Psych Ch. 1-3

When the student pushed the first domino down this was analogous to __________. a. repolarization b. the resting membrane potential c. exceeding the neuron's firing threshold d. the all or none principle

c. exceeding the neuron's firing threshold If the total amount of excitatory input surpasses the neuron's firing threshold (-55 millivolts), an action potential is generated.

Anne is a psychologist who studies how building morale might help motivate workers. In graduate school, she specialized in issues that pertain to industry and the workplace. Anne is a __________ psychologist. a. personality b. evolutionary c. industrial/organizational d. clinical

c. industrial/organizational Industrial/organizational psychologists study the issues that pertain to industry and the workplace.

Which of the following is most likely the effect of acetylcholine antagonists? a. improved short-term memory b. increased control of motor behavior c. memory deficits d. symptoms similar to those found in schizophrenia

c. memory deficits Drugs and toxins that inhibit the actions of neurotransmitters are known as antagonists. Because acetylcholine is involved in learning and memory, an acetylcholine antagonist would produce memory deficits.

What does the text mean by the phrase, "Culture provides adaptive solutions"? a. Living in another culture teaches a person skills he or she can use after returning home. b. Behaviors considered "normal" are instincts handed down biologically. c. Traveling teaches people different ways of doing things. d. Behaviors considered "normal" in a culture today became "norms" because they solved problems in the past.

d. Behaviors considered "normal" in a culture today became "norms" because they solved problems in the past. Many of the most demanding adaptive challenges involve dealing with other humans. Many of culture's rules reflect adaptive solutions that previous generations have worked out.

What is the importance of the Human Connectome Project of 2010? a. It began to explain how culture influences brain development. b. It began to solve the nature/nurture debate. c. It explored how adaptation may have influenced how a specific part of the brain functions. d. It began mapping out how different regions of the brain are connected and work together.

d. It began mapping out how different regions of the brain are connected and work together. The Human Connectome Project was launched in 2010 as a major international research effort involving collaborators at a number of universities. Its goal is to map out how various brain regions are connected and how they work together to produce mental activity.

Which of the following studies would be unethical to conduct? a. Comparing people who engage in risky sex with those who do not engage in risky sexual behavior to discover overall differences between these groups in terms of aggression and addiction. b. Conducting a case study on an aggressive individual who engages in risky sexual behavior. c. Conducting a study to find correlations between the degree of risky sexual behavior and levels of aggression and addiction. d. Randomly assigning some people to a safe sex condition and others to a risky sex condition in order to assess subsequent differences in aggression and addiction.

d. Randomly assigning some people to a safe sex condition and others to a risky sex condition in order to assess subsequent differences in aggression and addiction. Even if it would be feasible, it would not be ethical to assign people to a risky sex condition, and others to a safe sex condition.

Which of the following is NOT a question that a person engaged in critical thinking would ask? a. What am I being asked to believe or accept? b. What evidence is provided to support this claim? c. What are the most reasonable conclusions? d. What are the political repercussions of holding this belief?

d. What are the political repercussions of holding this belief?

All colleges, universities, and research institutions that conduct studies with vertebrate animals must have an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Which of the following individuals must be part of such a committee? a. a government-appointed regulator of research ethics b. the president or CEO of that institution c. a licensed psychologist d. a certified doctor of veterinary medicine

d. a certified doctor of veterinary medicine In addition to scientists and nonscientists, every IACUC includes a certified doctor of veterinary medicine, who must review each proposal to ensure that the research animal will be treated properly before, during and after the study.

Magdalena grew up in a drought-stricken region of California. When she moved to rainy Seattle, her Washingtonian roommate, Kiko, was surprised that Magdalena took 5 minute showers, brushed her teeth in the shower, and complained whenever Kiko dumped out old drinking water from the kettle. Magdalena's water-saving behaviors were ____________________. a. due to her delusional belief that she still lived in California b. the result of troubling childhood experiences that Magdalena is blocking from memory c. an evolutionary adaptation d. a cultural adaptation

d. a cultural adaptation This would be a cultural adaptation that she learned from generations of locals who have learned to live with limited amounts of water.

Psychology is the study of...

mind, brain, behavior

When researchers repeat a study done by another scientist and find the same results, they are ____________________________. a. testing construct validity b. engaging in replication c. testing internal validity d. performing a meta-analysis The correct answer here is "engaging in replication." It is important that studies are repeated to see if the results are replicable. Sometimes they are not replicable.

The correct answer here is "engaging in replication." It is important that studies are repeated to see if the results are replicable. Sometimes they are not replicable.

Michelle Mack always had particular problems in school, but the fact that she was missing her entire left frontal lobe was discovered when she was 27 years old. This is remarkable because the left frontal lobe usually controls a. holistic thinking. b. motor actions for the left side of the body. c. visual processing on the left side of the visual field. d. language.

The correct answer here is language. The left hemisphere normally controls language, although this is less true for lefties and for women.

After suffering trauma to his brain, Jack experienced profound alterations in his personality. Prior to his accident he was a prudent, responsible employee. Afterward, he was childlike in mental capacity, impulsive, and unable to control his emotions. Jack's injuries were most likely located in which area of the brain? a. prefrontal cortex b. parietal lobe c. hippocampus d. amygdala

The correct answer here is the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is involved in directing and maintaining attention, keeping ideas in mind while distractions bombard us from the outside world, and developing and acting on plans. This area is essential for rational activity. It is also important for social life, such as understanding what people are thinking, behaving according to cultural norms, and contemplating one's own existence. It provides a sense of self, and the capacity to empathize with others or feel guilty about harming them.

