AP Psych 4220: January 2004 Midterm Advanced Placement Psychology 4220 January 2004 Midterm Thursday, January 29 2 hours 100 Multiple Choice 80% 2 Essay Questions 20% Please answer multiple choice questions on the sheet provided. Number: ____________ Page 1 AP Psych 4220: January 2004 Midterm Section A Multiple Choice: 80% 1. A belief that adult personality is completely determined in early childhood years would be most relevant to the issue of: A) fluid or crystallized intelligence. B) cross-sectional or longitudinal studies. C) continuity or stages. D) conventional or postconventional morality. E) stability or change. 2. On extended visits to foreign countries, you would be most likely to observe: A) men and women equally involved in child care. B) men and women equally involved in violent crime. C) women earning approximately the same amount of money as men. D) more men than women in leadership positions. 3. The heritability of a specific trait will be greatest among genetically ________ individuals who have been raised in ________ environments. A) dissimilar; dissimilar B) similar; dissimilar C) dissimilar; similar D) similar; similar 4. Most Americans over 65 years of age believe that: A) their hearing and vision are just as good as when they were young adults. B) they do not have enough money to live on. C) their lives are less satisfying now than when they were adolescents. D) they suffer fewer health problems than do other people their age. 5. Compared with apartment dwellers whose landlords pay their energy costs, those apartment dwellers who pay their own energy costs use less energy. This most clearly illustrates that consumer energy usage is influenced by: A) classical conditioning. B) latent learning. C) spontaneous recovery. D) operant conditioning. E) observational learning. 6. Political pollsters find that people's attitudes toward the presidential candidates are very accurate predictors of the election outcome. This best illustrates that attitudes guide our actions when the attitude: A) is specifically relevant to the behavior. B) has a strongly emotional component. C) is forged through life experiences rather than mere hearsay. D) is closely related to a more general value. E) is a response to informational social influence. 7. The most foolproof way of testing the true effectiveness of a newly introduced method of psychological therapy is by means of: A) experimental research. B) case study research. C) correlational research. D) survey research. E) naturalistic observation. 8. In order to quickly teach a dog to roll over on command, you would be best advised to use ________ rather than ________. A) classical conditioning; operant conditioning B) partial reinforcement; continuous reinforcement C) negative reinforcers; positive reinforcers D) latent learning; shaping E) immediate reinforcers; delayed reinforcers 9. Because Mr. Baron demonstrates appreciation only for classroom performance that is flawless, his students have become poor and unmotivated learners. Mr. Baron most clearly needs to be informed of the value of: A) modeling. B) shaping. C) spontaneous recovery. D) latent learning. E) generalization. 10. According to the scapegoat theory, prejudice is likely to result from: Page 2 AP Psych 4220: January 2004 Midterm A) B) C) D) E) self-serving bias. the just-world phenomenon. ingroup bias. frustration. stereotypes. 11. Asking women for dates is most likely to be reinforced on a ________ schedule. A) fixed-interval B) variable-ratio C) fixed-ratio D) variable-interval 12. Nature is to nurture as ________ is to ________. A) evolutionary perspective; behavioral perspective B) Locke; Descartes C) Aristotle; Plato D) social-cultural perspective; neuroscience perspective 13. A concept that helps us to interpret ambiguous sensations is called a: A) perceptual adaptation. B) gestalt. C) stereogram. D) perceptual constancy. E) schema. 14. Olds and Milner located "pleasure centers" in the brain structure known as the: A) amygdala. B) hypothalamus. C) medulla. D) sensory cortex. E) cerebellum. 15. Given normal sensory ability, a person can hear a watch ticking in a silent room from 20 feet away. This is a description of hearing's: A) jnd. B) difference threshold. C) signal detection. D) absolute threshold. 16. A cross-sectional study is one in which: A) different characteristics of a given individual are assessed at the same time. B) different age groups are tested at the same time. C) the behavior of a group is assessed by different researchers. D) the same people are retested over a period of years. 