Question 1

Melissa believes in the popular saying 'out of sight, out of mind'. She wishes to find empirical evidence for this saying through a research study. As part of her study, she must write a(an) ____________ statement that proposes an explanation.
A)confirmation statement
B)hypothesis statement
C)operational statement
D)reliability statement

Accepted Answer

As part of her research, Melissa must write a hypothesis statement.
Key Takeaway: A hypothesis statement is the cornerstone of a research project. To test an idea, a hypothesis statement makes a testable prediction about the independent and dependant variables in the study. If Melissa's research shows that objects that are not in constant or direct view are easily forgotten, then her hypothesis statement is supported through evidence. Research results could support or not support the hypothesis statement.

Question 2

Which of the following would be an example of "argument by evidence"?
A)"A fortune cookie tells me that I shouldn't invest in Microsoft stock"
B)"My mother's best friend thinks all hamburgers are bad for you"
C)"Company statistics show that younger employees call in sick more"
D)"Everyone knows that you starve a cold and feed a flu"

Accepted Answer

Using company statistics to show that younger employees call in sick more is an example of argument by evidence.
Key Takeaway: Argument by evidence means that you present evidence to support your claims. Suppose that a human resources manager is asked to comment on the number of sick days that each employee uses. The manager believes that although older employees are thought to be the ones calling in sick more because of health problems, it is the younger employees that use more sick days. Company statistics support his belief. This is an example of using evidence to support an argument.

Question 3

Jason's employer gives him a personality test and then gives him a similar test two weeks later. This is an example of _____________.
A)internal validity
B)external validity
C)criterion validity
D)content validity

Accepted Answer

Criterion validity is a measure of how well one personality test provides results that correlate with results from a similar personality test.
Key Takeaway: In psychometrics or psychological testing, criterion validity is a measure of how well the variables of one test measure the same things as the variables of a similar test. If Jason's second personality test results are very different from the first test, it does not have sufficient criterion validity. In other words, the second test doesn't measure the same variables as the first test.

Question 4

At the core of human development is the acquisition of new knowledge and behaviors. This theory statement is central to the work of ______________.
A) B.F. Skinner
B) Sigmund Freud
C) Albert Bandura
D) Erik Erikson

Accepted Answer

B.F. Skinner's theory states that the acquisition of new knowledge and behaviors is central to human development.
Key Takeaway: To develop, humans have to gain new knowledge and behaviors. For example, to gain the benefits of socialization with other people, a child learns to be helpful and generous. Helpful behavior encourages others to offer help in return. Similarly, gaining new knowledge through study or training develops a person's work skills and earning potential.

Question 5

Which of the following is a theory of personality that emphasizes free will and human agency?
A)Five Dimension
B)Humanism
C)Functionalism
D)Psychoanalysis

Accepted Answer

Humanism is a theory of personality that emphasizes free will and human agency in directing personal behavior.
Key Takeaway: Humanism is a theory of personality that came about to account for the role of free will in how people behave. Unlike theories such as psychoanalysis which emphasize unconscious motives and desires, humanism considers human beings active and present agents in their own behavior. For example, the need to pursue professional success is understood in humanism as just that, a need for the person to succeed. Other theories may emphasize the role of parental instruction and influence or hidden desires.

Question 6

David is a research psychologist working with 3M. He and his team are commissioned by the government to design a more efficient computer interface. Herb is an example of a _________________.
A)experimental psychologist
B)clinical psychologist
C)social psychologist
D)industrial-organizational psychologist

Accepted Answer

An industrial-organizational psychologist works in research that makes a computer interface more efficient.
Key Takeaway: Industrial-organizational psychology is a branch of applied psychology that brings research into product development. Research psychologists in this sub-field of Psychology use results from research studies in perception and other branches to develop products that are friendly and easy to use. Other example of industrial-organizational psychologists are those involved in traffic research and safety studies.

