Name: ______________________________

 

Section TA (please circle one):

Lorenzo Azzi, Rishi Bhalla, Brian Chamberlin, Denise Elizondo, Sarah Landsberger, Liz Mullen

 

 

 

1.      The discipline of psychology lies at the interface of

 

(a)    physics and biology

(b)   the humanities and natural sciences

(c)    the humanities and philosophy

(d)    economics and textiles

 

2.      In which of the following ways does scientific psychology differ from the philosophy and other humanities?

 

(a)    psychology relies on empirical evidence to construct and test theories about mind and behavior

(b)    psychology is concerned with important issues, such as free will and determinism, the relationship between mind and body, and the development of moral reasoning

(c)    psychological methods often rely upon interpreting classic texts

(d)    none of the above

 

3.      In the lecture on genetic variability, security in relationships, and twin methodologies, what did we learn?

 

(a)    monozygotic twins were more similar in security than dyzygotic twins

(b)    identical twins were more similar in security than fraternal twins

(c)    monozygotic twins were less similar in security than dyzygotic twins

(d)   monozygotic and dyzygotic twins were equally similar in security

 

4.      If two variables are positively correlated then

 

(a)    people who tend to have high scores on one variable will tend to have low scores on the other

(b)    people who tend to have high scores on one variable are just as likely to have high scores on the other as they are to have low scores

(c)    people who tend to have low scores on one variable will tend to have low scores on the other

(d)    people who tend to have low scores on one variable will tend to have high scores on the other

 

5.      What is the third variable problem?

 

(a)    when a third variable correlates with two others, creating the illusion that it causes them

(b)    when two variables cause each other, but a third variable obscures this fact

(c)    when two variables interact with one another, yielding an unwanted third variable

(d)   when a third variable causes two other variables, making it appear that those two variables are causally related to one another

 

6.      An independent variable is one

 

(a)    that is manipulated by an experimenter

(b)    that should be altered by an experimental manipulation

(c)    that we expect to be influenced by the dependent variable

(d)    that takes on a large number of values

 

7.      Which of the following components of a neuron is responsible for receiving information from other cells?

 

(a)    dendrites

(b)    cell body

(c)    axon

(d)    vesicles

 

8.      The resting potential of a neuron is

 

(a)    negatively charged

(b)    positively charged

(c)    the likelihood that the neuron will be active or inactive later in time

(d)    how easily the neuron will rest

 

9.      For a neuron to fire, it

 

(a)    must be located in the central nervous system

(b)   must receive enough excitation from neighboring cells for its potential to cross a threshold

(c)    must be depleted of neurotransmitters

(d)    must have its safety unlocked

 

 

10.   _______________ is/are released into the synapse when a neuron fires.

 

(a)    Microvolts

(b)   Neurotransmitters

(c)    Plastoids

(d)    Zerglings

 

 

11.   The transduction of lightwaves into neural energy takes place in which kind of retinal cell?

 

(a)    ganglion cell

(b)    bipolar cell

(c)    humour

(d)   photoreceptors

 

12.   According to Gestalt psychologists, the principle of closure allows our brains to

 

(a) “move on,” after a traumatic experience

(b) perceive objects as belonging to a group, based on how close together those objects are

(c)    perceive motion when animate objects are presented in an inanimate manner

(d) “see” complete figures, even when they don’t exist objectively

 

 

13.   Testosterone, and other hormones, are a product of

 

(a) the attachment system

(b) the immune system

(c) the endocrine system

(d) the muscular tissues

 

14.   Testosterone levels tend to be highest

 

(a) in early infancy

(b) in late adolescence

(c) in the womb

(d) at the beginning of puberty

 

15.   According to Dabbs’ research on “heroes, rouges, and lovers,” the reason why older people commit fewer crimes than younger people is that

 

(a) older people have already acquired many of the material possessions that they desire

(b) they are less able to engage in the kinds of behaviors associated with criminals, such as being able to run quickly

(c) they tend to be more affluent that younger people

(d) they have lower testosterone levels

 

 

16.   According to trichromatic color theory, the retina is sensitive to which three colors?

 

(a)    blue, green, and red

(b)    blue, red, and yellow

(c)    yellow, green, and blue

(d)    red, purple, and blue

 

17.   According to opponent-process theory, we see “afterimages” because

 

(a)    cones eventually tire and become less sensitive to certain colors

(b)   neurons representing blue, for example, have inhibitory connections to neurons representing, yellow, for example.  As the blue neurons tire, the yellow ones become more excited

(c)    cones sensitive to short wavelengths have inhibitory connections to cones sensitive to longer wavelengths.  When short wavelength cones are excited, and the stimulus is removed, the long wavelength cones will fire

(d)    the brain recognizes that blue things, for example, tend to be negatively paired with yellow things in the natural world. 

