General Psychology Midterm

Jake told his friend Alison that he takes Xanax to treat an anxiety disorder, but doesn't understand how the drug works. If Alison took an introductory psychology course, she might be able to explain to Jake that Xanax works by enhancing the effects of: a)GABA. b)glutamate. c)dopamine. d)serotonin.

a)GABA.

While conducting an experiment with a split-brain patient, an image of a screwdriver will be flashed in a split-brain patient's right visual field. Based on research in this area, it is expected that the patient will be: a)able to name the object. b)able only to point to a screwdriver with their left hand. c)able only to point to a screwdriver with their right hand. d)unable to either name or point to the object.

a)able to name the object.

Psychology is the scientific study of a)behavior and mental processes. b)mental processes but not behavior. c)behavior but not mental processes. d)mental disorders and their treatments.

a)behavior and mental processes.

People with the most common form of color blindness: a)cannot distinguish between red and green. b)cannot distinguish between blue and yellow. c)see everything in black and white. d)cannot distinguish between blue and green.

a)cannot distinguish between red and green.

The brain and the spinal cord constitute the _____ nervous system. a)central b)somatic c)primary d)peripheral

a)central

The left and right hemispheres of the brain are connected by a bundle of fibers called the: a)corpus callosum. b)central sulcus. c)cerebellum. d)axon.

a)corpus callosum.

The neurotransmitter _____ plays a role in the abuse of some substances, particularly stimulants like cocaine and amphetamines. a)dopamine b)norepinephrine c)acetylcholine d)glutamate

a)dopamine

Networks of neurons in the _____ lobes are involved in processing emotions, making plans, controlling impulses, and carrying out a vast array of mental tasks that each person does in a unique way. a)frontal b)occipital c)temporal d)parietal

a)frontal

The hindbrain includes the: a)medulla. b)cortex. c)frontal lobes. d)thalamus.

a)medulla.

Antidepressants such as Prozac and Zoloft cause the neurotransmitter serotonin to remain in the synapse longer than it normally would. Prozac and Zoloft are among a class of antidepressants that inhibit the process called: a)reuptake. b)release. c)reuse d)recycling.

a)reuptake.

The two major divisions of the peripheral nervous system are the _____ and _____ divisions. a)somatic; autonomic b)sympathetic; parasympathetic c)"fight-or-flight"; "rest-and-digest" d)sensory; motor

a)somatic; autonomic

The role of _____ is to protect and insulate the axon and to speed up the neural message. a)the myelin sheath b)the nodes of Ranvier c)the terminal buds d)dendrites

a)the myelin sheath

Haneen cannot hear her friend clearly because of a poor cell phone signal. However, thanks to _____ she can fill in the gaps and understand what her friend is saying. a)top-down processing b)perception c)bottom-up processing d)transduction

a)top-down processing

_____ is the detection of stimuli, and _____ is the interpretation of stimuli. a)Perception; perception b)Sensation; perception c)Sensation; sensation d)Perception; sensation

b)Sensation; perception

Psychologist John Garcia and his colleagues demonstrated that rats who drank a flavored water and were injected with a drug that caused sickness would have an automatic negative reaction to the water. They would never drink it again. This is an example of: a)spontaneous recovery. b)a taste aversion. c)higher order conditioning. d)adaptation.

b)a taste aversion.

Having spent many months in a war zone, Brandon encountered more than his fair share of fear-provoking near-death experiences. In dangerous situations like Brandon experienced, the _____ is activated and the nervous system orchestrates a whole-body response (racing heart, sweaty palms, and so on), as well as an emotional reaction (fear). a)hippocampus b)amygdala c)hypothalamus d)thalamus

b)amygdala

The brain's ability to collect basic information about incoming stimuli and prepare it for further interpretation it is called: a)Weber's Law. b)bottom-up processing. c)top-down processing. d)difference threshold.

b)bottom-up processing.

Sigmund Freud based much of his theory on intensive analyses of individual patients. Freud's theory therefore is built on a foundation of: a)naturalistic observations. b)case studies. c)surveys. d)experiments.

b)case studies.

