Deck 7: Environmental Influences on Behavior, and Reflections on Nature and Nurture

Question 1

Which neuroscientist said,"the mind is what the brain does"?

A) Ulric Neisser
B) Robert Becklen
C) Marvin Minsky
D) Petter Johansson

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A hospitalized woman who showed no outward signs of conscious awareness was asked to imagine playing tennis.In response,she exhibited ________ that was similar to that exhibited by a healthy person.

A) a popout
B) blindsight
C) brain activity
D) change blindness

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment is called

A) parallel processing.
B) a visual action track.
C) consciousness.
D) dual processing.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

You suddenly become conscious that your own nose is in your line of vision when this is pointed out to you.This best illustrates the impact of

A) popout.
B) change blindness.
C) blindsight.
D) selective attention.

Question 5

The psychological term for mental processes is

A) consciousness.
B) cognition.
C) behaviorism.
D) mental state.

Question 6

Professor Rodriguez studies how the activation of specific regions of the brain affects dream content.Her work best illustrates the subfield of

A) personality psychology.
B) behavior genetics.
C) cognitive neuroscience.
D) evolutionary psychology.

Question 7

Because she was listening to the news on the radio,Mrs.Schultz didn't perceive a word her husband was saying.Her experience best illustrates

A) change blindness.
B) blindsight.
C) dual processing.
D) the cocktail party effect.

Question 8

The ability to pay attention to only one voice at a time is called

A) dual processing.
B) change blindness.
C) popout.
D) the cocktail party effect.

Question 9

In 2009,two Northwest Airline pilots overflew their Minneapolis destination by 150 miles because they were focused on their laptops and in conversation.They also ignored air traffic controllers' attempts to reach them.What may have explained this potentially dangerous error?

A) selective attention
B) consciousness
C) inattentional blindness
D) change blindness

Question 10

Ashley is driving to the mall with a group of friends.They are talking and listening to the radio and even taking pictures to post on social media.Based on research,activity in brain areas that are vital for driving have decreased about ________ percent for Ashley.

A) 14
B) 25
C) 37
D) 72

Question 11

The ability to focus his attention on his arm and shoulder movements during his golf swings enabled Jason to learn more effective skills for both chip shots and putting.This best illustrates the value of

A) the cocktail party effect.
B) blindsight.
C) popout.
D) consciousness.

Question 12

The reemergence of psychology's concern with consciousness after 1960 is best illustrated by efforts to

A) define psychology as a behavioral science.
B) demonstrate that humans lack free will.
C) liken consciousness to a car's speedometer.
D) identify the brain activity associated with different mental states.

Question 13

Behaviorism encouraged psychologists to ignore the study of

A) the visual action track.
B) consciousness.
C) socialization.
D) cortical activation patterns.

Question 14

The interdisciplinary study of brain activity linked with our mental processes is known as

A) behaviorism.
B) behavior genetics.
C) cognitive neuroscience.
D) neurology.

Question 15

Felix was so preoccupied with his girlfriend's good looks that he failed to perceive any of her less admirable characteristics.This best illustrates an unfortunate consequence of

A) sequential processing.
B) selective attention.
C) blindsight.
D) change blindness.

Question 16

Stacey is in the library trying to study for her psychology class.While sitting at the table reading her text,her five senses are taking in ________ bits of information per second.

A) 1,000
B) 11,000
C) 101,000
D) 11,000,000

Question 17

Selective attention is best illustrated by

A) blindsight.
B) parallel processing.
C) a visual action track.
D) the cocktail party effect.

Question 18

Prior to the twentieth century,psychology was considered to be the study of

A) observable behavior.
B) evolutionary change.
C) states of consciousness.
D) parallel processing.

Question 19

fMRI scans of brain areas vital to driving indicate that activity ________ when a driver is attending to conversation.A study that focused video cams on teen drivers found that a ________ of crashes followed driver distraction from other passengers or phones.

A) increases;majority
B) decreases;minority
C) increases;minority
D) decreases;majority

Question 20

Long-haul truck drivers are at a much-greater-than-normal risk of a collision if texting while driving.This best illustrates the impact of

A) popout.
B) blindsight.
C) selective attention.
D) the cocktail party effect.

