Altius FL 2 Test Psych/Soc Flashcards
1.) Which conclusion is NOT compatible with the masking hypothesis?
Wrong. What does the passage define masking hypothesis to be? What ways can that definition of masking hypothesis be restatated? If the restatement affects the definition of the term, then it is something that is a major concern.
5.) A large positive value on the y-axis of either graph in Figure 1 indicates:
Wrong. The trick here is to recognize that it was a difference and recognize that or read closely to figure that out.
7.) Based on passage information and the data in Figure 1, facial individuation training:
Wrong. The reason for not doing well here stems from the same issue as in 5, it was understanding the flow of the experiment and passage numbers. That would have decreased the failure here.
10.) A patient reports having eaten a pineapple from which she developed food poisoning. The patient now experiences nausea at the sight of pineapple. This patient has an aversion to pineapple because she has been:
Wrong. Definition of terms because it is what will be the defining move.
13.) Do the data cited in the correlational study support the assertion that there is no causal link between personality traits and political attitudes?
While correlations do not prove causality, if one variable causes another variable, one should expect for the two to be correlated. Therefore, while proof of causality can never be established through correlations, strong correlations are expected to accompany causal relationships. In this case, the vast majority of correlations are not significant. In the cases where significant correlations are observed, they account for very small levels of variation. All of this information strengthens the argument that there is no causal link between personality and political attitudes. Choice B is incorrect because a correlation, no matter how large, cannot speak to causality in and of itself. Choice C is incorrect because a few significant correlations do not indicate causality, especially in this case, where they are only seen for sub-portions of political attitudes. Choice D is incorrect because, as stated, the correlations were few and the effects were weak. Squaring the correlations would give the r2 values, which account for variance, and in all cases that number would be extremely small. Even if r2 values were quite large, that would not “prove” causality; though it would support it.
15.) Making test-retest comparisons every five years provided the researchers with a measure of:
Test-retest comparisons provide information about reliability. Answer A is incorrect because fatigue effects refer to decreased performance as a function of repeated testing. No such relationship was observed in this study, or if it was, it was not mentioned in the passage. Answer B is incorrect because practice effects refer to enhanced performance as a function of repeated testing. As with fatigue effects, no mention was made of this phenomenon. Answer D is incorrect because validity refers to the degree to which an instrument measures what it’s supposed to measure. Retesting using the same instrument cannot change or demonstrate the validity of the instrument, but it can establish that the instrument is reliably generating the same results.
21.) Which conclusion about the relationship between gratitude and affect is best supported by the results of Study 2?
Wrong. Choice D is the best answer. Study 2 demonstrated that eating ice cream, completing the gratitude activity, or completing the combined activity, all increased positive affect significantly. However, none of these three activities had a significantly different impact on positive affect. This was likely surprising to the researchers because if both conditions positively influenced positive affect, it would seem plausible that both of them combined would have an additive effect. These facts make Answer D correct and eliminate Answer B because the combined activity did increase positive affect, it just did not increase it any more than doing either activity individually. Answers A and C can be eliminated because the passage states that none of the conditions tested had a significant impact on negative affect.
The trick here is that B is wrong because the focus says affect instead of negative affect. Also, additive or the opposite simply means that addition of this or vice-versa has an additional effect more than it was reported.
22.) Suppose researchers want to determine how physical activity impacts positive affect. To examine physical activity as a second independent variable in this study, which of the following additional components is necessary?
Wrong. The trick here is that independent variables are manipulated or changed while dependent variables are measured. That is the caveat.
28.) Which conclusion about healthcare delivery can be drawn from the research in the passage?
Wrong. The trick here is to use or treat the wording of the answers appropriately. The first is that the passage never mentions anything about causality, as such anything in the options that suggest otherwise should be eliminated on that basis. The key or factor is that there is correlations but the options should be picked in that manner.
32.) One of the participants from Study 2 was already in a heightened state of arousal when the study began. If the cold pressor task resulted in hyper-arousal beyond the optimum level described by the Yerkes-Dodson Law, for this participant only:
Wrong. The trick here is recognizing the effects meaning of difference and contrast threshold which is what I think would have been the difference like in ALPS above. Contrast threshold that is large is bad and difference threshold that is large is bad too. Recognize these.
35.) The improved visual acuity demonstrated by participants in the arousal group is most likely the result of post-treatment changes to which structure?
Wrong. The trick here is recognizing that the function is in the level of the processing and not in the obtaining of light and as such the answer will be related to that which fits this description.
The information in the passage suggests reduced thresholds for stereopsis, or depth perception, using binocular disparity. This effect cannot be traced to physiological changes or differences in any part of the eye (lens, retina, etc.). Logically, it can be deduced that arousal would not change the actual structure of the retina in a way that could improve acuity (i.e., increase cone density), nor does it seem logical that the cornea changes its normal function after arousal. These observations eliminate Answers A and D. The effect is most likely cerebral in nature and based upon some aspect of neurological arousal. However, the effect could not be traced to the auditory cortex because this brain region perceives sound, not light. Therefore, Answer B is the only plausible answer.
37.) Anagrams are words formed by rearranging the letters of another word, such as the word P-E-A being rearranged to spell A-P-E. Solving an anagram by systematically attempting every possible combination for each letter is an example of which approach to problem solving?
Algorithms involve a systematic process by which one is guaranteed to arrive at a solution to a problem. Ordering the letters into all possible combinations would represent this approach to problem solving. Answer B is incorrect. Framing refers to the idea that the way in which a situation is posed can affect decisions made about that situation. Answer choice C is also incorrect. Heuristics are techniques that allow an individual to look for an answer to a particular problem. Generally, heuristics are much more efficient than algorithms, but they don’t guarantee that a solution will be found. Answer D is incorrect. Insight refers to a sudden realization of how to solve a given problem. Unlike algorithms and heuristics, framing involves no strategy-based approach to problem solving.
39.) Biological predisposition is important in explaining some forms of associative learning, such as the phenomenon that taste stimuli are particularly easy to associate with:
Biological predisposition describes the observation that certain types of associations are more easily made. In classic experiments, Garcia and Koelling (1966) demonstrated that rats easily formed associations between taste stimuli and feelings of nausea. However, the rats were much less likely to form associations between taste stimuli and electric shock. This makes Answer D the best choice. Answer A is false because although salivation may be impacted by biological predisposition, electric shock will not be. Answer B is false because it too contains electric shock. Answer C is false because it reverses the logical order, suggesting that electric shock is easy to pair with taste stimuli, which it is not.
41.) If sleep is required for consolidation, and consolidation is thought to be responsible for false memories of the critical lure words, in Phase 1 researchers most likely expected false memory rate to be highest for:
This was tricky. The question was tricky and in the future, pay attention to the question and RELAX!!!
51.) Based on the research discussed in the passage, which conclusion about institutional involvement in the medicalization of ADHD is LEAST supported?
Constant review of this questoion. I get it though.
Remember that this is a LEAST question type, so we are looking for the answer that is LEAST supported by passage information. Answer D is correct because the passage clearly states that although the sum of the other contributing factors caused linear increases in ADHD case reports, listing in the DSM caused an exponential growth in case reports. Because official recognition by the psychology community clearly had the greatest impact, stating that it was only a “minor” contributor is the LEAST supported conclusion. Answers A and B are both false because article mentions of ADHD contributed only to the linear growth that existed prior to listing of ADHD in the DSM. Answer C can be eliminated because self-help and advocacy groups are only mentioned briefly in this summary article, so it is actually quite plausible that they were only minor contributors to the medicalization of ADHD.
