A P P s y c h
Units 14, 1, 2, 8, 7, 6, 3, & 4
1

The traditions of a culture are passed from one generation to the next by means of
A. norms
B. temperaments
C. genes
D. chromosomes
(14)
2

In his study of obedience, Stanley Milgram found that the majority of participants
A. refused to shock the learner even once.
B.
complied with the experiment until the “learner” first indicated pain.
C.
complied with the experiment until the “learner” began screaming in agony.
D. complied with all the demands of the experiment.
(14)
3

Conformity increased under which of the following conditions in Solomon
Asche’s studies of conformity?
A. The group had more males than females.
B.
The group’s status was equal to that of the participant.
C. Individuals were made to feel insecure.
D. The participant had made a prior commitment to a particular response.
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4

Research studies have found a positive correlation between aggressive tendencies in animals and levels of the hormone
A. estrogen
B. adrenaline
C. noradrenaline
D. testosterone
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5

The mere exposure effect demonstrates that
A. familiarity breeds contempt
B. opposites attract
C. birds of a feather flock together
D. familiarity breeds fondness
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6

According to cognitive dissonance theory, dissonance is most likely to occur when
A.
a person’s behavior is not based on strongly held attitudes
B. two people have conflicting attitudes and find themselves in disagreement
C. an individual does something that is personally disagreeable
D. an individual is coerced into doing something that he or she does not want to do
(14)
7

The belief that those who suffer deserve their fate is expressed in the
A. just-world phenomenon
B. phenomenon of ingroup bias
C. fundamental attribution error
D. mirror-image perception principle
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8

Violent criminals often have diminished activity in the ___ of the brain, which play(s) an important role in ___
A. occipital lobes; aggression
B. hypothalamus; hostility
C. frontal lobes; controlling impulses
D. temporal lobes; patience
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9

Who would be most likely to agree with the statement, “Psychology should investigate only behaviors that can be observed.”?
A. Wilhelm Wundt
B. Sigmund Freud
C. John B. Watson
D. William James
(1)
10

Which psychological perspective emphasizes the interaction of the brain and body in behavior?
A. biological
B. cognitive
C. behavioral
D. evolutionary
(1)
11

Who introduced the early school of structuralism?
A. Edward Titchener
B. Wilhelm Wundt
C. William James
D. Mary Whiton Calkins
(1)
12

Which of the following exemplifies the issue of the relative importance of nature and nurture on our behavior?
A. The issue of the relative influence of biology and experience on behavior.
B. The issue of the relative influence of rewards and punishments on behavior.
C. The debate as to the relative importance of heredity and instinct in determining behavior.
D. the debate as to whether mental processes are a legitimate area of scientific study.
(1)
13

You decide to test your belief that boys drink more soft drinks than girls by finding out whether boys consume more soft drinks per day in the cafeteria than girls do. Your belief is a(n) ___, and your research prediction is a(n) ___.
A. hypothesis; theory
B. theory; hypothesis
C. independent variable; dependent variable
D. dependent variable; independent variable
(2)
14

Your best friend criticizes psychological research for being artificial and having no relevance to behavior in real life. In defense of psychology’s use of laboratory experiments you point out that….
A. Psychologists make every attempt to avoid artificiality by setting up experiments that closely simulate real-world environments.
B. Psychologists who conduct basic research are not concerned with the applicability of their findings to the real world.
C. Most psychological research is not conducted in a laboratory environment.
D. Psychologists intentionally study behavior in simplified environments in order to gain greater control over variables and to test general principles that help to explain many behaviors.
(2)
15

The scientific attitude in psychology refers to the fact that
A. Psychologists study only observable behaviors
B. Psychologists study thoughts and actions with an attitude of skepticism and derive their conclusions from direct observations.
C. Psychological research should be free of value judgements
D. All of these statements are true
(2)
16

Rashad, who is participating in a psychology experiment on the effects of alcohol on perception, is truthfully told by the experimenter that he has been assigned to the “high-dose condition.” What is wrong with this experiment?
A. There is no control condition
B.
B. Rashad’s expectations concerning the effects of
“high doses” of alcohol on perception may influence his performance.
C. Rashad was given a placebo, so the results may be tainted.
D. All of these statements are correct.
(2)
17

A teacher constructs a questionnaire to determine how students feel about nuclear disarmament. Which of the following techniques should be used to survey a random sample of the student body?
A. Every student should be sent the questionnaire.
B. Only students taking psychology should be asked to complete the questionnaire.
C. Only students living on the east side of town should be asked to complete the questionnaire.
D. From an alphabetical listing of all students, every tenth (or fifteenth, for example) should be asked to complete the questionnaire.
(2)
18

A researcher was interested in determining whether her students’ test performance could be predicted from their proximity to the front of the classroom. So she matched her students’ scores on a math test with their seating position.
A. Experimentation
B. Correlational research
C. A survey
D. Naturalistic observation
(2)
19