17. Research indicates that the percentage of total sleep spent in REM sleep is higher in ________ than in ________. A) infants; adults B) females; males C) the elderly; adolescents D) artists; scientists 18. Two conflicting groups who share the same negative views of one another demonstrate: A) superordinate goals. B) GRIT. C) mirror-image perceptions. D) the reciprocity norm. E) the fundamental attribution error. 19. Andrew, a 19-year-old college freshman, is very talkative, intelligent, assertive, and politically conservative. Research suggests that he would be most likely to develop a close friendship with: A) Jason, who is politically liberal and talkative. B) Erez, who is quiet and passive. C) Toren, who is talkative and assertive. D) Tom, who is intelligent and quiet. 20. Overconfidence is best described as: A) intellectual conceit. B) a positive correlation. C) critical thinking. D) a placebo. 21. After Paul's serious snow-skiing accident, doctors detected damage to his temporal lobe in Wernicke's area. Because of the damage, Paul is most likely to experience difficulty in: A) pronouncing words correctly. Page 3 AP Psych 4220: January 2004 Midterm B) recognizing familiar faces. C) remembering past events. D) understanding what others are saying. 22. The semicircular canals are most directly relevant to: A) accommodation. B) the vestibular sense. C) parallel processing. D) kinesthesis. E) hearing. 23. For no apparent reason, Jim has recently begun to feel so tense and anxious that he frequently stays home from work. It would be most beneficial for Jim to contact a(n) ________ psychologist. A) personality B) biological C) industrial/organizational D) clinical 24. Alcohol consumption is most likely to make people more: A) self-conscious. B) fearful. C) self-disclosing. D) sexually inhibited. 25. Compared to the general adult population of the United States, those who are legally eligible to serve as jurors in capital punishment cases are ________ likely to be minorities and ________ likely to be women. A) less; more B) more; less C) less; less D) more; more 26. Carol is restless during class because her professor's distressed facial expressions lead her to believe that he dislikes teaching. The professor, on the other hand, is distressed because he sees Carol's restlessness as an indication that she lacks any motivation to learn. At this point, both student and professor should be informed of the dangers of: A) the mere exposure effect. B) the foot-in-the-door phenomenon. C) deindividuation. D) group polarization. E) the fundamental attribution error. 27. Jacqueline is sexually aroused by the sight of her handsome boyfriend but not by the sight of her equally handsome brother. This best illustrates the value of: A) extinction. B) shaping. C) intermittent reinforcement. D) latent learning. E) discrimination. 28. Compared to humans, cats have ________ visual acuity and ________ color vision. A) better; worse B) worse; better C) worse; worse D) better; better 29. Individuals who believe that the death penalty should be abolished meet to discuss the issue. Research on group interaction suggests that after discussion the individuals will be: A) sharply divided over whether the death penalty should be abolished. B) in favor of a more moderate position on the issue. C) even more convinced that the death penalty should be abolished. D) convinced that the death penalty should be retained. 30. John and Mary argued bitterly about which of them should have use of the family car that night. Neither realized, however, that Mary needed the car only in the early evening and that John needed it only in the late evening. John and Mary's failure to resolve their argument for their mutual benefit best illustrates the dangers of: A) the mere exposure effect. B) ingroup bias. C) GRIT. D) a win-lose orientation. E) superordinate goals. 31. Marlys is a sensitive, responsive parent who consistently satisfies the needs of Sara, her infant daughter. According to Erikson, Sara is likely to: Page 4 AP Psych 4220: January 2004 Midterm A) B) C) D) form a lifelong attitude of basic trust toward the world. achieve formal operational intelligence more quickly than the average child. encounter some difficulty in overcoming the limitation of egocentrism. encounter some difficulty in forming an attachment to her father. 32. Cultural diversity best illustrates our: A) capacity to learn. B) erotic plasticity. C) natural selection. D) human temperaments. 