Sample Exam 1 PY101 Spring 2015
1. Dr. Waung investigates how a person's interpretation of a situation affects his or her
reaction. Evidently, Dr. Waung is working from the ________ perspective.
A) neuroscience
B) behavioral
C) cognitive
D) social-cultural
2. In order to assess whether sense of humor is affected by sexual stimulation, researchers
exposed married couples to either sexually stimulating or to sexually nonstimulating
movie scenes prior to watching a comedy skit. In this research, the independent variable
consisted of:
A) reactions to the comedy skit.
B) level of sexual stimulation.
C) marital status.
D) sense of humor.
3. The best way to detect enlarged fluid-filled brain regions in some patients who have
schizophrenia is to use a(n):
A) EEG.
B) MRI.
C) PET scan.
D) brain lesion.
4. The ________ hemisphere typically excels in making subtle linguistic inferences and
the ________ hemisphere typically excels in making quick, literal interpretations of
language.
A) left; left
B) right; right
C) left; right
D) right; left
5. Innate ability is to learned skill as ________ is to ________.
A) naturalistic observation; introspection
B) psychology; psychiatry
C) nature; nurture
D) behavior; mental processes
6. The part of the brainstem that controls heartbeat and breathing is called the:
A) cerebellum.
B) medulla.
C) amygdala.
D) thalamus.
7. Jessica experienced difficulty keeping her balance after receiving a blow to the back of
her head. It is likely that she injured her:
A) medulla.
B) thalamus.
C) hypothalamus.
D) cerebellum.
8. Both the researchers and the participants in a memory study are ignorant about which
participants have actually received a potentially memory-enhancing drug and which
have received a placebo. This investigation involves the use of:
A) naturalistic observation.
B) random sampling.
C) the double-blind procedure.
D) replication.
9. The function of dendrites is to:
A) receive incoming signals from other neurons.
B) release neurotransmitters into the spatial junctions between neurons.
C) coordinate the activation of the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems.
D) control pain through the release of opiatelike chemicals into the brain.
10. Professor Ober carefully monitors and records the behaviors of children in their
classrooms in order to track the development of their social and intellectual skills.
Professor Ober is most clearly engaged in:
A) survey research.
B) naturalistic observation.
C) experimentation.
D) replication.
11. A brief electrical charge that travels down the axon of a neuron is called the:
A) synapse.
B) agonist.
C) action potential.
D) refractory period.
12. If a picture of a comb is briefly flashed in the left visual field of a right-handed
splitbrain patient, she would most likely be able to:
A) use her left hand to draw a picture of the comb.
B) use her right hand to draw a picture of the comb.
C) orally report what she saw.
D) use her right hand to write the word “comb.”
13. After discovering that the shadows outside his window were only the trees in the yard,
Ralph's blood pressure decreased and his heartbeat slowed. These physical reactions
were most directly regulated by his:
A) parasympathetic nervous system.
B) sympathetic nervous system.
C) somatic nervous system.
D) hippocampus.
14. To demonstrate that brain stimulation can make a rat violently aggressive, a
neuroscientist should electrically stimulate the rat's:
A) reticular formation.
B) cerebellum.
C) medulla.
D) amygdala.
15. In a survey, psychologists select a random sample of research participants in order to
ensure that:
A) the participants are representative of the population they are interested in studying.
B) there will be a large number of participants in the research study.
C) the study will not be influenced by the researcher's personal values.
D) the same number of participants will be assigned to each of the experimental
conditions.
16. A negative correlation between degree of wealth and likelihood of suffering from a
psychological disorder would indicate that:
A) poverty makes people vulnerable to psychological disorders.
B) the poor are more likely to have a psychological disorder than the wealthy.
C) psychological disorders usually prevent people from accumulating wealth.
D) all the above are true.
17. Contemporary psychology is best defined as the scientific study of:
A) conscious and unconscious mental activity.
B) observable responses to the environment.
C) behavior and mental processes.
D) maladaptive and adaptive behaviors.
18. Reuptake refers to the:
A) movement of neurotransmitter molecules across a synaptic gap.
B) release of hormones into the bloodstream.
C) inflow of electrically charged atoms through an axon membrane.
D) reabsorption of excess neurotransmitter molecules by a sending neuron.
19. In order to assess the influence of self-esteem on interpersonal attraction, researchers
either insulted or complimented college students about their physical appearance just
before they went on a blind date. In this research, the dependent variable consisted of:
A) insults or compliments.
B) physical appearance.
C) interpersonal attraction.
D) feelings of self-esteem.
20. After Paul's serious snow-skiing accident, doctors detected damage to his cerebral
cortex in Wernicke's area. Because of the damage, Paul is most likely to experience
difficulty in:
A) remembering past events.
B) pronouncing words correctly.
C) understanding what others are saying.
D) recognizing familiar faces.
21. Mr. Oates always sleeps restlessly, snorting and gasping throughout the night. It is most likely that
Mr. Oates suffers from:
A) sleep apnea.
B) narcolepsy.
C) night terrors.
D) insomnia.
22. A bank teller was so distracted by the sight of a bank robber's weapon that she failed to perceive
important features of the criminal's physical appearance. This best illustrates:
A) dissociation.
