Psych final

Oscar is 75 years old. His doctor has encouraged him to walk briskly each day in order to maintain or improve his cognitive performance. What is the most likely reason for this?

A fit cardiovascular system may increase delivery of oxygen to the brain.

What of the following is NOT a characteristic of PTSD?

An attraction toward stimuli surrounding an traumatic event

Ellie, a sophomore in college, is feeling very stressed about keeping up with her coursework, part-time job, extracurricular activities, social scene, and friends and family at home. What is the first step she should take?

Consider whether any stressors can be eliminated.

George has gone into a deep depression after the death of his wife, for whom he had provided daily care for over two years after her first stroke. What role might cortisol play?

Consistently elevated levels of cortisol due to stress can overwhelm the hippocampus's feedback loop and lead to excess levels of cortisol in the bloodstream, which is associated with depression.

Who is likely to have the greatest increase in risk of heart disease?

Fred, a Type A personality who is resentful and suspicious of his co-workers

Mira has hallucinations and delusions. Which of the following is a hallucination, as opposed to a delusion?

Mira hears critical voices commenting on her every action.

Professor Hill asks Anita to explain psychodynamic theory for the class. How should Anita respond?

Psychic energy is moved among the compartments of the personality: id, ego, and superego.

Individual, gender, cultural, and task variables interact to produce social loafing. Who has the greatest potential for social loafing?

Robert is a male from a Western culture and is working in a group to pick up trash along the highway.

Ross is filling in a personality inventory in connection with a job application. The results are based on his self-report. Why is this a potential limitation?

Ross's responses might be influenced by his need to appear socially appropriate.

How do psychologists use if-then contingencies as a way of describing someone's personality?

The "if" portion describes a situation or context, while the "then" portion describes the behavior or traits.

Marjorie is in her seventh month of pregnancy with her first child. Which of the following is true regarding her fetus's development?

The fetus can hear and recognize Marjorie's voice.

Beth, while riding her bicycle down a city street, was nearly knocked into traffic by the abrupt opening of a parked car door. What did her hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis do in response to the perceived stressor?

The hypothalamus communicated with the pituitary gland, which told the adrenal glands to release cortisol into the bloodstream.

Which of the following is a finding from Harry Harlow's study (1958) of rhesus monkeys and attachment?

The mother's ability to provide contact comfort was critical in forming a strong attachment on the part of her infant.

Which of the following best describes the results of Dr. Sneed's study on volunteering and hypertension?

The risk of developing hypertension is negatively correlated with number of hours spent volunteering.

Ethan, a five-year-old with autism, often rocks back and forth repetitively. He also gets upset if he cannot follow each step of his familiar routines. A possible source of repetitive or ritualistic behavior is ____.

a general dysfunction in sensory networks

Deborah has always wanted to go to college at Stanford. She applied but was not accepted to Stanford; however, she was accepted at U.C. Berkeley. At first, she was crushed, but then, she started telling all her teachers and friends that "U.C. Berkeley is a far more interesting school." Her statement reflects ____.

a resolution to cognitive dissonance

Gabriel has become so fearful of going outside of his home alone and of being in open spaces such as parking lots that he has difficulty holding a job. This is best described as ____.

agoraphobia

Aaron, a pre-med student, received a C on his biochemistry exam. He told his roommate that he had studied for the exam, and that it was just bad luck that the professor had asked so many questions that he did not understand. Aaron appears to have ____.

an external locus of control

Ben is three years old and very bright. His parents try all sort of games to encourage him to urinate in the toilet rather than in his diaper, with little success. Which developmental stage is he in?

anal stage

Little Joey is visiting the zoo for the first time and sees a zebra. He says, "Look, Mommy, a horse." This is an example of ____.

assimilation

Liam is five years old and cannot sit still. He is almost always active and noisy and has difficulty maintaining sustained attention and following instructions in his kindergarten class. What condition might he have?