33. The occurrence of spontaneous recovery suggests that during extinction the ________ is ________. A) CR; eliminated B) CS; eliminated C) CR; suppressed D) CS; suppressed 34. When the task of correctly identifying an individual in a slide of a four-person lineup was both difficult and important, participants in an experiment were especially likely to conform to others' wrong answers. This best illustrates the impact of: A) the mere exposure effect. B) informational social influence. C) ingroup bias. D) the fundamental attribution error. E) normative social influence. 35. Which of the following is the source of genetic diversity? A) erotic plasticity B) memes C) gender schemas D) mutations 36. You come home one night to find a burglar in your house. Your heart starts racing and you begin to perspire. These physical reactions are triggered by the: A) somatic nervous system. B) sympathetic nervous system. C) limbic system. D) parasympathetic nervous system. 37. The central nervous system consists of: A) the brain and the spinal cord. B) sensory and motor neurons. C) sympathetic and parasympathetic branches. D) somatic and autonomic subsystems. 38. Migdalia, age 6, dresses up in her mother's clothes and plays school because she wants to be "just like mom," who is a high school chemistry teacher. This best illustrates the process of: A) natural selection. B) stereotyping. C) gender-typing. D) sexual orientation. 39. Compared with today's North American parents, many Asian and African parents are more likely to encourage their children to value: A) civil rights. B) social harmony. C) self-reliance. D) nonconformity. E) racial equality. 40. Jeremy wears his baseball cap backward because he noticed his older brother does so. This illustrates the importance of: A) shaping. B) immediate reinforcement. C) spontaneous recovery. D) respondent behavior. E) modeling. 41. In Milgram's obedience experiments, "teachers" were most likely to deliver high levels of shock when: A) the victim was placed in the very same room as the "teacher." B) the experiment was conducted at a prestigious institution such as Yale University. C) the experimenter was perceived to be an ordinary college freshman. D) they saw what happened when other subjects disobeyed the experimenter. Page 5 AP Psych 4220: January 2004 Midterm 42. The principle that two stimuli must differ by a constant proportion for their difference to be perceived is known as: A) frequency theory. B) Weber's law. C) feature detection. D) the opponent-process theory. 43. The sight of large, enthusiastic crowds at all of his political rallies led Governor Donavan to become overconfident about his chances of winning the upcoming election. In this instance, the Governor needs to be alerted to the value of: A) naturalistic observation. B) replication. C) experimental control. D) random sampling. 44. Professor Delano predicts that because people are especially attracted to those who are goodlooking, handsome men will be more successful than average-looking men in securing employment. The professor's suggestion regarding employment success exemplifies: A) illusory correlation. B) the false consensus effect. C) an hypothesis. D) the hindsight bias. 45. Mr. Hersch triggered a rooting reflex in his infant son by touching him on the: A) knee. B) cheek. C) foot. D) arm. 46. We perceive bright objects as ________ than dim objects and dimmer objects as ________ than clear objects. A) farther away; farther away B) closer; farther away C) farther away; closer D) closer; closer 47. Endorphins are: A) neurotransmitters. B) morphine antagonists. C) sex hormones. D) endocrine glands. 48. Which of the following statements is consistent with the current thinking of developmental psychologists? A) The first two years are the most crucial in determining the individual's personality. B) The consistency of personality in most people tends to increase over the life span. C) Social and emotional style are among the characteristics that show the least stability over the life span. D) Development occurs in a series of sharply defined stages. 49. A synapse is a(n): A) chemical messenger that triggers muscle contractions. B) automatic response to sensory input. C) neural network. D) junction between a sending neuron and a receiving neuron. E) neural cable containing many axons. 50. Taste receptors are located: A) on the sides of the tongue. B) on the roof of the mouth. C) on the top of the tongue. D) in all the above places. 51. The survey method is commonly used in: A) experiments. B) double-blind studies. C) case studies. D) correlational research. 52. Garcia and Koelling's studies of taste aversion in rats demonstrated that classical conditioning is constrained by: A) cognitive processes. B) environmental factors. C) biological predispositions. Page 6 AP Psych 4220: January 2004 Midterm D) latent learning. E) continuous reinforcement. 