Psychology Exam 1

Which of the following statements is false?

Every theory generates only one hypothesis.

Which of the following statements is false?

In order to eliminate ambiguity, every variable should have only one operational definition.

Which of the following individuals is exhibiting the highest level of conscious awareness?

Maria, who is working out an algebra problem on a piece of paper

In his practice, Dr. Wagner stresses the role of unconscious processes and unresolved childhood conflicts. With which psychological approach does this align?

Psychodynamic

_____ refers to researchers' allocation of participants to groups by chance, to reduce the likelihood that an experiment's results will be due to preexisting differences between groups.

Random assignment

Kate, a long-time coffee drinker, complains of pounding headaches and lowered mood when she skips her coffee in the morning. What is the likely cause of these complaints?

Removal of a psychoactive drug from diet

Which of the following statements about the effectiveness of hypnosis is false?

Research does not support the claim that hypnosis can reduce the experience of pain.

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

Sensory receptors are selective and have different neural pathways.

Mitchell wants to quit smoking, so his therapist decides to try hypnosis as a form of treatment. What is the first step that the therapist will most likely take when attempting to hypnotize Mitchell?

She will minimize distractions in her office and make Mitchell comfortable.

Which of the following is a function of the myelin sheath?

Speed up the transmission of nerve impulses

_____ is characterized by myoclonic jerks and theta waves, whereas _____ are characterized by delta waves.

Stage 1 sleep/stage 3 and stage 4 sleep

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

Subconscious awareness

_____ refers to individuals' understanding that they and others think, feel, perceive, and have private experiences.

Theory of mind

When a neuron is at its resting state, what is the status of the charges on each side of the cell membrane?

There is a negative charge on the inside of the cell membrane and a positive charge on the outside.

What is the most common negative consequence that binge drinking college students create for others?

They interrupt others people's study or sleep.

CTE can only be diagnosed after a person has died.

True

Our amygdala responds automatically to stimuli-to cute puppies, scary dogs, and attractive potential partners- without us ever noticing.

True

The kinesthetic senses provide information about movement, posture, and orientation, whereas the vestibular senses provide information about balance and movement.

True

The neurotransmitter-like venom of the black widow spider does its harm by disturbing neurotransmission.

True

Linda is studying while listening to her iPod. She notices that when she raises the volume 5 decibels when the volume is initially low, the change is very noticeable. However, when the volume is initially high, increasing the volume by 5 decibels doesn't result in as noticeable of a change in sound. This phenomenon is best explained by _____.

Weber's law

Michael, a famous musician, is designing a new apartment that will serve as both his residence and his recording studio. Since the music studio shares a wall with his bedroom, Michael wants to be sure that the recording studio is soundproof. This means that Michael wants to be sure that sound from the studio is well under his _____ while he is in his bedroom.

absolute threshold

You are studying in your dorm room, but your neighbor is blasting the television in the adjacent room. When you gently request that your neighbor turn the volume down until you cannot hear it, you are asking your neighbor to make the volume less than your _____.

absolute threshold

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

adaptability

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

afferent

Where are Psychology roots from?

all of the above

Which of the following components are essential to the definition of consciousness?

awareness and arousal

Melanie is learning how to read Spanish by sounding out each word one letter at a time. Melanie is engaging in _____.

bottom-up processing

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

depressants

Margaret is the new director of research at a well-known pharmaceutical company. She has been asked to design a set of research studies that will test the effectiveness of the new drugs that are being developed. Because Margaret is concerned about ensuring that experimenter bias and research participant bias do not influence the results, she should design a set of _____.

double-blind experiments

Jet lag may be explained by the _____.

effect of time shifts on the circadian rhythm

Your brain has instructed your body muscles to move so that you avoid burning your hand on a hot stove. Which type of nerves carried the information from your brain to your muscles so that you could avoid getting burned?

efferent nerves

The white team in the video this week made 15 passes.

false

When something warm touches your skin, you feel warmth. When something cold touches your skin, you feel coldness. If things both warm and cold touch your skin, stimulating adjacent thermoreceptors for warmth and cold, you will feel coldness.

false

Marijuana and LSD are considered to be ____

hallucinogens

As Carlton is just about to fall asleep, he experiences an overwhelming feeling of wellness and a sense that everything is going to work out. This state of mind is referred to as _____.

hypnagogic reverie

The _____ is a manipulated experimental factor and _____ is the outcome.

independent variable/ dependent variable

In an experiment, the _____ is conceptualized as the "potential cause" and the _____ is conceptualized as the "effect."

independent variable/dependent variable

Which of the following characteristics of the nervous system best reflects the brain's ability to coordinate information from all five senses?

integration

Your friend Helen just started working the night shift at the post office. This change in her work hours _____.

may cause Helen to be at increased risk for heart disease

2 out of 2 points Behavior is _____; mental processes are _____.

observable/private

Choosing a group of 50 students from a roster of all students in a nearby school and inviting them to participate in a study would be an example of one way to _____.

obtain a random sample

What part of the brain is typically most involved in awareness?

prefrontal cortex

Awareness and arousal are associated with different parts of the brain. Awareness involves the _____. Arousal is determined by the _____.

prefrontal cortex/reticular activating system

Cindy is having difficulty paying her monthly bills. She often just sits and stares at her checkbook, which causes her to feel anxious about the possibility of going bankrupt. Cindy is demonstrating _____.

rumination

You arrive at your friend's apartment for a big party at the end of the semester. When you first arrive, the music is so loud that it almost hurts your ears. After a couple of hours, even though the music is still at the same volume, it no longer bothers you or seems that loud. This change in your sensations describes the process of _____.

sensory adaption

Gloria can't get through the day without several cups of coffee and energy drinks. She says she needs the caffeine to function normally. What type of drug is Gloria dependent on?

stimulant

Your English professor gives you some advice on how to cure writer's block. She tells you to sit at your computer for 15 minutes and write whatever comes into your head. You don't censor yourself or worry about spelling or grammar. Instead you merely translate your thoughts into words. This technique will allow your _____ to flow.

stream of consciousness

If you were a psychologist who adopted the structuralism approach, you would be interested in the _____ of the mind, using _____ as your primary research method.

structures/introspection

Just before you went on a job interview your heart was pounding like crazy. You experienced a shortness of breath and felt sick to your stomach. These symptoms were most likely produced by your _____ nervous system.

sympathetic

Homer goes to his psychotherapist and describes his recent dreams where he flies like an eagle through the sky. His therapist listens and then offers the interpretation that this dream signifies Homer's unconscious desires to be free of his family obligations. Homer's therapist is displaying an interest in _____.

the latent content of Homer's dream

Laura King is the author of our book required for this course.

true