psy 200

Define "schemas" in relation to memory function, describe the purpose of schemas, and give an example of a schema at work in a memory situation.

A schema is a preexisting mental concept or framework that helps people to organize and interpret information. Schemas from prior encounters with the environment influence the way we encode, make inferences about, and retrieve information. Schemas can also be at work when we recall information. Schema theory holds that long-term memory is not exact.

________ plays an important role in the production of speech, whereas ________ plays an important role in the comprehension of language

Broca's area; Wernicke's area

n the context of psychological research methods, which of the following scenarios is an example of the survey method?

Dr. Frank asks people how many hours of television they

________ carry information out of the brain and spinal cord to other areas of the body.

Efferent nerves

Which of the following is one of the functions of the sympathetic nervous system?

Fight-or-flight reaction

Dr. Wundt has noticed that sometimes people get a "brain freeze" sense of pain when they drink slushies. But sometimes people drink slushies and don't get a "brain freeze". Dr. Wundt thinks a person who drinks their slushie quickly makes will result in getting a "brain freeze". Dr. Wundt gives two groups of undergraduate students slushies to drink. The first group is instructed to drink their slushie in 30 seconds. The other group is instructed to drink their slushie no faster than one minute. Both groups reported the level of "brain pain" they felt, from 1 (no pain) to 5 (horrible pain). For this practice, state the hypothesis, then identify the: Independent Variable, Dependent Variable, Experimental Group, and Control Group

Hypothesis: Drinking a slushie fast will result in brain freeze. IV: speed of drinking the slushie DV: measure of "brain pain" EG: group drinking in 30 seconds (fast) CG: group drinking in no less than 1 minute (slow)

In the context of memory encoding, which of the following statements is true of mental imagery?

It entails visualizing material that one wants to remember in ways that create a lasting portrait.

Which of the following is a significance of the brain-lesioning process?

It gives a sense of the functions of the damaged brain regions.

Which of the following is a true statement about an axon?

It is extremely thin and has many branches.

19 Which of the following statements is true of memory storage?

It refers to the retention of information over time and how this information is represented in memory.

________ are interconnected groups of nerve cells that integrate sensory input and motor output.

Neural networks

Which of the following types of cells in the nervous system handle the information-processing function?

Neurons

_______ are chemical substances that are stored in very tiny sacs within the neuron's terminal buttons and involved in transmitting information across a synaptic gap to the next neuron.

Neurotransmitters

________ inhibits the firing of neurons in the central nervous system, but it excites the heart muscle, intestines, and urogenital tract.

Norepinephrine

Which of the following is true about neurogenesis?

Researchers have documented neurogenesis in only two brain regions in mammals: the hippocampus and the olfactory bulb.

which of the following is true about neurogenesis?

Researchers have documented neurogenesis in only two brain regions in mammals: the hippocampus and the olfactory bulb.

A psychologist who studies about the behavioral differences between people from different religions is most likely following the ________ approach to psychology.

Sociocultural

________ states that memory storage involves three separate systems: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.

The Atkinson-Shiffrin theory

Identify the primary functions of the hypothalamus and the cerebellum and give an example for each.

The hypothalamus monitors three pleasurable activities—eating, drinking, and sexual behavior—as well as emotion, stress, and reward. It also regulates the body's internal state. When the body is lacking fuel, the hypothalamus triggers eating behavior or behaviors that would lead to eating. The cerebellum is thought to play important role in motor coordination. Damage to the cerebellum impairs the performance of coordinated movements. When this damage occurs, people's movements become awkward and jerky. Extensive damage to the cerebellum makes it impossible even to stand up.

In multiple sclerosis, which part of the neuron typically hardens and disrupts the flow of information through the neurons?

The myelin sheath

Which of the following is true of research that uses a within-participant design?

The participants in the experimental and control groups are the same people.

________ refers to the soundness of the conclusions that a researcher draws from an experiment.

Validity

Which of the following psychologists would be most likely to conduct research on how a child processes information and solves problems?

a cognitive psychologist

A breakdown between attention and memory storage often results in___.

absentmindedness

Morphine, a neurotransmitter, mimics the actions of endorphins by stimulating receptors in the brain and spinal cord associated with pleasure and pain. Morphine, therefore, is an example of a(n).

agonist

The ________ is sometimes referred to as the "master gland" because almost all of its hormones direct the activity of target glands elsewhere.

anterior pituitary gland

Katy was in a car accident and sustained serious brain damage. Since the accident, Katy can speak only one word. This is an example of ___.

