Previous Exam Questions

Question 1

Alexandra is told that research supports the value of cosmetic surgery for boosting self-esteem. Belinda is told that the esteem-enhancing value of cosmetic surgery has been refuted by research. Both women consider the research findings to be common sense. This best illustrates the power of

Answer 1

Hindsight bias

Question 2

In reporting the effect of drinking alcohol on self-consciousness, psychological researchers would specify exactly how they measured self-consciousness. They are thereby providing a(n)

Answer 2

operational definition

Question 3

Which of the following correlations expresses the strongest degree of relationship between two variables?
.1, -.67, .58

Answer 3

-.67 because it’s the closest to 1 or -1

Question 4

Which technique involves the use of magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of the brain’s soft tissues?

Answer 4

MRI

Question 5

Which technique involves the use of magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of the brain’s soft tissues?

Answer 5

epigenetic molecules

Question 6

Compared with children raised in Westernized cultures, children in many Asian cultures grow up with a strong sense of

Answer 6

family self

Question 7

Three-month-old Andrew was obviously startled by the first ring of the telephone, but with each subsequent ring he seemed to become less reactive. This best illustrates the process of

Answer 7

habituation

Question 8

Kristen is a normal, healthy newborn. Research indicates that

Answer 8

she has the most brain cells she is ever going to have

Question 9

Adjusting current schemas to make sense of new information is called

Answer 9

accomodation

Question 10

Five-year-old Tammy mistakenly believes that her short, wide glass contains less soda than her brother’s tall, narrow glass. Actually, both glasses contain the same amount of soda. This illustrates that Tammy lacks the concept of

Answer 10

conservation

Question 11

Detection is to interpretation as sensation is to

Answer 11

perception

Question 12

When you enter an old password to retrieve your email, rather than entering your new password, you are demonstrating __________ interference. On the other hand, not being able to recall your old phone number is an example of __________ interference.

Answer 12

proactive;retroactive

Question 13

After reading her horoscope in the morning newspaper, Sabrina readily interpreted many experiences that day as clear verifications of its accuracy. This best illustrates the dangers of

Answer 13

perceptual set

Question 14

It wasn’t until Clara heard some of her classmates laughing loudly during history class that she began to perceive the professor’s ongoing lecture to be very funny. This provides an illustration of

Answer 14

context effects

Question 15

After suffering stroke damage to specific areas of her brain, Mrs. M. cannot visually perceive the motion of objects, though she can visually perceive their form, color, and depth. Her experience best illustrates the role of ________ in visual perception.

Answer 15

parallel processing

Question 16

The letters Y, M, O, M, R, E are presented. Jill remembers them by rearranging them to spell the word “MEMORY.” This provides an illustration of

Answer 16

chunking

Question 17

People more easily detect male discrimination against women than female discrimination against men because the former more closely resembles their discrimination

Answer 17

prototype

Question 18

Anika resisted changing her answer to a test question after reminding herself that “it’s always best to stick with your first answer.” Anika’s decision best illustrates the use of

Answer 18

heuristic

Question 19

Bronfman has administered her new 100-item test of abstract reasoning to a large sample of students. She is presently comparing their scores on the odd-numbered questions with those on the even-numbered questions in an effort to

Answer 19

determine the tests reliability

Question 20

After learning about his low score on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Gunter complained, “I don’t believe that test is a measure of intelligence at all.” Gunter’s statement is equivalent to saying that the WAIS lacks

Answer 20

validity

Question 21

Whether we feel angry or depressed in response to a low exam grade depends on whether we attribute the poor grade to an unfair test or to our own low intelligence. This best illustrates that emotions are influenced by

Answer 21

cognitive appraisals

Question 22

A television producer believes that violent TV programs provide viewers an opportunity to reduce their own anger through fantasy. The producer appears to accept the

Answer 22

catharsis hypothesis

Question 23

__________ ____________ is the part of the brain that, if damaged, might impair your ability to speak If you damage __________ ____________, you might impair your ability to understand language.

Wernicke’s area; Broca’s area
Broca’s area; Wernicke’s area
Medulla Oblongata; Language Acquisition Device
None of the above

Answer 23

Broca’s area; Wernicke’s area

Question 24

A friend’s mother has been injured in an automobile accident. To help the family, you organize a walk-a-thon at a local park, raising funds for the mother’s care. The benefits of this kind of help are supported by the _______ hypothesis.

Answer 24

stress buffering

Question 25

One reason some people feel nauseated before doing something that they are afraid of—like giving a class presentation—is that activation of the sympathetic nervous system

Answer 25

slows down digestion

Question 26

George often acts on impulse, without taking time to consider the consequences. A psychoanalyst would suggest that George shows signs of a

Answer 26

weak ego

Question 27

During adulthood, people’s level of openness tends to ________ slightly and their level of agreeableness tends to ______.

Answer 27

decrease ; increase

Question 28

Brenda has never cheated on a psychology test, but she often does so on chemistry tests. She recently stole some merchandise from a local store, but she also returned a lost billfold along with $28 to its rightful owner. This pattern of behavior should make psychologists more cautious about emphasizing the consistent impact of ________ on behavior.

Answer 28

personality traits