Psychology Midterm
Which of the following is a characteristic of mirror neurons?
They appear to respond to both motor and sensory information.
Which of the following best describes the function of endorphins?
They shield the body from pain and elevate feelings of pleasure,
Jenny received a lot of praise in class when she was the only one who did her homework on time. As a result, Jenny has never had to be reminded to do her homework; she always submits it on time. In this scenario, Jenny's behavior illustrates
Thorndike's law of effect
Which of the following statements is true of the pathways in the nervous system?
When an impulse travels through a neuron, it does so chemically
While having dinner with his boss, James recalls his first interview with his boss. He recounts that he had lunch with his boss in the same restaurant that he is now in. In this scenario, James uses his _____ to recall the first time he had spoken to his boss.
episodic memory
_____ is the term given to irrelevant and competing stimuli.
noise
is the part of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body.
parasympathetic nervous system
When shopping for their brother, Jack and James are presented with a red shirt by the sales person. While Jack likes the shirt, James dislikes the shirt. In this scenario, even though the color of the shirt is the same, Jack and James disagree because of differences in their _____ of the shirt.
perception
Thomas, a war veteran, still experiences occasional aches in the arm that was amputated when he was injured in a war. In the context of sensory receptors and the brain, Thomas's condition best illustrates the phenomenon of
phantom limb pain
refers to a person's knowledge about the world, his or her areas of expertise, general knowledge, and everyday knowledge.
semantic memory
The process of receiving stimulus energy from the environment and transforming it into neural energy is called
sensation
When shopping for their brother, Jack and James are presented with a red shirt by the sales person. While Jack likes the shirt, James dislikes the shirt. In this scenario, even though the color of the shirt is the same, Jack and James disagree because of differences in their _____ of the shirt.
sensation
Aversive conditioning is
the form of treatment that consists of repeated pairings of a stimulus with a very unpleasant stimulus.
Martin's father is experiencing memory loss related to Alzheimer disease. In the context of neurotransmiters, this is most likely due to insufficient production of ____________ in his brain.
Acetylcholine
Daisy, a sixteen-year-old, was in a car accident in which she suffered a serious brain injury. Since then, Daisy is unable to remember anything about her past experiences. She cannot recall what she did last week, how the accident happened, or any of her childhood experiences. However, she is able to read, write, and speak accurately and remembers the names of countries, things, places, and famous people. In the context of longterm memory, which of the following is most likely true in this scenario?
Daisy's episodic memory is impaired, but her semantic memory is intact.
is the process of reflecting deeply and actively, asking questions, and evaluating the evidence.
Critical thinking
refers to the retention of information about the where, when, and what of life's happenings.
Episodic memory
is the systematic, relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs through experience.
Learning
In the context of memory processes, which of the following scenarios best illustrates the process of retrieving information?
Martha is reciting a poem she learned in school
Minutes before her biology test, Katie tries to learn the definition of "osmosis" from her class notes. She repeats the definition over and over again in her mind until she is confident that she will remember it. Which of the following methods is Katie using to memorize the definition?
rehearsal
Compared with sensory memory, short-term memory
relies more on visual information than auditory information
Felix, a record-holder in the area of memory skills, amazed the 150-member audience at his show when he accurately recalled all their names in correct alphabetical order. Which of the following processes of memory has Felix demonstrated in this scenario?
retrieval
Donna is writing a test. She is so focused on writing the test that she does not hear the invigilator remind her that she only has five minutes to complete her test. In this scenario, Donna has engaged in
selective attention
Jane loves to read. However, she remembers books on ly if she can draw comparisons from the stories to her own experiences. If she cannot associate a story with her own life, she is unable to recall it at a later stage. In this scenario, Jane is primarily relying on the process of _____ to encode her memories.
self-reference
Jane hears a strange sound coming from her attic. She wakes her husband and mimics the sound she just heard. In this scenario, Jane's _____ is responsible for her ability to retain the memory of the sound long enough to reproduce it.
