AP Psych Final: Units 1-5
the autonomic nervous system is most directly involved in
digesting food
behavior
The way an organism reacts to changes in its internal condition or external environment. How do we differ because of genes and environment
Lucid dreaming occurs when people
eat large meals immediately before going to sleep
Of the following, a behavioral psychologist is most likely to study the
effects of token economies on establishing social skills among children with emotional disturbances
In extreme cases, surgically severing the corpus callosum is a treatment for which of the following conditions?
epilepsy
A researcher randomly assigned boys and girls to each of two groups. One group watched a violent television program while the other group watched a nonviolent program. The children were then observed during a period of free play, and the incidence of aggressive behavior was recorded for each group. This research method is best characterized as:
experimental
Which of the following theories most accurately explains pitch perception? Opponent process Frequency Place
frequency and place
When people consume large amounts of alcohol, they are often unable to recall what they did and said while they were drinking. This occurs because alcohol interferes with the brain's ability to form new memories in the
hippocampus
psychodynamic perspective
how behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts How can someone's personality traits and disorders be explained by unfulfilled wishes and childhood traumas?
neuroscience perspective
how the body and brain enable emotions, memories, and sensory experiences Questions for study: how are messages transmitted throughout the body? How is blood chemistry linked to motives?
cognitive perspective
how we encode, process, store, and retrieve information How do we use information in remembering? Reasoning? Solving problems?
The part of the endocrine system that is responsible for overseeing and regulating the release of hormones across the entire body is the
hypothalamus
Brain lateralization refers to the
inclination for certain cognitive processes to be specialized to one hemisphere of the brain or the other
Which of the following is a statistical approach concerned with forming conclusions about the effect of the independent variable on variations in the dependent variable?
inferential
In the early years of psychology, a research participant might have been asked to observe carefully and systematically his conscious experiences. What method would the participant be using?
introspection
It can be assumed that an individual described as a supertaster
is very sensitive to hot peppers
biopsychosocial/Psycho
learnt fears + expectations - emotional responses - perceptual interpretation - cognitive processing
clinical psychologist
psychologist who treats people serious psychological problems or conducts research into the causes of behavior
Of the following, an evolutionary psychologist will most likely investigate the
reason why many people have an innate fear of the dark
The function of dendrites is to
receive information from other neurons
A reason that one typically does not notice a blind spot in the visual field is that
the brain fills in missing information so there is no awareness that the visual field is incomplete
Sigmund Freud
-Believed that all behavior and mental processes are dictated by unconscious forces -Problems arise from the unresolved conflict in the unconsciousness -Used free association and dream analysis to explore unconsciousness -Ideas were and are still controversial but have wide influence
Biopyschosocial/ Bio
-Genetics (dispositions/mutations) - natural selection or adaptive behaviors -genes responding to the environment
Cognitive Revolution (1960s)
-Psychology again interested in mental processes -The science of behavior AND mental processes
Pyschoanalysis
-Step into Modern world psych -First idea that gave an overall view of personality -Personality attributed to unconscious motives/conflicts REMEMBER: Sigmund Freud
Most glands in the human body are a part of which system?
Endocrine
Tina is reading an important letter when she accidentally splashes water on the paper. The water has smudged a few words, but she is still able to understand what the letter says. This can be explained by
top down processing
Standard deviation is a measure of how much
two sets of scores vary together
The occipital lobe of the human brain contains the centers for
vision
Scott lost his vision at a young age. When he was much older, he received a corneal transplant that allowed him to see again. After so many years of not being able to see, he had a very difficult time interpreting visual information such as faces and expressions. His visual problems most likely came from processing difficulties in the
visual cortex
Neuroscience
study of brain
Contemporary Psychology
the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
Wilhem Wundt (1832-1920)
-established first formal lab 1879 - goal was to study consciousness - used introspection (looking inward) - father of psychology
William James
-founder of functionalism; studied how humans use perception to function in our environment -First American psychologist Criticized Wundt for narrow ideas Influenced by darwin Interested in how consciousness adapts to help people feel more comfortable in their environment Used introspection + questionnaires and mental tests
On a test, the mean score for a class of 100 students is 80 and the standard deviation of the scores is 10. The professor who gave the test then realizes that she made a scoring error, which she corrects by adding 5 points to each student's score. The standard deviation of the students' new scores is
10
10, 3, 5, 7, 10, 3, 10, 5, 2 The numbers above represent the quiz results for a psychology class. What is the median score for the class?
