Psychology Test Questions

Match each part of the brain with its probable effect on behavior (see test for diagram) 1. Occipital lobe 2. Reticular formation 3. Frontal lobe 4. Temporal lobe 5. Cerebellum 6. Parietal lobe 7. Hypothalamus 8. Corpus callosum

1. vision disorder 2. sleep/arousal disorder 3. motor paralysis 4. hearing problem 5. lack of coordination 6. insensitivity to touch 7. abnormal hunger 8. split brain

Izard believes there are _______ basic emotions.

10

Concerning the evidence for subliminal stimulation, which of the following is the best answer? The brain processes some information without our awareness Stimuli too weak to cross our thresholds for awareness may trigger a response in our sense receptors Because the "absolute" threshold is a statistical average, we are able to detect weaker stimuli some of the time All of these statements are true

All of these statements are true

What most accurately summarizes the findings of the 40-year fox-breeding study described in the text?

By selecting and mating the tamest males and females, the researches have produced affectionate, unassertive offspring

You always rattle the box of dog biscuits before giving your dog a treat. As you do so, your dog salivates. Rattling the box has become a ________; your dog's salivation is a _________.

CS;CR

Concluding his presentation on levels of information processing, Miguel states that a. Humans processes both conscious and unconscious information in parallel b. Conscious processing occurs in parallel, while unconscious processing is serial c. Conscious processing is serial, while unconscious processing is parallel d. All information processing is serial in nature

Conscious processing is serial, while unconscious processing is parallel

Which of the following is NOT one of the techniques psychologists use to observe and describe behavior? a. Case study b. Naturalistic observation c. Correlation research d. A phone survey

Correlation research

Which of the following statements best describes the effects of sensory restriction? It has more damaging effects when experienced during infancy It has greater effects on adults than on children It produces functional blindness when experienced for any length of time at any age It has greater effects on humans than on animals

It has more damaging effects when experienced during infancy

Which of the following is INCONSISTENT with the drive-reduction theory of motivation? A person becomes hungry when body weight falls below its biological set point Monkeys will work puzzles even if not given a food reward A person is driven to seek a drink when his or her cellular water level drops below its optimum point When body temperature drops below 98.6 Fahrenheit, blood vessels constrict to preserve warmth

Monkeys will work puzzles even if not given a food reward

If shoe size and IQ are negatively correlated, which of the following is true? a. People with large feet tend to have high IQ's b. People with small feet tend to have high IQ's c. People with small feet tend to have low IQ's d. IQ is unpredictable based on a person's shoe size

People with small feet tend to have high IQ's

Regarding the relationship between thinking and language, which of the following most accurately reflects the position taken in the text? a. Language determines everything about our thinking b. Language determines the way we think c. Thinking without language is not possible d. Thinking affects our language, which then affects our thoughts

Thinking affects our language, which then affects our thoughts

Researchers Friedman and Rosenman refer to individuals who are very time-conscious, super-motivated, verbally aggressive, and easily anger as

Type A

In Watson and Rayner's experiment, the loud noise was the _________ and the white rat was the __________. US;CR CS;CR NS;US US;NS

US; NS

I am a rat whose cortex is lighter and thinner than my litter mates. What happened to me?

You were raised in a deprived environment

Most experts view intelligence as a person's a. ability to perform well on intelligence tests b. innate mental capacity c. ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and adapt to new situations d. diverse skills acquired throughout life

ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and adapt to new situations

Given normal sensory ability, a person standing atop a mountain on a dark, clear night can see a candle flame atop a mountain 30 miles away. This is a description of vision's

absolute threshold

A common problem in everyday reasoning is our tendency to a. accept as logical those conclusions that agree with our own opinions b. accept as logical those conclusions that disagree with out own opnions c. underestimate the accuracy of our knowledge d. accept as logical conclusions that involve unfamiliar concepts

accept as logical those conclusions that agree with our own opinions

The stress hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine are released by the ________ gland(s) in response to stimulation by the ____________ branch of the nervous system.

adrenal, sympathetic

In order, the sequence of phases in the general adaptation syndrome is (exhaustion, alarm reaction, resistance)

alarm reaction, resistance, exhaustion

Which of the following is NOT a stimulant? amphetamines caffeine nicotine alcohol

alcohol

Which of the following is classified as a depressant? a. Methamphetamine b. LSD c. Marijuana d. Alcohol

alcohol

A psychologist working from the evolutionary perspective is likely to suggest people are biologically predisposed to a. protect their offspring b. fear heights c. be attracted to fertile-looking members of the opposite sex d. all of the above

all of the above

Skinner and other behaviorists have argued that langage development is the result of a. imitation b. enforcement c. association d. all of these

all of these

To which of the following is a person most likely to develop phobias: a. heights b. being in public c. being dirty d. all of these are equally likely

all of these are equally likely

Punishment is a controversial way of controlling behavior because punishing stimuli often create fear punishment often increases aggressiveness behavior is not forgotten and may return of all of these reasons

all these reasons

Psychoactive drugs affect behavior and perception through

alteration of neural activity in the brain

Personality is defined as...

