Quiz Answers for Midterm Review Flashcards
1
Q
Which of the following exemplifies the empirical method?
A. A student in a psychology class writes his term paper on whether or not fish feel pain.
B. A student writes a letter to his professor requesting a change in course policy.
C. Dr. Hysock-Witham decides to start her course later because so many students arrive late.
D. Dr. Sarkeesian observes and records how watching cartoons influences heart rates.
A
D. Dr. Sarkeesian observes and records how watching cartoons influences heart rates.
2
Q
Psychology refers to the ________.
A
scientific study of the mind and behavior.
3
Q
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?
A
scientific theory
4
Q
Which choice is an accurate definition of a hypothesis?
A
A tentative explanation
5
Q
The empirical method of study is based on ________.
A
observation of phenomena.
6
Q
According to William James, what was the true purpose of psychology?
A
Studying the function of behavior in the world
7
Q
Which perspective within psychology that emphasizes the potential for good that is innate to all humans.
A
Humanistic psychology
8
Q
Behaviorism focuses on making psychology an objective science by ________.
A
studying observable phenomena and deemphasizing the importance of unobservable mental processes
9
Q
Introspection refers to a process by which someone examines ________ as objectively as possible.
A
their own conscious experience
10
Q
A series of dots arranged in the shape of a face will be perceived as a face, not a series of dots. A psychologist studying this phenomenon is applying the principles of ________.
A
Gestalt psychology
11
Q
Functionalist psychologists focus on the function of behavior and ________.
A
the operation of the whole mind rather than the individual parts
12
Q
Which of the following is a criticism of structuralism?
A
The main methods used were often highly subjective.
13
Q
Stacey suggests that because children are more impulsive than adults, they will have more difficulty controlling their anger. Stacey’s prediction regarding anger management exemplifies:
A
a hypothesis
14
Q
Why is an operational definition necessary when reporting research findings?
A
An operational definition allows others to replicate the study.
15
Q
When Leanne heard about experimental evidence that orange juice consumption triggers hyperactivity in children, she questioned whether the tested children had been randomly assigned to experimental conditions. Leanne’s reaction best illustrates:
A
critical thinking
16
Q
A researcher looking for gender differences in 3-year-olds observes a preschool class and records how many minutes children of each gender play with dolls. She then compares the two sets of numbers. What type of descriptive research is she conducting?
A
naturalistic observation
17
Q
Krista and Tatiana Hogan are the only participants in a(n) ________ study of conjoined twins who are joined at the head.
A
case
18
Q
The process of replication is most likely to be facilitated by:
A
operational definitions
19
Q
Psychological knowledge is advanced through a process known as ________, which involves a prescribed series of steps designed to achieve the desired knowledge.
A
the scientific method
20
Q
A group of preschool-age children are enrolled in a study that plans to follow them over time in order to assess behaviors and other characteristics that may predict later development of schizophrenia. This is an example of a(n) ________ design.
A
longitudinal
21
Q
One major problem with longitudinal studies:
A
attrition
22
Q
What kind of research is Saanvi conducting if she tracks six groups of participants, each group a different age, over several years, assessing them on her variable of interest once every six months?
A
longitudinal
23
Q
A good example of naturalistic observation is
A
Jane Goodall’s research on chimpanzee behavior in the wild
24
Q
________ is a reduction in the number of research participants as some drop out of the study over time.
A
Attrition
25
Which correlation coefficient best represents a moderate relationship between showing fewer anxiety symptoms and reported higher life satisfaction?
A. -0.53
B. –0.21
C. +0.13
D. +0.78
A. -0.53
26
A negative correlation means ________.
one variable decreases as the other increases
27
A(n) ________ variable is a factor that affects both variables of interest in research and may falsely give the impression of a cause-and-effect relationship.
Confounding
28
Stan and Jenny are in a psychology course that requires them to repeat an experiment that researchers have conducted in the past, in order to determine whether they produce the same results. This is called ________.
