Psych 101 Quizzes

Stephanie wants to learn about the behavior of lemurs in their normal surroundings. What research method should she use?

Naturalistic observation

An altered state of consciousness that features out-of-body experiences, light-at-the-end-of-a-tunnel perceptions, and a state of calmness is called which of the following?

Near-death experience

Every time Sovann reaches for the fuzzy bunny, a loud, scary noise occurs. After some time, Sovann cries when he sees a fuzzy bunny. In classical conditioning, the fuzzy bunny has become the

conditioned stimulus.

Tim is alert and aware of the many sights and sounds around him. Which state of awareness is Tim currently experiencing?

A waking state

A desire to excel or outperform others is referred to as which of the following?

Achievement motivation

To help her remember the five major personality traits, Riko uses the letters OCEAN. Which of the following is Riko using to improve her memory?

Acronym

Which structure of the brain is responsible for initiating both the perception of and response to external stimuli?

Amygdala

Operant conditioning is an example of which type of learning?

Associative learning

The inability to maintain sustained attention or on-task behavior for an age-appropriate length of time coupled with a high level of motor activity may indicate which of the following?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

What structure is responsible for carrying sound information to the brain?

Auditory nerve

Which of the following terms refers to an eating disorder characterized by overeating, purging, and having feelings of depression, disgust, and lost control?

Bulimia nervosa

In the late 18th century, phrenologist believed that a person's character could be determined using what process?

By locating bumps on a person's head

Research into what phenomenon demonstrated that an individual's likelihood of helping drops as the number of other observers grows?

Bystander intervention

While walking to her car in the dark, Jane felt the hair on the back of her neck tingle, and at the same time she felt afraid. Which theory of emotion is demonstrated by this example?

Cannon-Bard theory

An in-depth analysis of the behavior of one person or a small number of people is called what?

Case study

Gary often holds odd postures for hours or even days at a time. This symptom is known as

Catatonia

In an experiment, which group experiences all experimental procedures except exposure to the independent variable?

Control group

Jose has collected data on an experiment. He plans to organize the data into meaningful patterns that reveal the mean, median, and mode. What form of analysis is Jose using?

Descriptive statistics

Professionals in the United States are most likely to use which resource when diagnosing a mental health problem?

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

Which of the following neurochemicals is associated with movement, planning, and reward?

Dopamine

Favorable or unfavorable evaluations that predispose behavior are referred to as

attitudes.

Matching your behavior and appearance to the perceived social norms of a group constitutes

conformity

Calum was recently diagnosed with acrophobia. As a result, he would be most likely to avoid situations involving

heights.

The belief that personality emerges through subjective experience and free will rather than prior learning is a view held by

humanists.

Compliance with the request of an authority figure is referred to as

obedience.

Activity in brain networks, rather than structural differences, forms the basis of

reinforcement sensitivity theory.

Aoife was late arriving to meet a client. When she arrived, her client asked if she had encountered congested traffic along the way. Aoife's client explained her behavior through

situational attribution.

In classical conditioning, the stimulus that elicits a response without any prior experience is referred to as the

unconditioned stimulus.

What is the average number of information bits that one can hold in short-term memory?

7

Tim has asked Dan to raise his hand if he hears a bell ring so he can record how loud the bell must be for Dan to detect it. Tim is measuring which of the following?

Absolute threshold

Which of the following affects the encoding of new information in memory?

Acetylcholine

A compulsive physical or psychological need for a substance or activity that continues in spite of negative consequences is referred to as which of the following?

Addiction

Researchers using human participants and working in universities and other agencies receiving federal funding must submit their research for approval to which of the following bodies?

An institutional review board (IRB)

Which nerve cell structure is responsible for passing information to the cells around it?

Axon

Which approach to understanding personality describes personality as a collection of relatively stable learned response tendencies?

Behaviorist

Internal mechanisms that provide an approximate schedule for physical processes are called which of the following?

Biological clocks

Which of the following protect the brain and spinal cord?

Bones, meninges, and cerebrospinal fluid

Kalindi experienced a difficult week at work, failed an exam at school, and had an argument with her spouse. At the suggestion of a friend, Kalindi visited a rage room and vented her frustration on the items found there. She felt much better after her session. What has Kalindi experienced?

