Introduction to Psychology

Text Book Info

Author: Stangor
Title: Introduction to Psychology
Publisher: Flat World Knowledge
ISBN: 9781453327364

Final Exam

PART I: Multiple Choice (1 point each)

PSYC 100 Answer sheet for Multiple Choice VERSION C

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1) Many, if not most, psychologists are _____________ in their theoretical perspective, which means that they use what they believe to be the best features of the diverse schools of thought in psychology.
a) psychodynamic
b) biological
c) sociocultural
d) eclectic
e) confused

2) The term “behaviorist” is most closely associated with which of the following perspectives?
a) cognitive
b) learning
c) social-cognitive
d) sociocultural

3) A certain psychologist is interested in whether males or females are more aggressive towards authority figures. She gives both the males and the females in a Psych 100 class an opportunity to anonymously shock the professor after an exam (using 10-200 volts, as they wish). She then records the number of volts each person gives and compares the males and females on the average number of volts used in the shock. The DEPENDENT VARIABLE in this study is:

a) the authority level of the professor
b) the number of volts used by males and females
c) whether the students are male or female
d) the hostility of the students
e) the number of dependents on the professor’s tax return

4) Which of the following correlations shows the STRONGEST degree of relationship between two variables?
a) R = .63
b) R = .00
c) R = -.75
d) R = -1.00
e) R u kidding me?

5) Evolutionary psychologists believe
a) the mind is a general-purpose computer
b) behavior can generally be explained by individual learning
c) the mind has specialized modules to handle specific survival problems
d) behavior that has a biological origin cannot be distinguished from behavior that does not
e) human beings have evolved as we have because the Universe has a very strange sense of humor

6) ______________ enable neurons to excite or inhibit each other.
a) Hormones
b) Neurotransmitters
c) Endorphins
d) Glial cells

7) The visual cortex is located in the ______________ lobes.
a) frontal
b) occipital
c) parietal
d) temporal
e) ear

8) As a drug, alcohol is classified as a
a) stimulant
b) depressant
c) opiate
d) psychedelic

9) We usually do not notice the pressure of our clothes on our skin. The reason for this is
a) perceptual constancy
b) texture gradients
c) kinesthesis
d) sensory adaptation
e) it is not hot and humid today

10) The following pattern (xoox ruur) is perceived as two “groups” of letters because of the Gestalt principle of
a) proximity
b) closure
c) similarity
d) continuity

11) When an unconditioned stimulus is no longer paired with a conditioned stimulus, we would expect ______________ to occur.
a) generalization
b) extinction
c) discrimination
d) response acquisition
e) someone else will ask the unconditioned stimulus out on a date

12) When something desirable follows a response, this is called
a) positive reinforcement
b) negative reinforcement
c) positive punishment
d) negative punishment
e) dumb luck

13) In the parking lot of a supermarket, a short woman is loudly scolding a taller woman. A man walks by and says to you: “I have never seen that short woman before, but she obviously has a really bad temper.” This is an example of:
a) the “blame the victim” bias
b) self-serving bias
c) a situational attribution
d) the fundamental attribution error
e) a short-tempered woman

14) It seems like all the kids at school are saying that body-piercing is “cool”. Jim doesn’t really want to pierce his naval, but he goes ahead and does it. This is an example of:
a) obedience
b) groupthink
c) conformity
d) diffusion of responsibility
e) how weird kids are these days

15) Sally is a staunch Republican and Mary is a staunch Democrat. One evening, they attend a Presidential debate (between the Republican candidate and the Democratic candidate) together. Sally is very impressed by the opinions of the Republican candidate, and Mary is very impressed by the opinions of the Democratic candidate. Neither can recall very many reasonable points made by the other candidate. This is an example of
a) cognitive dissonance
b) the availability heuristic
c) cognitive accessiblity
d) the confirmation bias
e) why Sally and Mary should have gone to a movie instead

16) Current thought on Short-term memory is that its real capacity is a few
a) bits
b) chunks
c) semantic categories
d) sensory memories
e) what was the question again?