aphasia

Large neuron clusters located above the thalamus and under the cerebral cortex that work with the cerebellum and the cerebral cortex to control and coordinate voluntary movements are called____.

basal ganglia

Dr. Okawa is interested in studying the effect that neurological trauma can have on short-term memory. He collects detailed information from a small number of individuals who have experienced brain damage. Using information provided by medical records, interviews, and observations, he attempts to create an in-depth portrait of each individual. What type of research method was used in this study?

case study

in the context of descriptive research methods in psychology, ________ are performed mainly by clinical psychologists when, for either practical or ethical reasons, the unique aspects of an individual's life cannot be duplicated and tested in other individuals.

case study

According to ________ psychologists, your brain houses a "mind" whose mental processes allow you to remember, make decisions, plan, set goals, and be creative.

cognitive

The ________ approach to psychology views the mind as an active and aware problem-solving system. This view contrasts with the ________ outlook, which portrays actions as controlled by external environmental forces.

cognitive; behavioral

When the axons of healthy neurons adjacent to damaged cells grow new branches, ________ has occurred.

collateral sprouting

Ashley, a secretary at Plato Inc., is typing on her computer, talking on the phone, and handing some papers to her colleague simultaneously. Which of the following characteristics of the nervous system is best illustrated in this scenario?

complexity

A(n) ________ is a person who is given a role to play in a study so that the social context can be manipulated.

confederate

In the context of the connectionist network perspective of memory, the process by which interconnected networks are formed is called___.

consolidation

The function of sensory nerves of the somatic nervous system is to____. convey information from the skin and muscles to the CNS about conditions such as pain and temperature.

convey information from the skin and muscles to the CNS about conditions such as pain and temperature.

Keisha wants to study the association between sleep deprivation and the number of hours spent on a computer every day. She is not keen to establish causation, but would like to determine whether and how the increase or decrease in one variable is related to the increase or decrease in the other variable. Which of the following research methods is likely to be most effective for Keisha's study?

correlational research

Which of the following refers to the conscious recollection of information, such as specific facts and events and, at least in humans, information that can be verbally communicated?

declarative memory

Kwame is studying for a vocabulary test. When he studies the word "braggart," he thinks of how his childhood friend Billy acted whenever Billy was given a new toy. Which of the following is the highest level of processing Kwame has engaged in while encoding the word "braggart"?

deep

Multitasking is an example of ______.

divided attention

A(n) ________ allows researchers to identify the specific effects of the independent variable from the possible effects of the experimenter's and the participants' expectations about it.

double-blind experiment

The lecture you were listening to is over. The bell that rang in the hall signaled the end of class. You get up, pick up your things, and walk out the classroom door. Which kind of nerves sent the signals from your brain to your muscles to initiate your physical movements?

efferent

martin is riding his motorcycle to his office. When he hears the honking of a truck trying to overtake him, he gives way to the truck. In the context of the pathways in the nervous system, in this scenario, which type of nerves communicated information from Martin's brain to his muscles and made him move his motorcycle?

efferent

Information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles is sent through ________, thus enabling the body to move.

efferent nerves

Harry has been diagnosed with epilepsy by his neurologist. Which of the following should the neurologist use to assess Harry's epilepsy by studying his brain-wave activity?

electroencephalograph

Which of the following is subdivided into episodic and semantic memory?

explicit memory

an experimenter studies the relationship between caffeine and reaction time. She designs her experiment with four groups. Group one receives 100 mg of caffeine each in their cups of coffee; group two receives 200 mg of caffeine each in their cups of coffee; group three receives 300 mg of caffeine each in their cups of coffee; and group four receives no coffee. Twenty minutes later, participants from all the groups are given a reaction-time test. In this experiment, which group is the control group?

group four

The chemical messengers produced by the endocrine glands are known as____.

hormones

The chemical messengers produced by the endocrine glands are known as_____.

hormones.

Abe and Carla are psychologists who believe that people have free will and can make choices based on higher human values. Abe and Carla's views reflect the ________ approach to psychology

humanistic

Amaya, a psychologist, conducts a survey to determine why most people tend to help a crying child. After the survey, she explains that most people help a crying child because they choose to live by higher values such as altruism. In this scenario, Amaya's explanation is reflective of the ________ approach to psychology

humanistic

Carrie suffered brain damage when she was injured in a car accident. Since then, she is unable to take pleasure in the things she used to. She has also lost interest in sexual intimacy with her husband and does not enjoy the taste of her favorite foods. In this scenario, damage to which of the following areas of the brain is most likely causing her inability to experience pleasure?

hypothalamus

in which subsystem of long-term memory is your knowledge of how to drive a car and how to ride a bike stored?

implicit memory

in an experiment, the ________ is conceptualized as the "potential cause" and the ________ is conceptualized as the "resulting effect."

independent variable; dependent variable

Which of the following is true of long-term memory?

long-term memory has a storage capacity that is virtually unlimited.

