psy ch 1 test Flashcards
Changes in behavior and cognitive processes over time are studied by
evolutionary psychologists
The theory of ________ states that organisms that are better suited for their
environment will survive and reproduce, while those that are poorly suited for their
environment will die off.
evolution by natural selection
Human eggs and sperm each contain 23 ________, which are composed of long strands of
________.
chromosomes; DNA
________ asserts that our genes set the boundaries within which we can operate, and
our environment interacts with our genes to determine where within those boundaries
we will fall.
range of reaction
The space between two neurons is called the ________.
synapse
A(n) ________ is the electrical signal that typically moves from the neuron’s cell
body down the axon to the axon terminals.
action potential
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are drugs commonly prescribed for
________.
depression
The two major divisions of the nervous system are the ________ and ________.
central; peripheral nervous systems
________ is a state of equilibrium, in which biological conditions (such as body
temperature) are maintained at optimal levels.
homeostasis
Which of the following brain processes is not a function of the cerebral cortex?
breathing
Which of the following brain processes is not a function of the cerebral cortex?
breathing
The somatosensory cortex is responsible for processing ________.
motor information to body areas, such as arms, legs, and face temperature, touch, and pain
Randolf is walking down the street of his hometown, after being away for several
years, when he smells the scent of freshly baked pie coming from a local baker. He
suddenly has vivid memories of walking down this street as a child, holding both of
his parents’ hands, and swinging between them, feeling relaxed and happy. This is
because the sense of smell projects directly to the ________, which is responsible
for emotional memories.
limbic system
Jeremy has Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects
motor skills. In addition to motor symptoms, Jeremy has noticed changes in his mood.
It is likely that Jeremy’s ________ is producing less ________ than it needs to.
substantia nigra; dopamine
The effects of neurotransmitters tend to be ________, whereas the effects of
hormones tend to be ________.
faster; longer lasting
The ________ nervous system is responsible for responses such as pupil dilation,
increased heart rate, and increased respiration.
sympathetic
The ________ nervous system is responsible for stimulating digestion and causing the
bladder to contract.
parasympathetic
One example of ________ is the differences between hemispheres in the areas
underlying language function.
lateralization
Which of the following areas is located in the frontal lobe of the brain?
Broca’s area
Elaina has been diagnosed with a small brain tumor. She first went to see her doctor
after experiencing symptoms such as feeling very cold, almost fainting, a reduced
appetite, and reduced sexual desire. Which of the following structures is her tumor
most likely affecting?
hypothalamus
Kelsey had a CT scan that showed a tumor in the right frontal cortex. Which of the
following behavioral symptoms most likely prompted the scan to take place?
motor skill deficits in the left side of her body
Which choice is an accurate definition of a hypothesis?
A tentative explanation
Psychology refers to the ________.
scientific study of the mind and behavior.
Which of the following choices refers to a broad explanation or group of
explanations for some aspect of the natural world that is consistently supported by
evidence over time?
scientific theory
The empirical method of study is based on ________.
observation of phenomena.
Which individual wrote Principles of Physiological Psychology and is credited with
establishing a scientific laboratory of Psychology at the University of Leipzig?
Wilhelm Wundt
Which of the following is a criticism of structuralism?
The process was highly subjective.
Functionalist psychologists focus on the function of behavior and ________.
the operation of the whole mind rather than the individual parts
A(n) ________ , also known as an operant chamber, is an instrument that isolates an
animal from the external environment and allows a researcher to control that
animal’s rewards and punishments
Skinner box
For which concept is Abraham Maslow best known?
Proposing a hierarchy of human needs in motivating behavior
Which of the following exemplifies the unconditional positive regard component of
client-centered therapy?
Abby tells her therapist that she tripped a small child who got in her way, and
her therapist accepts this information without judgment.
Which of the following is not part of feminist psychology?
favoring women over men
Who was the first African American to receive a PhD in psychology in the United
States?
Francis Cecil Sumner
In looking at the area of multicultural psychology, what is a recognized deficit of
this particular area of study?
It can describe what happens between cultures, but not explain why those
differences occur.
Which famous female psychologist completed all of the requirements for a doctorate in psychology but was denied that degree because of her sex?
Mary Whiton Calkins
Cognitive psychology focuses on studying ________.
thoughts and their relationship to our experiences and our actions
When studying personality traits, someone who is hardworking, dependable, and
organized will score high on the ________ trait.
conscientiousness
Which of the following is an example of research someone might conduct in the area
of health psychology?
whether people working at a desk are more likely to be obese
Which of the following is a common requirement of a PhD across different schools
and/or countries?
A dissertation
The first woman to earn the PhD degree in psychology was ________.
Margaret Floy Washburn
A(n) ________ is a well-developed set of ideas that proposes an explanation for
observed phenomena.
theory
This organization, one of the largest professional groups of psychologists in the
world, was founded in 1892.
The American Psychological Association
The scientific process is ________, involving both inductive and deductive
reasoning.
circular
Psychological knowledge is advanced through a process known as ________, which
involves a prescribed series of steps designed to achieve the desired knowledge.
the scientific method
Dr. Guttierez is examining a research question and has posted a hypothesis, but his
student points out, “Dr. G., the assumption that you have made cannot be disproven
no matter what data we gather!” This research study suffers from an absence of
________.
falsifiability
________ is an anthropologist who contributed to our understanding of chimpanzee
behavior in the wild, using naturalistic observation.
Jane Goodall
________ is/are often conducted with large numbers of participants and can even be
conducted by phone, email, or mail.
surveys
________ is a reduction in the number of research participants as some drop out of
the study over time.
attrition
________ assesses the consistency of observations by different observers.
Inter-rater reliability
A negative correlation means ________.
one variable decreases as the other increases
The belief that strange behavior is linked to the occurrence of a full moon is an
example of a(n) ________.
illusory correlation
A(n) ________ is a description of how the researchers will measure the variables of
interest.
operational definition
In a ________ study, both the researchers and the participants are unaware of the
group assignments.
double-blind
A(n) ________ is conducted in order to determine whether there are meaningful
differences between two groups in a study.
statistical analysis
Lesley, a sociology major, believes that money is the key to happiness. Her friend
Stephen, a psychology major, believes that good health is the key to happiness. How
might the two friends resolve their disagreement?
They could research peer-reviewed articles to see if either perspective is
supported. They could
The fact that some well-known studies have been repeated without finding results
consistent with those in the initial report describes a(n) ________ that is
currently affecting research in psychology and other fields.
replication crisis
________ (IRB) reviews research that is involves the use of human participants.
Institutional Review Board
In the study of personality, the ________ model includes different traits that are
believed to underlie each individual’s basic tendencies.
Five Factor