an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting

According to the text, language acquisition is best described as Points: 1.0 a. the result of conditioning and reinforcement b. a biological process of maturation c. an interaction between biology and experience d. a mystery of which researchers have no real understanding

an interaction between biology and experience

Identify the four major parts of the neuron (see test)

and cell body/nucleus

The inner ear contains receptors for

audition and the vestibular sense

Which parenting style is most likely to be associated with physical discipline and strict rules/demands?

authoritarian

The first thing Karen did when she discovered that she had misplaced her keys was to re-create in her mind the day's events. That she has little difficulty in doing so illustrates

automatic processing

A person whose EEG shows a high proportion of alpha waves is most likely

awake and relaxed

After detailed study of a gunshot wound victim, a psychologist concludes that the brain region destroyed is likely to be important for memory functions. Which type of research did the psychologist use to deduce this?

case study

Three-year old Jack is inhibited and shy. As an adult, Jack is lily to be

cautious and unassertive

The part of the brain that coordinates voluntary movement is the:

cerebellum

Which area of the brain is most important in the processing of implicit memories?

cerebellum

One way to increase the amount of information in memory is to group it into larger, familiar units. This process is referred to as

chunking

You would not use a test of hearing acuity as an intelligence test because it would lack Points: 1.0 a. content reliability b. predictive reliabilty c. predictive validity d. content validity

content validity

Walking through the halls of his high school 10 years after graduation, Tom experienced a flood of old memories. Tom's experience showed the role of

context effects

Which of the following is the correct order of structures through which light passes after entering the eye? lens, pupil, cornea, retina cornea, pupil, lens, retina pupil, lens, cornea, retina pupil, cornea, lens, retina

cornea, pupil, lens, retina

A person's accumulation of stored information is called _______ intelligence. This ability generally _______ with age.

crystallized; increases

The three broad categories of drugs discussed in the text include _______, which tend to slow body functions; _______, which speed body functions; and ______ which alter perception. These drugs all work by mimicking, stimulating, or inhibiting the activity of the brains _______. Psychologically, our culturally influenced ______ also plays a role.

depressants; stimulants; hallucinogens; neurotransmitters; expectations

What is the most pervasive of the psychological disorders?

depression

In shopping for a new stereo, you discover that you cannot differentiate between the sounds of models X and Y. The difference between X and Y is below your

difference threshold

Melissa has just completed running a marathon. She is so elated that she feels little fatigue or discomfort. Her lack of pain is probably the result of the release of:

endorphins

Reported racial gaps in average intelligence scores are most likely attributable to a. the use of biased tests of intelligence b. the use of unreliable tests of intelligence c. genetic factors d. environmental factors

environmental factors

Because you have a relatively low level of brain arousal, a trait theorist would suggest that you are an ________ who would naturally seek _________.

extravert, stimualtion

A student who completes learning tasks in order to earn stars on her paper is motivated by

extrinsic factors

Experiments on taste-aversion learning demonstrate what: for the conditioning of certain stimuli, the US need not immediately follow the CS all animals are biologically primed to associate illness with the taste of a tainted food any perceivable stimulus can become a CS all of these statements are true

for the conditioning of certain stimuli, the US need not immediately follow the CS

According to Piaget, the ability to think logically about abstraction indicates

formal operational thought

Judging and planning are enable by the ________ lobes.

frontal

The neural structure that most directly regulates eating drinking, and body temperature is the:

hypothalamus

A psychoanalyst would characterize a person who is impulsive and self-indulgent as possessing a strong ______ and a weak _______.

id; superego

Of the following, the best way to separate the effects of genes and environment is to study: a. fraternal twins b. identical twins c. adopted children and their adoptive parents d. identical twins raised in different environments

identical twins raised in different environments

Studies of the visual cliff have provided evidence that much of depth perception is

innate

In general, women are more vulnerable than men to a. external disorders such as anxiety b. internal disorders such as depression c. external disorders such as antisocial conduct d. internal disorders such as alcohol dependency

internal disorders such as depression

Increases in insulin will

lower blood sugar and trigger hunger

Nine-month old Nicole's left frontal lobe is more active than her right frontal lobe. We can expect that, all other things being equal, Nicole a. may suffer from mild depression for most of her life b. may have trouble "turning off" upsetting feelings later in life c. may be more cheerful that those with more active right frontal lobes d. may have trouble expressing her feelings later in life

may be more cheerful that those with more active right frontal lobes

The type of learning associated with Skinner is

operant conditioning

Shaping is a(n) ________ technique for _________ a behavior. respondent; suppressing operant; suppressing operant; establishing respondent; establishing

operant; establishing

I am a cell in the thalamus that is excited by red and inhibited by green. I am a(n)

opponent-processing cell

The linguistic determinism hypothesis is challenged by the finding that a. chimps can learn to communicate spontaneously by using sign language b. people with no word for a certain color will still perceive that color accurately c. The Eskimo language contains a number of words for snow, whereas English has only one d. infant's babbling contains many phonemes that do not occur int heir own language and they therefore cannot have learned

people with no word for a certain color will still perceive that color accurately

