Psych Exam 1

What can you do to become a better consumer of psychology in everyday life?

Avoid overgeneralizing results Exercise caution in applying group trends to individual experience Look for converging evidence Question causal inferences Consider the source

What explains the ability of an animal to distinguish among sight, sound, odor, taste, and touch?

1:there are different types of action potentials for each sense, so the cns can interpret each correctly 2: receptors are specialized to absorb a particular type of energy and transform it into an action potential 3: sensory recepetors are selective and have different neural pathways

Psychology began as a science in the discipline of ___.

All human behavior

Which of the following pairs are correctly matched? A. High levels of oxytocin—Alzheimer disease B. Low levels of dopamine—Parkinson disease C. Low levels of acetylcholine—Schizophrenia D. High levels of serotonin—Depression

B

Having five or more drinks in a row in the last two weeks

Binge-drinking

The brain and spinal cord make up the

CNS

Which of the following sensory processes is most activated when a person is tasting food that is extremely salty?

Chemoreceptors

The goal of ___ research is to determine the basic definitions and dimensions of the phenomenon under investigation.

Correlation

the process of thinking deeply and actively, asking questions, and evaluating the evidence

Critical thinking

Treelike fibers projecting from a neuron, receive information and orient it toward the neuron's cell body. Most nerve cells have numerous dendrites, which increase their surface area, allowing each neuron to receive input from many other neurons.

Dendrites

The final step in the scientific method of psychology is ___.

Evaluate

Functions and purposes of the mind and behavior in the individual's adaptation to the environment Jame's view

Functionalism

Gaining knowledge by observing events, collecting data, and reasoning logically

Goals the empirical method fulfill

What is the second step in the scientific method?

Hypothesis

According to the principle of _____, all participants must know what their participation will involve and what risks might develop.

Informed Consent

A key requirement for the process of testing hypothesis in the scientific method is ___.

Making predictions derived from theory

detection of vibration and perception of sound

Mechanoreception

A _____ is a layer of fat cells that insulates most axons and speeds up the transmission of nerve impulses.

Myelin sheath

Behavior is ___; mental processes are ___.

Observable; experienced

What is the first step in the scientific method?

Observe

-Narcotics -depress the central nervous system's activity. -powerful painkillers. -most common drugs—morphine and heroin—affect synapses in the brain that use endorphins as their neurotransmitter. -When these drugs leave the brain, the affected synapses become understimulated. For several hours after taking an ___, the person feels euphoric and pain-free and has an increased appetite for food and sex. - ___ are highly addictive, and users experience craving and painful withdrawal when the drug becomes unavailable

Opiates

Which of the following sensory processes is most activated when a person is tasting food that is extremely salty?

Photoreceptors

act on the nervous system to alter consciousness, modify perceptions, and change moods. Some people use psychoactive drugs as a way to deal with life's difficulties. Drinking, smoking, and taking drugs reduce tension, relieve boredom and fatigue, and help people to escape from the harsh realities of life. Some people use drugs because they are curious about their effects.

Psychactive drugs

When you go to check on your sleeping child, you observe that his eyes are moving back and forth rapidly under his eyelids. It is likely that he is ___.

REM sleep

an active stage of sleep during which dreaming occurs. The EEG pattern for REM sleep shows fast waves similar to those of relaxed wakefulness, and the sleeper's eyeballs move up and down and from left to right

REM sleep

Science is a method; not what you study, but how you study

Scientific theory

Depression is associated with low levels of which neurotransmitter?

Serotonin

Focus on identifying the elemental parts or structures of the human mind Wundt

Structuralism

Which of the following principles states that two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage to be perceived as different?

Weber's Law

When does drug addiction occur?

When a person's body requires a drug to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

___ is most often regarded the "founding father" of modern psychology.

Wilhelm Wundt

William James described the main as ___.

a stream of consciousness; a continuous flow of changing sensations, images, thoughts, and feelings

Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in

action of muscles, learning, and memory

Plasticity best reflects which of the following characteristics of the nervous system?

adaptability

Ian repeatedly uses heroin to reduce stress and enhance the feeling of well-being. Ian's behavior exemplifies

addiction

You are listening to a lecture. Then the bell rings in the hallway. In order to hear this stimulus, _____ nerves must carry electrochemical messages from your ears to your brain.

