Psychology Test 1

Chapters 1-4

The biological approach to psychology focuses on the brain and _______ system

nervous

When conducting empirical research, the first thing a researcher needs in order to conduct a study is

a concrete way to measure variables of interest.

______ refers to a researcher trying to reproduce a study to get results similar to those obtained by a previous researcher.

Replication

Which psychological perspective emphasizes a person's positive qualities, capability for positive growth, and the freedom to choose any destiny?

humanistic approach

Psychologists study ______.

behavior and mental processes

Critical thinking is a(n)______ process that involves engaging with ideas and not settling for simple answers.

active

Psychology is best characterized as

a general science practiced in several environments.

The entire group about which the investigator draws conclusions is known as a

population

Which approach to psychology did Wilhelm Wundt endorse?

structuralism

Which of the following are not among the contemporary approaches to psychology that represent the intellectual backdrop of psychological science?

The behavioral perspective 

suggests that observable, measurable behavior should be the focus of study.

During the third step of the scientific method, when researchers test the hypothesis, they

conduct empirical research.

The general definition for psychology is:

the science of human behavior

______ is a nineteenth-century school of psychology that argued that breaking down mental processes into elemental parts offers the best way to understand thought and behavior.

Structuralism

Which of the following are among the contemporary approaches to psychological science?

humanistic

A behaviorist might study 

learning through environmental determinants.

Which psychological perspective emphasizes unconscious thought, the conflict between biological drives and society's demands, and early family experiences?

psychodynamic approach

Which psychological perspective focuses on the mental processes involved in knowing—that is, how we direct our attention, perceive, remember, think, and solve problems?

cognitive approach

The _______ approach uses evolutionary ideas such as adaptation, reproduction, and natural selection as the basis for explaining specific human behaviors.

evolutionary

The ______ examines the influences of social and cultural environments on behavior.

sociocultural approach

Which of the following are significant ingredients in producing behavior, according to the biopsychosocial approach?

Which approach to psychology did Wilhelm Wundt endorse?

structuralism

Functionalism is the approach endorsed by

William James.

Which of these are among the steps in the scientific method?

Afferent neurons convey information _______.

from the senses to the brain

When a nerve impulse reaches the terminal buttons, chemical communicators called ______ are released.

neurotransmitters

The nervous system is made up of ______ of communicating cells.

billions

The cells in the nervous system that handle information processing are called

neurons.

Positron-emission tomography (PET scan) identifies levels of activity throughout the brain by measuring levels of:

glucose

Which part of the brain is responsible for thinking and planning?

cerebral cortex

Which choice correctly defines the function of the nervous system?

It allows the body to move and adapt to its environment.

The nervous system is itself divided into which systems?

central nervous system and peripheral nervous system

Which of the following are true about the brain?

The brain and spinal cord are structures in the

central nervous system.

The treelike fibers that receive information and send it toward the neuron's cell body are called

dendrites.

In order to transmit information, a neuron sends electrical impulses through its ______ toward the next neuron.

axon

What is not among the structures involved in synaptic transmission?

reticular formation

Synapses are tiny spaces between neurons; the gap between neurons is referred to as a(n) ___ (neurotic/synaptic) gap.

synaptic

A(n) ____ is a drug that mimics or increases a neurotransmitter's effects.

agonist

Drugs influence behavior by mimicking, increasing, or blocking the effects of a neurotransmitter.

True

A neural network 

changes as the strength of synaptic connections is altered.

The medulla, cerebellum, and pons are parts of the _____ located at the skull's rear.

hindbrain

What part of the brain connects to the spinal cord and regulates basic survival functions?

brain stem

The _______ is part of the forebrain and is important for higher-order thinking.

cerebral cortex

The ______ is part of the hindbrain and is important for balance.

cerebellum

The neuron can vary the intensity of its message by ______.

changing the rate of the signals

The three parts of the synapse are which of the following?

Which of the following is a structure of the midbrain?

reticular formation

Receptor cells in the retina that we use for color vision are known as _____

cones

The process of receiving stimulus energies from the external environment and transforming those energies into neural energy is called ____

sensation

Specialized cells that detect and transmit info to the sensory nerves and the brain are called

sensory receptors

The absolute threshold is defined by psychologists as the

minimum amount of stimulus energy that a person can detect.

