Brossoit Psyc 2000 Exam 1

The central nervous system consists of the brain and the ________. a.spinal cord b.internal organs c.peripheral nerves d.brainstem

a.spinal cord

A series of dots arranged in the shape of a face will be perceived as a face, not a series of dots. A psychologist studying this phenomenon is applying the principals of ________. a. Gestalt psychology b. humanism c. structuralism d. psychoanalytic theory

a. Gestalt psychology

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a good hypothesis? a. It is complex b. It is falsifiable c. It can be tested using empirical methods d. It is an if-then statement

a. It is complex

The ________ group does not get the experimental treatment. a. control b. dependent c. alternate experimental d. independent

a. control

Harrison et al. are conducting a study assessing the ability of depressed versus non-depressed participants to remember negative emotions in a short story about a family whose car breaks down. They plan to ask participants to read the story and then make a list of the emotions expressed in the story. Before beginning the study, they make a list of negative emotions (e.g., sadness and anger) that they will record from the participants' responses. In this example, negative emotions are the ________. a. dependent variable b. significant variable c. operational definition d. independent variable

a. dependent variable

Spurling et al. investigated the effects of two vocabulary learning strategies on word retention two weeks later. In this example, learning strategy is the ________ variable and word retention is the ________ variable. a. independent; dependent b. dependent; independent c. experimental; control d. control; experimental

a. independent; dependent

Patwardhan et al. report data from a study where they hired experimental confederates to attend speed dating events, posing as daters, and carefully take notes on the behaviors of the daters. What type of research design did they use? a. naturalistic observation b. case study c. experiment d. survey

a. naturalistic observation

I provide Ralph with the positive reinforcement of a candy bar when he does something I like. I punish him by squirting him with a squirt gun when he does something I don't like. I am applying the principles of ________ in an attempt to modify Ralph's behavior. a. operant conditioning b. humanism c. classical conditioning d. functionalism

a. operant conditioning

Behaviorists all focus on ________. a. physiological responses that result in action b. the subconscious c. individual attitudes d. free will

a. physiological responses that result in action

Devine et al. are interested in assessing whether active versus passive play causes a preference for sweet or salty foods in toddlers. They assign groups of children to either an active play, passive play, or no play group and record their food choices when presented with a variety of sweet and salty foods. In this study, ________ is the independent variable and ________ is the control group. a. type of play; no play b. food choice; no play c. no play; type of play d. active play; passive play

a. type of play; no play

Which of the following is a criticism of evolutionary psychology? a.Demonstrating that a trait, especially in humans, is naturally selected is extraordinarily difficult. b. There are no female evolutionary psychologists. c. It is easy to disprove theories developed by evolutionary psychologists. d. It places too much emphasis on the unconscious (id, ego, superego) in determining human behavior.

a.Demonstrating that a trait, especially in humans, is naturally selected is extraordinarily difficult.

Two lines appear to be a different length, though in reality they are the same length. This is known as the ________ illusion. a.Müller-Lyer b.Merkel c.Meissner d.Ménière

a.Müller-Lyer

___________ are the central building blocks of the nervous system. a.Neurons b.Agonists c.Glial cells d.Antagonists

a.Neurons

Rosemary had a stroke about a year ago and now she cannot understand what people are saying to her. She responds using vague language and tries to make it appear as though she understands. Which area of Rosemary's brain was likely damaged by the stroke? a.Wernicke's area b.occipital cortex c.Broca's area d.prefrontal cortex

a.Wernicke's area

Inattentional ________ refers to the failure to notice something that is completely visible due to a lack of attention. a.blindness b.sublimation c.transduction d.responsiveness

a.blindness

What kind term-65of processing is exemplified by the following scenario? Esther's mother offers her a new dish she's been working on―a raisin-jalapeño quiche. Esther's body responds first: Esther eyes the content of the skillet, and smells the mix of raisins, jalapeños, and eggs. Her stomach churns and she looks away. Feeling disgust and disappointment, she says "I'm not hungry." a.bottom-up b.sensory adaptation c.top-down d.vertical-horizontal

a.bottom-up

The two major divisions of the nervous system are the ________ and ________. a.central; peripheral nervous systems b.autonomic; sympathetic nervous systems c.parasympathetic; sympathetic nervous systems d.autonomic; somatic nervous systems

a.central; peripheral nervous systems

The ________ receives messages from muscles, tendons, joints, and structures in our ear to control balance, coordination, movement, and motor skills. a.cerebellum b.substantia nigra c.sensory cortex d.ventral tegmental area

a.cerebellum

Petra walks into a brightly lit Psychology lab to participate in an experiment involving the ability to perceive the colors of the rainbow. Which photoreceptors will be most useful during this experiment? a.cones b.fovea c.lens d.rods

a.cones

________ is a technique often used in studies investigating sleep patterns. Researchers place electrodes at various locations on a person's head in order to record brainwaves. a.electroencephalography (EEG) b.positron emission tomography (PET) c.magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) d.functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

a.electroencephalography (EEG)

