Psychology Exam 1 Practice Questions

Callie is pregnant. She has never liked vegetables and rarely eats them. However, she does not want her baby to have the same bad eating habits. If Callie wants her baby to grow up to enjoy the taste of vegetables, the most effective thing she can do is: a. eat vegetables while she is pregnant and nursing. b. give the baby strained vegetables as one of his or her first solid foods. c. avoid eating meat while she is pregnant and nursing. d. limit the amount of meat the baby is fed when he or she starts to eat solid food.

a

The central nervous system (CNS) consists of the: a. brain and spinal cord. b. somatic and autonomic nervous systems . c. sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. d. central and peripheral nervous systems.

a

Which of the following is an example of research done at the biological level of analysis? a. exploring how patterns of brain activity change under hypnosis b. examining how mood can influence how we process persuasive arguments c. researching how large and small groups function in problem-solving tasks d. testing how one's society influences how one explains failure and success

a

Which of the following neurotransmitters would be most involved in enabling nerves that connect with muscles as you raise your arms above your head? a. acetylcholine c. serotonin b. epinephrine d. norepinephrine

a

Which of the following statements is most accurate regarding consciousness? a. Stimuli can influence our thoughts even if they are experienced unconsciously. b. Unconscious dreams are the only form of the subconscious that is capable of influencing our thoughts and actions. c. Unconscious stimuli are rarely able to influence thoughts and actions. d. It is impossible to study the effects of unconscious stimuli on consciousness.

a

________ is the body's detection of external or internal sensory stimuli, whereas ________ is its further processing, organizing, and interpreting of those stimuli. a. Sensation; perception c. Transduction; perception b. Perception; sensation d. Perception; transduction

a

A person whose EEG shows predominantly theta waves is most likely: a. awake. c. in stage 4 sleep. b. in stage 1 sleep. d. in stage 2 sleep.

b

If a researcher was denied permission to conduct a study because participants might suffer harm, that decision would have been made by the: a. American Psychological Association. b. institutional review board. c. National Science Foundation. d. Association of Psychological Science.

b

In the technique known as shadowing, research participants repeat back: a. text they are reading. c. their internal monologue. b. words heard in one ear. d. their current conversation.

b

Terry, a split-brain patient, is shown two pictures simultaneously: the right side of her visual field is presented with a pencil, and the left side of her visual field is presented with a pen. When Terry is asked to pick up the item she saw from an array of objects, she is most likely to pick up: a. a pencil with her left hand. b. a pencil with her right hand. c. a pen with her left hand. d. a pen with her right hand.

c

Which of the following is an example of a psychologist who is studying the mind? a. Dr. Chu, who studies how weather influences children's actions on the playground b. Dr. Well, who studies neural activity during sleep cycles of elderly adults c. Dr. Mann, who studies the accuracy of traumatic memories over time d. Dr. East, who studies the facial expressions of relationship partners during a fight

c

With respect to the nature/nurture debate, psychological scientists now believe that: a. nature is the most important factor in understanding the mind, the brain, and behavior. b. the mind, the brain, and behavior are largely a matter of nurture. c. both nature and nurture are important in understanding the mind, the brain, and behavior. d. the issue is largely irrelevant to understanding the mind, the brain, and behavior.

c

Clara is working on a study to examine shy children's behavior with peers they have not met before. She is developing theories, forming hypotheses, and conducting research to determine if her theory is supported by the data. In what process is she engaged? a. random selection c. directionality b. correlational studies d. the scientific method

d

Encharta is sitting outside, looking at her beautiful garden. As the sun goes down, the colors become less bright and finally all become shades of gray. This change happens because the: a. amount of photopigment is decreasing. b. amount of photopigment is increasing. c. cones are taking over for the rods. d. rods are taking over for the cones.

d

Researchers assess people's performances with respect to a given behavior at the beginning of a study before manipulating a variable so they can identify what happens to behavior when they manipulate a variable. The use of control groups and groups that experience a manipulation of a variable is characteristic of: a. correlational studies. c. naturalistic observation. b. longitudinal research. d. experimental research.

d