Replication
29
Sandra strongly believes that attending daycare is harmful to children’s development so she decides to write her psychology term paper on this topic. She does a literature search and finds several sources supporting her opinion, but she finds that the majority of research indicates that children attending daycare experience healthy development. She writes her paper using the sources that find negative associations with daycare attendance. This is an example of ________.
Confirmation bias
30
Which of the following is not part of obtaining informed consent?
A. explaining the hypothesis to the participants
B. letting participants know that participation is voluntary
C. obtaining the participant’s signature or a signature from the parent or guardian if the participant is a minor
D. reviewing that data is confidential
A. explaining the hypothesis to the participants
31
Studies that cannot ethically be conducted as experiments with typical human participants ________.
can sometimes be tested with animal studies
32
An upper-level psychology class is conducting an experiment on racial prejudice that involves having participants rate the likeability of faces in a set of photos. However, the researchers tell participants that the study is about the effects of aging on likeability. When participants are finished, they are thanked for their time and leave the experiment. In this example, the class should ________ in order to resolve the ________ in the study.
debrief participants; deception
33
This organization, one of the largest professional groups of psychologists in the world, was founded in 1892.
The American Psychological Association
34
________ are the most commonly used species for animal research.
Rodents
35
An Institutional Review Board is a key factor for
overseeing ethical conduct of research
36
A(n) ________ is a sudden, permanent change in a sequence of DNA.
Mutation
37
When a sperm and egg fuse, their ____ chromosomes combine to create a zygote with ______ chromosomes
23; 46
38
Which of the following is an example of gene-environment interaction?
Savannah gets diabetes, which runs in her family, because she eats so much sugary food.
39
Diversity in genes and associated traits allows some individuals to perform slightly better than others when faced with environmental change. This, in combination with competition created by natural selection creates
individuals best suited for their environments
40
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
41
________ refers to a person’s genetic makeup, while ________ refers to a person’s physical characteristics.
Genotype; phenotype
42
Most traits are ______________: controlled by more than one gene.
Polygenic
43
Like the body's endorphins, morphine elevates mood and ease pain. In this instance, morphine is considered to be a(n)
agonist
44
The ________ receive(s) incoming signals from other neurons.
Dendrites
45
Chemicals that mimic a neurotransmitter at the receptor site.
Agonist
46
When excitatory impulses received by a neuron outnumber inhibitory impulses, the neuron
can generate action potential
47
_______________ provide scaffolding on which the nervous system is built, help neurons line up closely with each other to allow neuronal communication,
Glial cells
48
The gap between two neurons is known as the
synapse
49
The two ions involved in the resting potential and the action potential:
sodium and potassium
50
The central nervous system is made up of ________.
brain and spinal cord
51
Sympathetic activation is associated with ________.
pupil dilation
52
The _______________________ controls our internal organs and glands and is generally considered to be outside the realm of voluntary control. It
autonomic nervous system
53
The ________________________allows the body access to energy reserves and heightened sensory capacity
Fight-or-flight response
54
Our ability to make our legs move as we walk across the room is controlled by the ________ nervous system.
somatic
55
The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, like the resting potential and action potential of the neurons, are both linked to the idea of
homeostasis
56
Location of specific functions in one hemisphere of the cerebral cortex or the other is called
lateralization
57
The hypothalamus regulates
hunger and thirst
58
Damage to which of the following could interfere with the ability to plan for the future?
frontal lobe
59
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
60
Which of the following is directly responsible for regulating the cardiovascular and respiratory systems?
medulla
61
The effects of neurotransmitters tend to be ________, whereas the effects of hormones tend to be ________.
faster; longer lasting
62
Patients with a split brain have had which structure in their brain severed?
corpus callosum
63
Stimulation of the amygdala is most likely to cause
aggression
64
Stimulation of which of the following may cause a person to involuntarily move their arm?
motor cortex
65
Terri Schiavo went into cardiac arrest and her brain was deprived of oxygen, leaving only her brainstem functioning. Which of the following functions could Schiavo still accomplish?
groan and move her eyes
66
Gandalf 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
limbic system
67
Which gland is referred to as the master gland of the endocrine system, and which brain structure links it to the central nervous system?
