Psychology Final

Madison is experiencing symptoms of paralysis after eating food contaminated by botulin. Her paralysis is most likely to be a result of blocked a. serotonin. b. Acetylcholine. c. endorphins. d. norepinephrine.

Acetylcholine

Which major force in psychology emphasized unconscious thought processes? a. Freudian psychology b. behavior genetics c. evolutionary psychology d. behaviorism

Freudian psychology

One of the last century's most influential observers of children was the Swiss biologist ____________. a. Margaret Floy Washburn. b. William James. c. Edward Bradford Titchener. d. Jean Piaget.

Jean Piaget

Which seventeenth-century European philosopher believed that some ideas are innate? a. René Descartes b. Edward Titchener c. John Locke d. Ivan Pavlov

René Descartes

Which of the following correlations between self-esteem and body weight would enable you to most accurately predict body weight from knowledge of level of self-esteem? a. -0.10 b. -0.06 c. +0.01 d. +0.60

+0.60

Janna has low self-esteem because she is often teased for being overweight. Appreciating the complexity of Janna's difficulties requires a. introspection. b. massed practice. c. a biopsychosocial approach. d. psychoanalysis.

a biopsychosocial approach

Professor Delano suggests that because people are especially attracted to those who are good-looking, handsome men will be more successful than average-looking men in getting a job. The professor's prediction regarding employment success is an example of a. a confounding variable. b. the placebo effect. c. informed consent. d. a hypothesis.

a hypothesis.

A brief electrical charge that travels down the axon of a neuron is called the a. refractory period. b. synapse. c. agonist. d. action potential.

action potential.

A neuron's reaction of either firing at full strength or not firing at all is described as a. the resting potential. b. a refractory period. c. an all-or-none response. d. a reflexive response.

an all-or-none response.

If a group of researchers are interested to find out whether or not a messy room causes people to be anxious, the dependent variable would be: a. anxiety. b. messiness. c. the control group. d. the experimental group.

anxiety

Suppose that people who watch a lot of violence on TV are also particularly likely to behave aggressively. This relationship would NOT necessarily indicate that watching violence influences aggressive behavior because a. the sample may have been randomly selected. b. we most readily notice associations that confirm our beliefs. c. sampling extreme cases leads to false generalizations. d. association does not prove causation.

association does not prove causation.

The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs is called the a. autonomic nervous system. b. sensory nervous system. c. endocrine system. d. somatic nervous system.

autonomic nervous system.

The longest part of a motor neuron is likely to be the a. axon. b. dendrite. c. cell body. d. synapse.

axon

The average price for different brands of toothpaste could be visually displayed in a(n) a. correlation coefficient. b. standard deviation. c. extrapolation. d. bar graph.

bar graph

Studies conducted for the sake of building psychology's base of knowledge are most clearly examples of a. replication. b. basic research. c. positive psychology. d. the testing effect.

basic research

Contemporary psychology is best defined as the science of a. maladaptive and adaptive behaviors. b. conscious and unconscious mental activity. c. behavior and mental processes. d. observable responses to the environment.

behavior and mental processes.dr

Which perspective most clearly focuses on how we learn observable responses? a. behavior genetics b. evolutionary c. neuroscience d. behavioral

behavioral

If the correlation between the physical weight and reading ability of children is +0.85, this would indicate that a. low body weight has a negative effect on the reading abilities of children. b. there is very little statistical relationship between weight and reading ability among children. c. better reading ability is associated with greater physical weight among children. d. body weight has no causal influence on the reading abilities of children.

better reading ability is associated with greater physical weight among children.

the young science of psychology developed from the more established fields of philosophy and a. biology. b. economics. c. sociology. d. geography.

biology

Psychologists' personal values and goals a. have very little influence on the process of scientific observation. b. are carefully tested by means of observation and experimentation. c. lead them to avoid experiments involving human participants. d. can bias their observations and interpretations.

can bias their observations and interpretations.

