PSYC 101 Exam 1 Practice Questions - Collier

Chapters 1-4

What is the main reason Freud’s theories were (and are) taken less seriously by other psychologists such as behaviorists?
a) Freud focused too much on symbolism

b) Freud overemphasized the role of sex in human development

c) Freud's theories were largely non-empirical and untestable

d) Freud's theories posited that humans have a subconscious

e) Freud focused too much on psychotherapy and not enough on theory development

C

The depressed spot in the retina which occupies the center of the visual field in which images are focused MOST sharply is called the _____.
a) fovea

b) cornea

c) iris

d) optic nerve

e) ganglion cells

f) pupil

A

Despite being a terrible guitarist, Wayne Sermon (Imagine Dragons) can still hear a wide variety of sounds from the very lowest notes on the bass guitar, to the obnoxious high notes of singer Dan Reynolds. Which theories best explain why Wayne can hear this wide range of frequencies?
a) place and frequency theory

b) frequency and pitch theory

c) place and tone theory

d) timbre and tone theory

e) range and timbre theory

f) pitch and timbre theory

A

Which of the following is a reason why someone might want to think about reality as simply having “facts” and “not facts”?
a) The world is complicated and many things are not simply just "true or false"

b) Varying quantities of evidence help determine how likely a theory/hypothesis is true

c) Varying qualities of evidence help determine how likely a theory/hypothesis is true

d) Theories continue to be tested empirically until they are disproven or become a law/principle

e) Information becomes more easily consumable if humans divide it into simply "true" and "false"

E

A researcher wants to conduct research on irritability and video gaming. What must the researcher do to define and measure a loose idea such as “irritability”?
a) control

b) operationalize

c) falsify

d) externalize

e) internalize

B

The part of the brain that receives sensations of touch, balance, bodily position, and oversees spacial abilities is the _____.
a) occipital lobe 

b) temporal lobe  

c) parietal lobe  

d) frontal lobe

e) Inner-ear lobe

C

A researcher wants to understand how depression and sleep are correlated through analyzing data he has collected. Which category of statistical testing is the researcher going to utilize?
a) Descriptive statistics

b) Inferential statistics

c) Parametric statistics

d) Non-parametric statistics

e) Non-deceptive statistics

B

Endorphins

a) are found where neurons meet skeletal muscles

b) are less powerful than enkaphalins

c)reduce pain messages in the brain

d) are radically different in function from neurotransmitters

e) are a type of dopamine regulator

C

In an experiment to test the effects of anxiety on Fortnite performance, the dependent variable is the _________.

a) amount of anxiety

b) age of the person

c) person’s Fortnite performance

d) cause of anxiety

e) person’s previous experience playing Fortnite

C

A hospital administrator is considering two different therapeutic interventions for patients with chronic pain. The first intervention has been tested previously among a huge sample of 10,000 people and found a statistically significant difference (p<0.05) between the treatment group and the control group, although no effect size was reported. The second intervention has been tested previously among a large sample of 2,000 people and found a statistically significant difference (p<0.05) between the treatment and control group as well as a moderate effect size. Given the information provided, which intervention should the administrator pick and why?

a) there is not enough information for the administrator to make a decision

b) the first intervention because it is statistically significant and it has a much larger sample size

c) the second intervention because it has a moderate effect-size reported in addition to statistical significance

d) both interventions are likely to perform the same because they were both found to produce statistically significant results

C

The When a neural impulse reaches the end of an axon, it causes the tiny oval sacs at the end of the axon to release chemicals called ______.

a) effectors

b) neurotransmitters

c) stimulants

d) ions

e) receptor cells

B

Neurons are:

a) cells in the brain that are believed to help clean and feed brain cells

b) cells that send and receive information

c) bundle of nerves

d) chemical transmitters found in the hypothalamus

e) a specialized type of neurotransmitter

B

A psychologist is often skeptical of claims suggesting that _____.

a) people are influenced by others’ thoughts and behaviors

b) a particular behavior is the result of a single causal variable

c) a person’s culture is a strong influence on his or her everyday thoughts and behaviors

d) a person’s future behavior is often difficult to predict accurately

e) the mind is a function of the brain

B

The neuron impulse traveling down the axon is ____; it gets across the synapse by _______.