Each time you see your car, it projects a different image on the retinas of your eyes, yet you do not perceive it as changing. This is because of

perceptual constancy

The phenomenon that refers to the ways in which an individual's expectations influence perceptions is called

perceptual set

To which of Kohlberg's levels would moral reasoning based on the existence of fundamental human rights pertain?

postconventional morality

Of the 4 distinct skin senses, the only one that has definable receptors is

pressure

Providing a child with a stimulating educational environment in early childhood is likely to

prevent neural connections from degenerating

The term used to describe humans' desire for life-sustaining supports such as food and water is:

primary need

In an effort to remember the name of the classmate who sat behind her in 5th grade, Martina mentally recited the names of other classmates who sat near her. Martina's effort to refresh her memory by activating related associations is an examples of

priming

Genes direct our physical development by synthesizing:

protein

Complete the following analogy: Rose is to flower as a. concept is to prototype b. prototype is to concept c. concept is to hierarchy d. hierarchy is to concept

prototype is to concept

By age 65, a person would be most likely to experience a cognitive decline in the ability to a. recall and list important terms and concepts in a chapter b. select the correct definition in a multiple-choice question c. evaluate whether a statement is true or false d. exercise sound judgement in answering an essay question

recall and list important terms and concepts in a chapter

Complete this analogy: Fill-in-the-blank test questions are to multiple choice questions as storage is to encoding recognition is to recall recall is to recognition encoding is to storage

recall is to recognition

Which of the following is the best example of a conditioned reinforcer? putting on a coat on a cold day relief from pain after the dentist stops drilling your teeth receiving a cool drink after washing your mother's car on a hot day receiving an approving nod from the boss for a job well done

receiving an approving nod from the boss for a job well done

When asked what makes life meaningful, most people first mention

satisfying relationships

"A very low intelligence score accompanied by one extraordinary skill" most likely describes an individual with a. autism b. savant syndrome c. down syndrome d. intellectual disability

savant syndrome

Researchers taught the chimpanzee Washoe and the gorilla Koko communication by using a. various methods b. plastic symbols of various shapes and colors c. sign language d. all of these methods

sign language

The phenomenon of size constancy is based on the close connection between an object's perceived _____ and its perceived_____.

size; distance

Current intelligence tests compute an individual's intelligence score as a. the ratio of mental age to chronological age multiplied by 100 b. the ratio of chronological age to mental age multiplied by 100 c. the amount by which the test-taker's performance deviates from the average performance of others the same age d. the ratio of test-taker's verbal intelligence score to his or her nonverbal intelligence score

the amount by which the test-taker's performance deviates from the average performance of others the same age

Airline reservations typically decline after a highly publicized airplane crash because people overestimate the incidence of such disasters. in such instances, their decisions are being influenced by a. belief perseverance b. the availability heuristic c. the representativeness heuristic d. fixation

the availability heuristic

In a series of experiments the Harlow's found that the monkeys raised with artificial mothers tended, when afraid to cling to

the cloth mother

Classical conditioning experiments by Rescorla and Wagner demonstrate that an important factor in conditioning is

the predictability of an association

The fertilized will develop into a boy if, at conception,

the sperm contributes a Y chromosome

______ processing refers to how our knowledge and expectations influence perception.

top-down

Generally speaking, memory for random digits is better than memory for random letters. True or False?

true

Erik son's psychological developmental stage in which success is achieved by having secure social attachment with a caregiver is known as:

trust versus mistrust

The highest and most consistent rate of response is produced by a ____________ schedule.

variable-ratio

The brain area that when stimulated suppresses eating is the

ventromedial hypothalamus

Dao, who suffered accidental damage to the right side of her hippocampus, has trouble remembering

visual designs

Which of the following is NOT typical of both anorexia and bulimia? weight significantly and noticeably outside normal ranges low self-esteem and feelings of depression preoccupation with food and fear of being overweight far more frequent occurrence in women than in men

weight significantly and noticeably outside normal ranges

After an initial rapid weight loss, a person on a diet loses weight much more slowly. This slow-down occurs because

when a person diets, metabolism decreases

Match each structure or term with its function or description 1. Right hemisphere 2. Brainstem 3. Temporal lobes 4. Occipital lobes 5. Plasticity 6. Neurogenesis 7. Aphasia 8. Limbic system 9. Association areas 10. Left Hemisphere 11. Broca's Area a. formation of new neurons b. specializes in rationalizing reactions c. controls speech production d. specializes in spatial relations e. brain areas containing the auditory cortex f. brain areas containing the visual cortex g. oldest part of the brain h. regulates emotion i. brain's capacity for modification j. language disorder k. brain areas involved in higher mental functions

1. d 2. g 3. e 4. f 5. i 6. a 7. j 8. h 9. k 10. b 11. c

Matching 1. Surface meaning of dreams 2. sleep disorder in which breathing stops 3. Hallucinogen 4. brain-wave activity during stage 2 sleep 5. Stimulant 6. Disorder in which sleep attacks occur 7. twilight stage of sleep associated with imagery resembling hallucinations 8. deeper meaning of dreams 9. sleep disorder occurring in stage 4 of sleep 10. neurotransmitter that LSD resembles 11. drugs that reduce anxiety and depress central nervous system activity 12. stages of sleep associated with delta waves a. night terrors b. marijuana c. stages 3 and 4 sleep d. cocaine e. sleep spindle f. barbiturates g. manifest content h. narcolepsy i. stage 1 sleep j. latent content k. sleep apnea j. serotonin

1. g 2. k 3. b 4. e 5. d 6. h 7. i 8. j 9. a 10. l 11. f 12. c

Echoic memories fade after approximately

3 to 4 seconds

Most people's earliest memories do not predate_______ of age.