What is described by the concept of perception? a.how sensory information is interpreted and consciously experienced b.the change in stimulus detection as a function of current mental state c.how interpretation of sensations is influenced by available knowledge, experiences, and thoughts d.what happens when sensory information is detected by a sensory receptor

a.how sensory information is interpreted and consciously experienced

The ________ nervous system is responsible for stimulating digestion and causing the bladder to contract

a.parasympathetic

The ________ nervous system is responsible for responses such as pupil dilation, increased heart rate, and increased respiration. a.sympathetic b.parasympathetic c.somatic d.autonomic

a.sympathetic

The space between two neurons is called the ________. a.synapse b.vesicle c.terminal button d.soma

a.synapse

What kind of processing is exemplified by the following scenario? Shimon offers Mouin some salmon. Mouin thinks, "How nice. My friend is offering me fish. I wonder where he got it." This thought leads Mouin to feel happy, appreciative, and curious; he responds with a smile and an extended hand. a.top-down b.top-first c.bottom-up d.bottom-down

a.top-down

Susan wants to study prejudice, attraction, how we explain our own behavior versus how we explain the behavior of others, and how we resolve interpersonal conflicts. Susan should conduct research in the area of ________. a. personality b. social psychology c. psychoanalysis d. Gestalt psychology

b. social psychology

Which correlation coefficient best represents a moderate relationship showing fewer anxiety symptoms in people who report higher life satisfaction? a. -0.2 b. -0.5 c. +0.7 d. +0.4

b. -0.5

Psychoanalytic theory focuses on ________ and early childhood experiences. Select one: a. sexual identity b. a person's consciousness c. fetal development d. a person's unconsciousness

b. a person's consciousness

Ashya wants to focus on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and other problematic patterns of behavior. What area of psychology should she work in? a. organizational psychology b. clinical psychology c. cognitive psychology d. social psychology

b. clinical psychology

A/An ________ is a variable that affects both variables of interest and may falsely give the impression of a cause-and-effect relationship.

b. confounding variable

A group of preschool-age children are enrolled in a study that plans to follow them over time in order to assess behaviors and other characteristics that may predict later development of schizophrenia. This is an example of a/an ________ design. a. survey b. longitudinal c. experimental d. cross sectional

b. longitudinal

For a scientific explanation to be testable, it must also be ________. a. hypothesized and theoretical b. perceivable and measurable c. conscious and unconscious d. experimental and provable

b. perceivable and measurable

In order to maximize the chances that experimental groups represent the population of interest, researchers should conduct ________ and ________. a. blind group assignment; random sampling b. random sampling; random group assignment c. blind sampling; random group assignment d. blind group assignment; blind sampling

b. random sampling; random group assignment

Psychological knowledge is advanced through a process known as ________, which involves a prescribed series of steps designed to achieve the desired knowledge. a. deductive reasoning b. the scientific method c. inductive reasoning d. the experiment

b. the scientific method

Cognitive psychology focuses on studying ________. a. sensation and the effect of culture on perception b. thoughts and their relationship to our experiences and our actions c. the effect of gender, race, and class on behavior d. genetics and the effect of genetics on behavior

b. thoughts and their relationship to our experiences and our actions

________ is the electrical signal that typically moves from the cell body down the axon to the axon terminals. a.threshold of excitation b.action potential c.depolarization d.hyperpolarization

b.action potential

Sariah enters a room with several chirping crickets in it. Upon first entering the room, Sariah can hear the chirping; however, as she begins to talk to her friends, she is no longer aware of the chirping even though it is still there. The fact that Sariah no longer perceives the chirping sound demonstrates sensory ________. a.formation b.adaptation c.regression d.revision

b.adaptation

Sarit is at a bar full of music, chatter, and laughter. He gets involved in an interesting conversation with a woman named Mona, and he tunes out all the background noise. Sarit's friend, Karen, taps him on the shoulder and asks what song just played on the jukebox. Sarit says he doesn't know, even though he is sitting right next to the jukebox and is familiar with popular music. This illustrates the role that ________ plays in what is sensed versus what is perceived. a.mood b.attention c.friendship d.habit

b.attention

A major advantage of case studies is ________. a. generalizability b.detailed information c. large sample size d. quick data collection

b.detailed information

________-frequency sound waves are perceived as high-pitched sounds, while ________-frequency sound waves are perceived as low-pitched sounds. a.truncated; high b.high; low c.condensed; sharp d.low; high

b.high; low

At the point of the optic chiasm, information from the right visual field (which comes from both eyes) is sent to the ________ side of the brain, and information from the left visual field is sent to the ________ side of the brain. a.right; right b.left; right c.left; left d.right; left

