolar cells

d. feature detectors

What do we call the specialized neurons in the occipital lobe's visual cortex that respond to particular edges, lines, angles, and movements? a. rods b. cones c. foveas d. feature detectors e. ganglion cells

d. feature detectors

Which of the following's primary function is processing memories? a. cerebral cortex b. medulla c. corpus callosum d. hippocampus e. hypothalamus

d. hippocampus

During which task might the right hemisphere of the brain be most active? a. solving a mathematical equation b. reading c. making a brief oral presentation to a class d. imagining what a dress would look like on a friend e. solving a logic problem

d. imagining what a dress would look like on a friend

When a distribution of scores is skewed, which of the following is the most representative measure of central tendency? a. inference b. standard deviation c. mean d. median e. correlation coefficient

d. median

The three small bones of the ear are located in the? a. cochlea b. outer ear c. inner ear d. middle ear e. auditory nerve

d. middle ear

A researcher looking for gender difference in 3 year olds observes a preschool class and records how many minutes children of each gender play with dolls She then compares the two sets of numbers. What type of descriptive research is she conducting? a. case study b. national study c. random sample method d. naturalistic observation e. survey

d. naturalistic observation

Human genome (DNA) researchers have discovered that? a. chimpanzees are completely different than humans. sharing a small DNA sequence percentage b. the occasional variations found at particular gene sites inhuman DNA are of no interest to science c. many genes do not influence most of our traits d. nearly every other human is your genetically identical twin e. genetic predispositions do not help explain our shared human nature and our human diversity

d. nearly every other human is your genetically identical twin

Pitch depends on which of the following? a. amplitude of a sound wave b. number of hair cells stimulated c. strength of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve d. number of sound waves that reach the ear in a given time e. decibels of a sound wave

d. number of sound waves that reach the ear in a given time

Which of the following processes would produce the acquisition of a conditioned response? a. repeatedly present an unconditioned response b. administer the conditioned stimulus without the unconditioned stimulus c. make sure that the conditioned stimulus comes at least one minute before the unconditioned stimulus d. pair a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus several times e. present the conditioned stimulus until it starts to produce an unconditioned response

d. pair a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus several times

The science of behavior and mental process is the definition of which field of study? a. philosophy b. cognitive neuroscience c. basic research d. psychology e. applied research

d. psychology

Which of the following sleep theories emphasizes sleep's role in restoring and repairing brain tissue? a. memory b. protection c. growth d. recuperation e. creativity

d. recuperation

the purpose of random assignment is to a. allow participants in both the experimental and control groups to be exposed to the independent variable b. ensure that every member of the population had an equal chance of being selected to participate in the research c. eliminate the placebo effect d. reduce potential confounding variables e. generate operational definitions for the independent and dependent variables

d. reduce potential confounding variables

Which of the following is used only in correlation studies? a. double blind b. placebo c. random assignment d. scatterplot e. random sample

d. scatterplot

What neurotransmitters are most likely in undersupply in someone who is depressed? a. dopamine and GABA b. ACh and norepinephrine c. dopamine and norepinephrine d. serotonin and norepinephrine e. serotonin and glutamate

d. serotonin and norepinephrine

What are bursts of rapid, rhythmic brain-wave activity that occur during NREM-2 sleep? a. hallucinations b. circadian rhythms c. alpha waves d. sleep spindles e. delta waves

d. sleep spindles

Surgical stimulation of the somatosensory cortex might result in the false sensation of what? a. music b. flashes of colored light c. someone whispering your name d. someone tickling you e. a bad odor

d. someone tickling you

Which descriptive statistic would a researcher use to describe how close a student's SAT score is to a school's average SAT score? a. correlation coefficient b. mean c. median d. standard deviation e. range

d. standard deviation

WHich of the following is produced by perceptual set? a. not noticing that the song change in a restaurant b. noticing a difference in the weight of a friend from one week to the next c. moving an arm quickly so that a mosquito flies away d. surprise at hearing an Oklahoma cowboy speak with a british accent e. Not noticing a watch on your wrist as the day goes on

d. surprise at hearing an Oklahoma cowboy speak with a british accent

Which division of the nervous system produces the startle response? a. parasympathetic b. central c. somatic d. sympathetic e. autonomic

d. sympathetic

Taste aversion studies lead researchers to which of the following conclusions? a. taste is the most fundamental of the senses b. there are genetic predispositions involved in taste learning c. animals must evaluate a situation cognitively before taste aversion develops d. taste aversion is a universal survival mechanism e. an unconditioned stimulus must occur within seconds of a CS for conditioning to occur

d. taste aversion is a universal survival mechanism

What does Edward Thorndike's law of effect state? a. the difference between positive and negative reinforcement b. that behavior maintained by partial reinforcement is more resistant to extinction than behavior maintained by continuous reinforcement c. how shaping can be used to establish operant conditioning d. that rewarded behavior is more likely to happen again e. the limited effectiveness of punishment

d. that rewarded behavior is more likely to happen again

The debate about the relative contributions of biology and experience to human development is most often referred to as what? a. evolutionary analysis b. behaviorism c. the cognitive revolution d. the nature-nurture issue e. natural selection

d. the nature-nurture issue

In an effort to reveal genetic influences on personality, researchers use adoption studies mainly for what purpose? a. to compare adopted children with non adopted children b. to study the effect of prior neglect on adopted children c. to study the effects of a child's age at adoption d. to evaluate whether adopted children more closely resemble their adoptive parents or their biological parents e. to consider the effects of adoption on a child's manners and values

d. to evaluate whether adopted children more closely resemble their adoptive parents or their biological parents

