ap psych - ap classroom wrong questions
vestibular sense
the sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance
Which of the following is the best definition for absolute threshold? A The lowest strength of a stimulus that a person can detect 50% of the time B The highest strength of a stimulus that a person can detect 50% of the time C The smallest change between two stimuli that a person can detect D The largest change between two stimuli that a person can detect E The difference between two stimuli that can be detected 50% of the time
A The lowest strength of a stimulus that a person can detect 50% of the time
The fact that Lori finds herself thinking about dogs and other pets after seeing a cat is evidence that human memory is organized into A an association network B a hierarchy C a mental set D a schema E mnemonics
Answer A Correct. An association network representation predicts that activation of a concept will also activate related concepts.
Which of the following examples is most consistent with the theory that executive functioning provides the basis for general intelligence? A Geoff is able to easily remember a long list of instructions after hearing them only once and also scores higher than average on intelligence tests. B Reilly began walking earlier than most children and also scores higher than average on intelligence tests. C Amir is good at understanding other peoples' emotions and also scores higher than average on intelligence tests. D Jake can read very quickly and also scores higher than average on intelligence tests. E Rose has perfect pitch and also scores higher than average on intelligence tests.
Answer A Correct. Being able to remember a long list of instructions is a measure of working memory capacity (related to executive function). Geoff's having strong executive functioning and higher than average intelligence is consistent with the theory.
Marlene had an infection that led to deafness in her left ear. Which of the following will be the most likely impact of losing her hearing in her left ear? A She will have trouble locating the source of sounds. B She will not be able to hear high pitches. C She will show less activity in her left temporal lobe. D She will not be able to detect harmony in music. E Her hearing overall will improve.
Answer A Correct. Both ears are necessary for accurate sound localization.
An example of using elaborative encoding to improve memory is A Sam remembering which tree is the ginkgo by using the phrase "stinko ginkgo" because the fruit of the ginkgo tree smells bad B Trevor remembering to buy milk at the grocery store by putting a note on the refrigerator C Emilia remembering a new acquaintance's name by silently repeating the name after learning it D Arthur remembering to pick up a cake before leaving work by asking a coworker for a reminder at the end of the workday E Diego remembering the meanings of Spanish vocabulary words by creating flash cards and studying them
Answer A Correct. Elaborative encoding occurs when something new is associated with something meaningful or with an existing memory.
Which scenario best illustrates what Erik Erikson would predict would happen in middle adulthood? A Timothy has worked at a bank for many years, where he feels rather stifled. He then decides to volunteer to read books to young children because he finds this volunteerism fulfilling. B Shanika works hard to accomplish new things and is very proud when she does. C Jorge likes to reminisce about his life. He thinks of the things he is proud of and the times he was disappointed in his experiences. D Anthony likes when he does things independently and feels bad when he cannot accomplish things on his own. E Amelia has tried many different ways of defining herself over the past few years.
Answer A Correct. Erik Erikson focuses on people in middle adulthood feeling a sense of generativity, giving back to the next generation, or stagnation
John went to the beach for vacation shortly after having watched a documentary film about shark attacks. Overestimating the possibility of encountering a shark in the water, he decided to spend the day sunbathing and reading instead of going for a swim. John's reasoning can be explained through A the availability heuristic B the gambler's fallacy C source monitoring D confirmation bias E counterfactual thinking
Answer A Correct. John recently watched the documentary about shark attacks, and information about shark attacks can be easily retrieved from memory. Because this information is fresh in his mind, he is hesitant to get in the water for fear of encountering a shark.
Gayle's teacher wants to increase effective study habits in her students by using negative reinforcement. Gayle's teacher would most likely enforce this by A removing an unpleasant stimulus B removing a pleasant stimulus C introducing an unpleasant stimulus D introducing a pleasant stimulus E rewarding successive approximations of effective study habits
Answer A Correct. Negative reinforcement is the increase of a behavior due to the removal of an unpleasant stimulus.
Which of the following describes sexual orientation? A Developing an inherent attraction or romantic relationship with a given gender or genders B Feeling gender is consistent throughout the life span C Identifying as a specific gender D Developing an overgeneralization about a group of individuals based on their gender E Learning a set of expectations that one feels are appropriate for various genders
Answer A Correct. Sexual orientation is the gender or genders that a person is attracted to or develops romantic relationships with.
