AP Psychology
Dr. J. Dishowitz
Unit 5 Study Guide
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Define consciousness.
2. Describe the three main questions that dominate the psychological study of consciousness today. (HINT: Include
dualism and materialism, the Cartesian theater versus the multiple drafts view of consciousness, and the link
between mental activity and conscious awareness.)
3. Distinguish among the various levels of conscious activity: conscious, non-conscious, preconscious, and
unconscious or subconscious. Give an example of each.
4. Describe priming.
5. Discuss the experiments that used visual masking to study the priming effect.
6. Describe the effects of prosopagnosia, and anterograde amnesia on consciousness.
7. Define state of consciousness and altered state of consciousness.
8. Compare and contrast quiet and active sleep. List the stages of quiet sleep.
9. Explain the differences among the EEGs of each sleep stage. Your answer should include descriptions of alpha
waves, sleep spindles, K complexes, and delta waves.
10. Define REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Discuss the physiological changes that occur during this stage of
sleep. Describe a night's sleep
11. Discuss the symptoms of insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep apnea, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), nightmares,
night terrors, sleepwalking, and REM behavior disorder, and indicate during which stages of sleep they occur.
12. Define circadian rhythm and explain its role in sleep patterns. Discuss jet lag and other effects of interfering with
the human body clock.
13. Define REM rebound. Discuss the various hypotheses on the reasons for quiet sleep and dreaming. (pp. 304-305)
14. Define dreams and lucid dreaming.
15. Discuss the various theories that explain why people dream, including wish fulfillment, activation synthesis
theory, and problem-solving theory.
16. Define hypnosis and describe the process of becoming hypnotized.
17. Define hypnotic susceptibility, age regression, posthypnotic suggestions, and posthypnotic amnesia. Describe the
changes people experience during hypnosis.
18. Compare and contrast the role, state, and dissociation theories of hypnosis.
19. List some of the applications of hypnosis.
20. Define meditation. List the common characteristics of meditation techniques, and describe their effects.
21. Define psychoactive drugs and psychopharmacology. Explain the function of the blood-brain barrier and discuss
how agonist and antagonist drugs work.
22. Define substance abuse.
23. Define psychological dependence and physical dependence. Explain the mechanisms of withdrawal syndrome
and tolerance.)
24. Explain the role of expectations in the influence of drugs on behavior.
25. Define depressant. Describe the effects of alcohol and barbiturates on the nervous system and behavior.
26. Define stimulant. Describe the effects of amphetamines, cocaine, caffeine, nicotine, and MDMA on the nervous
system and behavior.
27. Define opiates. Describe the effects of opium, morphine, codeine, and heroin on the nervous system.
28. Define psychedelic. Describe the effects of LSD and marijuana on the nervous system and behavior.
1. The school of thought in psychology that systematically avoided the study of consciousness during the first half
of the last century was
A) psychoanalysis.
B) behaviorism.
C) functionalism.
D) structuralism.
E) Gestalt psychology.
2015
2. How is the hypothalamus involved in sleep?
A) Cell clusters in the hypothalamus stimulate the production of relatively slow alpha waves, signaling
the transition from deep relaxation to sleep.
B) The hypothalamus triggers the pituitary gland in the endocrine system to produce the hormone
thyroxin, which leads you to sleep.
C) During sleep the hypothalamus stimulates the production of free radicals, molecules that are toxic to
neurons, which weakens unused connections.
D) In response to decreasing light the hypothalamus' suprachiastmatic nucleus causes the pineal gland
to increase production of melatonin, leading you to sleep.
E) The action of the hypothalamus suppresses immune cell production that fights off viral infections
and cancer.
3. The impact of circadian rhythms is best illustrated by
A) the differing musical preferences of younger and older persons.
B) fluctuations in energy level and alertness across the span of a day.
C) the different study habits of men and women.
D) the different personalities of people born during different months of the year.
E) varying levels of neurotransmitters during REM sleep.
4. At 3 o'clock in the morning, John has already slept for 4 hours. As long as his sleep continues, we can expect an
increasing occurrence of
A) hypnagogic sensations.
B) muscle tension.
C) REM sleep.
D) Stage 4 sleep.
E) dissociation.
5. The human sleep cycle repeats itself about every
A) 30 minutes.
B) 90 minutes.
C) 2 1/2 hours.
D) 4 hours.
E) 1.5 days.
6. Compared with when they were only 20 years old, 60-year-olds
A) spend less time in deep sleep.
B) spend less time in Stage 1 sleep.
C) spend more time in paradoxical sleep.
D) complete the sleep cycle more slowly.
E) complete REM rebound more often.
7. The pituitary gland releases a growth hormone during
A) Stage 2 sleep.
B) Stage 1 sleep.
C) slow-wave sleep.
D) paradoxical sleep.
E) circadian sleep.
8. Sleep apnea is a disorder involving
A) the cessation of breathing during sleep.
B) periodic uncontrollable attacks of overwhelming sleepiness.
C) hypnagogic sensations of falling or floating weightlessly.
D) the excessive use of sleeping pills or other sleep-inducing drugs.
E) screams and panic during deep sleep.
9. According to Freud, the latent content of a dream refers to
A) its accompanying brain-wave pattern.