What occurs when experiences influence our interpretation of data? a. selective attention b. transduction c. bottom-up processing d. top-down processing e. signal detection theory

d. top-down processing

The process by which rods and cones change electromagnetic energy into neural messages is called what? a. adaptation b. accommodation c. parallel processing d. transduction e. perceptual setting

d. transduction

Which perception process are the hammer, anvil, and stirrup involved in? a. processing intense colors b. processing information related to our sense of balance c. supporting a structural frame to hold the eardrum d. transmitting sound waves to the cochlea e. holding hair cells that enable hearing

d. transmitting sound waves to the cochlea

Which of the following drugs produces effects similar to a near-death experience? a. ecstasy b. nicotine c. barbiturate d. methamphetamine e. LSD

e. LSD

According to research, which of the following are we most likely to experience after sleep deprivation? a. night terrors b. sleep apnea c. manifest content dreams d. narcolepsy e. REM rebound

e. REM rebound

Increasing amounts of paradoxical sleep following a period of sleep deprivation is known as what? a. circadian sleep b. sleep shifting c. narcolepsy d. sleep apnea e. REM rebound

e. REM rebound

Which of the following would help determine what stimuli an organism can distinguish between? a. negative reinforcement b. a variable-ratio schedule for reinforcement c. a fixed-ratio schedule of reinforcement d. extinction e. a discriminative stimulus

e. a discriminative stimulus

Epinephrine and norepinephrine increase energy and are released by the? a. thyroids glands b. pituitary gland c. hypothalamus d. thalamus e. adrenal glands

e. adrenal glands

Which of the following questions is best investigated by means of a survey? a. is IQ related to grades? b. are violent criminals genetically different from nonviolent criminals? c. Does extra sleep improve memory? d. what is the best study technique for AP tests? e. are students more likely to be politically liberal or conservative?

e. are students more likely to be politically liberal or conservative?

Which of the following is the best example of kinesthesia? a. awareness of the smell of freshly brewed coffee b. ability to feel pressure on you arm c. ability to hear a softly ticking clock d. ability to calculate where a kicked soccer ball will land from the moment it leaves your foot e. awareness of the position of your arms when swimming the backstroke

e. awareness of the position of your arms when swimming the backstroke

in general, damage to ________ disrupts speaking, while damage to ________ disrupts understanding of language. a. the frontal lobe; the occipital lobe b. the temporal lobe; the frontal lobe c. the occipital lobe; the temporal lobe d. wernicke's area; broca's area e. broca's area; wernicke's area

e. broca's area; wernicke's area

Which psychological perspective is most likely to focus on how our interpretation of a situation affects how we react to it? a. psychodynamic b. biological c. social-cultural d. evolutionary e. cognitive

e. cognitive

What do we call awareness of our environment and ourselves? a. selective attention b. hypnotism c. posthypnotic suggestion d. dissociation e. consciousness

e. consciousness

Deep sleep occurs in which stage? a. hypnagogic b. REM c. alpha d. NREM 1 e. delta

e. delta

which of the following psychologists would be most likely to investigate biological, psychological, cognitive, and social changes overtime a. educational b. experimental c. social d. cognitive e. developmental

e. developmental

What term did Ernest Hilgard use to describe a split between different levels of consciousness? a. hypnagogic imagery b. REM sleep c. delta waves d. spindles e. dissociation

e. dissociation

You are aware that a dog is viciously barking at you, but you are not aware of the type of dog. Later, you are able to describe the type and color of the dog. This ability to process information without conscious awareness best exemplifies which of the following? a. split brain b. blindsight c. consciousness d. cognitive neuroscience e. dual processing

e. dual processing

Bryanna and Charles are in a dancing competition. It is easy for spectators to see them against the dance floor because of? a. the visual cliff b. the phi phenomenon c. color constancy d. sensory restriction e. figure-ground relationships

e. figure-ground relationships

Heritability refers to the percentage of what? a. group variation in a trait that can be explained by environment b. traits shared by identical twins c. traits shared by fraternal twins d. traits shared by adopted children and their birth parents e. group variation in a trait that can be explained by genetics

e. group variation in a trait that can be explained by genetics

Dwayne is interested in helping people make good decisions regarding their physical well being. Dwayne should consider a career as a.. a. community psychologist b. social psychologist c. forensic psychologist d. industrial-organizational psychologist e. health psychologist

e. health psychologist

What part of the brain triggers the release of adrenaline to boost heart rate when you're afraid? a. amygdala b. thalamus c. medulla d. hippocampus e. hypothalamus

e. hypothalamus

Betsy works in a human resources department. She plans training sessions, recruits people to work for the company, and implements techniques to boost morale around the office. Of the following, Betsy is most likely a(n) a. developmental psychologist b. personality psychologist c. counseling psychologist d. educational psychologist e. industrial-organizational psychologist

e. industrial-organizational psychologist

The peripheral nervous system? a. connects the brain to the spinal cord b. calms the body after an emergency c. is limited to the control of voluntary movement d. controls only the arms and the legs e. is the part of the nervous system that does not include the brain and the spinal cord

e. is the part of the nervous system that does not include the brain and the spinal cord