5
Exam Scores 8 6 5 10 5 7 1 5 10 A student who scored at the mode would have how many points?
5
Exam Scores 8 6 5 10 5 7 1 5 10 Which of the following is the median score?
5
A test has a mean of 80 with a standard deviation of 4. Which of the following scores is within one standard deviation of the mean?
77
cognitive science
study of mind
Gestalt psychology is concerned primarily with understanding which of the following?
Perception
Which scenario best exemplifies Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection?
A mutation in a species of lizards that allows them to better blend into their surroundings leads to greater survival and more offspring possessing this mutation in a later generation.
Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system results in which of the following?
A decrease in heart rate
All summer Thomas hears the sound of the icecream truck approaching before his brother Oscar hears it. Thomas most likely has which of the following?
A lower absolute threshold for hearing than Oscar
Research finds that, in general, the higher an incoming college student scores on a given test, the higher the student's college grade point average (GPA). Which of the following best describes this relationship?
A positive correlation
Functionalism
A school of psychology that focused on how our mental and behavioral processes function - how they enable us to adapt, survive, and flourish. Functions of parts of brain REMEMBER: WILLIAM JAMES
Sports Psychologist
A specialist who works with athletes to recover from serious injury through emotional support. They also assist in goal setting and motivation.
Which of the following studies is from an evolutionary perspective?
A study looking at how quickly a variable-ratio schedule of reinforcement leads to extinction resistant behaviors
Which of the following characterizes a behavioral approach to psychology?
A study of how reinforcement affects learning
Which of the following is classified as an antagonist?
A tricyclic antidepressant, because they block serotonin and norepinephrine transporters.
The depletion of which of the following neurotransmitters is most closely associated with the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease?
Acetylcholine
Which of the following supports the opponent-process theory of color vision?
Afterimages
An industrial-organizational psychologist would be most likely to study the
An industrial-organizational psychologist would be most likely to study the
Researchers have found a negative correlation between income and dental problems. What conclusion can correctly be drawn from this statement?
As income increases, the likelihood of dental problems decreases.
J.B. Watson
Believed that psych should only study what can be observed and measurable
Which of the following allows the examination of living brain tissue visually without performing surgery?
Computerized axial tomography
Contemporary Psychology Thoughts
Debate between nature and nurture -Psychological disorders -Sexual orientation -Our intellect/intelligence -Serial killers Scientific study of behavior and mental processes "Nurture works on what nature endows Biophysocial approach
Which procedure can reduce problems associated with the use of deception by a researcher?
Debriefing
Introspection as practiced by early structuralists is best illustrated by which of the following behaviors?
Describing one's immediate sensations while looking at a rose
A person with damage to Broca's area would most likely demonstrate which of the following symptoms?
Difficulty with speech production
Which of the following is reduced during a fight-or-flight reaction?
Digestion
Which of the following is an explanation of why travelers suffer from jet lag?
Disruption to circadian rhythm
Nature vs. Nurture
Do genes (nature) or environmental factors (nurture) contribute more to a person's being?
Which of the follow scenarios is the best example of natural selection?
During a drought, the foliage in a region turns brown. More brownish moths than whitish moths from a particular breed survive predation and produce more offspring. Subsequent generations of moths have a higher percentage of brownish moths than the generation before.
behavioral pespective
How we learn observable responses How do we learn to fear particular objects or situations? What is the most effective way to alter our behavior?