Question 7

Research questions are important in a study because _______________.
A)they guide the type of data that must be collected
B)they determine the confidentiality of the study
C)they determine the transparency of the study
D)they guide the moderator of a focus group

Accepted Answer

Research questions are important in a study because they guide the type of data that must be collected.
Key Takeaway: Research questions are essential in the design of studies because they guide researchers in the direction of data collection and analysis. For example, if studying the effect fat content in food on weight gained, a number of research questions can be developed. One such question is: how much fat intake in grams per day will result in a weight gain of at least ten pounds over a month? Another question could be: how much fat intake is healthy for two groups of people, children and the elderly?

Question 8

In research psychology, a researcher must make sure that participants agree to a research study based on clear, accurate, and complete information. This is referred to as______________.
A)anonymity
B)confidentiality
C)informed consent
D)transparency

Accepted Answer

Informed consent is when a researcher makes sure that participants agree to a research study based on clear, accurate, and complete information.
Key Takeaway: Informed consent is the cornerstone of participation in psychological research. Participants in a study will often answer private questions or perform tests for the researcher. The researcher, in turn, has to provide the participants with clear, accurate, and complete information about the nature of the study and what is required of them. This disclosure must also include the potential use of their data and how it will be shared with others.

Question 9

A researcher working with a Walmart franchise wishes to study the effect of salary bonuses on employee manager performance. Manager performance, in this case, represents the _____________.
A)research question
B)dependent variable
C)independent variable
D)random error term

Accepted Answer

Manager performance in this case is the dependent variable.
Key Takeaway: In research design, the dependent variable is the variable that is monitored or measured in a study. The researcher working with the Walmart franchise will designate manager performance as the dependent variable and must quantify that in some way. For example, company executives may consider a 5% increase in quarterly sales an indicator of good manager performance.

Question 10

Adams approaches concerns about human behavior from the viewpoint that emphasizes the role of bodily functions associated with feelings, actions, and thoughts. Dr. Adams most likely uses the following approach:
A)biological
B)cognitive
C)socio-cultural
D)humanistic

Accepted Answer

The biological approach to human behavior emphasizes the role of bodily functions associated with feelings, actions, and thoughts.
Key Takeaway: The biological approach to human behavior gives much importance and weight to the role of bodily functions in these behavior. For example, serotonin is a chemical in the brain that is associated with depressive behavior when it is low. Similarly, endorphins are thought of as 'feel good' chemicals that are triggered in moments of happiness.

Question 11

In a correlation study, an electrical company paid by city officials finds that as politicians reduce the budget for maintenance work, the less likely they are to find lucrative contracts. These results indicate _____________.
A)the less money city politicians allocate to maintenance work, the more lucrative are the contracts
B)the more money city politicians allocate to maintenance work, the less lucrative are the contracts
C)the less money city politicians allocate to maintenance work, the less lucrative are the contracts
D)the local budget restricts do not affect the size of construction company contracts

Accepted Answer

In a correlation study, the less money city politicians allocate to maintenance work, the less lucrative are the contracts.
Key Takeaway: The relationship between two variables is quantified through a number that is referred to as a correlation coefficient. In the example above, as budgets decreased, so did the size of contracts. Correlations also describe positive relationships whereby if one variable increases, the second variable increases too. Finally, a correlation between two variables can be negative with an opposite relationship; for example, as one variable increases, the second variable decreases.

Question 12

Significant psychological research findings are ones that _____________.
A)confirm what large populations of people already believe
B)violate what large populations of people already believe
C)enlighten the research community alone
D)provide a multilayered understanding of human behavior

Accepted Answer

Significant psychological research findings are ones that provide a multilayered understanding of human behavior.
Key Takeaway: Significant research findings in psychology have to provide a multilayered, comprehensive understanding of human behavior. For example, the study of stress and human response has to be done from a number of perspectives including biological, social, and cognitive.