3 years

Our short-term memory span is approximately ____items.

7

MSG excites the part of your brain that's in charge of your fat programs and is what's known as an excitotoxin. It is also used to fatten up mice for scientific study. According to the documentary "hungry for change" what percent of MSG is added to all flavored foods?

80%

A neurotransmitter that is important in muscle contraction is ______; it is also important in learning and _________.

ACh; memory

Which of the following illustrates the constructive nature of memory? Janice keeps calling her new boyfriend by her old boyfriend's name Although Mrs. Harvey, who has Alzheimer's disease, has many gaps in her memory, she invents sensible accounts of her activities so that her family will not worry After studying all afternoon and then getting drunk in the evening, Don can't remember the material he studied After getting some good news, elated Kareem has a flood of good memories from his younger years

Although Mrs. Harvey, who has Alzheimer's disease, has many gaps in her memory, she invents sensible accounts of her activities so that her family will not worry

Which perspective emphasizes the learning of observable responses?

Behavioral

Seventy-year-old Mrs. Martinez finds that she must spice her food heavily or she cannot taste it. Unfortunately, her son often finds her cooking inedible because it is so spicy. What is the most likely explanation for their taste differences?

Being 70 years old, Mrs. Martinez probably has fewer taste buds than her son

Randy, who has been under a lot of stress lately, has intense cravings for sugary junk foods, which tend to make him feel more relaxed. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for his craving? Randy feels that he deserves to pamper himself with sweets because of the stress he is under The extra sugar tends to lower blood insulin level, which promotes relaxation Carbohydrates boost levels of serotonin, which has a calming effect The extra sugar gives Randy the energy he needs to cope with the demands of daily life

Carbohydrates boost levels of serotonin, which has a calming effect

Which of the following is the most accurate description of how we process color? Red-green, blue-yellow, and black-white opponent processes operate throughout the visual system. Color processing occurs in two stages: (1) an opponent-process system in the retina and (2) a 3-color system en route to the visual cortex. Color processing occurs in two stages: (1) a 3-color system in the retina and (2) opponent-process cells en route to the visual cortex. Throughout the visual system, color processing divided into separate red, green, and blue systems.

Color processing occurs in two stages: (1) a 3-color system in the retina and (2) opponent-process cells en route to the visual cortex.

The manager of a manufacturing plant wishes to use positive reinforcement to increase the productivity of workers. Which of the following procedures would probably be the most effective? A productivity goal that seems attainable, yet is unrealistic, is set for each employee. Employees who fail to meet standards of productivity receive pay cuts. Employees are given immediate bonuses for specific behaviors related to productivity. Deserving employees are given a general merit bonus at the end of each fiscal year.

Employees are given immediate bonuses for specific behaviors related to productivity.

Which of the following best describes the hindsight bias? a. Events seem more predictable before they have occurred b. Events seem more predictable after they have occurred c. A person's intuition is usually correct d. A person's intuition is usually not correct

Events seem more predictable after they have occured

Name the four lobes of the brain and describe briefly what they do

Frontal: contains the motor cortex and is involved in planning and decision making Parietal: contains the sensory cortex and is involved in the sense of touch throughout the body Occipital: contains the visual cortex, coordinates eyesight, and processes visual information Temporal: contains the auditory cortex, coordinates hearing, and processes audio information

A researcher wants to determine whether noise level affects the blood pressure of elderly people. In one group she varies the level of noise in the environment and records participant's blood pressure. In this experiment, the level of nose is the:

Independent variable

Which of the following is NOT true of babbling? a. It is imitation of adult speech b. It is in the same in all cultures c. It typically occurs from about age 4 months to 1 year d. Babbling increasingly comes to resemble a particular language

It is imitation of adult speech

Which of the following teens is most likely to delay the initiation of sex? Ron, who regularly volunteers his time in community service Jason, who is not religiously active It is impossible to predict Jack, who has below-average intelligence

It is impossible to predict

Of the following individuals, who is likely to be the most hypnotically suggestible? a. Bill, a reality-oriented stockbroker b. Janice, an actress with a rich imagination c. Meghan. a sixth-grader who has trouble focusing her attention on a task d. Darren, who has never been able to really "get involved" in movies or novels

Janice

Which of the following is NOT cited as evidence of the reciprocal relationship between schooling and intelligence? a. Neither education level nor intelligence scores accurately predict income b. Intelligence scores tend to rise during the school year c. High school graduates have higher intelligence scores than do those who drop out early d. High intelligence scores correlate with prolonged schooling

Neither education level nor intelligence scores accurately predict income

Which of the following statements regarding REM sleep is true? a. adults spend more time than infants in REM sleep b. REM sleep deprivation results in REM rebound c. People deprived of REM sleep adapt easily d. Sleeping medications tend to increase REM sleep

REM sleep deprivations results in REM rebound

Which of the following statements concerning homosexuality is true? As children, most homosexuals were molested by an adult homosexual Research indicates that sexual orientation may be at least partly physiological Homosexuals have abnormal hormone levels Homosexuals had a domineering opposite-sex parent

Research indicates that sexual orientation may be at least partly physiological

What are 4 of the steps of the SQ3R study method?