 

18.   Which of the following represents evidence for opponent-process theory, as discussed in lecture?

 

(a)    there is no evidence in favor of the theory yet, but researchers believe that newer neuroimaging techniques will provide a rigorous test of opponent-process theory

(b)    the finding that cells responsive to blue wavelengths, for example, are located near cells responsive to yellow wavelengths

(c)    the finding that certain neurons have inhibitory connections to one another

(d)   the finding that neurons that are highly excited by wavelengths we associate with blue, for example, are inhibited by wavelengths we associate with the experience of yellow

 

19.   An individual suffering from retrograde amnesia has

 

(a)    difficulty in recalling events that took place before the incident that caused the amnesia

(b)    difficulty in recalling events that have taken place since the incident that caused the amnesia

(c)    difficulty distinguishing the past from the present

(d)    difficulty locating objects in space

 

20.   According to the modal model of memory

 

(a)    information flows from short-term memory to sensory memory

(b)    information passes through five stages before reaching long-term memory

(c)    information does not flow from short-term memory to sensory memory

(d)    information processed by the sensory store cannot be processed in long-term memory

 

21.   According to Sperling’s classic experiments on iconic memory

 

(a)    people are capable of representing at least 75% of their visual field for at least ½ second

(b)    people can only represent about 5% of their visual fields

(c)    people can hold 7+2 pieces of information presented to them visually

(d)    partial report procedures cannot be used to make inferences about the duration of iconic memory

 

22.   Many psychologists have suggested that iconic memory

 

(a)    can have a longer duration with extensive practice

(b)   is the residual activation of sensory neurons early in the visual system

(c)    is capable of holding 5 “bits” of information

(d)    peaks during the 2nd month of life

 

23.   According to Miller’s studies of short-term memory, people can hold ______ pieces of information in memory?

 

(a)    about 5

(b)   between 5 and 9

(c)    about 7

(d)    about 9

 

24.   According to Baddeley, there are at least three major subsystems comprising working memory.  These are

 

(a)    The word-length effect, the phonological loop, and the central executive

(b)    the visuo-spatial sketchpad, the interpreter, and the central executive

(c)    the visuo-spatial sketchpad, the phonological loop, and the central executive

(d)    the phonological sketchpad, the articulatory loop, and the central executive

 

25.   The word-length effect is the finding that

 

(a)    Memory for words is enhanced when people visualize the words they are trying to remember

(b)    studying a long word can interfere with one’s ability to learn short words

(c)    longer words are easier to store in long-term memory than shorter words

(d)   working memory performance gets worse as the length of words to be remembered increases

 

 

26.   The “primacy” part of a serial position curve is thought to reflect which memory system?

 

(a)    sensory memory

(b)    short-term memory

(c)    long-term memory

(d)    eternity memory

 

27.   In a serial-position task, if to-be-remembered words are presented at short intervals (e.g., every  3 seconds, instead of every 9 seconds), the

 

(a)    primacy portion of the curve is diminished

(b)    recency portion of the curve is diminished

(c)    both the primacy and recency portion of the curve is diminished

(d)    serial-position curve is not affected

 

28.   In a serial-position task, if people are tested on words they tried to memorize after a 30-second long distraction task, the

 

(a)    primacy portion of the curve is diminished

(b)   recency portion of the curve is diminished

(c)    both the primacy and recency portion of the curve is diminished

(d)    serial-position curve is not affected

 

29.   Episodic knowledge refers to

 

(a)    general world knowledge

(b)    procedures and skills

(c)    knowledge of particular events derived from personal experience

(d)    sensory memories

 

30. Health psychology consists of:
a.  analysis and improvement of the healthcare system
b.  identification of causes and correlates of health and illness
c.  promotion and maintenance of health
d.  all of the above
 
31. Which of the following is not true of the biopsychosocial model:
a.  there are various levels of prevention and treatment
b.  it assumes mind-body dualism
c.  prevention can be conducted via lifestyle factor modification
d.  it accounts for interaction between causal variables
 
32. According to the lecture, health is best defined as:
a.  absence of symptoms of disease
b.  lack of objective signs the body is not functioning properly
c.  a positive state of physical, mental, and social well-being
d.  the illness/wellness continuum

 

 

Short Essay Questions

For these questions, please write legibly.  (If you say something intelligent, but we can’t read it, you will not be at an advantage.)  Also, please keep your answers short and to-the-point.

 

1. What is the “blind spot” phenomenon?  In answering this question, explain (a) what it is about the nervous system gives rise to the blind spot, (b) why we typically do not experience a hole in space, and (c) how the nervous system does the “filling in.” 

 

2. Dabbs has shown that people who win fights, games, etc. tend to have higher testosterone levels.  Do you think that testosterone levels make people more dominant, or does winning increase your testosterone levels?  In answering this question, please be sure to discuss research findings that we covered in lecture.