Study Questions - Midterm I

Jethro recently had to undergo a "routine" brain surgery to fix problems he had been having with motor control. A few days after his surgery he started having complications that the doctors didn't tell him about. A doctor has come to his home to monitor him. What kind of research is this? a. case study b. naturalistic observation c. survey d. experiment

a. case study

A dotted line appears to form the image of a cube. What type of object recognition is this? a. closure b. continuation c. proximity d. similarity

a. closure

Rebecca saw the picture above in a flyer at school. When looking at the picture she first noticed the white apple logo and then noticed the silhouette in the background shortly afterward. These observations are an example of _____ from Gestalt Psychology. a. figure/ground b. closure c. proximity d. continuation

a. figure/ground

Natasha wants to conduct an experiment studying the effects of lack of sleep on people's test-taking abilities. She wants to make sure however that she is following the ethical guidelines for conducting an experiment. What should Natasha do when trying to follow the ethical guidelines? a. inform the participants about the experiment they will be subjects in b. publish her work with some borrowed information mixed in c. do not alert the participant if deception is occurring d. put the participant under stress in order to complete the experiment

a. inform the participants about the experiment they will be subjects in

After being caught trespassing on school property, each of the three boys were asked independently to give an account of what they were doing that night. However, each boy gave a drastically different story, and the authorities knew they were lying. The three stories the boys delivered could be considered to have poor _____ reliability. a. inter-rater b. test-retest c. inter-method d. internal-consistency

a. inter-rater

Henry is tired of so many studies of hangriness reporting such different results. To get a big picture understanding of this topic, he could conduct a _____, which analyzes the results of many studies together in one study. a. meta-analysis b. random sample c. case study d. null hypothesis

a. meta-analysis

Parker is experiencing problems with his left visual field in just his left eye. His neurologist says there is nothing wrong with his primary visual cortex or other brain structure. What would you check next? a. optic nerve b. retina c. cornea d. lens

a. optic nerve

The system that is responsible for you wanting to do nothing else except nap after your Thanksgiving meal is the... a. parasympathetic nervous system b. enteric nervous system c. endocrine system d. sympathetic nervous system

a. parasympathetic nervous system

Kristen tested a theory and through her own experiment and research found that the theory was incorrect. She asked other experts to examine her research before its publication. Kristen checked her research through... a. peer review b. replication c. case study d. naturalistic observation

a. peer review

After looking into buying a new volkswagen beetle, Sheryl suddenly begins to notices so many more beetles on the road than ever before. Assuming there is the same average number of beetle drives out there, what concept could account for these observations? a. signal detection b. bottom-up processing c. difference threshold d. transduction

a. signal detection

Because of the body's tendency to adapt, Miguel has to consistently increase the amount of the psychoactive drug he uses to reach the same high; this can be described as _____. a. tolerance b. withdrawal c. addiction d. poor life choices

a. tolerance

Lisa sees a dark cloud in the sky and thinks to herself, "I should bring an umbrella with me when I leave." This is an example of _____. a. top-down processing b. bottom-up processing c. sensory adaptation d. sensation

a. top-down processing

A neuron is relaying electrical signals down its axon at an unusually slow rate. It is likely that there is a lack of myelin covering the axon. a. true b. false

a. true

A study can be considered cross-sectional if the measurements are taken from many people but at only one point in time. a. true b. false

a. true

An fMRI, or functional magnetic resonance imaging, is a contemporary method for identifying which particular structures of the brain are associated with specific behaviors. a. true b. false

a. true

Billy noticed that he had to turn his radio dial up two notches before he noticed the volume was any louder. The two notch requirement is an example of a difference threshold. a. true b. false

a. true

Charlie and Elizabeth both notice a flash of lightning outside. Charlie comments on how bright the flash was, and Elizabeth comments that the bolt looked kind of like a neuron reaching from the sky to the ground. Charlie's comment describes sensation, whereas Elizabeth's describes perception. a. true b. false

a. true

Circadian rhythms can change as we age; therefore, you would expect someone who is elderly to have a different sleep pattern than a teenager. a. true b. false

a. true

Dr. Richards has established a body of research that *reliably explains* the relationship between weather patterns and bird migration. This research is best described as a theory. a. true b. false

a. true

Joan's concussion left her with difficulties in decision-making, behavioral control, and motor movement. It is likely that her frontal lobe was affected. a. true b. false

a. true

Kristen discovers that there indeed was a variable she did not mean to measure, which led to her invalid conclusions. This type of variable is often called a confounding. a. true b. false

a. true

The theory that suggests dreams are simply products of your brain interpreting the signals coming from your sleeping body is the activation-synthesis theory. a. true b. false

a. true

To ensure that Kristen's results were not because of some other factor she did not consider, she could choose to engage in the process of replication. a. true b. false