Correlational research cannot provide information about _____ but it can provide _____. a)negative relationships; information about positive relationships b)causation; a description of a relationship c)empirical data; survey results d)relationships between variables; information about single variables

b)causation; a description of a relationship

A placebo is given to members of the _____ group. a)independent b)control c)experimental d)dependent

b)control

Paulette has her research assistants determine whether each participant in her experiment will receive a placebo or a real treatment. This type of research, known as a _____ study, ensures that neither the participants nor Paulette will know which treatment is being given. a)confounding b)double-blind c)single-blind d)representative

b)double-blind

"Runner's high" occurs when prolonged, intense athletic activity causes the release of _____, the brain's natural painkiller. a)acetylcholine b)endorphins c)glutamate d)norepinephrine

b)endorphins

As an emergency room nurse, Elan knows that accidents where the _____ is damaged are often terminal, because it is the brain area responsible for life-sustaining processes. a)hippocampus b)hindbrain c)cerebellum d)amygdala

b)hindbrain

Broca's area is involved in language production. In contrast, Wernicke's area is involved in: a)detecting emotion. b)language comprehension. c)mentally rotating images. d)recognizing faces.

b)language comprehension.

Located in the hindbrain, damage to the _____ can disrupt some of the body's most vital functions, such as breathing and heart rate maintenance. a)cerebellum b)medulla c)reticular formation d)pons

b)medulla

A study conducted by Johnson and colleagues (2003) had researchers pose as regular people using the restroom who then observed hand-washing behavior of men and women. The study found that 97% of women washed their hands, but only 37% of men did. This is an example of what kind of descriptive research technique? a)correlational method b)naturalistic observation c)experiment d)case study

b)naturalistic observation

The primary visual cortex is in the _____ lobe. a)frontal b)occipital c)parietal d)temporal

b)occipital

Ahmed hears a shrill, high-pitched sound and realizes it is the fire alarm. Hearing the initial sound is his _____, and identifying the sound and its meaning is his _____. a)perception, sensation b)sensation, perception c)perception, transduction d)transduction, sensation

b)sensation, perception

A stroke damaged a portion of Broca's area in Joelle's brain. Joelle will probably experience deficits in: a)face recognition. b)speech production. c)object recognition. d)language comprehension.

b)speech production.

Emily has to give a presentation on the nervous system in front of her biological psychology class. Right before it's her turn to present, Emily's heart starts to beat rapidly. This is due to activation of her _____ nervous system. a)parasympathetic b)sympathetic c)somatic d)sensory

b)sympathetic

In 1998, research conducted by Wakefield and colleagues was published that suggested vaccinations cause autism. The study was retracted from the journal years later because: a)the study was not peer-reviewed. b)the results of the study were fabricated. c)autism was not operationally defined. d)the study did not include statistics.

b)the results of the study were fabricated.

If there is no relationship between two variables, then the correlation coefficient would be: a)-1.00 b)perfect c)0 d)+1.00

c)0

_____ are painkillers that are naturally produced by the body, whereas _____ are painkillers that are found or synthesized outside the body. a)Barbiturates; opiates b)Endorphins; amphetamines c)Endorphins; opiates d)Opiates; endorphins

c)Endorphins; opiates

How are the neutral stimulus and the conditioned stimulus related in classical conditioning? a)The conditioned stimulus becomes the neutral stimulus. b)They are not related; they are completely different stimuli. c)The neutral stimulus becomes the conditioned stimulus. d)Both the neutral stimulus and the conditioned stimulus produce the unconditioned response.

c)The neutral stimulus becomes the conditioned stimulus.

Which early psychologist believed that psychology should restrict itself to the study of observable behaviors? a)Freud b)James c)Watson d)Brown

c)Watson

_____ and _____ are associated with the behavioral perspective of psychology. a)Maslow; Rogers b)Freud; James c)Watson; Skinner d)Titchener; James

c)Watson; Skinner

The latent content of a dream is: a)the forgotten details of a dream. b)the remembered storyline of a dream. c)a dream's underlying meaning. d)randomly activated memories.

c)a dream's underlying meaning.