53. The powerful survival impulse that leads infants to seek closeness to their caregivers is called: A) imprinting. B) attachment. C) assimilation. D) the rooting reflex. E) habituation. 54. Damage to the left cerebral Hemisphere is most likely to reduce a person’s ability to: A) solve arithmetic problems. B) copy drawings. C) recognize faces. D) recognize familiar melodies. 55. On a series of coin tosses, Oleg has correctly predicted heads or tails seven times in a row. In this instance, it is reasonable to conclude that Oleg's predictive accuracy: A) is inconsistent with the false consensus effect. B) illustrates the phenomenon of illusory correlation. C) is a random and coincidental occurrence. D) defies the laws of statistical probability. 56. Which of the following persons is most clearly acting aggressively? A) an assertive salesperson who interrupts your evening meal with a telephone sales pitch B) a careless motorist who accidentally hits a small child running in the street C) a child who tries to hit another child with a rock D) a noisy neighbor who often mows his lawn at 8 o'clock on Saturday mornings 57. In Pavlov's experiments, the dog's salivation triggered by the taste of food was a(n): A) conditioned stimulus. B) unconditioned stimulus. C) conditioned response. D) unconditioned response. 58. The mean of a distribution of scores is the: A) score exceeded by 50 percent of all the scores. B) arithmetic average of all the scores. C) most frequently occurring score. D) least frequently occurring score. 59. The cocktail party effect provides an example of: A) selective attention. B) the phi phenomenon. C) perceptual constancy. D) perceptual adaptation. E) perceptual set. 60. An impaired theory of mind is most closely associated with: A) an insecure attachment. B) adolescence. C) crystallized intelligence. D) autism. E) habituation. 61. Negative reinforcers ________ the rate of operant responding, and punishments ________ the rate of operant responding. A) decrease; increase B) decrease; have no effect on C) have no effect on; decrease D) increase; decrease E) decrease; decrease 62. An extensive survey revealed that children with relatively high self-esteem tend to picture God as kind and loving, whereas those with lower self-esteem tend to perceive God as angry. The researchers concluded that the children's self-esteem had apparently influenced their views of God. This conclusion best illustrates the danger of: A) assuming that correlation proves causation. B) generalizing from extreme examples. C) perceiving order in random events. D) exaggerating the extent to which others share our beliefs. E) randomly sampling children's views. 63. Dr. Robinson conducts basic research on the relationship between brain chemistry and intellectual functioning. Which psychological specialty does Dr. Robinson's research best Page 7 AP Psych 4220: January 2004 Midterm represent? A) biological psychology B) industrial/organizational psychology C) social psychology D) clinical psychology 64. Severing a cat's reticular formation from higher brain regions causes the cat to: A) become violently aggressive. B) experience convulsive seizures. C) become sexually preoccupied. D) lapse into a coma. E) cower in fear. 65. If research suggested that a pregnant mother's use of an artificial sweetener caused harm to the fetus, the artificial sweetener would be considered a(n): A) teratogen. B) neurotransmitter. C) form of DNA. D) FAS. E) depressant. 66. Children are especially likely to behave aggressively after viewing TV violence in which an attractive person commits ________ violence that causes ________ visible pain or harm. A) unjustified; a lot of B) justified; a lot of C) justified; no D) unjustified; no 67. Evidence that some cones are especially sensitive to red light, others to green light, and still others to blue light is most directly supportive of the ________ theory. A) Young-Helmholtz B) gate-control C) signal detection D) frequency E) opponent-process 68. Philip Zimbardo devised a simulated prison and randomly assigned college students to serve as prisoners or guards. This experiment best illustrates the impact of: A) team members on social loafing. B) groupthink on social conflict. C) frustration on aggression. D) role playing on attitudes. E) deindividuation on the fundamental attribution error. 