Focusing on a specific aspect of experience while ignoring others is _____ attention

selective

One aspect of selective attention is the ability to focus on one voice among many in a crowded or noisy situation. This is commonly referred to by psychologists as the ______ _______effect.

Sensory receptors adjust their response rates on the basis of the average amount of stimuli received, resulting in 

sensory adaptation.

The responsiveness of the sensory system can change based on the average level of surrounding stimulation.

True

When something causes a vibration and air molecules begin to move, _____ waves are created and can be detected by the ear.

sound

Which of the following is a form of electromagnetic energy?

light

The ______ is the white outer part of the eye that helps to maintain the shape of the eye and to protect it from injury.

sclera

The part of the eye that people see when they notice your eye color is called the

iris

Having two ears helps us to______ a sound because each ear receives somewhat different stimuli from the sound source.

localize

The opening at the center of the iris is called the

pupil

What part of the eye contains the muscles that control the size of the pupil?

iris

Which of the following are attributes of the retina? 

The _____ threshold is the minimum amount of stimulus energy that a person can detect.

absolute

Receptor cells contained in the retina that are useful in low-light conditions are called _____

rods

What structure of the eye is a bundle of ganglion axons that carry info to the brain?

optic nerve

The _____ cortex recesses sensory info from thyes in the occipital lobe of the brain

visual

What is the purpose of the pupil?

It determines the amount of light reach

At the back of the eye ithe eye’s “film“ the multilayered _________ which is the light-sensitive surface records the electromagnetic energy a converts it to neural impulses for processing in the brain.

retina

the trichromatic theory color vision describes three different types of rods that work together to create our experience of color vision.

False

The ____ are receptors in the retina that function especially well in low-light conditions and are everywhere in retina except for the fovea.

rods

Opioids, also known as _____, depres activity in the central nervous system.

narcotics or opiates

Some psychologists believe that _____ is an altered state of consciousness rather than an altered state of attention

hypnosis

Individuals in a hypnotic state display a predominance of alpha and beta waves,characteristics of a rsons in a relaxed waking state.

True

Which of the following refers to a continuous flow of changing sensations, images, thoughts, and feelings

Stream of Consciousness

Hypnosis can be applied to a variety of problems, including which of the problems?

somnambulism (sleepwalking)

An individual’s awareness of external events and internal sensations under the condition of arousal is called ______.

cosciousness

In general, what are two characteristics of meditative practices

open monitoring & focused attention

According to the global brain workspace model of consciousness, which part of the brain is especially involved in the ways that awareness goes beyond the input of sensory info?

prefrontal cortex

Sleep take up about ______ of our lives

one-third

The rise and fall of hormones in the body is an example of ____

biological rhythms

Spending a large chunk of any day sleeping allows animals to _______.

conserve their calories

How many stages of sleep are there (including REM sleep)?

4

Getting sufficient sleep is really only important during childhood.

False

Sleep plays a large role in many health problems, including which of the following?

asthma

From what does an individual who wakes up during the night and has difficulty falling back to sleep most likely suffer?

insomnia

According to Freud, ______ content is the dream’s surface content.m

manifest

Which of the following act on the nervous system to alter consciousness, modify perceptions, and change moods?

psychoactive drugs

Which of the following drugs fall into the depressant category of substances?

Which of the following parts of the brain are associated with integrating info, and therefore should be active throughout conscious experiences, according to the intergrated in theory.

A natural state of rest for the body that involves the reversible loss of consciousness is referred to as______

sleep

Which of the following is considered a depressant?

alcohol

Jack is unable to control his drinking despite his effort over the past 5 years. When he drinks, he drinks in excess. He has multiple failed relationships. What characterizes Jack’s behavior?

Symptoms of alcoholism

What neurotransmitter can make us feel pleasure?

dopamine

Nembutal and Seconal are both examples of _____, depressant drugs that decrease CNS activity.

barbiturates