Survey, Question, Read, Review

Dan has recently begun using an addictive euphoria producing drug. Which of the following will probably occur if he repeatedly uses this drug? a. As tolerance develops, Dan will experience increasing pleasurable "highs" b. The dosage needed to produce the desired effect will increase c. After each use, he will become more and more elated d. Dependence will become less of a problem

The dosage needed to produce the desired effect will increase

Which of the following statements is consistent with the Gestalt theory of perception? Perception results directly from sensation Perception develops largely through learning The mind organizations sensations into meaningful perceptions Perception is the product of heredity

The mind organizations sensations into meaningful perceptions

The term critical period refers to

a restricted time for learning

Research evidence links the brain abnormalities of schizophrenia to __________ during prenatal development.

a viral infection contracted

Stress has been demonstrated to place a person at increased risk of a. cancer b. progressing from HIV infections to AIDS c. bacterial infections d. all of these conditions

all of these conditions

The number of fat cells a person has is influenced by genetic predisposition adulthood eating patterns childhood eating patterns all of these factors

all of these factors

According to Maslow's theory the most basic motives are based on physiological needs needs are satisfied in a specified order the highest motives relate to self-transcendence all of these statements are true

all of these statements are true

The disease- and infection-fighting cells of the immune system are a. B lymphocytes b. T lymphocytes c. Macrophages d. All of these types of cells

all of these types of cells

Evolutionary explanations of gender differences in sexuality have been criticized because a. they offer "after-the-fact" explanations b. standards of attractiveness vary with time and place c. they underestimate cultural influences on sexuality d. all these reasons

all these reasons

Phobias and obsessive-compulsive behaviors are classified as

anxiety disorders

A car accident damaged areas in Cliff's left temporal and frontal lobes, causing him to have difficulties speaking and understanding language. Cliff's disorder is called:

aphasia

Compared with men, women a. have stronger immune systems b. are less susceptible to infections c. are more susceptible to self-attacking diseases such as MS d. have all for these characteristics

are more susceptible to self-attacking diseases such as MS

Assume that congress is considering revising its approach to welfare and to this end is hearing a range of testimony. A member of congress who uses the availability heuristics would be most likely to Points: 1.0 a. want to experiment with numerous possible approaches to see which of these seems to work the best b. want to cling to approaches to welfare that seem to have had some success in the past c. refuse to be budged from his or her beliefs despite persuasive testimony to the contrary d. base his or her ideas on the most vivid, memorable testimony given, even though many of the statistics presented run counter to this testimony.

base his or her ideas on the most vivid, memorable testimony given, even though many of the statistics presented run counter to this testimony.

Adoption studies show the personalities of adopted children

bear more similarities to their biological rather than adoptive parents

Studies of adopted children and their biological and adoptive families demonstrate that with age, genetic influences on intelligence a. become more apparent b. become less apparent c. become more difficult to disentangle from environmental influences d. become easier to disentangle from environmental influences

become more apparent

Electrical stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus will cause an animal to

begin eating

Psychology is the scientific study of _______ and _________ processes.

behavior; mental

When Gordon Bower presented words grouped by category or in random order, recall was improved when participants developed their own mnemonic devices the same for all words better for random words better for categorized words

better for categorized words

Which of the following is NOT one of the basic tastes? umami sweet salty bland

bland

Individuals who score high on Kinesthetic intelligence learn best by a. by doing b. by hearing c. by using texts and watching videos d. in calm, quiet surroundings

by doing

What explains why a rose appears equally red in bright and dim light?

color constancy

A mental grouping of similar things, events, ideas, or people is called a(n) a. prototype b. concept c. algorithm d. heuristic

concept

The basic units of cognition are a. algorithms b. concepts c. prototypes d. heuristics

concepts

Children acquire mental operations necessary to understand conservation during the

concrete operational stage

As the football game continued into the night, LeVar noticed that he was having difficulty distinguishing the colors of the player's uniforms. This is because the ______, which enable color vision, have a _______ absolute threshold for brightness than the available light intensity.

cones; higher

Personal space differs from culture to culture. These differences are examples of

cultural norms

Which of the following is NOT true regarding cultural diversity: a. culture influences emotional repressiveness b. culture influences personal space c. culture does not have a strong influence on how strictly social roles are defined d. all cultures evolve their own norms

culture does not have a strong influence on how strictly social roles are defined

Which of the following is true concerning abnormal behavior a. definitions of abnormal behavior are culture-dependent b. a behavior cannot be defined as abnormal unless it is considered harmful to society c. abnormal behavior can be defined as any behavior that is distressful d. definitions of abnormal behavior are based on physiological factors

definitions of abnormal behavior are culture-dependent

The extensions of a neuron that receive messages from other neurons are the ________.