Which one of the following replication studies would be LEAST affected by contextual factors? a. An attempt to replicate a study originally done at Stanford University that used a replication sample of nonnative English speakers in Amsterdam. b. An attempt to replicate a study involving the perception of color in students with normal color vision that was originally conducted in the 1970s. c. A recent attempt to replicate a study on attitudes toward marriage equality that was originally conducted in the 1950s. Incorrect. Attitudes about marriage equality have changed radically over the last 7 decades. d. A recent attempt to replicate a study about personality differences between Republicans and Democrats that was originally conducted in the 1980s.

The correct answer is "An attempt to replicate a study involving the perception of color in students with normal color vision that was originally conducted in the 1970s." This is the best answer because color perception is relatively unaffected by contextual factors such as the research setting, time period, or political climate.

Which of the following statements about ethical research is FALSE? a. Researchers cannot ask participants to expose themselves to unnecessary risk or discomfort as part of a study. b. It is unethical to observe people in public without their knowledge. c. Research involving human subjects must be reviewed and approved by a board of experts before the study can begin. d. Research participants' information must be protected and made available only to the few people who need it.

The correct answer is "It is unethical to observe people in public without their knowledge." This statement is false. As long as standards of confidentiality are observed, public behavior may be recorded. However, personal, identifying information cannot be shared with others without their consent.

For her honors thesis, Kim wants to investigate whether font color affects how readers remember written descriptions of objects and places. Because the participants' behavior could be influenced if they know the study's goals, Kim decides to mislead them about the study. How can she deceive the participants and still conduct her research in an ethical manner? a. Kim must obtain informed consent from every participant. Since the participants choose to be part of the study, it is okay to deceive them. b. Kim must change her study design. It is never ethical to use deception in research. c. Kim must inform the participants of the study's true goals after the study is completed. She must also explain why deception was necessary. d. Kim must make sure that the risk/benefit ratio of the study is favorable. Because the results are important, it is okay to deceive the participants.

The correct answer is "Kim must inform the participants of the study's true goals after the study is completed. She must also explain why deception was necessary." It is important to debrief participants of the true goals of a study, and if deception is used, the reason for using it should be explained.

George is watching a television commercial for a "miracle cure" for baldness. "Our independent research shows that this new ointment will grow hair in as little as 30 minutes," the announcer brags. Since George has learned to be skeptical of unusual claims and to think critically about them, which question would he most likely ask about this product? a "What evidence exists to support the claim?" b "What are the most reasonable conclusions?" c "Do I want this product enough to investigate it?" d "Has anyone ever ordered the product?"

a. "What evidence exists to support the claim?"

Which one of the following statements is most closely related to the Gestalt school of psychology? a. "the whole is different from the sum of its parts" b. "correlation is not causation" c. "The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a destination." d. "survival of the fittest"

a. "the whole is different from the sum of its parts"

Professor Miller is computing the statistics of his students' exam grades. He has 11 students, and they earned the following percentage grades: 48, 65, 65, 66, 72, 79, 83, 83, 83, 91, and 94. Professor Miller finds that the mode of the exam is _______ and the median of the exam is _______. a. 83; 79 b. 79; 83 c. 83; 75 d. 79; 75

a. 83; 79 The most frequent score - the mode - is 83. There are 3 83s. You would calculate the median by putting the numbers in order if they aren't already, and finding the middle score. There are 11 scores, so the middle score is the 6th one: 79.

What conclusion did Freud reach when attempting to understand the connection between psychological and physical problems? a. Behavior is largely directed by mental processes that operate on an unconscious level. b. Individuals that are best suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, thereby passing down their genes. c. Human experience cannot be broken down into component processes. d. Individuals can accurately describe the origins of their actions.

a. Behavior is largely directed by mental processes that operate on an unconscious level.

Sarah is conducting research on the function of part of the brain. For each participant she first injects participants with a relatively harmless radioactive substance to get a map of the brain's metabolic activity using a(n) __________ scan. Based on the image, she locates the area she is interested in, and then she applies a strong magnet to the outside of a person's skull to temporarily interrupt brain activity in a specific area by using __________. a. PET; TMS b. MRI; fMRI c. PET; fMRI d. MRI; TMS

a. PET; TMS PET tracks the brain's metabolic activity by means of a radioactive substance that is injected into the blood stream. TMS involves applying a magnetic field outside the skull to momentarily disrupt brain function in the area to which it is applied.

In the first part of the demonstration, the student's finger either pushed the first domino down, or it didn't. The dominoes going down is like an action potential. In a neuron, what causes the "dominoes" to go down? a. The combined effects of inhibitory and excitatory inputs result in depolarization. b. The combined effects of inhibitory and excitatory inputs result in hyperpolarization. c. The absence of inhibitory inputs results in hyperpolarization. d. The absence of excitatory inputs results in depolarization.

a. The combined effects of inhibitory and excitatory inputs result in depolarization. A predominance of excitatory inputs results in depolarization, which increases the likelihood that the neuron will fire.

If you participate in research you can expect all but which one of the following. Which one is LEAST likely to occur? a. The researcher will tell you everything about the experiment before you participate in it, so that you can make an informed decision about whether to participate. b. The researcher will not be able to reveal his/her exact research questions and hypotheses. c. The researcher will debrief you after the study is completed. The researcher will inform you the data you provide with remain confidential. d. The researcher will inform you that no one can force you to continue to participate in a study.

a. The researcher will tell you everything about the experiment before you participate in it, so that you can make an informed decision about whether to participate. You are legally and ethically entitled to know what you are getting yourself into so that you can make an informed decision about participating. But the researcher will only tell you the purpose of the study, and the kind of activities you will be asked to complete.

