APP Exam Flashcards
When asked which of the 2 countries has a larger population, participants are likely to judge the country that is more familiar to them as being more populous. Which of the following best explains the finding?
the availability heuristic
An individual with damage to Wernicke’s area is most likely to have difficulty
comprehending a spoken request for information
The psychoanalytic concept of repression suggests a difficulty in the functioning of which aspect of memory?
retrieval
Which psychologist reported that infant attachment to another goes beyond the satisfaction of the need for nourishment?
Harry Harlow
Edward L. Thorndike argued that responses lead to satisfying outcomes are more likely to be repeated, and that responses followed by unpleasant outcomes are less likely to be repeated. This became known as the law of
effect
When trying to solve a problem, Bret uses a logical, step-by-step formula called
an algorithm
It is well established that certain autonomic responses such as heart rate, perspiration, and respiration change under stress. In view of the fact that people generally have stronger autonomic responses when lying than when telling the truth, it follows that the polygraph would be a foolproof approach to lie detection. Which statement best explains why the polygraph is not more widely used in courtrooms and in testing of job applicants?
physiological arousal is much the same for several emotions, so the polygraph cannot always reliably distinguish guilt from other reactions
The principles of operant conditioning are best illustrated by
a token economy to reinforce adaptive behaviors
A man is feeling depressed about his inability to support his family after losing his job. The fact that the patient is currently unemployed is coded on which axis in the DSM-5?
Axis IV
Researchers find that there is a significant, positive correlation between the number of hours students sleep and their grades. The researchers would be justified in concluding that
students who earn good grades tend to sleep more than those who do not
In phase one of a study, a researcher classically conditions a dog to salivate to the ringing of a bell. In the second phase, the researcher pairs a flashing light with the ringing of the bell. After several pairings of the light and the bell, the dog will
salivate when the light is flashed
Jason is attending a parade that features the local high school band. Jason’s friend Brent plays the trombone in the band. It is difficult for Jason to hear Brent play at the parade. Which of the following would best allow Jason to hear Brent’s trombone?
selective attention
A statistical technique that would allow a researcher to cluster such traits as being talkative, social, and adventurous with extroversion is called
factor analysis
Ralph is aware that smoking is harmful to his health, but he continues to smoke. According to cognitive dissonance theory, it is most likely that Ralph will
focus on the social advantages to smoking
Curare blocks action at acetylcholine synapses and causes paralysis. This drug is an example of an
antagonist
Which of the following is a type of medication that has been linked to the side effect of tardive dyskinesia?
neuroleptics
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
sample
Which theoretical perspective in psychology attempts to characterize the way in which humans store and process sensory information?
cognitive
Gestalt psychology is concerned primarily with understanding which of the following?
perception
During the night, Alicia stops breathing repeatedly, requently gasps for air, and snores loudly at regular intervals, Alicia is most likely suffering from which of the following conditions?
sleep apnea
All summer Thomas hears the sound of the ice cream truck approaching before his brother Oscar hears it. Thomas most likely has which of the following?
a lower absolute threshold for hearing than Oscar
A therapist who emphasizes helping clients to identify and change irrational beliefs that underlie feelings of anxiety is using which therapeutic technique?
rational-emotive behavior therapy
Julio has fragmented thinking and distorted false beliefs. Which of the following psychological disorders is Julio most likely experiencing?
schizophrenia
Which of the following statements best describes the role of biological processes in classical conditioning?
certain aspects are biologically predisposed to learn particular associations that enhance survival
Respondents to surveys and questionnaires often report that they are healthier, happier, and less prejudiced than would be expected based on the results of other types of research. This finding can best be explained by which of the following?
the social desirability
Synesthesia is a phenomenon that has been estimated to occur in only a few people in a million. Because of its rarity, researchers are likely to choose which research method to study it?
case study
Paula lacks self-confidence. She has a difficult time expressing disagreement with others, and she usually lets friends make decisions for her. Others have commented that they do not know who the “real” Paula is. With which of the following personality disorders might Paula be diagnosed?
dependent
Chuck recalls the day last summer when he fell off bicycle and scraped his knee. This is an example of
episodic memory
Researcher Renee Baillargeon found that four-month-old infants will look longer at a ball if it appears to roll through a solid barrier, demonstrating that babies seem to grasp basic physical laws intuitively. Which of the following theories does this finding challenge?
Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development
In vision, transduction occurs within the
retina
In a classic study, a group of rats learned to run through a maze to obtain food, and another group of rats explored the maze without receiving food. Some time later, the researcher compared the two groups of rats to determine if both groups would find the food at the end of the maze. According to the researcher, the untrained rats found the food at the end of the maze as quickly as the trained rats as a result of
latent learning
During a psychology experiment, researcher uses a probe to lesion the ventromedial nucleus of a rat’s hypothalamus. After the procedure the rat most likely will
eat more and gain weight
When a person is suffering from severe pain, the type of drug that will best help alleviate that pain is
an opiate
The defense mechanism of projection is best illustrated by which of following examples?
a soccer player who does not have much athletic skill constantly criticizes other athletes’ performances
Damage to the occipital lobe would most likely affect a person’s
vision
