Thinking Critically With Psychological Science
Gregor has tossed a coin 20 times and has correctly predicted heads or tails six times in a row. In this instance, we can reasonably conclude that Gregor's predictive accuracy
a. defies the laws of statistical probability.
b. illustrates hindsight bias.
c. is inconsistent with the placebo effect.
d. is a random and coincidental occurrence.
ANSWER: d. is a random and coincidental occurrence.
Although phrenology was a wrongheaded theory, it did highlight the presumed functions of
a. specific brain regions.
b. synaptic gaps.
c. endorphins.
d. the myelin sheath.
ANSWER: a. specific brain regions.
Consciousness helps us in many ways, but it does NOT help us
a. make sense of our emotions.
b. focus our attention.
c. seek short-term pleasures.
d. adapt to our present.
ANSWER: c. seek short-term pleasures.
Every nongenetic influence, from maternal nutrition while in the womb to the social support of people around us, is an aspect of our
a. temperament.
b. genome.
c. environment.
d. heritability.
ANSWER: c. environment.
Developmental psychology is defined as
a. an early school of thought in psychology that used introspection to reveal the structure of the human mind.
b. the view that psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental processes.
c. the branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social changes that occur throughout the life span.
d. the science of behavior and mental processes.
ANSWER: c. the branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social changes that occur throughout the life span.
Jay is playing his favorite video game. For him to hear the accompanying sounds, the sounds must enter his auditory canal and vibrate his eardrum. The vibrations are picked up by three tiny bones in the middle ear and transmitted to the
a. cochlea.
b. anvil.
c. semicircular canals.
d. auditory nerve.
ANSWER: a. cochlea.
Acquiring new habits best illustrates the process of
a. discrimination.
b. generalization.
c. learning.
d. spontaneous recovery.
ANSWER: c. learning.
Putting a scientific attitude into practice requires humility as well as:
a. enhanced introspection.
b. a psychoanalytic approach.
c. curiosity and skepticism.
d. cynicism and gullibility.
ANSWER: c. curiosity and skepticism.
The technique in which participants complete activities while magnetic fields from the brain's natural electrical activity are measured is
a. lesioning.
b. a PET.
c. an EEG.
d. an MEG.
ANSWER: d. an MEG.
Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness that involves
a. failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere.
b. focusing attention on a particular stimulus.
c. changes in perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors.
d. both conscious and unconscious tracks.
ANSWER: c. changes in perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors.
Kai looks almost exactly like their older sibling Hannie did at her age. This is a result of
a. gene–environment interaction.
b. heredity.
c. temperament.
d. molecular behavior genetics.
ANSWER: b. heredity.
Research in which people of different ages are compared at the same time is called a _____ study.
a. habituation
b. cross-sectional
c. temperament
d. longitudinal
ANSWER: b. cross-sectional.
Tian is at a concert. The loudness of the sounds Tian hears are due to the height, or _____, of the sound waves.
a. length
b. brightness
c. transduction
d. amplitude
ANSWER: d. amplitude.
In which form of learning is behavior influenced by its consequences?
a. primary conditioning
b. classical conditioning
c. operant conditioning
d. delayed conditioning
ANSWER: c. operant conditioning.
The scientific attitude of skepticism held by psychologists refers to their belief that:
a. people are unlikely to reveal what they are really thinking.
b. most commonsense ideas about human behavior are wrong.
c. claims about human behavior need to be supported with evidence.
d. people need to reject predictions to sift reality from fantasy.
ANSWER: c. claims about human behavior need to be supported with evidence.
A brain structure that is NOT part of the forebrain is the
a. cerebral cortex.
b. pons.
c. thalamus.
d. hypothalamus.
ANSWER: b. pons.
Circadian rhythm refers to
a. the pattern of emotional ups and downs we routinely experience.
b. a pattern of biological functioning that occurs on a roughly 24-hour cycle.
c. the experience of sleep apnea following a lengthy transoceanic plane flight.
d. the cycle of four distinct stages that we experience during a normal night's sleep.
ANSWER: b. a pattern of biological functioning that occurs on a roughly 24-hour cycle.
Nina believes that the aversion to certain foods in early pregnancy facilitates human survival and reproduction. As such, they believe that this trait will be transmitted to subsequent generations. This best illustrates
a. domestication.
b. natural selection.
c. a social script.
d. a sexual overperception bias.
