Psych Midterm Chs 1-8

Psychology is best defined as the scientific study of:

behavior and mental processes.

A key feature of the scientific method is that it is:

Systematic and empirical.

Which research design allows researchers to make causal claims?

experiment

A correlation of -.85 indicates 

a weak negative relationship between variables 

The basic building block of the nervous system is the:

neuron

Neurotransmitters cross the:

synaptic gap

The part of the brain responsible for complex thinking and planning is the:

frontal lobe 

The limbic system structure involved in forming new memories is the:

hippocampus 

Sensation refers to ________, while perception refers to ________.

detecting; intrepreting

The minimum stimulation needed to detect a stimulus 50% of the time is the:

absolute threshold

REM sleep is associated with:

dreaming and muscles paralysis

The brain waves of Stage N3 sleep are called:

Delta

In classical conditioning, a conditioned response is triggered by:

the conditioned stimulus

Pavlov’s dogs salivating at a bell is an example of:

classical conditioning

In operant conditioning, reinforcement ______ behavior, while punishment ______ behavior.

increase; decrease 

Memory that is stored with conscious recall is called:

explicit memory

The capacity of working memory is often described as:

about 7 ± 2 items

Encoding failure occurs when:

memories aren’t stored in long term memory

Piaget believed that children:

develops in stages

The ability to understand another person’s perspective (theory of mind) typically emerges in:

The preoperational stage

Explain the difference between a hypothesis and a theory in psychology.

a specific, testable prediction; a broad explanation supported by evidence.

What role does the myelin sheath play in neural transmission?

Speeds neural impulses; insulates axon.

Describe sensory adaptation and provide an example.

Reduced sensitivity after constant stimulation (e.g., not noticing a smell after a few minutes).

Compare and contrast classical and operant conditioning.

learning associations between stimuli; automatic responses; learning via consequences (reinforcement/punishment

What is the difference between retrieval failure and encoding failure in memory?

info never stored; stored info cannot be accessed

Which early school of psychology focused on breaking conscious experience into basic components?

Structuralism

What method was most commonly used by structuralists like Wundt?

Introspection

Functionalism emphasized the __________.

adaptive purpose of behavior

Behaviorists primarily study __________.

observable actions

According to behaviorists, behavior is shaped mainly by __________.

rewards and punishments

Freud’s psychoanalytic theory focuses on __________.

unconscious processes

Which perspective emphasizes personal growth and free will?

humanistic

The cognitive perspective investigates __________.

mental processes like memory and decision-making

The “cognitive revolution” shifted psychology’s focus toward __________.

mental processes

The biological perspective focuses on the relationship between behavior and __________.

nervous system activity

Which research tool is most associated with the biological approach?

fMRI and brain imaging

Evolutionary psychologists primarily study how behavior is shaped by __________.

natural selection

The sociocultural perspective emphasizes the influence of __________.

society and cultural norms

Which of the following best represents the biopsychosocial approach?

Behavior results from biological, psychological, and social factors

Psychology differs from common sense because it relies on __________.

scientific evidence

Which goal of psychology involves making educated guesses about future behavior?

prediction

A psychologist who studies memory, attention, and problem-solving is using which perspective?

cognitive

Humanistic psychologists criticized behaviorism because they believed it __________.

viewed humans as passive and lacking free will

The earliest definition of psychology emphasized the study of __________.

mental life

In psychology, the cochlea is important because it is the first place where:

Sound vibrations are converted into neural signals

Which psychological process explains why two sounds of the same volume may be perceived differently depending on context?

Top-down processing

Damage to the hair cells in the cochlea affects psychology by:

Reducing auditory transduction, leading to perceptual deficits

The auditory nerve is essential in psychology because it:

Conducts neural messages to the brain for perception

Sound localization relies MOST on:

Differences in time and intensity between ears

Injury to Broca’s area typically leads to impairments in:

Producing speech

The amygdala primarily contributes to which psychological function?

Processing fear and emotional reactions

If the occipital lobe is damaged, the psychological effect is MOST likely:

Disruptions in visual perception

The cerebellum’s contribution to psychology is its role in:

Fine-tuning movement and procedural learning

The right hemisphere is generally more specialized for:

Spatial and holistic processing

The sympathetic nervous system is activated during:

Fight-or-flight responses

Which statement best describes neurotransmitters?

They chemically transmit signals between neurons

Serotonin is MOST associated with regulating:

Mood, appetite, and sleep

A synapse is the:

Gap where communication between neurons occurs

The somatic nervous system controls:

Voluntary movements and sensory information

Myelin is important to psychology because it:

Speeds neural transmission, affecting reaction time

Dopamine is closely related to:

Reward, motivation, and movement

Neural plasticity refers to the brain’s ability to:

Change and adapt based on experience

A double-blind study helps prevent which problem?

Researcher and participant expectations

A person who experiences sudden sleep attacks during the day may have:

Narcolepsy

The difference threshold refers to:

The smallest detectable change between two stimuli

Perceptual constancy helps us:

Recognize objects regardless of changes in lighting or angle

Which of the following is an example of negative reinforcement?

Taking asprin to stop a headache 

The process of converting experiences into a form that can be stored in memory is:

encoding

Working memory differs from short-term memory because it:

Manipulates information actively

A mental shortcut that allows quick decision-making is called a:

heuristic

Confirmation bias refers to the tendency to:

seeking information that supports our beliefs

Which hormone is MOST associated with long-term stress?

cortisol

chunking can help you study because it can

group information into meaningful units