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PSY101 Midterm

Total questions: 85

Worksheet time: 43mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Compared to “pop psychology,” psychology

a)

is less complex.

b)

addresses only human behavior.

c)

is narrower in the issues it addresses.

d)

is based on empirical evidence.

2.

Which of the following was a classic pseudoscientific theory that related bumps on the head to personality traits, and did not disappear until well into the twentieth century?

a)

functionalism

b)

introspection

c)

phrenology

d)

behaviorism

3.

The first psychological laboratory was officially established by Wilhelm Wundt in

a)

Russia.

b)

Germany.

c)

America.

d)

Holland.

4.

A _______________ is a medical doctor who diagnoses and treats mental disorders and takes a more biological approach than other psychotherapists.


a)

psychiatrist

b)

MFCC

c)

LCSW

d)

psychoanalyst

5.

Which of the following is one of the critical-thinking guidelines described in the textbook?


a)

define your terms

b)

simplify as much as possible

c)

don’t overthink; go with your gut reaction

d)

accept all opinions as equally valid

6.

The tendency to look for information that supports one’s own belief is called

a)

denialism.

b)

cognitive inertia.

c)

the principle of falsifiability.

d)

confirmation bias.

7.

Which of the following is an advantage of case studies?

a)

Case studies are less susceptible to researcher bias than other methods.

b)

The information produced in a case study is easy to interpret.

c)

Case studies produce a more detailed picture of an individual than other methods do.

d)

Data collected during a case study can be easily generalized to other individuals.

8.

A numerical measure of the relationship between two variables is known as


a)

association.

b)

correlation.

c)

the association coefficient.

d)

arbitrage.

9.

Which of the following pairs of variables would illustrate a negative correlation?

a)

the amount of assignments skipped and grade in the class

b)

height and weight

c)

temperature and amount ice cream consumed

d)

ocean temperature and the number of people at the beach

10.

A variable that is predicted to be affected by an experimenter’s manipulations in experimental research is called a(n)

a)

dependent variable.

b)

independent variable.

c)

confounding variable.

d)

extraneous variable

11.

Several middle-school girls watch their classmates, James and Danny, engage in a rough-and-tumble wrestling match. The attention of the girls seems to intensify the boys’ play. A psychologist trained in the functionalist school would wonder:

a)

Did these boys experience childhood traumas that unconsciously cause aggression?

b)

Do these boys have smaller head bumps devoted to “cautiousness” than most boys?

c)

What is the purpose of rough-and-tumble play in the adaptive changes of early adolescence?

d)

What are the most basic elements of the boys’ behavior?

12.

Dr. Manning is a behaviorist who is studying the causes of excessive violence among some hockey players. He is likely to consider whether

a)

the more aggressive players experienced emotional abuse in childhood.

b)

cultural change has shaped hockey players to become more violent than in the past.

c)

the more aggressive players have experienced brain injuries.

d)

players who engage in excessive violence are rewarded in some way.

13.

Dr. Braddock has been treating a child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. She decides to write a prescription for Ritalin. Given this information, it is most likely that Dr. Braddock is a

a)

psychoanalyst.

b)

clinical psychologist.

c)

school psychologist.

d)

psychiatrist.

14.

“I may never know for sure whether some of my childhood memories are real or accurate.” Which of the following critical thinking guidelines does this example illustrate?

a)

don’t oversimplify

b)

ask questions and be willing to wonder

c)

avoid emotional reasoning

d)

tolerate uncertainty

15.

_______________ is a habitual way of behaving, thinking, and feeling.

a)

A temperament

b)

An archetype

c)

A trait

d)

A personality

16.

In psychoanalysis, the part of the personality that represents reason, good sense, and rational self-control is called

a)

the id.

b)

the ego.

c)

the libido.

d)

the superego.

17.

_______________ occurs when people refuse to admit to an event, feeling, or memory that causes them anxiety or distress.

a)

Denial

b)

Displacement

c)

Sublimation

d)

Projection

18.

According to Freud, the psychosexual stage that occurs during the grade school years until puberty is called the

a)

oral stage.

b)

phallic stage.

c)

anal stage.

d)

latency stage.

19.