Catharsis

John's car accident caused damage to the reticular formation area of his brain. As a result, he is currently in an abnormal state of deep unconsciousness. Which of the following is his condition?

Coma

Recovered memories are vulnerable to which of the following?

Confabulation

Nasjea is self-disciplined, responsible, and achievement driven. Which of the following Big Five traits is Nasjea demonstrating?

Conscientiousness

Which of the following statements best describes self-regulation?

Conscious executive efforts to control our thoughts, motives, feelings, and behaviors

Brian is training his puppy to sit on command. Which of the following reinforcement schedules will be most effective in the early stages of training?

Continuous reinforcement

Which of the following statements is true of social support?

Disruptions of social connections through divorce, bereavement, or separation are among the most stressful experiences people may face.

Which of the following explanations of dreaming is consistent with the activation-synthesis theory?

Dreams are the result of on-going neural activity.

Which of the following technologies is often used to assess stages of sleep and waking?

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

The definition "a combination of arousal, physical sensations, and subjective feelings that occurs spontaneously in response to environmental stimuli" describes which of the following terms?

Emotion

Which component of short-term memory combines information from long-term memory with the active processing in working memory?

Episodic buffer

Aiko can recall details of her wedding day. The smell of salt air, the sand in her toes, and the lovely fragrance of the lilies in her bouquet are all fresh in her mind. Where in her memory has Aiko stored this information?

Episodic memory

If a researcher wants to extend the conclusions reached from the data drawn from sample populations to a larger population, the researcher would use what type of data analysis?

Inferental statistics

A researcher has thoroughly explained the risks and benefits of an experimental procedure to the research participant. When the research participant then provides permission for the researcher to conduct the procedure, the participant is acknowledging which of the following?

Informed consent

Which of the following statements describes instrumental aggression?

Intentional harm, usually physical, done to others to obtain a goal

The insula is responsible for which of the following functions related to emotion?

Internal sensations and physical sensations associated with emotional feelings

According to Sternberg's triangular model of love, which dimension of love refers to the closeness or bonding that we experience with another person?

Intimacy

Enzo enjoys playing piano. He plays for the pure enjoyment of creating music and needs no other incentive to keep playing. Enzo is motivated by which of the following?

Intrinsic reward

Which of the following statements best reflects the characteristics of an individualistic culture?

James broke his personal record for rebounds during the playoffs, which he found satisfying even though his team failed to advance.

Which theory of emotion proposes that physical sensations lead to subjective feelings?

James-Lange theory

When Jackson heard that his friend was laid off from work, he immediately thought, "if I work hard, that won't happen to me." Jackson's thought indicates that he holds which of the following?

Just-world belief bias

Chronic low mood most of the day, nearly every day, for a period of at least 2 weeks may be indicative of which of the following disorders?

Major depressive disorder (MDD)

Michael suffers from an extremely low mood during the winter months but typically starts to feel better in the spring. What might explain Michael's symptoms?

Major depressive disorder with seasonal pattern

Juan had a headache and took a pain reliever. Because the pain reliever worked, Juan is likely to use it again. In operant conditioning, what does this example demonstrate?

Negative reinforcement

After watching her mother carefully crack eggs into a bowl while making breakfast, Nanami was able to do the same while making muffins the next day. What type of learning did Nanami demonstrate? Select any two options.

Observational learning Operant conditioning

As a symptom of a mental health disorder, distressing, intrusive thoughts are referred to as which of the following?

Obsessions

What has been found effective in reducing mortality from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)?

Putting infants to sleep on their backs

How is scientific observation different from everyday observation?

Scientific obeservation is objective, systematic, and relies on evidence.

At 18 months of age, Ruth has realized she is distinct from others and is a unique individual. Psychologists would say that Ruth has developed which of the following?

Self-awareness

Jack finds that he can only remember the first few terms and the last few terms on his vocabulary quiz. What might explain his experience?

Serial position effect

Jane regularly wakes abruptly during the night, gasping for air. What might explain Jane's experience?