Question 13

In a classic split-brain study, a picture of a chicken claw was shown quickly to the left hemisphere while a picture of a snow scene was shown quickly to the right hemisphere. When a study participant was asked to choose a related image from an array of pictures, ______________.
A)the left hand pointed to a shovel and the right hand pointed to a chicken
B)the left and the right hand both pointed to the image of a chicken
C)the right hand pointed to a shovel and the left hand pointed to a chicken

Accepted Answer

In a classic split-brain study, a picture of a chicken claw was shown quickly to the left hemisphere while a picture of a snow scene was shown quickly to the right hemisphere. When a study participant was asked to choose a related image from an array of pictures, the left hand pointed to a shovel and the right hand pointed to a chicken.
Key Takeaway: The split-brain study was designed to test the hypothesis that the left and right hemispheres of the brain process information differently. The research studied people who have had their corpus collosum (the connector of the two hemispheres) severed. The study showed that the right side was capable of basic language processing but not lexical or grammatical abilities.

Question 14

Dr .Michael is a neuroscientist. Which of the following is the MOST likely area of his research interest:
A)cross-cultural bases of group behavior
B)biological basis of movement disorders
C)cognitive basis of learning behavior
D)social bases of altruistic behavior

Accepted Answer

As a neuroscientist, Dr. Michael's most likely area of research interest is the biological bases of behavior.
Key Takeaway: A neuroscientist is interested in the biological bases of human disorders such as Parkinson's and Huntington's. Neuroscience is a branch of research that is concerned with the underlying physical changes that accompany brain disorders. In a movement disorder such as Parkinson's, a person's limbs move uncontrollably because of a loss of dopamine. Eventually, the person loses the ability to move their limbs altogether.

Question 15

An example of a brain reflex that CANNOT be influenced by thoughts or emotions is the _______.
A)a prompt to enter one's password at an ATM
B)the light at an intersection turning red
C)a child reaching out to be picked up
D)pinprick of an immunization needle

Accepted Answer

An example of a brain reflex that cannot be influenced by thoughts or emotions is the pinprick of an immunization needle.
Key Takeaway: Brain reflexes that are not influenced by thoughts or emotions are those that are perceived, processed, and communicated to the brain without a need for a thought or an emotion. If pricked by a needle or burned by a hot surface, skin receptors send signals to the brain through the spinal cord and the body part involved is immediately withdrawn.

Question 16

As Amanda drives towards a busy 4-way intersection, a car attempting a left turn ignores her right of way and veers towards her car. Amanda's mind becomes immediately alert, her heart races, and her muscles become tense. This reaction to danger is mediated by the ________________.
A)sympathetic nervous system
B)parasympathetic nervous system
C)somatic nervous system
D)central nervous system

Accepted Answer

Amanda's mind becomes immediately alert, her heart races, and her muscles become tense in reaction to a danger at a 4-way intersection due to the sympathetic nervous system.
Key Takeaway: The sympathetic nervous system alerts the body to react to a stressor. This reactions is also commonly known as the fight-or-flight response because it makes the body ready to either face or flee from the danger. In Amanda's case, the sympathetic nervous system made her heart race and her muscles tense which prepares her for making a decision should an accident happen.

Question 17

Jones is told by the doctors that her husband's diagnosis of Alzheimer's is due to the _______.
A)reduced synthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine
B)reduced synthesis of the neurotransmitter dopamine
C)reduced synthesis of the neurotransmitter epinephrine
D)reduced synthesis of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine

Accepted Answer

Mrs. Jones is told by the doctors that her husband's diagnosis of Alzheimer's is due to the reduced synthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
Key Takeaway: Alzheimer's disease is a progressive and terminal brain disease that is caused by the buildup of plaques on the brain. The disease is thought to be caused by a reduced synthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Alzheimer's causes a number of degenerative symptoms that include memory loss, language difficulties, and motor problems.

