PSYC-100 Exam One
INSTRUCTIONS: Except for fill-ins, underline your answers to the questions. The length of the response lines for
fill-in questions do not necessarily suggest the length or number of words to be entered onto the blank line. Essay answers
should be brief, clear and complete, addressing all the elements asked for in the question. You should add separate pages for
essay answers and drawings. Number and properly order your essay answers and include your name on ALL pages.
1 Aristotle differed from Plato in that he _used science and dialectic__ in addition to using logic.
2 The word "normal" is used in everyday language. However it originated as a term used in
__mathematics (geometry)______.
3 The first female president of the American Psychological Association was
Mary Whiton Calkins
. The first woman to receive a Ph.D. in psychology was
_Margaret Floy Washburn
.
4 During a break you hear a student comment that the comparative and cognitive views are similar.
You disagree and state that the cognitive view focuses on ___mental process________, while the
comparative view emphasizes __evolution______.
5 Which one the following is most in accord with the Rene Descartes regarding his notions about the
nature of the mind? A Pythagoras B Hippocrates
C Plato
D Locke E Wundt
6 Modern psychology is a field which…
A is considered obsolete by psychiatrists. B is primarily focused on basic research.
C overlaps with a diversity of other fields. D has been overrun by women E is largely
independent from other fields.
7 This person was the founder of the world's first psychology laboratory.
A Aristotle B John Locke C Edward Titchener D Wilhelm Wundt
E G. Stanly Hall
8 Which is the correct direction of the action potential?
A synapse>cell body>axon>dendrite
B dendrite>cell body>axon>synapse
C synapse>cell body>axon>dendrite
D dendrite>axon>cell body> synapse
E CNS>interneuron>motor neuron>PNS
9 Specialized work groups of nerve cells are formed from the strengthening of connections resulting
from experience. These are often called…A nerve bundles B task groups C neural networks D vessicles E cortical tissue
10. Historically, the two disciplines considered to be the roots of psychology are…
A physiology & biology B logic & data collection C philosophy & biology D philosophy &
physics E logic & biology
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PSYC-100 Exam One
11 Surveys, naturalistic observations and case studies do not explain behavior, they simply
____describe it__________.
12 A survey researcher seeks to obtain a ___random sample____________________
which will represent the _____population_________ being studied.
13 When displaying the relationship between two variables the researcher uses a …
A graph B random number generator C scatterplot D bell ("normal") curve E a measure of
central tendency
14 As Wanda's fatigue increases her test performance becomes less accurate. This is an example of…
A Wanda neglecting her restorative nap. B a positive correlation. C a negative correlation
D an illusory correlation. E obvious and without the need of statistical evaluation.
15 TRUE or FALSE Genes enable our biological makeup which in turn enables our behavior.
16 TRUE or FALSE Darwin believed that traits were passed to new generations but did not know
how it occured.
17 TRUE or FALSE According to evolutionary theory…nature and nurture select the strong to
survive.
18 TRUE or FALSE Fraternal and identical twins show the same results in research outcomes.
19 TRUE or FALSE There is recent evidence that older persons may have more plasticity than earlier
believed.
20 TRUE or FALSE Young children recover from brain traumas somewhat slower than adults due to
immature brain development.
21 TRUE or FALSE In a normal distribution the median is a more powerful measure than the mean.
22 TRUE or FALSE The mean is the average set of scores.
23 TRUE or FALSE The mode is a measure of central tendency.
24 TRUE or FALSE Perceptual adaptation is experienced when one experiences temporary chilliness
when entering the cool water in a swimming pool, and then gets used to the temperature..
25 TRUE or FALSE Sensation is a top-down process.
26 TRUE or FALSE In Social Learning theory reward and punishment are not factors but imitation is
a strong factor.
27 TRUE or FALSE A difference between a theory and an hypothesis is that a theory is more specific.
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PSYC-100 Exam One
28 TRUE or FALSE Charles Darwin created the well known expression…"Survival of the Fittest".
29 TRUE or FALSE Similar to depth perception, multitasking is inborn.
30 In hoping to reduce severe seizures neurosurgeons cut the __Corpus__ ___Callosum___. This
experimental research led to further ___cerebral_ __hemispheres___ research.
31 A lesion to Broca's Area may result in _speech impairment (Broca’s aphasia)___.
32 A trauma to Wernicke's Area may result in ___disruption of the ability to understand
(Wernicke’s aphasia)____________
33 Excess neurotransmitters are reabsorbed in a process called ___Reuptake____.
34 Sensory and motor neurons are bundled into "electrical cables" called ___Nerves_____.
35 The expression, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”, is associated with what school of
psychology. ___Gestalt______.
36 Input traveling from various parts of the body arrives at the CNS by means of
____sensory neurons__________.
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37 The molecule shape of certain drugs prevents their passage through the
__synapse_______.
38 By doing research on ___identical____ twins raised __in different environment/home__,
researchers are able to learn about the genetics of behavior.
39 Excellent grades in high school and high SAT scores could be an example of …
A an illusory correlation. B a positive correlation. C a negative correlation D a weak correlation
40 Critics of Sigmund Freud's theories note that …
A they are based on only a handful of case studies. B it is difficult to generalize from his research.
