PSYC 104 Example Questions

People with _____ amnesia cannot form new long-term memories. A. anterograde B. retrograde C. infantile D. retroactive E. implicit

A. anterograde

_____ is characterized by the profound disruption of basic psychological processes, a distorted perception of reality, altered or blunted emotion, and disturbances in thought, motivation, and behavior. A. Schizophrenia B. Bipolar disorder C. Depersonalization disorder D. Reactive attachment disorder E. Autism spectrum disorder

A. Schizophrenia

. _____ memory refers to the active maintenance of information in short-term storage. A. Working B. Iconic C. Echoic D. Visual E. Auditory

A. Working

. Individuals who are diagnosed with _____ as adults may have engaged in animal cruelty and fire setting when they were children or adolescents. A. antisocial personality disorder B. borderline personality disorder C. narcissistic personality disorder D. schizophrenia E. avoidant personality disorder

A. antisocial personality disorder

Joe wins $1000 on a scratch-off lottery ticket. He decides that he should play the lottery more often because he will probably be more likely to win again in the future. Joe's thinking illustrates what concept? A. availability bias B. representativeness heuristic C. conjunction fallacy D. sunk cost effect E. algorithm

A. availability bias

Jessica has been diagnosed with both anxiety and depression. The co-occurrence of two or more disorders, as seen in the case of Jessica, can be described as: A. comorbidity. B. congruence. C. concordance. D. tertiary symptoms. E. differential symptoms.

A. comorbidity.

. The principle of _____ is the notion that the quantitative properties of an object are invariant despite changes in the objects appearance. A. conservation B. object permanence C. theory of mind D. egocentrism E. zone of proximal development

A. conservation

. Sometimes at professional sporting events, people will behave in a loud and reckless manner, even though they would never behave that way if they were alone. What phenomenon does this illustrate? A. deindividuation B. diffusion of responsibility C. group think D. mere exposure effect E. social exchange theory

A. deindividuation

Jenny thinks she knows what Professor Black's study is about, so she responds in a way that she thinks will help him to support his hypothesis. It is likely that there are some _____ that are influencing Jenny's behavior. A. demand characteristics B. operational definitions C. theories D. samples E. manipulations

A. demand characteristics

Which sequence is the CORRECT one for information traveling within a single neuron? A. dendrites, cell body, axon B. cell body, dendrites, axon C. axon, cell body, dendrites D. axon, dendrites, cell body E. cell body, axon, dendrites

A. dendrites, cell body, axon

Which neurotransmitter was the FIRST to be linked with schizophrenia? A. dopamine B. serotonin C. norepinephrine D. endorphins E. GABA

A. dopamine

During the _____ stage of prenatal development, the zygote continues to divide and its cells begin to differentiate. A. embryonic B. germinal C. fetal D. zygote E. proximal

A. embryonic

The famous case study of Phineas Gage helped us to understand the role that the _____ play(s) in controlling one's emotions and making decisions. A. frontal lobes B. occipital lobes C. parietal lobes D. temporal lobes E. brain

A. frontal lobes

The single BEST predictor of aggression is: A. gender. B. frustration. C. culture. D. anger. E. heat.

A. gender.

. Most psychologists today use a _____ model to help them understand and treat psychological disorders. A. medical B. psychical C. physiognomy D. phrenological E. humanistic

A. medical

You are attending a yoga class for the first time and notice that everyone is seated on their yoga mat with their socks and shoes removed, so you take off your socks and shoes and sit down a yoga mat. Your behavior is being guided by: A. normative influence. B. informational influence. C. obedience to authority. D. persuasion. E. cognitive dissonance.

A. normative influence.

. For someone with _____, an action must be performed in order to alleviate anxiety associated with a recurring thought. A. obsessive-compulsive disorder B. antisocial personality disorder C. phobic disorder D. generalized anxiety disorder E. agoraphobia

A. obsessive-compulsive disorder

In the process of the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), the _____ phase involves the body's attempt to adapt to its high state of arousal as it tries to cope with the stressor. A. resistance B. exhaustion C. alarm D. fight E. freeze

A. resistance

. You are trying to teach your nephew how to write his name, Noah, and you have learned from your psychology class that positive reinforcement should help you to teach Noah this new behavior. Since Noah is just learning to write, you decide to reward him at first for being able to write an N. Once he has learned this, you reward him after he writes an O. You continue teaching Noah this way until he is able to write his entire name neatly. According to Skinner, you are using what procedure to teach Noah? A. shaping B. classical conditioning C. extinction D. habituation E. intermittent reinforcement