Timothy was castrated in an accident after puberty. With respect to hormone production and sexual behavior, which of the following is the most likely outcome of Timothy's condition? a. Timothy may be able to perform sexually if he has an injection of testosterone. b. Timothy will lack testosterone, but he will probably be able to achieve an erection without an injection of testosterone. c. Timothy will not be able to perform sexually under any circumstances. d. Timothy will have some testosterone, and he will probably be able to achieve an erection without a testosterone injection.

a. Timothy may be able to perform sexually if he has an injection of testosterone. For males, successful sexual behavior depends on having at least a minimum amount of testosterone, and castration means that Timothy's body does not produce testosterone.

Which one of the following statements is true? a. Women's sexual behavior may have more to do with androgens than estrogens. b. Men's sexual behavior may actually have more to do with estrogens than androgens. c. Testosterone injections typically increase sexual behavior in healthy men. d. Women's sexual activity is very closely linked to their menstrual cycles.

a. Women's sexual behavior may have more to do with androgens than estrogens. Research shows that women's and men's sexual behavior has more to do with androgens than estrogen.

What is a literature review? a. a summary of the scientific literature related to a theory b. a database search using, for example, PubMed or PsycINFO c. a list of articles relevant to the subject a researcher is studying d. a document a researcher reads before starting an experiment

a. a summary of the scientific literature related to a theory A literature review is the process of exploring and summarizing literature that is related to the research question and theory a researcher is investigating.

The textbook explains that although psychologists have historically confined their studies to one of several different levels of analysis, today researchers have a. begun to cross levels of analysis in an attempt to explain behavior at multiple levels. b. ruled out evolutionary explanations because they are irrelevant to modern humanity. c. come to believe that the biological level of analysis is actually the most important. d. begun to restrict their studies to publicly observable behavior in an effort to avoid speculating about the mind.

a. begun to cross levels of analysis in an attempt to explain behavior at multiple levels. There is growing consensus that a full picture of psychology requires multiple levels of analysis.

Which of the following are the two most basic divisions of the human nervous system? a. central; peripheral b. sympathetic; parasympathetic c. autonomic; somatic d. brain; spinal cord

a. central; peripheral The nervous system has two basic divisions: the central nervous system, which consists of the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system, which consists of all the other nerve cells in the rest of the body.

In order to understand whether a speed bump is needed on a local street, the county sets up a camera to determine the number of drivers who speed in that neighborhood between 9 am and 9 pm each day. The result of its research shows that a speed bump is needed. Counting the number of speeders would satisfy which goal of the science of psychology? a. description b. experimentation c. critical thinking d. determining causality

a. description The book lists description, prediction, control, and explanation as major goals of psychology. Counting the number of speeders is a method for describing the number of drivers who speed in the neighborhood.

What are the four goals of science according to the textbook? a. description, prediction, control, explanation b. critical thinking, amiable skepticism, analysis, conclusion c. asking a question, forming a theory, analyzing data, determining causality d. hypothesis, experimentation, observation, conclusion

a. description, prediction, control, explanation The goals of psychological science are to describe what a phenomenon is, predict when it will occur, control what causes it to occur, and explain why it occurs.

Dr. Shin is researching the hypothesis that when people with schizophrenia stop taking a particular medication, they experience more disturbed thoughts. Dr. Shin tests her hypothesis by placing each schizophrenic patient in one of two groups. The patients who are instructed to stop taking the drug are in the ______________ group, and the patients who continue taking the drug are in the ______________ group. a. experimental; control b. independent; dependent c. control; experimental d. dependent; independent

a. experimental; control The group of patients who were instructed to stop taking the drug are exposed to the experimental manipulation.

Deterioration of which type of cell is primarily responsible for multiple sclerosis? a. glia b. interneurons c. motor neurons d. sensory neurons

a. glia Multiple sclerosis is the result of deterioration of the myelin sheaths on axons. Myelin sheaths are made up of glial cells.

Carl Rogers was known for the view that people are basically good, and that they are motivated to try to live up to their full potential as human beings. This viewpoint is most closely associated with __________. a. humanism b. functionalism c. psychoanalytic theory d. behaviorism

a. humanism

Peter is conducting a survey asking how often students use the Internet and the average number of hours they sleep per night. He finds a negative correlation between the two. According to the text, Peter can conclude that going online frequently a. is related to students sleeping less. b. is related to students sleeping more. c. causes students to sleep more. d. causes students to sleep less.

a. is related to students sleeping less. The more students use the internet, the less they sleep; and the less students use the internet, the more they sleep.

Kara is a terrible piano player, but she believes she is quite good. The textbook argues that Kara a. may be unable to tell the difference between a good piano player and a bad one. b. has an inability to feel embarrassed for herself when she performs badly. c. has worked so hard on her guitar playing that she is in denial about how bad she really is. d. has low self-esteem, and is overcompensating by believing that she is extraordinarily talented.

a. may be unable to tell the difference between a good piano player and a bad one

Psychologists are __________ to the extent that they seek to gain accurate knowledge about behavior and mental processes by observing and measuring what they observe. a. rationalists b. realists c. empiricists d. materialists

c. empiricists Empiricism is the view all knowledge is derived from sense-experience; hence, empiricists emphasize observation and measurement.

Hansel wants to know how many cups of soda he typically drinks per day. Last week, he recorded the following numbers: 3, 3, 4, 3, 22, 3, and 3. Hansel should avoid using the ______________ as a measure of central tendency of his typical soda consumption, because this measure will be heavily skewed by the day on which he drank 22 cups. a. mean b. median c. range d. standard deviation

a. mean The mean will give an inflated summary of the average. In this case, 5.86. This number is almost twice the most frequent score, which was 3. Note that the median is 3. This is why the median is preferred as a measure of central tendency when there are outlying scores that are uncharacteristic of the center.