What is the role of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in sleep? a. it induces REM sleep approximately every 90 minutes during sleep b. it causes the pineal gland to increase the production of melatonin c. it causes the pituitary gland to increase the release of human growth hormone d. it causes the pituitary gland to decrease the release of human growth hormone e. it causes the pineal gland to decrease the production of melatonin

e. it causes the pineal gland to decrease the production of melatonin

Which region of the brain controls our breathing and heartbeat? a. pons b. corpus callosum c. parietal lobe d. hippocampus e. medulla

e. medulla

George can move his hand to sign a document because the ________, located in the ________ lobe of the brain, allows him to activate the proper muscles. a. somatosensory cortex; temporal b. somatosensory cortex; parietal c. motor cortex; parietal d. somatosensory cortex; frontal e. motor cortex; frontal

e. motor cortex; frontal

Sudden sleep attacks at inopportune times are symptomatic of which sleep disorder? a. sleep apnea b. insomnia c. night terrors d. sleepwalking e. narcolepsy

e. narcolepsy

Bandura's famous Bobo doll experiment is most closely associated with which of the following? a. latent learning b. classical conditioning c. operant conditioning d. cognitive maps e. observational learning

e. observational learning

which of the following is not an ethical principle regarding research on humans? a. researchers must protect participants from needless harm and discomfort b. participants must take part in the study on a voluntary basis c. personal info about individual participants must be kept confidential d. research studies must be fully explained to participants when the study is completed e. participants should always be informed of the hypothesis of the study before they agree to participate

e. participants should always be informed of the hypothesis of the study before they agree to participate

The hypothalamus is a(n) ______ center for the brain a. positioning b. aggression c. balance d. memory e. reward

e. reward

Tyshane went swimming with friends who did not want to get into the pool because the water felt cold. Tyshane jumped in and after a few minutes declared, "It was cold when I first got in, but now my body is used to it. Come on in!" Tyshane's body became accustomed to the water due to? a. perceptual set b. absolute threshold c. difference threshold d. selective attention e. sensory adaptation

e. sensory adaptation

What is the purpose of the myelin sheath? a. make the transfer of information across a synapse more efficient b. increase the amount of neurotransmitter available in the neuron c. reduce the antagonistic effect of certain drugs d. establish a resting potential in the axon e. speed the transmission of information within a neuron

e. speed the transmission of information within a neuron

descriptive statistics __________, while inferential statistics _________? a. indicate the significance of the date; summarize the data b. describe data from experiments; describe data from surveys and case studies c. are measures of central tendency; are measures of variance d. determine if data can be generalized to other populations; summarize data e. summarize data; determine if data can be generalized to other populations

e. summarize data; determine if data can be generalized to other populations

Which of the following is sometimes referred to as the brain's train hub, because it directs incoming sensory messages (with the exception of smell) to their proper places in the brain? a. hypothalamus b. pituitary c. cerebellum d. limbic system e. thalamus

e. thalamus

Brain plasticity refers to which of the following? a. healthy human brain tissue b. the ability of the brain to transfer information from one hemisphere to the other c. how a brain gets larger as a child grows d. a wide variety of functions performed by the human brain e. the ability of brain tissue to take on new functions

e. the ability of brain tissue to take on new functions

Which of the following does a PET scan best allow researcher to examine? a. the presence of tumors in the brain b. electrical activity on the surface of the brain c. the size of the internal structures of the brain d. the location of strokes e. the functions of various brain regions

e. the functions of various brain regions

What did Robert Rescorla and Allan Wagner's experiments establish? a. that the acquisition of a CR depends on pairing the CS and the US b. that different species respond differently to classical conditioning situations c. the current belief that classical condition is really a form of operant conditioning d. that mirror neurons form the biological basis of classical conditioning e. the importance of cognitive factors in classical conditioning

e. the importance of cognitive factors in classical conditioning

What principle states that to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a minimum percentage rather than a constant amount a. absolute threshold b. different threshold c. signal detection theory d. priming e. weber's law

e. weber's law

What was the main difference between the psychological thinking of Wilhelm Wundt and earlier philosophers who were also interested in thinking and behavior? a. wundt was european, earlier philosophers were american b. wundt was the first prof. from a major university interested in psych c. wundt was the first scholar to call himself a psychologist d. wundt used psychology focused on the adaptive nature of thinking and how our consciousness evolves to meet our needs? e. wundt and his students gathered data about human thinking and behavior in a laboratory

e. wundt and his students gathered data about human thinking and behavior in a laboratory