Most Missed Questions from Behavioral Psychology and Consciousness

Josef, a high school student, tells his therapist that he has had a recurring dream in which he hunts and kills a ferocious tiger. The therapist explains that the dream reflects Josef's unresolved feelings of hostility toward his father. According to Freud, the therapist is revealing the possible ________ content of Josef's dream. a. circadian b. delta c. latent d. manifest e. dissociated

c. latent

Because Mandisa always picked up her newborn daughter when she cried, her daughter is now a real crybaby. In this case, picking up the infant served as a(n) ________ for crying. a. conditioned stimulus b. negative reinforcer c. punisher d. unconditioned stimulus e. positive reinforcer

e. positive reinforcer

What is the danger of labeling behaviors such as too much eating, shopping, exercise, sex, or gambling as addictions? a. It can be used as an "all-purpose" excuse to explain away the behaviors. b. It can lead to increased feelings of shame and guilt. c. Abusers are more likely to experience prejudice and discrimination. d. Abusers may be more likely to hide their abuse and avoid seeking help. e. No physical or emotional pain is associated with these behaviors.

a. It can be used as an "all-purpose" excuse to explain away the behaviors.

An experimenter plans to condition a dog to salivate to a light by pairing the light with food. The dog will learn to salivate to the light most quickly if the experimenter presents the light a. a half-second before the food. b. five seconds after the food. c. at precisely the same time as the food. d. five seconds before the food. e. a half-second after the food.

a. a half-second before the food

In explaining prosocial behavior, B.F. Skinner would most likely have emphasized a. the beneficial consequences of prosocial behavior b. genetic influences c. an unconscious need for social approval d. empathy and compassion e. the internalization of moral values

a. the beneficial consequences of prosocial behavior

Cats received a fish reward whenever they maneuvered themselves out of an enclosed puzzle box. With successive trials, the cats escaped from the box with increasing speed. This illustrates a. the law of effect b. latent learning c. spontaneous recovery d. intermittent reinforcement e. respondent behavior

a. the law of effect

Which of the following provides the clearest indication of drug addiction? a. alpha waves b. physical dependence c. narcolepsy d. hallunication e. REM rebound

b. physical dependence

What do methamphetamine, caffeine, and cocaine have in common? a. They relax the body, lead to disinhibition, and produce euphoria. b. They depress neural functioning and reduce pain. c. They excite neural activity and arouse body functions. d. They distort perceptions and evoke sensations without sensory input. e. They slow body functions and calm neural activity.

c. They excite neural activity and arouse body functions.

Researchers condition a flatworm to contract its body to a light by repeatedly pairing the light with electric shock. The stage in which the flatworm's contraction response to light is established and gradually strengthened is called a. generalization b. shaping c. acquisition d. spontaneous recovery e. latent learning

c. acquisition

REM rebound involves a. tendency for REM sleep periods to become increasingly longer and more frequent as a normal night of sleep progresses. b. unusual symptoms of tiredness and irritability that follow periods of REM sleep deprivation. c. increase in REM sleep that characteristically follows intense learning episodes or stressful daytime experiences. d. replacement of REM sleep with NREM sleep. e. tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation.

e. tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation

Cats received a fish reward whenever they maneuvered themselves out of an enclosed puzzle box. With successive trials, the cats escaped from the box with increasing speed. This illustrates a. latent learning b. intermittent reinforcement c. respondent behavior d. spontaneous recovery e. the law of effect

e. the law of effect

Little Albert developed a fear of rats after a white rat was paired with a loud noise. In this case, the loud noise was the a. conditioned reinforcer b. conditioned stimulus c. primary reinforcer d. delayed reinforcer e. unconditioned stimulus

e. unconditioned stimulus

Little Albert developed a fear of rats after a white rat was paired with a loud noise. In this case, the loud noise was the a. unconditioned stimulus b. delayed reinforcer c. primary reinforcer d. conditioned reinforcer e. conditioned stiumulus

a. unconditioned stimulus

Dreams often involve emotional reactions and surprising changes in scene. This best serves to support the theory that dreams a. reflect one's level of cognitive development b. are triggered by random bursts of neural activity c. represent both latent content and manifest content d. prepare us for the stress and challenges of the following day e. strengthen our memories of the preceding day's events

b. are triggered by random bursts of neural activity

How is the hypothalamus involved in sleep? a. The action of the hypothalamus suppresses immune cell production that fights off viral infections and cancer. b. The hypothalamus triggers the pituitary gland in the endocrine system to produce the hormone thyroxin, which leads you to sleep. c. Cell clusters in the hypothalamus stimulate the production of relatively slow alpha waves, signaling the transition from deep relaxation to sleep. d. In response to decreasing light the hypothalamus' suprachiastmatic nucleus causes the pineal gland to increase production of melatonin, leading you to sleep. e. During sleep the hypothalamus stimulates the production of free radicals, molecules that are toxic to neurons, which weakens unused connections.

d. In response to decreasing light the hypothalamus' suprachiastmatic nucleus causes the pineal gland to increase production of melatonin, leading you to sleep.

What is most likely to occur when the brain is repeatedly flooded with artificial opiates? a. The level of serotonin is permanently decreased b. The brain stops making dophamine c. The brain shrinks d. The brain stops producing endorphins e. The immune system is suppressed

d. The brain stops producing endorphins

As Inge recalled her dream, she was dancing with a tall, dark gentleman when suddenly the music shifted to loud rock and the man disappeared. According to Freud, Inge's account represents the ______ content of her dream. a. latent b. paradoxical c. hallunicatory d. manifest e. hynpagogic

d. manifest

The way slot machines reward gamblers with money best illustrates a. continous reinforcement b. shaping c. generalization d. partial reinforcement e. spontaneous recovery

d. partial reinforcement

A stimulus that acquires reinforcing power by association with a primary reinforcer is called a ________ reinforcer. a. partial b. negative c. delayed d. positive e. conditioned

e. conditioned

Ivan Pavlov's experiments a. revealed how biological predispositions affect learning b. illustrated how the law of effect can be applied to conditioning c. exhibited the central principles of operant conditioning d. showed that cognition is important to learning e. demonstrated how learning can be studied objectively

e. demonstrated how learning can be studied objectively