If a person suffers a stroke on the left side of his or her brain, what will be the likely result? He or she will have a hard time controlling the a. muscles on the right side of his or her body b. neck and both of his or her arms and hands c. hips and both of his or her legs and feet d. muscles on the left side of his or her body

a. muscles on the right side of his or her body The right side of the brain controls movement on the left side of the body, and the left side of the brain controls movement on the right. Damage to the left side of the brain will lead to motor problems on the right side.

After a very stressful midterm exam, Sherri needed to relax. As she lay on her bed, she felt her breathing slow and her heart rate decrease. Which of the following divisions of Sherri's autonomic nervous system was likely in control of her organs? a. parasympathetic b. peripheral c. somatic d. sympathetic

a. parasympathetic The parasympathetic system is involved in returning the body back to a normal state after preparing for a stressful event, or one that requires action ("fight or flight").

"Good" scientific theories a. produce a variety of testable hypotheses. b. must make intuitive sense. c. usually reflect one's personal experiences. d. are not falsifiable.

a. produce a variety of testable hypotheses. Good scientific theories are fruitful in the sense that they produce testable hypotheses.

Which psychological school of thought arose from Freud's attempts to understand connections between psychological and physical problems? a. psychoanalytic theory b. functionalism c. humanism d. behaviorism

a. psychoanalytic theory

Wilhelm is listening intently to his professor lecture on the history of Spain and Portugal, knowing that he will be asked about this information in an upcoming exam. Which lobe of Wilhelm's brain is most responsible for both hearing the information as it is presented as well as helping to encode, store, and later retrieve the memory of this lecture? a. temporal lobe b. frontal lobe c. parietal d. occipital

a. temporal lobe His primary auditory receiving area is located in the temporal lobe, and his hippocampus is located just beneath the temporal lobe.

Antony conducts a correlational study and finds that students who work more hours in part-time jobs have higher grades. What Antony hasn't considered is that both of these phenomena are caused by students' motivation levels. This is an example of _____________. a. the third variable problem b. observer bias c. the directionality problem d. the experimenter expectancy effect

a. the third variable problem The third variable is motivation. Motivation leads to both higher grades and the ambition to work more hours.

Dr. Benedict has been providing psychological services for 15 years. Over his career, he has only worked at one job setting, which happens to be the most popular type of setting among psychologists. Dr. Benedict is employed by a ______________. a. university or 4-year college b. government/VA medical center c. business or nonprofit company d. private psychotherapy practice

a. university or 4-year college 25.9% of psychologists work in a university or 4-year college.

When parents hear about child abductions they overestimate how common child abductions are, and become overly concerned that their child might be abducted. They may even become less concerned with much more common safety risks for children. This is an example of __________. a using mental heuristics b confirmation bias c amiable skepticism d self-serving bias

a. using mental heuristics

When Claire reads an article on the Internet that suggests that exercise can improve memory, she does not automatically accept the article's conclusions. If she is using her critical thinking skills, which of the following questions would she ask herself FIRST? a. "Does this article make sense?" b. "What am I being asked to accept?" c. "Do I have better memory after working out?" d. "What is the expertise of the people who wrote the article?"

b. "What am I being asked to accept?"

Zhenghan notices a strong correlation between whether a person is a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior in college and the number of credit hours that he or she has registered for. As their years in college increase, students tend to register for fewer credit hours. Based on this information, the correlation coefficient between years in college and number of credit hours is closest to _______. a. +.20 b. -.70 c. -.20 d. +.70

b. -.70 Correct. This is a strong, inverse correlation. As years in college increase, the number of credit hours decreases at Zhenghan's college.

The nervous system is __________ and uses __________; whereas the endocrine system is __________ and uses __________. a. slow, hormones; fast, electrochemical signals b. fast, electrochemical signals; slow, hormones c. slow, electrochemical signals; fast, hormones d. fast, hormones; slow, electrochemical signals

b. fast, electrochemical signals; slow, hormones Neural transmission is a rapid electrochemical process, whereas the endocrine system acts more slowly by releasing hormones into the blood stream.

Which of the following statements accurately describes the role of the neurotransmitter dopamine? a. An excess of dopamine can increase the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. b. A lack of dopamine leads to disturbances in motor functioning. Correct. Lack of dopamine underlies the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, a degenerative, fatal neurological disorder marked by muscular rigidity, tremors, and difficulty initiating voluntary action. c. Dopamine is responsible for motor control at the junctions between nerves and muscles. d. Dopamine is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the nervous system.

b. A lack of dopamine leads to disturbances in motor functioning. Lack of dopamine underlies the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, a degenerative, fatal neurological disorder marked by muscular rigidity, tremors, and difficulty initiating voluntary action.

For his thesis, Alex surveyed college students and found a correlation between self-confidence and grade point average. Why did his adviser correct Alex when he attempted to conclude that good grades raise self-confidence levels? a. Alex did not operationally define grade point average, so his conclusions are not meaningful. b. Alex's data show an association but they do not determine a causal relationship between confidence levels and grade point average. c. Research participants are influenced by observation, so Alex's data are inconclusive. d. Survey data are a type of self-report data, which are known to be biased and therefore unreliable.

b. Alex's data show an association but they do not determine a causal relationship between confidence levels and grade point average. It could be the case that good grades raise confidence. It could also be the case that confidence leads to good grades, or that some other variable causes both good grades and confidence.

Language production largely takes place in the left frontal cortex in which of the following regions of the brain? a. amygdala b. Broca's area c. Gage's area d. thalamus

b. Broca's area Broca's area is in the left frontal region and is critical for the production of language.