sensory memory
Roger witnesses a burglary. When he is questioned by the police, Roger provides a vague description of the burglar, mentioning his approximate build and height, but he is unable to recall specific details. Which of the following is most likely the highest level of processing that Roger has engaged in while encoding information about the burglar?
shallow
in the context of the divisions of the nervous system, such processes as heart rate, breathing, and digestion are monitored by the,
autonomic nervous system
Jacob, a police officer, wants to train his new dog, Rover. Jacob buys a "zap collar" that delivers a low intensity shock to the neck of the dog whenever it pulls on the leash. After wearing the collar for a few days, Rover recognizes that the shock is an undesirable result of pulling on the leash. Consequently, Rover stops pulling on the leash. In this scenario, which of the following methods has most likely been used to discipline Rover?
aversive conditioning
Dr. Meyer is known for his difficult pop quizzes. Immediately before he announces a pop quiz to his students, he walks to the classroom door and closes it. His students soon learn to anticipate a pop quiz whenever Dr. Meyer closes the classroom door. In the context of classical conditioning, closing the door has become a(n)
conditioned stimulus
In Pavlov's experiments on classical conditioning, the dog began to associate the sound of the bell with the food and salivated when it heard the bell because the bell had become a(n
conditioned stimulus
In the context of the divisions of the nervous system, the somatic nervous system consists of sensory nerves, whose function is to,
convey information from the skin and muscles to the central nervous system
Kevin is studying for a vocabulary test. When he studies the word "braggart," he thinks of how his childhood friend Billy acted whenever he was given a new toy. Which of the following is the highest level of processing Kevin has engaged in while encoding the word "braggart"?
deep
Ashley is in the habit of listening to music while studying. She usually puts her headphones on when she's reading through a textbook. In this scenario, Ashley is demonstrating
divided attention
Kyle wants to buy a new watch. While making the decision to buy the watch, he purchases the brand of watch that his favorite actor wore in a movie. In this scenario, in the context of classical conditioning, the movie that
embedded marketing
The first step in memory is _____, the process by which information gets into memory storage.
encoding
Sarah is reading a book on the different species of insects found in the Amazon Basin. In this scenario, Sarah is primarily
encoding information into her memory
Wendell always gets anxious before taking a math test because he is not good with numbers and formulaeWhen his science teacher announces a physics test that requires him to apply numerical formulae, Wendell begins to feel anxious, even though he enjoys physics. Which of the following is Wendell most likely demonstrating in this scenario?
generalization in classical conditioning
If Howard, a student, has the most common form of color blindness, he will have trouble distinguishing
green from blue and red
Joe has suffered a massive stroke, since then he has started repeating many of his action throught the day. He brushes his teeth many times in the morning and takes a shower many times before bedtime. This is because he is unable to retain any memories of his actions. In the context of the organization of the brain, these behavioral symptoms are most likely due to a damaged
hippocampus
According to the _____ approach to psychology, a person is in control of his or her life and has the capacity for positive growth.
humanistic
In the context of psychology's scientific method, a(n) _____ is an educated guess that derives logically from a theory.
hypothesis
Peter is driving down the highway. While trying to find his exit, he fails to notice the sign stating the detour sign near his exit. In this scenario, Peter is exhibiting
inattentional blindness
_____ refers to the failure of a person to detect unexpected events when he or she is focused on another task.
inattentional blindness
are the thoughts, feelings, and motives that each of us experiences privately but that cannot be observed directly.
mental processes
Nine year old Anna learns ballet by watching her mother and imitating her mother's movements. In the context of neurons, which of the following types of cells is most directly responsible for Anna's method of learning?
mirror neurons
Charles Darwin argued that _____ determines which species wins the competition for scarce resources
natural selection
In the context of research settings, researchers who use _____ attempt to view behavior without disturbing the environment.
naturalistic observation
Dominic is a marathon runner. He says that whenever he runs, he feels euphoric. He cannot begin his day without running for an hour. In the context of neurotransmitters, which of the following is most likely responsible for his feelings of pleasure from running?
the release of endorphins
Psychology is formally defined as
the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
is the type of learning that occurs when an organism makes a connection between two events.