Researchers use experiments rather than other research methods in order to isolate a. causes from effects. b. case studies from surveys. c. facts from theories. d. random samples from representative samples.

causes from effects.

Research participants drank either caffeinated or decaffeinated beverages in a study of the effects of caffeine on anxiety levels. Some participants also had an oral presentation on the same day. Having an oral presentation is the ___________. a. independent variable b. dependent variable c. confounding variable d. correlation variable

confounding variable

Research participants drank either caffeinated or decaffeinated beverages in a study of the effects of caffeine on anxiety levels. Some participants also had an oral presentation that day. Those who received non-caffeinated drinks were assigned to the ________ group. a. experimental b. control c. correlational d. survey

control

Which of the following is a statistical measure of both the direction and the strength of a relationship between two variables? a. mean b. standard deviation c. range d. correlation coefficient

correlation coefficient

Reasoning that does not blindly accept available arguments and conclusions illustrates a. an empirical approach. b. critical thinking. c. common sense. d. chance-related explanation.

critical thinking

Three key attitudes of scientific inquiry are a. ingenuity, practicality, and certainty. b. curiosity, skepticism, and humility. c. certainty, creativity, and curiosity. d. pride, enthusiasm, and ingenuity.

curiosity, skepticism, and humility.

In transmitting sensory information to the brain, an electrical signal travels from the ________ of a single neuron. a. axon to the dendrites to the cell body b. dendrites to the cell body to the axon c. axon to the cell body to the dendrites d. dendrites to the axon to the cell body

dendrites to the cell body to the axon

Schizophrenia is most closely linked with an oversupply of the neurotransmitter a. acetylcholine. b. serotonin. c. epinephrine. d. dopamine.

dopamine

A statistically significant difference between two sample groups is NOT likely to be a. observed more than 5 percent of the time the groups are compared b. a reflection of differences between the populations they represent. c. due to chance variation within and between the sample groups. d. observed when the two groups are very large.

due to chance variation within and between the sample groups.

The nervous system is the a. electrochemical communication network that includes all the body's neurons. b. nerve network running through the brainstem that controls arousal. c. complete set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream. d. region of the brain below the cerebral hemispheres that regulates emotion

electrochemical communication network that includes all the body's neurons.

Opiate drugs occupy the same receptor sites as a. serotonin. b. epinephrine. c. endorphins. d. dopamine.

endorphins

If a professor accused you of cheating on a test, your adrenal glands would probably release ________ into your bloodstream. a. epinephrine b. endorphins c. acetylcholine d. insulin

epinephrine

The group exposed to a newly created drug that is being tested in an experiment is called the ________ group. a. experimental b. baseline c. standardized d. control

experimental

After noting that a majority of professional basketball players are African-American, Ervin concluded that African-Americans are better athletes than members of other racial groups. Ervin's conclusion best illustrates the danger of a. random assignment. b. replication. c. generalizing from vivid cases. d. the placebo effect.

generalizing from vivid cases.

The nature-nurture issue refers to the debate over the relative contributions that _________ make to the development of psychological traits. a. unconscious and conscious motives b. behavior and mental processes c. massed practice and spaced practice d. genes and experience

genes and experience

Neurons are surrounded by ________, which guide neural connections and mop up ions and neurotransmitters. a. agonists b. endorphins c. glial cells d. hormones

glial cells

Professor Smith told one class that drinking alcohol has been found to increase sexual desire. He informed another class that drinking alcohol has been found to reduce sexual appetite. The fact that neither class was surprised by the information they received best illustrates the power of a. curious skepticism. b. hindsight bias. c. critical thinking. d. cause-effect conclusions.

hindsight bias.

Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow promoted a historically significant approach known as a. behaviorism. b. cognitive neuroscience. c. behavior genetics. d. humanistic psychology.

humanistic psychology

In an experimental study of the impact of exposure to criticism on self-esteem, exposure to criticism would be the ________ variable. a. confounding b. replicated c. dependent d. independent

independent

Dr. Lipka focuses on ways to improve employee job satisfaction and productivity. Dr. Lipka is most likely a(n) ________ psychologist. a. clinical b. industrial-organizational c. developmental d. personality

industrial-organizational

Potential research participants are told enough about an upcoming study to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate. This illustrates the practice of seeking a. a representative sample. b. an operational definition. c. a placebo effect. d. informed consent.

informed consent.

