Professional Documents
Culture Documents
5. To ensure that other researchers can repeat their work, psychologists use:
A) control groups.
B) random assignment.
C) double-blind procedures.
D) operational definitions.
6. Which of the following research strategies would be best for determining whether alcohol
impairs memory?
A) case study
B) naturalistic observation
C) survey
D) experiment
8. If shoe size and IQ are negatively correlated, which of the following is true?
A) People with large feet tend to have high IQs.
B) People with small feet tend to have high IQs.
C) People with small feet tend to have low IQs.
D) IQ is unpredictable based on a person's shoe size.
10. If eating saturated fat and the likelihood of contracting cancer are positively correlated, which
of the following is true?
A) Saturated fat causes cancer.
B) People who are prone to develop cancer prefer foods containing saturated fat.
C) A separate factor links the consumption of saturated fat to cancer.
D) None of the above is necessarily true.
11. You decide to test your belief that men drink more soft drinks than women by finding out
whether more soft drinks are consumed per day in the men's dorm than in the women's dorm.
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
14. Which of the following research methods does not belong with the others?
A) case study
B) survey
C) naturalistic observation
D) experiment
17. What is the mean of the following distribution of scores: 2, 5, 8, 10, 11, 4, 6, 9, 1, 4?
A) 2
B) 10
C) 6
D) 15
20. Dr. Salazar recently completed an experiment in which she compared reasoning ability in a
sample of females and a sample of males. The means of the female and male samples equaled
21 and 19, respectively, on a 25-point scale. A statistical test revealed that her results were not
statistically significant. What can Dr. Salazar conclude?
A) Females have superior reasoning ability.
B) The difference in the means of the two samples is probably due to chance variation.
C) The difference in the means of the two samples is reliable.
D) None of the above is true
21. Esteban refuses to be persuaded by an advertiser's claim that people using their brand of
gasoline average 50 miles per gallon. His decision probably is based on:
A) the possibility that the average is the mean, which could be artificially inflated by a few
extreme scores.
B) the absence of information about the size of the sample studied.
C) the absence of information about the variation in sample scores.
D) all of the above.
22. 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.
24. The procedure designed to ensure that the experimental and control groups do not differ in any
way that might affect the experiment's results is called:
A) variable controlling.
B) random assignment.
C) representative sampling.
D) stratification.
26. Well-done surveys measure attitudes in a representative subset, or ________, of an entire group,
or ________.
A) population; random sample
B) control group; experimental group
C) experimental group; control group
D) random sample; population
27. Joe believes that his basketball game is always best when he wears his old gray athletic socks.
Joe is a victim of the phenomenon called:
A) statistical significance.
B) overconfidence.
C) illusory correlation.
D) hindsight bias.
30. In order to study the effects of lighting on mood, Dr. Cooper had students fill out questionnaires
in brightly lit or dimly lit rooms. In this study, the independent variable consisted of:
A) the number of students assigned to each group.
B) the students' responses to the questionnaire.
C) the room lighting.
D) the subject matter of the questions asked.
31. Since Malcolm has been taking a drug prescribed by his doctor, he no longer enjoys the little
pleasures of life, such as eating and drinking. His doctor explains that this is because the drug:
A) triggers release of dopamine.
B) inhibits release of dopamine.
C) triggers release of ACh.
D) inhibits release of ACh.
32. 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.
36. Melissa has just completed running a marathon. She is so elated that she feels little fatigue or
discomfort. Her lack of pain is probably the result of the release of:
A) ACh.
B) endorphins.
C) dopamine.
D) norepinephrine.
38. The brain research technique that involves monitoring the brain's usage of glucose is called (in
abbreviated form) the:
A) PET scan.
B) fMRI.
C) EEG.
D) MRI.
39. Research has found that the amount of representation in the motor cortex reflects the:
A) size of the body parts.
B) degree of precise control required by each of the parts.
C) sensitivity of the body region.
D) area of the occipital lobe being stimulated by the environment.
41. Which of the following is not true regarding brain organization and handedness?
A) If a person has a left-handed identical twin, odds are that he or she will also be left-handed.
B) Right-handedness is far more common than left-handedness throughout the world.
C) On average, right-handers live longer than left-handers.
D) Left-handers are more common than usual among people with reading disabilities.
43. Following Jayshree's near-fatal car accident, her physician noticed that the pupillary reflex of
her eyes was abnormal. This may indicate that Jayshree's ________ was damaged in the
accident.
A) occipital cortex
B) autonomic nervous system
C) left temporal lobe
D) cerebellum
44. Raccoons have much more precise control of their paws than dogs do. You would expect that
raccoons have more cortical space dedicated to “paw control” in the ________of their brains.