Researchers working on the Human Genome Project are trying to map the basic human genetic code. How is this advancing the field of psychology? a. It is helping researchers understand how subconscious and unconscious thoughts and feelings influence behavior. b. It is helping psychologists understand the extent to which specific genes affect our behavior, thoughts, and feelings. c. It is helping researchers understand how cultures evolve. d. It is helping scientists understand the degree to which the human thought process remains similar to those of early humans, such as Neanderthals, and even primates.

b. It is helping psychologists understand the extent to which specific genes affect our behavior, thoughts, and feelings. The work of the Human Genome Project has allowed researchers to begin to understand the blueprint for building a person. As researchers learn more about the functions of genes and proteins, this knowledge will have a major impact in the fields of medicine, biotechnology, and the life sciences.

You see a newspaper headline that claims eating pizza is deadly. However, when you read the original scientific article cited in the news, you notice that investigators only found a correlation between pizza consumption and death over a 10-year period. Given what you know about correlation, how would you explain this relationship? a. It is more likely that being closer to the end of one's life causes pizza consumption, because older people have eaten much more pizza over the course of their lifetime. b. Pizza consumption and death are related somehow, but a correlational study cannot reveal any kind of causal relationship. c. Pizza consumption causes death, but the mechanisms for this cannot be understood from a correlational study. d. Pizza consumption causes death, but the correlation is very weak at best because the period of study was only 10 years long.

b. Pizza consumption and death are related somehow, but a correlational study cannot reveal any kind of causal relationship. Pizza might be part of a bad diet which could contribute to early death, but there are other factors, and there may be other variables that predict both eating badly, and dying early.

Dr. Tucker incorporates principles from behaviorism into her therapy practice when she thinks it may be effective in helping her patients. Which of the following is an example of how Dr. Tucker might use her knowledge of behaviorism to help people with psychological problems? a. She suggests that her patients with memory problems use computer games to practice memory-related tasks. b. She teaches patients how to react more productively in situations that frighten them. c. She helps trauma victims improve their psychological health by discussing their childhood experiences in detail. d. She uses new drugs that have been developed to operate on the behavior centers of the brain.

b. She teaches patients how to react more productively in situations that frighten them.

Elaine conducts a psychology honors project to test the hypothesis that having greater social support is associated with greater academic success. She asks everyone living in her dormitory to fill out a questionnaire. Elaine should be aware that her data may not be representative of all college students because her research was based on ______________. a. a random sample b. a convenience sample c. random assignment d. the population

b. a convenience sample A convenience sample consists of people who are conveniently available for the study.

Gemma just heard on the nightly news that falling asleep while watching television can lead to obesity. Gemma is very interested in this news report, and open to the possibility that it is true. But she is wary of this finding, because the news report failed to provide evidence and sound reasoning as to why she should believe falling asleep while watching TV can cause obesity. Gemma's attitude is an example of __________. a confirmation bias b amiable skepticism c self-serving bias d using mental heuristics

b. amiable skepticism

After her car accident, Sheila had to be placed on a respirator because she could no longer breathe on her own. Sheila's injuries were most likely located in the part of the brain known as the a. basal ganglia. b. brain stem. c. hippocampus. d. frontal lobe.

b. brain stem. The brain stem consists of the medulla, pons, and midbrain, and houses nerves that control the most basic functions of survival, including heart rate, breathing, swallowing, vomiting, urinating, and orgasm.

People who lie, cheat, or steal may drain group resources and thereby decrease the changes of survival and reproduction for other group members. Thus, researchers in the area of __________ psychology argue that humans have "cheater detectors" that are on the lookout for this sort of behavior in others. a. clinical b. evolutionary c. personality d. industrial/organizational

b. evolutionary Evolutionary psychologists argue that "cheater detectors" are adaptations that helped some individuals survive to reproduce.

Social psychologists focus their studies on a. how brain development from infancy to late adulthood influences cognition and behavior. b. how people are affected by others. c. the influence of genetics and other biological factors on social behavior. d. how brain chemicals such as pheromones influence behavior.

b. how people are affected by others. Social psychologists are interested in groups, relationships, persuasion, influence, workplace dynamics, attitudes, stereotypes, and social perceptions.

If a researcher wants to know whether the results she obtained in her study reflect significant differences or were due to chance, she should use ______________. a. correlation coefficients b. inferential statistics c. measures of central tendency d. a meta-analysis

b. inferential statistics Inferential statistics are used to determine whether effects are unlikely to be due to chance, and so, may reflect true differences in the groups being compared or true relationships between variables.

One of the demonstrations took less time to complete than the other one. Which one was this? Why was that demonstration faster? a. squeezing ankle; we are more sensitive to touch on our legs than on our shoulders b. squeezing shoulder; shoulder is closer to the brain c. squeezing ankle; it is easier to see another person squeezing your ankle d. squeezing shoulder; it is easier to see another person squeezing your shoulder

b. squeezing shoulder; shoulder is closer to the brain It took less time to detect a shoulder squeeze because there is a shorter distance for nerve impulses to go to get to the brain.

In the cycle of the scientific method, descriptive statistics help you a. analyze your results after they are published in a research journal. b. summarize the basic pattern of the data you collected. c. define a hypothesis. d. determine whether your theory is supported.

b. summarize the basic pattern of the data you collected. Descriptive statistics provide an overall summary of the study's results.