Question 21

Consciousness is most important for the correct performance of behaviors that

A) depend on information processing.
B) require physical coordination skills.
C) have been learned through repeated practice.
D) are new or difficult.

Question 22

Simultaneously assessing the taste,texture,and temperature of food in your mouth best illustrates

A) blindsight.
B) popout.
C) parallel processing.
D) the cocktail party effect.

Question 23

Standing in the checkout line at the grocery store,Jerry was concentrating on answering a text.As a result,he failed to see that a store employee was being robbed by a person just in front of him.Jerry most clearly experienced

A) the cocktail party effect.
B) inattentional blindness.
C) blindsight.
D) popout.

Question 24

Consciously processing one aspect of a problem at a time is called

A) REM rebound.
B) sequential processing.
C) neural plasticity.
D) circadian rhythm.

Question 25

The two-track mind operates on two levels.A conscious "high road" is said to be________.An unconscious "low road" is said to be ________.

A) automatic and intuitive;deliberate and reflective
B) deliberate and reflective;automatic and intuitive
C) automatic and reflective;deliberate and intuitive
D) deliberate and intuitive;automatic and reflective

Question 26

Parallel processing tends to be both ________ and ________ conscious than sequential processing.

A) slower;less
B) faster;more
C) slower;more
D) faster;less

Question 27

When Jason briefly turned to summon the waiter,his wife quickly switched her glass of red wine with his glass of white wine.Jason's failure to notice that his chosen wine had been replaced best illustrates

A) popout.
B) parallel processing.
C) change blindness.
D) sequential processing.

Question 28

The only smiling face in a crowd of anxious-looking people may be so strikingly distinct that people cannot help but notice it.This best illustrates

A) dual processing.
B) blindsight.
C) the cocktail party effect.
D) popout.

Question 29

A person is able to accurately point to the current location of certain moving objects that she is unable to consciously see.This best illustrates

A) inattentional blindness.
B) popout.
C) selective attention.
D) blindsight.

Question 30

Damage to the brain's visual perception track without any damage to the brain's visual action track is associated with a condition known as

A) selective attention.
B) blindsight.
C) parallel processing.
D) change blindness.

Question 31

Memory expert Eric Kandel has suggested that roughly ________ percent of what we do is unconscious.

A) 40 to 60
B) 50
C) 70 to 80
D) 80 to 90

Question 32

Failing to notice changes in our immediate surroundings is called

A) the cocktail party effect.
B) popout.
C) dual processing.
D) change blindness.

Question 33

One of the six criminal suspects in a police lineup immediately captured observers' attention because he was the only suspect with black skin color.This best illustrates

A) the cocktail party effect.
B) dual processing.
C) popout.
D) blindsight.

Question 34

About one-third of a second before participants in one study decided to move their wrists,their ________ indicated a readiness potential to move.

A) fMRI scans
B) eye movements
C) brain-wave activity
D) finger movements

Question 35

Parallel processing refers to

A) responding to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it.
B) processing information in an orderly sequence.
C) linking brain activity with conscious awareness.
D) processing many aspects of a problem simultaneously.

Question 36

Mark's decision to hire a particular job applicant was simultaneously influenced by unconscious feelings about the applicant's physical appearance and by a conscious consideration of the applicant's reported work history.This best illustrates the impact of

A) blindsight.
B) dual processing.
C) change blindness.
D) popout.

Question 37

Inattentional blindness refers to

A) the loss of self-awareness when one is mentally absorbed in a challenging task.
B) a condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it.
C) failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere.
D) the simultaneous processing of information on separate conscious and unconscious tracks.

Question 38

The experience of blindsight in certain people who have suffered brain damage best illustrates the importance of our normal human capacity for

A) change blindness.
B) dual processing.
C) inattentional blindness.
D) selective attention.

Question 39

Inattentional blindness is best described as a by-product of

A) blindsight.
B) sequential processing.
C) selective attention.
D) a visual action track.

Question 40

Unconscious information processing is more likely than conscious processing to

A) occur slowly.
B) be limited in capacity.
C) contribute to effective problem solving.
D) process many aspects of a problem simultaneously.

Question 41

The school of thought in psychology that turned away from the study of consciousness during the first half of the last century was

A) behaviorism.
B) psychoanalysis.
C) humanistic psychology.
D) evolutionary psychology.