a) electrical; remaining electrical but changing from positively charged to negatively charged

b) electrical; remaining electrical but changing from negatively charged to positively charged

c) electrical; being changed into a chemical message

d) chemical; being changed into an electrical message

C

Rene is arguing with John about reality. Rene tell John that “facts don’t care about your feelings” and says that humans understand reality through logic and reason. John strongly disagrees with his boy Rene, and tells him “how are people supposed to reason without using their senses learn about the world?”. Rene’s standpoint would be called _______ and John’s standpoint would be called ______.

a) rationalism, empiricism

b) empiricism, rationalism

c) functionalism, structuralism

d) functionalism, empiricism

e) empiricism, structuralism

f) structuralism, empiricism

A

The Ebbinghaus illusion illustrates the importance of ________ in perception.

a) opponent-process theory

b) trichromatic color theory

c) context

d) perceptual illusion

e) Weber’s law

f) absolute threshold

C

A researcher is setting up for a Taco Bell experiment in their lab for which 100 (non-vegan) people have agreed to participate. The researcher assigns the first 50 participants who arrive to the lab to the Quesorito supreme group and the next 50 participants to arrive to the homemade cheese burrito group. Which type of validity is most impacted by the way the experiment assigned participants to each group?

a) internal

b) external

c) construct

d) face

A

Javier notices that when he is in his quite home he can tell the difference between setting his headphones to a volume of 28 vs 27, but when he is in the loud dining hall on campus he can’t tell the difference between 35 vs 36, but he can notice a difference between 35 vs 40. This demonstrates _________.

a) Weber’s law and just noticeable difference

b) absolute threshold

c) top-down processing

d) frequency discrepancy

e) place and frequency theory

A

NickMercs wants to optimize a brand new gaming strategy he came up with where he stays in one spot and shoots people who cross a large field with a long-range rifle (he calls this strategy “just chillin”). Nick has recently taken a psychology 101 class and learned about the differences between foveal and peripheral vision. How could Nick use this information to best optimize his “just chillin” strategy?

a) Stare directly at the areas he thinks there will be enemy movement

b) Stare at the center of the screen and try to detect enemy movement in his peripheral vision

c) Rapidly shift is eyes over the screen, scanning for enemy movement

d) Close one eye to improve his detection of movement on flat surfaces (TV/monitor)

e) Close both eyes and use the force to guide his hands to victory

B

A researcher analyzes city-level data on homelessness and the amount of affordable housing avalible in the city. The researcher conducts a statistical analysis and find that the two are correlated to each other. What would be a reasonable conclusion to draw from this researcher’s study?

a) a lack of affordable housing causes homelessness

b) homelessness causes a lack of affordable housing

c) homelessness and the amount of affordable housing are related somehow

d) affordable housing and homelessness are caused by governmental interference in housing

e) both a and b

C

In order for a question to be scientific it must be ________.

a) falsifiable

b) testable

c) productive

d) fundable

e) both a and b

E

A psychological researcher from the early 1900s has grown tired of the research focus on understanding the elements of the mind, instead he wants to understand how environmental demands caused the development of consciousness in early humans. Which field of research would this have been considered?

a) structuralism

b) functionalism

c) humanism

d) gestalt

e) rationalism

f) empiricism

B

The short fibers which extend from the neurons allowing it to receive messages from other neurons are _____.

a) axons

b) dendrites

c) nerve bundles

d) synapses

e) axon terminal

B

How might a psychiatrist view and anxiety disorder differently from a community psychologist using different levels of analysis?

a) The psychiatrist would focus primarily on the molecular level to understand which genes cause anxiety whereas a community psychologist would focus primarily on the mental level to understand which thoughts cause anxiety

b) The psychiatrist would focus primarily on the social level to understand how the individual's social life causes them anxiety whereas a community psychologist would focus primarily on the behavioral level to understand which behaviors cause anxiety

c) The psychiatrist would focus primarily on the neurochemical and physiological level to understand how the individual's brain and hormones causes them anxiety whereas a community psychologist would focus primarily on the social and behavioral level to understand how their behavior and interaction with broader systems causes anxiety

d) The psychiatrist would focus primarily on the mental and social level to understand which social thoughts and interactions cause anxiety whereas a community psychologist would focus primarily on neurochemical and behavioral level to understand which behaviors cause anxiety hormones to be released

C

An SSRI helps alleviate symptoms of depression by ________.

a) ensuring more serotonin is released

b) blocking the reuptake of serotonin

c) ensuring more dopamine is released

d) blocking the reuptake of dopamine

e) ensuring more serotonin is released and blocking the reuptake of dopamine

f) ensuring more dopamine is released and blocking the reuptake of serotonin

B

Which quality of the following graph is misleading?