69. Compared with Americans 30 years ago, Americans today are likely to: A) live separately from their parents at an earlier age. B) marry for the first time at a later age. C) experience their first menstrual period at a later age. D) establish their adult careers at an earlier age. 70. Compared to adults, children are ________ likely to experience night terrors and ________ likely to experience sleepwalking. A) less; more B) less; less C) more; more D) more; less 71. After they had first agreed to display a 3-inch "Be a Safe Driver" sign, California home owners were highly likely to permit the installation of a very large and unattractive "Drive Carefully" sign in their front yards. This best illustrates: A) the fundamental attribution error. B) the mere exposure effect. C) the foot-in-the-door phenomenon. D) deindividuation. E) social facilitation. 72. Which perspective most clearly emphasizes the impact of learning on behavior? A) psychodynamic B) evolutionary C) neuroscience D) behavior genetics E) behavioral 73. Research with distorting goggles best supports the view of human perception advanced by: A) Kant. Page 8 AP Psych 4220: January 2004 Midterm B) Aristotle. C) Freud. D) Locke. 74. Evolutionary psychologists would be most likely to predict that men will marry women who are ________ than they are. A) more aggressive toward sexual rivals B) younger C) less physically attractive D) more sexually experienced 75. A geometric figure is most likely to become sexually arousing if presented shortly ________ an appropriate ________. A) after; UCR B) after; UCS C) before; UCS D) after; CS E) before; UCR 76. Psychologists who view the developmental process as a sequence of distinct stages generally believe that ________ is(are) the same for everyone. A) both the order and the timing of the stages B) neither the order nor the timing of the stages C) the order but not the timing of the stages D) the timing but not the order of the stages 77. The sensory cortex is most critical for our sense of: A) smell. B) hearing. C) sight. D) taste. E) touch. 78. Professor Jones is a member of the faculty committee on academic standards. He personally disagrees with the other committee members' proposed plan to begin accepting students with below-average high school grades. Professor Jones is most likely, however, to vote in favor of their plan if: A) he has a high level of self-esteem. B) the other committee members are unanimous in their opinion. C) committee voting is done by private ballot. D) he personally dislikes the other committee members and wishes he were on a more prestigious college committee. E) he stated his personal opinion early in the committee's discussion. 79. For which of the following distributions of scores would the median most clearly be a more appropriate measure of central tendency than the mean? A) 10, 22, 8, 9, 6 B) 12, 6, 8, 5, 4 C) 9, 8, 9, 8, 7 D) 23, 7, 3, 27, 16 E) 12, 15, 12, 9, 12 80. Neural impulses may travel as rapidly as: A) electricity through a wire. B) 200 miles per hour. C) sound waves. D) light waves. 81. The cochlea is to the ear as the ________ is to the eye. A) retina B) cornea C) lens D) optic nerve E) pupil 82. Authoritarian parents demonstrate ________ levels of parental control and ________ levels of parental responsiveness. A) high; high B) high; low C) low; high D) low; low 83. Compared to "late bloomers," boys who mature sexually at an early age tend to be more: A) physically uncoordinated. B) academically successful. Page 9 AP Psych 4220: January 2004 Midterm C) sexually inhibited. D) popular and self-assured. 84. Watson and Rayner's study of Little Albert demonstrated how specific fears: A) are acquired through observational learning. B) can be used as negative reinforcers. C) may be produced through classical conditioning. D) can interfere with the process of learning. 85. Children of abusive parents often learn to be aggressive by imitating their parents. This illustrates the importance of: A) observational learning. B) spontaneous recovery. C) respondent behavior. D) shaping. E) delayed reinforcement. 86. In a pleasant but unfamiliar setting, infants with a secure maternal attachment are most likely to: A) use their mothers as a base from which to explore the new surroundings. B) cling to their mothers and ignore the new surroundings. C) show hostility when their mothers approach them after a brief absence. D) act as though their mothers are of little importance to them. 87. The best explanation for the inaction of bystanders during the Kitty Genovese murder is that they failed to: A) experience any empathy for a stranger. B) assume personal responsibility for helping the victim. C) realize that the incident was really an emergency situation. D) notice that the incident was taking place. E) do any of the above. 