Multiple choice (49 points; 1 point each) Choose the best answer for each of the following. Mark your answers on the scantron sheet provided. Use a #2 pencil only.
1. Psychology is defined as
a. the scientific investigation of thought processes.
b. the understanding of abnormal behavior.
c. the scientific study of behavior and mind.
d. the study of mental illness and inner
feelings.
2. Imagine that a picture of a cat was briefly flashed in the right visual field of an individual with a severed corpus callosum. At the same time a picture of an apple is briefly flashed in left visual field. Based on Roger Sperry's work with split brain patients, you could predict that this individual would say
a. "I saw an apple.
b. "I saw a cat."
c. "I'm not sure what I saw, it looked like
an apple with ears."
d. "I didn't see anything."
3. The measure of central tendency that is most sensitive to extreme scores within the data set is
a. the mode.
b. the median.
c. the standard deviation.
d. the mean.
4. Which of the following is most likely to explain why men and women perform differently (on average) on tasks such as mathematical calculation and spatial reasoning?
a. dramatic differences in genetic material
b. hormonal influences in early development
c. lower levels of inhibitory neurotransmitters
in the male brain
d. differences in brain activity patterns as observed
in PET scans
5. Reggie is an avid bowler. Jerry is a less talented bowler who wishes to sabotage Reggie's game by substituting a new ball for Reggie's 12 lb. ball. Suppose that through his repeated participation in psychology demonstrations, we know that Reggie's JND, starting with an 8-pound weight, is 1 pound. Based on your understanding of Weber's Law, will Reggie detect it if Jerry gives him a 13 lb. ball in place of his 12 lb. ball?
a. yes, because JND is constant for weight
b. yes, because the JND for weight is 1 pound
c. probably not, because the JND will increase
with increasing weight
d. probably not, because the JND must be at least
10% of the starting weight
6. The flow of information within a neuron is
a. from terminal buttons to axon to soma to dendrites.
b. from dendrites to soma to axon to terminal
buttons.
c. from dendrites to axon to terminal buttons to
soma.
d. from axon to soma to dendrites to terminal buttons.
7. The intellectual roots of modern psychology lie in the disciplines of
a. mathematics and philosophy.
b. philosophy and physiology.
c. biology and physics.
d. anthropology and sociology.
8. If people did not have size constancy, objects would appear to
a. shrink as they moved closer to us.
b. be the same size, no matter how far away they
were.
c. grow in size as they moved closer to us.
d. change colors as they moved away from us.
9. Dr. Bores predicts that if the temperature of a room is increased, then individuals are more likely to act aggressively. Dr. Bores' prediction is an example of
a. a hypothesis.
b. empirical knowledge.
c. an operational definition.
d. a dependent variable.
10. Preston is a graduate student whose major area of interest is cognitive psychology. You should expect that Preston is most interested in
a. understanding mental processes such as memory
and learning.
b. the ways in which physical or genetic factors
influence and determine behavior.
c. the internal factors that lead people to act consistently
across various situations.
d. how people relate to each other and influence
each other.
11. Becky has a brain tumor that is confined to the left side of her brain. Based on hemispheric lateralization studies you might expect that Becky would have the most problems in tasks that require
a. spatial skills, such as fitting together puzzle
pieces.
b. language and communication.
c. fine motor coordination.
d. interpretating and understanding emotions.
12. Reactivity occurs when
a. researchers react to the results of a study before
the study is completed.
b. there is a strong public response to a published
research study.
c. an individual's behavior is changed by the
process of being observed.
d. researchers attempt to manipulate or change the
behavior of research participants.
13. Individuals who wear glasses on their face would always see the frames blocking their vision if the human nervous system didn't show
a. sensory adaptation.
b. perceptual invariance.
c. perceptual assimilation.
d. changing difference thresholds.
14. Perception refers to
a. the elementary features or building blocks of
experience.
b. the collection of processes used to arrive
at a meaningful interpretation of an experience.
c. the process of translating external messages into
neural impulses.
d. the physical properties of stimuli in the environment.
15. The ethical practice which involves explaining, in easy-to-understand language, any significant factors that might influence a participant's willingness to participate in a research study is known as
a. informed consent.
b. debriefing.
c. confidentiality.
d. experimental control.
16. The primary advantage of experimental research over correlational research is that experiments
a. are easier to conduct than correlational studies.
b. use descriptive statistics rather than inferential
statistics.
c. can determine cause-effect relationships.
d. involve more natural behavior than correlational
studies.
17. A neuron's electrical potential becomes less negative in response to
a. an excitatory message.
b. an inhibitory message.
c. hyperpolarization.
d. the firing of the axon.
18. Elijiah broke his nose and had to have it packed for 10 days. During this time, Elijiah most likely found that
a. food tasted better because his sense of taste
was enhanced to make up for the missing sense of smell.
b. he was somewhat forgetful because signals to his
hippocampus were blocked.
c. food had little taste because much of what
we experience as flavor depends on our sense of smell.
d. he had problems with his balance and sense of
equilibrium.