17) While looking at some women’s undergarments and thinking about your psychology exam, you remember that Sigmund Freud is a psychodynamic theorist. This is an example of
a) an implicit memory
b) an episodic memory
c) a procedural memory
d) a semantic memory
e) a Freudian slip

18) The ___________ is initially responsible for evaluating the emotional importance of incoming sensory information
a) right hemisphere of the brain
b) left hemisphere of the brain
c) cerebral cortex
d) amygdala

19) Sally actually resents and dislikes her mother, but she cannot consciously admit it to herself. Sally is constantly saying to everyone that her mother is “the best mom in the whole world”. This is an example of
a) repression
b) displacement
c) projection
d) reaction formation
e) why Sally has no friends

20) According to Piaget, the stage at which children learn “object permanence” is the ________________ stage.
a) preoperational
b) concrete operations
c) sensorimotor
d) formal operations
e) how-can-I-miss-you-when-you-won’t-go-away stage

21) According to Erik Erikson, the stage of “intimacy versus isolation” occurs
a) in adolescence
b) at ages 3-5
c) in old age
d) in early adulthood
e) when you choose your mouthwash and deodorant

22) Rosemary is bothered by the persistent thought that she must some how buy the Empire State Building, or something very bad will happen to her. Her problem would be classified as
a) schizophrenia
b) antisocial personality disorder
c) obsessive-compulsive disorder
d) generalized anxiety disorder
e) a King Kong complex

23) The recent George Zimmerman case was controversial in many ways, but one aspect of it was that a man was followed because he was suspected of possible intent to engage in criminal or suspicious behavior. Being followed led to an altercation wherein a fight (and a tragic death) did occur. This would not have happened if the “suspect” had not been followed. The best description of this particular aspect of the case is
a) fundamental attribution bias
b) self-fulfilling prophesy
c) conformity
d) deindividuation

24) Which of the following is a definition of self-efficacy?
a) A general tendency to expect positive outcomes
b) The belief in one’s ability to achieve desired outcomes
c) The perception that one has good relationships with others
d) A positive attitude toward the self

25) Dr. O’Malley is telling his participants before he begins the experiment that their participation is completely voluntary and that they can stop taking part at any time. Dr. Quick is providing a detailed explanation to participants who have just completed a study. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
a) Both Dr. O’Malley and Dr. Quick are obtaining informed consent from their participants.
b) Both Dr. O’Malley and Dr. Quick are debriefing their participants.
c) Dr. O’Malley is obtaining informed consent from his participants. Dr. Quick is debriefing her participants.
d) Dr. Quick is obtaining informed consent from her participants. Dr. O’Malley is debriefing his participants.
e) Both Dr.’s are veterinarians, and they are wasting their breath explaining things to their animal participants

26) Amy is conducting a survey of dating attitudes and behaviors among young adults as part of her masters’ thesis work. Amy distributes questionnaires to 200 randomly selected students enrolled in an introductory psychology course at her university. The 200 students constitute Amy’s ________. The people of whom she assumes her results will generalize are termed the _______.
a) control group; population
b) experimental group; population
c) population; sample
d) sample; population

27) According to psychodynamic theorists, which component of the personality uses defense mechanisms and why?
a) The id uses defense mechanisms to express its impulses.
b) The superego uses defense mechanisms to help the id express its impulses.
c) The superego uses defense mechanisms to help the individual conform to society.
d) The ego uses defense mechanisms to prevent excessive anxiety.
e) The military commander uses defense mechanisms to protect the country

28) Which of the following alternatives best expresses your text’s assessment of the influence of individual differences in the tendency to conform?
a) Individual differences in the tendency to conform are minimal at best.
b) There are significant individual differences in the tendency to conform. Their influence often opposes that of the situation.
c) There are significant individual differences in the tendency to conform. Their influence is just as strong as the effect of the situation.
d) There are significant individual differences in the tendency to conform, but their influence is generally overshadowed by the effect of the situation.

29) Carrie is dramatic and emotionally volatile. She rapidly forms intense relationships that seem to blow up or fall apart just as quickly. Although she tends to distrust others, she also needs their attention. Carrie might be diagnosed with _______ personality disorder.
a) antisocial
b) borderline
c) narcissistic
d) dependent

30) In person-centered therapy, the therapist:
a) explores the client’s sexual history
b) uses reinforcement and punishment to modify the client’s actions
c) silently writes notes on a small pad
d) attempts to provide unconditional positive regard
e) tells clients it is “all about me”

31) Lithium carbonate is used to treat which of the following disorders?
a) ADHD
b) schizophrenia
c) Bipolar disorders
d) Anxiety disorders

32) According to Piaget, the process of fitting new experiences into existing schemata is called_________, whereas the process of changing or modifying existing schemata to make sense of new experiences is called ________.
a) accommodation; assimilation
b) conservation; accommodation
c) assimilation; conservation
d) assimilation; accommodation

