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WorksheetsAP Psychology Unit 1 Test
Total questions: 50
Worksheet time: 25mins
A formal definition of psychology is “The scientific study of:
human nature.”
theories and research methods.”
the process of learning and modifying behavioral reflexes.”
the behavior and mental processes of both animals & individuals.”
groups of people.”
A main disadvantage of using introspection when studying consciousness is:
the technique discriminates against women.
the technique is boring even for paid research subjects.
the content of consciousness is subjective and not easily verified.
this approach fails to consider the importance of goals for the person who introspects.
Alfred works in a laboratory at the University of Freud - he runs rats through mazes to determine how long it will take them to form a cognitive map. Alfred is primarily working in the field of:
applied psychology.
industrial/organizational psychology.
school psychology.
experimental psychology
If a study is conducted through empirical investigation (empiricism), this means:
it is conducted in a research laboratory.
it is based on careful measurements & direct experience.
it is a theory
it is conducted only by a psychologist who is a trained Ph. D.
it is based on a person’s individual experience in the world
The independent variable _______, while the dependent variable ________,
is controlled by the researcher; is the measured outcome of the study.
is the measured outcome of the study; is the group that does not receive the treatment.
is the measured outcome of the study; is controlled by the researcher.
is the group that does receive the treatment; is the measured outcome of the study.
is the group that does receive the treatment; is the group that does not receive treatment.
If scores on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) are normally distributed, with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15, what percentage of scores will fall between 85 and 115?
34%
47%
68%
80%
95%
Which of the following correlation coefficients would a statistician know, at first glance, is a mistake?
0.0
-0.2
+1.0
+1.1
-0.7
Monoist & dualist perspectives are central to which debate?
free will-determination debate
mind-body debate
cognitive-behavioral debate
scientific-subjective research methods debate
Which of the following is an accurate list of the seven major contemporary approaches in psychology?
behavioral, gestalt, humanistic, psychodynamic, structural, sociocultural, evolutionary
behavioral, evolutionary, biological, cognitive, humanistic, psychodynamic, sociocultural
behavioral, biological, functional, evolutionary, humanistic, psychodynamic, structural
behavioral, sociocultural, biological, cognitive, gestalt, humanistic, anthropological
Which is the following psychological perspectives would be most likely to examine human genetic makeup and how that may influence behavior?
sociocultural
behavioral
evolutionary
biological
“Slips of the tongue” are seen by ______?_______ psychologists as revealing the unconscious mind’s true beliefs or wishes.
cognitive
psychodynamic
biological
sociocultural
Jack is participating in research concerning the effects of a certain drug on drinking ability. He is given a placebo; this means that he is a member of the _______?______ group
experimental
control
random sample
stratified sample
Researchers need to be aware of confirmation bias to:
make sure they are not being purposefully deceitful.
make sure they are not giving the participants the answers.
insure that they do not look only for information that reaffirms what they already believe.
make sure that they do not practice pseudoscience.
assure that they are not involved in their own studies
The ______?______ perspective gives emphasis to both the positive side of human nature and free will (each person’s natural freedom to make important decisions about his or her own life).
humanistic
psychodynamic
biological
cognitive
A cross-cultural psychologist uses a stopwatch to time pedestrians’ walking speed in various capitals of Third World countries. The method of _____?_____ is applied here.
naturalistic observation
case study
archival research
surveying
To determine whether results are likely due to the independent variable (as opposed to mere chance), the results of an experiment must reach the level of:
clinical significance.
quantification.
archival research.
statistical significance.
Which of the following correlations is the weakest?
+0.67
-0.74
-0.01
-0.15
+0.27
Betsy works in a Human Resources department. She plans training sessions, recruits people to work for the company, and implements techniques to boost morale around the office. Of the following, Betsy is most likely a(n):
developmental psychologist.
educational psychologist.
industrial-organizational psychologist.
counseling psychologist.
A college alumni magazine asks graduates who met their spouses in college to complete a rating from on which they judge the romantic appeal of various campus locations. This is the application of:
archival research.
the survey method.
naturalistic observation.
correlational research.
If children who watch a lot of violent cartoons act more aggressively than other children, then this proves:
their aggressive behavior was caused by watching violent cartoons.
their prior aggressive nature got them interested in violence.
their aggressive nature & their interest in the cartoons have a mutually casual relationship; each causes the other.
none of the above; the observed correlation does not prove cause.
The most clearly inappropriate method for studying the behavioral effects of a fatal disease in humans is a(n):
true experiment.
correlational study.
survey.
archival study.
Which of the following is an essential component in an experiment?
an independent variable that is not manipulated.
a measurable dependent variable.
automated microcomputer control.
self-selection of participants into experimental & controls group
Which of the following ethical standards is least applicable to animals?
preventing pain and suffering
informed consent
proper feeding &housing
avoiding distress
Random assignment means that:
participants should not know to which group they belong.
every other person is placed on the control group.
all participants should have an equal chance of being placed in either the control or experimental group.
participants can select which group they would like to join.
Psychiatrists differ from psychologists in that they:
help people cope with challenges.
are medical doctors licensed to prescribe medication.
explore how we view & affect each other.
conduct research.
In an experiment to test the impact à sports drink had on amount of energy, individuals were given either water or a sports drink. They then watched a television show about basketball for 30 minutes and then were assessed on a number of physical tasks. The independent variable is ____?____ and the dependent variable is ____?____.
the amount of energy; the type of drink
the water; the sports drink
the sports drink; the water
the type of drink; the amount of energy
The main application of statistics within psychology is to:
support advocacy positions before Congress or state legislatures.
evaluate treatment programs, especially for behavioral therapy.
produce quantitative answers to research questions.
provide work assignments for obsessive-compulsive clients.
