2015 Exam October-November Flashcards
Consider the following statements.
a) Thabo: “You know, as far as I’m concerned this talk about internal mental processes is
unscientific. Everybody knows that we can only conduct psychological research by
concentrating on actual, explicitly observable and quantifiable behaviours.”
b) Jeanette: “I don’t agree with you. I think that it is scientifically valid to construct theories
of internal mental processes if these theories are tested against empirical data.”
Given the assumptions they make about studying human cognition in a scientific manner,
contemporary cognitive psychologists are likely to agree with ___.
1) a, but not b
2) b, but not a
3) a and b
4) neither of the two statements
2) b, but not a
Reasoning: In cognitive psychology, empirical data and theories are both important. Theories are
empty without empirical data, and data in cognitive psychology can only be understood in the
context of an explanatory theory. Therefore option 4 is incorrect.
Aristotle’s empiricist approach to the investigation of the mind and reality was based on the belief that one acquires knowledge through \_\_\_. 1) logical analysis 2) introspection 3) experience and observation 4) spiritual insight
3) experience and observation
Reasoning: Aristotle was an empiricist that believes that we acquire knowledge through empirical
evidence – that is, we obtain evidence through experience and observation.
Which of the following examples is most analogous to the goal of the structuralist movement in
psychology?
1) Scientists study an entire assembled jigsaw puzzle in order to understand each of the pieces
2) Scientists look at how the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle fit together in order to understand the
assembling process.
3) Scientists look at each piece of jigsaw puzzle in order to understand the whole puzzle as assembled.
4) Scientists study the different ways a jigsaw puzzle can be assembled to form different
images.
3) Scientists look at each piece of jigsaw puzzle in order to understand the whole puzzle as assembled.
Reasoning: Structuralism seeks to understand the structure (configuration of elements) of the
mind and its perceptions by analyzing those perceptions into their constituent components.
Pavlov’s landmark experiment in which dogs salivate at the sight of the person who feeds them provides an example of \_\_\_. 1) classically conditioned learning 2) instrumental learning 3) social learning 4) operant conditioning
1) classically conditioned learning
Reasoning: Pavlov said the dogs were demonstrating classical conditioning. He summed it up like
this: there’s a neutral stimulus (the bell), which by itself will not produce a response, like
salivation. There’s also a non-neutral or unconditioned stimulus (the food), which will produce an
unconditioned response (salivation).
Lesiba says that in order to understand cognitive processes we need to look at the brain to see how
it functions. Ayami disagrees and argues that we must look at how people perform on various
cognitive tasks. This disagreement illustrates a debate in psychology concerning ___.
1) Validity of inference vs behavioural methods
2) Nature vs nurture
3) Biological vs behavioural methods
4) Rationalism vs empiricism
3) Biological vs behavioural methods
Reasoning: We can try to synthesize biological and behavioural methods so that we understand
cognitive phenomena at multiple levels of analysis.
A psychologist place electrodes at various places on a subject’s scalp and makes recordings of eventrelated
potentials (ERPs) while the subject is engaged in a problem-solving task. Afterwards the
psychologist analyses the ERPs on a computer. The psychologist’s procedure illustrates ___.
1) the gestalt school’s approach to analyzing mental phenomena in terms of their holistic
features
2) cognitive neuroscience research
3) artificial intelligence research
4) the behaviourist methodology
2) cognitive neuroscience research
Adrian has been diagnosed as suffering from Parkinson’s disease and experiences difficulty in
planning and executing motor behaviours. The neurologist examining Adrian prescribed a drug, LDOPA,
to increase the level of the neurotransmitter ___, and this has helped to reduce Adrian’s
symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. However, since taking the drug Adrian spends most of his free
time playing poker and gambling on the internet.
1) serotonin
2) acetylcholine
3) GABA
4) dopamine
4) dopamine
Reasoning: Parkinson’s disease develops in the substantia nigra part of the brain when the cells
begin to die. These cells produce dopamine and the loss of dopamine in the brain leads to issues
with movement. However, there are behavioural side effects, such as impulsive and compulsive
behaviors during dopamine replacement treatment in Parkinson’s Disease and other disorders.
