Units 1,3,4 review - AP psych

Which part of the brain receives messages from the hair-like receptors that are involved in the vestibular sense?

Cerebellum

Which of the following terms refers to the brain's ability to physically change over time in reaction to experiences?

Neuroplasticity

When excitatory neurotransmitters stimulate a single neuron, the neuron

becomes more likely to produce an action potential

John B. Watson is best known as the founder of

behaviorism

All summer Thomas hears the sound of the icecream truck approaching before his brother Oscar hears it. Thomas most likely has which of the following?

A lower absolute threshold for hearing than Oscar

Which of the following characterizes a behavioral approach to psychology?

A study of how reinforcement affects learning

A person accidentally touches a hand to a hot stove and quickly pulls the hand away, even before sensory information about the hot stove reaches the brain. The person's reaction is most directly enabled by

a spinal reflex

The change in the curvature of the lens that enables the eye to focus on objects at various distances is called

accommodation

One-year-old Marcus turns away in disgust if a bitter substance is placed on his tongue. The reason for such a reaction is most likely

an inborn distaste for bitter that protects us from potential poisons in the environment

Parkinson's disease is most closely associated with

decreases in levels of dopamine

A person is asked to listen to a series of tones presented in pairs, and asked to say whether the tones in each pair are the same or different in pitch. In this situation the experimenter is most likely measuring the individual's

difference threshold

A participant in a study of music perception listens to music with electrodes attached to her scalp while data are collected on the activity of her brain. This technique is called

electroencephalography (EEG)

The limbic system is most closely associated with

emotions

While attending a concert, Anthony finds that he can clearly recognize the melody coming from the lead violin above all the other instruments playing in the orchestra, even though the other instruments may be louder. Gestalt psychologists would explain Anthony's ability using the principle of

figure-ground

David Hubel and Torsten Wiesel's research on responses of the brain to visual stimuli showed that

many cortical cells respond most strongly to specific visual information

In the dark, an object is more clearly seen when viewed in peripheral vision than when viewed directly. This phenomenon occurs because the rods located in the retina are

more sensitive in the dark than cones and are not found in the fovea

Alice is shopping with her daughter when she hears the word "mom." Alice answers, only to realize that the sales clerk said "ma'am" to a customer. This inaccurate perception can be attributed to

perceptual expectancy

Of the following, an evolutionary psychologist will most likely investigate the

reason why many people have an innate fear of the dark

In vision, transduction occurs within the

retina

Tina is reading an important letter when she accidentally splashes water on the paper. The water has smudged a few words, but she is still able to understand what the letter says. This can be explained by

top-down processing

The general function of the bones in the middle ear is to

transfer sound information from the tympanic membrane to the oval window

Damage to Wernicke's area is most likely to be associated with difficulty in

understanding language

Researchers looking to create a drug to reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease would most likely focus their efforts on which of the following neurotransmitters?

Acetylcholine

Which of the following refers to the photoreceptors responsible for color vision?

Cones

Which of the following is an example of shape constancy?

Even though the angle from which she viewed the table had changed, Elise still perceived the table as rectangular.

A person with a severe head injury subsequently acts irresponsibly, does not seem to be able to plan effectively, and is easy to anger. Which of the following brain areas is most likely injured?

Frontal lobe

Which of the following brain structures has the strongest influence on hunger and satiety?

Hypothalamus

The sociocultural perspective is best reflected in which of the following research findings?

In the United States individuals diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder switch identities upon suggestion, while in India individuals diagnosed with the same disorder switch personalities only upon awakening.

Which of the following is a parasympathetic nervous system response?

Increased digestion

Hyrum is at a concert when a flute player hits a very high note at the end of a song. Which of the following best explains why the pitch of the note sounds so high?

It has a short wavelength and high frequency.

Beth received a hemispherectomy to treat a seizure disorder when she was two years old. However, by the time she was five years old, her cognitive abilities were the same as those of a neurotypical five year old. Which of the following best explains her abilities?

Neuroplasticity

Luis constructed a flip-book with 30 different still images of a cartoon cat. When Luis quickly flipped through successive images of the cat, the cat appeared to move. Which of the following concepts does the example illustrate?

Perceptual constancy, because Luis still views the cat as a cat even though it appears as a moving picture.

The notion that human behavior is greatly influenced by unconscious thoughts and desires is most consistent with which of the following psychological approaches?

Psychodynamic

Ana is instructed by her doctor to wear a patch over one eye while an infection heals. While wearing the patch, Ana will lose her ability to use which of the following depth perception cues?

Retinal disparity

Joel's pupils become dilated, his digestion is reduced, and his skin becomes cold. Which system is controlling his bodily changes?

Sympathetic

George was involved in an accident and experienced head trauma. Although his eyes were functioning normally, he was unable to see. Which area of the brain was most likely affected by the accident?

The occipital lobe

Which of the following explains transduction?

The process by which sensory stimuli are converted into neural signals

Balance is influenced by the

semicircular canals

The tendency of most people to identify a three-sided figure as a triangle, even when one of its sides is incomplete, is the result of a perceptual process known as

closure

even though it was nearly dark outside, Kaci could tell that the basketball she was playing with was orange. Which of the following concepts is best illustrated i this example

color constancy

The psychological experience of pitch is related to a sound wave's

frequency

If Carmelita stares at a red spot for one minute and then shifts her gaze to a white piece of paper, she is likely to experience an afterimage that is

green

Mary participates in an exercise program because she experiences an increase in energy and feelings of well-being at the end of each exercise session. The best explanation for Mary's perseverance in the program is that exercise

increases her level of endorphins

The fovea has the greatest visual acuity in bright light primarily because the fovea is

near the center of the visual field

A reason that one typically does not notice a blind spot in the visual field is that

the blind spot is very small, and no visual stimuli are likely to be so small that the blind spot completely obscures them