Dr. Estevez prepares a set of questions to ask a large group of college students about their drinking behavior and their attitudes toward alcohol. Dr. Estevez is undertaking: a)naturalistic observation. b)a case study. c)a survey. d)an experiment.

c)a survey.

A control group would be included in an experiment to: a)ensure that participants are similar across all groups. b)determine whether two variables are related. c)allow comparisons with the experimental groups. d)ensure the inclusion of confounding variables.

c)allow comparisons with the experimental groups.

One lesson of the Wakefield autism-vaccine study incident is that consumers of media should be skeptical of studies that: a)do not use inferential statistics. b)have not been peer-reviewed. c)cannot be replicated. d)have no operationally defined variables.

c)cannot be replicated.

Although the _____ is best known for its importance in muscle coordination and balance, researchers are exploring how this "little brain" influences higher cognitive processes in the "big brain," such as abstract reasoning and language production. a)pons b)amygdala c)cerebellum d)medulla

c)cerebellum

Which sequence correctly represents the first three steps of the scientific method, in order? a)develop hypothesis > collect data > analyze data b)develop hypothesis > analyze data > publish findings c)develop question > develop hypothesis > design study d)develop question > design study > develop hypothesis

c)develop question > develop hypothesis > design study

The first step in the scientific method is: a)publishing findings. b)developing a hypothesis. c)developing a question. d)designing a study.

c)developing a question.

June's cat runs to the kitchen when he hears the electric can opener but not when he hears a blender. June's cat is demonstrating stimulus: a)recovery. b)shaping. c)discrimination. d)generalization.

c)discrimination.

In Pavlov's study, the unconditioned stimulus was the _____, the neutral stimulus was the _____, and the conditioned stimulus was the _____. a)food; food; buzzer b)food; buzzer; food c)food; buzzer; buzzer d)buzzer; food; buzzer

c)food; buzzer; buzzer

The _____ lobes play a key role in defining personality characteristics. a)occipital b)parietal c)frontal d)temporal

c)frontal

Little Albert was classically conditioned to fear a white rat. Eventually Little Albert was afraid of anything white and furry. This is due to _____. a)discrimination b)habituation c)generalization d)extinction

c)generalization

If Juan were to correctly explain the difference between an independent variable and a dependent variable in a presentation to his class, he would say, "In an experiment, the independent variable is _____, and the dependent variable is _____." a)measured; manipulated b)a behavior; the effect on this behavior c)manipulated; measured d)manipulated; an unforeseen factor that could interfere with the results

c)manipulated; measured

The inherited biological factors that shape an individual's behaviors, personality, and other characteristics refer to that individual's: a)nature. b)innateness. c)nurture. d)psychology.

c)nurture.

While walking to class, Tony saw someone slip and fall on some ice and hit her head on the ground. While waiting for the ambulance to arrive, the person said they were seeing stars. Tony mentioned this to the emergency responder since it's likely that people in this profession understand that symptoms like "seeing stars" are an indication that activity in the _____ was disrupted. a)frontal b)parietal c)occipital d)temporal

c)occipital

The somatosensory cortex is located in the _____ lobes. a)occipital b)temporal c)parietal d)frontal

c)parietal

In _____ review, other psychologists examine an article submitted for publication and make recommendations regarding its acceptance, revision, or rejection. a)creative b)experimental c)peer d)scientific

c)peer

Research that has examined people's ability to use their cell phones while driving has found that: a)people are able to successfully pay attention to the two tasks at the same time b)about half of all people are able to successfully pay attention to the two tasks at the same time c)people cannot successfully pay attention to the two tasks at the same time. d)people can use their cell phones while driving if they are confident in their ability to multitask

c)people cannot successfully pay attention to the two tasks at the same time.

A sports psychologist conducted an experiment on the effects of whey protein on people's muscle development. In this experiment, whether or not people consumed whey protein is: a)a placebo. b)an extraneous variable. c)the independent variable. d)the dependent variable.

c)the independent variable.