Sleep apnea

Valerie, a psychology major, was asked by her high school aged sister to describe sleep. Which of the following responses should she give to accurately describe sleep to her sister?

Sleep is a normal state of consciousness, characterized by reduced awareness of external stimuli.

Kelly wants to know what flavors of ice cream students would like to have available in the student union cafe. What is an inexpensive way she can identify and reach a large number of students in order to find out?

Survey

Kelly is walking to her car late in the evening and hears a trash can rattling nearby; her heart begins to race, and she suddenly experiences a rush of energy. What division of Kelly's nervous system is most active at this time?

Sympathetic nervous system

Jennifer noticed that during the day, her baby's pupils are smaller than they are during the evening. What structure in the baby's eye is responsible for this change?

The iris

Which of the following statements is accurate regarding the spreading activation model?

The model recognizes that people form their own organizations in memory based on their personal experiences.

Which of the following carries sensory and motor information between the brain and spinal cord and the rest of the body?

The peripheral nervous system (PNS)

What role does the pinna play in the ability to hear?

The pinna collects sound waves and funnels them toward the auditory canal.

Many antidepressants, such as Prozac, act by inhibiting serotonin reuptake. What does this mean?

The recapture of released neurochemical molecules by the releasing (presynaptic) cell slows down, giving the molecules more opportunities to interact with receptors.

What is transduction?

The translation of incoming sensory information into neural signals

When using information from prior experience and memory to perceive stimuli, we are applying which of the following?

Top-down processing

Tina is interested in studying the functions controlled by the frontal lobe. What should she focus on in her research?

Voluntary movement and complex cognitive functions

Katarzyna, a healthy young woman, once experienced a pounding heart, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, and dizziness for a period of about 10 minutes. Her doctor believes that she experienced symptoms of

a panic attack.

When we use situational variables to explain our own behavior while continuing to use dispositional variables to explain the behavior of others, we are committing

actor-observer bias.

Strong negative emotions and physical tension because of the anticipation of danger are the major components of

anxiety disorders.

Zofia dislikes her appearance even though her family, friends, and medical doctors assure her that her appearance is normal. She has had several surgical procedures to correct what she perceived as flaws, but she is still dissatisfied and plans to have additional cosmetic work done. Her doctor fears Zofia may have

body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).

An uncomfortable state that occurs when our outward behavior doesn't match our attitudes is known as

cognitive dissonance.

Emily agreed to close her door when using her speaker phone when her roommate asked her to keep the noise down in the dorm. Emily's agreement is an example of

compliance.

While studying, Pam considers the meaning of new information as well as how it links to what she has learned before. This type of encoding is known as

elaborative rehearsal.

Emotionally significant personal or public events can produce especially vivid and permanent memories that psychologists have called

flashbulb memory.

When his counselor asked why he requested an appointment, Maxime shared that he has felt extremely worried and anxious for reasons that he cannot explain. Even though things are going well for him, he cannot seem to relax. His counselor explained that Maxime may be experiencing Select any two options.

generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). panic disorder.

As Ina's civic group continued to discuss how recently awarded grant funds should be spent in their community, they found rather than compromising on a solution, the group disagreed even more than when the meeting began. The group is likely experiencing

group polarization.

When members of a highly cohesive group suppress dissenting opinions, are hesitant to rock the boat, and do not consider risks or alternatives, the group may be at risk for

groupthink.

Every time Tia chews her fingernails, her sister Tamara pinches her arm. As a result, Tia chews her nails less and less frequently. In operant conditioning, the pinch is an example of a

punisher.

In operant conditioning, an event that follows a response and increases the frequency of that response is considered a

reinforcer.

Colby found a box containing souvenirs from a summer camp he attended years ago. Suddenly, Colby remembered an array of pleasant memories from that summer. The souvenirs are

retrieval cues.

Kember demonstrates knowledge of his own internal traits, feelings, roles, and memories. Psychologists would say that he has developed

self-awareness.

One source of self-esteem is the judgments we make of our own worth relative to those around us. Such judgments are known as

social comparisons.

Conditions involving physical symptoms for which an underlying medical diagnosis has not been determined are categorized as

somatic symptom and related disorders.

If you have an internal locus of control, you believe that most of your outcomes are due to

talent and effort.