88. In order to test whether newborns can visually discriminate between various shapes and colors, psychologists have made use of the process of: A) imprinting. B) accommodation. C) habituation. D) conservation. E) attachment. 89. Joe Wilson, age 55, has been told by experts that a hearing aid would restore his lost sense of hearing. It is likely that Joe's hearing loss involves problems within the: A) basilar membrane. B) auditory nerve. C) inner ear. D) middle ear. 90. Many hard-of-hearing people like sound compressed because they are still sensitive to ________ sounds. A) high-pitched B) unpredictable C) loud D) prolonged 91. In order to represent graphically the correlation between two variables, researchers often construct a: A) standard deviation. B) bar graph. C) skewed distribution. D) scatterplot. 92. Although a few keys on the piano were broken, Shana couldn't prevent herself from mentally filling in the missing notes of the familiar melodies. This best illustrates the principle of: A) continuity. B) proximity. C) interposition. D) closure. E) convergence. 93. Researchers control factors that might influence a dependent variable by means of: A) replication. B) representative samples. C) naturalistic observation. D) random assignment. 94. For several years Ruth played softball for the sheer enjoyment of the game. Her loss of intrinsic Page 10 AP Psych 4220: January 2004 Midterm interest in playing after being recruited by a professional team for $100 a game best illustrates: A) the overjustification effect. B) intermittent reinforcement. C) latent learning. D) respondent behavior. E) spontaneous recovery. 95. Whether homo sapiens is an appropriate description of the human species is a question most directly relevant to the issue of: A) behavior versus mental processes. B) nature versus nurture. C) rationality versus irrationality. D) stability versus change. 96. In a recent car accident, Tamiko sustained damage to his right cerebral hemisphere. This injury is most likely to reduce Tamiko's ability to: A) solve arithmetic problems. B) facially express emotions. C) process information in an orderly sequence. D) understand simple verbal requests. 97. The monocular depth cue in which an object blocking another object is perceived as closer is: A) linear perspective. B) interposition. C) relative clarity. D) relative height. 98. In a well-known experiment, nursery school children pounded and kicked a large inflated Bobo doll that an adult had just beaten on. This experiment served to illustrate the importance of: A) spontaneous recovery. B) negative reinforcement. C) respondent behavior. D) operant conditioning. E) observational learning. 99. Evidence that highly hypnotizable people are no more successful than others at simultaneously reading a book and listening to music would most clearly challenge: A) social influence theory. B) the activation-synthesis theory. C) Freud's dream theory. D) dissociation theory. 100. Which of the following has been presented as evidence that alcoholism is genetically influenced? A) Alcohol abusers are unable to stop using alcohol without professional help. B) Alcohol abuse is positively correlated with depression. C) Alcoholics are typically not aware that they are addicted to the drug. D) Children of alcoholics have a relatively high tolerance for alcohol. Page 11 AP Psych 4220: January 2004 Midterm Section B Long answer: 20 Answer both questions in the paper booklet provided. Answers should be organized logically in essay format and include relevant research. It is not enough to answer a question by merely listing facts. You should present a cogent (convincing, well thought out) argument based on your critical analysis of the question posed. 1. Professor Bennett believes that frustration increases the need for achievement. She decides to test her hypothesis with her introductory psychology class of about 100 students. The first 50 students who arrive for class one day are taken to a separate room and given a series of easy puzzles to scomplete. Professor Tucker then asks each student about his or her professional goals. She rates the statement of each on a 7-point scale for strenght of achie Page 12 AP Psych 4220: January 2004 Midterm Answer Key 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. E D C D D A A E B D B A E B D B A C C A D B D C C E E C C D A A C B D B A C B E B B D C B B A B D D D C B (No answer.) C C D B A D D A A D A C A (No answer.) B C C E D Page 13 AP Psych 4220: January 2004 Midterm 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. B C C E B A B A B D C A A B C D C D D D A C B B E D D Page 14