Compared to action potentials in unmyelinated neurons, action potentials in myelinated neurons: a)travel in the opposite direction. b)travel much slower. c)travel much faster. d)can vary in intensity.

c)travel much faster.

The correlation coefficient ranges from _____ to _____. a)-100; +100 b)0; +1.00 c)+1.00; +100 d)-1.00; +1.00

d)-1.00; +1.00

Which statement indicates a negative correlation? a)As people's education level increases, their in come level increases b)The more people eat, the more they weigh c)As people's level of attractiveness decreases, their happiness level decreases. d)The more money people make, the less stressed they tend to be.

d)The more money people make, the less stressed they tend to be.

Low levels of _____ in the brain have been linked to Alzheimer's disease. a)serotonin b)GABA c)glutamate d)acetylcholine

d)acetylcholine

Dr. Gayle studies behavior by considering people's brain chemistry, thoughts, feelings, and societal factors, and the ways in which these factors interact with each other. He takes the _____ perspective. a)psychoanalytic b)humanistic c)biological d)biopsychosocial

d)biopsychosocial

Split-brain operations are used to treat drug-resistant: a)depression. b)anxiety. c)schizophrenia. d)epilepsy.

d)epilepsy.

The _____ method manipulates an independent variable to reveal causal effects on a dependent variable. a)descriptive b)observational c)correlational d)experimental

d)experimental

Melissa drank alcohol during pregnancy, which increased the chances of her giving birth to a baby with: a)brain cancer. b)Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. c)cirrhosis of the liver. d)fetal-alcohol syndrome.

d)fetal-alcohol syndrome.

In an experiment, the _____ variable is deliberately manipulated by the researcher. a)dependent b)experimental c)control d)independent

d)independent

Split-brain studies demonstrated that the left hemisphere plays a big role in _____ and the right hemisphere plays a big role in _____. a)analytical thought; special processes b)language; auditory processing c)visual-spatial tasks; language d)language; visual-spatial tasks

d)language; visual-spatial tasks

Dr. Oladapo is telling her participants before she begins the experiment that their participation is completely voluntary and that they can stop taking part at any time. Dr. Quick is providing a detailed explanation to participants who have just completed his study. Dr. Oladapo is _____ her participants, whereas Dr. Quick is _____ his participants. a)presenting a placebo; obtaining informed consent b)debriefing; obtaining informed consent c)obtaining informed consent; deceiving d)obtaining informed consent; debriefing

d)obtaining informed consent; debriefing

Dr. Oladapo is telling her participants before she begins the experiment that their participation is completely voluntary and that they can stop taking part at any time. Dr. Quick is providing a detailed explanation to participants who have just completed his study. Dr. Oladapo is _____ her participants, whereas Dr. Quick is _____ his participants. a)debriefing; obtaining informed consent b)presenting a placebo; obtaining informed consent c)obtaining informed consent; debriefing d)obtaining informed consent; deceiving

d)obtaining informed consent; deceiving

On the way home from the library, Mark was frightened by people hiding in a tree as part of a prank. Now that he is home safe, activation of Mark's _____ nervous system is causing him to feel hungry. a)somatic b)sensory c)sympathetic d)parasympathetic

d)parasympathetic

The _____ lobes play a key role in integrating sensory information. a)occipital b)temporal c)frontal d)parietal

d)parietal

Neuropsychologist Ling Chew gives half of the participants in her experiment a pill that contains a stimulant drug. She gives the other half of her participants an identical-looking pill that does not contain the drug. Dr. Chew is using a pill without the drug as a(n): a)confound. b)extraneous variable. c)random variable. d)placebo

d)placebo

In a recent study Leiserowitz et al. (2014) asked half of their participants about harm to their families from "global warming" and the other half about harm to their families from "climate change." Their results illustrated that: a)wording changes can cause observer bias. b)most people lie when given a non-anonymous survey. c)most people lie when given an anonymous survey. d)the wording of the question influences how people respond.

d)the wording of the question influences how people respond.