A child's pattern of mood, activity, and emotional responsiveness is referred to as

their temperament.

Science can best be described as which of the following?

A method for learning through systematic observation and experimentation

In terms of motivation, the term drive refers to which of the following?

A state of tension and arousal triggered by cues important for survival

Richard Kuklinski, an American murderer and hitman, displayed a relative lack of response to emotions and little regard for normal social rules and conventions. Mr. Kuklinski was diagnosed with which personality disorder?

Antisocial

Epinephrine and norepinephrine influence which of the following?

Arousal and vigilance

Which memory technique groups similar or meaningful bits of information together, thereby expanding the capacity of short-term memory?

Chunking

The aspect of an attitude that includes beliefs about the object or situation is which of the following?

Cognitive

Izara has realized that she behaves differently when interacting with her family than when interacting with classmates at school. Izara is experiencing which of the following during her class meetings?

Collective self

What is the function of cones in the eye?

Cones are receptor cells that detect color and provide highly detailed vision.

Considering the question "What evidence supports this postition?" after reading an article is an example of which of the following?

Critical thinking

Which structure of the eye is described as a clear surface at the front of the eye that begins the process of directing light?

Cornea

Alena's therapist explained that for some clients, a predisposition for depression interacts with a person's experience of environmental pressures resulting in symptoms. Which of the following does the therapist's statement reflect?

Diathesis-stress model.

A cultural norm that specifies when, where, and how a person should express an emotion is referred to as which of the following?

Display rules

To be considered learning, a relatively permanent change in behavior must be based on which of the following?

Experience

What is one limitation of experimental research?

Experimental research conducted in a lab may produce artificial results.

Neurochemicals like dopamine and opioids appear to be related to which of the following personality traits?

Extroversion

Courtney is working on her summer reading list. After every fifth book Courtney reads, she gets a frozen yogurt. What type of reinforcement schedule is being used?

Fixed ratio schedule

Samir hated navigating rush hour traffic. He asked his manager if he could arrive and leave 15 minutes earlier to avoid traffic, and his manager agreed. Later, Samir asked if he could begin arriving an hour later and his manager agreed once more. Which of the following techniques did Samir use?

Foot-in-the-door technique

After having been conditioned to fear a fuzzy bunny, Sovann now also fears a fuzzy puppy. In classical conditioning, Sovann's response to the fuzzy puppy is called which of the following?

Generalization

Research on genetics and personality indicates which of the following?

Genetics, or hereditability, accounts for 50% of personality.

For simple tasks, the Yerkes-Dodson law suggests which of the following?

Greater arousal leads to greater performance.

For difficult tasks, the Yerkes-Dodson law suggests which of the following?

Greater arousal reduces performance.

Which of the following are considered by some researchers to be among the universal emotions?

Happiness, fear, and disgust

Which area of the brain plays an important role in memory consolidation?

Hippocampus

New research begins with a type of inference, or an educated guess, based on prior evidence and logical possibilities. What is this inference called?

Hypothesis

According to Freud, which compartment of personality operates on the pleasure principle?

Id

Taimur no longer has to think about the route he drives to and from school each day. His memory for this skill is stored as what type of long-term memory?

Implicit memory

Which of the following examples utilizes a primary reinforcer?

Kwame works hard to meet his productivity goals each week because on Friday his boss will order pizza if the team has had a good week.

What best describes the capacity and duration of sensory memory?

Large capacity but a short duration

When a skill has been mastered but is not performed outwardly until the organism is motivated to demonstrate the skill, which of the following has occurred?

Latent learning

What research method is used to assess age-related changes in which data is obtained from the same individuals at intervals over a long period of time?

Longitudinal study

Lucy was having a particularly vivid dream; however, she realized she was dreaming and altered the content of her dream while still asleep. Scientists would say Lucy was having which of the following experiences?

Lucid dreaming

Dawkins posited that much of cultural learning occurs through observation. He introduced which of the following terms to describe an observable unit of cultural transmission?

Meme

What area of the brain stem sits above the pons and contains structures that are important in reflexes, movement, pain as well as states of arousal, mood, appetite, and aggression?