Pituitary gland
68
_____________glands. A pair of endocrine glands above kidneys; these secrete the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine to arouse the body in times of stress
adrenal
69
Which is the main type of chemical messengers secreted by the male gonads?
androgens
70
Sympathetic is to parasympathetic as
excitatory is to calming
71
Which best describes the hormones in your body?
chemical messengers
72
Which of the following endocrine glands might be responsible for an early gain in height in a 12-year-old?
pituitary
73
Which of the following nervous system is responsible for the graceful movements a flamenco dancer?
somatic
74
Classical and operant conditioning are forms of ________ learning
associative
75
Birds migrating, cats chasing prey, sea turtles moving toward the ocean immediately after birth, and a joey (baby kangaroo) moving to its mother’s pouch immediately after birth are all examples of ________.
instincts
76
Operant conditioning, classical conditioning, latent learning and observational learning all
result primarily from environmental influences
77
Which of the following is an example of reflex?
a baby turning its head to suckle when its cheek is stroked
78
The researcher best known for studies that explored classical conditioning
physiologist Ivan Pavlov
79
A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher.
Operant conditioning
80
In contrast to classical and operant ___________________, in which learning occurs only through direct experience, ___________________learning is the process of watching others and then imitating what they do.
conditioning; observational
81
Through direct experience with animals, we come to anticipate that dogs will bark and that birds will chirp. This best illustrates:
associative learning
82
In Pavlov’s research, the term "conditioned" is approximately synonymous with the word ________.
learned
83
What do psychologists call a relatively permanent change in behavior or knowledge that results from experience?
learning
84
Long after her conditioned fear of dogs had been extinguished, Marcy experienced an unexpected surge of nervousness when first shown her cousin's new cocker spaniel. Her unexpected nervousness best illustrates:
spontaneous recovery
85
Blinking in response to a puff of air directed to your eye is a(n):
UR (unconditioned response)
86
The predictability of an association between a CS and a US facilitates an organism's ability to anticipate the occurrence of the US. This fact is most likely to be highlighted by a(n) ________ perspective in psychology.
cognitive
87
In classical conditioning, the conditioned stimulus
is initially neutral, and then comes to trigger a response.
88
A good example of a therapeutic application for classical conditioning would be
pairing an aversive stimulus with a drug for someone recovering from drug addiction
89
A good example of stimulus generalization would be
responding with fear to a white stuffed rabbit after being conditioned to fear a live white rabbit
90
Which option is the most valid criticism of Watson and Rayner’s work with “little Albert”?
It would be unethical by today’s research standards
91
Operant conditioning, habituation and sensitization are all examples of learning because they involve
acquiring new and relatively enduring information or behaviors through experience
92
Negative punishment ________ the rate of operant responding, and negative reinforcement ________ the rate of operant responding.
decreases; increases
93
Which of the following is an example of fixed ratio reinforcement schedule?
knowing you will get to play miniature golf as soon as you collect 10 gold stars for your reward chart
94
The work of Thorndike on the Law of Effect best reflected the ______________ school of psychological thought.
behaviorist
95
The law of effect was most clearly highlighted by:
Skinner's experiments on reinforcement.
96
In teaching her son to play basketball, Mrs. Richards initially reinforces him with praise for simply dribbling while standing still, then only for walking while dribbling, and finally only for running while dribbling. She is using a procedure known as:
shaping
97
Jemma wants to teach her son to say thank you. Every time he says thank you, Jemma praises him and gives him a hug. Which reinforcement schedule is this?
continuous
98
Airline frequent flyer programs that reward customers with a free flight after every 25,000 miles of travel illustrate the use of a ________ schedule of reinforcement.
fixed-ratio
99
All of the following are examples of primary reinforcers except a
high score on an exam for which a student studied diligently.