Question 42

Which of the following best describes why psychology evolved into direct observations of behavior?

A) Research indicated that consciousness did not exist by itself.
B) Researchers found it difficult to scientifically study consciousness.
C) The scientific study of behavior was found to be more appealing to current researchers.
D) The field of neuroscience emerged.

Question 43

Most psychologists define consciousness as

A) our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment.
B) mental processes.
C) observations of behavior.
D) waking awareness and altered states of observation.

Question 44

The ability to focus our attention in order to learn a complex concept best illustrates the value of

A) popout.
B) dual processing.
C) blindsight.
D) consciousness.

Question 45

Many research participants who were focused on repeating a spoken list of words failed to notice a change in the identity of the person reciting the words.This best illustrated

A) change deafness.
B) dual processing.
C) the cocktail party effect.
D) the popout phenomenon.

Question 46

Angelina correctly spells the word "stop" by processing one sound of the word at a time.Her spelling strategy best illustrates

A) the two-track mind.
B) neural plasticity.
C) circadian rhythm.
D) sequential processing.

Question 47

The ability to consciously recognize and name the color of an object while we simultaneously and unconsciously monitor the object's shape and movement illustrates

A) popout.
B) change blindness.
C) dual processing.
D) blindsight.

Question 48

The possibility that our mental state might have a direct impact on our actions was most clearly dismissed by

A) evolutionary psychologists.
B) behaviorists.
C) cognitive neuroscientists.
D) behavior geneticists.

Question 49

Since 1960,psychology has regained an interest in consciousness as psychologists of all persuasions began affirming the importance of

A) evolutionary psychology.
B) choice blindness.
C) neuroscience.
D) cognition.

Question 50

Parallel processing involves the processing of many aspects of a problem

A) in a sequential order.
B) in a balanced manner.
C) at the same time.
D) at a conscious level.

Question 51

When it first emerged as a field of study,psychology was defined as the

A) description and explanation of states of consciousness.
B) scientific study of observations of behavior.
C) study of mental processes and psychological disorders.
D) scientific study of mental health and its consequences.

Question 52

Brandon is talking on his cell phone while driving on the interstate.While this is dangerous and accounts for 28 percent of traffic accidents,his behavior is not unique.About ________ percent of drivers admit to texting or talking on their phone while driving.

A) 10
B) 25
C) 45
D) 70

Question 53

While conversing with a hotel desk clerk,Aaron momentarily turned around to pick up his suitcase.When he turned back and resumed his conversation,he failed to notice that he was now speaking with a different desk agent.His failure best illustrates

A) change blindness.
B) parallel processing.
C) popout.
D) blindsight.

Question 54

The simultaneous processing of information on many parallel tracks is most closely associated with

A) sequential processing.
B) the cocktail party effect.
C) popout.
D) unconscious mental activity.

Question 55

An experienced tennis player's brain and body respond with skilled accuracy to an oncoming serve before the person becomes consciously aware of the ball's trajectory.This best illustrates the value of

A) popout.
B) inattentional blindness.
C) choice blindness.
D) dual processing.

Question 56

Consciousness contributes to all of the following EXCEPT

A) reflecting on past experiences.
B) setting goals for the future.
C) being shocked by the present situation.
D) focusing our attention to learn complex tasks.

Question 57

A teenager focused on texting while crossing the street is not likely to notice a car rounding the corner and about to cross her path.This best illustrates the unfortunate consequences of

A) choice blindness.
B) selective attention.
C) dual processing.
D) popout.

Question 58

Some neuroscientists believe that synchronized activity across different regions of the brain is a sign of

A) the cocktail party effect.
B) conscious awareness.
C) change blindness.
D) selective inattention.

Question 59

In one experiment,many of the research participants who were keeping track of basketball tosses between players failed to notice a gorilla-suited research assistant thumping his chest as he moved among the players.This best illustrated

A) blindsight.
B) popout.
C) inattentional blindness.
D) the cocktail party effect.

Question 60

Normally sighted people whose visual cortex is disabled with magnetic stimulation can nevertheless sense the emotion expressed in faces.This best illustrates our capacity for

A) choice blindness.
B) unconscious information processing.
C) inattentional blindness.
D) sequential information processing.