Of the following individuals, who might be most prone to developing an eating disorder?
a. Jason, an adolescent boy who is somewhat overweight and is unpopular with his peers.
b. Jennifer, a teenage girl who has a poor self-image and a fear of not being able to live up to her parents' high standards.
c. Susan, a 35-yearold woman who is a “workaholic” and devotes most of her energies to her high-pressured career.
d. Bill, a 40-year-old man who has had problems with alcoholism and is seriously depressed after losing his job of 20 years.
(8)
20

Hunger and sexual motivation are alike in that both are influenced by a. Internal physiological factors b. External and imagined stimuli c. Cultural expectations d. All of these factors
(8)
21

Which of the following statements concerning homosexuality is true?
a. Homosexuals have abnormal hormone levels.
b. As children, most homosexuals were molested by an adult homosexual.
c. Homosexuals had a domineering opposite-sex parent.
d. Research indicates that sexual orientation may be at least partly physiological.
(8)
22

Homeostasis refers to a. The tendency to maintain a steady internal state b. The tendency to seek external incentives for behavior c.
The setting of the body’s “weight thermostat.” d. A theory of the development of sexual orientation.
(8)
23

One shortcoming of the instinct theory of motivation is that it a. Places too much emphasis on environmental factors.
b. Focuses on cognitive aspects of motivation c. Applies only to animal behavior.
d. Does not explain human behaviors; it simply names them.
(8)
24

Lucille has been sticking to a strict diet but can’t seem to lose weight. What is the most likely explanation for her difficulty?
a. Her body has a very low set point.
b.
Her predict weight was near her body’s set point.
c. Her weight problem is actually caused by an underlying eating disorder.
d. Lucille is influenced primarily by external factors.
(8)
25

The tendency to overeat when food is plentiful a. is a recent phenomenon that is associated with the luxury of having ample food b. emerged in our prehistoric ancestors as an adaptive response to alternating periods of feast and famine c. is greater in developed, than in developing, societies d. is stronger in women than men
(8)
26

Which of the following is INCONSISTENT with the drivereduction theory of motivation?
a. When body temperature drops below 98.6 F, blood vessels constrict to conserve warmth.
b. A person is driven to seek a drink when his or her cellular water level drops below its optimum point.
c. Monkeys will work puzzles even if not given a food reward.
d. A person becomes hungry when body weight falls below its biological set point.
(8)
27

The brain area that when stimulated suppresses eating is the a. Lateral hypothalamus b. Ventromedial hypothalamus c. Lateral thalamus d. Ventromedial thalamus
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28

Your friend is conducting a survey to learn how many hours the typical student studies each day. She plans to pass out her questionnaire to the members of her health club. You point out that her findings will be flawed because a. she has not specified an independent variable b. she has not specified a dependent variable c. the sample will probably not be representative of the population of interest d. of all of these reasons
(2)
29

According to Maslow’s theory a. The most basic motives are based on safety needs.
b. Needs are satisfied in a specified order.
c. The highest motives relate to self-actualization d. The order of these is not universally fixed.
(8)
30

Ali’s parents have tried hard to minimize their son’s exposure to sweet, fattening foods. If Ali has the occasion to taste sweet foods in the future, which of the following is likely?
a. He will have a strong aversion to such foods.
b. He will have a neutral reaction to sweet foods.
c. He will display a preference for sweet tastes.
d.
It is impossible to predict Ali’s reaction.
(8)
31

Beginning with the most basic needs, which of the following represents the correct sequence of needs in the hierarchy described by Maslow?
a. Safety; physiological; esteem; belongingness and love; self-fulfillment; self-transcendence.
b. Safety; physiological; belongingness and love; esteem; self-fulfillment; self-transcendent c. Physiological; safety; esteem; belongingness and love; self-fulfillment; self-transcendent.
d. Physiological; safety; belongingness and love; esteem; self-fulfillment; self-transcendent.
(8)
32

The three steps in memory information processing are a. Input, processing, output.
b. Input, storage, output.
c. Input, storage, retrieval.
d. Encoding, storage, retrieval.
(7)
33

Regarding the relationship between thinking and language, which of the following most accurately reflects the position taken in the text?
a. Language determines everything about our thinking.
b. Language determines the way we think.
c. Thinking without language is not possible.
d. Thinking affects our language, which then affects our thought.
(7)
34

Which of the following is NOT a measure of retention?
a. Recall.
b. Recognition.
c. Relearning.
d. Retrieval.
(7)
35

Children first demonstrate a rudimentary understanding of syntax during the _____ stage.
a. Babbling b. One-word c. Two-word d. Three-word
(7)
36

Skinner and other behaviorists have argued that language development is the result of a. Imitation b. Reinforcement c. Association d. All of these
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37

Kandel and Schwartz have found that when learning occurs, more of the neurotransmitter _____ is released into synapses.
a. ACh b. Dopamine c. Serotonin d. Noradrenaline
(7)
38

Which of the following is NOT cited by Chomsky as evidence that language acquisition cannot be explained by learning alone?
a. Children master the complicated rules of grammar with ease.
b. Children create sentences they have never heard.
c. Children make the kinds of mistakes that suggest they are attempting to apply rules of grammar.
d. Children raised in isolation from language spontaneously begin speaking words.
(7)
39