Research on human mating preferences suggests that men place greater value on physical attractiveness and youthfulness, whereas women place greater value on social status and financial resources. Which of the following psychological points of view best explains this behavior?
Evolutionary
Which of the following research approaches would be best for testing the hypothesis that the presence of certain odors causes people to gamble more?
Experimental
Which of the following groups of characteristics best describes the REM sleep stage?
Fast breathing, relatively high heart rate, relatively high blood pressure
The pitch of a sound is analogous to which of the following features of light?
Hue
Gestalt Psychology
Founded to oppose Wundt Believed consciousness was best understood as a whole rather than a bunch of components "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts" REMEMBER: MAX WERTHMEIR
Martin fell off his skateboard and badly bruised his elbow. He immediately began rubbing the area around the bruise until the pain subsided. This method of reducing pain can be explained by which of the following?
Gate control theory
Consistent with the concept of neural plasticity, neurons in mammals have been found to change the way they function as a result of repeated stimulation by doing which of the following?
Growing new dendritic spines
Damage to which of the following best explains conduction deafness?
Hammer, anvil, and stirrup
Mind and body are connected
Hebrews, Aristotle, Augustine
Latisha noticed that in the early evening she begins to have difficulty seeing the vibrant colors in her artwork. Which of the following best explains her difficulty?
Her cones cannot detect color well in dim light.
sociocultural perspective
How behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures How are we affected by the people around us, and by our surrounding culture?
evolutionary psychology perspective
How natural selection process has caused behavior to adapt/ develop Questions for study: how does evolution influence behavior tendencies? Today's functionalism
Humanistic Perspective
How we achieve personal growth and self-fulfillment -the psychological view that assumes the existence of the self and emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and the freedom to make choices How can we work toward fulfilling our potential? How can we overcome barriers to our personal growth?
Which of the following perspectives argues that every person has the potential to become self-actualized?
Humanistic
What is the correct chronological order of the following perspectives of psychology, from past to present? Behaviorism Psychoanalysis Structuralism Humanism
III, II, I, IV
After an electrode implanted in a cat's brain stimulates the cat's amygdala, the cat will most likely do which of the following?
Immediately withdraw in fear
Sleep paralysis typically occurs in people who are
In REM sleep
A researcher randomly assigned boys and girls to each of two groups. One group watched a violent television program while the other group watched a nonviolent program. The children were then observed during a period of free play, and the incidence of aggressive behavior was recorded for each group. What is the dependent variable in this study?
Incidence of aggressive behavior
Martha is an undergraduate student who is interested in pursuing a career in psychology. She wants to use her knowledge of psychology to help employees become more productive in the workplace. Which field of psychology should Martha select in graduate school?
Industrial-organizational
Issues with animal testing
Is it right to place the wellbeing of humans above other animals? What safeguards should protect animals in research? Some guidelines have come up from this, ie housing, social animals etc
The nature-nurture issue is best exemplified by which of the following questions?
Is level of intelligence the result of one's environment and specific learning, or is it a result of biological maturation?
Which of the following statements best describes the placebo effect?
It can be brought about by the individual's expectations.
In a normal distribution, which of the following statements is true about the area that falls between one standard deviation above and one standard deviation below the mean?
It contains the middle 68% of the distribution
In adult humans, which of the following is typically true of REM sleep?
It is correlated with dreaming
Which of the following is true about the pons?
It is the region of the brain that is most closely associated with sleep and arousal.
Which of the following is true about the blind spot in the eye?
It occurs where the optic nerve leaves the eye.
Prehistoric psychology
Key Question: whats the relationship with mind and body?
Ana injured her eye in an accident and has to wear a patch over the eye while it heals. Which of the following cues would she best be able to use to make judgments about the distance objects are from her?
Linear Perspective
Professor González is interested in evaluating the ability of a new method of note-taking to improve student grades. Group A is trained in the new method and group B uses the traditional outline method of taking notes. What is Professor González' independent variable?