Question 61

Which of the following is NOT a way consciousness aids survival,according to evolutionary psychologists?

A) Consciousness helps us cope with new situations.
B) Consciousness helps us act in our long-term interests.
C) Consciousness helps us seek short-term pleasures.
D) Consciousness helps us anticipate how others view us.

Question 62

The interdisciplinary study of the linkages between brain activity and mental processes is known as

A) evolutionary psychology.
B) neurology.
C) behaviorism.
D) cognitive neuroscience.

Question 63

Crashes and near-crashes have been observed to ________ when teen drivers are reaching for a cell phone and to ________ when they are dialing a cell phone.

A) neither increase nor decrease;neither increase nor decrease
B) neither increase nor decrease;increase
C) increase;neither increase nor decrease
D) increase;increase

Question 64

Failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere is called

A) blindsight.
B) parallel processing.
C) the cocktail party effect.
D) inattentional blindness.

Question 65

Focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimulus is called

A) blindsight.
B) parallel processing.
C) change blindness.
D) selective attention.

Question 66

A bank teller was so distracted by the sight of a bank robber's weapon that she failed to perceive important features of the criminal's physical appearance.This best illustrates the impact of

A) parallel processing.
B) change blindness.
C) selective attention.
D) blindsight.

Question 67

While driving to work,John was so focused on his cell-phone conversation that he inadvertently drove through a red light and hit another vehicle.John's experience best illustrates the impact of

A) blindsight.
B) popout.
C) the cocktail party effect.
D) selective attention.

Question 68

Our inability to consciously process all the sensory information available to us at any single point in time best illustrates the need for

A) blindsight.
B) selective attention.
C) choice blindness.
D) popout.

Question 69

Conscious experience arises from

A) parallel processing.
B) inattentional blindness.
C) popout.
D) synchronized activity across the brain.

Question 70

It has been estimated that our five senses take in ________ bits of information per second while we process only ________ bits of information per second.

A) 1,000;10
B) 11,000;20
C) 101,000;30
D) 11,000,000;40

Question 71

While engrossed in reading a novel,Raoul isn't easily distracted by the sounds of the TV or even by his brothers' loud arguments.This best illustrates

A) inattentional blindness.
B) sequential processing.
C) blindsight.
D) selective attention.

Question 72

Which specialty area would be most interested in identifying the brain-wave patterns associated with a person's conscious recognition of familiar faces or voices?

A) evolutionary psychology
B) cognitive neuroscience
C) behavior genetics
D) behaviorism

Question 73

The increased risk of car accidents for drivers talking on a cell phone is

A) primarily due to the visual distraction of glancing at one's cell phone.
B) no greater than the risk for drivers chatting with other passengers.
C) no greater than the risk for drivers listening to a car radio.
D) he same for those using handheld and those using hands-free phones.

Question 74

Attention to her long-term educational goals enables Alicia to avoid thoughtlessly skipping difficult class assignments.This best illustrates the adaptive value of

A) change blindness.
B) consciousness.
C) the cocktail party effect.
D) popout.

Question 75

Cognitive neuroscience is most directly concerned with studying

A) selective attention and accidents.
B) evolution and natural selection.
C) selective attention and daydreams.
D) brain activity and thought processes.

Question 76

Corolina was not aware of what her mother was telling her while she was focused on a phone voice message from a friend.Her experience best illustrates

A) dual processing.
B) the cocktail party effect.
C) popout.
D) blindsight.

Question 77

When asked to watch a video and press a key each time a black-shirted player passed a basketball,most research participants remained unaware of an umbrella-toting woman strolling across the video screen.This illustrated

A) the cocktail party effect.
B) inattentional blindness.
C) blindsight.
D) dual processing.

Question 78

The cocktail party effect provides an example of

A) change blindness.
B) dual processing.
C) selective attention.
D) blindsight.

Question 79

Texting and talking on the cell phone while driving is responsible for ________ percent of traffic accidents.

A) 12
B) 28
C) 45
D) 76

Question 80

Which of the following poses the greatest risk of an accident while driving?

A) sending text messages
B) talking on a cell phone
C) listening to the car radio
D) talking with others in the vehicle