C they led to undue harm for many people. D Both A and B.
41 John B. Watson believed that…
A one day drugs would make psychotherapy obsolete. B in mind-body dualism.
C that behavior is determined by conditioning factors. D in a link between the body, emotions
and the mind. E in deductive logic and collecting data..
ESSAYS
Instructions for essays; use separate sheets at the back of this exam, keeping your
answers in numerical order. Write your name at the top of every added sheet.
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PSYC-100 Exam One
42) What do you see as being an ultimate goal of vision research?
43) Along with the influence of genes, what are some other factors which interact in regards to the
developing human being?
44) Describe the nature / nurture controversy. How have views changed regarding this debate over
time? What is the modern view held by most scientists? Why is this topic important to the study of
behavior? Give an example concerning its importance.
45) Using a separate sheet of paper, draw a neuron so that it's sub-structures can be labeled with
functions under each label and indicate the direction of the action potential.
46) Using a separate sheet of paper, draw and label the complete limbic area including all it's
component structures. Include the functions under each label.
47) Describe the ways that culture can influence the outcome of scientific research.
48) Explain what an independent variable is … a dependent variable …also explain what a control
group is and why and how they are used. Explain how using a control group adds power to a study's
design. Give an example of a study to illustrate your answer.
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49) Describe a double-blind procedure. Use an example which is not in the course text.
50) Describe four types of correlation and give an example of each type. To what extent does the
correlation coefficient measure cause and effect relationships and/or make predictions.
End of exam
Note: In the space below, please write a short statement on the subject of your article report.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Essays
42- The collaborated work of eyes and brain enable us to see objects or scenes and interpret them into a
constructive perception. The ultimate goal of vision research would be to find out how the brain integrates the
color, motion, form, and depth into the perceive image.
43- Along with the influence of genes, environmental factors to include geographical location, peer and family
relationship, school and churches, traditions greatly interact in regard to developing human being. Genes
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PSYC-100 Exam One
provide our biological structure at birth but experiences gained through social and cultural activities guide our
development and contribute to our diversities.
44- The nature-nurture controversy reflects the effort to sort out the relative influence of nature (Genetic) and
nurture (environment) on organism development. Some Philosophers (Plato) had believed that the behavior and
intelligence are inborn while other (Aristotle, John Locke) supported that mind is developed as we acquire
knowledge and experience from external world.
Views about nature-nurture over time stemmed from natural selection as basis of evolution (Darwin), influence
of nature on development (Arnold Gesell), environment impact on development (Watson) to finally a relative
interaction of nature and environment.
The modern view held by scientist is the relative interaction of nature and environment. The origin of behavior
could be better understood by sorting out the relative importance of nature (genetic) and nurture
(environment). Heredity set stage for certain behaviors but environmental factors will determine whether
genetically possible behaviors will be displayed. One example this mechanism could be our way to eat. This
trait, inherited from parents and common to all organisms, is expressed differently from on society to another.
45- Will provide the drawing in the next face-to-face session.
46- Will provide the drawing in the next face-to-face session.
47- Culture is the set of behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and tradition shared by a society and passed to
future generation. Culture varies across time and space and influences the outcome of scientific research in
many ways: Data collection may encounter difficulties in societies with reserved values; generalization from a
case study for instance, will appear to be unrealistic. A theory may find its validity in one cultural setting but will
be criticized in another. Some cultural aspects are not easy to measure, making it difficult to draw conclusion
from scientific research.
48- Independent variable is a condition in scientific study that is manipulated so that its effects may be
observed. Dependent variable will be the measure of an assumed effect of an independent variable. For
instance, in an experience to determine whether alcohol causes aggression, alcohol will be considered
independent variable (doses may be manipulation to observe its effect) and the aggression behavior will
represent dependent variable. These types of variables are used to establish a correlation between two things.
Name:
Control group is a group of participants that do not obtain treatment. They are used for comparison purpose
and help increase the researchers’ ability to draw conclusion about cause and effect. In the alcohol and
aggression experiment above we can have a group of participants that will be given alcohol beverage
(experimental group) and a group of participants that will receive a non-alcohol beverage (control Group).
49- A double-blind procedure is a study procedure in which neither the participants nor the experimenters
know who has received the treatment. In our example above (alcohol and aggression) participants could be
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PSYC-100 Exam One
given a coke drink in a glass to make them believe their drinking the same beverage but alcohol (vodka for
example) may be added to a coke given to experimental group. Of course, the observer is unaware of the setup.
50- Four types of correlation: 1- Positive correlation is a relationship between two variables in which the
increase of on variable causes the other to increase also (the more you practice doing something, the better you
will get). 2- Negative correlation is a relationship between two variable in which the increase of one variable
causes the other to decrease (the increase of the resistance of conductor wire will decrease the current that will
flow in that wire.) 3- Zero correlation will be a situation where a variation of one variable does not affect the
variation of other (being shorter does not affect how smarter someone could be).4- Nonlinear correlation is
relationship between two entities in which the increase of one entity can increase and decrease of other to
some extent. (Punishment may correct a children behavior but too harsh punishment will deteriorate his
personality.)
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