Exam 1 Flashcards
1
Q
- The definition of psychology has evolved over the past 130 years to mean:
A
: The scientific study of behavior and mental processes
2
Q
- The branch of psychology that studies the relationship between behavior and bodily processes and systems is known as:
A
: biological psychology
3
Q
- The decision-making model known as the______, involves evaluating all the alternatives, one characteristic at a time, starting with the most important feature and scratching each alternative off the list of possible choices if it fails to meet the criterion
A
Elimination-by-aspects mode
4
Q
- _______ is the scientific study of the nervous system.
A
Neuroscience
5
Q
- Edward Titchener (1867–1927) started a school of thought in psychology called:
A
structuralism
6
Q
- Louis forgot to bring his pillow when he went camping for the weekend, so he spent a very uncomfortable night. It didn’t occur to him that he could use his down-filled jacket as a pillow. This example best illustrates
A
functional fixedness
7
Q
- Often resembling the branches of a tree, which of the following are the short fibers extending from the neuron’s cell body that receive information from other neurons or from sensory receptor cells?
A
dendrites
8
Q
- Responsible for carrying information from the neuron to other cells in the body (including other neurons), the _____ is a single, elongated tube that extends from the cell body in most neurons.
A
axon
9
Q
- The heuristic by which we estimate an event’s likelihood of happening by comparing how similar its essential features are to our prototype of the event is called the _____heuristic.
A
representative
10
Q
- The brief electrical impulse by which information is transmitted along the axon of a neuron is called a(n)
A
action potential
11
Q
the minimum level of stimulation required to activate a particular neuron is called the _____ threshold
A
stimulus
12
Q
the early school of psychology called functionalsm was largely influenced by the ideas of
A
William James
13
Q
- Functionalism differs primarily from structuralism in that functionalism emphasized
A
the function of behavior and mental experiences
14
Q
- The decision-making strategy known as the _____model, involves basing a decision on one thing in order to simplify the choice among many alternatives.
A
single-feature
15
Q
- In order for an action potential to begin, the neuron must ______, which has been preceded by a stimulation of other neurons or sensory receptors.
A
Depolarize
16
Q
Freud believed that human behavior was motivated by unconscious conflicts that were almost always _____ or ______ in nature.
A
sexual;aggressive
17
Q
- Behaviorism differs from psychoanalysis MOST notably in the behaviorists’ emphasis on:
A
that which is observable
18
Q
- Devan is studying for his midterm and is quizzing himself on the topic of neurons. He is trying to figure out what that “tiny space” is where neurons connect. You tell him that he is correct if he guesses the:
A
synaptic gap
19
Q
- The entire process through which neurotransmitters are released by one neuron, cross the synaptic gap, and then attach to receptor sites on the dendrites of surrounding neurons is known as:
A
Synaptic transmission
20
Q
- Melissa has been asked to write a paper on the history of the school of psychology called behaviorism. She will MOST likely include work by which group of three psychologists?
A
Pavlov, Watson, Skinner
21
Q
- The model known as the _________________model of decision making involves generating a list of the most important factors, then using an arbitrary rating scale to rate each alternative on each factor, and, finally, adding the ratings together for comparison purposes.
A
additive
22
Q
- The process by which neurotransmitter molecules detach from a postsynaptic neuron and are reabsorbed by a presynaptic neuron so they can be recycled and reused is called:
A
reuptake
23
Q
- The neuron responsible for communicating information from one neuron to the next is also known as a(n):
A
Interneuron
24
Q
- In contrast to behaviorism’s focus on behavior as being shaped by external causes, humanistic psychology regarded which of the following as the important influences on human behavior?
A
Self-determination and free will
25
Q
- The relationship between the receptor site on a neuron and the neurotransmitter can best be characterized as similar to the relationship between a:
A
Lock and key
26
Q
- Josie is conducting a study on whether sleep deprivation increases stress levels. She will manipulate the levels of sleep by randomly assigning subjects to different conditions. In some, subjects will sleep fewer hours than in others. In this experiment, sleep is the:
A
independent variable
27
Q
- A patient suffers from a number of symptoms, including depression, sleep disturbances, and mood fluctuations, as well as problems with learning and memory retrieval. Her doctor prescribes Prozac and other drugs because the patient’s problems are probably due to abnormal levels of which two neurotransmitters?