Neural networks refer to a. the branching extensions of a neuron. b. interrelated clusters of neurons in the central nervous system. c. junctions between sending and receiving neurons. d. neural cables containing many axons.

interrelated clusters of neurons in the central nervous system.

Neurons generate electricity from a chemical process involving the exchange of a. ions. b. oxytocin. c. enzymes. d. cortisol.

ions

A sample average can be used to estimate a population average with greater precision if the sample is a. a skewed distribution. b. highly variable. c. vivid and memorable. d. large.

large

A myelin sheath is a a. bushy extension of a neuron that conducts impulses toward the cell body. b. nerve network within the spinal cord that controls physical arousal. c. large band of neural fibers connecting the two adrenal glands. d. layer of fatty tissue encasing the axons of some nerve cells.

layer of fatty tissue encasing the axons of some nerve cells.

Early psychologists such as Wilhelm Wundt and William James focused on the study of a. clinical psychology. b. unconscious motives. c. conditioned responses. d. mental processes.

mental processes.

Some neurons enable you to grasp objects by relaying outgoing messages to the muscles in your arms and hands. These neurons are called a. neurotransmitters. b. motor neurons. c. interneurons. d. sensory neurons.

motor neurons.

A descriptive technique of monitoring and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to change or control the situation is called a. the double-blind procedure. b. random sampling. c. replication. d. naturalistic observation.

naturalistic observation.

One research team studied the ups and downs of human moods by counting positive and negative words in 504 million Twitter messages from 84 countries. The researchers' method best illustrates the use of a. case studies. b. a survey. c. naturalistic observation. d. experimentation.

naturalistic observation.

If psychologists discovered that wealthy people are less satisfied with their marriages than poor people are, this would indicate that wealth and marital satisfaction are a. negatively correlated. b. independent variables. c. causally related. d. positively correlated.

negatively correlated.

The strengthening of synaptic connections facilitates the formation of a. glial cells. b. neural networks. c. endorphins. d. interneurons.

neural networks.

Dendrites are branching extensions of a. neurons. b. neurotransmitters. c. glial cells. d. endorphins.

neurons

Which perspective would help us to understand the impact of strokes and brain diseases on memory? a. neuroscience b. behavioral c. evolutionary d. psychodynamic

neuroscience

Carla is a risk taker. She likes to engage in daring activities to increase the level of arousal in her brain. In doing so, she increases the level of a. norephinephrine b. serotonin c. endorphins d. acetylcholine

norephinephrine

You come home one night to find a burglar in your house. Your heart starts racing and you begin to perspire. These physical reactions are triggered by the release of what neurotransmitter? a. norepinephrine b. serotonin c. acetylcholine d. dopamine

norepinephrine

A statement describing the exact procedures for measuring an anticipated experimental outcome is known as a(n) a. operational definition. b. replication. c. hypothesis. d. control condition.

operational definition

A theory is an explanation using an integrated set of principles that ________ observations and ________ behaviors or events. a. replicates; controls b. organizes; predicts c. questions; surveys d. randomly samples; randomly assigns

organizes; predicts

Our tendency to believe we know more than we do best illustrates a. creativity. b. curious skepticism. c. overconfidence. d. critical thinking.

overconfidence.

Phil is a workaholic. He is very driven and motivated, and he can sustain his attention to task for a long time. It is likely that Phil has an: a. oversupply of dopamine b. oversupply of serotonin c. oversupply of endorphins d. undersupply of norepinephrine

oversupply of dopamine

Jacob's severe migraine headaches have led him to seek medical help. It is likely that his symptoms are most closely linked with an a. oversupply of glutamate. b. undersupply of serotonin. c. oversupply of GABA. d. undersupply of acetylcholine.

oversupply of glutamate.