A. shaping

Which symptom of schizophrenia would be considered a negative symptom? A. social withdrawal B. hallucinations C. disorganized behavior D. delusions E. disorganized speech

A. social withdrawal

. In a study examining the effects of stress (stress group vs. no-stress group) on memory performance, _____ is the independent variable and _____ is the dependent variable. A. stress vs. no stress; memory performance B. memory performance; stress vs. no stress C. stress group; no-stress group D. no-stress group; stress group E. number of groups; items correctly recalled

A. stress vs. no stress; memory performance

You are driving down an unfamiliar road at night and an animal darts out in front of your car. You quickly slam on the brakes and avoid hitting the animal. Your ability to respond quickly to this situation was MOST likely promoted by your: A. sympathetic nervous system. B. parasympathetic nervous system. C. spinal reflexes. D. central nervous system. E. somatic nervous system.

A. sympathetic nervous system.

What part of the brain plays an important role in emotional conditioning? A. the amygdala B. the cerebellum C. the nucleus accumbens D. the hippocampus E. the basal ganglia

A. the amygdala

Which theory of emotion can explain why people who are first required to ride an exercise bicycle in a laboratory then find attractive people more attractive, annoying people more annoying, and funny cartoons even funnier? A. two-factor theory B. Cannon-Bard theory C. James-Lange theory D. undifferentiated physiological arousal theory E. classical conditioning theory of emotion

A. two-factor theory

. A/an _____ refers to something that reliably produces a naturally occurring reaction in an organism. A. unconditioned stimulus (US) B. unconditioned response (UR) C. conditioned stimulus (CS) D. conditioned response (CR) E. acquisition

A. unconditioned stimulus (US)

_____ increases the negative effects of stress. A. A sense of control B. A sense of lack of control C. A sense of being challenged D. A sense of not being challenged E. Adrenaline

B. A sense of lack of control

. _____ refers to the fact that each hemisphere in the brain controls the functions of the opposite side of the body. A. Ipsilateral control B. Contralateral control C. Bilateralization D. Hierarchical control E. Homunculus

B. Contralateral control

_____ refers to the meaning of a sentence; _____ refers to how a sentence is worded. A. Surface structure; deep structure B. Deep structure; surface structure C. Syntax; morpheme D. Morpheme; syntax E. Phoneme; morpheme

B. Deep structure; surface structure

. Your friend, Tammy, seems to have problems with her moods. Sometimes she seems really down and in the dumps for long periods of time, and then there are times when she has a lot of energy, doesn't need much sleep, and engages in reckless behavior that jeopardize her physical and financial safety. Tammy is MOST likely to be struggling with which disorder? A. schizophrenia B. bipolar disorder C. antisocial personality disorder D. borderline personality disorder E. obsessive-compulsive disorder

B. bipolar disorder

Remembering what you did over spring break is an example of _____ memory, and remembering how to swim is an example of _____ memory. A. implicit; explicit B. explicit; implicit C. short-term; long-term D. long-term; short-term E. semantic; episodic

B. explicit; implicit

Because Arnold stayed out past his curfew, his parents have taken away his cell phone for the next week. They are trying to shape his behavior using: A. negative reinforcement. B. negative punishment. C. positive reinforcement. D. positive punishment. E. second-order conditioning.

B. negative punishment.

The _____predicts that, when people are kind to us, we will return their kindness. A. norm of equity B. norm of reciprocity C. normative influence model D. normal distribution model E. emotional equity model

B. norm of reciprocity

. Laura finds that she remembered the items best when she grouped them by category. For example, giraffe, lion and frog are animals and bed, sofa and table are furniture items. What encoding strategy is Laura using? A. residual encoding B. organizational encoding C. visual imagery encoding D. elaborative encoding E. sensory encoding

B. organizational encoding

. Janine recently lost her job. Her therapist suggested that Janine spend some time writing about her loss. Janine's therapist is hoping that writing about the event might provide what type of coping mechanism for her? A. rational coping B. reframing C. biofeedback D. repressive coping E. relaxation therapy

B. reframing

Jason hears his roommate talk about his new girlfriend. After hearing that she grew up in California, is blonde, and likes to wear shorts and sandals, Jason figures she's a surfer. Jason's thinking illustrates what concept? A. availability bias B. representativeness heuristic C. conjunction fallacy D. sunk cost effect E. algorithm