a. true

When Paul measured the average income of a group of individuals, he found that most of them were somewhere around the "average", while several where much higher or much lower. If you looked at Paul's data in a graph, you would expect it to form a normal distribution. a. true b. false

a. true

In The Office, Jim fills Dwight's phone with one penny every day, which Dwight does not notice. After several weeks of this, Jim removes all the pennies in one day and Dwight hits himself in the face with his phone. The concept of _____ is what allowed Jim to do this without Dwight noticing. a. signal detection b. absolute threshold c. sensory adaptation d. psychophysics

b. absolute threshold

Kristie has just ingested a substance that simultaneously decreases her inhibition and increases her reward system processes, and now she is experience some balance issues. The substance she consumed is most likely _____. a. ecstasy b. alcohol c. opioids d. nicotine

b. alcohol

If you had to pick out the one white dog in a group of black dogs, this would be an example of _____. a. sensory adaptation b. bottom-up processing c. transduction d. top-down processing

b. bottom-up processing

Anna wants to see how eating chocolate bars affects running endurance. She has 30 runners maintain a steady pace for as long as they could. Of these 30 runners, 15 are randomly assigned to eat chocolate bars for 10 minutes before the test. What is the independent variable? a. 15 runners b. chocolate bars c. running endurance d. random assignment

b. chocolate bars

Marsha just returned from a business trip overseas, but she has noticed over the past few days that she is always hungry for breakfast around dinner time and frequently wakes up in the middle of the night wanting a snack. Her _____ is/are most likely the issue. a. self-awareness b. circadian rhythm c. stages of sleep d. sleep terrors

b. circadian rhythm

It has been shown that when music sales increase, wild fire rates increase as well. This relationship would be described as... a. valid b. correlational c. reliable d. causal

b. correlational

During a study on working memory, researchers discovered that Brian's brain activity actually decreased in certain areas when he engaged in a problem-solving task; however, these same areas increased in activation after he finished and was just waiting for his scores. The _____ is likely the mechanism that accounts for these findings. a. biological clock b. default mode network c. rapid eye movement d. gamma waves

b. default mode network

What is the correct order of structures through which an electrical signal is passed through in the neuron? a. nucleus, dendrites, axon, synapse b. dendrites, nucleus, axon, synapse c. axon, dendrites, nucleus, synapse d. synapse, nucleus, axon, dendrites

b. dendrites, nucleus, axon, synapse

Susan is making a study of how a pharmaceutical drug influences the social interactions in the life of students. To ensure that the student expectations as well as her own biases do not influence the findings, she will design the study so that neither her nor the students know whether they are getting an active drug or a fake. This is an example of a _____ a. placebo effect b. double-blind c. dependent variable d. random assignment

b. double-blind

Hemisphere dominance, or brain lateralization, can account for your specific creative abilities, aptitudes, and interests. a. true b. false

b. false

The Central Nervous System, which consists of the brain and spinal cord, is only active when you need to rest or digest. a. true b. false

b. false

There is nothing unethical about using deception, only when it is in the informed consent stage. a. true b. false

b. false

If Emily is having trouble with the lens in her right eye, she is probably having difficulty... a. processing fine detail b. focusing on objects near or off in the distance c. processing her peripheral vision d. adjusting to bright lights

b. focusing on objects near or off in the distance

Researchers want to know if students are happier on Fridays than on Mondays. What process must they go through before they can measure the students' levels of happiness in a meaningful way? a. meta-analysis b. operationalization c. validity d. longitudinal study

b. operationalization

Hugo was hospitalized for a drug overdose. The effects of this drug produced feelings of euphoria, reduced anxiety, and reductions in pain sensation. What type drug was he likely taking? a. caffeine b. opioid c. LSD d. meth

b. opioid

After an action potential is sent through a neuron, there is a phase called the _____ when it cannot send another action potential. a. reuptake b. refractory period c. depolarization d. synaptic gap

b. refractory period

In a lab, a group completes an experiment five times. The group aims to get a result of 15mL. Their data are as follows: 10, 11, 10, 10, 11. Their results could be considered... a. reliable and valid b. reliable but not valid c. valid and reliable d. neither reliable nor valid

b. reliable but not valid

Emily holds her index finger up between her eyes; about an inch from her nose. With both eyes open, she centers her finger with the apple on the desk. She then alternates closing her right eye and then her left eye -- keeping her finger between her eyes. As she does this, her finger appears to actually move from one side of the apple to the other. The concept of _____ explains why this phenomenon happens. a. relative size b. retinal disparity c. monocular cues d. figure/foreground

b. retinal disparity

Jenny was walking home from school as she did everyday and when she got home she watched the news and saw that there had been a robbery on the same street that she walked home on. Jenny honestly did not remember seeing anything different and couldn't believe that she had missed it. Why did she have a problem remembering her walk home? a. bottom-up processing b. sensory adaptation c. signal detection d. absolute threshold