Method of note-taking
ethics code of APA and BPS
Obtain participants informed consent Protect participants from greater than usual harm or discomfort Keep information about the participants confidential Fully debrief participants afterward
After staring at a green, black, and orange "American flag" for about a minute, an individual will see a red, white, and blue flag afterimage. Which of the following explains this phenomenon?
Opponent-process theory
The person most strongly associated with identifying deficits in the motor speech area and in the ability to produce speech is
Paul Broca
Which of the following is required for a psychological experiment?
Precise operational definitions
biopsychosocial/social
Presence of others Cultural/familial/societal expectations Peer and group influence Compelling models (media)
Of the following topics, which would a cognitive psychologist be most likely to study?
Problem-solving strategies in chess
The belief that human behavior is the result of unconscious drives and conflicts represents which of the following theoretical perspectives?
Psychoanalytic
Which of the following is used to reduce the effects of confounding variables in experiments?
Random assignment
All of the following are American Psychological Association ethical guidelines for researchers EXCEPT:
Research may not involve deception.
Significant damage to which of the following parts of the brain will most likely cause a person to fall into a deep coma from which the person will be unable to awaken?
Reticular formation
Which of the following is a binocular cue for depth perception?
Retinal disparity
Which of the following is the correct path a neural impulse will follow through the different layers of the retina?
Rods and cones, bipolar cells, ganglion cells, optic nerve
The drugs that block the reabsorption of neurotransmitters in the synapse during neural transmission are
SSRIs
On his first day of work at the bakery, Brad was nearly overwhelmed by the sweet odor of the baked goods. However, by lunchtime, he did not even notice the smell. This is an example of
Sensory adaptation
When Rosa has a cold, she cannot taste the flavor of her pizza. Which of the following psychological terms describes Rosa's inability to taste?
Sensory interaction
In right-handed individuals, which of the following abilities is predominantly a function of the right hemisphere of the brain?
Spatial reasoning
A psychologist gives the same test to a class of students at the beginning of the day and again at the end of the school day. The extent to which test scores are similar across the two administrations demonstrates which of the following test properties?
Statistical significance
Ivan Pavlov was most well known for which of the following?
Studying the different cognitive developmental stages of infants and children
Which of the following studies demonstrates a cross-sectional research design?
Testing first, third, and fifth graders at the beginning of the school year
Ernst Weber's and Gustav Fechner's psychophysical laws concern the relation between which of the following?
The intensity of a stimulus and its corresponding psychological sensation
A test with normally distributed results was returned to a class of 100 students. Later, the teacher realized an error was made and added 10 points to each student's score. Which of the following must have changed as a result of the increase in scores?
The mode
Respondents to surveys and questionnaires often report that they are healthier, happier, and less prejudiced than would be expected based on the results of other types of research. This finding can best be explained by which of the following?
The social desirability bias
Which of the following biological systems is most likely responsible for an increase in heart rate while experiencing anxiety?
The sympathetic nervous system
Operational definitions are used for which of the following reasons?
They enable researchers to replicate studies by precisely describing the variables and how they are used.
A researcher randomly assigned boys and girls to each of two groups. One group watched a violent television program while the other group watched a nonviolent program. The children were then observed during a period of free play, and the incidence of aggressive behavior was recorded for each group. What is the independent variable in this study?
Type of television program viewed
Values in Psychology
Values affect how and what we study and how we interpret results Our perception of values impacts how we see psych as well. Some might think it's evil and some think that it is impactful. Psychology speaks to war, racism, crime, family, love, nourishment.
A psychological researcher designs a study to determine whether positive feedback affects self-esteem. The researcher requires each participant to toss twenty coins into a coffee can that is three feet away. Half of the participants are told that their performance is superior, and the other half are told that their performance is well below average. Although some of the participants want to quit tossing coins after a few attempts, they are told that once they begin the study they have to complete it. After the coin toss, participants take a test measuring self-esteem. Following the test, all participants are debriefed and told that information about their performance was false. Results of the study indicate that participants who are told their performance is well below average report lower levels of self-esteem than do those who are told their performance is superior. Which of the following violations of ethical guidelines occurs in the study?
