Introductory Psychology Modern States CLEP

The science of psychology is typically dated from the establishment of the late-nineteenth-century Leipzig Laboratory of:

(A) Hermann Ebbinghaus

(B) Hermann von Helmholtz

(C) William James

(D) Wilhelm Wundt

(E) John Locke

(D) Wilhelm Wundt

The behavioral research perspective is similar to the sociocultural research perspective because both focus on how behavior and mental processes are explained by:

(A) internal factors such as genes

(B) the external environment

(C) memory systems

(D) evolution

(E) problem-solving skills and reasoning

(B) the external environment

Which of the following types of research design is most appropriate for establishing a cause-and effect relationship between two variables?

(A) Correlational

(B) Naturalistic observation

(C) Participant observation

(D) Experimental

(E) Case study

(D) Experimental

Frequency theory and place theory attempt to explain how the inner ear registers the pitch of sound.

Which statement best reflects current opinion about frequency theory and place theory?

(A) Evidence strongly supports frequency theory

(B) Evidence strongly supports place theory.

(C) Place theory explains the perception of complex sounds well, whereas frequency theory explains the perception of simple sounds well.

(D) Place theory explains the perception of high-frequency sounds well, and frequency theory explains the perception of low-frequency sounds well.

(E) There is little evidence to support either theory

(D) Place theory explains the perception of high-frequency sounds well, and frequency theory explains the perception of low-frequency sounds well.

The requirement that prospective participants know the general nature of a study so that they can decide whether to participate is a major part of

(A) reciprocal determinism

(B) confidentiality

(C) informed consent

(D) duty to inform

(E) debriefing

(C) informed consent

The term "etiology" refers to the study of which of the following aspects of an illness?

(A) Origins and causes

(B) Characteristic symptoms

(C) Expected outcome following treatment

(D) Frequency of occurrence

(E) Level of contagiousness

(A) Origins and causes

A neuron is said to be polarized when

(A) it is in the refractory period

(B) it is in a resting state

(C) it is about to undergo an action potential

(D) the synaptic terminals release chemicals into the synaptic gap

(E) chemicals outside the cell body cross the cell membrane

(B) it is in a resting state

How many pairs of chromosomes are contained in most human cells?

(A) 7

(B) 10

(C) 16

(D) 23

(E) 31

(D) 23

The release of a neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft is caused by which of the following?

(A) An extended refractory period

(B) An action potential

(C) Reuptake of the neurotransmitter

(D) Binding of the neurotransmitter to a postsynaptic cell membrane

(E) Migration of vesicles into the synaptic cleft

(B) An action potential

Damage to an individual's parietal lobes is most likely to result in

(A) a heightened sense of smell

(B) reduced sensitivity to touch

(C) decreased reaction time

(D) a loss in the ability to understand spoken language

(E) difficulty discriminating between the four primary tastes

(B) reduced sensitivity to touch

The picture above of a road receding in the distance represents the depth perception cue known as

(A) accommodation

(B) retinal disparity

(C) texture gradient

(D) relative size

(E) linear perspective

(E) linear perspective

Which of the following cortical areas is most closely associated with vision?

(A) Frontal

(B) Prefrontal

(C) Temporal

(D) Occipital

(E) Parietal

(D) Occipital

The receptors for hearing are the

(A) ossicles in the middle ear

(B) otoliths in the semicircular canals

(C) hair cells on the basilar membrane

(D) specialized cells on the tympanic membrane

(E) cells in the lining of the auditory canal

(C) hair cells on the basilar membrane

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the facial feedback hypothesis of emotion?

(A) Bill is a good card player who shows no emotion in his face that would reveal what he is thinking.

(B) Ellen says that hanging up the laundry on a clothesline makes her feel happy; she holds the clothespins in her teeth as she hangs each piece of clothing.

(C) Juanita fakes a smile to make her friends think she is happy.

(D) Paul has been blind from birth and has never seen emotional faces, but he has emotional facial expressions similar to those of a sighted person.

(E) As a result of Raj smiling at his customers, they smile at him.

(B) Ellen says that hanging up the laundry on a clothesline makes her feel happy; she holds the clothespins in her teeth as she hangs each piece of clothing.

According to current psychological research, hypnosis is most useful for which of the following purposes?