A) frontal lobes
B) parietal lobes
C) temporal lobes
D) occipital lobes
45. The part of the human brain that is most like that of a fish is the:
A) cortex.
B) limbic system.
C) brainstem.
D) right hemisphere.
47. Beginning at the front of the brain and moving toward the back of the head, then down the skull
and back around to the front, which of the following is the correct order of the cortical regions?
A) occipital lobe; temporal lobe; parietal lobe; frontal lobe
B) temporal lobe; frontal lobe; parietal lobe; occipital lobe
C) frontal lobe; occipital lobe; temporal lobe; parietal lobe
D) frontal lobe; parietal lobe; occipital lobe; temporal lobe
48. Cortical areas that are not primarily concerned with sensory, motor, or language functions are:
A) called projection areas.
B) called association areas.
C) located mostly in the parietal lobe.
D) located mostly in the temporal lobe.
49. Three-year-old Marco suffered damage to the speech area of the brain's left hemisphere when
he fell from a swing. Research suggests that:
A) he will never speak again.
B) his motor abilities may improve so that he can easily use sign language.
C) his right hemisphere may take over much of the language function.
D) his earlier experience with speech may enable him to continue speaking.
50. Dr. Hernandez is studying neurotransmitter abnormalities in depressed patients. She would
most likely describe herself as a:
A) personality psychologist.
B) phrenologist.
C) psychoanalyst.
D) biological psychologist.
53. Epinephrine and norepinephrine are ________ that are released by the ________ gland.
A) neurotransmitters; pituitary
B) hormones; pituitary
C) neurotransmitters; thyroid
D) hormones; adrenal
54. Following a nail gun wound to his head, Jack became more uninhibited, irritable, dishonest, and
profane. It is likely that his personality change was the result of injury to his:
A) parietal lobe.
B) temporal lobe.
C) occipital lobe.
D) frontal lobe.
56. In the brain, learning occurs as experience strengthens certain connections in cell work groups
called:
A) action potentials.
B) neural networks.
C) endocrine systems.
D) dendrites.
57. Which of the following are/is governed by the simplest neural pathways?
A) emotions
B) physiological drives, such as hunger
C) reflexes
D) movements, such as walking
59. Your brother has been taking prescription medicine and experiencing a number of unpleasant
side effects, including unusually rapid heartbeat and excessive perspiration. It is likely that the
medicine is exaggerating activity in the:
A) reticular formation.
B) sympathetic nervous system.
C) parasympathetic nervous system.
D) amygdala.
60. A bodybuilder friend suddenly seems to have grown several inches in height. You suspect that
your friend's growth spurt has occurred because he has been using drugs that affect the:
A) pituitary gland.
B) thalamus.
C) adrenal glands.
D) medulla.
61. The fact that after age 2, language forces children to begin organizing their worlds on the basis
of gender is most consistent with which theory of how gender-linked behaviors develop?
A) gender schema theory
B) gender identity theory
C) gender-typing theory
D) social learning theory
63. A person whose twin has Alzheimer's disease has ________ risk of sharing the disease if they
are identical twins than if they are fraternal twins.
A) less
B) about the same
C) much greater
D) It is unpredictable.
65. My sibling and I developed from a single fertilized egg. Who are we?
A) opposite sex identical twins.
B) same-sex identical twins.
C) opposite sex fraternal twins.
D) same-sex fraternal twins.
66. Which of the following is not true regarding gender and sexuality?
A) Men more often than women attribute a woman's friendliness to sexual interest.
B) Women are more likely than men to cite affection as a reason for first intercourse.
C) Men are more likely than females to initiate sexual activity.
D) Gender differences in sexuality are noticeably absent among gay men and lesbian women.
67. Dr. Ross believes that principles of natural selection help explain why infants come to fear
strangers about the time they become mobile. Dr. Ross is most likely a(n):
A) behavior geneticist.
B) molecular geneticist.
C) evolutionary psychologist.
D) molecular biologist.
68. I am a rat whose cortex is lighter and thinner than my litter mates'. What happened to me?
A) You were born prematurely.
B) You suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome.
C) You were raised in an enriched environment.
D) You were raised in a deprived environment.
69. Responding to the argument that gender differences are often by-products of a culture's social
and family structures, an evolutionary psychologist is most likely to point to:
A) our great human capacity for learning.
B) the tendency of cultural arguments to reinforce traditional gender inequalities.
C) the infallibility of “hindsight” explanations.
D) all of the above.
