Midterm II

It is well established that certain autonomic responses such as heart rate, perspiration, and respiration change under stress. In view of the fact that people generally have stronger autonomic responses when lying than with telling the truth, it follows that the polygraph would be a foolproof approach to lie detection. Which statement best explains why the polygraph is not more widely used in courtrooms and in testing of job applicants?

• In controlled studies, the polygraph has correctly identified guilty individuals in only a small percentage of cases

• A significant number of people show paradoxical autonomic reactions, responding more strongly when telling the truth than when lying

• Physiological arousal is much the same for several emotions, so the polygraph cannot always reliably distinguish guilt from other reactions

• Most people can avoid detection when they lie

• The polygraph has been shown to be reliable only in highly emotional cases, such as child abuse and spying

The principles of operant conditioning are best illustrated by:

• A token economy to reinforce adaptive behaviors

• Deep relaxation techniques

• Replacing a response to a stimulus with an alternative response

• Exposing a client to anxiety-provoking stimuli

• Development of intrinsic motivation

In phase one of a study, a researcher classically conditions a dog to salivate to the ringing of a bell. In the second phase, the researcher pairs a flashing light with the ringing of the bell. After several pairings of the light and the bell, the dog will:

• Stop salivating when the light is flashed

• Salivate when the light is flashed

• Only salivate when the bell is rung

• No longer salivate when the bell is rung

• Salivate when the researcher comes into the room

Which of the following statements best describes the role of biological processes in classical conditioning?

• Certain species are biologically predisposed to learn particular associations that enhance their survival

• Because all animals share a common cellular history, the laws of classical conditioning apply to all species

• Any novel or familiar stimulus could serve as a CS because the biological mechanisms underlying learning are very powerful

• A biologically-based unconditioned stimulus (UCS) must immediately follow a conditioned stimulus (CS) for learning to occur

• Biological reinforcers foster learning more quickly than do environmental reinforcers

In a classic study, a group of rats learned to run through a maze to obtain food, and another group of rats explored the maze without receiving food. Some time later, the researcher compared the two groups of rats to determine if both groups would find the food at the end of the maze. According to the researcher, the untrained rats found the food at the end of the maze as quickly as the trained rats as a result of:

• Counterconditioning

• Avoidance learning

• Observational learning

• Latent learning

• Aversive conditioning

A basic assumption underlying short-term memory is that it is:

• Resistant to decay

• Not under conscious control

• Long-lasting

• Unlimited in capacity

• Limited in capacity

Which process transfers information from sensory memory to short-term memory?

• Perception

• Differentiation

• Cognition

• Attention

• Sensation

According to ______, language learning is governed by innate biological factors.

• Gardner

• Watson

• Chomsky

• Whorf

• Skinner

If Abby tried to learn a long list of apple varieties, she would be most likely to forget those that:

• Were randomly dispersed throughout the list

• Were very unlike the rest of the words

• Appeared in the middle of the list

• Appeared near the end of the list

• Appeared early in the list

Charles Spearman’s concept of g is most accurately defined as:

• The ability to create novel solutions to complex situations

• A single, underlying intellectual capacity measured by intelligence tests

• One of seven fundamental abilities that determine behavior

• A specific type of performance that is affected by intelligence

• The storehouse of knowledge and facts that we accumulate during our adult years