Multiple Choice 1
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?
(A) Implicit memory (B) Semantic memory
(C) Prospective memory (D) Sensory memory
(B) Semantic memory
Maksym’s parents set moderate expectations about discipline, exhibit high levels of warmth, and have open lines of communication. Which of the following best describes the parenting style of Maksym’s parents?
(A) Authoritarian (B) Permissive
(C) Authoritative (D) Scaffolding
C) Authoritative
Reginald is conducting a case study on a group of self-identified extroverts. Reginald is a trait theorist who believes that people act the same regardless of the situation. He lists all the situations in which the group is more talkative and outgoing. However, he ignores the instances in which the group acts more reserved or interacts with only a few people. Which of the following may Reginald be experiencing?
(A) Hindsight bias (B) Self-serving bias
(C) Spotlight effect (D) Confirmation bias
(D) Confirmation bias
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
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?
(A) Attachment
(B) Theory of mind
(C) Conservation
(D) Scaffolding
(D) Scaffolding
Which of the following statements best describes the differences between internal locus of control and external locus of control for health and well-being?
(A) Individuals with an internal locus of control tend to be less depressed than individuals who have an external locus of control.
(B) Individuals with an external locus of control thrive when they work independently compared to individuals who have an internal locus of control.
(C) Individuals with an internal locus of control live longer than those with an external locus of control.
(D) Individuals with an internal locus of control are more likely than individuals who have an external locus of control to experience learned helplessness
(A) Individuals with an internal locus of control tend to be less depressed than individuals who have an external locus of control.
Which of the following statements is most representative of the principles of the Law of Effect?
(A) A person is able to notice a change in a stimulus if it is a large enough proportion of change from the original stimulus.
(B) A person is more likely to engage in a behavior if they feel personal satisfaction from doing it rather than receiving external rewards for doing it.
(C) A person is more likely to engage in a behavior more frequently when the behavior is followed by a positive result.
(D) Identical twins raised in separate households are more similar in IQ and personality than fraternal twins raised in the same household.
(C) A person is more likely to engage in a behavior more frequently when the behavior is followed by a positive result.
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?
(A) Morning (B) Evening
(C) Creativity (D) College students
(C) Creativity
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?
(A) Superior autobiographical memory
(B) Working memory
(C) Sensory memory
(D) Long-term memory
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?
(B) Working memory
Lisa admires a musician that she has not met but believes is physically attractive. Because of the musician’s appearance, Lisa assumes they must also be intelligent and kind. Which of the following concepts best explains Lisa’s perception?
(A) The halo effect
(B) Social comparison
(C) Overconfidence
(D) Self-serving bias
(A) The halo effect
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?
(A) Principles of operant conditioning
(B) Principles of classical conditioning
(C) Reciprocal determinism
(D) Cognitive dissonance
(D) Cognitive dissonance
Dr. Stonington argues that children’s cognitive abilities develop in clear, distinct stages that are universal. Which of the following views is most consistent with Dr. Stonington’s beliefs?
(A) The continuous view of development
(B) The discontinuous view of development
(C) The epigenetics view of development
(D) The nurture view of development
(B) The discontinuous view of development
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?
(A) Because other countries never allow studies conducted on people, this type of research is difficult to conduct.
(B) Because human genetics vary widely it is difficult to accurately measure how common a disorder may be in a specific culture.
(C) Because psychologists from different cultures are competitive, they often do not share research results, which makes it difficult to measure diagnostic differences across cultures.
(D) Because cultures deviate widely in their social norms, making consistent and reliable diagnoses across cultures is difficult.
(D) Because cultures deviate widely in their social norms, making consistent and reliable diagnoses across cultures is difficult.
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?
(A) Confidentiality
(B) Approval by an Institutional Review Board
(C) Protection from harm
(D) Debriefing
(A) Confidentiality
Which of the following best explains why the research method in the scenario was chosen?
(A) Studies involving students can interfere with academic performance and should only be done at specific universities.
(B) It is unethical to intentionally cause stress to people that might result in illness, and thus surveys and questionnaires are more ethical.
