Chapter 1
What is the definition of psychology according to the American Psychological Association (APA)?
a. the study of fundamental questions about the world and ourselves.
b. the study of mind and behavior.
c. the study of everything in the universe beyond the Earth’s atmosphere.
d. the study of behavior.
b. the study of mind and behavior.
What were Wilhelm Wundt’s goals in psychology?
a. assessment of the individual differences.
b. process of adaptation and human development
c. identifies the activities of the mind and what the mind does.
d. identifies the elements of conscious along with sensation and perception.
d. identifies the elements of conscious along with sensation and perception.
The Broca’s area, named after neuroscientist Pierre Paul Broca, is associated with:
a. taste
b. language production
c. recognizing faces
d. synesthesia
b. language production
In a classic case study Phineas Gage became emotionally labile and unable to restrain his impulsive behaviors after a severe head injury. Much of his brain damage occurred in his:
a. parietal lobes
b. temporal lobes
c. frontal lobes
d. thalamus
c. frontal lobes
Which of the following is an example of “dissociation”?
a. getting a divorce
b. daydreaming while driving
c. sleeping
d. changing your opinion on a political topic
b. daydreaming while driving
Which of the following is the best definition of inductive reasoning?
a. Drawing a conclusion from an observation
b. Arriving at a conclusion based on the average of many observations
c. Drawing a conclusion about a specific observation based on general principles
d. Revising a conclusion after receiving several rounds of feedback
a. Drawing a conclusion from an observation
Using an experimental research design, researchers manipulate the ________ variable and measure the ________ variable.
a. dependent, independent
b. dependent, correlational
c. independent, dependent
d. independent, correlational
c. independent, dependent
The heavily myelinated fibers that connect the two cerebral hemispheres are collectively called the:
a. reticular formation
b. medulla
c. corpus callosum
d. thalamus
c. corpus callosum
There are two large classes of adaptations. These are ___________.
a. survival and reproduction
b. courting and mating
c. offense and defense
d. social and genetic
a. survival and reproduction
Which of the following is characteristic of hallucinogenic substances?
a. a slowing down of all of the body’s physiological systems
b. a short duration of effect
c. an increase in the production of T blood cells
d. alterations in visual perception or sense of time
d. alterations in visual perception or sense of time
When a researcher does not find a relationship between two variables in their data but there is actually a relationship between these variables, the researcher has made a/an _________.
a. type I error
b. type II error
c. egregious error
d. pseudoscientific claim
b. type II error
Students who study for 7 hours over the course of a week will perform better than students who cram for 7 hours the night before the exam. The dependent variable in this hypothesis is:
a. students
b. exam performance
c. number of hours studied
d. method of studying (spaced or cramming)
b. exam performance
The primary function of an axon is:
a. to conduct electrical signals that help cells communicate
b. to block pain by releasing dopamine
c. to store memories
d. to protect the brain from damage
a. to conduct electrical signals that help cells communicate
What term is used to refer to the fact that functions seen on one side of the body are controlled by the opposite cerebral hemisphere?
a. ipsilateral control
b. proximolateral functioning
c. contralateral representation
d. cephalocaudal emergence
c. contralateral representation
Which type of brain activity is associated with the third stage of REM Sleep?
a. alpha waves
b. beta waves
c. theta waves
d. delta waves
d. delta waves
Which of the following best describes the difference between structuralism and functionalism?
a. They are two words for the same concept; North Americans use the word “functionalism” while Europeans use the word “structuralism.”
b. They are two words for the same concept; North Americans use the word “structuralism” while Europeans use the word “functionalism.”
c. Structuralists are interested in what the mind is and functionalists are interested in what the mind does.
d. Structuralists are interested in what the mind does and functionalists are interested in what the mind is.
c. Structuralists are interested in what the mind is and functionalists are interested in what the mind does.
The degree to which a study ensures that potential findings apply to settings and samples other than the ones being studied refers to:
a. internal validity
b. external validity
c. ecological validity
d. publishing potential
b. external validity
Identify one of the subcortical structures of the cerebral hemispheres.
a. putamen
b. substantial nigra
c. basal ganglia
d. pyramidal tracts
c. basal ganglia
What are hormones?
a. chemical substances released at the end of neurons that cause the transfer of impulses to other neurons
b. chemical substances in the brain that cause mood swings during puberty
c. substances outside of the body that, if ingested, impact an individual’s physiology
d. organic chemical messengers released from endocrine cells into the blood to cause a response when they reach target cells
d. organic chemical messengers released from endocrine cells into the blood to cause a response when they reach target cells
Sometimes good ideas seem to happen spontaneously. This is known as:
a. lightning creativity
b. the mere exposure effect
c. eureka experience
d. conscious processing
c. eureka experience
The degree to which a study finding has been obtained under conditions that are typical for what happens in everyday life is called ___________.
a. generalizability
b. interrater reliability
c. face validity
d. ecological validity
d. ecological validity
The degree to which a cause-effect relationship between two variables has been unambiguously established has ________.
a. external validity
b. ecological validity
c. internal validity
d. publishing potential
c. internal validity
Gary and Cole both see Ashley across the department store. They both find Ashley attractive so they decide to arm wrestle for the chance to talk to her. The winner will hopefully be able to ask her on a date. Gary and Cole’s behavior is an example of the first process of sexual selection also known as what?
a. intersexual selection
b. intrasexual competition
c. intersexual competition
d. intrasexual selection
b. intrasexual competition
Dina is currently indulging in her sweet tooth by eating an entire box of her favorite Swiss chocolates. Her actions, which are designed to bring her emotional pleasure and gratification, might be related to activation of her __________.
a. basal ganglia
b. limbic system
c. reticular activating system
d. brain stem
b. limbic system
In an important study of the process by which consciousness occurs, Kornhuber and Deecke (1965) used electroencephalography to show that the first sign of unconscious preparation for an action occurred approximately ________ before conscious awareness took place.
a. 2 seconds
b. .001 to .005 seconds
c. 800 milliseconds
d. 5 to 7 seconds
c. 800 milliseconds