a) The graph doesn't include male celebrities, restricting the sample too much

b) The graph doesn't include female celebrities who are 6ft tall or taller, restricting the sample too much

c) The graph doesn't compare enough celebrities; purposefully missing data

d) The Y-axis is truncated, making small differences between celebrities look much bigger

e) Both A and B are correct

D

Despite being a crowded Alpha Gamma Beta Omega Epsilon mixer with many conversations going on, Hailey is still able to hear the conversation she is part of because of ______.

a) dynamic hearing

b) selective attention

c) noticeable threshold

d) friendliness

e) absolute threshold

f) Weber’s Law

B

A weakness of ______ is that subjects participating in the research often report, consciously and unconsciously, inaccurate information.

a) naturalistic observation

b) surveys

c) field experiments

d) laboratory experiments

e) randomized controlled trials

B

Big Ed is trying to understand the mind better by uncovering the most basic components of the mind. Big Ed is researching ________.

a) functionalism

b) structuralism

c) rationalism

d) empiricism

e) epistemology

f) psychoanalysis

B

The part of the neuron that carries outgoing messages either to another neuron to a muscle or gland is the ________.

a) myelin sheath

b) axon terminal

c) dendrite

d) cell body

e) receptor site

B

What is the most likely way the Tuskegee Trials would be stopped from happening today and why?

a) Government oversight committees would stop the Tuskegee trials because they violate the international standards of research ethics

b) Institutional Review Boards (IRB) would stop the Tuskegee trials as the benefits do not outweigh the risks, the participants did not give informed consent, and participants had necessary treatment withheld

c) Title VII and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 would prohibit the Tuskegee trials because they only targeted African Americans

d) The American Medical Association (AMA) oversees all research and would not allow Americans to have personal health information (such as a diagnosis) to be withheld from citizens by medical professionals

B

If Ninja finds himself getting more and more hyped-up during a Minecraft tournament, what is most likely happening in his limbic system?

a) excitation of the amygdala

b) inhibition of the amygdala

c) parasympathetic activation

d) excitation of the parietal lobe

e) inhibition of the parietal lobe

A

A psychologist, studying pilot trainees, picks a select group of trainees who are hopefully representative of all other trainees. The group of trainees being studied by this psychologist are collectively known to researchers as a ______.

a) sample  

b) population  

c) target group 

d) control group  

e) treatment group

A

The ______ system is made up of glands which release hormones into the bloodstream.

a) motor

b) endocrine

c) limbic

d) autonomic

e) fight-flight-freeze system

B

Burrhus is sick and tired of these really old-fashioned psychological researchers using non-specific methods to study the human mind. He wants to make psychology more scientific by operationalizing variables and measuring something observable. What kind of research is Burrhus interested in?

a) functionalism

b) structuralism

c) rationalism

d) behaviorism

e) epistemology

f) psychoanalysis

D

Dwayne Johnson keeps sniffing at the air in his apartment. He thinks he is smelling something cooking but keeps going back and forth about whether he smells something cooking or not. What term best describes what Dwayne is experiencing?

a) absolute threshold

b) difference threshold

c) minimum threshold

d) maximum threshold

e) Weber's law

f) place theory

g) frequency theory

A

The eyes convert light energy into neural response that we experience as sight. The conversion of light energy into sight is done by photoreceptor cells in the ______.

a) iris

b) pupil

c) blind spot

d) retina

e) cornea

f) lens

D

When our eyes convert light energy into electrical impulses sent to the brain or our ears convert vibrations into electrical impulses sent to the brain, these processes are called ________.

a) seeing and hearing

b) just noticeable difference

c) transmission

d) absolute threshold

e) Bepis

f) transduction

F

A researcher wants to understand more about how humans lean and sets up an experiment in their lab. The researcher utilizes a sample of 60 freshman males to test the impact of caffeine on learning by having participants either drink a 100mg shot of caffeine or a 100mg shot of water before completing a learning task. Which type of validity is most impacted by the researcher’s choice of the participant sample?

a) internal

b) external

c) construct

d) face

B

Which of the following is a strength of experiments?

a) They cannot be repeated by anyone other than the experimenter.

b) They allow for the establishment of cause-effect relationships.

c) They are not subject to demand characteristics since the subjects do not know they are being observed.

d) They allow us to draw definitive conclusions about behavior in the natural environment based on subjects' behavior in the laboratory.

e) They allow us to gather very large samples at a very low cost

B