Psychology Quiz

One-year-old Marcus turns away in disgust if a bitter substance is placed on his tongue. The reason for such a reaction is most likely

• an inborn distaste for bitter that protects us from potential poisons in the environment

• an inherited familial characteristic

• an example of imitation of behavior modeled by other family members

• a classically conditioned taste aversion response

The argument over the relative contributions of heredity and environment in the development of various behaviors and personality traits is known as which of the following controversies?

• Continuous versus discrete

• Nature versus nurture

• Active versus passive

• Critical period versus sensitive period

A survey shows that children who have encyclopedias in their home environment earn better grades in school than children whose homes lack encyclopedias. The researcher concludes that having encyclopedias in the home environment improves grades. Which of the following explains why the researcher has reached an erroneous conclusion?

• She failed to allow for experimenter bias.

• She did not identify the independent variable.

• She inferred correlation from causation.

• She inferred causation from correlation.

An evolutionary psychologist would explain that humans desire social interaction, social acceptance, and social affiliation due to a need for which of the following?

• achievement

• behavioral change

• survival

• self-actualization

Which of the following research findings supports a strong biological basis for behavior?

• Presenting a loud sound just before presenting a neutral stimulus eventually produces fear of the neutral stimulus.

• Including misinformation in a question about an event decreases the accuracy of memory for the event.

• Observing an aggressive model leads to aggressive behavior by the observer.

• Identical twins who are reared apart have similar levels of intelligence.

Which theory of motivation is most likely to suggest that a younger woman would be attracted to an older man because of his greater ability to provide for her?

• Evolutionary

• Hierarchy of needs

• Instinct

• Drive-reduction

The area of the brain stem that is important in controlling breathing is the

Research on environmental enrichment and the brain suggests that the environment

• influences both brain structure and functioning throughout the life span

• influences both brain structure and functioning only through infancy

• influences both brain structure and functioning only through childhood

• influences brain functioning but not brain structure

In right-handed individuals, which of the following abilities is predominantly a function of the right hemisphere of the brain?

• Writing

• Spatial reasoning

• Reading comprehension

• Language comprehension

The thalamus processes information for all of the following senses EXCEPT

• smell

• taste

• vision

• touch