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

One shortcoming of traditional theories of personality is that they assume that:

behavior is consistent across all situations

Denise admired her boss greatly at first. They had an intense and productive working relationship, which then turned volatile. Denise exhibited episodes of anger and self-destructive behaviors at work, and was asked to leave. She found another job, but the same pattern caused her to lose that position as well. What personality disorder best fits Denise's behaviorial patterns?

borderline personality disorder

Ava, age five, and her mother are playing with clay. They make two round balls of the same size. Ava flattens one into a pancake shape and says "Look, Mommy, now this one has more clay." In this context, Ava does not yet understand ____.

conservation

Grace is serving on a jury for the first time. She entered the jury room with a dollar amount in mind for damages but, following deliberations, she agreed to a significantly higher number. This is an example of ____.

group polarization

Mr. Martin, a physics teacher, is also the advisor to the high school chess team. He sees that a new student, Mariah, has beaten their top player, David. He wonders whether David let her win because she is so attractive. This is an example of maintaining a stereotype through ____.

situational attribution

Alicia is tired and stressed from working two jobs as a nurse's aide. Under these circumstances, her immune system ____.

does not perform well

Alexa is 15 years old. She is very involved in environmental issues, including issues such as the finding alternatives to fossil fuels and the protection of biodiversity on the planet. According to Piaget, Alexa is in the ____ of cognitive development.

formal operational stage

In which of the following two scenarios does Grace demonstrate that she has developed theory of mind? (1) Grace accidentally pops Max's red balloon. Max is furious and heartbroken. Grace tells her mother "Max thinks I did it on purpose." (2) Grace and Max play contentedly side by side with their blocks. Max builds a tower and Grace builds two small houses.

scenario (1) only

Dylan is 16. He is finally taller than his sister and is experiencing muscular development, maturity of the external genitalia, growth of facial hair, and enlargement of the larynx, which has caused his voice to deepen. These are called ____.

secondary sex characteristics

Rosa is 15 months of age. A new babysitter came to the house so Rosa's mother could focus on her writing in her office upstairs. Rosa was fine while her mother was still in the room with them but cried and cried when she left. Her mother returned an hour later and Rosa ran over to her right away. What pattern of attachment is this?

secure

Melinda's psychology professor told the class to quickly write down five things that complete a sentence that starts with "I am." Melinda wrote: "I am a sophomore at University of Michigan majoring in international relations. I am on the lacrosse team and continue to be in a relationship with my high school boyfriend." This is a description of her ____.

self-concept

Caleb feels very discouraged upon learning that he had been cut from the varsity football team and now will play with the junior varsity. Which of the following would be the most positive emotion-focused coping response?

He and a friend go to see a comedy at the movie theater.

Who appears to be in the exhaustion stage of the General Adaptation Syndrome?

Henry, who has been caring for his disabled wife for over two years, and is having feelings of hopelessness and difficulties sleeping and eating

Mary has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Based on statistics, which of the following experiences in her childhood is highly likely to have a relationship with her disorder?

Mary's mother drank heavily and left her children to mostly fend for themselves, except for when she got angry and disciplined them physically.

Justin is nineteen. In the past, he drove at an abnormally high speed if no police cars were in sight. Now he believes it is in everybody's best interests to obey speed limits and other traffic rules. According to Kohlberg's stages of moral reasoning, this represents ____.

conventional morality

During the economic downturn, Alejandro's neighbor, a successful accountant, lost his job and had to sell his house. Alejandro decided that this neighbor "must have really messed up at his workplace." This is an example of ____.

just-world belief

Sonia adores her new boyfriend, who she finds very attractive and intelligent. However, no matter what she does, he criticizes her: her appearance, her opinions, her cooking, the gifts she buys for him, etc. She is feeling more and more helpless and discouraged. This is likely a case of ____.

learned helplessness

Eileen works in an crowded downtown neighborhood. She constantly worries that her car will be stolen while she is at work, and repeatedly goes back and checks to see that it is locked before finally arriving at the office, frequently late. Her therapist explains that returning to her car so often is a way to reduce the anxiety created by her obsessive thoughts. This is a(n) ____.

learning explanation based on operant conditioning

While hiking with a friend in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, Lenny comes face-to-face with a young bear on the trail. Lenny rapidly enters the first stage of Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome. His brainstem initiates the release of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, which increases his vigilance and fear. This is part of his ____.

physical response

Carson has been very stressed while pulling numerous all-nighters to complete his final exams and papers. He comes down with the flu the very next day after his last exam. What is a likely reason for his illness?

His stress hormones suppressed the activity of his lymphocytes

Who appears to be in the resistance stage of the General Adaptation Syndrome?