Midbrain

Which of the following are required to support depth perception?

Monocular and binocular cues

Which of the following relies on chemical stimuli?

Olfaction and gustation

What structures receive input from sensory receptors in the nose?

Olfactory bulbs

Lynette sticks to her favorite choices from the menu of a chain restaurant even when new items are often available. Personality psychologists would say Lynette would likely score low on which of the following traits?

Openness

The type of learning in which behaviors are associated with their consequences is known as which of the following?

Operant conditioning

OxyContin and morphine are examples of what group of psychoactive substances?

Opioids

Which structure of the ear contains rows of hair cells that transduce sound energy into neural signals?

Organ of Corti

Renae failed a chemistry exam. She expressed to her friends that she felt she would likely fail every exam that term. Renae's statement demonstrates which of the following?

Overgeneralization

Taste receptors are located within what structure?

Papillae

Which of the following statements regarding bipolar disorder is true?

Patients with bipolar disorder have low levels of Omega-3 fatty acids compared to healthy controls.

Which type of personality assessment would be considered the most valid and reliable?

Personality inventory

Maslow's hierarchy of needs depicts which of the following needs on the lowest level of the pyramid?

Physiological needs

Two years after surviving Hurricane Michael, Pietro still reports hypervigilance, emotional numbing, and reexperiencing terrifying moments of being huddled in a disintegrating home every time is rains. Pietro is experiencing symptoms of which of the following disorders?

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

What area of the frontal lobe is responsible for planning of behavior, attention, and judgement?

Prefrontal cortex

The Rorschach Inkblot Test contains 10 different inkblots, some in color and others in black and white. The job of the participants is to describe what each inkblot looks like to them. What type of personality assessment is the Rorschach Inkblot Test?

Projective test

Muscular paralysis occurs during which sleep stage?

Rapid eye movement (REM)

Maria is taking a multiple-choice test like this one. What type of memory retrieval is Maria using?

Recognition

The hypothalamus participates in which of the following functions?

Regulating homeostasis and motivated behavior

Ty carefully observed exactly how his brother defeated the final villain while playing a video game. Later, Ty used the same approach and defeated the villain as well. What step of observational learning did Ty's success demonstrate?

Reproduction

The parasympathetic nervous system is associated with which of the following?

Rest, repair, and energy storage

Which term refers to the memory process by which previously stored information is accessed for use in working memory?

Retrieval

What area of the brain appears to play a vital role in the maintenance of stable personal traits?

Right hemisphere

Late at night, Fred heard a scratching sound against the kitchen window. Fred concluded that someone must be trying to break into the house, and only then did he feel afraid. Which theory of emotion is demonstrated by this example?

Schachter-Singer two-factor theory

Enlarged ventricles, or fluid-filled spaces in the brain that are not responsible for any particular behavior, are one reliable correlate of which of the following disorders?

Schizophrenia

What is the process of detecting stimuli?

Sensation

Stacey's desk at work is located near the air conditioner. After working there for several weeks, Stacey no longer notices when the fan on the air conditioner is running. Stacey has experienced which of the following?

Sensory adaptation

Iconic memory and echoic memory are forms of which of the following options?

Sensory memory

While jogging through the park, James began to jog at a quicker pace when another person jogged alongside him. Which of the following describes what influenced James's speed?

Social facilitation

Human growth hormone stimulates growth and repair of the body. Most human growth hormone release occurs during which state of consciousness?

Stages 3 and 4 of non-REM sleep

What term describes a measure of how tighlty clustered a group of scores from a data set is around the average?

Standard deviation

The belief that all blondes are dumb is an example of which of the following?

Stereotypes

One morning after eating his favorite toaster pastry, Ryan became ill and vomited. Since that morning, Ryan no longer enjoys toaster pastries. Which of the following may explain his reaction?

Taste aversion

Where in the brain is the association cortex and what functions does it support?

The association cortex is located in the cerebral cortex and helps form connections between sensation and action, language, and abstract thought.

Which major component of the body consists of the brain and the spinal cord?

The central nervous system (CNS)

When considering consciousness, state of awareness refers to which of the following?