B. representativeness heuristic

Money starts out as a neutral conditioned stimulus that, through its association with an unconditioned stimuli, such as acquiring food or shelter, takes on a conditioned emotional element. What type of a reinforcer is money? A. primary B. secondary C. tertiary D. neutral E. discriminative

B. secondary

. When researchers find that increased viewing of television soap operas is associated with increased sexual behavior, they cannot conclude that the TV viewing caused the sexual activity because some other factor, such as lack of parental supervision, might be responsible for both behaviors. This problem is known as the _____ problem. A. demand-characteristic B. third-variable C. poor-operational-definition random-sampling E. normal-distribution

B. third-variable

. _____ refers to the purpose for or cause of an action. A. Affect B. Cognition C. Motivation D. Consciousness E. Emotion

C. Motivation

. Which statement accurately describes the experiences of men and women under stress? A. Men and women both release epinephrine and oxytocin when under stress. B. Men release oxytocin when under stress, but women do not. C. Women release oxytocin when under stress, but men do not. D. Women release epinephrine when under stress, while men release norepinephrine. E. Men release epinephrine when under stress, while women release norepinephrine.

C. Women release oxytocin when under stress, but men do not.

Mary just found out that her senior research project is due one week earlier than she had written down in her planner. According to Hans Selye's work, Mary is probably experiencing the _____ phase. A. exhaustion B. hopelessness C. alarm D. failure E. resistance

C. alarm

A/an _____ refers to something that is initially neutral and produces no reliable response in an organism. A. unconditioned stimulus (US) B. unconditioned response (UR) C. conditioned stimulus (CS) D. conditioned response (CR) E. reward

C. conditioned stimulus (CS)

What is the disorder characterized by excessive worry accompanied by three or more of the following symptoms: restlessness, fatigue, poor concentration, irritability, and sleep disturbance? A. agoraphobia B. claustrophobia C. generalized anxiety disorder D. specific phobia E. panic disorder

C. generalized anxiety disorder

What is the term for learning that occurs without awareness? A. classical conditioning B. observational learning C. implicit learning D. explicit learning E. latent learning

C. implicit learning

. Justin's 4-month-old daughter loves playing with her rattle, but when she rolls out of her crib and onto the floor, she acts as if she doesn't even realize it's gone. According to Piaget, Justin's daughter has NOT yet developed: A. myelination. B. accommodation. C. object permanence. D. theory of mind. E. schemas.

C. object permanence

What concept does the statement, "Depression is defined as significant scores on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)," BEST illustrate? A. hypothesis B. theory C. operational definition D. philosophical empiricism E. method

C. operational definition

A person in Kohlberg's _____ stage of moral development would avoid an action because it would result in their punishment. A. conventional B. postconventional C. preconventional D. autonomous E. heteronomous

C. preconventional

Karla recently found out that her estranged husband is living with another woman. She has immersed herself in her work and her social life with friends and has found a new grocery store for her shopping so that she won't run into him and/or his new partner. What type of strategy is Karla using? A. relaxation therapy B. biofeedback C. repressive coping D. stress inoculation training E. denial

C. repressive coping

Janell holds her hand close to a fire. Her _____ neurons allow her to feel the heat, while her _____ neurons allow her to move her hand away from the fire. A. purkinje; inter- B. inter-; bipolar C. sensory; motor D. motor; sensory E. inter-; motor

C. sensory; motor

What plays an important role in aiding memory consolidation? A. a nutritious diet B. aerobic exercise C. sleep D. alcohol E. caffeine

C. sleep

. Which components make up the major parts of the peripheral nervous system? A. the brain and spinal cord B. the sympathetic and autonomic nervous systems C. the autonomic and somatic nervous systems D. the parasympathetic and central nervous systems E. the central and autonomic nervous systems

C. the autonomic and somatic nervous systems

What term can be used to describe the "no stress" group in a study examining the effects of stress (stress group vs. no-stress group) on memory performance? A. the self-selection group B. the biased group C. the control group D. the experimental group E. the randomized group

C. the control group

People who were asked to hold a pen with their teeth found cartoons funnier than people who were asked to hold the pen with their lips. What concept is illustrated by this finding? A. the universality hypothesis B. the two-factor theory of emotion C. the facial feedback hypothesis D. the emotion regulation hypothesis D. the Cannon-Bard theory of emotion

C. the facial feedback hypothesis

When we are confronted with a threat or challenge, the physiological and emotional response to that threat is known as: A. the general adaptation syndrome. B. the tend-or-befriend response. C. the fight-or-flight response. D. primary appraisal. E. coping response.