Associative learning
Which of the following is true of behaviorism as a theory of learning?
Behaviorism maintains that the principles of learning are the same when talking about animals or humans.
Which of the following is an example of Plasticity?
Changes in the brain structure in response to an experience,
Boris uses classical conditioning to teach his goldfish to swim to the surface of its tank to eat whenever Boris turns on the aquarium light. He drops food into the tank and then turns on the light. After several such trials, the fish shows no more inclination to swim to the surface when the light is turned on than it did on the first trial. In the context of classical conditioning, which of the following should Boris do to improve his training technique?
He should turn on the light before he drops the food into the tank
After taking her Psychology final, Natalie attempts to relax in her chair by meditating. She is attempting to reduce her heart and respiration rates, as well as her muscular tension. In this scenario, her physiological relaxation can be best attributed to the functioning of her _________________ nervous system.
Parasympathetic
Lolita, a nine year old girl, met with an accident that led to a head injury. She was able to recover from this injury in a few months. Which of the following characteristics of the nervous system most likely played a predominant role in her recovery?
Plasticity
Which of the following is true of Ivan Pavlov's experiment on classical conditioning?
The bell was a neutral stimulus before it was paired with the meat powder.
Ashton, a biology student, wants to study butterflies using the scientific method. Which of the following scenarios represents a step or steps in the scientific method?
all of these answers are correct
Insight learning is a form of problem solving in which the organism develops a sudden insight into or understanding of a problem's solution.
True
In the context of psychology's scientific method, theory is defined as
a set of closely related ideas that attempts to explain observations.
Gary lives near an intersection. In his hall, he can hear cars honking. However, in his bedroom, he cannot hear any cars honking. In this scenario, the volume of car honks in Gary's bedroom fall below his
absolute threshold
While on her way to work recently, Martha was pulled over for the first time, for exceeding the speed limit. She was required to pay a heavy fine. Since then, she has maintained a consistent speed of 30 miles per hour while driving, whether or not there are speed limits in place. In this scenario, Martha is demonstrating _____ learning.
avoidance
Annette is an adolescent with extreme social anxiety. Dr. Benson's treatment plan for Annette focuses on rewarding her whenever she takes a step toward conquering her fears. In this scenario, Dr. Benson adheres most closely to the _____ approach to psychology.
behavioral
Jimmy hears an insect buzzing in front of him. He locates the insect and decides to swat it with a rolled up magazine. In this scenario, Jimmy's decision to swat the fly is a result of
bottom-up processing
In the context of the divisions of the nervous system, the central nervous system consists of the;
brain and spinal cord
Behaviors differ from mental processes in that behaviors
can be observed directly
In the context of psychology's scientific method, a variable is anything that
can change
Mary was challenged by her friend, Kate, to memorize 15 letters, C, I, A, C, B, S, A, B, C, F, B, I, I, R, and S, in the same order, within half a minute. Mary arranged these alphabets into groups: CIA, CBS, ABC, FBI, and IRS. This made it easier for her to meet Kate's challenge. In this scenario, Mary has used the tactic of
chunking
When asked to memorize the ten letters, D, R, S, S, A, Y, N, R, A, and B, Debbie reorganized them into the words BARNS and YARDS. This helped her remember the letters accurately at a later time. Which of the following tactics has Debbie used in order to simplify the process of memorizing the letters?
chunking
. Jack always takes his dog out for a walk in the morning. Whenever Jack puts the leash on his dog, the dog gets very excited about going for a walk. In this scenario, the dog has learned to associate the leash with going for a walk through
classical conditioning
A person walking on the beach hears music in the distance. He follows the music to find its source. The point at which the sound of the music is loudest is the person's absolute threshold.
false
In drug studies, the control group typically receives the drug with the active ingredient, while the experimental group receives the placebo.
false
The careful observation of behavior in laboratory settings is called naturalistic observation.
false
The first step in the scientific method of psychology is formulating hypotheses and predictions.