The current level of focus of awareness or attention

Peggy has hypothesixed that using fertilizer will increase the yield of tomatio plants in her garden. In this experiment, which variable is the independent variable?

The fertilizer

While taking an exam, you know the answer to a question, and yet it seems to be just out of reach in your mind. This experience is referred as which of the following?

Tip-of-the-tongue (TOT)

James usually starts his morning with one cup of coffee because, in his experience, the caffeine makes him more alert. However, lately, James finds he needs two cups to achieve the same results. What phenomena is James experiencing?

Tolerance

Which of the following statements regarding self-esteem is true?

Viewing selfies frequently on social media is negatively correlated with self-esteem.

Clinically significant disturbances in an individual's cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior that reflect a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or development processes underlying mental functioning are referred to as

a psychological disorder.

During his annual physical, the doctor taps on Veeti's knee with a small rubber mallet, causing Veeti's knee to jerk. Veeti's response is an example of

a reflex.

Miu takes medication to help treat alcohol addiction. Every time she has a drink, the medication paired with the alcohol makes her nauseous. As a result, Miu drinks alcohol less and less frequently. In classical conditioning, this is an example of

aversion therapy.

The unrealistic beliefs that are associated with schizophrenia are called

delusions.

Tanger owns a small sandwich shop and is advertising for a server position. He believes that all teenagers are lazy and unwilling to work hard. Therefore, he does not seriously consider hiring any teen applicants who interview for the job. Tanger is demonstrating (select all that apply)

discrimination. stereotyping. prejudice.

People who become confused over their identity and often combine this loss of identity with sudden travel and the assumption of a new identity may be experiencing

dissociative fugue.

Felix asked his mother to loan him $100 so he could purchase the latest popular sneakers. His mother said no, but the next day when he asked for $40, she agreed. The technique Felix used is an example of

door-in-the-face technique.

Sleeping better the second night in the same hotel because you have adjusted to the unfamiliar noises in the environment is an example of

habituation.

The failure to remember or retrieve unpleasant or threatening information is referred to as

motivated forgetting.

According to psychologists, abnormal behavior is

usually viewed as a disorder when the behavior causes distress or harm.

What structure in the nose is responsible for carrying information from the sensory receptors to the processing regions that use it?

Olfactory nerve

Motivation is described as which of the following?

A process that arouses, maintains, and guides behavior toward a goal

When the sample participants selected for a survey reflect the characteristics of the population being studied, the sample is said to be which of the following?

A representative sample

In science, the word "theory" refers to which of the following?

A set of facts and relationships between facts that can explain and predict research outcomes.

Which of the following describes a vegetative state?

A state of wakefulness without consciousness

What type of research allows the researcher to measure the direction and strength of the relationship between variable without cause and effect?

Correlational research

Which body system releases hormones into the blood?

Endocrine system

Which structure connects the two hemispheres of the brain, allowing information to be passed quickly from one hemisphere to the other?

Corpus callosum

James is conducting a research study that requires the collection of health-related data from participants. Substituting codes for names, storing data in locked cabinets, and collecting data anonymously helps James meet the guidelines for ethical research in what way?

Ensuring confidentiality

Which of the following are hallucinogens?

Marijuana and LSD

A voluntary alteration of consciousness characterized by positive emotion and absence of thought is referred to as which of the following?

Meditation

What are the two basic components of emotion?

Sensation and subjective feelings

Which neurotransmitter is best known for influencing mood, appetite, and sleep?

Serotonin

What portion of the nervous system both delivers commands to the muscles directing voluntary movement and communicates information back to the central nervous system?

Somatic nervous system

What process(es) provide us with information about the position and movement of our bodies, along with touch, skin temperature, and pain?

Somatosensation

Which description of emotion suggests that a range of physical sensations from precise to general requires varying degrees of cognitive processing prior to subjective feelings?

Somatovisceral afference model of emotion (SAME)

Gate theory explains which phenomenon?

Touch receptors can interfere with pain receptors, thereby reducing the level of pain felt from an injury.

Which theory of color vision proposes the existence of different types of cones for the detection of short, medium, and long wavelengths?

Trichromatic

What structures provides information about body position and movement to the brain?

Vestibular system