What does the empirical evidence show about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator’s ability to predict a person’s behavior on the job or in relationships?

a)

The evidence supports its use to predict job performance, but not behaviors in relationships.

b)

The evidence does not support its use to predict job performance, but it does make useful predictions about behavior in relationships.

c)

The evidence does not support it.

d)

The test has been clearly established as strong and reliable for both job performance and relationship predictions.

20.

Which of the following is one of the Big Five personality traits?

a)

openness to experience

b)

boringness

c)

cleanliness

d)

psychopathy

21.

_______________ is a statistical estimate of the proportion of the total variance in some trait among individuals within a group that is attributable to genetic differences.

a)

Reciprocal determinism

b)

Heritability

c)

Factor analysis

d)

Congruence

22.

A person’s personality can affect the way they perceive an experience. Conversely, different experiences can change the way a person’s perceptions take place. This is an example of which concept?

a)

reciprocal determinism

b)

social-cognitive interaction

c)

nature-nurture theory

d)

heritability

23.

Members of individualist cultures

a)

place responsibilities to the group above personal goals.

b)

tend to explain behaviors through group norms.

c)

give priority to personal goals.

d)

value obligation and security.

24.

Which of the following theories of personality would be most likely to emphasize the freedom of individuals to choose to act in particular ways?

a)

psychodynamic

b)

behaviorist

c)

humanist

d)

collectivist

25.

Making a vow of celibacy was difficult for Anderson when he became a priest, but he remained true to his vow. On his 25th anniversary, the congregation held a reception and displayed several pieces of liturgical art that Anderson had created over the past two decades. According to Freud, Anderson’s artistic creations might be the result of

a)

projection.

b)

denial.

c)

regression.

d)

sublimation.

26.

A patient confides his homosexual orientation to his psychoanalyst. If the psychoanalyst shares the opinions of Sigmund Freud, he will view this sexual orientation as

a)

a sin.

b)

a perversion.

c)

a variation of sexual function.

d)

something shameful.

27.

For Gordon Allport, our personalities reflect

a)

a gradual progression toward self-actualization.

b)

five to ten central traits and additional secondary traits.

c)

the ways we cope with the struggle to find meaning in existence.

d)

whether or not a person received unconditional positive regard throughout childhood.

28.

After implantation of the zygote in the uterine wall is complete, the ________ stage of prenatal development begins.

a)

fetal

b)

germinal

c)

uterine

d)

embryonic

29.

According to your textbook, which of the following outcomes is associated with maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy?

a)

intellectual disabilities, blindness, and other physical disorders

b)

increased likelihood of miscarriage, prematurity, and low birth weight

c)

smaller brain, facial deformities, lack of coordination

d)

defects in the eyes, ears, and heart

30.

Mary Ainsworth devised an experimental method called the Strange Situation in order to determine

a)

the effect of contact comfort on infants.

b)

the nature of attachment between mothers and babies.

c)

parental discipline styles in the first year of life.

d)

aspects of purposeful exploration as the baby investigates a strange environment.

31.

Most children become wary or fearful of strangers between the ages of

a)

6 to 8 months.

b)

10 to 12 months.

c)

2 to 3 months.

d)

4 to 6 months.

32.

Children begin to name objects at about

a)

3 months of age.

b)

6 months of age.

c)

1 year of age.

d)

3 years of age.

33.

According to Jean Piaget, at what developmental stage would a child come to understand conservation and cause and effect?

a)

formal operations

b)

preoperational

c)

sensorimotor

d)

concrete operations

34.

The fundamental sense of being male or female, independent of whether you conform to the social rules of gender, is called

a)

gender development.

b)

gender schema.

c)

gender identity.

d)

gender typing.

35.

A person experiences too strong of a sense of guilt over his fantasies. According to Erik Erikson’s theory, he had difficulty resolving the inevitable crisis that occurred when he was

a)

an infant.

b)

a young adult.

c)

in his middle years

d)

a preschooler.

36.

________ is the cessation of menstruation and of the production of ova.

a)

Puberty

b)

Adrenarche

c)

Menopause

d)

Menarche

37.

According to research discussed in your textbook, which of the following is true about resilience?

a)

Children are fairly resilient to trauma, especially if they have easygoing temperaments or personality traits.

b)

Most children do not recover from adversity.

c)

Those with an insecure attachment style recover more easily from adversity.

d)

There is something special and rare about people who can recover from adversity.