Denise has damaged her auditory nerve and now has difficulty understanding what people are saying. Which of the following descriptions explains how that damage impairs her hearing? A Sound messages fail to be transmitted directly to the brain. B The hair cells fail to vibrate sufficiently to transmit the message. C The ear components fail to amplify the sound to render it sufficiently detectable. D The brain receives the sound message, but it is unable to process the sound. E Sound vibrations are not strong enough to stimulate middle-ear activity.
Answer A Correct. The auditory nerve is in charge of transmitting messages from the ear to the brain.
Which of the following anatomical structures is involved in the vestibular sense? A Semicircular canals B Olfactory bulb C Nociceptors D Taste buds E Retinas
Answer A Correct. The semicircular canals are involved in the vestibular sense.
The best example of a biological predisposition to learning is which of the following? A After Ted got sick from eating sushi from the deli, he became nauseous whenever he thought of eating sushi. B Little Cardi gets in her toy car and imitates the way her mother drives a real car. C By using shaping techniques, a researcher can teach a chicken to play tic-tac-toe. D Rats can learn to run complex mazes even without food rewards present. E After getting kicked by a donkey, Sarah developed a fear of not only donkeys but also horses.
Answer A Correct. This is an example of taste aversion, which is a type of biological predisposition to learning.
Rodrigo's three-year-old sister says the phrase "We goed to the store" instead of "We went to the store." According to Noam Chomsky, what is the best explanation for her behavior? A Her parents have not presented her with the appropriate corrective feedback to teach her not to use the incorrect form. B She is overregularizing her use of the past tense. C She has heard other children using the incorrect form and has learned that it is correct. D She has not yet entered the concrete operational stage of cognition, in which she will be able to learn the correct form of the word. E She has a specific language impairment, which has prevented her from acquiring the correct form.
Answer B Correct. Chomsky described children's errors in using irregular past tense forms as overregularizing past tense forms.
The hormone most associated with the fight or flight response is A oxytocin B epinephrine C testosterone D estrogen E dopamine
Answer B Correct. Epinephrine has a number of effects on the body that prepare it for fight or flight.
It is not possible to randomly assign the participants in Lawrence Kohlberg's studies on moral development into groups because A Kohlberg did not believe there were distinct stages of moral development B Kohlberg compared people of different ages C deception would be necessary D it would be unethical E his research would then not be generalizable to groups other than men
Answer B Correct. Groups in Kohlberg's research were compared based on age, which would make random assignment impossible.
Which of the following psychologists is best associated with studying the function of memory? A Mary Whiton Calkins B Hermann Ebbinghaus C Erik Erikson D Carl Rogers E Carl Wernicke
Answer B Correct. Hermann Ebbinghaus studied memory by memorizing nonsense syllables and seeing how many he could remember.
A person whose body is not producing enough testosterone is most likely to exhibit A overly aggressive behavior B fatigue C memory loss D increased hunger E increased thirst
Answer B Correct. Not enough testosterone often leads to fatigue.
Cheryl has difficulty making friends. She frequently argues with her peers and is mean to them. Her poor peer relationships can be explained by the fact that A she has a strong identity B she has a tense relationship with her parents C she is identity foreclosed D she is experiencing adolescent egocentrism E her cerebellum is not fully developed so she is overly emotional
Answer B Correct. Research indicates that when adolescents have tense relationships with their parents they tend to have tense relationships with their peers, and conversely when they have positive relationships with their parents they have positive relationships with their peers.
Waking up frequently, loud snoring, silent pauses in breathing, and sleepiness during the day are symptoms of A somnambulism B sleep apnea C narcolepsy D circadian rhythm sleep disorders E insomnia
Answer B Correct. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that occurs when a person's airway collapses at night causing a halt in breathing, which leads to frequent waking, chronic fatigue, and loud snoring.
Dr. Ramen recruited 100 adults to participate in her study. The taste buds of each participant were measured, and the participants tasted a number of foods. She found there was a relationship between the size of a participant's taste buds and the number of foods that a participant could taste. What research method did Dr. Ramen use, and what was she most likely studying? A Correlational; sensitivity to the taste of umami B Correlational; the sensitivity of supertasters C Correlational; sensitivity to the taste of salt D Experimental; sensitivity to the taste of umami E Experimental; the sensitivity of supertasters
Answer B Correct. This is a correlational study. There was no random assignment or control group. Dr. Ramen was most likely studying the sensitivity of supertasters because supertasters tend to have larger taste buds.