false
According to the science of psychology, which of the following is a mental process?
feeling proud
Zeus was injured in a mining accident and suffered severe brain damamge. In time, his brain healed, and he was back to working in the mines. The only change was in his personality. From a highly aggresive and tempermental individual, he became mild mannered and calm, almost to the extent of being placid. In this scenario the region of the cerebral cortex that was most likely damaged in the accident was the ________ lobe.
frontal
June had dinner at an Indian restaurant and had food poisoning as a result. This caused her to gag at the sight of any Indian food. June's reaction to Indian food best illustrates the concept of _____ in classical conditioning.
generalization
A main reason rehearsal does not work well for retaining information over the long term is that rehearsal often
involves just mechanically repeating information, without imparting meaning to it.
Which of the following is true of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine?
it is involved in muscle action learning and memory
The _____ in psychology states that behaviors followed by positive outcomes are strengthened and that behaviors followed by negative outcomes are weakened.
law of effect
In the context of the organization of the brain, damage to the hippocampus impairs
memory formation
Jane loves to read. However, she remembers books on ly if she can draw comparisons from the stories to her own experiences. If she cannot associate a story with her own life, she is unable to recall it at a later stage. In this scenario, Jane is primarily relying on the process of _____ to encode her memories.
mental imagery
The body's electrochemical communication circuitry is know as the ___________ system
nervous
Kenny ate too many hotdogs at a baseball game. Several hours later, he felt nauseated and spent most of the night being sick. In the context of taste aversion learning, it is likely that Kenny will _____ as a result of this experience.
not be able to eat a hotdog at the next baseball game
The first step of the scientific method in psychology involves
observing some phenomenon in the world.
When describing the process of natural selection, Charles Darwin claimed that
organisms that are best adapted to their environment will survive and produce offspring.
Psychology has advanced as a field because
psychologists think deeply and reflectively and examine the evidence on all sides.
Hank sees a car run a red light. Despite only seeing the car for a short amount of time, he is able to recall the licence plate. In this scenario, hank has most likely used his _____ to recall the licence plate.
short-term memory
In the context of psychological research methods, a _____ presents a standard set of questions, or items, to obtain people's self-reported attitudes or beliefs about a particular topic.
survey
Catherine is confronted by a man with a gun as she walks home from work one night. In this scenario, Catherine's _____ will prepare her body to run from the situation by increasing blood flow to her extremities.
sympathetic nervous system
Teresa, a young woman, sees words in colors and sees shapes whenever she hears a sound. In the context of sensory receptors and the brain, Teresa's experiences best illustrate the phenomenon of
synesthesia
Manny has been unable to sleep for the past one week. His wife gives him a vitamin pill and tells him that it will help him sleep at night. The next morning, Manny is thrilled because he has slept better than ever before. In this scenario, Manny's response to the vitamin can be attributed to
the placebo effect
Melinda suffers from migraine headaches and seizures. In the context of neurotransmitter functioning, which of the following most likely plays a significant role in her symptoms?
too much glutamate
As Mike gets up to go to his kitchen, the lights go out. Despite not being able to see in his house, he is still able to go to his kitchen. In this scenario, Mike's ability to use his knowledge of the layout of his house to find his way is an example of
top-down processing
Attention is selective but not shiftable.
true
Katie smells a flower. While receptors in her nose register the stimulus, the actual process of recognizing it as a flower's fragrance and interpreting it as pleasant is known as perception.
true
One way to aid our ears in recovery from loud noise is to take brief breaks.
true
The key difference among sensory receptors is the type of information or energy they detect and transmit
true
George is looking at the colors on a paint swatch card to select the right shade of red for his wall. He is able to differentiate between the various shades of red on the card and makes a quick decision. His perception of the differences in the shades can be attributed to the _____ of light reflecting from the shades.
wavelengths
Jonathan has a plate that holds 20 cup cakes. He would notice if one of them went missing. However, on a table with 200 cup cakes, he would notice only if five cup cakes went missing. This phenomenon is best explained by
weber's law