A
Serotonin and norepinephrine
28
Q
- Dr. Setiadi uses acupuncture, an ancient Chinese procedure, in his medical practice. Acupuncture as a pain-killing technique involves inserting needles at various points in the body. This technique is assumed to involve the production of________ by the brain.
A
_endorphins
29
Q
- Josie is conducting a study on whether sleep deprivation increases stress levels. She will be observing and measuring levels of stress based on whether the subjects were assigned to the deprived or nondeprived sleep conditions. In this experiment, the stress level is the:
A
dependent variable
30
Q
- Which of the following is not a goal of psychology?
A
to illustrate behavior and mental processes
31
Q
- Dr. Fine is a psychologist who emphasizes the importance of unconscious influences in her work with patients. It is most likely that Dr. Fine conceptualizes her work from a ___________perspective.
A
psychodynamic____
32
Q
- A hypothesis is:
A
a tentative statement about the relationship between variables
33
Q
- Francine has tried everything to relieve her back pain, from changing her sleeping positions to prescription pain relief. She has recently started acupuncture and has noticed relief from her symptoms, likely due to the ______ released during acupuncture that are said to be a hundred times more potent than morphine.
A
endorphins
34
Q
- A drug that mimics a neurotransmitter is called a(n):
A
agonist
35
Q
- Cynthia always buys the brand of paper towels that is on sale, even if it is not the highest quality towel. She makes her paper-towel-buying decision based on the _____________ model of decision making.
A
_single-feature
36
Q
- A drug that acts as a(n) ______ blocks the effect of a neurotransmitter
A
___antagonist
37
Q
- The branches at the end of the axon that contain synaptic vesicles are called:
A
Axon terminals
38
Q
- When Vasilis is faced with the decision of which of two equally attractive apartments to rent, he makes a list of what is most important to him and gives each factor a numerical rating. Apparently he is using the _________ model of decision making.
A
additive
39
Q
- You have discovered in your recent research study that as self-reported levels of happiness increase, binge-eating behavior significantly decreases. You have just revealed a ______ correlation in your research.
A
negative
40
Q
- The tiny pouches in axon terminals that contain neurotransmitters are called:
A
synaptic vesicles
41
Q
- Karen is going to measure happiness based on how frequently a person smiles or laughs. This measure of happiness is called her ______ definition.
A
operational
42
Q
- Neurotransmitters can be found in:
A
synaptic vesicles
43
Q
- A theory:
A
A tentative explanation that tries to integrate and account for the relationship of various findings and observations.
44
Q
- The National Health and Social Life Survey gathered information about the sexual practices of U.S. adults between the ages of 18 and 59. This is an example of ______, in that every member of the larger group has an equal chance of being selected for inclusion in the sample.
A
random selection
45
Q
- The brain and spinal cord make up the ______ nervous system.
A
central
46
Q
- The somatic and autonomic parts of the nervous system are related to the ______ nervous system in the same way that the brain and spinal cord are related to the ______ nervous system.
A
peripheral; central
47
Q
- Descriptive methods are research strategies for ______ and describing behavior.
A
observing
48
Q
- In order to understand a client’s extreme behavior, a psychologist has investigated the client’s personal, physical, and social history. The most appropriate research method would be a(n):
A
case study
49
Q
- Carrie, a college freshman, has noticed that every time she exercises in the morning before her classes, she is able to focus better in class. It is possible that there is ______ between exercise and focus, but this does not necessarily mean that exercise is what is causing Carrie to focus better.
A
a correlation
50
Q
- The _______________ is the numerical indicator of the strength of the relationship between two factors.
A
correlation coefficient
51
Q
- One of the common obstacles to problem solving, known as ______________, involves persisting in solving problems with solutions that have worked in the past.
A
Mental set
52
Q
- The investigative method used to demonstrate cause-and-effect relationships by purposely manipulating one factor thought to produce change in another factor is called the:
A
experimental method
53
Q
- The two main subdivisions of the peripheral nervous system are the:
A
somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system
54
Q
- Thinking is:
A
the manipulation of mental representations of information in order to draw inferences or conclusions
55
Q
- The ______ nervous system is to voluntary bodily functions as the ______ nervous system is to involuntary bodily functions.