C. the fight-or-flight response.

Diseases such as multiple sclerosis usually involve a deterioration of what part of a neuron? A. the cell body B. the dendrites C. the myelin sheath D. the axon E. the nucleus

C. the myelin sheath

What type of consequence of a behavior increases the likelihood of the recurrence of that behavior in the future? A. a punisher B. a neutral stimulus C. conditioned response D. a reinforcer E. a conditioned stimulus

D. a reinforcer

Dr. Billings studies brain-wave patterns that occur when people are dreaming. He attaches a device to the outside of people's skulls to measure electrical activity in the brain. What type of device is he using? A. an MRI B. a PET scan C. a CT scan D. an EEG E. single-cell recording

D. an EEG

. According to Piaget's stages of cognitive development, a child who can think logically about physical objects and events and understands conservation of physical properties is in what stage of cognitive development? A. formal operational B. preoperational C. sensorimotor D. concrete operational E. motor operational

D. concrete operational

. Rhonda works out daily because it makes her feel good. Her friend Denise works out daily so that men will find her attractive. Rhonda is exhibiting _____, while Denise is exhibiting _____. A. bulimia nervosa; anorexia nervosa B. approach motivation; avoidance motivation C. avoidance motivation; approach motivation D. intrinsic motivation; extrinsic motivation E. extrinsic motivation; intrinsic motivation

D. intrinsic motivation; extrinsic motivation

Broca's area is involved in _____, while Wernicke's area is involved in _____. A. language structure; language syntax B. language syntax; language structure C. telegraphic speech; fast mapping D. language production; language comprehension E. language comprehension; language production

D. language production; language comprehension

. In Stanley Milgram's infamous study, _____of the participants delivered the highest level of shock. A. none B. less than 10% C. about 50% D. more than 50% but less than 100% E. 100%

D. more than 50% but less than 100%

There are many reasons that contribute to our attraction to others. One of the BEST predictors in selecting and developing interpersonal and romantic relationships is: A. the mere-exposure effect. B. personality characteristics. C. commonalities in parental behavior. D. physical proximity. E. age.

D. physical proximity.

Damage to this area of the brain can lead people to make riskier decisions. A. Broca's area B. Wernicke's area C. the left temporal lobe D. the prefrontal cortex E. the right temporal lobe

D. the prefrontal cortex

. Which situation is a stressor? A. getting married B. final exams C. a noisy environment D. sitting in traffic E. All of these are stressors.

E. All of these are stressors

. _____ is a hypothetical mental ability that enables people to direct their thinking, adapt to their circumstances, and learn from their experiences. A. Cognition B. Language C. Perception D. Consolidation E. Intelligence

E. Intelligence

. _____ occurs when earlier learning impairs memory for information acquired later. A. Prosopagnosia B. Agnosia C. Retrograde amnesia D. Retroactive interference E. Proactive interference

E. Proactive interference

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, people are unable to experience higher needs until the needs below them have been met. Considering this statement, if someone is unable to experience belongingness and love needs, what needs have NOT been met? A. safety and security needs B. physiological needs C. need for self-actualization D. esteem needs E. both safety and security needs and physiological needs

E. both safety and security needs and physiological needs

What strategy can help circumvent the natural limitation of short-term memory? A. consolidation B. state-dependent retrieval C. transfer-appropriate processing D. serial processing E. chunking

E. chunking

. In Solomon Asch's classic study, 75% of the participants announced wrong answers in a task that required them to state which of three lines matched a "standard line." What psychological principle did the results of Asch's experiment support? A. the door-in-the face technique B. the norm of reciprocity C. attitudinal influence D. temperament influence E. conformity

E. conformity

. People with more_____ have better romantic relationships, are happier, and are more satisfied with their lives. A. intelligence B. two-factor intelligence C. fluid intelligence D. crystallized intelligence E. emotional intelligence

E. emotional intelligence

The occipital lobe is to _____ as the parietal lobe is to _____. A. hearing; vision B. vision; hearing C. touch; hearing D. planning; touch E. vision; touch

E. vision; touch