100
A token used in exchange for a food item is an example of
a secondary reinforcer
101
A disadvantage of primary reinforcers that can be avoided by using secondary reinforcers:
satiation
102
Learning that occurs but is not observable in behavior until there is a reason to demonstrate it is called ________ learning.
latent
103
The violence-viewing effect
includes desensitization to and imitation of aggression
104
If you would like your children to learn prosocial behavior
A. reinforce prosocial behavior
B. model prosocial behavior
C. minimize exposure to violent media
D. avoid punishment to shape behavior
E. All of the above
E. all of the above
105
The famous Bobo doll experiment demonstrated
vicarious reinforcement
106
Unlike operant conditioning and classical conditioning, observational learning
is not primarily about learning associations between different events.
107
After observing his sibling walk across a balance beam, Joe’s brain reacts in a way that will enable him to imitate the action later. Which part of his brain may be responsible for this?
mirror neurons
108
The Bobo doll experiment was devised by which researcher?
Bandura
109
Vandalism, theft and arson are all examples of
antisocial behaviors
110
Which of the following is an example of vicarious punishment?
A. Belinda saw Mavis receive a hug for cleaning his room. She is careful to clean her room because she saw Mavis get a reward for doing it.
B. Jeong observes his sister Bronwyn getting spanked for spitting out her carrots. Because he does not like getting spanked, he chews and swallows the carrots even though he hates them.
C. Job wants to avoid being fired, so he follows the shop rules and does not smoke in the bathroom.
D. Laurie wants to receive a smiley sticker and she knows from reading the rulebook that she will receive one if she behaves herself.
B. Jeong observes his sister Bronwyn getting spanked for spitting out her carrots. Because he does not like getting spanked, he chews and swallows the carrots even though he hates them.
111
A type of explicit memory that includes past personal experiences is called ____________________ memory.
episodic
112
The linear order from the left to right of these memory words in the standard information-processing model:
A. retrieval, storage, encoding
B. storage, encoding, retrieval
C. encoding, retrieval, storage
D. encoding, storage, retrieval
D. encoding, storage, retrieval
113
The encoding of meaning
semantic
114
The persistence of learning over time through the storage and retrieval of information.
memory
115
Primacy and recency are both examples of
serial position effects
116
The standard information-processing 3-stage model of memory is also known as the _______________ model
the Atkin-Shiffrin
117
Iconic and echoic both refer to
storage
118
The process of getting information out of memory storage.
retrieval
119
An increase in a synapse's firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation. Believed to be a neural basis for learning and memory.
Long-term potentiation
120
Recall, recognition and relearning all demonstrate
retrieval
121
A momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli
echoic memory
122
Procedural memory, priming and classical conditioning are all forms of
implicit memory
123
Memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and "declare." (Also called declarative memory.)
explicit memory
124
Which of the following is NOT a technique that will improve retention of memory?
cannabis consumption
125
The conscious repetition of information, either to maintain it in consciousness or to encode it for storage.
rehearsal
126
Which part of the brain is most involved in creating implicit memories?
cerebellum
127
The case of musician Clive Wearing, unable to encode new memories due to brain damage from infection illustrates the link between _____________ and _____________
episodic memory; the hippocampus
128
When we are tested immediately after viewing a list of words, we tend to recall the first and last items best, which is known as the ___________________effect.
serial position
129
Researchers studying the links among emotion, stress, and memory have discovered that
both stress and emotion make events more memorable.
130
The tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one's emotional state when the memory was formed is known as
mood-congruent memory
131
Changes resulting from memory formation that affect neural connections are most closely associated with
Long-term memory (LTP)
132
Ahmed has noticed that he does better on his chemistry exams when he takes them in the same seat that he sits in during class than when he sits in a different seat for exams. If he is properly prepared for each exam, then _______________- may explain his difference in scores.
Context effects
133
The activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's perception, memory, or response.
priming
134
___________________increases the nerve cells’ firing potential at the synapse.
Long term potential
135
Dozens of people witness a purse snatching. One of the eyewitnesses loudly yells “the man with the blue shirt did it.” Later, when questioned by police, several other eyewitnesses remember the purse snatcher wearing a blue shirt, even though the purse snatcher was a woman in flowered dress. This is an example of ________, or the effects of misinformation from external sources that leads to the creation of false memories.
Suggestibility