B) change blindness.
C) selective attention.
D) a near-death experience.
23. Which of the following is classified as a depressant?
A) methamphetamine
B) LSD
C) marijuana
D) alcohol
24. The need to take larger and larger doses of a drug in order to experience its effects is an indication
of:
A) withdrawal.
B) dissociation.
C) tolerance.
D) narcolepsy.
25. While a man provided directions to a construction worker, two experimenters rudely interrupted by
passing between them carrying a door. The student's failure to notice that the construction worker
was replaced by a different person during this interruption illustrates:
A) dissociation.
B) hypnagogic sensations.
C) neuroadaptation.
D) change blindness.
26. During a heated argument with his teenage daughter, Mr. Reid suddenly lapsed into a state of REM
sleep. Mr. Reid apparently suffers from:
A) narcolepsy.
B) insomnia.
C) sleep apnea.
D) REM rebound
27. A psychologist that studies how a person’s personality can be explained by repressed childhood trauma
will be working from the _____________ perspective.
A) neuroscience
B) behavioral
C) psychodynamic
D) cognitive
28. What is a shortcoming of the case study method?
A) it surveys a large number of the population
B) its results do not always apply to the whole population
C) its sample is not representative
D) there is no random assignment
29. Jack and Jill are at a major league baseball game. Their team lost the game and Jack turned to Jill and
stated he knew they were going to lose the whole time. This would be an example of…..
A) overconfidence
B) false knowledge
C) hindsight bias
D) calculated error
30. Which of the following is the statistical index used to denote the correlation between two variables?
A) correlational variable
B) correlation coefficient
C) correlational relationship
D) causation
31. Which of the following methods is not used to describe behavior?
A) case study
B) correlational study
C) naturalistic observation
D) survey
32. Shakira is a member of a control group during a drug trial. She receives a sugar pill but experiences
actual symptoms of the medicine given to the experimental group. This illustrates the…….
A) ghost symptoms
B) dissociation
C) placebo effect
D) tolerance
33. Which of the following is not associated with an action potential?
A) axon
B) neuron
C) all-or-nothing response
D) hormone
34. Sebastian’s blood glucose levels are abnormal and he is having trouble retaining water in his kidneys
both of which are modulated by the endocrine system. He could have a lesion in what part of his brain?
A) hypothalamus
B) thalamus
C) pons
D) cerebellum
35. The disease multiple sclerosis is characterized by the degeneration of myelin sheath. Which of the
following is a possible consequence of this disease?
A) the death of neurons in vital areas in the body
B) dendrites unable to receive signals from other neurons
C) the slowing of muscle contraction
D) the loss of the ability to distribute sensory information in the cortex
36. Leonardo’s doctor hypothesizes that he has abnormally high concentration of dopamine in his body.
Which of the following could be a consequence of this abnormality?
A) depression
B) Parkinson’s disease
C) schizophrenia
D) multiple sclerosis
37. Raphael is on a relaxing hike through the woods when all of the sudden a brown bear runs out of the
brush and growls at him. During his relaxing walk, the _____________ branch of the nervous system will be
active but when he sees the angry bear the ____________ branch will become active.
A) autonomic; somatic
B) somatic; autonomic
C) sympathetic; parasympathetic
D. parasympathetic; sympathetic
38. Which of the following is not part of the limbic system?
A) hippocampus
B) medulla
C) hypothalamus
D) amygdala
39. What is the structure in the following neuron?
A)
B)
C)
D)
soma
axon
dendrite
myelin sheath
40. Donatello has been making bad judgments and has been unusually irritable ever since he slipped in the
shower and hit his head. Which lobe of his brain could have suffered damage from the fall leading to a
dramatic change in his personality?
A) parietal lobe
B) frontal lobe
C) temporal lobe
D) occipital lobe
41. Michelangelo is at his 21st birthday party and all of his friends are trying to carry a conversation with him
at once. He could only listen to one of his friends at a time. What is the name of the phenomenon he is
experiencing?
A) conversation blindness
B) cocktail party effect
C) selective inattention
D) selective deafness
42. Which of the following is not an example of a circadian rhythm?
A) metal sharpness
B) body temperature
C) arousal
D) exercising
43. Which of the following techniques is most useful for studying sleep?
A) MRI
B) fMRI
C) EEG
D) PET
44. Which of the following is not part of REM sleep?
A) eye movement
B) increased heart rate
C) decreased brain activity
D) sleep paralysis
45. Which of the following is classified as a stimulant?
A) cocaine
B) alcohol
C) opiates
D) LSD
46. Which of the following is classified as a hallucinogen?
A) caffeine
B) marijuana
C) barbiturates
D) methamphetamine
47. Which of the following factors does not have the ability to increase the likelihood of drug use?
A) stress
B) genetic predisposition
C) education
D) peer pressure
48. Which of the following neurotransmitters has an effect on mood?
A) acetylcholine
B) serotonin
C) dopamine
D) GABA
49. Which of the following plays an important role in controlling arousal?
A) medulla
B) cerebellum
C) reticular formation
D) thalamus
50. During an experiment, which variable do scientists manipulate?
A) confounding variable
B) dependent variable .
C) independent variable
D) no variable is manipulated