A person suffering from retrograde amnesia will ____.

lose past memories and the ability to acquire new memories will remain unaffected.

Tamika hypothesizes that women are more helpful than men, and she decides to conduct an experiment to test her hypothesis. During lunchtime, she goes to the crowded food court and deliberately drops her folder containing papers. She then notes whether the person standing closest to her helps her pick up her papers and whether the person is male or female. What is the operational definition of "helpful" in Tamika's study?

making an effort to gather the papers

Sara, a researcher, and her team conduct a study to examine the effect of WakeMe, an energy drink, on the intelligence quotient (IQ) levels of people in a small district of Casadia. The people of Casadia are randomly divided into two equal groups. Members of one group, Group WM, are made to drink WakeMe and then take the IQ test. Members of the other group, Group NoWM, are made to drink plain water packaged in WakeMe bottles and then take the IQ test. In this scenario, who among the following exemplifies the control group?

members of Group NoWM

Which of the following do people use to protect themselves from memories of painful, stressful, or otherwise unpleasant circumstances?

motivated forgetting

he cell body contains the ________, which directs the manufacture of substances that a neuron needs for growth and maintenance.

nucleus

Longitudinal research involves ____.

observing and measuring the same variables periodically over time

According to the all-or-nothing principle,_____.

once the electrical impulse reaches a certain level of intensity, it fires and moves all the way down the axon without losing any intensity.

In the context of the autonomic nervous system, the ________ calms the body.

parasympathetic nervous system

Belinda and John were best friends through their school years. Belinda now works in a café and has become good friends with her colleague, Jim. However, Belinda often finds herself referring to Jim as John, even though she has not spoken to John for at least four years. Belinda's confusion with these names may be attributed to the occurrence of_____.

proactive interference

Which of the following occurs when material that was learned earlier disrupts the recall of material learned later?

proactive interference

Which approach to psychology emphasizes unconscious thought?

psychodynamic approach

Normally, when a neuron is not transmitting information and a slight negative charge is present on the inside of the cell membrane, the neuron is said to be___

resting

Proactive and retroactive interference are examples of ______.

retrieval failures.

Problems regulating dopamine are associated with_____

schizophrenia.

20. In the context of long-term memory, which of the following refers to schemas for an event, often containing information about physical features, people, and typical occurrences?

scripts

When learning a new language, you learn the words and general grammatical structure, which is a function of ______; and you might also remember how you learned them, which is function of ______.

semantic memory; episodic memory

A person is most likely to store a seven-digit phone number in his or her ________ memory.

short term

the left hemisphere of the brain plays an important role in managing or regulating____.

speech and grammar.

The reticular formation of the midbrain is involved in____.

stereotyped patterns of behavior such as walking, sleeping, or turning to attend to a sudden noise.

Wilhelm Wundt's approach to discovering the basic elements of mental processes is called?

structuralism

Wilhelm Wundt was the founder of ________, whereas William James was the founder of ________.

structuralism; functionalism

If a person needs to run away from a dangerous situation, the ________ nervous system sends blood to the person's extremities to prepare them for taking off.

sympathetic

Structures in the cerebral cortex that are involved in hearing, language processing, and memory are called_____.

temporal lobes.

The axon is____.

the part of the neuron that carries information away from the cell body toward other cells.

Maya burns her fingers while cooking dinner. Which of the following divisions of the nervous system will be primarily responsible for the pain she feels?

the somatic nervous system

Gary, a psychologist, conducts a study to determine the association between beer sales and the number of road accidents. He finds that an increase in beer sales results in an increase in the number of road accidents. However, he realizes that the time of year could also significantly affect the obtained results because there could be an increase in the number of road trips. Which of the following is most likely exemplified in this scenario?

the third variable problem

In experimental research, demand characteristics tend to_____.

threaten the validity of experimental results.

Dendrites are____.

treelike fibers which receive information and orient it toward the neuron's cell body.

If all of the information on the hard drive of your computer is like long-term memory, then ________, like Random Access Memory (RAM), is comparable to what you actually have open and active at any given moment.

working memory