Alana, who has been juggling her classes, job, and partial care of her younger siblings, and has recently made an unusually poor choice of a boyfriend

Which of the following is true regarding the role of dopamine in schizophrenia?

An overactive dopamine system may be the major biochemical culprit in schizophrenia.

Of the following, who is demonstrating a compulsion?

Andrew, who has a precise, daily coffee-making routine that cannot be disrupted

Selena, a research scientist, is developing a study of prejudice. Which of the following would be most useful as an implicit measure of prejudice?

Association of positive terms with Black faces and negative terms with White faces

Brian has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. One symptom he experiences during both his manic and depressive episodes is disturbance to his sleep. What links mania, depression, and sleep?

Imbalances in serotonin activity

Based on research (Gardner, Gabriel, & Lee, 1999), which of the following is true?

Independent and interdependent views of the self are human universals and the relative dominance of one over the other is modifiable by a person's experience and situation.

Which of the following examples involves deindividuation?

Naomi decides to follow her classmates as they sneak onto the subway without paying.

The findings from a study looking at blood pressure changes over a 4-year window showed that negative social interactions increased the risk of hypertension for women between the ages of 51-64, but not men in the same age range. Which interpretation below is consistent with this finding?

Negative interactions have a greater impact on women because they place more importance on social relationships than men.

Two reasons that volunteering may affect blood pressure are:

New social ties and a meaningful experience

Susan is serving a prison sentence for repeatedly passing fake payroll checks and using false ID cards. Under DSM-IV, which of the following is most likely true?

She likely will be categorized as having antisocial personality disorder.

Michelle has always preferred standard, run-of-the-mill milk chocolate; that is, until her sister encouraged her to try an organic, 72% cacao, imported Belgian dark chocolate. Now, she believes that she has eaten the "wrong" kind of chocolate most of her life. Which element of her attitude does this most reflect?

cognition

Mia continued to drink heavily with her friends throughout her pregnancy. Her son, now four, has physical abnormalities, including an underdeveloped jaw and thin upper lip, and cognitive and behavioral problems. He most likely has ____.

fetal alcohol syndrome

Ian is a very serious and capable medical student. At home with his mother, though, he becomes a joyous boy again, telling her stories about his classes and professors and making her laugh. This implies that the interpersonal self is ____.

flexible and complex

Julio's term paper is due on Thursday at 5 P.M. On Wednesday, he asks his professor if he can turn it in on Friday morning, to which his professor agrees. On Thursday afternoon, he asks his professor if he can hand the paper in on Monday morning. What persuasive technique does this most resemble?

foot-in-the-door

Chris and Ivan are fourteen. Chris dares Ivan by saying, "Let's take a bottle of wine from your grandmother's house; she'll never notice." According to Kohlberg's stages of moral reasoning, this represents ____.

preconventional morality

Danny's soccer teammates want to play a prank on a rival team before their game. Danny is reluctant to participate, but does not want to be the only one who expresses disapproval of the plan. He goes along with the group. This scenario illustrates that conformity ____.

reduces the risk of rejection by a social group

Hailey plans a family reunion at the lake and wants it to be perfect. With over fifty people attending, though, things do not go exactly according to plan and Hailey is highly stressed all day. Which of the following would most help Hailey reduce her stress levels for future events?

Be flexible with new situations.

Jenny, age 16, and her mother Alice are looking at family photographs and focus on one of Arthur (Jenny's dad and Alice's husband). They interpret the expression on his face very differently. When Arthur gets home, he confirms Alice's interpretation of the picture. Jenny's error can be explained by the fact that ____.

Jenny's amygdala has matured before her frontal lobes

Which of the following is a cognitive explanation for Jim's generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)?

Jim feels that worrying prevents bad things from happening.

Of the following, who is demonstrating mania?

John, who feels so cheerful that he talks extensively and rapidly with strangers on the subway and on the street

Who is most likely to use the central route to respond to persuasive messages?

Jorge, who plans to attend a guest lecture on worldwide water shortages, a topic about which he has read a great deal

Lloyd, who was watching television in his apartment late at night, heard a door creak and his heart started to pound before he even realized what was happening. What is the reason for this?

Sensory information can reach the amygdala rapidly along routes that are separate from the pathways for information going to the cortex.