Messages are transmitted from your spinal cord to muscles in your hands by the ________ nervous system. a. autonomic b. parasympathetic c. peripheral d. sympathetic

peripheral

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

peripheral

At the age of 22, Mrs. LaBlanc was less than 4 feet tall. Her short stature was probably influenced by the lack of a growth hormone produced by the a. thyroid. b. pancreas. c. adrenal gland. d. pituitary gland.

pituitary gland.

A representative sample is one that accurately reflects a larger a. scatterplot. b. population. c. dependent variable. d. control group.

population

To learn about the TV viewing habits of all the children attending Oakbridge School, Professor DeVries randomly selected and interviewed 50 of the school's students. In this instance, all the children attending the school are considered to be a(n) a. representative sample. b. independent variable. c. population. d. control condition.

population

With regard to the process of neural transmission, a refractory period refers to a time interval in which a. an electrical charge travels from a sensory neuron to a motor neuron. b. a neuron fires more rapidly than usual. c. positively charged sodium ions are pumped back outside a neural membrane. d. an individual reflexively withdraws from a pain stimulus.

positively charged sodium ions are pumped back outside a neural membrane.

During a resting pause following depolarization, the sodium/potassium pump transports ________ ions ________ a neuron. a. positively charged; into b. positively charged; out of c. negatively charged; into d. negatively charged; out of

positively charged; out of

Humanistic psychologists focused attention on the importance of people's a. potential for healthy growth. b. childhood memories. c. unconscious thought processes. d. genetic predispositions.

potential for healthy growth

Clinical psychologists specialize in a. constructing surveys. b. providing drugs to treat behavioral disorders. c. animal research. d. providing therapy to troubled people.

providing therapy to troubled people.

Mrs. Alfieri believes that her husband's angry outbursts against her result from his unconscious hatred of his own mother. Mrs. Alfieri is looking at her husband's behavior from a(n) perspective. a. behavioral b. psychodynamic c. evolutionary d. behavior genetics

psychodynamic

Governor Donovan was greeted by large, enthusiastic crowds at all of his political rallies. As a result, he became overconfident about his chances of re-election. In this instance, the governor needs to be alerted to the value of a. replication. b. experimental control. c. naturalistic observation. d. random sampling.

random sampling.

Repeating the essence of a previous research study to verify that the findings of the original study extend to a new group of research participants and to different circumstances is called a. replication. b. naturalistic observation. c. random sampling. d. the double-blind procedure.

replication

Statistical reasoning can help us to generalize correctly from a a. standard deviation to a mean. b. range to a standard deviation. c. bar graph to a skewed distribution. d. sample to a population.

sample to a population

A graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the values of two factors, is called a a. replication. b. correlation coefficient. c. control group. d. scatterplot.

scatterplot

The birth of psychology is often attributed to Wilhelm Wundt because he pioneered the investigation of mental processes using a. scientific methods. b. a biopsychosocial perspective. c. an evolutionary perspective. d. positive psychology.

scientific methods.

You feel the pain of a sprained ankle when ________ relay(s) messages from your ankle to your central nervous system. a. sensory neurons b. motor neurons c. interneurons d. the myelin sheath

sensory neurons

Dr. Wilson attributes the delinquent behaviors of many teens to the pressures associated with being members of street gangs. Her account best illustrates a(n) ________ perspective. a. neuroscience b. social-cultural c. behavior genetics d. evolutionary

social-cultural

The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the movements of your mouth and jaws as you eat is called the a. sympathetic nervous system. b. somatic nervous system. c. endocrine system. d. autonomic nervous system

somatic nervous system

The two divisions of the peripheral nervous system are the a. sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system. b. somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system. c. endocrine system and circulatory system. d. brain and spinal cord.

somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.