b.left; right

Psychotropic medications are drugs that treat psychiatric symptoms by restoring ________ balance. a.GABA b.neurotransmitter c.emotional d.serotonin

b.neurotransmitter

Wesley is in a movie theater with no windows—the only light is low illumination from the emergency lights on the floor. Which photoreceptors will be most useful to Wesley as he attempts to leave the theater? a.cones b.rods c.fovea d.iris

b.rods

The ________ of a neuron contain ________ that house neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers of the nervous system. a.terminal buttons; transport proteins b.terminal buttons; synaptic vesicles c.dendrites; synaptic vesicles d.axons; terminal buttons

b.terminal buttons; synaptic vesicles

Which type of processing involves the interpretation of sensations and is influenced by available knowledge, experiences, and thoughts? a.absolute threshold b.top-down c.signal detection d.subliminal

b.top-down

Your ears receive sound waves and convert this energy into neural messages that travel to your brain and are processed as sounds. This is an example of ________. a.subliminal messaging b.transduction c.top-down processing d.just noticeable difference

b.transduction

Which of the following does not influence perception? a. cultural background b. where we focus our attention c. Gestalt d. previous experiences

c. Gestalt

Who was the lead psychologist that conducted the Little Albert Study? a. Ivan Pavlov b. B. F. Skinner c. John Watson d. Sigmund Freud

c. John Watson

Magali and Jean-Gabriel have been asked to design a study investigating happiness across the lifespan. They decide their study will involve going to the mall and asking people of a variety of ages if they are happy or unhappy. What is the most serious flaw of this design? a. Survey data is not as valid as experimental data b. People will know that they are part of a research study and may decline participation c. They have not defined happiness or how it will be measured d. Their results will depend on how busy the mall is

c. They have not defined happiness or how it will be measured

Sandra strongly believes that attending daycare is detrimental to children's development so she decides to write her psychology term paper on this topic. She does a literature search and finds several sources supporting her opinion, but she finds that the majority of research indicates that children attending daycare experience healthy development. She writes a paper using the sources that find negative associations with daycare attendance. This is an example of ________. a. confounding variable b. observer bias c. confirmation bias d. correlational research

c. confirmation bias

A negative correlation means ________. a. there is a relationship between two variables, but it is not statistically significant b. two variables increase together, but they are associated with an undesirable outcome c. one variable decreases as the other increases d. a third variable eliminates a correlational relationship

c. one variable decreases as the other increases

A/An ________ is a description of how the researchers will measure the variables of interest. a. experimental plan b. theory c. operational definition d. hypothesis

c. operational definition

Edmund wants to identify relatively consistent patterns of thought and behavior, measure these traits, and determine how these traits interact in a particular context to determine how a person will behave in any given situation. Edmund wants to conduct research in the area of ________. a. cognition b. perception c. personality d. social psychology

c. personality

Research shows that people who smoke cigarettes are more likely to get lung cancer than those who do not smoke. This research alone demonstrates that ________. a. there is a predisposition toward both smoking and lung cancer b. smoking causes lung cancer c. there is a relationship between smoking and lung cancer d. smoking contributes to lung cancer

c. there is a relationship between smoking and lung cancer

Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the case study of Phineas Gage's accident, which led to brain injury? a.Frontal lobe injury causes people to be incapable of controlling their emotional impulses. b.Injury to the brain causes changes in behavior, but specific brain areas are not linked to specific behaviors. c.Injury to the brain causes changes in behavior, and specific brain areas are linked to particular behaviors. d.Injury to the frontal lobe does not affect behavior.

c.Injury to the brain causes changes in behavior, and specific brain areas are linked to particular behaviors.

What term describes the continuation of a visual sensation after removal of the stimulus? a.fovea b.preimage c.afterimage d.monocular

c.afterimage

The brain contains ________ of interconnected neurons and glia. a.millions b.tens of thousands c.billions d.thousands

c.billions

When a child works on a "connect the dots" puzzle, she can often see the completed work before she has finished all of the dots. Once there is enough visual information present, she's able to perceive the completed picture even though it is still incomplete. Which Gestalt principle does this demonstrate? a.proximity b.contiguity c.closure d.good continuation

c.closure

A ________ scan involves taking a number of x-rays of a particular section of a person's body or brain. a.functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) b.magnet resonance imaging (MRI) c.computerized tomography (CT) scan d.positron emission tomography (PET)

c.computerized tomography (CT) scan

Elaina has been diagnosed with a small brain tumor. She first went to see her doctor after experiencing symptoms such as feeling very cold, almost fainting, a reduced appetite, and reduced sexual desire. Which of the following structures is her tumor most likely affecting? a.substantia nigra b.Broca's area c.hypothalamus d.thalamus