Violation of the right to withdraw
animal studies
We use animal testing not because we are like animals, but because we ARE animals. We share biology, some processes.
A person will most likely develop aphasia as a result of damage to which of the following parts of the brain?
Wernicke's area
WEIRD cultures
Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic
A person displays a set of rare behaviors that psychologists had not known about previously, because nobody had ever shown them before. The best strategy to investigate the nature of those behaviors is
a case study
The part of the neuron that is responsible for receiving signals from other neurons is called
a dendrite
Based on its effects on the central nervous system, alcohol can be classified as
a depressant
specific learning disorder
a marked deficit in a particular area of learning that is not caused by an apparent physical disability, or by an unusually stressful home environment (dyslexia)
industrial psychologist
a psychologist who uses psychological concepts to make the workplace a more satisfying environment for employees and managers
counseling psychologist
a psychologist who usually helps people deal with problems of living, milder issues of behavior etc
Immediately after firing, a neuron is incapable of responding to stimulation. This condition is referred to as
absolute refactory phase
Reuptake of a neurotransmitter refers to
absorption of the neurotransmitter into the terminal buttons of the sending neuron
A drug that has the effect of intensifying or mimicking a particular neurotransmitter can be characterized as
an agonist, because it intensifies the effects of a particular neurotransmitter
Structuralism
an early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the elemental structure of the human mind REMEMBER: WILHEM WUNDT
Dr. Larson was interested in whether classical music helps students perform better on a test. Dr. Larson randomly assigned half of the study's participants to a group that listened to classical music while taking a test. The other half of the participants did not listen to music while taking a test. The research design Dr. Larson used is
an experiment
One-year-old Marcus turns away in disgust if a bitter substance is placed on his tongue. The reason for such a reaction is most likely
an inborn distaste for bitter that protects us from potential poisons in the environment
biopyschosocial approach
an integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis
A basic assumption underlying the evolutionary approach to sexual attraction is that men seek potential mates who
appear fertile
Ethical principles developed by the American Psychological Association help ensure that human participants in psychological research
are protected from physical and psychological harm
mental processes
are the internal, subjective experiences we infer from behavior—sensations, perceptions, dreams, thoughts, beliefs, and feelings.
School Psychologist
assesses and counsels students, consults with educators and parents, and performs behavioral intervention when necessary
Synesthesia is a phenomenon that has been estimated to occur in only a few people in a million. Because of its rarity, researchers are likely to choose which research method to study it?
case study
The Gestalt principle that refers to an individual's tendency to perceive an incomplete figure as whole is called
closure
Caffeine and nicotine are in the same class as which of the following drugs?
cocaine
Which theoretical perspective in psychology attempts to characterize the way in which humans store and process sensory information?
cognitive
People who are color blind most likely have deficiencies in their
cones
In an experiment to test the effects of hunger on aggressive behavior, aggressive behavior would be the
dependent variable
A sound is often detected by one ear more intensely and a fraction of a second earlier than it is detected by the other ear. These cues help individuals determine the
location of source
Experimental research differs from correlational research in that experimental research
may reveal a causal relation
Dr. Grayson is interested in studying the relationship between weight loss and mood. To conduct the study, Dr. Grayson analyzes the results of several previous studies on weight loss and emotional state. Which research strategy is Dr. Grayson using?
meta-analysis
In the dark, an object is more clearly seen when viewed in peripheral vision than when viewed directly. This phenomenon occurs because the rods located in the retina are
more sensitive in the dark than cones and are not found in the fovea
When viewed from the window of a moving train, nearby objects seem to pass by more quickly than do more distant objects. This cue for depth perception is called
motion parallax
Receptors for olfaction are located
nasal cavity
Psychology's Current Perspectives
neuroscience, evolutionary, behavior genetics, psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, social-cultural
Negative afterimages are explained by
opponent-process theory
A disadvantage of longitudinal studies is that
participants who drop out during the course of the study may be different in important ways from ones who do not drop out
cognitive science today
perceive, process + remember information + how thinking and emotion interact in anxiety, depression, and other disorders.