ANSWER: b. natural selection.
Which of these is a true statement about development?
a. Maturation can slow development if it is not properly encouraged.
b. Severe deprivation cannot affect maturation.
c. Maturation varies according to the age at which the person is conceived.
d. Maturation sets the basic course of development; experience adjusts it.
ANSWER: d. Maturation sets the basic course of development; experience adjusts it.
Eight-year-old Dorinda admires a bright orange car she sees on the street. Compared with the entire range of visible light waves, the car is reflecting relatively _____ frequency and _____ amplitude light waves.
a. high; small
b. high; great
c. low; small
d. low; great
ANSWER: d. low; great.
With associative learning, our mind
a. connects primary and conditioned responses.
b. naturally connects events that occur in sequence.
c. generalizes from a conditioned response.
d. discriminates between reinforcers.
ANSWER: b. naturally connects events that occur in sequence.
Because of hindsight bias, we often tend to trust too much in:
a. random sampling.
b. wording effects.
c. commonsense explanations.
d. random assignment.
Answer c. commonsense explanations.
If a slow-growing left-hemisphere tumor disrupts language, the right hemisphere may take over this language functioning. This best illustrates the value of
a. the split brain.
b. neurogenesis.
c. brain fissures.
d. neuroplasticity.
ANSWER: d. neuroplasticity.
Martina is walking home from class in the afternoon. At this point in the day, her mood is likely _____, and her body temperature _____.
a. at its peak; has plateaued
b. improving; is falling
c. at its peak; is rising
d. negative; has plateaued
ANSWER: a. at its peak; has plateaued
The Russian scientist who was interested in how our human ancestors had domesticated dogs from their wild wolf forebears was
a. Dmitry Belyaev.
b. Richard Dawkins.
c. Nicholas Christakis.
d. Charles Darwin.
ANSWER: a. Dmitry Belyaev.
While Davey began walking when he was eleven months old, his younger brother Leo begins walking when he is fourteen months old. This is a result of differences in
a. conservation.
b. attachment.
c. object permanence.
d. maturation.
ANSWER: d. maturation.
The hue of a color is determined by its
a. proximity.
b. wavelength.
c. continuity.
d. amplitude.
ANSWER: b. wavelength.
In classical conditioning, we associate stimuli that we _____, and we respond _____.
a. control; to produce consequences
b. do not control; automatically
c. control; automatically
d. do not control; to produce consequences
ANSWER: b. do not control; automatically
The average price for different brands of mouthwash could be visually displayed in a:
a. normal curve.
b. skewed distribution.
c. standard deviation.
d. bar graph.
ANSWER: d. bar graph.
Among deaf people, a temporal lobe area normally dedicated to hearing may begin to process visual signals. This best illustrates the impact of
a. neuroplasticity.
b. neurogenesis.
c. lateralization.
d. brain fissures.
ANSWER: a. neuroplasticity.
The American Psychiatric Association categorizes substance use disorder as mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the number of indicators experienced. The 11 indicators fall under 4 categories: diminished control, diminished_____, hazardous use, and drug action.
a. biological responses
b. expectations
c. social functioning
d. regulation of substance use
ANSWER: d. regulation of substance use
Lacking any exposure to language before adolescence, a person will never become proficient in any language as a result of the _____ of unemployed neural connections.
a. shaping
b. sculpting
c. pruning
d. plasticity
ANSWER: c. pruning.
Adolescence extends from
a. the cognitive beginning of concrete operations to the cognitive end of formal operations.
b. 12 to 15 years of age.
c. the physical beginnings of sexual maturity to social independence.
d. the beginning to the end of the growth spurt.
ANSWER: c. the physical beginnings of sexual maturity to social independence.
Sensation is the
a. transformation of sound and light into meaningful words and images.
b. receiving and representing of stimulus energies by sensory receptors and the nervous system.
c. organization and interpretation of environmental events.
d. conscious awareness of a familiar stimulus.
ANSWER: b. receiving and representing of stimulus energies by sensory receptors and the nervous system.
The few people who have _____ have been found to have enlarged brain areas and increased brain activity in memory centers.
a. anterograde amnesia
b. storage decay
c. retrograde amnesia
d. a highly superior autobiographical memory
ANSWER: d. a highly superior autobiographical memory.