To remember a list of words, Jerry tries walking through his bedroom and making associations between words on the list and various areas he visits in his bedroom. Jerry is trying to improve his memory encoding by using A distributed learning B the method of loci C maintenance retrieval D echoic memory E lateral inhibition
Answer B Correct. This is an example of using the method of loci to remember something.
If Jess has a type of amnesia that affects the formation of explicit memories but not implicit ones, which of the following will she be most likely to remember? A The date of her last basketball lesson B The name of her basketball coach C The location of the gym D The arm position to throw the ball E The rules of the game
Answer D Correct. Skills such as how to hold one's arm to throw a ball are implicit memories. Jess will improve at basketball over time, as would any person with practice
Ruth and Debbie are identical twins who were raised by the same family. Vince and Frankie are identical twins who were separated at birth and raised by different families. According to research on the heritability of personality traits, Ruth's and Debbie's personalities are statistically A more likely to be similar to one another than are Vince's and Frankie's personalities B likely to be as similar and dissimilar to one another as are Vince's and Frankie's personalities C more likely to be dissimilar to one another than are Vince's and Frankie's personalities D less likely to match on the personality dimensions of agreeableness and extraversion than are Vince and Frankie but not on other personality dimensions E less likely to match on the personality dimensions of openness and neuroticism than are Vince and Frankie but not on other personality dimensions
Answer B Correct. This was the main conclusion of the large-scale Minnesota twin study and has been further supported by more recent research studies about twins. Identical twins raised apart have the capacity to be just as similar and dissimilar as twins raised together.
According to the gate control theory of pain, which of the following contains a neurological gate that controls the transmission of pain messages to the brain? A Nerve cells B Skin tissues C The spinal cord D Nociceptors E Muscles and organs
Answer C Correct. According to the gate control theory of pain, the spinal cord contains a neurological gate that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain.
neuron sends a signal along its A dendrite B optic chiasm C axon D neurotransmitter E nucleus
Answer C Correct. Each signal is received by a neuron's dendrites and sent along its axon.
Rogelio has a number of health problems and would like to avoid medication as much as possible. He is considering biofeedback as an alternative form of treatment. Biofeedback would most benefit which of Rogelio's health problems? A Obesity, because Rogelio can use the cues from biofeedback to control his eating B Arthritis, because Rogelio can use the cues from biofeedback to learn to relax C Tension headaches, because Rogelio can use the cues from biofeedback to learn to relax D Depression, because Rogelio can use the cues from biofeedback to keep him from having depressive thoughts E Indigestion, because Rogelio can use the cues from biofeedback to control his indigestion
Answer C Correct. Research shows that tension headaches are most relieved through biofeedback.
Arthur is helping his friend set up her new phone. Arthur has never used this type of phone, but he uses his knowledge of setting up his own phone to help figure out how to use the new phone. According to Robert Sternberg's triarchic theory of intelligence, Arthur is using which type of intelligence? A Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence B Practical intelligence C Creative intelligence D General intelligence E
Answer C Correct. Sternberg defined creative intelligence as using one's prior experiences to help solve new problems.
Gender typing is best defined as A the belief or feeling that gender is constant throughout the life span B an overgeneralization about a group of people based on their gender C the process by which children become aware of their gender and thus behave accordingly by adopting attributes of members of the gender that they identify with D the development of an attraction or romantic relationship with people of a given gender or genders E a set of expectations about how people of certain genders should behave
Answer C Correct. This is the definition of gender typing.
Several researchers from an introductory psychology course observed infants, toddlers, and young children at a day care for one week. Over the course of the week, the researchers observed the gross and fine motor skills of all the children. After reviewing the data, the researchers were able to conclude that A infants gain control of their arm muscles before they gain control of their neck muscles B young children master fine motor skills more quickly than gross motor skills C young children master gross motor skills more quickly than fine motor skills D infants master using their fingers more quickly than their torso E infants master controlling their feet more quickly than lifting their head
Answer C Correct. Young children master moving parts of their bodies that are closer to their torso before those that are farther away from their torso. Fine motor skills are related to dexterity, which involves the fingers.
