Unit 1 Bio. Psych.
Dr. Schmidt was interested in the relationship between sensation of a stimulus and the sensation of change in a stimulus. She tested this using sensation of weight. Participants were blindfolded and given two equal weights to hold one in each hand. With each trial, she added a slightly heavier weight to one hand than the other. The participant was asked to notify her if or when one felt heavier. She found that it was more difficult for the participants to determine the difference in the weights when the equal weights from the first trial were heavy.
Dr. Schmidt’s findings best support which of the following psychological concepts?
A. Weber’s law
B. The Law of Effect
C. Sensory adaptation
D. Yerkes-Dodson Law
A. Weber’s law
It describes the relationship between the smallest detectable difference in a stimulus and the intensity of the stimulus itself.
Raj, a four-year-old child, learned to open the door to a classroom by pulling on the handle. Now whenever he approaches any door he pulls on the handle and is confused when that does not work. This is best explained by Raj’s having developed which of the following for door opening?
A. Accommodation
B. Object permanence
C. A mental set
D. Divergent thinking
C. A mental set
The first time four-year-old Savannah attempted to make her bed, her father praised her for covering the pillow with a blanket. After a few times, her father began praising Savannah for covering the pillow and tucking in the corners of the sheet. Finally, Savannah’s father praised her when she covered the pillow, tucked in the corners of the sheet, and smoothed the blanket. The process described in this scenario is known as
A. Negative reinforcement
B. spontaneous recovery
C. shaping
C. shaping
A student has just failed a psychology exam. Which of the following explanations is LEAST likely to be evidence of the self-serving bias?
A. “My teacher hates me.”
B. “That material was so hard that no one could have passed that class.”
C. “I didn’t study hard enough.”
D. “The room was too hot for me to be able to concentrate.”
C. “I didn’t study hard enough.”
A double-blind control is essential for which of the following?
A. A study comparing the IQ test scores of children from different educational systems
B. A study of relationships among family members
C. Assessment of a treatment designed to reduce schizophrenic symptoms
D. A survey of drug use among teenagers
C. Assessment of a treatment designed to reduce schizophrenic symptoms
A brain tumor that results in obesity would most likely be located in the
A. left frontal lobe
B. area of the hypothalamus
C. reticular activating system
D. somatosensory cortex
B. area of the hypothalamus
A student who obtained a percentile rank of 75 on an achievement test is best characterized as having
A. ranked 75th from the top in a group of 100 test takers
B. answered 75% of the test questions
C. scored higher than 75% of the test takers
D. scored 75% higher than the average test taker
B. answered 75% of the test questions
Deandra creates a detailed mental image of the spatial layout of the biology lab where she will take her final exams. The mental image of the spatial layout is called which of the following?
A. Algorithm
B. Mental set
C. Cognitive map
D. Insight
C. Cognitive map
According to cognitive dissonance theory, human beings are motivated to
A. Respond to an inborn need to pass their genes to the next generation
B. Maintain an optimal level of arousal
C. Satisfy basic needs such as hunger before proceeding to higher needs such as self-actualization
D. Reduced tensions produced by inconsistent thoughts
D. Reduced tensions produced by inconsistent thoughts
Charlie believes anorexia nervosa is the direct result of the emphasis put on thinness in movies, television, and advertisements. Which of the following approaches is most consistent with Charlie’s viewpoint?
A. Psychoanalytical
B. Sociocultural
C. Biological
D. Humanistic
B. Sociocultural
Johanna, a high school senior, starts experiencing disruptions in her movement when she cannot contract certain muscles. Which of the following neurotransmitters is most likely involved in this disruption of the muscle contraction?
A. Acetylcholine
B. GABA
C. Serotonin
D. Endorphins
A. Acetylcholine
a neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in muscle movement, and it's also involved in cognitive functions like memory and attention.
A test that measures a student’s potential ability is
A. an achievement test
B. an aptitude test
C. an an intelligence test
D. a personality inventory
B. an aptitude test
Andi’s best friend always screamed when she was in high places, and now Andi also screams when she is in high places. Which of the following theorists would say that Andi screams because she saw her friend scream?
