Unit 1: Biology
A researcher conducted a study to investigate whether women in the first trimester of pregnancy score higher on levels of disgust than women who are in a later stage of pregnancy. The researcher believes that being more selective about food choices helps pregnant women avoid diseases that could harm their fetuses.
A researcher from which of the following psychological perspectives would most likely be interested in examining this relationship?
A Psychodynamic
B Cognitive
C Evolutionary
D Sociocultural
Evolutionary
Josie was given a password by her teacher. To remember the password, she repeated it in her mind multiple times until she typed it into her login screen a few moments later.
Which of the following concepts was at work?
Divergent thinking
Iconic memory
Phonological loop
Visuospatial sketchpad
Phonological loop
When teaching an introductory Spanish class, Jermaine first introduces students to individual words and then helps students string the words together into sentences. This is an example of which of the following?
Attachment
Theory of mind
Conservation
Scaffolding
Scaffolding
Alice saved money from her job to attend a sports camp that she was really excited to attend. At the camp, she endured challenging morning runs and grueling physical activity that she disliked. She thought that the food was terrible and that her bed was uncomfortable. After she returned home, she was asked if she enjoyed the camp. She replied, "It was the best experience of my life.”
Which of the following concepts best explains Alice’s final attitude about the camp?
Principles of operant conditioning
Principles of classical conditioning
Reciprocal determinism
Cognitive dissonance
Cognitive dissonance
Which of the following disorders is classified as an anxiety disorder?
Dissociative identity disorder
ADHD
Bipolar disorder
Panic disorder
Panic disorder
Dr. Cruickshank conducted a study to examine whether cerebral cortex activity in the brain would be higher during memory retrieval for a test or during the initial learning process. She conducted brain scans on 10 volunteers while they were learning a new set of vocabulary words and while they were given a test on the same vocabulary words.
In which lobes of the brain should Dr. Cruickshank expect to see activity when subjects process the sounds of the vocabulary words?
A) Occipital lobes
B) Temporal lobes
C) Parietal lobes
D) Frontal lobes
B) temporal Lobe
Which of the following scenarios best describes the monocular depth cue of relative size?
Abel judges the distance of an object based on the difference between the images processed by the retina in each eye.
Yvonne judges the distance of an object based on how large the image is on the retina.
Kenzi judges the distance of an object based on whether it is partially blocked by another object.
Selah judges the distance of an object based on its location in the visual field compared with other objects in the scene.
Yvonne judges the distance of an object based on how large the image is on the retina.
Which of the following examples best illustrates latent learning?
Every time a rat presses a lever it receives food, which increases its lever-pressing behavior.
After imitating how his father shaves for many years, Simon can hold the razor correctly.
A rat allowed to wander a maze for a few days can run it more quickly after a reward is later introduced.
Every time Raysa ties her shoes correctly, her mother gives her a sticker, so Raysa improves at tying her shoes.
A rat allowed to wander a maze for a few days can run it more quickly after a reward is later introduced.
Tim decided he needed to lose some weight. He started dieting, but he was experiencing uncomfortable feelings of hunger when he fasted for several hours. He then began eating several small meals over the course of a day and stopped experiencing feelings of hunger.
Which of the following concepts best explains why Tim was not able to maintain fasting as a part of his diet strategy?
Yerkes-Dodson Law
Homeostasis
Reaction formation
Instincts
Homeostasis
Dr. Nelson believes that the symptoms of Nellie’s schizophrenia stem from childhood trauma. However, Dr. Khan believes that excess dopamine is causing many of Nellie’s symptoms.
Which of the following psychological perspectives is each doctor using to explain Nellie’s symptoms?
Dr. Nelson is using a psychodynamic perspective, while Dr. Khan is using a biological perspective.
Dr. Nelson is using a cognitive perspective, while Dr. Khan is using an evolutionary perspective.
Dr. Nelson is using a behavioral perspective, while Dr. Khan is using a sociocultural perspective.
Dr. Nelson is using a humanistic perspective, while Dr. Khan is using a psychodynamic perspective.
Dr. Nelson is using a behavioral perspective, while Dr. Khan is using a sociocultural perspective.
Annette begins staring at the red, white, and blue colors of the flag hanging at the front of her classroom. When she shifts her gaze to the white wall, she perceives a green, black, and yellow afterimage of this flag.
Which of the following theories best explains Annette’s experience?
A) Opponent-process
B) Frequency
C) Trichromatic
D) Place
A) Opponent-process theory
Asano is the expert for English literature on his school’s trivia team. He knows the authors and main characters of many famous novels.
Which of the following describes Asano’s knowledge of these types of facts?
