Test 1.2

Which of the following statements related to the scientific method is FALSE? a. A theory gains credibility when the related hypotheses turn out to be true. b. A hypothesis derives logically from a theory. c. A theory can generate only one hypothesis. d. A hypothesis is a testable prediction.

A theory can generate only one hypothesis.

Dr. Simpson found a +.50 correlation between ice cream cone sales and violent crimes in a community. Which of the following represents the best interpretation of this result? a. Ice cream causes people to become more violent and aggressive. b. A third variable, such as heat, may account for the association between ice cream sales and violent crime. c. Violent people like ice cream more than nonviolent people. d. Ice cream consumption is not related to violent crime.

A third variable, such as heat, may account for the association between ice cream sales and violent crime.

Which of the following statements is true of the cones of the eye's retina? a. Cones require a larger amount of light to respond than the rods do. b. Cones are not light-sensitive. c. Cones are not found in the fovea. d. Cones operate best in the dark.

Cones require a larger amount of light to respond than the rods do.

Which of the following is a guideline to follow to consume psychological information critically and wisely? a. Consider the source of psychological information. b. Apply conclusions from a group to an individual. c. Do not look for answers beyond a single study. d. Draw causal conclusions from correlational studies.

Consider the source of psychological information.

Which of the following examples best illustrates extrasensory perception (ESP)? a. George performs a magic trick. b. Tony runs faster than the others in a race. c. Jeff reads another person's mind. d. Richard levitates in front of an audience.

Jeff reads another person's mind.

________ are the thoughts, feelings, and motives that each of us experiences privately but that cannot be observed directly. a. Mental processes b. Behaviors c. Fetal processes d. Mannerisms

Mental processes

Which of the following statements is true of the practitioners of the psychodynamic approach? a. They believe that personality is shaped entirely by genetic factors. b. They believe that sexual and aggressive impulses buried deep within the unconscious mind influence the way people think. c. They emphasize that psychology should be about what people do and should not concern itself with things that cannot be seen, such as thoughts, feelings, and goals. d. They use evolutionary ideas such as adaptation, reproduction, and natural selection as the basis for explaining specific human behaviors.

They believe that sexual and aggressive impulses buried deep within the unconscious mind influence the way people think

In the context of brain tissue implants, what is unique about stem cells? a. They survive for extended periods outside of the body. b. They can develop into most types of human cells. c. They are insusceptible to the effects of plasticity. d. They transfer genetic information into human cells.

They can develop into most types of human cells.

________ refers to the soundness of the conclusions that a researcher draws from an experiment. a. Validity b. Reliability c. Accuracy d. Stability

Validity

In the context of descriptive research methods in psychology, ________ are performed mainly by clinical psychologists when, for either practical or ethical reasons, the unique aspects of an individual's life cannot be duplicated and tested in other individuals. a. case studies b. surveys c. correlational studies d. experiments

case studies

Aspects of a study that communicate to the participants how the experimenter wants them to behave are known as a. research cues. b. participant effects. c. confederates. d. demand characteristics.

demand characteristics.

Which of the following is defined as organs or tissues in the body that create chemicals that control many bodily functions? a. glands b. dendrites c. synapses d. pons

glands

In the context of brain imaging, ________ involves creating a magnetic field around a person's body and using radio waves to construct images of the person's tissues and biochemical activities. a. transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) b. magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) c. positron-emission tomography (PET scan) d. computerized axial tomography (CAT scan or CT scan)

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Tamika hypothesizes that women are more helpful than men, and she decides to conduct an experiment to test her hypothesis. During lunchtime, she goes to the crowded food court and deliberately drops her folder containing papers. She then notes whether the person standing closest to her helps her pick up her papers and whether the person is male or female. What is the operational definition of "helpful" in Tamika's study? a. the gender of the person b. the person asking Tamika if she dropped her notebook c. establishing eye contact d. making an effort to gather the papers

making an effort to gather the papers

Emma, a psychologist, wants to study the relationship that exists among college girls who stay in hostels. She disguises herself as a college student and shares a dorm with some girls for a month. During her stay, she observes their various behaviors and makes notes when the girls are fast asleep. Which of the following is best exemplified in this scenario? a. the placebo effect b. experimenter bias c. a double-blind experiment d. naturalistic observation

naturalistic observation

Researchers usually should submit their findings to a journal for review by their colleagues, who make a decision about whether to publish the paper, depending on its scientific merit. This process is known as a. publishing review. b. literature review. c. peer review. d. subject review.

peer review.

The ________ connects the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body. a. central nervous system b. peripheral nervous system c. limbic system d. endocrine system

peripheral nervous system

The somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system are components of the a. sensory system. b. central nervous system. c. limbic system. d. peripheral nervous system.

peripheral nervous system.

Molly's natural hair color is brown, but she has had it dyed blonde. Molly changed her a. phenotype. b. genotype. c. chromosomes. d. genetic heritage.

phenotype

When Carlos first jumped into the pool, he thought that the water was very cold. Although the 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 pool water is an example of a. sensory deprivation. b. a perceptual set. c. sensory adaptation. d. top-down processing.

sensory adaptation.

Phoebe, a psychologist, conducts a study to compare people's behaviors across the countries of Bodonia, Batangonia, and Candaria. In this scenario, Phoebe is most likely a(n) a. cognitive psychologist. b. evolutionary psychologist. c. socioculturalist. d. psychoanalyst.

socioculturalist.

Corticosteroids are a. stress hormones. b. sex hormones. c. neurotransmitters that regulate mood. d. neurotransmitters that regulate memory.

stress hormones.

Which division of the peripheral nervous system is responsible for producing physiological symptoms (such as increased heart rate and butterflies in the stomach) under conditions of stress? a. somatic b. parasympathetic c. sympathetic d. central

sympathetic

Gregory is an excellent basketball player. He is always able to gauge the distance between himself and the basket correctly, and he never misses a shot. To help him use this spatial location skill, which of the following regions of the cerebral cortex should function the most efficiently? a. the parietal lobe b. the temporal lobe c. the somatosensory cortex d. the prefrontal cortex

the parietal lobe

Gary, a psychologist, conducts a study to determine the association between beer sales and the number of road accidents. He finds that an increase in beer sales results in an increase in the number of road accidents. However, he realizes that the time of year could also significantly affect the obtained results because there could be an increase in the number of road trips. Which of the following is most likely exemplified in this scenario? a. replication b. the third variable problem c. the principle of natural selection d. deception

the third variable problem