Pyschology AP Classroom test
Electrically stimulating a rat's amygdala would most likely produce which of the following? A. Calmness B. A coma C. Memory loss D. Aggression E. Sleep
Aggression
Introspection as practiced by early structuralists is best illustrated by which of the following behaviors? A. Describing one's immediate sensations while looking at a rose B. Determining the best way for children to learn in school C. Conditioning an infant to fear rabbits D. Recalling one's unconscious desires E. Creating intelligence tests for use in the military
Describing one's immediate sensations while looking at a rose
A person with damage to Broca's area would most likely demonstrate which of the following symptoms? A. Forgetfulness B. Hearing difficulties C. Difficulty controlling balance and coordination D. Difficulty controlling emotions E. Difficulty with speech production
Difficulty with speech production
In extreme cases, surgically severing the corpus callosum is a treatment for which of the following conditions? A. Schizophrenia B. Epilepsy C. Narcolepsy D. Obsessive-compulsive disorder E. Major depressive disorder
Epilepsy
A psychologist designed a study to test the effects of cell phone use on driving safety. Participants were randomly assigned either to drive an automobile simulator while talking to a friend on a cell phone or to drive a simulator without talking on a phone. Which type of research does the scenario describe? A. Participant observation B. Naturalistic observation C. Correlational D. Case study E. Experimental
Experimental
Which of the following brain structures has the strongest influence on hunger and satiety? A. Hippocampus B. Medulla C. Occipital cortex D. Corpus callosum E. Hypothalamus
Hypothalamus
Which of the following is a disease in which the immune system attacks the myelin of neurons in the central nervous system? A. Parkinson's disease B. Multiple sclerosis C. Schizophrenia D. Epilepsy E. Rett syndrome
Parkinson's disease
The notion that human behavior is greatly influenced by unconscious thoughts and desires is most consistent with which of the following psychological approaches? A. Cognitive B. Biological C. Behavioral D. Sociocultural E. Psychodynamic
Psychodynamic
A researcher surveyed social adjustment in the same group of 20 people from early childhood through adulthood. In this example, the group of 20 people surveyed was the study's A. Sample B. Population C. Operational definition D. Control group E. Randomization
Sample
After sustaining a traumatic injury, Russ is having difficulty comprehending the meaning of words. Which of the following parts of his brain has most likely been damaged? A. The motor cortex B. Wernicke's area C. Suprachiasmatic nucleus D. The somatosensory cortex E. The reticular formation
Wernicke's area
A research design involves two randomly assigned groups of participants. One group receives a one-time treatment, and the other does not. Later, the two groups are compared to see whether the treatment had an effect. Psychologists call this kind of research A. a correlational study B. an experiment C. a case study D. a survey E. a cross-sequential study
an experiment
To determine whether a cause-effect relationship exists between two variables, a researcher must use A. descriptive statistics B. archival data C. naturalistic observation D. an experimental approach E. a correlational study
an experimental approach
Activation of the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system results in A. an increase in salivation B. an increase in digestion C. an increase in respiratory rate D. a decrease in heart rate E. a decrease in pupil dilation
an increase in respiratory rate
John B. Watson is best known as the founder of A. behaviorism B. functionalism C. rationalism D. structuralism E. mechanism
behaviorism
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 A. electroencephalography (EEG) B. computed tomography (CT) C. positron-emission tomography (PET) D. magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) E. functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
electroencephalography (EEG)
The limbic system is most closely associated with A. logic and reasoning B. decision making C. auditory comprehension D. emotions E. sensory sensitivity
emotions
Stimulation of portions of the left temporal lobe of the brain during surgery will cause the patient to A. see light B. lose the sense of smell C. jerk the left arm D. extend the tongue E. hear sounds
hear sounds
The most important reason to use operational definitions in psychological research is it A. helps everyone involved with the research understand and collect data in the same manner. B. assures that the data will be approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). C. allows the researchers to turn a single-blind study into a double-blind study. D. makes sure that the data is collected in an ethical manner. E. allows the researchers to infer causation.
helps everyone involved with the research understand and collect data in the same manner.