dendrites

The spacing effect means that

distributed study yields better retention than cramming

One shortcoming of the instinct theory of motivation is that it

does not explain human behavior; it simply names them

Which of the following is NOT a theory of dreaming mentioned in the text? a. dreams facilitate information-processing b. dreaming stimulates the developing brain c. dreams result from random neuronal activity originating in the brainstem d. dreaming is an attempt to escape from social stimulation

dreaming is an attempt to escape from social stimulation

A child can be born a drug addict becuase

drugs used by the mother will pass into the child's bloodstream to the placenta

Each cell of the human body has a total of a. 23 genes b. 23 chromosomal pairs c. 46 genes d. 46 chromosomes e. Both b and d

e. 23 pairs and 46 chromosomes

Compared with her counterparts of 30 years ago, a north american adult today is likely to

eat a higher-fat, higher-sugar diet

Body organs first begin to form and function during the period of the ________; within 6 months, during the period of the _________, the organs are sufficiently functional to allow a chance of survival

embryo; fetus

Ricardo has been unable to resolve a stressful relationship with a family member. To cope, he turns to a close friend for social support. Ricardo's coping strategy is an example of

emotion-focused coping

Normal levels o stimulation are important during infancy and early childhood because during these years

experience activates and preserve neural connections that might otherwise die from disuse

Concerning the catharsis hypothesis, which of the following is true? a. expressing anger can be temporarily calming if it does not leave one feeling guilty or anxious b. the arousal that accompanies unexpressed anger never dissipates c. expressing one;s anger always calms one down d. psychologists agree under no circumstance is catharsis beneficial

expressing anger can be temporarily calming if it does not leave one feeling guilty or anxious

Of the following parents are most likely to influence their children's a. temperament b. personality c. faith d. emotional reactivity

faith

T/F: authoritarian parents have children with the highest self-esteem and social confidence

false

T/F: most abused children later become abusive parents

false

T/F: the sequence in which children develop motor skills varies by culture

false

Objects higher in our field of vision are perceived as ____ due to the principle of ______.

farther away; relative height

Which of the following is NOT an example of homeostasis? feeling hungry and eating to restore the level of blood glucose to normal feeling hungry at the sight of appetizing food perspiring in order to restore normal body temperature all of these are examples of homeostasis

feeling hungry at the sight of appetizing food

Leon's psychology instructor has scheduled an exam every third week of the term. Leon will probably study the most just before an exam and the least just after an exam. This is because the schedule of exams is reinforcing studying according to which schedule?

fixed-interval

Between the ages of 3 and 6, the human brain experiences the greatest growth in the _______ lobes, which we use for rational planning, and which continue developing at least into adolescence

frontal

Mirror neurons are found in the brain's _______ and are believed to be the neural basis for _________.

frontal lobe; observational learning

The bell-shaped distribution of intelligence scores in the general population is called a a. g distibution b. standardization curve c. bimodal distribution d. normal distribution

g distibution

Bill once had a blue car that was in the shop more than it was out. Since then he will not even consider owning blue- or green-colored cars. Bill's aversion to green cars is an example of

generalization

The nature-nurture issue is the controversy over the relative contributions of ________ and ___________.

genetics; experience

Collectivist cultures (traits)

give priority to the goals of their groups, value the maintenance of social harmony, foster social interdependence (all of the above)

Hearing voices would be a(n) ___________; believing that you are Napoleon would be a(n) ________.

hallucination; delusion

In promoting observational learning, the most effective models are those that we perceive as having any of these characteristics similar to ourselves succesful respected and admired

having any of these characteristics

Ali's parents have tried hard to minimize their son's exposure to sweet, fattening foods. If Ali has the occasion to taste sweet foods in the future, which of the following is likely? he will display a preference for sweet tastes he will have a neutral reaction to sweet foods it is impossible to predict Ali's reaction he will have a strong aversion to such foods

he will display a preference for sweet tastes

Amnesia victims typically have experienced damage to the _____ of the brain.

hippocampus

Wavelength is to _________ as __________ is to brightness.

hue; intensity

According to Erikson, the central psychological challenges pertaining to adolescence, young adulthood, and middle age, respectively, are

identity formation; intimacy; generativity

For operant conditioning to be the most effective, when should the reinforces be resented in relation to the desired response?

immediately after

Elderly Mr. Flanagan, a retired electrician, can easily remember how to wire a light switch, but he cannot remember the name of the present of the United States. Evidently, Mr. Flanagan's ____memory if better than his _____ memory.

implicit; explicit

In which of the following may classical conditioning play a role? helping drug addicts emotional problems the body's immune system in all of these cases in none of these cases

in all of these cases

One difference between classical and operant conditioning is that in operant conditioning, the responses are reflexive in classical conditioning, the responses are automatically triggered by stimuli in classical conditioning, the responses operate on the environment to produce rewarding or punishing stimuli in operant conditioning, the responses are triggered by preceding stimuli

in classical conditioning, the responses are automatically triggered by stimuli

According to the serial position effect, when recalling a list of words you should have the greatest difficulty with those

in the middle of the list

Failing to see a visible object when our attention is focused elsewhere is called ______.