What effect do agonists have? A They decrease the likelihood that a person will get a good night's sleep. B They stimulate the gastric system, leading to increased hunger. C They decrease the likelihood that a postsynaptic neuron will fire. D They increase the likelihood that a postsynaptic neuron will fire. E They lead to a decreased sex drive.
Answer D Correct. Agonists increase the effectiveness of a neurotransmitter at the receiving neuron.
In a study mimicking Roger Sperry's work, Dr. Kornhauser compared the responses of split-brain patients against a control group of neurotypical participants. In his study, participants focused on a dot in the center of a computer screen and objects are presented in either the left or right visual field. After seeing the object, the participants named the object. The results of the experiment are presented below. What is the most appropriate conclusion Dr. Kornhauser can draw from the results? A Split-brain patients cannot process objects using the right half of their brain and thus are not able to identify the objects in the right visual field. B Split-brain patients have a much faster reaction time to objects in the right visual field due to having a more direct connection between the visual cortex and their language center. C Because the connection between the left visual cortex and language center has been severed, split-brain patients are not able to retrieve the name of objects seen in the right visual field. D Because the connection between the right visual cortex and language center has been severed, split-brain patients are not able to retrieve the name of objects seen in the left visual field. E Because accuracy in the control group was low, the objects he used were likely too difficult for the participants.
Answer D Correct. In split-brain patients, information in the left visual field is processed by the right visual cortex, which cannot access the language processing part of the brain located in the left hemisphere (in the majority of people). So, split-brain patients are unable to name objects that are seen only by the right visual cortex.
The psychodynamic theory of dreaming would postulate that A time spent dreaming helps with problem solving and creativity B people sleep more after they have engaged in strenuous physical activity C dreams are the brain's way of making sense of random neural activity D dreams fulfill unconscious wishes E lions sleep more than deer
Answer D Correct. Psychodynamic theory is largely focused on the unconscious.
Sometimes people who speak different languages are in a community together and must develop a way of communicating. Similarly, their offspring must also find a way to communicate. The main difference between the speech of the first generation and the speech of the second generation is A the speech of the first generation tends to include a larger vocabulary B the speech of the second generation tends to include a larger vocabulary C the speech of the first generation tends to have more complex grammar rules D the speech of the second generation tends to have more complex grammar rules E minor because there is typically no difference between the speech of the first generation and the speech of the second generation
Answer D Correct. The first-generation language tends to have very little grammatical structure; this is called a pidgin language. The second generation tends to impose its own grammatical structure on the makeshift language; this is called a creole language. The fact that children develop grammatical rules without any training is often cited as evidence that people have a built-in language acquisition device.
At a synapse, neurotransmitters released by the sending neuron do which of the following? A They combine with neurotransmitters released by the receiving neuron. B They combine with neurotransmitters released by other sending neurons. C They pass through channels into the receiving neuron. D They bind to receptors at the receiving neuron, which opens ion channels. E They bind to ions in the synapse, which creates a chemical reaction that causes the receiving neuron to fire.
Answer D Correct. The ions that pass through the channel help to trigger an action potential in the receiving neuron.
Which of the following scenarios most accurately describes biofeedback? A Taneesha became sick after eating funnel cake at the fair, so now she gags every time she smells funnel cake. B Rune conditioned his dog to salivate to a buzzer. He then paired the buzzer with a light flash, and his dog eventually began to salivate to the light flash. C Julie's employer stopped paying her, so she stopped coming to work. D Stacy participated in an experiment in which she wore a heart-rate monitor, watched the readout of her heart rate, and received points based on how many beats per minute she reduced her heart rate. E Meike stopped giving her dog treats from the dinner table. Eventually, Meike's dog stopped begging. Two months later, the dog started begging again.
Answer D Correct. The study involves Stacy receiving information about her physiology for the purpose of controlling it, which is then studied by her researcher.
Kimmie stood on the sidewalk rather than crossing the street because she saw that the approaching car was quite close to her. Which of the following concepts is best illustrated in this example? A Gestalt B Figure-ground relationship C Closure D Depth perception E Color constancy
Answer D Correct. This example illustrates the ability to judge distance.