In the 1800s, the activist Dorothea Dix led a movement in support of A. eliminating the policy of deinstitutionalization B. adopting the belief that mental disorders occur when people fail to conform to society's expectations C. outlawing the practice of surgical lobotomy D. improving the treatment of patients with mental disorders who were housed in asylums
improving the treatment of patients with mental disorders who were housed in asylums
People who have experienced severe damage to the frontal lobe of the brain seldom regain their ability to A. make and carry out plans B. recognize visual patterns C. process auditory information D. process olfactory information E. integrate their multiple personalities
make and carry out plans
Experimental research differs from correlational research in that experimental research A. may reveal a causal relation B. establishes a mathematical relation C. defines the strength of the relation D. uses a dependent variable E. allows for prediction
may reveal a causal relation
The area of the brain stem that is important in controlling breathing is the A. suprachiasmatic nucleus B. cerebellum C. limbic system D. medulla E. hippocampus
medulla
In psychology, Gestalt principles are used to explain A. statistical probabilities B. somatic behavioral disorders C. perceptual organization D. stimulus-detection thresholds E. altered states of consciousness
perceptual organization
Metabolic activity in different areas of the brain can best be visualized by means of A. magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) B. computed tomography (CT) C. positron emission tomography (PET) D. electroencephalography (EEG) E. electrical stimulation of the brain (ESB)
positron emission tomography (PET)
Of the following, an evolutionary psychologist will most likely investigate the A. age of children when they speak their first words B. speed of an action potential C. reason why many people have an innate fear of the dark D. factors that make a person feel accepted by others E. features of a car that make it easier for a person to operate
reason why many people have an innate fear of the dark
The correlation between two measures obtained on a group of individuals is graphically represented as a A. bar graph B. normal distribution C. histogram D. scatterplot E. frequency polygon
scatterplot
Ben was enjoying a walk in the woods on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. As he went around a curve, he noticed a bear walking toward him. Immediately his pupils dilated, he began to perspire, and his heart accelerated. These changes are most closely related to the function of the A. angular gyrus B. hippocampus C. parasympathetic nervous system D. sympathetic nervous system E. ventricular system
sympathetic nervous system
Cognitive psychologists are most likely to study A. the acquisition of knowledge, planning, and problem solving B. how infants move from basic trust to autonomy C. the conflicts of the conscious and the unconscious D. the relationship of cephalocaudal and proximodistal development E. how attribution processes vary across cultures
the acquisition of knowledge, planning, and problem solving
Damage to a small part of the occipital lobe would most likely result in a A. speech deficit B. visual deficit C. motor deficit D. hearing loss E. slower heart rate
visual deficit
Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system results in which of the following? A. An increase in pupil dilation B. An increase in respiratory rate C. A decrease in digestion D. A decrease in salivation E. A decrease in heart rate
A decrease in heart rate
Damage to the cerebellum would most likely result in which of the following problems? A. Aphasia B. Increased aggression C. A loss of vision D. A loss of motor coordination E. A change in personality
A loss of motor coordination
Which scenario best exemplifies Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection? A. Aaron has larger muscles than Earl because Aaron lifts weights and Earl does not. B. A natural disaster wipes out all of the living creatures on a particular island. C. An ape learns how to use a new tool by observing another ape use that tool. D. A baby spreads out its toes in response to having its foot stroked. E. A mutation in a species of lizards that allows them to better blend into their surroundings leads to greater survival and more offspring possessing this mutation in a later generation.
A mutation in a species of lizards that allows them to better blend into their surroundings leads to greater survival and more offspring possessing this mutation in a later generation.
Research finds that, in general, the higher an incoming college student scores on a given test, the higher the student's college grade point average (GPA). Which of the following best describes this relationship? A. A bimodal distribution B. A normal distribution C. A skewed distribution D. A positive correlation E. A negative correlation
A positive correlation
Reuptake of a neurotransmitter refers to A. absorption of the neurotransmitter into the dendrites of the receiving neuron B. absorption of the neurotransmitter into the terminal buttons of the sending neuron C. release of the neurotransmitter by the soma of the originating neuron D. the rate at which a neurotransmitter is created for use by a neuron E. the rate at which a neurotransmitter is broken down metabolically in the neuron
absorption of the neurotransmitter into the terminal buttons of the sending neuron
Dr. Larson was interested in whether classical music helps students perform better on a test. Dr. Larson randomly assigned half of the study's participants to a group that listened to classical music while taking a test. The other half of the participants did not listen to music while taking a test. The research design Dr. Larson used is A. a case study B. an experiment C. naturalistic observation D. a correlational study E. a survey
an experiment
According to Wilhelm Wundt, the focus of scientific psychology should be the study of A. observable behavior B. conscious experience C. unconscious motivation D. physiology and behavior E. evolved psychological mechanisms
conscious experience
One major objection to the early Skinnerian approach to psychology is that it A. did not take into account internal thoughts and feelings B. did not take into account overt physical behaviors C. did not take into account accumulated experiences D. focused primarily on childhood experiences E. focused primarily on the unconscious
did not take into account internal thoughts and feelings
Jane Goodall lived among wild chimpanzees intermittently for decades, studying their social and family systems while keeping her interaction with the chimpanzees to a minimum. Her research method can most accurately be described as A. survey B. case study C. experiment D. correlational research E. naturalistic observation
naturalistic observation