Implicit memory
Semantic memory
Prospective memory
Sensory memory
Semantic memory
Since 1938, researchers have examined the lives of 268 male college graduates to learn more about the secret of living a good life. Every two years participants complete questionnaires concerning many aspects of their lives, including their current physical and mental health.
Which of the following methods is being used by these researchers?
Experiment
Naturalistic observation
Longitudinal study
Case study
Longitudinal study
Mr. Harding teaches two classes. His early afternoon class consists of mostly boys, while his late afternoon class consists of mostly girls. He believes that girls tend to be calmer than boys, so he expects that his late afternoon class will be easier than his early afternoon class.
Mr. Harding’s belief is an example of which of the following?
Cognitive dissonance
A stereotype
In-group bias
Reciprocal determinism
A stereotype
Psychologists have found that the rates of depression in the countries of the world vary greatly. Which of the following statements best explains the difficulty in determining how common a disorder may be globally?
Because other countries never allow studies conducted on people, this type of research is difficult to conduct.
Because human genetics vary widely it is difficult to accurately measure how common a disorder may be in a specific culture.
Because psychologists from different cultures are competitive, they often do not share research results, which makes it difficult to measure diagnostic differences across cultures.
Because cultures deviate widely in their social norms, making consistent and reliable diagnoses across cultures is difficult.
Because cultures deviate widely in their social norms, making consistent and reliable diagnoses across cultures is difficult.
At six months of age, Byrne underwent the surgical removal of the entire left hemisphere of her brain. Which of the following concepts explains the recovery of her primary functions following such surgery?
Brain plasticity
Contralateral function
Motor neurons
Activation-synthesis
Brain plasticity
Dr. Meerdink wants to know if creativity varies throughout the day. In a morning class, she asks her college students to list as many uses as possible for a stick. On the same day 12 hours later, she asks students in an evening class to list as many uses as possible for a stick.
Which of the following factors is the dependent variable?
Morning
Evening
Creativity
College students
Creativity
Emily was scratched several times by the family’s cat when visiting her friend’s house. She reflexively pulled back in pain and surprise when it happened. Now, when she visits that house, she backs away at the sight of the cat, even if it is in another room far from her.
In this scenario, Emily’s behavior when she was first scratched is best labeled as which of the following?
Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)
Conditioned stimulus (CS)
Unconditioned response (UCR)
Conditioned response (CR)
Unconditioned response (UCR)
Which of the following statements best describes the differences between internal locus of control and external locus of control for health and well-being?
Individuals with an internal locus of control tend to be less depressed than individuals who have an external locus of control.
Individuals with an external locus of control thrive when they work independently compared to individuals who have an internal locus of control.
Individuals with an external locus of control live longer than those with an internal locus of control.
Individuals with an internal locus of control are more likely than individuals who have an external locus of control to experience learned helplessness.
Individuals with an internal locus of control tend to be less depressed than individuals who have an external locus of control.
At lunch with his colleagues, Carlo is discussing the stories told by the participants in his research on the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for participants diagnosed with a phobic disorder. Which of the following ethical principles is Carlo most likely violating?
Confidentiality
Approval by an Institutional Review Board
Protection from harm
Debriefing
Confidentiality
Betty was just diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Which of the following effects is she most likely to experience?
The neurons in her body will not be able to reach threshold, leading to fatigue.
Depolarization in her neurons will not occur, causing sensory impairment.
Neurotransmitters will remain in the synapse for an extended period, causing memory loss.
Neural messages will travel slowly down the axon, leading to motor impairment.
Neural messages will travel slowly down the axon, leading to motor impairment.
Robyn finds a computer repair service online. She silently repeats the phone number in her mind until she locates her phone to call the repair service.
Which memory system is most useful for Robyn in this scenario?
Superior autobiographical memory
Working memory
Sensory memory
Long-term memory
Working Memory
Which of the following examples best illustrates Piaget’s concept of conservation?
Seven-year-old William understands that when water is poured from a short, wide glass into a taller, thinner glass, the amount of water is the same.
Six-month-old Aubrey cries when her toy is covered by a blanket.
Three-year-old Wen says “No” when asked if her sister has a sister.
Seven-year-old Patrice sorts trading cards into groups by the type of superhero power the character possesses.
Seven-year-old William understands that when water is poured from a short, wide glass into a taller, thinner glass, the amount of water is the same.
According to the psychodynamic perspective, which of the following processes best explains why people use defense mechanisms?
To protect the ego
To self-actualize
To overcome latent learning
To delay moratorium
To protect the ego
A therapist who uses applied behavioral analysis would be most focused on which of the following?
How a person’s repressed memories affect their current experiences
How affirming a person’s perspectives promotes that person’s wellness and well-being
How a person’s relationships with the people closest to them impact their mental health and well-being
How conditioning influences current mental processes and actions
How conditioning influences current mental processes and actions