38.

Evie touches the cheek of her two-month-old daughter, Ellen. In response, Ellen turns her head toward the touch in search of something to suck. Ellen is demonstrating the __________ reflex.

a)

sucking

b)

contact comfort

c)

Babinski

d)

rooting

39.

After greeting her relatives at the airport, Jonny’s mother leaves him with his grandmother and gets the luggage. Eight-month-old Jonny becomes fearful of the stranger holding him and begins to cry. This distress would be an example of

a)

sensorimotor thinking.

b)

insecure attachment.

c)

avoidant attachment.

d)

separation anxiety.

40.

Rolley was kept locked in a basement for most of his childhood. During this period, he almost never heard a human voice. Finally, he was rescued from this abusive situation. It is likely that Rolley will

a)

never learn to speak normally.

b)

eventually understand speech, but will never be able to talk.

c)

learn to speak normally after many years.

d)

very quickly acquire the ability to speak normally.

41.

Today, a developmental psychologist studying moral development is likely to emphasize

a)

how children learn to regulate their own emotions and behavior.

b)

how young children lack a moral sense.

c)

the development of the universal human rights orientation.

d)

the distinct stages of moral development.

42.

Janet sees a bat flying over the lake and says, “Birdie”! Her mother says, “That flies like a bird, Janet, but that is a bat.” Janet begins pointing saying, “Bat! Bat! Bat!” Piaget would say that this is an example of

Correct!

a)

preoperational thought.

b)

accommodation.

c)

egocentric thinking.

d)

assimilation.

43.

Cross-cultural research revealed that the most altruistic children come from societies in which

a)

children’s work makes a genuine contribution to the well-being of the family.

b)

parents want their children to be leaders and to be self-fulfilled.

c)

parents encourage children toward individual achievement.

d)

children are expected to spend their time playing rather than working.

44.

As an infant, Mel would lie in her crib without fussing and would rarely cry. As a toddler, she was curious and fairly extroverted. Mel would most likely be classified as a ___________ child.

a)

responsive

b)

nonreactive

c)

precocious

d)

reactive

45.

“My memory of getting knocked down by a wave at Panama Beach could be based on what my parents told me later, not on my own recollection.” Which of the following critical thinking guidelines does this example illustrate?

a)

don’t oversimplify

b)

consider other interpretations

c)

avoid emotional reasoning

d)

define your terms

46.

Which of the following is true of spinal reflexes?

a)

They involve sending sensory messages to the spinal cord that immediately trigger a motor response.

b)

They are not automatic and require conscious effort.

c)

Spinal reflexes control such responses as withdrawing from a painful stimulus, sneezing, and blinking.

d)

They require sensory information

47.

_______________ carry orders from the central nervous system to muscles, glands, and internal organs.

You Answered


Correct Answer

a)

Sensory nerves

b)

Dendrites

c)

Motor nerves

d)

Glial cells

48.

On a hike through the hills, Tim feels a bug crawling up his leg under his pants. Which system is necessary for Tim to be aware of the bug?

a)

sympathetic nervous system

b)

somatic nervous system

c)

endocrine system

d)

autonomic nervous system

49.

_______________ are the brain’s communication specialists, transmitting information to, from, and within the central nervous system.

a)

Neurotransmitters

b)

Neurons

c)

Hormones

d)

Glial cells

50.

Which part of a neuron acts like an antenna to receive messages from other neurons and transmits these messages toward the cell body?

a)

glial cells

b)

axons

c)

neurotransmitters

d)

dendrites

51.

Emily is told by her physician that her symptoms are caused by the loss of myelin. Her diagnosis is most likely to be

a)

multiple sclerosis.

b)

Alzheimer’s disease.

c)

Parkinson’s disease.

d)

epilepsy.

52.

Which of the following neurotransmitters functions as the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain?

a)

glutamate

b)

norepinephrine

c)

acetylcholine

d)

GABA

53.

A PET scan

a)

records biochemical changes in the brain as they are happening.

b)

uses radio frequencies and a magnetic field to produce images of the brain.

c)

records brain waves through electrodes taped to the scalp.

d)

stimulates the brain by producing a magnetic field through a wire coil.