afferent

It acts on the body primarily as a depressant and slows down the brain's activities; people "loosen up" after a few because the brain areas involved in inhibition and judgment slow down. As people do this more, their inhibitions decrease even further, and their judgment becomes increasingly impaired. Activities that require intellectual functioning and motor skills, such as driving, become harder to perform. Eventually the drinker falls asleep. With extreme intoxication, the person may lapse into a coma and die.

alcohol

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a technique that

allows scientists literally to see what is happening in the brain while it is working

What type of drug is crystal meth?

amphetamine

The function of the _____ is to take messages to and from the body's internal organs, monitoring such processes as breathing, heart rate, and digestion.

autonomic nervous system

States of consciousness that require little attention and do not interfere with other ongoing activities are called

autonomic processes

The ability to type a text message on a cell phone without even looking at the keypad is an example of

autonomic processes

What components are essential to the definition of consciousness?

awareness and arousal

Sleeping pills are classified as a(n)

barbiturate

- such as Nembutal and Seconal, are depressant drugs that decrease CNS activity. - once prescribed as sleep aids. -in heavy dosages, they can lead to impaired memory and decision making. -combined with alcohol, can be lethal. -Heavy doses by themselves can cause death. For this reason, ___ are the drug most often used in suicide attempts. -Abrupt withdrawal can produce seizures. Because of the addictive potential and relative ease of toxic overdose, ___have largely been replaced by tranquilizers in the treatment of insomnia

barbiturates

What is an example of no awareness or an "unconscious" state of mind?

being KO'd by a blow or anesthetized

What are essential body functions under the control of the autonomic nervous system?

breathing, heart rate, and digestion

What is the most widely used drug in the U.S?

caffeine

The most widely used stimulants in the world are ___ and ___.

caffeine; nicotine

The biological cycle that regulates our pattern of sleep is called ___.

circadian rhythms

What theory of dreaming proposes that dreaming involves information processing and memory?

cognitive theory of dreaming

According to the principle of _____ researchers are responsible for keeping all of the data they gather on individuals completely, when possible, anonymous.

confidentiality

Frank buys a new smartphone and tries exploring the phone's features as soon as he reaches home. While doing so, he fails to hear the doorbell, which has been ringing for five minutes. This illustrates the concept of

controlled processes

the most alert states of human consciousness, individuals actively focus their efforts toward a goa

controlled processes

The function of sensory nerves of the somatic nervous system is to

convey information from the skin and muscles to the CNS

wandering thoughts; fantasy, imagination, rumination; potentially useful (reminding, solving)

daydreaming

Psychological research on sleep and memory has found that staying up all night to study for an exam is likely to

decrease memory performance

College students who consume large amounts of alcohol on weekends are abusing which type(s) of drugs?

depressants

Psychoactive drugs that slow down mental and physical activity are called

depressants

Tranquilizers and alcohol are ___.

depressants

Nicotine raises ___ levels in the brain

dopamine

What neurotransmitter plays an important role in addiction?

dopamine

Altered states of consciousness can be produced by ___.

drugs, trauma, fever, fatigue, sensory deprivation, meditation, and possibly hypnosis

Night terrors typically occur ___.

during slow-wave, non-REM sleep

In the context of sensory receptors, chemoreception most likely occurs when a person

eats or smells something

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

efferent

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

According to the science of psychology, a behavior is a(n)?

everything we do that can be directly observed

Brian conducts a study to examine the ability of boys and girls in solving difficult mathematical problems. He expects girls to perform much better than boys and communicates his expectation to the participants in a subtle manner. This is an example of ___

experimenter bias

Dr. Amani is interested in investigating why women are more able to correctly interpret emotional expressions than men. In this case, he is most interested in the scientific goal of _____ behavior.

explaining

What is the brain's largest division?

forebrain

In the context of sensory receptors, the intensity of the stimulus is communicated to the brain by varying the _____ of the action potential sent to the brain

frequency

Marijuana and LSD are considered to be

hallucinogens

Which category of drugs modify a person's perceptual experiences and produces visual images that are not real?

hallucinogens

The divided-consciousness view of hypnosis holds that ___.

hypnosis involves a splitting of consciousness into two separate components, one of which follows the hypnotist's commands and the other of which acts as a "hidden observer"

The placebo effect can weaken the ___ of an experiment.

internal validity

What is the highest level of conscious awareness? Example.

involves controlled processing, in which individuals actively focus their efforts on attaining a goal Example: doing a math or science problem; preparing for a debate; taking an at-bat in a baseball game