A. William James
B. Albert Bandura
C. Charles Spearman
D. Carl Rogers
B. Albert Bandura
Which of the following examples best represents altruism?
A. Booker stops to help someone even though it puts him in danger.
B. Darby helps his boss in order to get some overtime pay.
C. Josie forms a study group to hold herself accountable for studying.
D. Sammy helps a friend move because the friend previously helped Sammy move.
A. Booker stops to help someone even though it puts him in danger.
Training in the construction of an anxiety hierarchy and in relaxation techniques is likely to be part of the treatment for which of the following?
A. Schizophrenia
B. Bipolar disorder
C. Specific phobia
D. Obsessive-compulsive disorder
C. Specific phobia
Holly was injured in a car accident. Her doctor prescribed a medication that increases the action of endorphins to decrease pain.
Which of the following statements best describes this medication?
A. It functions as an agonist.
B. It produces aphasia.
C. It accelerates sensory interaction.
D. It acts as an antagonist.
A. It functions as an agonist.
Agonist - a substance that binds to a receptor in a cell and triggers a biological response (more neural firing)
Antagonist - a substance, often a drug, that inhibits or reduces the effects of another substance, typically a neurotransmitter, by blocking its receptor.
One important contribution of contemporary researchers on intelligence has been to.
A. de-emphasize the importance of traditional components of intelligence, such as mathematical and verbal abilities.
B. Utilize more sophisticated statistical methods to identify the basic components of intelligence.
C. reaffirm the belief that intelligence is fixed, not changeable.
D. suggests that intelligence is context-free.
A. de-emphasize the importance of traditional components of intelligence such as mathematical and verbal abilities.
Mary Ainsworth’s Strange Situation paradigm is typically used to test young children’s
A. intelligence
B. Reaction time
C. attachment
D. incidental learning
C. attachment
Ashley recently joined a club at her school. When Ashley attended her first meeting, she noticed the other club members were signing a sheet of paper at the front of the room. Believing the other members must know the club’s procedures, Ashley signed the paper. Which of the following best explains Ashley’s conforming behavior?
A. In-group bias
B. Deindividuation
C. Informational social influence
D. Groupthink
C. Informational social influence
The notion that human behavior is greatly influenced by unconscious thoughts and desires is most consistent with which of the following psychological approaches?
A. Cognitive
B. Biological
C. Behavioral
D. Psychodynamic
D. Psychodynamic
When Alexus traveled to another country, she experienced jet lag and had trouble adjusting to the new time zone. Alexus’ experience is most likely linked to which of the following concepts?
A. Circadian rhythm
B. Fight-flight-freez response
C. Night terrors
D. REM rebound
A. Circadian rhythm
Is our main daily sleep/wake cycle that affects how we function throughout the day.
Ling scored 92 on a standardized test with a mean 78 and a standard deviation of 7. At approximately what percentile did she score?
A. 50th
B. 68th
C. 95th
D. 97.5th
D. 97.5th
Children of authoritative parents tend to be
A. indecisive
B. independent
C. withdrawn
D. aggressive
B. independent
Which of the following individuals has high self-efficacy according to the social-cognitive theory of personality?
A. Carol observes her brother get in trouble for lying to their parents and decides never to lie so she will not get in trouble too.
B. Robert has all of his safety, security, and love needs met, so now he can focus on his achievement goals.
C. Sammy is sociable, lively, active, assertive, and sensation seeking in social situations.
D. Marina knows that if she puts extra effort into completing all of her homework assignments in math this year, her efforts will pay off with better grades.
D. Marina knows that if she puts extra effort into completing all of her homework assignments in math this year, her efforts will pay off with better grades.
Antonella, a native of the Caribbean, learns that a family member died suddenly. She begins to cry uncontrollably, loses control as she yells aggressively, and faints. Which of the following conditions best describes the symptoms Antonella experienced?
A. Ataque de nervios
B. Agoraphobia
C. Taijin kyofusho
D. Dissociative amnesia
A. Ataque de nervios
It's a culturally-bound syndrome, particularly prevalent in Latinx and Hispanic communities, often described as a sense of being out of control. While it can resemble a panic attack, it's not the same thing.