54.

The _______________, or “lesser brain,” is involved in remembering simple skills and acquired reflexes.

Correct!



a)

cerebellum

b)

medulla

c)

reticular activating system

d)

pons

55.

Linguistic and analytic skills are typically handled by the

a)

left half of your brain.

b)

top half of your brain

c)

right half of your brain.

d)

back half of your brain.

56.

While Breanna is walking on the road, a bicyclist swerves toward her. Her heart races and sweat breaks out as she jumps out of harm’s way. Soon, Breanna’s heart rate begins to decrease. This calming reaction is due to the action of Breanna’s

a)

skeletal nervous system.

b)

sympathetic nervous system.

c)

endocrine system.

d)

parasympathetic nervous system.

57.

When an action potential reaches the end of the axon terminal

a)

it causes synaptic vesicles to release neurotransmitters.

b)

the action potential “hops” directly across the synaptic cleft.

c)

it reverses direction.

d)

it electrically activates the receptor sites.

58.

Actor Michael J. Fox announced that he was leaving his hit show Spin City because he had Parkinson’s disease and wanted to spend more time with his family. The reason for his disorder is a(n)

a)

loss of dopamine.

b)

overproduction of dopamine.

c)

loss of acetylcholine.

d)

overproduction of acetylcholine.

59.

An example of a biological event that follows a circadian rhythm is

a)

body temperature.

b)

the female menstrual cycle.

c)

daydreaming.

d)

the migration of birds.

60.

_______________, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, helps to keep the biological clock in phase with the light-dark cycle.

a)

Serotonin

b)

Cortisol

c)

Melatonin

d)

Progesterone

61.

Your cousin Brenda says she is suffering several symptoms and claims they are due to premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Which of the following symptoms that she cites is the most questionably linked to the menstrual cycle?

a)

water retention

b)

breast tenderness

c)

irritability and depression

d)

cramps

62.

Delta waves are characterized by

a)

very slow waves with very high peaks.

b)

mental alertness and fast brain waves.

c)

short bursts of rapid, high-peaking waves.

d)

a state of light consciousness.

63.

In _______________, a person experiences sudden unpredictable and irresistible attacks of sleepiness during the day.

a)

REM behavior disorder

b)

narcolepsy

c)

sleep apnea

d)

internal desynchrony

64.

The _______________ theory of dreaming suggests that dreaming is simply a continuation of our daytime thinking.

a)

problem-solving

b)

psychoanalytic

c)

cognitive

d)

activation-synthesis

65.

Which of the following is true about hypnosis?

a)

Hypnosis increases the accuracy of memory.

b)

Hypnotized people cannot be forced to do something against their will.

c)

The likelihood of being hypnotized depends mostly on the skill of the hypnotist.

d)

A hypnotized person can do things that they could not do otherwise

66.

Which of the following is true of opiates?

a)

No deaths have been reported due to opiate abuse.

b)

They are derived from the hemp plant.

c)

Opiate abuse results in cirrhosis of the liver.

d)

They cause an intense emotional rush or euphoria.

67.

_______________ is the increased resistance to a drug’s effects accompanying continued use.

Correct!

a)

Tolerance

b)

Reuptake

c)

Withdrawal

d)

Intoxication

68.

“Mental set” refers to

a)

the genetic characteristics of a person taking a drug.

b)

the personality traits of the person taking a drug.

c)

the context in which a person takes a drug.

d)

a person’s expectations about a drug’s effects.

69.

Jasper has been sleeping for about 90 minutes when his brain shows rapid, irregular waves. His blood pressure rises, his heart rate increases, and his skeletal muscles go limp. Which of the following is the most likely conclusion?

a)

James is experiencing physiological changes that are normal during REM sleep.

b)

James is experiencing physiological changes that are normal for the third stage of sleep.

c)

James is chronically sleep-deprived and his sleep, like his daytime activities, is abnormal.

d)

James is experiencing unusual sleep because during the day he engaged in strenuous physical activities.

70.

The psychoanalytic theory of dreaming states that

a)

there is no purpose to dreaming; dreams occur because of random brainstem signals.

b)

dreaming is a byproduct of a process of eliminating or strengthening neural connections.

c)

the purpose of dreaming is to resolve current concerns and problems that we are conscious of.

d)

the purpose of dreaming is to express unconscious wishes, thoughts, and conflicts.