19. Most modern psychologists
a. rely on self-reports of individuals in order to
understand human nature.
b. investigate brain function in order to understand
human and animal behavior.
c. use insight and logical reasoning to explain and
understand behavior.
d. observe behavior in a systematic way, and develop
ideas that can be tested through more observation.
20. How would a sociobiologist explain altruism toward family members?
a. Involvement in a family allows for sharing of
resources.
b. A family unit provides for emotional security.
c. Family members share genetic material.
d. Caring for family members increases self-esteem.
21. One of the main concerns with the case study method of research is
a. a single case is seldom able to provide a historical
perspective.
b. the experiences reported may not be representative
of other cases.
c. hypotheses cannot be generated about the origin
of the behavior.
d. they cannot be used to study rare or unusual events.
22. When Richardo heard a car backfire the message to turn his head was carried from his spinal cord to his neck along
a. sensory neurons.
b. motor neurons.
c. interneurons.
d. glial cells.
23. If the human nervous system was not wired to respond to differences in the wavelengths of reflected light, people would not
a. detect differences in brightness.
b. respond accurately to movement.
c. detect differences in colors.
d. have full peripheral vision.
24. The path of a sound wave, as it enters the human ear, is
a. from the eardrum, to the auditory canal and through
the middle ear.
b. from the auditory canal, through the middle ear,
to the eardrum.
c. from the auditory canal, to the eardrum and
through the middle ear.
d. from the middle ear, to the eardrum, and through
the auditory canal.
25. Nelson is an avid baseball fan who is excited by the fact that the home town team won their first three games of the season. Based on this early performance Nelson is looking forward to a record-breaking season. This faulty reasoning illustrates an error in statistical reasoning because
a. later performance is seldom related to early performance.
b. winning streaks usually only last for a short
period of time.
c. small samples are the most accurate in representing
the population.
d. small samples cannot be expected to provide
reliable indications of "true" performance.
26. Jenn was a monkey who was extremely aggressive and often flew into uncontrollable rages. Brain researchers lesioned portions of Jenn's forebrain and she became extremely passive and docile. These researchers most likely lesioned portions of Jenn's
a. occipital lobe.
b. amygdala.
c. hippocampus.
d. substantia nigra.
27. In order to learn whether the people in Hyatt opposed or supported the expansion of the town's elementary school, Mayor Black randomly selected and interviewed 100 of the town's 10,000 residents. In this instance, the 10,000 people who live in Hyatt would be considered to be
a. a representative sample.
b. the dependent variable.
c. the population.
d. the independent variable.
28. Vanessa jerked her foot out of the tub of scalding water before she actually sensed any pain because the withdrawal reflex
a. does not involve the central nervous system.
b. is activated by the autonomic nervous system.
c. is initiated in the sensory cortex, which has
no pain receptors.
d. is controlled by interneurons in her spinal
cord.
29. A good operational definition of aggression might be
a. behavior intended to harm someone or something.
b. a violent response most often accompanying frustration
or anger directed toward someone.
c. the number of times someone hits, kicks, or
yells at a person or an object within a 1 hour period.
d. a personality characteristic in which the individual
tends to solve problems with violence.
30. One of the main objections to the study of conscious experiences raised by psychologists who followed the behavioral perspective was that conscious experiences
a. are not directly observable, and therefore
cannot be verified.
b. have no impact on current behavior.
c. cannot be understood separately from the context
in which they occur.
d. will be different for each individual who is studied.
31. Kevin was on an ocean cruise and was feeling miserable from motion sickness. Another passenger suggested that Kevin try using a small prescription skin patch, just behind his ear. To his relief the motion sickness stopped. In this case it is likely that the drug in the skin patch is
a. causing pain gates to close in the spinal cord.
b. blocking neural impulses from the vestibular
sacs to the cerebral cortex.
c. blocking neural impulses from pacinian cells in
the ear.
d. activating free-nerve endings and stimulating
the release of endorphins.
32. Dr. McNamara was recently knocked unconscious when he struck his head on the ice during a figure skating routine. He used to be a world class figure skater, but now he is having difficulty coordinating the motor skills involved in various jumps and spirals and is now reduced to teaching psychology. It is likely that when he fell on the ice Dr. McNamara sustained damage to his
a. reticular formation.
b. amygdala.
c. cerebellum.
d. temporal lobe.
33. Of the following, the correlation coefficient that indicates the strongest relationship between the two variables being measured is
a. -0.89.
b. +0.65.
c. 0.00.
d. +3.46.
34. Dr. Burns is trying to determine whether the behavior that was observed in a sample is representative of behavior in the larger population. To help in making this determination, Dr. Burns should use
a. inferential statistics.
b. descriptive statistics.
c. case study analysis.
d. operational definitions.
35. The gate control theory is associated with
a. vision
b. pain
c. balance
d. kinesthesis
36. The internal validity of an experiment can be increased
a. by holding the value of the dependent variable
constant throughout the study.
b. by effectively controlling any potential confounding
variables.
c. if the value of the independent variable is the
same for both the experimental and the control groups.
d. if there is no control group in the study.