(A) Pain control

(B) Age regression

(C) Treatment of psychotic behavior

(D) Treatment of a memory disorder

(E) Treatment of a personality disorder

(A) Pain control

Which of the following drugs is most likely to cause hyperalertness, agitation, and general euphoria?

(A) A barbiturate

(B) A stimulant

(C) A hallucinogen

(D) An antidepressant

(E) An antipsychotic

(B) A stimulant

Brain waves during REM sleep generally appear as

(A) alternating high- and low-amplitude waves

(B) rapid low-amplitude waves

(C) irregular medium-amplitude waves

(D) slow low-amplitude waves

(E) slow high-amplitude waves

(B) rapid low-amplitude waves

According to the activation-synthesis hypothesis of dreaming, dreams serve which of the following purposes?

(A) To protect the ego from the unconscious struggles of the mind

(B) To make sense of random neural activity during sleep

(C) To provide unfiltered problem solving of encounters that occurred while awake

(D) To provide a window into the unconscious, revealing true wishes and desires

(E) To provide learning and rehearsal of material encountered while a person is awake

(B) To make sense of random neural activity during sleep

After initial conditioning, an unconditioned stimulus is no longer presented with the conditioned stimulus, and the conditioned response gradually stops occurring. This change in behavior is called

(A) extinction

(B) counterconditioning

(C) higher-order conditioning

(D) stimulus discrimination

(E) stimulus generalization

(A) extinction

Research has shown that students generally perform better if tested in the same room where they originally learned the material. This shows the importance of which of the following in memory?

(A) Insight

(B) Preparedness

(C) Context

(D) Invariance

(E) Rehearsal

(C) Context

Albert Bandura conducted a study in which a child viewed an adult playing with toys. The adult stood up and kicked and yelled at an inflated doll. The child was then taken to another room containing toys. When left alone, the child lashed out at a similar doll in the room. The child's behavior toward the doll is most likely a result of

(A) observational learning

(B) operant conditioning

(C) classical conditioning

(D) authoritative parenting

(E) authoritarian parenting

(A) observational learning

Making the amount of time a child can spend playing video games contingent on the amount of time the child spends practicing the piano is an illustration of

(A) frequency theory

(B) the law of association

(C) aversive conditioning

(D) classical conditioning

(E) operant conditioning

(E) operant conditioning

Priming is considered part of implicit memory because it

(A) occurs without conscious awareness

(B) often involves emotions

(C) helps in recognition but not in recall

(D) plays an important role in autobiographical memory

(E) requires deep encoding

(A) occurs without conscious awareness

In problem solving, which of the following approaches almost always guarantees a correct solution?

(A) Insight

(B) Heuristic

(C) Algorithm

(D) Critical thinking

(E) Convergent thinking

(C) Algorithm

Stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus will result in which of the following behaviors in laboratory rats?

(A) An increase in sexual behavior

(B) An increase in eating behavior

(C) An increase in visual processing speed

(D) A decrease in auditory perception

(E) A decrease in memory functioning

(B) An increase in eating behavior

Which of the following is a disadvantage of relying on external rewards to motivate behavior?

(A) There is potential to reduce extrinsic motivation.

(B) There is potential to reduce intrinsic motivation.

(C) It increases fear of failure.

(D) It increases fear of success.

(E) It decreases competency.

(B) There is potential to reduce intrinsic motivation.

One theory of the effects of arousal holds that efficiency of behavior can be described as an inverted U-shaped function of increasing arousal. Which of the following accurately describes this relationship?

(A) Greater arousal leads to better performance.

(B) Greater arousal leads to poorer performance.

(C) Low and high levels of arousal lead to poorest performance.

(D) Overarousal leads to performance efficiency.

(E) Underarousal leads to performance efficiency.

(C) Low and high levels of arousal lead to poorest performance.

Which of the following presents a pair of needs from Abraham Maslow's hierarchical need structure, in order from lower to higher need?

(A) Belongingness, safety

(B) Self-actualization, physiological needs

(C) Physiological needs, safety

(D) Esteem, belongingness

(E) Self-actualization, esteem

(C) Physiological needs, safety

In which of the following areas does research show most clearly that girls develop earlier than boys?

(A) Independence from parents

(B) Athletic competence

(C) Intellectual achievement

(D) Adolescent physical growth spurt

(E) Self-actualization

(D) Adolescent physical growth spurt

Stella Chess and Alexander Thomas have classified temperament into which of the following clusters?