(C) Asking health questions on a survey would invade people’s privacy to the point where it is unethical.
(D) The researchers must not interact with participants so they do not influence their behaviors.
(B) It is unethical to intentionally cause stress to people that might result in illness, and thus surveys and questionnaires are more ethical.
Dr. Keith conducted a study to investigate whether caffeine improves focus and attention. He selected a random sample of students from his college class and then randomly assigned each of them to drink a cup of coffee or a cup of water before class. At the end of class, he administered a test on their knowledge of class material presented that day. 20. Which of the following is the operational definition of the dependent variable?
(A) A cup of coffee
(B) A cup of water
(C) Test scores on the class material
(D) Focus and attention
(C) Test scores on the class material
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?
(A) Cognitive dissonance (B) A stereotype
(C) In-group bias (D) Reciprocal determinism
(B) A stereotype
Darrin is watching a horror movie. When the evil main character makes a surprise appearance, Darrin jumps out of his seat, his heart rate accelerates, and he screams. Which of the following pathways most directly contributes to his ability to calm down after this startle response?
(A) The reflex arc
(B) The somatic nervous system
(C) The sympathetic nervous system
(D) The parasympathetic nervous system
(D) The parasympathetic nervous system
Sarah is the mother of an eight-month-old boy named Connor. Connor has been struggling to sit up on his own without assistance. While visiting a friend, Sarah noticed that her friend’s five-month-old daughter was sitting up with ease. Which of the following explanations would a developmental psychologist generally offer to Sarah?
(A) Positive punishment can encourage Connor to sit up.
(B) Although sitting upright with no assistance is a major milestone, many babies will develop within a range of ages.
(C) It is likely that Connor has a genetic disorder that needs to be treated immediately.
(D) Connor needs physical therapy to help him coordinate his muscle movements better.
(B) Although sitting upright with no assistance is a major milestone, many babies will develop within a range of ages.
If the researchers graphed the results of the stress survey, which of the following statements would be the best prediction about the distribution of scores?
(A) The distribution of scores would likely appear as a normal distribution.
(B) The distribution of scores would likely be skewed toward high stress.
(C) The distribution of scores would be skewed toward low levels of stress.
(D) The distribution of scores would be negative.
(B) The distribution of scores would likely be skewed toward high stress.
Which of the following elements of Dr. Keith’s research would most strengthen Dr. Keith’s ability to infer a causal relationship between caffeine intake and improved focus and attention?
(A) Dr. Keith selects a random sample of students in the class.
(B) Dr. Keith gains approval from an Institutional Review Board.
(C) Dr. Keith keeps conditions the same between the two groups except for the independent variable.
(D) Dr. Keith debriefs the students at the end of the study.
(C) Dr. Keith keeps conditions the same between the two groups except for the independent variable.
According to the psychodynamic perspective, which of the following processes best explains why people use defense mechanisms?
(A) To protect the ego
(B) To self-actualize
(C) To overcome latent learning
(D) To delay moratorium
(B) To self-actualize
Which of the following disorders is classified as an anxiety disorder?
(A) Dissociative identity disorder
(B) ADHD
(C) Bipolar disorder
(D) Panic disorder
(D) Panic disorder
Which of the following examples best illustrates latent learning?
(A) Every time a rat presses a lever it receives food, which increases its lever-pressing behavior.
(B) After imitating how his father shaves for many years, Simon can hold the razor correctly.
(C) A rat allowed to wander a maze for a few days can run it more quickly after a reward is later introduced.
(D) Every time Raysa ties her shoes correctly, her mother gives her a sticker, so Raysa improves at tying her shoes
(C) A rat allowed to wander a maze for a few days can run it more quickly after a reward is later introduced.
Betty was just diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Which of the following effects is she most likely to experience?
(A) The neurons in her body will not be able to reach threshold, leading to fatigue.
(B) Depolarization in her neurons will not occur, causing sensory impairment.
(C) Neurotransmitters will remain in the synapse for an extended period, causing memory loss.
(D) Neural messages will travel slowly down the axon, leading to motor impairment.
(D) Neural messages will travel slowly down the axon, leading to motor impairment.