14. Ulani, a psychology graduate student, has just finished collecting data for a study they are conducting on the relationship between time outdoors and happiness levels. What is the first thing they are likely to do?
a. They will organize the data using descriptive statistics.
b. They will analyze the data using a normal curve. c. They will calculate a standard deviation.
d. They will analyze the data using inferential statistics.
Answer: a. They will organize the data using descriptive statistics.
The _____ lobe, which is typically dedicated to hearing, may begin to process visual signals in deaf people. This best illustrates the impact of neuroplasticity.
a. occipital
b. peripheral
c. frontal
d. temporal
ANSWER: d. temporal.
Anton uses cocaine regularly. They crave it often, spend a considerable amount of time obtaining it, and have continued their use despite the social problems it has created. They have begun skipping work and withdrawing from their family and friends. They have tried unsuccessfully to regulate their use, and they find that they now needs more of the drug than they did in the past to achieve the same effect. According to the American Psychiatric Association, which of these best describes the severity of Anton's substance use disorder?
a. mild
b. moderate
c. severe
d. extreme
ANSWER: c. severe.
Mark Rosenzweig, David Krech, and their colleagues compared rats raised in solitary confinement with those raised in a communal playground to find out whether
a. peer associations affected social development.
b. lack of parent availability affected physical development.
c. early experience affected brain development.
d. gender schemas were influenced more by nature or by nurture.
ANSWER: c. early experience affected brain development.
In Western cultures, adolescent can occur anywhere between 10 and 19 years of age as a result of _____ sexual maturation and _____ independence.
a. earlier; earlier
b. earlier; later
c. later; later
d. later; earlier
ANSWER: b. earlier; later.
Despite the loud construction noise outside her window, Jia easily hears the faint cry of her baby in the bedroom. This demonstrates that
a. human sensory perception allows us to obtain essential information.
b. environmental contexts are important for obtaining essential information.
c. learning experiences are important for obtaining essential information.
d. essential information is easier for a new parent to detect.
ANSWER: a. human sensory perception allows us to obtain essential information.
Domingo remembers everything that has happened to him since he was six years old, down to the smallest, most insignificant detail. The constant stream of memories Domingo experiences interferes negatively with his life. Domingo is likely one of the rare individuals with
a. anterograde amnesia.
b. retrograde interference.
c. the misinformation effect.
d. highly superior autobiographical memory.
ANSWER: d. highly superior autobiographical memory.
Which of these statements is NOT true of the empirical approach to research?
a. It requires a scientific attitude.
b. It is evidence-based.
c. It draws on observation and experimentation.
d. It requires a cynical attitude.
Answer: d. It requires a cynical attitude.
Glial cells provide _____, the layer of fatty tissue that insulates some neurons.
a. synapses
b. myelin
c. dendrites
d. axons
ANSWER: b. myelin.
People gain a sense of new alertness as they reach their peak in
a. melatonin secretion.
b. circadian arousal.
c. REM rebound.
d. hypnagogic sensations.
ANSWER: b. circadian arousal.
To develop German shepherds that are good at tracking, dog breeders have been most likely to make use of
a. neuroplasticity.
b. social scripts.
c. selective mating.
d. behavior genetics.
ANSWER: c. selective mating.
Menopause refers to
a. the natural cessation of menstruation.
b. the loss of male sexual potency.
c. irregular timing of menstrual periods.
d. the loss of sexual interest in late adulthood.
ANSWER: a. the natural cessation of menstruation.
If the three bones of the middle ear are damaged, the person is most likely to experience a loss of
a. kinesthesia.
b. audition.
c. top-down processing.
d. olfaction.
ANSWER: b. audition.
The inability to form new conscious memories is called
a. retrieval failure.
b. storage decay.
c. anterograde amnesia.
d. retrograde amnesia.
ANSWER: c. anterograde amnesia.
Professor Said, who conducts psychological research, realizes that researchers may err as a result of personal bias. Professor Said is demonstrating:
a. enhanced introspection.
b. a lack of curiosity.
c. increased skepticism.
d. an attitude of humility.
ANSWER: d. an attitude of humility.
A brief electrical charge that travels down the axon of a neuron is called the
a. synapse.
b. agonist.
c. action potential.
d. refractory period.