71. Compared to children raised in Western societies, those raised in communal societies, such as
Japan or China:
A) grow up with a stronger integration of the sense of family into their self-concepts.
B) exhibit greater shyness toward strangers.
C) exhibit greater concern for loyalty and social harmony.
D) have all of the above characteristics.
73. 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.
77. The subfield that studies the specific genes that influence behavior is:
A) behavior genetics.
B) molecular genetics.
C) evolutionary psychology.
D) biopsychosocial genetics.
78. Through natural selection, the traits that are most likely to be passed on to succeeding
generations are those that contribute to:
A) reproduction.
B) survival.
C) aggressiveness.
D) a. and b.
79. Chad, who grew up in the United States, is more likely to encourage ________ in his future
children than Asian-born Hidiyaki, who is more likely to encourage ________ in his future
children.
A) obedience; independence
B) independence; emotional closeness
C) emotional closeness; obedience
D) loyalty; emotional closeness
81. After comparing divorce rates among identical and fraternal twins, Dr. Alexander has concluded
that genes do play a role. Dr. Alexander is most likely a(n):
A) evolutionary psychologist.
B) behavior geneticist.
C) molecular geneticist.
D) divorcee.
83. When evolutionary psychologists use the word “fitness,” they are specifically referring to:
A) an animal's ability to adapt to changing environments.
B) the diversity of a species' gene pool.
C) the total number of members of the species currently alive.
D) our ability to survive and reproduce.
85. Which theory states that gender becomes a lens through which children view their experiences?
A) social learning theory
B) sociocultural theory
C) cognitive theory
D) gender schema theory
86. Despite growing up in the same home environment, Karen and her brother John have
personalities as different from each other as two people selected randomly from the population.
Why is this so?
A) Personality is inherited. Because Karen and John are not identical twins, it is not surprising
that they have very different personalities.
B) Gender is the most important factor in personality. If Karen had a sister, the two of them
would probably be much more alike.
C) The interaction of their individual genes and nonshared experiences accounts for the
common finding that children in the same family are usually very different.
D) Their case is unusual; children in the same family usually have similar personalities.
89. The selection effect in peer influence refers to the tendency of children and youth to:
A) naturally separate into same-sex playgroups.
B) establish large, fluid circles of friends.
C) seek out friends with similar interests and attitudes.
D) choose friends their parents like.
93. Whose stage theory of moral development was based on how people reasoned about ethical
dilemmas?
A) Erikson
B) Piaget
C) Harlow
D) Kohlberg
97. Research on the relationship between self-reported happiness and employment in American
women has revealed that:
A) women who work tend to be happier.
B) women who do not work tend to be happier.
C) women today are happier than in the past, whether they are working or not.
D) the quality of a woman's experience in her various roles is more predictive of happiness
than the presence or absence of a given role.
98. To which of Kohlberg's levels would moral reasoning based on the existence of fundamental
human rights pertain?
A) preconventional morality
B) conventional morality
C) postconventional morality
D) generative morality
101. Which is the correct sequence of stages in Piaget's theory of cognitive development?
A) sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational
B) sensorimotor, preoperational, formal operational, concrete operational
C) preoperational, sensorimotor, concrete operational, formal operational
D) preoperational, sensorimotor, formal operational, concrete operational
103. Thirteen-year-old Irene has no trouble defeating her 11-year-old brother at a detective game that
requires following clues in order to deduce the perpetrator of a crime. How might Piaget
explain Irene's superiority at the game?
A) Being older, Irene has had more years of schooling.
B) Girls develop intellectually at a faster rate than boys.
C) Being an adolescent, Irene is beginning to develop abstract reasoning skills.
D) Girls typically have more experience than boys at playing games.
104. Dr. Joan Goodman is studying how memory changes as people get older. She is most likely a(n)
________ psychologist.
A) social
B) cognitive
C) developmental
D) experimental
107. The developmental theorist who suggested that securely attached children develop an attitude of
basic trust is:
A) Piaget.
B) Harlow.
C) Vygotsky.
D) Erikson.
108. After a series of unfulfilling relationships, 30-year-old Carlos tells a friend that he doesn't want
to marry because he is afraid of losing his freedom and independence. Erikson would say that
Carlos is having difficulty with the psychosocial task of:
A) trust versus mistrust.
B) autonomy versus doubt.
C) intimacy versus isolation.
D) identity versus role confusion.
109. The cognitive ability that has been shown to decline during adulthood is the ability to:
A) recall new information.
B) recognize new information.
C) learn meaningful new material.
D) use judgment in dealing with daily life problems.
