Question 1

What is one reason psychologists believe that obese people respond differently to food reinforcement than do people of normal weight?

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that obese individuals exhibit greater activity in brain regions associated with reward and motivation in response to food cues, which suggests that they may be more sensitive to food reinforcement than people of normal weight. This heightened sensitivity to food reward may contribute to overeating and weight gain.

Question 2

Brain differences between homosexual and heterosexual adults should be interpreted as:

Accepted Answer

The differences in brain structure between homosexual and heterosexual adults are likely the result of both genetic and environmental factors, and cannot be solely attributed to either one. This is supported by research in both animal and human studies.

Question 3

Based on results from surveys about people's motivation for sex, it can be concluded that:

Accepted Answer

The surveys show that there are a wide variety of reasons why people have sex, ranging from biological to psychological factors, and these reasons can vary greatly between individuals. Therefore, D is the best choice as it reflects the diversity of motivations for sexual activity.

Question 4

Joseph's mother tells him to smile more if he wants to feel better. She is applying the _______ theory of emotion.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Joseph's mother tells him to smile more...

Question 5

The _____ region of the hypothalamus is associated the onset of eating, while the _____ region is associated with the offset.

Accepted Answer

The lateral region of the hypothalamus is associated with the onset of eating, meaning it stimulates hunger and food intake. Conversely, the ventromedial region of the hypothalamus is associated with the cessation of eating or satiety, signaling when to stop eating.

Question 6

Sometimes being around others can:

Accepted Answer

Social influence can work in either direction, leading individuals to eat more or less depending on the situation. This can be influenced by factors such as social norms, peer pressure, and modeling behavior. Therefore, it is possible to either eat more or less than you normally would when around others, depending on the circumstances.

Question 7

What point did Maslow intend to communicate when he placed love and belonging in the middle of his hierarchy of needs?

Accepted Answer

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is structured in a way that individuals must meet lower level needs before moving on to higher level needs. This makes physiological needs the most fundamental, followed by safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization in that order. However, Maslow believed that individuals must satisfy their love and belonging needs before developing healthy self-esteem. Therefore, option A is the correct answer.

Question 8

If you are studying math problems because you really want to win an award, psychologists would say you have _____ goals; if you are just hoping that you do not get the lowest score in the class, you are exhibiting _____ goals.

Accepted Answer

Approach goals are motivated by a desire to achieve a positive outcome, such as winning an award. Avoidance goals are motivated by a desire to avoid a negative outcome, such as not getting the lowest score.

Question 9

After narrowly avoiding a car accident, your arousal returns to a baseline state because of activity in the _____.

Accepted Answer

The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for bringing the body back to a baseline state after a stressful or dangerous event. It works to slow down the heart rate, reduce blood pressure, and promote relaxation.

Question 10

In Europe, the typical container of fruit and yogurt is roughly 6 ounces. In the United States, the same food item is usually packaged in 8-ounce containers. The unit bias suggests that:

Accepted Answer

The unit bias refers to the tendency for people to perceive the size of a serving as the appropriate or expected amount to consume. Therefore, a French person in the United States would be likely to eat the entire 8-ounce container of fruit and yogurt, even though it contains 25% more than the typical French serving of 6 ounces.

Question 11

If a student is a pre-med major because he is curious about how the body works and how it recovers from disease, psychologists would say that he has _____ motives. If the student is studying pre-med only because he thinks this major will impress people, then psychologists would say that he has _____ motives.

Accepted Answer

Psychologists use the terms "mastery" and "performance" to describe the motives behind a person's actions or goals. A mastery-oriented person is driven by a desire to learn and improve, while a performance-oriented person is more concerned with how they are perceived by others. In this scenario, the student who is pre-med because they are curious about the body's functions and disease recovery is motivated by mastery, while the student who is pre-med to impress others is motivated by performance.

Question 12

_____ refers to one's motivation for sexual behavior and pleasure.

Accepted Answer

Libido refers to one's motivation for sexual behavior and pleasure. It is a person's overall sexual drive or desire for sexual activity.

Question 13

The _____ is a set of brain regions involved in emotional processing.

Accepted Answer

The limbic system is a set of brain regions involved in emotional processing, including the amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus. The cortex is involved in more complex cognitive processing, the hindbrain controls basic physiological functions, and the parietal lobe is involved in somatosensory perception and spatial awareness.

Question 14

A judge is dismissing evidence based on a lie detector test. What can you conclude about her decision?

Accepted Answer

Lie detector tests are not considered reliable enough to be admissible in court as evidence. They have been criticized for being susceptible to false positives and false negatives, and for being influenced by a variety of factors such as anxiety, medication, and physiology. Therefore, the judge's decision to dismiss evidence based on a lie detector test is in line with the current legal standards.

Question 15

The male's sexual response cycle includes a(n) _____ during which erection and orgasm are not physically possible, whereas the female's sexual response cycles most often do not.

Accepted Answer

The refractory period is a phase after orgasm during which erection and orgasm are not physically possible. This phase is unique to males and does not occur in females. The other options (plateau, oxytocin release, sensitive period) are all part of the sexual response cycle for both males and females.

Question 16

Which of the following is a weakness of the James-Lange theory of emotion?

Accepted Answer

The James-Lange theory of emotion suggests that emotions occur as a result of physiological reactions to events. A weakness is that it does not incorporate cognitive appraisal, which is the interpretation and evaluation of the situation, as a component of emotion.

Question 17

How does research using tube feeding show that tastes and textures are an important part of satiation?

Accepted Answer

Research using tube feeding has shown that even when volunteers receive all the nutrients they need through the tube, they are still motivated to eat. This suggests that taste and texture play an important role in satiation, as the volunteers were not satisfied solely by meeting their nutritional requirements.

Question 18

In what order do the phases of the sexual response cycle occur?

Accepted Answer

According to Masters and Johnson's model of the sexual response cycle, the phases occur in the following order: excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution.

Question 19

According to ________theory, motivation to connect with others can stem from reminders that life will not go on forever.

Accepted Answer

The theory described here is the terror management theory, which suggests that humans are motivated to connect with others in order to manage their fear of mortality.

Question 20

What happens when researchers induce mortality salience using essay writing procedures?

Accepted Answer

Inducing mortality salience through essay writing procedures has been found to increase participants' motivation to defend their own worldview. This occurs because thinking about death can lead individuals to become more protective of their beliefs and values as a way to manage the fear of mortality.

Quiz 11: Motivation and Emotion