ANSWER: c. action potential
Among athletes, more restful sleep enables all of these EXCEPT
a. faster reaction times.
b. greater endurance.
c. improved energy.
d. greater free radical production.
ANSWER: d. greater free radical production.
Our similarities arise from our common genetic profile, which is referred to as our shared human
a. social scripts.
b. genome.
c. neuroplasticity.
d. mutations.
ANSWER: b. genome.
Which of these is TRUE of physical development in adult life?
a. The outward signs of advancing years are psychologically stressful for adults in every culture.
b. Sensory ability and reaction time begin their decline in the mid-twenties.
c. Most adults are keenly aware of the first signs of physical decline.
d. Cardiac output remains strong into later life.
ANSWER: b. Sensory ability and reaction time begin their decline in the mid-twenties.
The retina is to the eye as the _____ is to the ear.
a. auditory nerve
b. cochlea
c. auditory canal
d. eardrum
ANSWER: b. cochlea.
Anterograde amnesia is defined as
a. an inability to retrieve information from one's past.
b. an inability to form new memories.
c. the forward-acting disruptive effect of older learning on the recall of new information.
d. the backward-acting disruptive effect of newer learning on the recall of old information.
ANSWER: b. an inability to form new memories.
The interdisciplinary study of the brain activity that underlies mental activity is
a. behavior genetics.
b. cognitive neuroscience.
c. behaviorism.
d. evolutionary psychology.
ANSWER: b. cognitive neuroscience.
Neurons generate electricity from a chemical process involving the exchange of
a. ions.
b. enzymes.
c. cortisol.
d. oxytocin.
ANSWER: a. ions.
During slow-wave sleep, the _____ releases a human growth hormone necessary for muscle development.
a. pituitary gland
b. hypothalamus
c. hippocampus
d. pineal gland
ANSWER: a. pituitary gland.
Research has shown that no more than _____ percent of the genetic differences among humans arise from population group differences.
a. 5
b. 10
c. 15
d. 20
ANSWER: a. 5.
Compared with younger adults, older adults take _____ time to solve perceptual puzzles and _____ time to remember names.
a. more; more
b. less; less
c. more; less
d. less; more
ANSWER: a. more; more
In those with typical hearing, audition depends on the movement of _____ lining the basilar membrane's surface triggering impulses in adjacent nerve cells.
a. hair cells
b. the eardrum
c. vestibular sacs
d. olfactory receptors
ANSWER: a. hair cells.
Research on the storage of memory indicates that
a. our brain can store new memories only if it discards some old memories.
b. our capacity for storing information in our short-term working memory has no real limit.
c. our brain distributes the components of a memory across a network of locations.
d. once memories are consolidated in storage, they can never be forgotten.
ANSWER: c. our brain distributes the components of a memory across a network of locations.
Who believed that everything comes into the mind from the external world through the senses?
a. Plato
b. Wundt
c. Aristotle
d. Darwin
ANSWER: c. Aristotle.
The axon allows only positively charged sodium ions to enter the neuron. This demonstrates that the axon's surface is
a. resting.
b. selectively permeable.
c. depolarized.
d. inhibitory.
ANSWER: b. selectively permeable.
Later school start times has been found to _____ negative mood and _____ on-time school attendance.
a. reduce; reduce
b. increase; reduce
c. increase; increase
d. reduce; increase
ANSWER: d. reduce; increase.
People who experienced nausea during the first three months of pregnancy and were genetically predisposed to avoid bitter, strongly flavored, and novel foods were most likely to survive and contribute their genetically based predispositions to later generations. This best illustrates
a. a social script.
b. natural selection.
c. female-male differences in mating preferences.
d. a sexual overperception bias.
ANSWER: b. natural selection.
The blood–brain barrier begins to break down in the _____, leading to cognitive decline in late adulthood.
a. hippocampus
b. telomeres
c. hypothalamus
d. pons
ANSWER: a. hippocampus.
The auditory cortex is located in the brain's _____ lobe.
a. frontal
b. temporal
c. occipital
d. parietal
ANSWER: b. temporal.
The type of memory that has an essentially limitless capacity is referred to as
a. working memory.
b. short-term memory.
c. long-term memory.
d. flashbulb memory.
ANSWER: c. long-term memory.