In visual perception, size constancy occurs as an object comes closer to the viewer because the
perceived distance of the object becomes smaller
In developmental psychology, one advantage of cross-sectional over longitudinal studies is that cross-sectional research
requires comparatively little time
Feature detectors are neurons that are turned on or off by specific features of visual stimuli like edges and movement. Where in the visual system are these feature detectors located?
retina
In vision, transduction occurs within the
retina
The process by which neurotransmitters are reabsorbed into the neuron after it fires is called
reuptake
A researcher surveyed social adjustment in the same group of 20 people from early childhood through adulthood. In this example, the group of 20 people surveyed was the study's
sample
Research shows that women who are referred by a physician to participate in a study of eating disorders have more severe problems than women who volunteer on their own to participate in the study. If research on eating disorders regularly involves only women referred by physicians, the results of the studies might be limited because of the presence of
sampling bias
Students from a journalism class ask only their friends to participate in a school newspaper survey and neglect to ask the rest of the student body. The journalism students' data may not be generalizable due to
sampling bias
An individual's ability to focus on a particular conversation in a noisy and crowded room is called
selective attention
mind and body are separate
socrates, plato, descartes
culture shapes behavior through
standards of promptness, frankness, attitudes toward premarital sex + body shapes, our tendency to be casual or formal, our willingness to make eye contact etc
A research psychologist generalizes from a particular sample to an entire population. This is an example of
statistical inference
Researchers find that there is a significant, positive correlation between the number of hours students sleep and their grades. The researchers would be justified in concluding that
students who earn good grades tend to sleep more than those who do not
An evolutionary psychologist would explain that humans desire social interaction, social acceptance, and social affiliation due to a need for
survival
Research has shown that a major reason for poor performance while multitasking is that while multitasking, people
switch their attention rapidly from task to task, so they miss critical information associated with a task that is not receiving their attention
Cognitive psychologists are most likely to study
the acquisition of knowledge, planning, and problem solving
A teacher finds the distribution of scores on a final exam to be positively skewed with low variability. On the basis of this information, the teacher would be most justified in concluding that
the exam was too difficult
During neuronal firing, the part of the neuron that acts as an insulator and conductor to speed the electrical impulse as it travels down the axon is
the myelin sheath
Abnormalities in calcium regulation are most likely to arise from problems with
the parathyroid gland
The time shortly after a neuron fires is referred to as
the refractory period
The results of a correlational study involving student volunteers in a psychology laboratory might not apply to the general population because
the sample is not randomly chosen and therefore may not be a representative sample
Psychology
the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
positive psychology
the scientific study of optimal human functioning; aims to discover and promote strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive
evolutionary psychology
the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection How are we alike based on our common biological and evolutionary history
Behaviorism
the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with (1) but not with (2). REMEMBER: WATSON & SKINNER
Professor Ahad has forty-three students in section one of the psychology classes she teaches and fifty-two students in section two. Section one meets at eight a.m. and, section two meets at one p.m. Professor Ahad gives all of her students the same final exam, and those in section two score significantly higher than those in section one. Professor Ahad concludes that her section one students are academically inferior to students in section two. The biggest problem with Professor Ahad's conclusion is that
there is no dependent variable in this scenario.
B.F. Skinner
thought that solely external factors influenced behavior ("hidden parts of the mind irrelevant")
Getting a headache from not having a morning coffee after substantial daily coffee consumption for several months is most likely due to
withdrawal
Which chemical is most closely associated with sleep?
Melatonin
Which of the following assertions is best supported by empirical evidence?
The two cerebral hemispheres are specialized to process different types of cognitive tasks.
The explanation that holds that dreams are merely the brain's attempt to make sense of meaningless patterns of brain activity during sleep is called the
activation-synthesis theory
Information is relayed to the spinal cord or the brain by
afferent neurons