c.hypothalamus

Longer wavelengths will have ________ frequencies, and shorter wavelengths will have ________ frequencies. a.higher; lower b.shorter; longer c.lower; higher d.longer; shorter

c.lower; higher

________ refers to the way that sensory information is interpreted and consciously experienced; ________ refers to what happens when sensory information is detected by a sensory receptor. a.preception; postception b.perception; reception c.perception; sensation d.sensation; perception

c.perception; sensation

"The central tenet of Gestalt psychology is that the _________ is different from the sum of its __________." a.time; place b.parts; whole c.whole; parts d.place; time

c.whole; parts

Which of the following is a criticism of structuralism? a.Wilhelm Wundt falsified his results. b. Structuralism was parsimonious. c. Scientific instruments were not sensitive enough to measure precise reaction times. d. The process was highly subjective.

d. The process was highly subjective.

What do structuralism, Gestalt psychology, and Sigmund Freud all have in common? a. They were all concerned with the nature of evil during the Nazi regime. b.They were each developed using advanced statistical methods. c. They were all concerned with diagnosing and treating female psychosis. d. They were all concerned with describing and understanding the inner experience.

d. They were all concerned with describing and understanding the inner experience.

Dr. Mattar is interested in knowing more about brain injury to the occipital cortex, and he studies patients individually in order to gain in-depth knowledge about their behaviors. These studies would best be described as ________. a. correlational b. surveys c. cross-sectional d. case studies

d. case studies

Lucy wants to study changes in cognitive skills, moral reasoning, and social behavior across the lifespan. Lucy should specialize in ________ psychology. a. social b. cognitive c. personality d. developmental

d. developmental

Which of the following research designs will allow cause-and-effect conclusions? a. correlational b. quasi-experimental c. survey d. experimental

d. experimental

Guillermo spends some time each day applying the principles of structuralism to examine his own conscious experience as carefully as possible. Guillermo is engaged in ________. a. client-centered therapy b. psychoanalysis c. behaviorism d. introspection

d. introspection

Dr. Bogdarian noticed that one of her students addresses her with the word mother instead of the word professor or doctor. Dr. Bogdarian applies the principles of ________, and hypothesizes the student misspeaks because he is unconsciously associating her with his mother. a. structuralism b. functionalism c. Gestalt psychology d. psychoanalytic theory

d. psychoanalytic theory

Stan and Jenny are in a psychology course that requires them to repeat an experiment that researchers have conducted in the past, in order to determine whether they produce the same results. This is called ________. a. validity b. reliability c. inter-rater reliability d. replication

d. replication

Select the correctly ordered list of psychological perspectives, with the earliest perspective listed first. a. humanism, structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism b. humanism, behaviorism, structuralism, functionalism c. structuralism, functionalism, humanism, behaviorism d. structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism, humanism

d. structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism, humanism

Behaviorism focuses on making psychology an objective science by ________. a. studying implicit motivations for behavior through the use of implicit association tests b. studying how emotional responses influence behavior while deemphasizing the importance of the subconscious c. studying the genetic basis for behavior and theorizing how instincts influence behavior d. studying overt behavior and deemphasizing the importance of unobservable mental processes

d. studying overt behavior and deemphasizing the importance of unobservable mental processes

Introspection refers to a process by which someone examines ________ as objectively as possible. a. the social construction of consciousness b. another person's unconsciousness c. their owterm-79n subconscious experience d. their own conscious experience

d. their own conscious experience

The purpose of glial cells is to: a.Provide scaffolding on which the nervous system is built b.Help neurons line up closely with each other to allow neuronal communication c.Provide insulation to neurons, transport nutrients and waste products, and mediate immune responses d.All of the above

d.All of the above

Which of the following describes the difference in stimuli required to detect a difference between the stimuli? a.top down b.signal detection c.subliminal d.just noticeable

d.just noticeable

Randolf is walking down the street of his hometown, after being away for several years, when he smells the scent of freshly baked pie coming from a local baker. He suddenly has vivid memories of walking down this street as a child, holding both of his parents' hands, and swinging between them, feeling relaxed and happy. This is because the sense of smell projects directly to the ________, which is responsible for ________ memories. a.basal ganglia; emotional b.limbic system; childhood c.basal ganglia; childhood d.limbic system; emotional

d.limbic system; emotional

People who have their corpus callosum severed for medical reasons would be able to tell you about images shown to ________. a.both visual fields b.neither visual field c.only the left visual field d.only the right visual field

d.only the right visual field

Which of the following exemplifies olfaction? a.feeling the warmth of the sun b.hterm-72earing an airplane fly overhead c.tasting white chocolate fudge d.smelling cookies in the oven

d.smelling cookies in the oven

The auditory cortex is located in which lobe of the brain? a.frontal b.occipital c.parietal d.temporal

d.temporal