-Any type of academic research must first propose the study to the ethics board or institutional review board (IRK) at the institution. -Guidelines for human research include: Coercion, Informed consent, Anonymity/confidentiality, Lack of risk, Debriefing procedures

issues addressed by the ethics guidelines developed by the American Psychological Association

In the context of ethical guidelines in psychological research, when data are confidential, it is possible to

link a participant's identity to his or her data

Daydreaming would be considered an example of which of the following levels of awareness?

lower-level consciousness

-the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, which originated in Central Asia but is now grown in most parts of the world. -The plant's dried resin is known as hashish. -The active ingredient in ___ is THC -The physical effects include increased pulse rate and blood pressure, reddening of the eyes, coughing, and dry mouth. -Psychological effects include a mixture of excitatory, depressive, and mildly hallucinatory characteristics. - ___can trigger spontaneous unrelated ideas; distorted perceptions of time and place; increased sensitivity to sounds, tastes, smells, and colors; and erratic verbal behavior. -The drug can also impair attention and memory. Further, when used daily in large amounts, marijuana can alter sperm count and change hormonal cycles -a number of negative birth outcomes for the offspring of mothers who used ___ during pregnancy, such as increased admission to the neonatal intensive care unit lower intelligence at age 6, and elevated risk of using ___ at age 14

marijuana

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder in which individuals ___.

may fall asleep while talking or standing up

- detection of vibration and perceived as hearing - detection of pressure and perceived as touch

mechnaoreceptors

___ involves attaining a peaceful state of mind in which thoughts are not occupied by worry

meditation

___ meditation has beneficial effects on a variety of conditions, including depression, panic attacks, anxiety, chronic pain, stress, and psoriasis.

mindfulness meditation

What are the most common negative consequences that binge-drinking college students create for themselves?

missed classes, injuries, trouble with police, and unprotected sex

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

neurons

Which of the following organs are involved in men's and women's sexual development and reproduction?

ovaries and testes

The placebo effect is an example of a(n)

participant bias

Which part of an eye usually acts like the aperture of a camera, opening and closing depending on the amount of light required to enter the eye?

pupil

Compared with to dreams that occur during the REM stage, those that occur during the non-REM stage are ___.

relatively low frequency, the person will not report dreaming

Jet lag may be best explained by the ___.

result of two or more body rhythms being out of sync

___ is the process of receiving stimulus energies from the external environment and transforming those energies into neural energy

sensation

When Carlos first jumped into the pool, he thought the water was very cold. Although the actual temperature of the pool remained constant, after a few minutes Carlos no longer complained about feeling cold. This change is his reaction to the temperature of the water is an example of

sensory adaption

specialized cells that detect stimulus information and transmit it to sensory (afferent) nerves and the brain. Sensory receptors are the openings through which the brain and nervous system experience the world

sensory receptors

_____ is a sleep disorder in which individuals stop breathing because the windpipe fails to open or because brain processes involved in respiration fail to work properly.

sleep apnea

Somnambulism is the formal term; occurs during the deepest stages of sleep; For many years, experts believed that somnambulists were acting out their dreams. However, somnambulism takes place during stages 3 and 4, usually early in the night, when a person is unlikely to be dreaming

sleepwalking

The left hemisphere of the brain plays an important role in managing or regulating ___.

speech and grammar

Sleepwalking occurs during ___ of the sleep cycle.

stages 3 and 4

What level of awareness is sleep considered?

subconscious awareness

The ___ is a small brain structure that uses input from the retina to synchronize its own rhythm with the daily cycle of light and dark.

suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)

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

sympathetic nervous system

Insomnia is a disorder involving ___.

the inability to sleep

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder characterized by ___.

the sudden, overpowering urge to sleep

Developmental psychologists have used a procedure called the false belief task to examine children's ___.

theory of mind

Why do psychoactive drugs make people feel good?

they increase dopamine levels in the brain

Blake smokes marijuana. When he first started using, he used to get high off one joint, but now he finds he needs to smoke more and more to get the same high. This is an example of

tolerance

The need to take increasing amounts of a drug to get the same effect that a lower dose used to bring is called

tolerance

___, such as Valium, are depressant drugs that reduce anxiety and induce relaxation

tranquilizers

What are three examples of behavior?

two people kissing; baby crying; a student riding a motorcycle to campus

According to Sigmund Freud, dreams symbolize ___.

unconscious wishes and that analysis of dream symbols could uncover our hidden desires

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

validity