Psych 2000 Exam 1

(doctor of psychology) doctoral degree that places less emphasis on research-oriented skills and focuses more on application of psychological principles in the clinical context

(doctor of psychology) doctoral degree that places less emphasis on research-oriented skills and focuses more on application of psychological principles in the clinical context

suffix that denotes "scientific study of"

-ology

professional organization representing psychologists in the United States

American Psychological Association (APA)

method of research using past records or data sets to answer various research questions, or to search for interesting patterns or relationships

Archival research

changes in one variable cause the changes in the other variable; can be determined only through an experimental research design

Cause-and-effect relationship

relationship between two or more variables; when two variables are correlated, one variable changes as the other does

Correlation

number from -1 to +1, indicating the strength and direction of the relationship between variables, and usually represented by r

Correlation coefficient

compares multiple segments of a population at a single time

Cross-sectional research

when an experiment involved deception, participants are told complete and truthful information about the experiment at its conclusion

Debriefing

results are predicted based on a general premise

Deductive reasoning

experiment in which both the researchers and the participants are blind to group assignments

Double-blind study

variable that is influenced or controlled by the experimenter; in a sound experimental study, the independent variable is the only important difference between the experimental and control group

Independent variable

conclusions are drawn from observations

Inductive reasoning

measure of agreement among observers on how they record and classify a particular event

Inter-rater reliability

when observations may be skewed to align with observer expectations

Observer bias

personal judgments, conclusions, or attitudes that may or may not be accurate

Opinion

(doctor of philosophy) doctoral degree conferred in many disciplinary perspectives housed in a traditional college of liberal arts and sciences

PhD

people's expectations or beliefs influencing or determining their experience in a given situation

Placebo effect

experiment in which the researcher knows which participants are in the experimental group and which are in the control group

Single-blind study

accuracy of a given result in measuring what it is designed to measure

Validity

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

a. -0.5

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

a. John Watson

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

a. The process was highly subjective.

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

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

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

a. a person's unconsciousness

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. confirmation bias b. correlational research c. confounding variable d. observer bias

a. confirmation bias

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

a. detailed information

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

a. developmental

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. hypothalamus b. substantia nigra c. Broca's area d. thalamus

a. hypothalamus

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. introspection b. behaviorism c. client-centered therapy d. psychoanalysis

a. introspection

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. limbic system; emotional b. basal ganglia; emotional c. basal ganglia; childhood d. limbic system; childhood

a. limbic system; emotional

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

a. one variable decreases as the other increases

The ________ nervous system is responsible for stimulating digestion and causing the bladder to contract. a. parasympathetic b. sympathetic c. autonomic d. somatic

a. parasympathetic

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. personality b. social psychology c. cognition d. perception

a. personality

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

a. physiological responses that result in action

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

a. spinal cord

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

a. synapse

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

a. terminal buttons; synaptic vesicles

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

a. the scientific method

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

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

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. psychoanalytic theory b. Gestalt psychology c. humanism d. structuralism

b. Gestalt psychology

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

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

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. They have not defined happiness or how it will be measured c. People will know that they are part of a research study and may decline participation d. Their results will depend on how busy the mall is

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

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. prefrontal cortex b. Wernicke's area c. Broca's area d. occipital cortex

b. Wernicke's area

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

b. billions

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 ________. Select one: a. cross-sectional b. case studies c. correlational d. surveys

b. case studies

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

b. cerebellum

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

b. computerized tomography (CT) scan

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

b. experimental

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. experiment b. naturalistic observation c. survey d. case study

b. naturalistic observation

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. only the right visual field c. neither visual field d. only the left visual field

b. only the right visual field

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. classical conditioning b. operant conditioning c. humanism d. functionalism

b. operant conditioning

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

b. perceivable and measurable

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

b. sympathetic

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. there is a relationship between smoking and lung cancer c. smoking causes lung cancer d. smoking contributes to lung cancer

b. there is a relationship between smoking and lung cancer

focus on observing and controlling behavior

behaviorism

study of how biology influences behavior

biopsychology

perspective that asserts that biology, psychology, and social factors interact to determine an individual's health

biopsychosocial model

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

c. Gestalt

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

c. It is complex

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

c. Neurons

A/An ________ is a variable that affects both variables of interest and may falsely give the impression of a cause-and-effect relationship. Select one: a. dependent variable b. independent variable c. confounding variable d. control variable

c. confounding variable

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

c. 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. significant variable b. independent variable c. dependent variable d. operational definition

c. dependent variable

________ 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. Select one: a. magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) b. functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) c. electroencephalography (EEG) d. positron emission tomography (PET)

c. electroencephalography (EEG)

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. dependent; independent b. control; experimental c. independent; dependent d. experimental; control

c. independent; dependent

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

c. neurotransmitter

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

c. operational definition

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. functionalism b. structuralism c. psychoanalytic theory d. Gestalt psychology

c. psychoanalytic theory

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. psychoanalysis b. Gestalt psychology c. social psychology d. personality

c. social psychology

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

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

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. active play; passive play b. food choice; no play c. type of play; no play d. no play; type of play

c. type of play; no play

area of psychology that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and other problematic patterns of behavior

clinical psychology

study of cognitions, or thoughts, and their relationship to experiences and actions

cognitive psychology

area of psychology that focuses on improving emotional, social, vocational, and other aspects of the lives of psychologically healthy individuals

counseling psychology

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

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

d. action potential

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

d. central; peripheral nervous systems

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. social psychology c. cognitive psychology d. clinical psychology

d. clinical psychology

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. cross sectional c. experimental d. longitudinal

d. longitudinal

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

d. random sampling; random group assignment

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. inter-rater reliability b. reliability c. validity d. replication

d. replication

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

d. structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism, humanism

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

d. temporal

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

d. their own conscious experience`

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

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

scientific study of development across a lifespan

developmental psychology

long research paper about research that was conducted as a part of the candidate's doctoral training

dissertation

method for acquiring knowledge based on observation, including experimentation, rather than a method based only on forms of logical argument or previous authorities

empirical method

area of psychology that applies the science and practice of psychology to issues within and related to the justice system

forensic psychology

focused on how mental activities helped an organism adapt to its environment

functionalism

perspective within psychology that emphasizes the potential for good that is innate to all humans

humanism

process by which someone examines their own conscious experience in an attempt to break it into its component parts

introspection

study of patterns of thoughts and behaviors that make each individual unique

personality psychology

consistent pattern of thought and behavior

personality trait

allows programs and broaden their research skills under the supervision of other professionals in the field

postdoctoral training program

focus on the role of the unconscious in affecting conscious behavior

psychoanalytic theory

scientific study of the mind and behavior

psychology

area of psychology that focuses on the interactions between mental and emotional factors and physical performance in sports, exercise, and other activities

sport and exercise psychology

understanding the conscious experience through introspection

structuralism