A
somatic; autonomic
56
Q
- The role of the endocrine system could best be summarized as:
A
operating to secrete hormones into the bloodstream
57
Q
- A mental representation of objects or events that are not physically present is also called a ____________, according to the text.
A
mental image
58
Q
- Also known as a _______, this is the mental category of objects or ideas based on properties that they share.
A
concept
59
Q
- The chemical messengers that are usually secreted into the bloodstream by the endocrine glands are called:
A
hormones
60
Q
- A formal concept is the mental category that is formed by:
A
learning the rules or features that define it
61
Q
- Dr. David wants to conduct a survey on the political views of college freshmen, so he administers his survey to a large lecture class comprised of freshmen students. Although Dr. David cannot survey every freshman in the university, he is able to select a ______ sample that parallels the larger group on many variables.
A
representative
62
Q
- The “best,” or most typical, instance of a particular concept is called a(n) _____________.
A
prototype
63
Q
- The “main link” between the endocrine system and the nervous system, the regulator of hormone released by the pituitary gland, is the part of the brain known as the:
A
hypothalamus
64
Q
- A mental category that is formed by learning the rules that define it is referred to as a:
A
formal concept
65
Q
- Because of its essential and widespread involvement in controlling hormone production, this gland is often referred to as the body’s “master gland.”
A
Pituitary gland
66
Q
- This includes the brain and the spinal cord.
A
The central nervous system
67
Q
- A mental category that is formed as a result of everyday experiences is referred to as a:
A
natural concept
68
Q
- The brain’s ability to shift functions from damaged to undamaged areas is called:
A
functional plasticity
69
Q
- If a researcher is interested in gathering information from a large group of newlyweds about their experiences, beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes about the challenges and benefits of married life, he or she would benefit from using a(n) ______ design for the data collection.
A
survey
70
Q
- The brain’s ability to change its physical structure in response to learning, practice, or environmental influences is known as:
A
structural plasticity
71
Q
- Also known as a(n )____________, this is a problem-solving strategy that involves following a specific rule, procedure, or method that inevitably produces the correct solution.
A
algorithms?
72
Q
- _______________refers to the tendency to view objects as operating only in their usual or customary manner.
A
Functional Fixedness
73
Q
- Dr. Psychologist is studying how childhood aggression varies with the amount of violent video games that are played. Childhood aggression in this study is a:
A
variable ?????
74
Q
- The hindbrain acts as a crossover point for sensory and motor information by sending each of those kinds of information to the opposite sides of the brain for processing. This is known as:
A
contralateral organization
75
Q
- Professor Baker’s special area of study involves measuring the system for combining arbitrary symbols to produce an infinite number of meaningful statements. Professor Baker specializes in the study of:
A
language
76
Q
- The pons and medulla are positioned to the __________, just as the substantia nigra is positioned to the ____________.
A
hindbrain; midbrain
77
Q
- The main communication link connecting the two cerebral hemispheres, made up of a thick bundle of neurons, is called the:
A
corpus callosum
78
Q
- A person’s ability to create an infinite number of new and different phrases and sentences shows the ____________ nature of language.
A
generative
79
Q
- Mark is using statistics to summarize, analyze, and _______________________ the data he has collected for his research study.
A
draw conclusions from
80
Q
- The occipital lobe is to _________ as the temporal lobe is to ___________.
A
seeing; ? hearing?
81
Q
- After receiving a blow to his ______ lobe in a recent skiing accident, James is now experiencing vision deficits.
A
occipital
82
Q
- One’s ability to come to a conclusion or make a judgment without conscious awareness of the thought processes involved is called:
A
intuition
83
Q
- When a person cannot speak but can still understand speech, it is likely that ______________, in the lower left frontal lobe, has been damaged
A
Broca’s area
84
Q
- The partial or complete inability to articulate ideas or understand spoken or written language because of brain injury or damage is called:
A
aphasia
85
Q
- Mr. and Mrs. Kilpatrick sit down with their 18-year-old daughter one night to tell her that if she saves up another $500, they will match her money and help her purchase the car she has been eyeing. The ability of the Kilpatricks to communicate meaningfully about ideas, objects, and activities that are not physically present is referred to as:
A
displacement
86
Q
- The sudden realization of how a problem can be solved is also known as __________.