Which of the brain is most important in the processing of implicit memories?
a. hippocampus b. cerebellum c. hypothalamus d. amygdala
(7)
40

The type of learning associated with Skinner is a. Classical conditioning.
b. Operant conditioning.
c. Respondent conditioning.
d. Observational learning.
(6)
41

A response that leads to the removal of an unpleasant stimulus is one being a. Positively reinforced.
b. Negatively reinforced.
c. Punished.
d. Extinguished.
(6)
42

In Pavlov’s original experiment with dogs, the tone was initially a(n) _____ stimulus; after it was paired with meat, it became a(n) _____ stimulus.
a. Conditioned; neutral.
b. Neutral; conditioned.
c. Conditioned; unconditioned.
d. Unconditioned; conditioned.
(6)
43

Which of the following statements concerning reinforcement is correct?
a. Learning is most rapid with intermittent reinforcement, but continuous reinforcement produces the greatest resistance to extinction.
b. Learning is most rapid with continuous reinforcement, but intermittent reinforcement produces the greatest resistance to extinction.
c. Learning is fastest and resistance to extinction is greatest after continuous reinforcement.
d. Learning is fastest and resistance to extinction is greatest following intermittent reinforcement.
(6)
44

To obtain a reward, a monkey learns to press a lever when a 1000-Hz tone is on but not when a 1200-Hz tone is on. What kind of training is this?
a. Extinction.
b. Generalization.
c. Classical conditioning.
d. Discrimination.
(6)
45

Heartbeat, digestion, and other self-regulating bodily functions are governed by the a. Voluntary nervous system.
b. Autonomic nervous system.
c. Sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system.
d. Somatic nervous system.
(3)
46

In a resting state, the axon is a. Depolarized, with mostly negatively charged ions outside and positively charged ions inside.
b. Depolarized, with mostly positively charged ions outside and negatively charged ions inside.
c. Polarized, with mostly negatively charged ions outside and positively charged ions inside.
d. Polarized, with mostly positively charged ions outside and negatively charged ions inside.
(6)
47

Which is the correct sequence in the transmission of a simple reflex?
a. Sensory neuron, interneuron, sensory neuron b. Interneuron, motor neuron, sensory neuron c. Sensory neuron, interneuron, motor neuron d. Interneuron, sensory neuron, motor neuron
(3)
48

Unlike _____ twins, who develop from a single fertilized egg, _____ twins develop from separate fertilized eggs a. Fraternal; identical.
b. Identical; fraternal c. Placental; nonplacental.
d. Nonplacental; placental.
(3)
49

Consciousness is defined in the text as a. Mental life.
b. Selective attention to ongoing perceptions, thoughts, and feelings.
c. Information processing.
d. Our awareness of ourselves and our environment.
(3)
50

Though there is no single “control center” for emotions, their regulation is primarily attributed to the brain region known as the a. Limbic system.
b. Reticular formation. c. Brainstem.
d. Cerebellum.
(3)
51

Of the following, the best way to separate the effects of genes and environment in research is to study a. Fraternal twins.
b. Identical twins.
c. Adopted children and their adoptive parents.
d. Identical twins raised in different environments.
(3)
52

.
Damage to _____ will usually cause a person to lose the ability to comprehend language.
a. The angular gyrus.
b.
Broca’s area c.
Wernicke’s area.
d. Frontal lobe association areas.
(3)
53

A pair of adopted children or identical twins reared in the same home are most likely to have similar a. Excitability.
b. Personalities.
c. Religious beliefs.
d. Emotional reactivity.
(4)
54

The perceptual error in which we fail to see an object when our attention is directed elsewhere is a. Sensory adaptation.
b. Inattentional blindness.
c. Perceptual adaptation.
d. Transduction.
(4)
55

The receptor of the eye that functions best in dim light is the a. Fovea.
b. Cone.
c. Bipolar cell.
d. Rod.
(4)
56

The historical movement associated with the statement “The whole may exceed the sum of its parts” is a. Parapsychology.
b. Behavioral psychology.
c. Functional psychology.
d. Gestalt psychology.
(4)
57

The Young-Helmholtz theory proposes that a. There are three different types of color sensitive cones.
b. Retinal cells are excited by one color and inhibited by its complimentary color.
c. There are four different types of cones.
d. Rod, not cone, vision accounts for our ability to detect fine visual detail.
(4)
58

When we stare at an object, each eye receives a slightly different image, providing a depth cue known as a. Interposition.
b. Linear perspective.
c. Relative motions.
d. Retinal disparity.
(4)
59

According to the gate-control theory, a way to alleviate chronic pain would be to stimulate the _____ nerve fibers that _____ the spinal gate.
a. Small; open b. Small; close c. Large; open d. Large; close
(4)
60

The concept of control is important in psychological research because
A. Without control over independent and dependent variables, researchers cannot describe, predict, or explain behavior.
B. Experimental control allows researchers to study the influence of one or two independent variables on a dependent variable while holding other potential influences constant.
C. Without experimental control, results cannot be generalized from a sample to a population
D. all of these reasons
(2)
61