Psych Test #3 Examples Chapter 9

Professor Miguel surveys students about their motivation for attending college. Which of the following responses is the best example of strong intrinsic motivation?

"I'm in college because I love learning. Education satisfies my curiosity and makes me feel like a confident well-informed person."

Jacob notices a snake slithering up the river bank while he is fishing. The thalamus of Jacob's brain immediately stimulates his autonomic nervous system, which, in turn, increases the rate of his breathing and heartbeat. At the same time, Jacob's brain sends signals to his cerebral cortex which causes Jacob to perceive the emotional experience of fear. Consequently, Jacob experiences both fear and the physiological changes in his body at the same time. This scenario complies with the

Cannon-Bard theory.

Ray played basketball all of his life because he loved the sport. He became so good that he was given the opportunity to play professionally, and eventually he signed a very lucrative contract. After that contract ran out, the team offered him slightly more money, but he decided that it was not enough and that he wanted to quit. Which of the following best explains Ray's behavior from a motivational perspective?

Extrinsic motivation has replaced Ray's intrinsic motivation to play basketball.

Marsha does a good job because she knows her performance will result in a bonus if she meets her goals. Georgia does a good job because she feels a sense of accomplishment when she meets her goals. Both women do the same kind of work. Who is most likely to perform better?

Georgia is most likely to perform better.

Kiefer is taking acting classes. His instructor is using Stanislavski's "method-acting" technique, which encourages actors to imitate the behavior of someone feeling that emotion. When Kiefer is playing a scene where his character is sad, his instructor may suggest that he cry in order to feel sadness. "Method acting" is most consistent with which of the following?

James-Lange theory

Monica has had a very emotionally draining day, but she cannot really describe her emotions. After taking a quiet moment to herself, she starts to cry and after observing this bodily reaction, she realizes that she must be sad. This example of emotional recognition is most consistent with the

James-Lange theory of emotion.

Gary wants to lose weight by reducing his caloric intake. He eats a candy bar for breakfast instead of a bowl of cereal because the candy bar has fewer calories. Is Gary doing the right thing?

No, the candy bar will make Gary hungry sooner than if he had eaten the cereal.

Tom is interested in working for an intelligence branch of the government, and a polygraph test is part of the interview process. Though Tom intends to be honest, he is worried that the polygraph will say he is lying when he isn't. Tom's friend Cameron assures Tom that polygraph tests are infallible. Is Cameron right?

No; heart rate and breathing can increase for reasons other than lying and this effect can make it difficult to interpret the physiological indicators of arousal.

At age 33, Ricky is a highly ranked partner in a law firm. He lives by himself and doesn't find the time to socialize. He has a lavish house with an elaborate security system and owns a luxurious sports car. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, which of the following can best explain Ricky's discontentment with life?

Ricky's need for belongingness is not being met.

Jared is a salesman at a large retail store. Upon meeting his monthly sales target, he is honored with the title of "Star Salesman" by the management. Despite the recognition, Jared is not very happy. He feels that the management should have rewarded him with a bonus instead of a title. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which of the following needs is Jared seeking to fulfill?

Safety needs

Darrin is a good piano player. When he is alone and bored his arousal is low and he often gets distracted and makes mistakes. When he is in a recital with strangers, he sometimes gets too nervous and aroused and also makes mistakes. His best performances are typically at home when family and friends are nearby, and his arousal level is moderate. The variations in Darrin's performance can be best explained by the

Yerkes-Dodson law.

Jenna is a talented singer. Her singing is commendable when she is well rehearsed and is performing with her school choir group. In such situations, she is moderately aroused and fairly relaxed. However, when Jenna's friends are around, she gets overly aroused and anxious. In such situations, she finds it hard to focus and often makes mistakes. Which of the following psychological principles can be used to explain the rationale behind Jenna's performance?

Yerkes-Dodson law.

Debbie is interested in working on projects that will help fight childhood obesity. She is offered a job in a laboratory where researchers are studying the effects of leptin on weight control. Is the job relevant to Debbie's interest?

Yes, leptin is a hormone that is linked to human weight loss

Dennis works as a salesman at a large retail store. He is happily married and lives in a safe neighborhood. He earns enough money to eat and provide for his family. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which of the following needs is Dennis most likely to fulfill next?

esteem

William has volunteered to work in a war-torn country to try and improve the lives of the residents there. The citizens currently have enough to eat and drink. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, what would these citizens be in need of next?

esteem

Annie's mother pays her $5 for every book she reads. Annie is reading like crazy, not because she loves books, but rather because she enjoys spending her money on candy and toys. Annie is demonstrating _____ motivation.

extrinsic

When an individual studies specifically to avoid his or her parent's disapproval, then the individual's attitude toward studying is most likely a result of

extrinsic motivation

A professor conducts an experiment in which she asks her students to either hold a pen between their teeth or hold a pen between their lips. Holding the pen between one's teeth mimicked the facial expression of smiling. After five minutes, she finds that the students who held the pen beneath their teeth reported being happier than those who held it between their lips. These results most likely will support the

facial feedback hypothesis.

You are feeling upset when your mother turns toward you and says, "Turn that frown upside down." You turn your frown into a smile and realize that you now feel happy. This experience can be best described by the

facial feedback hypothesis.

Soon after a car accident, Sally was rushed to the hospital. The doctors discovered that Sally's ventromedial hypothalamus had suffered some damage as a result of the accident. In the context of the biology of hunger, the doctor should expect that Sally will

gain weight rapidly.

Danielle is a woman of normal weight, whereas Ron is an obese man. Whenever they go out to dinner together, Ron always eats more food. Ron, a psychology major, correctly explains this difference in food intake by pointing out that

he has more fat cells than Danielle and he is not satiated until all his fat cells are filled.

As a person exercises, the oxygen levels in his body begin to drop. Hence, the person begins to breathe more rapidly in order to ensure an adequate supply of oxygen to his cells. This increase in his breathing rate is an attempt to restore

homeostasis

Dan walks out of an air-conditioned room into the heat of a summer day, and after sometime his body releases excess heat by sweating. This is due to the body's tendency to maintain

homeostasis

Courtney reads psychology books because these subjects fascinate her. She really enjoys learning about new approaches to psychology. Courtney is being driven by

intrinsic motivation.

Edna loves McDonald's sweet tea. Whenever she sees the famous "golden arches," she drives right in and orders a sweet tea. This best illustrates the effect of _____ on her eating behavior.

learned associations

Don places a great deal of value on money, prestige, and his physical appearance. According to your textbook, compared to someone who values the organismic needs, Don will be more likely to experience

lowered self-actualization and physical illness.

Whenever Olivia watches a television commercial featuring food, she is ridden by a desire to eat. These feelings of hunger stimulate Olivia to go to the kitchen to search for food. Olivia's behavior can be studied by conducting research in the area of

motivation

You just ran a marathon in very hot weather and perspired heavily. According to drive reduction theory, your body will have a(n) _____ for water, which will produce a(n) _____ for water, which will lead to a(n) _____ to get water.

need; drive; motivation

Tim and Margaret are enjoying a picnic on the edge of a large forest. Suddenly, a huge black bear invades their space and heads for the picnic basket. According to the James-Lange theory of emotions, the couple will

run and experience the emotion of fear as a result of the physical changes in their bodies.

After Bungee jumping, David's nervous system signals the production of large amounts of epinephrine which causes high arousal. During this time, he notices a beautiful woman and cognitively interprets his excitement as attraction toward the woman. This exemplifies the concept of the

two-factor theory

When Cannon and Washburn measured stomach contractions with a balloon, they found that

when subjects report hunger, their stomach is contracting.