(A) Sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational

(B) Easy, difficult, slow to warm up

(C) Secure, insecure, resilient

(D) Authoritarian, authoritative, indulgent

(E) Preconventional, conventional, postconventional

(B) Easy, difficult, slow to warm up

Developmental psychologists are most likely to prefer longitudinal research designs to cross-sectional research designs because longitudinal designs

(A) usually yield results much more quickly

(B) offer the advantage of between-subjects comparisons

(C) are much less likely to be influenced by cultural changes that occur over time

(D) utilize the participants as their own experimental controls

(E) are more valid

(D) utilize the participants as their own experimental controls

Researchers know that infants' sense of smell is fairly well developed at birth because newborns prefer the smell of

(A) sweet-smelling to the smell of sour-smelling foods

(B) meat to the smell of fruits

(C) a nursing pad from their mother to the smell of a pad from another mother

(D) an acid to the smell of a base

(E) a baby's clothing to the smell of an adult's clothing

(C) a nursing pad from their mother to the smell of a pad from another mother

A young child breaks her cookie into a number of pieces and asserts that ''now there is more to eat.'' In Jean Piaget's analysis, the child's behavior is evidence of

(A) formal operations

(B) concrete operations

(C) conservation

(D) preoperational thought

(E) sensorimotor behavior

(D) preoperational thought

The use of projective tests is associated with which of the following psychological approaches?

(A) Behaviorism

(B) Psychoanalysis

(C) Cognitive behaviorism

(D) Humanism

(E) Functionalism

(B) Psychoanalysis

The key distinction between a personality trait and an attitude is

(A) centrality

(B) salience

(C) durability

(D) direction

(E) valence

(C) durability

An attribution that focuses on an individual's ability or personality characteristics is described as

(A) situational

(B) collectivist

(C) dispositional

(D) stereotypic

(E) homogeneous

(C) dispositional

The case study method of conducting research is justifiably criticized because

(A) the researcher cannot focus on a specific individual

(B) the researcher cannot collect detailed observations

(C) the results are difficult to generalize to a larger population

(D) it does not allow for the generation of hypotheses that can be tested in future experiments

(E) it does not allow

(C) the results are difficult to generalize to a larger population

A man's life has been filled with misfortune and tragic experiences that were unexpected, unavoidable, and unpredictable. He is depressed and tells his therapist that he feels he cannot control the outcome of the events in his life. Which of the following best explains his depression?

(A) Learned helplessness

(B) Repression

(C) Operant conditioning

(D) Classical conditioning

(E) Biological rhythms

(A) Learned helplessness

Amy appears to have an irrational and maladaptive fear of flying. She will not fly to visit her children and grandchildren, and she has even lost a job because she refused to fly to meet clients. Amy would most likely be diagnosed with which of the following anxiety disorders?

(A) Generalized anxiety

(B) Specific phobia

(C) Social phobia

(D) Obsessive-compulsive

(E) Panic

(B) Specific phobia

An obsession is defined as

(A) a senseless ritual

(B) a hallucination

(C) a delusion

(D) an unwanted thought

(E) a panic attack

(D) an unwanted thought

Every day when Carlos leaves his apartment, he locks the door, walks to the corner, turns around, and returns to his apartment in order to check that the door is locked. He returns to check the door several times before finally crossing the street and going about his day. Carlos would most likely be diagnosed with which of the following conditions?

(A) Narcissistic personality disorder

(B) Panic disorder

(C) Generalized anxiety disorder

(D) Bipolar disorder

(E) Obsessive-compulsive disorder

(E) Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Personality disorders are characterized by which of the following?

(A) A fear of public places, frequently accompanied by panic attacks

(B) Problematic social relationships and inflexible and maladaptive responses to stress

(C) A successful response to neuroleptic drugs

(D) A deficiency of acetylcholine in the brain

(E) An increased level of serotonin in the brain

(B) Problematic social relationships and inflexible and maladaptive responses to stress

Schizophrenia is similar to Parkinson's disease because both disorders

(A) are classified as psychotic

(B) involve an imbalance of the neurotransmitter dopamine

(C) are treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

(D) are caused by viral infections during infancy

(E) feature enlarged lateral ventricles

(B) involve an imbalance of the neurotransmitter dopamine

A diagnosis of schizophrenia typically includes which of the following symptoms?