110. In a 1998 movie, a young girl finds that a gaggle of geese follows her wherever she goes
because she was the first “object” they saw after they were born. This is an example of:
A) conservation.
B) imprinting.
C) egocentrism.
D) basic trust.
115. Calvin, who is trying to impress his psychology professor with his knowledge of infant motor
development, asks why some infants learn to roll over before they lift their heads from a prone
position, while others develop these skills in the opposite order. What should Calvin's professor
conclude from this question?
A) Calvin clearly understands that the sequence of motor development is not the same for all
infants.
B) Calvin doesn't know what he's talking about. Although some infants reach these
developmental milestones ahead of others, the order is the same for all infants.
C) Calvin needs to be reminded that rolling over is an inherited reflex, not a learned skill.
D) Calvin understands an important principle: motor development is unpredictable.
116. Sam, a junior in high school, regularly attends church because his family and friends think he
should. Which stage of moral reasoning is Sam in?
A) preconventional
B) conventional
C) postconventional
D) too little information to tell
120. I am 14 months old and fearful of strangers. I am in Piaget's ________ stage of cognitive
development.
A) sensorimotor
B) preoperational
C) concrete operational
D) formal operational
121. In order 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
123. After exploring a complicated maze for several days, a rat subsequently ran the maze with very
few errors when food was placed in the goal box for the first time. This performance illustrates:
A) classical conditioning.
B) discrimination learning.
C) observational learning.
D) latent learning.
126. Jack finally takes out the garbage in order to get his father to stop pestering him. Jack's
behavior is being influenced by:
A) positive reinforcement.
B) negative reinforcement.
C) a primary reinforcer.
D) punishment.
127. As a child, you were playing in the yard one day when a neighbor's cat wandered over. Your
mother (who has a terrible fear of animals) screamed and snatched you into her arms. Her
behavior caused you to cry. You now have a fear of cats. Identify the US.
A) your mother's behavior
B) your crying
C) the cat
D) your fear today
128. As a child, you were playing in the yard one day when a neighbor's cat wandered over. Your
mother (who has a terrible fear of animals) screamed and snatched you into her arms. Her
behavior caused you to cry. You now have a fear of cats. Identify the CR.
A) your mother's behavior
B) your crying
C) the cat
D) your fear today
129. Mirror neurons are found in the brain's ________ and are believed to be the neural basis for
________.
A) frontal lobe; observational learning
B) frontal lobe; classical conditioning
C) temporal lobe; operant conditioning
D) temporal lobe; observational learning
131. A pigeon can easily be taught to flap its wings in order to avoid shock but not for food
reinforcement. According to the text, this is most likely so because:
A) pigeons are biologically predisposed to flap their wings in order to escape aversive events
and to use their beaks to obtain food.
B) shock is a more motivating stimulus for birds than food is.
C) hungry animals have difficulty delaying their eating long enough to learn any new skill.
D) of all of the above reasons.
132. Bill once had a blue car that was in the shop more than it was out. Since then he will not even
consider owning blue- or green-colored cars. Bill's aversion to green cars is an example of:
A) discrimination.
B) generalization.
C) latent learning.
D) extinction.
133. The highest and most consistent rate of response is produced by a ________ schedule.
A) fixed-ratio
B) variable-ratio
C) fixed-interval
D) variable-interval
134. For operant conditioning to be most effective, when should the reinforcers be presented in
relation to the desired response?
A) immediately before
B) immediately after
C) at the same time as
D) at least a half hour before
135. Two groups of rats receive classical conditioning trials in which a tone and electric shock are
presented. For Group 1 the electric shock always follows the tone. For Group 2 the tone and
shock occur randomly. Which of the following is likely to result?
A) The tone will become a CS for Group 1 but not for Group 2.
B) The tone will become a CS for Group 2 but not for Group 1.
C) The tone will become a CS for both groups.
D) The tone will not become a CS for either group.
137. Learning by imitating others' behaviors is called ________ learning. The researcher best known
for studying this type of learning is ________.
A) secondary; Skinner
B) observational; Bandura
C) secondary; Pavlov
D) observational; Watson
138. As a child, you were playing in the yard one day when a neighbor's cat wandered over. Your
mother (who has a terrible fear of animals) screamed and snatched you into her arms. Her
behavior caused you to cry. You now have a fear of cats. Identify the UR.
A) your mother's behavior
B) your crying
C) the cat
D) your fear today
140. Reggie's mother tells him that he can watch TV after he cleans his room. Evidently, Reggie's
mother is attempting to use ________ to increase room cleaning.