On the first day of class, the professor had the students go around the room introducing themselves. When it was Jason's turn to speak, he began to perspire, his heart raced, his hands were cold and clammy, and his respiration was rapid and shallow. Which of the following divisions of Jason's autonomic nervous system was activated by this experience? a. peripheral b. sympathetic c. parasympathetic d. somatic

b. sympathetic The sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system is responsible for preparatory actions, such as deepened breathing, accelerated heart rate, and inhibited digestive activity, when dealing with stressful events, or events that require action - "fight or flight."

Neuron A communicates with neuron B. The _____ of neuron A form(s) a synapse or synapses with the _____ of neuron B. a. cell body; dendrites b. terminal buttons; dendrites c. terminal buttons; cell body d. cell body; soma

b. terminal buttons; dendrites Typically, the terminal buttons of the presynaptic neuron form synapses with dendrites of other neurons.

When the student pushed over the first domino the others fell down one at a time, with each domino falling with the same force as the preceding domino had fallen. What property of action potentials does the dominoes falling in this way demonstrate? a. the resting membrane potential b. the all-or-none principle c. exceeding the neuron's firing potential d. repolarization

b. the all-or-none principle Neurons fire with the same potency every time, but their output varies in terms of the rate that they are generating action potentials.

Judith is conducting an experiment on mood and problem solving. She plans to have study participants read either a funny story or a sad story before taking a math test. What is the dependent variable in Judith's study? a. the type of story participants read b. the number of math problems participants correctly solve c. the personalities of the participants who choose to be in the study d. the experimental group of participants

b. the number of math problems participants correctly solve Judith is interested to know if performance on the math test is dependent on mood.

Natural selection is a. no longer relevant to human psychology, since humans are no longer evolving. b. the process by which changes that facilitate survival and reproduction are passed to offspring. c. the process that results in improvements in a species and progress. d. the process that ensures that only the strong survive.

b. the process by which changes that facilitate survival and reproduction are passed to offspring

Which of the following would be difficult for behaviorism to explain? a. Rats can learn to fear noises after the noises have been paired with painful stimuli in the past. b. The woodpecker finch can use twigs or spines instinctively to forage for food. c. Dogs who hear a bell every time they are fed begin to salivate when they hear the bell, even if no food is present. d. Owners can teach their dogs to do tricks by rewarding desired behaviors with treats.

b. the woodpecker finch can use twigs or spines instinctively to forage for food

Lacee is reading about ways in which research studies are evaluated, and the topic she is currently reviewing is external validity. If she were to summarize external validity using a single question, what would she ask? a. "If this study is replicated, will the same findings be achieved on a repeated basis?" b. "Are the results of the study due to manipulation of the independent variable, or are they due to chance?" c. "Can the results of this research be generalized to other people, settings, or situations?" d. "Were proper research protocols observed so that the research was conducted ethically?"

c. "Can the results of this research be generalized to other people, settings, or situations?" External validity is the degree to which the findings of a study can be generalized to other people, settings, or situations.

The text describes studies the "hot hand," an athlete's winning streak-be it with free throws, spikes in volleyball, or otherwise. The "hot hand" is also referred to as "being in the zone" or "on a roll" for numerous consecutive games. According to the textbook, however, "a meta-analysis of 22 published articles on this phenomenon found no evidence that the hot hand exists." What does this quotation from your text mean? a. The hot hand needs a better operational definition. b. Coaches and athletes still believe in the hot hand because of confirmation bias. c. A researcher ran an analysis 22 peer-reviewed studies on the hot hand and concluded that there is no scientific evidence that the hot hand exists. d. Correlation is not causation. Doing well in a sport does not cause one's opponents to give up, nor does it mean that the athlete's momentum keeps it going.

c. A researcher ran an analysis 22 peer-reviewed studies on the hot hand and concluded that there is no scientific evidence that the hot hand exists. A meta-analysis is a study of many studies that address the same issue.

Your mother dislikes the fact that you spend your free time on video games. She cites a newspaper article that says violence is correlated with playing video games. Which of the following is a scientifically effective counterargument to your mother's point? a. Correlations are not statistically significant the way experimental results are, so correlations are not informative. b. Correlations do not account for the relationship between an independent variable and dependent variable, so her conclusions are not valid. c. Correlations do not imply causation, so the correlation described in the article does not serve as evidence that playing video games will make you more violent. d. If violence is correlated with playing video games, this means that the more time people spend playing video games, the less violence there is, so your mother need not worry.

c. Correlations do not imply causation, so the correlation described in the article does not serve as evidence that playing video games will make you more violent. However, this response might not be valid if your mother had cited the results of a true experiment (which exist by the way), because experiments also can tell us if a preceding event (the independent variable) can cause a change in a subsequent event (the dependent variable), and it can rule out the possibility of confounding variables.

Which of the following is true about the functions of dendrites and axons? a. Dendrites transmit information from neighboring neurons, whereas axons integrate information. b. Dendrites integrate information from neighboring neurons, whereas axons detect information. c. Dendrites detect information from neighboring neurons, whereas axons transmit information. d. Dendrites transmit information from neighboring neurons, whereas axons detect information.

c. Dendrites detect information from neighboring neurons, whereas axons transmit information. Dendrites receive information which is integrated in the soma, and transmitted by the axon.

Eugenia wants to conduct an experiment, but before she can begin, she needs to get approval from the guardians of ethical guidelines at her university - the ______________. a. American Psychological Association b. Association for Psychological Science c. Institutional Review Board d. National Science Foundation

c. Institutional Review Board The Institutional Review Board ensures the health and well-being of all study participants in colleges, universities, and research institutions.