B) the previous day's events that prompted the dream.
C) the sensory stimuli in the sleeping environment that are incorporated into the dream.
D) its underlying but censored meaning.
E) the story line of our dreams.
Page 2
10. Evidence suggests that we consolidate our memories of recent life events through
A) dissociation.
B) neuroadaptation.
C) hypnagogic sensations.
D) REM sleep.
E) parallel processing.
11. The activation-synthesis theory best helps to explain why
A) most dreams are realistic portrayals of pleasant life events.
B) people often experience sudden visual images during REM sleep.
C) dreams typically express unacceptable feelings in a symbolically disguised form.
D) individuals with sleep apnea are unable to recall any of their dreams.
E) some people experience insomnia throughout their lives.
12. Hypnosis involves a state of
A) increased physical stamina.
B) heightened openness to suggestion.
C) improved perceptual skills.
D) elevated autonomic arousal.
E) low-amplitude and high-frequency brain waves.
13. In one study, both hypnotized and unhypnotized subjects were told to throw acid in a researcher's face. In this
experiment, hypnotized people
A) usually refused to engage in antisocial behavior.
B) behaved in the same fashion as unhypnotized individuals.
C) were easily influenced to act against their own will.
D) experienced much more anxiety than unhypnotized individuals.
E) often immediately awakened from the hypnotic state.
14. Hypnotized participants asked to lower their arm into an ice bath exhibited no pain when given that suggestion.
Psychologists supporting the social influence theory would suggest that
A) hypnosis caused a split in awareness so that only some part of the dissociated consciousness
experienced pain.
B) the participant was caught up in playing the role of a “good hypnotic subject” and ignored the pain.
C) endorphins, the body's natural pain killers, were acting to diminish pain sensations in hypnotized
subjects.
D) the presence of the hypnotist had little impact on the participant's experience of pain.
E) because of our two-track minds much of our behavior occurs on autopilot.
15. Chemical substances that alter perceptions and moods are called ________ drugs.
A) neuroadaptive
B) narcoleptic
C) psychoactive
D) hypnagogic
E) dissociative
16. Alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and a wide variety of other chemical agents that alter perceptions and moods are
called
A) stimulants.
B) narcotic agents.
C) psychoactive drugs.
D) hallucinogens.
E) physiological dependents.
17. Physical pain and intense cravings indicate
A) age regression.
B) dissociation.
C) physical dependence.
D) REM rebound.
E) sleep apnea.
Page 3
18. Although repeated use of amphetamines has caused Aaron legal problems, which threaten his job, he continues
to use the drugs. Aaron most clearly shows signs of
A) REM rebound.
B) age regression.
C) narcolepsy.
D) addiction.
E) dissociation.
19. Alcohol is considered a(n)
A) stimulant.
B) hallucinogen.
C) depressant.
D) opiate.
E) both a depressant and a hallucinogen.
20. Nembutal, Seconal, and Amytal, drugs prescribed to reduce insomnia, are
A) barbiturates.
B) amphetamines.
C) opiates.
D) mild hallucinogens.
E) stimulants.
21. Soon after taking a psychoactive drug, Larisa's breathing slowed, her pupils constricted, and her feelings of
anxiety were replaced by blissful pleasure. Larisa most likely experienced the effects of
A) cocaine.
B) heroin.
C) LSD.
D) nicotine.
E) amphetamine.
22. Which of the following drugs is classified as a stimulant?
A) marijuana
B) morphine
C) alcohol
D) nicotine
E) LSD
23. Which of the following is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance?
A) alcohol
B) marijuana
C) nicotine
D) cocaine
E) caffeine
24. A brief 15- to 30-minute rush of euphoria followed by a crash of agitated depression is most closely associated
with the use of
A) marijuana.
B) cocaine.
C) LSD.
D) barbiturates.
E) morphine.
25. One of the immediate effects of Ecstasy is
A) increased appetite.
B) dehydration.
C) lethargy.
D) pupil constriction.
E) decreased blood pressure.
Page 4
26. The altered state of consciousness that is most similar to a drug-induced hallucination is
A) REM sleep.
B) the near-death experience.
C) hypnosis.
D) narcolepsy.
E) withdrawal.
27. THC, the active ingredient in ________, is classified as a ________.
A) marijuana; hallucinogen
B) marijuana; stimulant
C) cocaine; stimulant
D) cocaine; hallucinogen
E) heroin; depressant
28. Studies of marijuana's effects indicate that
A) daily use of the drug is currently higher than it has ever been among high school seniors.
B) regular users may achieve a high with less of the drug than occasional users.
C) regular usage has no serious negative effects on physical health.
D) usage consistently reduces feelings of anxiety and depression.
E) marijuana is the most commonly used psychoactive drug in North America.
29. Mrs. Roberts, who suffers from AIDS, has been given an ordinarily illegal drug at the university hospital.
Considering her specific medical condition, it is likely that she has received
A) LSD.
B) cocaine.
C) marijuana.
D) heroin.
E) Ecstasy.
30. The best predictor of an adolescent's pattern of drug usage is whether the adolescent
A) has close friends who use drugs.
B) grows up in an intact two-parent family.
C) has religious beliefs.
D) owns his or her own car.
E) is a first or second child.
Page 5