(A) Delusions

(B) Panic attacks

(C) Hypochondriasis

(D) Multiple personalities

(E) Psychosexual dysfunction

(A) Delusions

A somatization disorder is characterized chiefly by

(A) changes in mood

(B) panic attacks

(C) agoraphobia

(D) changes in eating behavior

(E) physical complaints

(E) physical complaints

Erik Erikson's and Sigmund Freud's theories of personality development are most similar in that both

(A) emphasize the libido

(B) focus on adult development

(C) discount the importance of culture

(D) are based on stages

(E) view behavior as a continuum

(D) are based on stages

A treatment technique, often used to treat phobias, that builds upon the principles of classical conditioning is

(A) token economy

(B) rational-emotive behavior therapy

(C) systematic desensitization

(D) the placebo effect

(E) dream analysis

(C) systematic desensitization

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are used primarily in the treatment of which of the following?

(A) Antisocial personality disorder

(B) Schizophrenia

(C) Depression

(D) Mania

(E) Sleep disorders

(C) Depression

Which of the following kinds of therapy attempts to correct irrational beliefs that lead to psychological distress?

(A) Behavioral

(B) Cognitive

(C) Existential

(D) Gestalt

(E) Psychoanalytic

(B) Cognitive

A psychologist using Carl Rogers' person-centered therapy strives to ensure that clients

(A) understand unconscious influences affecting their behavior

(B) develop positive thought patterns

(C) develop and use effective behavioral techniques

(D) receive unconditional positive regard

(E) understand their irrational beliefs

(D) receive unconditional positive regard

When insulted by a friend, Sally's first impulse was to strike him. Instead, she yelled loudly and kicked a door several times. This means of reducing aggressive impulses exemplifies which of the following?

(A) Repression

(B) Fixation

(C) Displacement

(D) Conservation

(E) Sublimation

(C) Displacement

Tameka regularly sets goals, plans for attaining those goals, and monitors her progress. Her activities are most closely associated with

(A) high extrinsic motivation

(B) high achievement motivation

(C) high extraversion

(D) low extrinsic motivation

(E) low achievement motivation

(B) high achievement motivation

Tom fails his math exam. If he explains his failure by using an internal attribution, his reason for failing might be which of the following?

(A) The teacher was unclear when presenting the material in class.

(B) Tom's job did not leave him enough time to study.

(C) The person sitting next to Tom during the exam was very distracting.

(D) There was not enough time allotted to complete the exam.

(E) Tom is not smart or not good at math.

(E) Tom is not smart or not good at math.

Which of the following terms refers to the strategy of making a small request to gain listeners' compliance, then making a larger request?

(A) Door-in-the-face

(B) Foot-in-the-door

(C) Social facilitation

(D) Matching

(E) Overjustification

(B) Foot-in-the-door

Similarity, proximity, and familiarity are important determinants of

(A) observational learning

(B) attraction

(C) sexual orientation

(D) aggression

(E) imprinting

(B) attraction

Which of the following is a measure of central tendency that can be easily distorted by unusually high or low scores?

(A) Mean

(B) Mode

(C) Median

(D) Range

(E) Standard deviation

(A) Mean

Which of the following statistics indicates the distribution with the greatest variability?

A variance of 30.6

(B) A standard deviation of 11.2

(C) A range of 6

(D) A mean of 61.5

(E) A median of 38

(B) A standard deviation of 11.2

Which of the following is a true statement about the relationship between test validity and test reliability?

(A) A test can be reliable without being valid.

(B) A test that has high content validity will have high reliability.

(C) A test that has low content validity will have low reliability.

(D) The higher the test's validity, the lower its reliability will be.

(E) The validity of a test always exceeds its reliability.

(A) A test can be reliable without being valid.

If the null hypothesis is rejected, a researcher can conclude that the

(A) treatment effect was significant

(B) theory must be modified, a new hypothesis formed, and the experimental procedure revised

(C) theory does not need modification, but the hypothesis and the experimental procedure need revision

(D) theory and hypothesis do not need modification, but the experimental procedure needs revision

(E) hypothesis is false

(A) treatment effect was significant

In order to illustrate how often a particular score occurs in a given data set, researchers use

(A) inferential techniques

(B) cognitive mapping

(C) cluster analysis

(D) the median

(E) a frequency distribution

(E) a frequency distribution