William decides that he will not obtain informed consent from the participants in his research. He justifies this decision by saying, "They are getting college credit for their psychology class for participating, so informed consent is no longer required in my study." Is William's reasoning correct? a. Yes, because the students are required to participate based on their enrollment in a psychology class. b. Yes, because informed consent must only be obtained when participants are not compensated for their involvement. c. No, because all participants must be given the chance to provide informed consent regardless of whether they will be compensated. d. No, because the students will be debriefed at the conclusion of the study.

c. No, because all participants must be given the chance to provide informed consent regardless of whether they will be compensated. Participants must be informed of what their participation will entail, regardless of whether, how, or how much they are compensated. In fact, in some cases, it would be unethical to offer too much compensation, because that could be considered coercion.

Which of the following is an example of a naturalistic observation? a. Giving people a questionnaire that asks how often they text while driving and how many accidents they have had. b. Assigning one group of people to a condition in which they text while driving (in a driving simulator) and a second group of people to a condition in which they do not text while driving, then comparing the number of (simulated) accidents and driving errors they have. c. Watching a group of drivers over time and measuring how often they text while driving or talk on a cell phone while driving. d. Testing a group of people for their ability to stay focused on a task, and finding relationships between distractibility and the frequency of use of cell phones while they are driving.

c. Watching a group of drivers over time and measuring how often they text while driving or talk on a cell phone while driving. Naturalistic observations involve covertly or overtly watching subjects' behaviors in their natural environment, without intervention.

As the textbook explains, cognitive psychology was largely a reaction to the "black box" concept of __________. a. psychoanalytic theory b. humanism c. behaviorism d. functionalism

c. behaviorism Behaviorists such as John Watson and B. F. Skinner encouraged psychologists to concentrate their studies on publically observable behavior rather than perception, attention, memory, thinking, problem solving, and language.

According to the textbook, we are MOST motivated to think critically when what we are evaluating.. a. is a political speech b. is personally meaningful to us. c. verifies what we already believe d. contradicts what we believe.

contradicts what we believe

Dominic teaches a preschool class of 24 students. He makes a chart of his students' ages, and plots each student by their age in months. He finds that the oldest 12 students are 44 months of age, and 5 students are 41 months, one is 42 months, and 6 are 43 months of age. In Dominic's class, 44 months of age represents a measure of central tendency called the ______________, which in this case does not really represent the "center" at all. a. median b. mean c. mode d. standard deviation

c. mode The mode is the most frequent score.

Sandy is pregnant, and every evening she plays classical music loud enough for her unborn baby to hear. She hopes that putting her baby in a stimulating environment will help it develop strong cognitive skills. Her husband thinks that playing the music is a waste of time, since the baby's intelligence will probably just be based on how smart he and Sandy are. What age-old issue are Sandy and her husband discussing? a subjectivism versus objectivism b the mind/body problem c nature versus nurture d structuralism versus functionalism

c. nature versus nurture

Sammy is conducting research that involves placing objects in the visual fields of visually impaired elderly men. He wants to discover the specific neurons that fire in response to the features of the various objects. The study requires electrodes to be implanted over the occipital lobes of the men's brains. In order to effectively conduct this study, Sammy should place the electrodes over the men's ______________ lobes. a. temporal b. parietal c. occipital d. frontal

c. occipital The occipital lobe are located at the back of the head, and devoted almost exclusively to vision.

Sharnisse jumps into a swimming pool on a hot, 102°F day. The pool is at its normal temperature of 82°F, but the water feels much colder to Sharnisse than it usually does because of how hot it is outside. Which part of Sharnisse's brain is responsible for perceiving these tactile sensations of temperature? a. frontal lobe b. temporal lobe c. parietal lobe d. occipital lobe

c. parietal lobe The primary somatosensory cortex is located in the anterior parietal lobe.

Growth hormone is released by the __________. a. thyroid gland b. testes c. pituitary gland d. adrenal glands

c. pituitary gland Growth hormone is released by the pituitary gland, and prompts bone, cartilage, and muscle tissue to grow or helps them regenerate after injury.

A bee stung Franco on the wrist while he was gardening, resulting in a sharp pain. In order to cause him to experience the pain in his wrist, Franco's neurons had to ______________, ______________, and ______________ information. a. receive; encode; propagate b. detect; transmit; release c. receive; integrate; and transmit d. suppress; propagate; integrate

c. receive; integrate; and transmit The basic units of the nervous system are the nerve cells, called neurons. These cells receive, integrate, and transmit information in the nervous system.

Dr. Binet thinks that children from France are more intelligent than children from England. He gives children from both countries the same test and finds that the French children earned consistently higher scores. He repeats his study several times and finds the same result; therefore, his results are ______________. However, since the test was written in French and the English children are only fluent in English, his measurement of intelligence does not have ______________. a. internally valid; reliability b. valid; reliability c. reliable; construct validity d. reasonable; external stability

c. reliable; construct validity Dr. Binet's results may be reliable: he gets the same answer every time. They just aren't valid: his test does not measure the intelligence of the English speaking children.

Professor Newton is planning a research study with human participants who will have to wear a head-mounted eye-tracking device during data collection. While the device is neither painful nor dangerous, it can be a bit uncomfortable, to the point where some participants may develop a headache from wearing it. In order to conduct the study ethically, Professor Newton must ensure that which of the following is/are favorable? a. scientific standards b. privacy and confidentiality c. risk/benefit ratio d. random assignment

c. risk/benefit ratio The risk/benefit analysis is an analysis of whether the research is important enough to warrant placing participants at risk.