33) Dr. Irwin is testing the same individuals repeatedly over time as part of a research study, while Dr. Jenner is comparing the performance of different people of various ages at the same time. Dr. Irwin is using a _________ research design; Dr. Jenner is using a ________ design.
a) cross-sectional; longitudinal
b) longitudinal; cross-sectional
c) sequential; simultaneous
d) sequential; cross-sectional

34) Which of the following statements accurately expresses the relationship with age of scores on measures of fluid intelligence, on the one hand, and scores on measures of crystallized intelligence, on the other?
a) Scores on measures of both fluid and crystallized intelligence are uncorrelated with age.
b) Scores on fluid intelligence measures are negatively correlated with age, whereas those on measures of crystallized intelligence may actually be positively correlated with age.
c) Scores on fluid intelligence measures may be positively correlated with age, whereas those on measures of crystallized intelligence are negatively correlated with age.
d) Scores on measures of both fluid and crystallized intelligence are usually positively correlated with age.

35) According to Benjamin Whorf, __________ plays a large part in shaping thought.

a) language
b) the harshness of one’s environment
c) evolution
d) relationship dominance

36) Which of the following brain structures relays signals to higher brain levels?
a) cerebellum
b) thalamus
c) corpus callosum
d) reticular formation

37). The process by which the brain responds to experience or damage is termed ___________.

a) neuromutability
b) neurogenesis
c) neuroflexibility
d) neuroplasticity

38) Which of the following scenarios is the best example of negative reinforcement?

a) Vanna fastens her seatbelt as soon as she gets in her car to stop the annoying alert sound.
b) Drake no longer cuts class now that his parents confiscated his iPod.
c) Maria now buys a different brand of cigarettes to get two packs for the price of one.
d) Nate no longer arrives late at work following a reprimand from his boss.

39) Last week, Mike heard about five separate airplane crashes on the news. Even though, overall, motorcycle accidents account for more accidents than plane crashes do, Mike decides to ride his motorcycle from Washington to Atlanta instead of flying. Which bias is reflected in Mike’s decision?
a) the confirmation bias
b) the availability heuristic
c) the salience error
d) the representativeness heuristic

40) Which of the following describes the Two-Phase Schachter-Singer theory of emotion?
a) Arousal creates emotion
b) Emotion creates arousal
c) Arousal and emotion happen at the same time
d) A cognitive label allows us to interpret arousal

PART II SHORT ESSAYS (10 points each)

Select SIX of the following Short Essay questions, and write approximately three paragraphs on each of them. Be sure to cite sources and include a reference list. (Each essay is worth 10 points)

Type Essays Here

1. Describe what is meant by a personality disorder. Discuss several issues complicating the diagnosis of personality disorders.

2. Describe, using concrete examples, how a behavior therapist might use systematic desensitization and exposure therapy to treat a specific phobia or source of anxiety.

3. Briefly describe the nature and the objectives of community mental health services. Distinguish among primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention programs. Provide a concrete example of each.

4. When your best friend hears that you are taking a psychology course, she asserts that psychology is simply common sense. Explain why your awareness of both the limits of everyday reasoning and the methods of psychological research would lead you to disagree with your friend’s assertion.

5. You are an experimental psychologist interested in finding out how effective a new medication might work for treating depression. Describe a study you might conduct to reach some conclusions on this matter. Be sure to define and provide examples of the following terms and concepts, demonstrating your understanding of each: hypothesis, independent variable, dependent variable, random assignment of participants, ethical guidelines.

6. Choose a behavior that you would like to modify or change using the principles of operant conditioning. Be sure to use and explain the following terms: operant conditioning, positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment, schedules of reinforcement, shaping, and extinction.

7. David’s history teacher asked him why many German people complied with Hitler’s orders to systematically slaughter a large number of innocent Jews. David suggested that the atrocities were committed because the Germans had become unusually cruel, sadistic people with abnormal and twisted personalities. Use your knowledge of the fundamental attribution error and Milgram’s research on obedience to highlight the weaknesses of David’s explanation.

8. Imagine that you were involved in a legal case in which an eyewitness claimed that he has seen a person commit a crime. Based on your knowledge about memory and cognition, discuss some of the problems of eyewitness accounts.

9. Choose one person from the following list whom you feel played an important role in the history of psychology: Freud, Pavlov, Skinner, Maslow, or Piaget. Describe what that person did, the approximate time that this person lived, what makes their contribution important, and criticisms of their work or theoretical position.