Sample Questions for General Psychology Evaluation #1
1. Contemporary psychology is best defined as the scientific study of:
a) behavior and mental processes.
b) maladaptive and adaptive behaviors.
c) observable responses to the environment.
d) conscious and unconscious mental activity.
2. The neuroscience perspective in psychology would be most likely to
emphasize that behavior is influenced by:
a) unconscious conflicts.
b) environmental circumstances.
c) subjective interpretations.
d) blood chemistry.
3. In a written report of their research, psychologists specify exactly how
anxiety is assessed, thus providing their readers with a(n):
a) operational definition.
b) hypothesis.
c) case study.
d) independent variable.
4. The
a)
b)
c)
case study is a research method in which:
organisms are carefully observed in a laboratory environment.
a single individual is studied in great depth.
an investigator manipulates one or more variables that might affect
behavior.
d) a representative sample of people are questioned regarding their
opinions or behaviors.
5. The placebo effect best illustrates the impact of ________ on feelings and
behaviors.
a) random sampling
b) positive expectations
c) random assignment
d) the double-blind procedure
6. Dendrites are branching extensions of:
a) endorphins.
b) neurons.
c) endocrine glands.
d) stem cells.
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7. The minimum level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse is
called the:
a) action potential.
b) synapse.
c) reflex.
d) threshold.
8. Schizophrenia is most closely linked with excess receptor activity for the
neurotransmitter:
a) acetylcholine.
b) serotonin.
c) epinephrine.
d) dopamine.
9. A drug that mimics the effects of a particular neurotransmitter or blocks its
reuptake is called a(n):
a) opiate.
b) glutamate.
c) steroid.
d) agonist.
10. The
a)
b)
c)
d)
central nervous system consists of:
somatic and autonomic subsystems.
sympathetic and parasympathetic branches.
sensory and motor neurons.
the brain and the spinal cord.
11. The
a)
b)
c)
d)
parasympathetic nervous system:
stimulates digestion and accelerates heartbeat.
inhibits digestion and slows heartbeat.
inhibits digestion and accelerates heartbeat.
stimulates digestion and slows heartbeat.
12. 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) hypothalamus.
b) somatic nervous system.
c) sympathetic nervous system.
d) parasympathetic nervous system.
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13. A doughnut-shaped system of neural structures at the border of the
brainstem and the cerebral hemispheres is known as the:
a) reticular formation.
b) Broca's area.
c) limbic system.
d) angular gyrus.
14. Olds and Milner located reward centers in the brain structure known as the:
a) amygdala.
b) hypothalamus.
c) cerebellum.
d) medulla.
15. An impaired use of language is known as:
a) aphasia.
b) lateralization.
c) tomography.
d) plasticity.
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Answer Key
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15.
a
d
a
b
b
b
d
d
d
d
d
c
c
b
a
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