A
insight
87
Q
- Seventy-five-year-old Mrs. Yee suffered brain damage as a result of a stroke. While she can no longer able to speak, she can understand what is being said to her. She suffers from:
A
Broca’s aphasia
88
Q
- The psychologist who is best known as the developer of the first intelligence test, and who believed that the test could help identify children who needed special help was_________________.
A
Alfred Binet
89
Q
- As a result of a stroke, Mr. Nelson can no longer understand what he reads or what is being said to him; he also often has trouble finding the right words when he tries to speak. Mr. Nelson suffers from:
A
Wernicke’s Aphasia???????
90
Q
- The results of objective observation, measurement, and experimentation on which the field of psychology is based is(are) called:
A
empirical evidence
91
Q
- Lewis Terman believed that the intelligence quotient (IQ) could best be derived by:
A
dividing the mental age by the chronological age and multiplying the result by 100
92
Q
- Current research that uses twins and IQ scores to study the impact of environment and genetics has found that:
A
both the environment and genes play a role (what we put) test reflect the culture in which they are developed; cultural factors also influence test-take behavior (quizlet had)
93
Q
- The area of psychology that focuses on how people process and remember information, develop language, solve problems, and think, is described as the___________ perspective.
A
cognitive
94
Q
- The problem-solving strategy that involves attempting different solutions and eliminating those that do NOT work is called:
A
trial-and-error
95
Q
- At a dinner party Jim and Susan talk about the different approaches they each use as counselors. Susan explains to Jim that she feels that the psychodynamic perspective is the most effective approach for her clients. It is likely that she is influenced by the works of:
A
Sigmund Freud
96
Q
- A(n) _________ is a problem-solving strategy that involves following a general rule of thumb to reduce the number of possible solutions.
A
heuristic
97
Q
- Elana got her new DVD player, she spent hours trying different approaches to programming the machine rather than consulting the manual. Elana is using the ____________ approach to problem solving.
A
trial-and-error
98
Q
- A neuroscientist can best be characterized as someone who:
A
Specializes in the study of the brain and the rest of the nervous system (ours) Someone who studies the nervous system and the physiological mechanisms in brain and nervous system that organize and control behavior (quizlet)
99
Q
- This general term refers to the mental activities involved in acquiring, retaining, and using knowledge.
A
Cognition???????
100
Q
- What do we call the manipulation of mental representations of information in order to draw inferences and conclusions?
A
thinking
101
Q
- The early research that demonstrated that an association between a neutral stimulus and an automatic behavior could be learned was pioneered by:
A
Ivan Pavlov
102
Q
- All of the following obstacles to logical thinking can account for much of the persistence of unwarranted beliefs in pseudosciences EXCEPT:
A
The underestimation effect??????
103
Q
- The tendency to overestimate the rarity of events is the:
A
overestimation effect
104
Q
- Professor Taylor teaches a class on the mental activities involved in acquiring, retaining, and using knowledge. Professor Taylor’s class is about:
A
cognition
105
Q
- The most typical instance of a particular concept according to your text would be called a(n) __________.
A
prototype
106
Q
- The American psychologist who developed the WAIS, the most widely used intelligence scale, was _______________.
A
David Wechsler
107
Q
- Contemporary psychologists continue to debate some of the ideas behind the doctrine of interactive dualism introduced by René Descartes, which states that:
A
mind and body are separate entities but interact to produce sensations, emotions, and conscious experiences
108
Q
- Carrie is taking a graduate school course on therapy theories, one of which is about uncovering unconscious causes of behavior. It is likely that the text chapter that contains this theory is discussing:
A
Psychoanalysis
109
Q
- Martha participates in a research study in order to receive extra credit for her psychology class. When she arrives in the research office she is given a can of what looks and tastes like beer, but which actually contains no alcohol. In the adjoining room Martha’s classmate Karen is also participating in the study. Karen also receives a similar can, but hers does contain alcohol. If the experiment is designed to test the effects of alcohol on concentration, who receives the experimental condition? )
A
????Martha ** (quizlet has Karen/
110
Q
- In a research study designed to test the effects of alcohol on sociability, it is important that neither the subject nor the investigator be aware of who receives alcohol and who does not. This is called the _________________ technique.
A
double-blind