In a study on taste, what would researchers need to do to test participants' ability to distinguish umami from similar sensations? A Blindfold the participants and ask them to distinguish between the smell of pork and the smell of a lemon. B Blindfold the participants and ask them to distinguish between the smell of a rose and the smell of a honeysuckle. C Blindfold the participants and ask them to distinguish between the taste of pork broth and the taste of beef broth. D Place disks soaked in MSG on the participants' tongues. Then replace those disks with disks that have been soaked in water. Compare the participants' reactions. E Place disks soaked in lemon juice on the participants' tongues. Then replace those disks with disks that have been soaked in water. Compare the participants' reactions.
Answer D Correct. Umami has recently been identified as a fifth taste sensation that is related to savory, meaty tastes such as MSG. Additionally, comparing the participants' reactions to a placebo (the water-soaked disks) lets researchers know whether the participants can actually distinguish the taste.
Human tactile sense is actually a mix of which of the following distinct skin senses? A Pressure, warmth, tickle, pain B Warmth, cold, wet, dry C Pressure, pain, wet, dry D Pressure, pain, tickle, wet E Pressure, warmth, cold, pain
Answer E
Which hormone is released when a person is under stress? A Progesterone B Testosterone C Estrogen D Oxytocin E Cortisol
Answer E Correct. Cortisol is released by the adrenal gland when people are stressed.
Madeline has previously been diagnosed with major depressive disorder. She has an identical twin sister, Josephine, and a nonidentical sister, Abigail. Neither of Madeline's sisters have previously been diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Which of the following statements is true of Madeline's sisters? A Because their sister has been diagnosed, it is highly likely that both sisters will be diagnosed with major depressive disorder at some point in their lives. B Neither sister is likely to be diagnosed with major depressive disorder because it is rare for family members to be diagnosed with the same disorder. C The sisters are equally likely to be diagnosed with major depressive disorder in response to a stressful or traumatic event. D Josephine is less likely to be diagnosed with major depressive disorder than Abigail in response to a stressful or traumatic event. E Josephine is more likely to be diagnosed with major depressive disorder than Abigail in response to a stressful or traumatic event.
Answer E Correct. Josephine likely has a higher predisposition for major depressive disorder because she shares all her genes with Madeline, who has previously been diagnosed.
Which of the following scenarios is best explained by long-term potentiation? A Erik and Harry don't like each other when they are first assigned to the same a room during a class trip, but after spending a great deal of time together, they begin to like each other more. B When Sruthi first enters a dark room after coming in from outside, she can't see anything, but her eyes adjust after a few minutes. C At first, Benjamin needs to drink only a small amount of a caffeinated beverage to feel its effects, but after drinking it regularly for a while, he needs more to feel the same effects. D Alan wants to stop studying to go to a party but stops himself by thinking about his future career. E The first time Colleen tries to remember Leo's name it takes her a long time, but over time she remembers it more quickly.
Answer E Correct. Long-term potentiation is the mechanism behind memory formation.
Which of the following scenarios best describes the relationship between temperament and child-parent relationships? A Garrett's parents reward him for having an easy temperament, so he remains an easy child. B Stanley has an easy temperament, which has made him more sensitive to differences in parenting. C Anthony has a difficult temperament, which has made him less sensitive to differences in parenting. D Fred has a slow-to-warm-up temperament, which has led his parents to be distant with him. E Sammy has a difficult temperament, but his parents love and care for him anyway.
Answer E Correct. Research indicates that the parents of difficult children are usually as loving and caring with their children as parents of easy children are.
Which of the following statements is true regarding the application of operant conditioning to learning? A Punishment is the most effective way to increase good study habits, because students do not want to get punished. B Immediately reinforcing correct responses hurts students' ability to learn new material, because they learn new material better when their correct responses are reinforced later. C Negative reinforcement decreases student focus, because students do want to get negatively reinforced. D Modeling good study habits enhances student learning, because students benefit from observing others' study habits. E Immediately reinforcing correct responses enhances student learning, because immediate reinforcement has shown to be most effective with regard to learning.
E Immediately reinforcing correct responses enhances student learning, because immediate reinforcement has shown to be most effective with regard to learning. Answer E Correct. Immediately reinforcing correct responses has been shown to lead to a greater likelihood of repeated behavior than does delayed reinforcement.
Nociceptors
receptors detect hurtful temperatures, pressure, or chemicals.