Sonia lies in a hospital bed and is unable to wake up. Scans of her brain show damage to the ___
which is important for regulating the overall level of arousal and consciousness.
1) corpus callosum
2) amygdala
3) reticular activating system
4) medulla oblangata
3) reticular activating system
Reasoning: The reticular activating system is important in controlling consciousness (sleep
arousal), attention, cardiorespiratory function and movement.
Which neurotransmitter is important for regulating impulsivity and is also associated with some
types of anorexia, and with aggressive behavior?
1) Acetylcholine
2) Dopamine
3) GABA
4) Serotonin
4) Serotonin
Reasoning: Serotonin plays an important role in eating behavior and body weight regulation. High
serotonin levels play a role in some types of anorexia, specifically anorexia resulting from illness or
treatment of illness. Serotonin is also involved in aggression and regulation of impulsivity. Drugs
that block serotonin tend to result in an increase in aggressive behavior.
Split brain patients have had their a) surgically removed, to prevent b)
1) a) optic chiasma; b) prosopagnosia
2) a) thalamic nuclei; b) Parkinson’s tremors
3) a) corpus callosum; b) epileptic seizures
4) a) hypothalamus; b) endocrinic abnormalities and hypothermia
3) a) corpus callosum; b) epileptic seizures
Reasoning: The procedure involves severing the corpus callosum, the main bond between the
brain’s left and right hemispheres. After a split-brain surgery the two hemispheres do not
exchange information as efficiently as before. The split-brain phenomenon is usually the result of
a surgery to treat refractory epilepsy.
This particular type of metabolic imaging technique uses a radioactive form of glucose that emits
positions as it is metabolized to look at the psychological functioning of the brain in action. It
monitors increase in blood flow to particular parts of the brain.
1) Electroencephalograms (EEGs)
2) Glucose Metabolism Tomography (GMT)
3) Positron emission tomography (PET)
4) ERPs
3) Positron emission tomography (PET)
Damage to the hippocampus due to thiamine (Vitamin B-1) deficiency can result in a loss of memory
function in which an individual is still able to recall information learned in the past, but is unable to
form new memories. This is known as ___.
1) Benzine syndrome
2) apraxia
3) aphasia
4) Korsakoff’s syndrome
4) Korsakoff’s syndrome
Reasoning: Korsakoff syndrome is a chronic memory disorder caused by severe deficiency of
thiamine (vitamin B-1). Korsakoff syndrome is most commonly caused by alcohol misuse, but
certain other conditions also can cause the syndrome.
This perceptual deficit is thought of in terms of damage to the ‘’how’’ visual pathway, and results in
difficulties with using one’s visual system to guide one’s own movements.
1) achromacy
2) akinetopsia
3) optic ataxia
4) apoptosis
3) optic ataxia
Reasoning: People with this deficit have trouble reaching for things. The “how” pathway is
impaired.
___ refers to instances in perception where we (unconsciously) divide visual information into two
parts in which some of the information appears closer and better defined while the rest of the
information appears further away and de-emphasized.
1) Object specification
2) Binocular depth cues
3) Decompositional analysis
4) Figure-ground
4) Figure-ground
Reasoning: Figure-ground refers to what stands out from versus what recedes into the
background.
Melanie has a peculiar perceptual deficit. She cannot recognize familiar faces, and she claims that
even close relatives are complete strangers and that she has never seen them before. Melanie
probably suffers from ___.
1) protanopia
2) prosopagnosia
3) simultagnosia
4) akinetopsia
2) prosopagnosia
Reasoning: Prosopagnosia is a neurological disorder characterized by the inability to recognize
faces. Prosopagnosia is also known as face blindness or facial agnosia. The term prosopagnosia
comes from the Greek words for “face” and “lack of knowledge.”