inattentional blindness

Alicia;s doctor, who thinks that Alicia's depression has a biochemical cause, prescribes a drug that

increases norepinephrine

Chad who grew up in the US is more likely to encourage _______ in his future children than Asian-born Hidiyaki, who is more likely to encourage _________.

independence; emotional-closeness

The factor that is being manipulated in an experiment is called the _________ variable. The measurable factor that may change as a result of these manipulations is called the ___________ variable.

independent; dependent

Most human traits are

influenced by many genes acting together

People who heard unusual phrases prior to sleep were awakened each time they began REM sleep. The fact that they remembered less the next morning provides support for the ________ theory of dreaming.

information-processing

Which of the following is NOT true regard schizophrenia? a. it occurs more frequently in people born in the winter and spring months b. it occurs less frequently as infectious disease rates have declined c. it occurs more frequently in lightly populated areas d. it usually appears during adolescence or early childhood

it occurs more frequently in lightly populated areas

What enables you to feel yourself wriggling your toes even with your eyes closed?

kinesthesis

Seligman has found that humans and animals who are exposed to adverse events they cannot escape may developed

learned helplessness

In a study on context cues, people learned words while on land or when they were underwater. In a later test of recall, those with the best retention had

learned the words and been tested on them in the same context

People who are exuberant and persistently cheerful show increased activity in the brain's __________, which is rich in receptors for the neurotransmitter _____________. a. right frontal lobe; dopamine b. left frontal lobe; dopamine c. amygdala, serotonin d. thalamus, serotonin

left frontal lobe, dopamine

Of the relatively few genetic differences among humans, _______ are differences among population groups.

less than 10%

The misinformation effect provides evidence that memory

may be reconstructed during recall according to how questions are framed

Which of the following influences on hunger motivation does NOT belong with the others? attraction to sweet and salty tastes reduced production of ghrelin after stomach bypass surgery memory of time elapsed since your last meal set/setting point

memory of time elapsed since your last mea

Being in a bad mood after a hard day of work, Susan could think of nothing positive in her life. This is best explained as an example of

mood-congruent memory

Research on locus of control indicates that internals are ________ than externals

more able to cope with stress

Repression is an example of motivated forgetting encoding failure memory decay all of these things

motivated forgetting

Which of the following constructs of intelligence is proposed by Gardener? a. biopsychological b. crystallized c. cultural d. naturalistic

naturalistic

Carrie's mother takes away her allowance after she behaves inappropriately one a recent shopping trip. This is an example of

negative punishment

Jack finally takes out the garbage in order to get his father to stop pestering him. Jack's behavior is being influenced by a primary reinforcer punishment negative reinforcement positive reinforcement

negative reinforcement

If your level of text anxiety goes down as your time spent studying goes up, would you say these events are positively or negatively correlated?

negatively correlated

In the brain, learning occurs as experience strengthens certain connections in cell work groups called:

neural networks

Which neurotransmitter is in overabundance during the manic phase of bipolar disorder?

norepinephrine

14 year old Cassandra feels freer and more open with her friends than with her family. Knowing this is this case, Cassandra's parents should a. be concerned b. encourage Cassandra to find new friends c. seek family counseling d. not worry

not worry, since adolescence is typically a time of growing peer influence and diminishing parental influence

D'Andre was 5 months old, he looked at a toy train, when his view of the train was blocked, he did not search for it. Now that he is 9 months old he does look for it, reflecting the presence of:

object permanence

In the absence of perceptual constancy depth perception would be impossible depth perception would be based exclusively on binocular cues objects would appear to change size as their distance from us changed depth perception would be based exclusively on monocular cues

objects would appear to change size as their distance from us changed

Research on obesity indicates that pound for pound, fat tissue requires more calories to maintain than lean tissue when hunger drops below the set point, hunger and metabolism also decrease once fat cells are acquired they are never lost, no matter how rigorously one diets one pound of weight is lost for every 3500-calorie reduction in diet

once fat cells are acquired they are never lost, no matter how rigorously one diets

On an intermittent reinforcement schedule, reinforcement is given

only some of the time

Five personality factors

openness, conscience, extro/introversion, agreeability, neuroticism

The behavior of many people has been described in terms of a spotlight effect. This means they

overestimate the extent to which other people are noticing them

"Rest and digest" is to the ________ nervous system, as "Fight or flight" is to the _______ nervous system.

parasympathetic; sympathetic

According to the documentary "dying to be thin", what is a character trait that many bulimic and anorexic individuals have in common? humorous pessimistic reserved perfectionistic

perfectionistic

The most influential gland is the _________, which helps regulate ________ and the release of hormones by other endocrine glands.

pituitary; growth

During sleep a growth hormone is released by the _______ gland. Adults spend (more/less) time in deep sleep than children and so release (more/less) growth hormone.

pituitary; less; less

Which of the following is an example of the use of heuristics? Points: 1.0 a. trying every possible letter ordering when unscrambling a word b. considering each possible move when playing chess c. using the formula "area=length x width" to find the area of a rectangle d. playing chess using a defensive strategy that haas often been successful for you

playing chess using a defensive strategy that haas often been successful for you

Connie's therapist suggests that her depression stems from unresolved anger towards her parents. Evidently, Connie's therapist is working within the ___________ perspective.