Just before passing a test back to her class, a professor writes on the board the numbers of students earning each grade: A, B, C, D and F. This summary is called a(n):
frequency distribution.
modal indicator.
significant outcome.
correlation coefficient.
Which statement fails to identify a reasonable example of an operational definition of “test anxiety”?
”Test-anxious participants were those who…
…felt very uneasy while taking the test.”
…commented on the difficulty of the test as they turned in their completed tests.”
…were observed spending 15 or more minutes reviewing their answers after completing the test.”
…within two posted office hours stopped by the professor’s office to ask if the tests had yet been scored.”
How are a sample and the population in research different from one another?
The population in a smaller representation of the sample.
The population consists of the individuals actually participating in the experiment.
The population must be chosen randomly.
A sample is made up of a small number of individuals, the highest number of individuals in a sample is ten.
The sample is a smaller representation of the population.
If a study finds that there is a negative correlation between exercise and blood pressure, this would most likely indicate that:
exercise could be dangerous in terms of our blood pressure.
blood pressure changes alter our exercise patterns.
the more we exercise, the higher our blood pressure becomes.
people who exercise more tend to have a lower blood pressure.
exercise causes our blood pressure to rise.
Child psychology students are nearly all sophomores who lack experience with kids. But one is a non-traditional student who is a mother of four. She tops out every test with a mean of 99, while the rest of the class has a mean of 72. The mother’s scores will greatly boost the class’s:
mean but not the other centers tendency measures.
median but not the other central tendency measures.
mode but not the other central tendency measures.
mean, median and mode
Find the median score for this distribution:
9, 4, 15, 5, 8, 2.
9
6.5
10
8
8.5
Professor Mediocre gave every student in his/her psychology class a “C” last term. The variability in this class’s grade distribution was:
a negative value.
zero.
a small positive value.
a large positive value.
What does the standard deviation represent in a set of data?
The average distance of a set of scores from the mean.
The score that occurs with the most frequency in the set of data.
The middle score in the set of data.
Whether or not the results of the data is likely due to chance.
Whether or not the data that was collected was valid.
The American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines state that research participants must:
be paid (or rewarded) for their participation.
never be deceived under any circumstance.
never participate in blind research.
be debriefed after the study, especially if the research involves deception.
waive their right to privacy if they volunteer for a study.
According to the evolutionary approach, behavioral and mental ____?____ should be a primary focus of psychology.
observation
growth
adaptiveness
conflicts
A professor has attendance records and final grades for last semester’s class. She finds that students who had perfect attendance earned top grades, and those who cut class the most got the lowest grades. These data suggest a ____?____ relationship between attendance and grades.
sad
positive
negative
casual
unusual
If a statistical test finds that p < .05 (p=.003), we could generally say about the study that:
the data collected was reliable.
the data collected was valid.
the results that we received in the study are statistically significant.
there is a relatively large possibility that we received these results just by chance.
All of the above.
The word correlation is often used as a synonym for:
validity.
reliability.
variable.
relationship.
unpredictable.
Which of the following topics would best be studied using the case study method?
the reaction times of adults in a stressful situation.
the sleep patterns of adolescents.
the impact of club sports involvement on female adolescent self-esteem.
the relationship between hyperactivity & sugar consumption.
the personality characteristics of a man accused of killing five people.
Gina wants to conduct a study of discrimination based on looks in hiring practices. She first selects two candidates with equivalent qualifications, one extremely attractive and the other of average attractiveness. Then she sends them to interview for the same job. The dependent variable in Ginas experiment is:
the response of the interviewer to each candidate.
the relative attractiveness of the two candidates.
the qualifications of the two candidates.
the type of job each candidate applies for.
the number of candidates who interviewed for the job.
The Hawthorne effect is best defined as:
expectations by the experimenter that can influence the results of an experiment.
the change in the results of an experiment when it is “blind” versus “double blind”.
the idea that people will alter their behavior because of the researcher’s attention & not because of actual treatment.
specific, testable prediction‘s derived from a theory.
the idea that subjects in an experiment will lie if the researcher tells them to.
Which of the following situations best illustrates the placebo effect?
You sleep because you were tired.
You throw up after eating bad meat.
Do you have surgery to repair a defective heart valve.
You drink a non-alcoholic drink and become “intoxicated” because you think it contains alcohol.
You know you are in the experimental group and you behave the way you think the experimenter wants you to behave.
Two ways psychologist use statistics with the data they collect are:
controlling the data and recording the data.
skewing the data and deviating the data.
summarizing the data and making judgments & decisions about the data.
analyzing the data and sampling the data.
organizing the data and controlling the data.
Replication involves:
the selection of random samples.
repeating in earlier research study.
perceiving order in random events.
rejecting ideas that cannot be scientifically tested.
As a health psychologist, Dr. Rowell would most likely be involved in
animal research performed in a laboratory setting.
helping businesses create more effective interviewing practices when hiring new employees.
designing puzzles to see if adolescents & adults reason differently.
testifying in a court case about the mental health of a person accused of a crime.
determining the effectiveness of a new campaign to reduce teen smoking.
In a distribution of test scores, which measure of central tendency would likely be the most affected by a couple of extremely high scores?
median
range
mean
mode
Professor Shalet argues that parents and children have similar levels of intelligence largely because they share common genes. His idea is best described as a(n):
theory.
illusory correlation.
hypothesis.
hindsight bias.
A researcher who publishes the results of a case study might be most worried about violating which ethical principle of human research?
informed consent
protection from harm
confidentiality
debriefing