In order to test whether caffeine intake affects the number of hours a person sleeps, Sophie recruited 120 subjects and randomly assigned them into one of three groups: (1) no caffeine intake, (2) 30 mg of caffeine per day, and (3) 50 mg of caffeine per day. She then asked the subjects to report how many hours they slept each night. Sophie's independent variable is ______________, and her dependent variable is ______________. a. the number of groups; random assignment b. random assignment; the number of groups c. the amount of caffeine intake; hours of sleep d. hours of sleep; the amount of caffeine intake

c. the amount of caffeine intake; hours of sleep The scientific hypothesis is whether hours of sleep are dependent on the amount of caffeine intake. An independent variable is independent in the sense that it is not defined by the characteristics of the participants in the study.

Which one of the following best represents the ethical use of animals in research as discussed in the textbook? a. the inclusion of animals is never justified, no matter how useful research on animals may be to human health and well-being b. the inclusion of animals in research is questionable, because very few scientific advances have actually come from animal research c. the inclusion of animals must be justified by the relative importance of the information that will be obtained by their use d. the inclusion of animals is always justified because animals make good models for particular human behaviors or conditions

c. the inclusion of animals must be justified by the relative importance of the information that will be obtained by their use If the potential for gaining knowledge from conducting the experiment is low, then it might not be appropriate to use animals to conduct it.

A theory is a. a feeling or guess based on intuition rather than known facts. b. a collection of measurements gathered during the research process. c. a specific, testable prediction. d. an explanation or model of how something works.

d. an explanation or model of how something works. Theories are explanations or models of how something works. Theories consist of interconnected ideas or concepts. They are used to explain prior observations and make predictions about future events.

Professor Jacobs conducts a lot of research. He always makes sure that his study records are stored in a locked cabinet inside of a locked office. Only he and his lab manager have both keys. These protective measures address the ethical issue of ______________. a. risk b. anonymity c. debriefing d. confidentiality

d. confidentiality Personal, identifying information should not be shared with others.

Manuel is sure that all dogs are vicious and will bite him if given the opportunity. When out walking with his wife, he is always sure to point out the dogs that seem angry or aggressive. But his wife notices that he conveniently "misses" the dogs who seem calm and friendly. This tendency of Manuel's reflects which of the following? a amiable skepticism b self-serving bias c using mental heuristics d confirmation bias

d. confirmation bias

Juan is a teacher who wants to see how similarly his students' test scores are to one another. In analyzing his students' grades, Juan discovers that 50 percent of his students' scores lie over 2 standard deviations above the mean. Assuming that the class average is a C, Juan's finding indicates that ____________________________. a. most of Juan's students failed the test b. half of Juan's students earned Cs c. most of Juan's students earned As d. half of Juan's students scored either really well or really poorly

d. half of Juan's students scored either really well or really poorly If half of Juan's students' scores were over 2 standard deviations above the mean, that means they got very high scores. If the average is only a C however, then the other half of his students must have received very low scores - Ds and Fs - in order for the mean to balance out at a C.

Zhara has suffered damage to her forebrain and now has great difficulty forming new memories. Which subcortical structure of the forebrain has most likely been damaged? a. basal ganglia b. thalamus c. amygdala d. hippocampus

d. hippocampus The hippocampus is involved in spatial memory and the ability to learn new things.

The endocrine system is primarily controlled by the __________. a. pituitary gland b. hippocampus c. medulla oblongata d. hypothalamus Correct. The endocrine system is primarily controlled by the hypothalamus via signals to the pituitary gland, which is located at the base of the hypothalamus.

d. hypothalamus The endocrine system is primarily controlled by the hypothalamus via signals to the pituitary gland, which is located at the base of the hypothalamus.

Professor Tanenhaus studies attention and memory. Which level of analysis does his research target? a. social b. biological c. cultural d. individual

d. individual The individual level of analysis includes the areas of learning, cognition, and personality. Memory and attention are studied by cognitive psychologists.

The right side of the brain controls muscles on the _______ of the body. a. right side b. bottom half c. top half d. left side

d. left side The right side of the brain controls movement on the left side of the body, and the left side of the brain controls movement on the right. This is a property called contralateral control.

According to the text, Freud's theory of dreams is __________ scientific than Jean Piaget's theory of child development __________. a. more; because Freud's theory cannot be falsified. b. less; because Piaget's theory cannot be falsified. c. more; because Piaget's theory cannot be falsified. d. less; because Freud's theory cannot be falsified

d. less; because Freud's theory cannot be falsified A good theory must be falsifiable, because otherwise it cannot be tested. Piaget's theory may not be a good theory, but it can be falsified. In contrast, Freud's theory of dreams depends on unconscious wishes, so, it is not possible to show that dreams do not represent unconscious wishes.

What is evolutionary theory's primary contribution to psychology? a. cognitive processing changed as humans became more introspective b. upbringing and culture play a strong role in cognition and development c. humans process information in exactly the same way apes do d. mental processes, such as memory, attention, and language, result from adaptation

d. mental processes, such as memory, attention, and language, result from adaptation

When people are aware that they are being observed, they might change their behavior. This phenomenon is known as ______________. a. social desirability response b. observer bias c. variability d. reactivity

d. reactivity The presence of an observer may affect the behavior being observed. This is called reactivity.

When Debbie twisted her ankle while running, which nervous system transmitted information from specialized receptors in her ankle joint to her brain? a. central b. autonomic c. parasympathetic d. somatic

d. somatic The somatic branch of the peripheral nervous system transmits sensory signals to the central nervous system via sensory nerves, and transmits motor signals to the muscles.

Which one of the following is FALSE? Studies show that, on average, ovulating __________ than they do at other points in their cycle. a. heterosexual women find "masculine" men to be more attractive b. women may have a greater motivation to find a mate c. women may have a greater motivation to appear attractive d. women tend to have higher self-esteem

d. women tend to have higher self-esteem This is not true. Women tend to have lower self-esteem during ovulation.