psychoanalytic

Well-done surveys measure attitudes in a representative subset, or _______, of an entire group, or __________.

random sample; population

Suzy bought a used, high-mileage automobile because it was all she could afford. Attempting to justify her purpose, she raves to her friends about the car's attractiveness, good acceleration, and stereo. According to Freud, Suzy is using the defense mechanism of

rationalization

Information is maintained in short-term memory only briefly unless it is

rehearsed

The depth cue that occurs when we watch stable objects at different distances as we are moving is

relative motion

A pair of adopted children or identical twins reared in the same home are most likely to have similar a. temperaments b. personalities c. religious beliefs d. emotional reactivity

religious beliefs

Lashley's studies, in which rats learned a maze and then had various parts of their brains surgically removed, showed that memory (experiment in chapter of book) was lost when surgery took place within 1 hour of learning was lost when surgery took place within 24 hours of learning was lost when any region of the brain was removed remained no matter which area of the brain was tampered with

remained no matter which area of the brain was tampered with

"new learning interferes with previous knowledge" is the definition for what?

retroactive interference

If a fraternal twin develops schizophrenia, the likelihood of the other twin developing serous mental illness is much lower than that of identical twins. This suggests that

schizophrenia is influenced by genes

An example of self-serving bias is the tendency of people to a. see themselves as average on nearly every desirable dimension b. accept more responsibilities for successes than failures c. be overly critical of other people d. exhibit heightened racial prejudice

see themselves as average on nearly every desirable dimension

The selection effect in peer influence refers to the tendency of children and youth to

seek out friends with similar attitudes and interests

As a well-educated and highly esteemed businesswoman, Delores feels she has accomplished a great deal in her life. She decides that she would like to give back to the community, so she makes a sizable endowment to the local conservatory. She is also using her professional influence to draw the public's attention to the needs of children who have cancer. Abraham Maslow would probably say that Delores has reached the __________________ stage of his need hierarchy.

self-actualization

According to Kohlberg, pre conventional morality focuses on __________; conventional morality is more concerned with ___________.

self-interesting; upholding laws and social rules

James attributes his failing grade in chemistry to an unfair final exam. His attitude exemplifies

self-serving bias

Kandel and Schwartz have found that when learning occurs, more of the neurotransmitter _____is released into synapses

serotonin

The division of the peripheral nervous system that enables voluntary control of the skeletal muscles is the _________ nervous system.

somatic

When Sandy scalded her toe in a tub of hot water, the pain message was carried to her spinal cord by the _______ nervous system.

somatic

Faced with a new babysitter, an 8-month old infant shows distress, a behavior referred to as

stranger anxiety

Effect of stress on the body is to

suppress the immune system

Which of the following is an example of an interaction a. swimmers swim fastest during competition against other swimmers b. swimmers with certain personality traits swim fastest during competitions, while those with other personality traits swim fastest during solo time trials c. as the average daily temperature increases, sales of ice cream decrease d. as the average daily temperature increases, sales of lemonade increase

swimmers with certain personality traits swim fastest during competitions, while those with other personality traits swim fastest during solo time trials

Mrs Ramirez often tells her children that it is important to buckle their seat belts while riding in the car, but she rarely does so herself. Her children will probably learn to

tells others it is important to use seat belts but rarely use them themselves

In relation to ground beef, consumers respond more positively to an ad describing it as "75 percent lean" than to one referring to its "25 percent fat" content. This is an example of a. the framing effect b. confirmation bias c. mental set d. overconfidence

the framing effect

Long-term potentiation refers to

the increased efficiency of synaptic transmission between certain neurons following learning

In his study of men on a semi-starvation diet, Keys found that the metabolic rate of the men increased the men eventually lost interest in food the men became obsessed with food the men's behavior directly contradicted predictions made by Maslow's hierarchy of needs

the men became obsessed with food

While competing in the Olympic trials, marathoner Kirsten O'Brien suffered a stress fracture in her left leg. That she not experience significant pain until the race was over is probably attributable to the fact that during the race

the pain gate in her spinal cord was closed by information coming from her brain

You hear that one of the Smith children is an outstanding Little League player and immediately conclude it's their one son rather than any of their four daughters. You reached your quite possibly erroneous conclusion as the result of a. the confirmation bias b. the availability heuristic c. the representativeness heuristic d. belief perseverance

the representativeness heuristic

Compared with when he was younger, 4-year old Antonio is better able to empathize with his friend's feelings. This growing ability to take another's perspective indicates Antonio is acquiring a

theory of mind

Which of the following was NOT found by the Harlow's in socially deprived monkeys? a. they had difficulty mating b. they showed extreme fear or aggression c. they showed abnormal physical development d. the females were abusive mothers

they showed abnormal physical development

Which of the following was NOT identified as a contributing factor in the high rate of unprotected sex among adolescents? mass media sexual norms ignorance thrill-seeking alcohol use

thrill-seeking

According to evolutionary psychology, men are drawn sexually to women who seem________, while women are attracted to men who seem _________.

youthful and fertile; mature and affluent