A) operant conditioning
B) secondary reinforcement
C) positive reinforcement
D) all of the above
141. In Watson and Rayner's experiment, the loud noise was the ________ and the white rat was the
________.
A) CS; CR
B) US; CS
C) CS; US
D) US; CR
147. Regarding the impact of watching television violence on children, most researchers believe
that:
A) aggressive children simply prefer violent programs.
B) television simply reflects, rather than contributes to, violent social trends.
C) watching violence on television leads to aggressive behavior.
D) there is only a weak correlation between exposure to violence and aggressive behavior.
149. Leon's psychology instructor has scheduled an exam every third week of the term. Leon will
probably study the most just before an exam and the least just after an exam. This is because the
schedule of exams is reinforcing studying according to which schedule?
A) fixed-ratio
B) variable-ratio
C) fixed-interval
D) variable-interval
150. The manager of a manufacturing plant wishes to use positive reinforcement to increase the
productivity of workers. Which of the following procedures would probably be the most
effective?
A) Deserving employees are given a general merit bonus at the end of each fiscal year.
B) A productivity goal that seems attainable, yet is unrealistic, is set for each employee.
C) Employees are given immediate bonuses for specific behaviors related to productivity.
D) Employees who fail to meet standards of productivity receive pay cuts.
151. During a dinner conversation, a friend says that the cognitive and behavioral perspectives are
quite similar. You disagree and point out that the cognitive perspective emphasizes ________,
whereas the behavioral perspective emphasizes ________.
A) conscious processes; observable responses
B) unconscious processes; conscious processes
C) overt behaviors; covert behaviors
D) introspection; experimentation
153. A psychologist who conducts experiments solely intended to build psychology's knowledge
base is engaged in:
A) basic research.
B) applied research.
C) industrial-organizational research.
D) clinical research.
155. The psychological perspective that places the most emphasis on how observable responses are
learned is the ________ perspective.
A) behavioral
B) cognitive
C) behavior genetics
D) evolutionary
157. (Close-Up) A major principle underlying the SQ3R study method is that:
A) people learn and remember material best when they actively process it.
B) many students overestimate their mastery of text and lecture material.
C) study time should be spaced over time rather than crammed into one session.
D) “overlearning” disrupts efficient retention.
158. Dr. Jones' research centers on the relationship between changes in our thinking over the life
span and changes in moral reasoning. Dr. Jones is most likely a:
A) clinical psychologist.
B) personality psychologist.
C) psychiatrist.
D) developmental psychologist.
159. Who would be most likely to agree with the statement, “Psychology is the science of mental
life”?
A) Wilhelm Wundt
B) John Watson
C) Ivan Pavlov
D) virtually any American psychologist during the 1960s
161. Which psychological perspective emphasizes the interaction of the brain and body in behavior?
A) neuroscience
B) cognitive
C) behavioral
D) behavior genetics
162. The philosophical views of John Locke are to those of René Descartes as ________ is to
________.
A) nature; nurture
B) nurture; nature
C) rationality; irrationality
D) irrationality; rationality
163. (Close-Up) In order, the sequence of steps in the SQ3R method is:
A) survey, review, question, read, reflect.
B) review, question, survey, read, reflect.
C) question, review, survey, read, reflect.
D) survey, question, read, review, reflect.
165. The way the mind encodes, processes, stores, and retrieves information is the primary concern
of the ________ perspective.
A) neuroscience
B) evolutionary
C) social-cultural
D) cognitive
167. Which subfield is most directly concerned with studying human behavior in the workplace?
A) clinical psychology
B) personality psychology
C) industrial/organizational psychology
D) psychiatry
168. Dr. Ernst explains behavior in terms of different situations. Dr. Ernst is working from the
________ perspective.
A) behavioral
B) evolutionary
C) social-cultural
D) cognitive
169. Professor Gutierrez, who believes that human emotions are best understood as being jointly
determined by heredity, learning, and the individual's social and cultural contexts, is evidently a
proponent of the:
A) psychodynamic perspective.
B) biopsychosocial approach.
C) evolutionary perspective.
D) neuroscience perspective.
170. A psychologist who explores how Asian and North American definitions of attractiveness differ
is working from the ________ perspective.
A) behavioral
B) evolutionary
C) cognitive
D) social-cultural
171. Dr. Aswad is studying people's enduring inner traits. Dr. Aswad is most likely a(n):
A) clinical psychologist.
B) psychiatrist.
C) personality psychologist.
D) industrial/organizational psychologist.
173. 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
174. The Greek philosopher who believed that intelligence was inherited was:
A) Aristotle.
B) Plato.
C) Descartes.
D) Simonides.
179. 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