Question 18

The _______________ is a structure in the brain responsible for the processing of visual stimuli from the eyes.
A)parietal lobe
B)occipital lobe
C)frontal lobe
D)cerebellum

Accepted Answer

The occipital lobe is a structure in the brain responsible for the processing of visual stimuli from the eyes:
Key Takeaway: Our eyes are the centers for perceiving visual stimuli. The optic nerve carries the message from the eyes and into the occipital lobe, which is the visual processing center of the brain. This lobe is located in the back of the head.

Question 19

Components of the limbic system have a significant role in __________ and __________ .
A)breathing; digesting
B)fight; flight
C)hunger; thirst
D)emotion; long term memory

Accepted Answer

Components of the limbic system have a significant role in emotion and long term memory.
Key Takeaway: The limbic system is composed of a number of brain structures that include the amygdala, hippocampus, anterior thalamic nuclei, and limbic cortex. The limbic system is important in the regulation of a number of brain functions such as emotion, long term memory, and behavior. The limbic system is also important in olfaction.

Question 20

The __________________ perceives, gathers, interprets and records incoming sensory information and also sends out communication destined for muscles, glands and internal organs such as the stomach and the heart.
A)central peripheral system
B)central nervous system
C)hypothalamic pituitary axis
D)the reticular formation

Accepted Answer

The central nervous system perceives, gathers, interprets and records incoming sensory information and also sends out communication destined for muscles, glands and internal organs such as the stomach and the heart.
Key Takeaway: Think of the central nervous system as the command center of processing and disseminating information in your body. This system receives sensory information from such places as the skin (such as hot surface, pinprick) and communicates this information to the brain. This information is then transmitted to organs such as the muscle to take action such as withdraw your hand from a hot plate or pull away from a needle prick.

Quiz 33: (AP) Psychology: Part A

Melissa believes in the popular saying 'out of sight, out of mind'. She wishes to find empirical evidence for this saying through a research study. As part of her study, she must write a(an) ____________ statement that proposes an explanation.

Which of the following would be an example of "argument by evidence"?

Jason's employer gives him a personality test and then gives him a similar test two weeks later. This is an example of _____________.

At the core of human development is the acquisition of new knowledge and behaviors. This theory statement is central to the work of ______________.

Which of the following is a theory of personality that emphasizes free will and human agency?

David is a research psychologist working with 3M. He and his team are commissioned by the government to design a more efficient computer interface. Herb is an example of a _________________.

Research questions are important in a study because _______________.

In research psychology, a researcher must make sure that participants agree to a research study based on clear, accurate, and complete information. This is referred to as______________.

A researcher working with a Walmart franchise wishes to study the effect of salary bonuses on employee manager performance. Manager performance, in this case, represents the _____________.

Adams approaches concerns about human behavior from the viewpoint that emphasizes the role of bodily functions associated with feelings, actions, and thoughts. Dr. Adams most likely uses the following approach:

In a correlation study, an electrical company paid by city officials finds that as politicians reduce the budget for maintenance work, the less likely they are to find lucrative contracts. These results indicate _____________.

Significant psychological research findings are ones that _____________.

In a classic split-brain study, a picture of a chicken claw was shown quickly to the left hemisphere while a picture of a snow scene was shown quickly to the right hemisphere. When a study participant was asked to choose a related image from an array of pictures, ______________.

Dr .Michael is a neuroscientist. Which of the following is the MOST likely area of his research interest:

An example of a brain reflex that CANNOT be influenced by thoughts or emotions is the _______.

As Amanda drives towards a busy 4-way intersection, a car attempting a left turn ignores her right of way and veers towards her car. Amanda's mind becomes immediately alert, her heart races, and her muscles become tense. This reaction to danger is mediated by the ________________.

Jones is told by the doctors that her husband's diagnosis of Alzheimer's is due to the _______.

The _______________ is a structure in the brain responsible for the processing of visual stimuli from the eyes.

Components of the limbic system have a significant role in and .

The __________________ perceives, gathers, interprets and records incoming sensory information and also sends out communication destined for muscles, glands and internal organs such as the stomach and the heart.