37. Janet touches a stove that is warm; Pierce touches a stove that is hot. Based on what is known about action potentials you could predict that
a. the action potentials in Pierce's nervous system
will travel more quickly because the incoming signal is more intense.
b. the action potentials in Janet's nervous system
will be weaker because the incoming signal is less intense.
c. the action potentials in both individuals will
be the same due to the all-or-none principle.
d. the action potentials in Pierce's nervous system
will travel a shorter distance because the incoming signal is
more intense.
38. Londra and Sondra are identical twins. However, people seldom get the two sisters mixed up because Londra is 2 inches shorter than Sondra. The difference in height means that
a. even though both sisters display the same phenotype,
they have different underlying genotypes.
b. even though both sisters share the same underlying
genotype, they display different phenotypes.
c. because the sisters display different phenotypes,
they must also have different underlying genotypes.
d. Londra is heterozygous for the "tallness"
trait and Sondra is homozygous for the "tallness" trait.
39. The main binocular cue for perceiving depth is
a. linear perspective.
b. overlap or blockage.
c. retinal disparity.
d. differences in retinal size.
40. A group of researchers wanted to determine whether animals would be slower in learning a maze when they had been exposed to a particular drug. Half the animals received low doses of the drug and the other half did not receive the drug. The researchers then counted how many times the animals had to run through the maze before they learned it. In this study the independent variable is
a. the amount of drug each animal is given (low
dose or none).
b. the type of animal the researcher selects for
the study.
c. the number of trials it takes for each animal
to learn the maze.
d. the age of the animals selected.
41. Kirby suffered a stroke and even though he has recovered much of his functioning, he finds that he still cannot move his left foot effectively. In this case, it is likely that Kirby's stroke affected his
a. right frontal lobe.
b. left frontal lobe.
c. left temporal lobe.
d. right temporal lobe.
42. A researcher who conducts a survey by asking volunteers to mail in a form that is printed in the local newspaper is likely to have a
a. representative sample.
b. random sample.
c. population sample.
d. biased sample.
43. Researchers wanted to determine if memory was affected by the context in which the material is recalled. One group of research participants memorized material and recalled material in the same setting; another group memorized material in one setting and recalled it in a different setting. The design of this study is consistent with
a. correlational research.
b. case study research.
c. naturalistic observation.
d. an experimental research procedure.
44. Humans would not be able to receive sensory input from the environment, or act on the environment, if they didn't have
a. an autonomic nervous system.
b. a somatic nervous system.
c. a corpus callosum.
d. a hippocampus.
45. Dr. Morris has just discovered a new drug named XM7 that is an antagonist to acetylcholine. It is likely that this new drug will produce side effects such as
a. general stimulation within the body, and an increase
in heart rate.
b. hallucinations.
c. disrupted sleep patterns.
d. paralysis.
46. With respect to emotional development, Dr. Pendergrast has an empiricist view. This means that Dr. Pendergrast is most likely to believe that
a. certain aspects of emotional expression are innate.
b. researchers should be most concerned with the
function emotions serve.
c. to understand emotions fully, researchers must
understand each component of emotional expression.
d. experience determines which emotions an individual
will eventually display.
47. After a small section of his basilar membrane was damaged, Dimitri experienced a noticeable loss of hearing for high-pitched sounds only. Dimitri's hearing loss is best explained using the
a. frequency principle of hearing.
b. Young-Helmholtz theory of hearing.
c. place theory of hearing.
d. opponent-process theory of hearing.
48. When you look at a vertical line and then look at a horizontal line, you are probably activating
a. different feature detectors.
b. opponent processes.
c. different sensory thresholds.
d. separate lobes in the cerebral cortex.
49. Our visual acuity will be best when a ganglion cell
a. has a small receptive field.
b. has a large receptive field.
c. transmits its neural signal directly to the visual
cortex.
d. transmits its neural signal to the cerebellum,
instead of the visual cortex.
Completion (16
points; 1 point each blank) Complete each of the following statements
with the appropriate answer(s). Write your answers in the spaces
provided.
50. Temporal lobe is to audition as occipital lobe
is to vision.
51. Researchers studying human memory presented people
with two lists of words. One list included the names of objects;
the other list contained abstract nouns. The researchers found
that people could remember more words from the list with object
names. In this study the number of words recalled by each participant
would be the dependent variable.
52. Signal detection theory claims that detection
threshold is determined by both sensitivity and
response bias.
53. Fechner's Law relates the intensity of physical
intensity to the intensity of psychological experience.
54. If a person's parvocellular visual
system within the thalamus were not functioning correctly, you
might expect that they would have trouble seeing fine detail and
color.
55. JND stands for just noticeable difference.
56. Drugs that mimic the action of neurotransmitters
are called agonists.
57. The process through which external stimulation
is converted into neural signals is called transduction.
(be more specific than "sensation")
58. When the results of a scientific observation
are representative of real life, the results have external
validity.
59. Which research method gives you the most detailed
information about your participant(s)? case study
60. How would a signal detection theorist classify
each of the types of responses represented in this table? Write
your answers in the appropriate boxes.