Evelyn wants to know how consistent her bowling scores have been during the past season. Which of the following measures would tell her what she wants to know? a. correlation b. mean c. standard deviation d. median

standard deviation

Which of the following is a measure of the degree of variation among a set of scores? a. correlation b. mean c. standard deviation d. mode

standard deviation

To decide whether observed differences between samples reflect actual differences between populations, you should determine the ________ of the observed differences. a. mean b. median c. statistical significance d. standard deviation

statistical significance

Professor Woo noticed that the distribution of her students' scores on the last biology test had an extremely small standard deviation. This indicates that the a. test was given to a very small class of students. b. test was a poor measure of the students' knowledge. c. students generally performed very well on the test. d. students' scores tended to be very similar to one another

students' scores tended to be very similar to one another

Suppose you want to find out which candidate college students will vote for in an upcoming national election. To be sure the sample of college students you survey is representative of the college student population, you should a. survey only politically informed college students. b. survey every college student on your own campus. c. survey a large, representative sample of the college student population. d. survey only a small sample of college students.

survey a large, representative sample of the college student population.

An accelerated heartbeat is to a slowed heartbeat as the ________ nervous system is to the ________ nervous system. a. somatic; autonomic b. autonomic; somatic c. sympathetic; parasympathetic d. parasympathetic; sympathetic

sympathetic; parasympathetic

The axon of a sending neuron is separated from the dendrite of a receiving neuron by a a. glial cell. b. neural network. c. synaptic gap. d. myelin sheath.

synaptic gap.

A hypothesis is a(n) a. unprovable assumption about the unobservable processes that underlie psychological functioning. b. testable prediction that gives direction to research. c. set of principles that organizes observations and explains newly discovered facts. d. observable relationship between specific independent and dependent variables.

testable prediction that gives direction to research.

To understand the unusual behavior of an adult client, a clinical psychologist carefully investigates the client's current life situation and his physical, social-cultural, and educational history. Which research method has the psychologist used? a. the case study b. naturalistic observation c. the survey d. experimentation

the case study

Differences between two sample averages are most likely to be statistically significant if a. the sample means are larger than the sample medians. b. the standard deviations of the samples are large. c. both samples are drawn from the same population. d. the difference between the samples is large.

the difference between the samples is large.

Which research method provides the best way of assessing whether cigarette smoking boosts mental alertness? a. the experiment b. the survey c. naturalistic observation d. the case study

the experiment

The release of hormones by the adrenal glands is most likely to trigger a. a refractory period. b. depression. c. the pain reflex. d. the fight-or-flight response.

the fight-or-flight response.

Testing hypotheses and refining theories in light of those tests is central to a. regression toward the mean. b. informed consent. c. debriefing. d. the scientific method.

the scientific method

Which research method would be most appropriate for investigating the relationship between the religious beliefs of Americans and their attitudes toward abortion? a. the survey b. experimentation c. the case study d. naturalistic observation

the survey

Professor Shalet contends that parents and children have similar levels of intelligence largely because they share common genes. His idea is best described as a(n) a. theory. b. naturalistic observation. c. replication. d. operational definition.

theory.

The minimum level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse is called the a. reflex. b. action potential. c. synapse. d. threshold.

threshold

Correlation is a measure of the extent to which two factors a. vary together. b. influence each other. c. have similar operational definitions. d. are random samples.

vary together.

People often fail to make accurate generalizations because they are unduly influenced by ________ cases. a. vivid b. randomly selected c. operationally defined d. representative

vivid

Participants in an experiment are said to be blind if they are uninformed about a. what experimental hypothesis is being tested. b. whether the experimental findings will be meaningful. c. which experimental treatment, if any, they are receiving. d. how the dependent variable is measured.

which experimental treatment, if any, they are receiving.

A factor other than the independent variable that might produce an effect in an experiment is called a a. placebo effect. b. wording effect. c. correlation coefficient. d. confounding variable.

wording effect

Surveys indicate that people are less likely to support "welfare" than "aid to the needy." These somewhat paradoxical survey results best illustrate the importance of a. wording effects. b. random sampling. c. the placebo effect. d. naturalistic observation.

wording effects.