Which of the following reflects the view of contemporary developmental psychologists and is in contrast to Piaget's analysis?

Very young children seem to understand a great deal about objects and how they work, even before they have had much experience interacting with them.

Based on the study presented in the video, what strategy would you recommend to maximize someone's feelings of happiness?

View positive outcomes globally and compartmentalize negative outcomes

During the year preceding his parents' divorce, Kevin found himself frequently arguing with his father. Now when he visits his father, Kevin tries to engage him in conversations about their favorite sports teams. This is an example of ____.

positive relationship-focused coping

Luis is eight years old. He is becoming quite good at arguing with his parents over what his bedtime should be, whether he has eaten enough of his supper to have dessert, etc. He loves toys and projects that involve hands-on learning. According to Piaget, Luis is in the ____ of cognitive development.

concrete operational stage

Javier is studying the firing of neurons in the brains of rats as part of his dissertation research on memory. He is disciplined in his research process and in his record-keeping, and follows his advisor's recommendations to the letter, as he wants to eventually accomplish a lot in this field. The Big Five trait that best describes this aspect of Javier's personality is ____.

conscientiousness

Vanessa's father was an auto mechanic. She spent countless hours as a child by her dad's side, learning the ins and outs of his trade. There is no doubt that Vanessa is very competent in this field; however, she has applied to over fifty auto repair shops in her town and has not received one interview. Which of the following terms describes the most likely reason for this?

discrimination

Susan was so angry at her boss that, when she got home from work, she yelled at her husband in response to his question "How was your day?". This is an example of ____.

displacement

Jen's best friend just got fired from her part-time job waitressing. Jen's first thought was "I knew she lacked the patience for that job." Jen is illustrating ____.

dispositional attribution

For as long as he can remember, Randy's passion in life has been to eat, drink, and be merry. Which component of Freud's personality theory does this reflect?

id

A group of mothers of pre-school-age children in a small town gather regularly. At the last meeting, a member of the group told the others that a registered sex offender has moved back in with his parents, who live nearby. The group decides to write a letter expressing concern to the local police department, without checking the accuracy of the member's information. This is an example of ____.

groupthink

Hanging with the Parents Leanne's friends love her sixty-year-old mother, Liz, who is very warm and friendly. In fact, Liz encourages Leanne to bring over her friends for cocktail parties or cookouts every weekend she is free (that is, when she's not involved with a book club, painting class, or yoga retreat). Leanne's father dreads it when her mother invites Leanne's friends over for cocktail parties and cookouts. He is reserved, uncomfortable with people he does not know well, and prefers quiet evenings of reading. The Big Five trait that best describes this aspect of his personality is ____.

introversion

Mary rarely refers to her strengths or accomplishments when with friends, so they have little clue as to her self-esteem. If Mary is among the majority of people, she most likely ____.

judges herself more positively and less negatively than she judges others

Elizabeth's boss removes her from a project team working on an important presentation because of repeated tardiness. Her response is to leave the office immediately and drown her sorrows by eating a pint of her favorite ice cream. This is an example of ____.

negative problem-focused coping

Daryl is a painter and poet. His work often portrays fantasy images that evoke strong emotion. He loves to travel, particularly in Asia, to view the art at sacred sites and learn about local culture. The Big Five trait that best describes this aspect of Daryl's personality is ____.

openness

Mahatma Gandhi employed non-violent civil disobedience in his efforts towards India's independence from foreign powers. These actions reflects Kohlberg's stage of ____.

postconventional morality

Rima has decided to eliminate all sweets from her diet in an effort to lose ten pounds. When out for coffee with her friend Beth, Beth orders a delicious piece of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and offers to split it with Rima. Rima says "Well, maybe this one time; I've read that chocolate is good for your health." This is an example of ____.

rationalization

Mary and her husband made a great deal of money recently through the sale of their business, though they come from families of little education or money. They moved to a beautiful new home in a neighborhood well-known for the wealth and high social status of its residents. The neighbors have been very unfriendly to them. This is an example of ____.

relational aggression

Olivia has just obtained her driver's license. She is nervous that she might break one of numerous "rules of the road" and receive both a ticket and a reprimand from her parents. Which component of Freud's personality theory does this reflect?

superego