71.

Which of the following best describes the “think-drink” effect researchers discovered?

a)

People act drunk if they believe their drink contains alcohol, whether it actually does or not.

b)

People who drink the most are the ones who planned in advance to drink a lot.

c)

People who decide to be sober remain sober.

d)

Beverage marketers take advantage of lower intelligence consumers in the marketplace

72.

The doctrine of specific nerve energies states that

a)

each sensory neuron can respond to all sensory modalities.

b)

each type of sensory receptor releases a different type of energy.

c)

different sensory nerves release different neurotransmitters.

d)

what a person experiences depends on which nerve was stimulated.

73.

Janet says that certain colors make her experience different smells. For example, she says that the color red smells like a rose to her. Sarah is displaying the symptoms of

a)

functional sensation.

b)

parapsychology.

c)

sensation pruning.

d)

synesthesia.

74.

_______________ allows a researcher to distinguish between a person’s response bias and his or her actual sensory capacity.

a)

Sensory adaptation

b)

Weber’s law

c)

Signal-detection theory

d)

Threshold theory

75.

The color or hue that we perceive is related to the _______________.

a)

intensity of light

b)

complexity of light

c)

amplitude of light

d)

wavelength of light

76.

One difference between rods and cones is that

a)

rods are less numerous than cones.

b)

rods are located in the center of the retina and cones in the periphery

c)

rods are sensitive to color and cones are not.

d)

rods are more sensitive to light than cones.

77.

Hubel and Wiesel discovered feature detector cells in the visual cortex that respond selectively to

a)

spots of light in different locations.

b)

faces.

c)

different colors of stimuli.

d)

lines at different orientations.

78.

The Gestalt psychologists were especially interested in research about _______________.

a)

color vision

b)

sensory receptors

c)

distance perception

d)

form perception

79.

The auditory receptors are located in the _______________.

a)

eardrum

b)

middle ear

c)

cochlea

d)

oval window

80.

The gate-control theory helps to explain the perception of _______________.

a)

pressure

b)

touch

c)

pain

d)

smell

81.

A leading explanation of phantom pain explains that the experience is due to

a)

expectations of pain.

b)

the release of inflammatory substances that cause pain.

c)

leftover nerve endings in the missing body part.

d)

an inaccurate “body map” in the brain.

82.

Kelany notices that her favorite 55-cent candy bar seems lighter than usual, and so she checks the label and finds that it is lighter by ½ ounce. She decides to buy a larger candy bar instead and doesn’t notice that the 99-cent candy bar also is lighter than it used to be by ½ ounce. Kelany’s behavior illustrates the fact that

a)

just noticeable differences (jnds) are unpredictable because sometimes he can and sometimes he can’t detect a ½ ounce change.

b)

sensory adaptation may occur in the short time between holding one candy bar and then the other.

c)

the just noticeable difference is not a reliable measure of psychophysiological judgment.

d)

the larger a weight is, the greater the change must be before one can detect a difference.

83.

Don is asked to participate in the replication of a famous experiment. The researchers place virtual-reality goggles on him so he sees the world from a camera placed on top of a mannequin. The researchers then stroke the mannequin’s arm while simultaneously doing the same thing to Don’s arm. If the results of the experiment are consistent with the original study, Don is likely to

a)

become upset and disoriented.

b)

experience the illusion that the mannequin’s body is his own.

c)

feel that his arm is paralyzed.

d)

develop temporary phantom limb pain.

84.

Joe is walking home alone on a dark night. He hears a stick breaking and immediately turns to his right to see what made the noise. What cue did Joe most likely use to tell which direction the sound came from?

a)

the slight time difference between when the sound reached each ear

b)

the timbre of the sound

c)

the overall loudness of the sound

d)

the frequency of the sound

85.

Which of the following indicates the correct flow of olfactory information?

a)

olfactory bulb —> olfactory nerve —> olfactory receptors —> brain

b)

olfactory receptors —> olfactory nerve —> olfactory bulb —> brain

c)

olfactory bulb —> olfactory receptors —> olfactory nerve —> brain

d)

olfactory receptors —> olfactory bulb —> olfactory nerve —> brain