b. sensory adaptation

Johnsey struggles to tell the difference between the gray-colored holds and the purple-colored holds while rock climbing. Assuming there ins't anything else significantly wrong with her, whatever is happening with Johnsey's color perception can best be explained by the... a. opponent process theory b. trichromatic theory c. gestalt theory d. hierarchical model

b. trichromatic theory

After being treated, Hugo remains in the hospital for observation. Specifically, the doctors are worried about _____, in which Hugo would experience a physical response due to the removal of this habitually administered drug. a. tolerance b. withdrawal c. addiction d. some other fourth thing

b. withdrawal

George decides it's more efficient to take 7-8 one hour naps per day than to sleep for a solid 7-8 hours. Though he is getting the same amount of sleep on average, he begins to get sick, feel fatigued, and lose focus during the day. This is probably because he isn't reaching the _____ stage of sleep. a. first b. fourth c. REM d. N-REM

c. REM

In the scenario with Jessica, the _____ in her brain is the specific structure that would be working with this part of the nervous system. a. cerebellum b. amygdala c. basal ganglia d. nucleus accumbens

c. basal ganglia

Jerry is wearing a Halloween costume which includes a fake arrow going through his head. His four-year-old brother had never seen this before and actually thought Jerry had an arrow through his head. What Gestalt principle can account for this misperception? a. closure b. proximity c. continuation d. figure/foreground

c. continuation

Jeremy wants to find out what the most commonly worn color is at an OSU football game so that he knows what to wear when he attends the university next year. Which is the best descriptive method for Jeremy to use? a. case study b. survey c. naturalistic observation d. experiment

c. naturalistic observation

Shane is stuck at a red light for a long time. He alternates between staring at the unchanging red light and texting his girlfriend. Every time he looks at his phone screen, he swears he can see a green circle for a few seconds. What accounts for this? a. trichromatic theory b. sensory adaptation c. opponent process theory d. signal detection

c. opponent process theory

Claire, a normal snorer, has been having trouble sleeping recently and asks her friend to see if something is wrong while she is sleeping. Claire's friend tells her that she seems to stop breathing for a minute while she sleeps and wakes up gasping. What sleeping disorder does Claire have? a. insomnia b. sleep terrors c. sleep apnea d. narcolepsy

c. sleep apnea

Jessica was on her way to the dental office and began walking in from the car. On her way to the doctor, there was a pothole with a puddle of water. She decided to walk around this puddle so she did not get wet. What part of the nervous system was used to control this movement? a. automatic nervous system b. sympathetic nervous system c. somatic nervous system d. enteric nervous system

c. somatic nervous system

During her sleep study, doctors identify a problem in Gina's brainwave patterns where you would usually see K-complexes and sleep spindles. What stage(s) of sleep will this most likely effect? a. REM sleep b. stage 1 c. stage 2 d. stage 3-4

c. stage 2

A newspaper article reads, "Late night caloric intake associated with mood dysregulation leads to major depressive disorder." What type of research method must have been used to conduct this study? a. case study b. correlational study c. survey d. experiment

d. experiment

It's past lunch time and you are sitting in class starving, waiting for class to be over so you can feast. The part of your brain responsible for letting you know you're hungry is the... a. hippocampus b. basal ganglia c. cingulate cortex d. hypothalamus

d. hypothalamus

Randy drove his bike through a puddle and got soaked. He wants to find a way to stop this from happening again. He thinks if he puts fenders on his bike then they will keep him from getting soaked the next time. This is an example of... a. peer review b. case study c. survey d. hypothesis

d. hypothesis

Jake had never smoked a cigarette, but on his 18th birthday he bought his first pack. Now he smokes one pack every day. What structure, indicated in addiction and reward processing, has likely led to his behavior. a. reticular formation b. broca's area c. basal ganglia d. nucleus accumbens

d. nucleus accumbens

Erica had been recently overeating out of nowhere; however, she realized she had been getting only four hours of sleep each night, and the lack of sleep may have been the cause. Which neurotransmitter is in charge of regulating sleep, appetite, and mood could be affecting Erica? a. acetylcholine b. endorphins c. dopamine d. serotonin

d. serotonin

Jamie went out with his friends to the club. He had a couple of alcoholic beverages and on his way home could not maintain proper balance or motor coordination. Which structure of the brain is being affected in this instance? a. the pons b. the medulla c. the thalamus d. the cerebellum

d. the cerebellum

Paul was recently in a car accident where he was hit by a drunk driver. After waking from his coma, he was startled to discover that he was unable to recognize his friends and family members. He also was having difficulty understanding what people were saying to him. What part of his brain was likely to have been damaged in the car accident? a. the occipital lobe b. the parietal lobe c. the frontal lobe d. the temporal lobe

d. the temporal lobe