1.

The Science of Psychology

The History of Psychology

1. In the definition of psychology, mental processes means

a. internal, covert processes. b. unconscious processes.

c. outward or overt actions and reactions. d. only human behavior.

2. Which early psychologist was the first to try to bring objectivity and measurement to the concept of psychology?

a. Wilhelm Wundt b. William James c. John Watson d. Sigmund Freud

3. Which of the following early psychologists would have been most likely to agree with the statement, “The study of
the mind should focus on how it functions in everyday life”?

a. Wilhelm Wundt b. William James c. John Watson d. Sigmund Freud

4. Who was the first woman to complete the coursework for a doctorate at Harvard University?

a. Mary Whiton Calkins b. Mary Cover Jones c. Margaret Washburn d. Ruth Howard

5. Which early perspective tried to return to a focus on scientific inquiry by ignoring the study of consciousness?

a. behaviorism b. functionalism c. psychoanalysis d. Gestalt

The Field of Psychology Today

1. Which of the following perspectives focuses on the biological bases of universal mental characteristics?

a. humanistic b. behavioral c. psychodynamic d. evolutionary

2. Which perspective offers the best explanation for schizophrenia?

a. psychodynamic b. behavioral c. biopsychological d. humanistic

3. Wesley has learned that if he cries with his mother in public, she will often get him a new toy or a piece of candy
so as to quiet him. Which of the following perspectives explains Wesley’s behavior?

a. psychodynamic b. cognitive c. behavioral d. biopsychological

4. Which perspective would a researcher be taking if she were studying a client’s early childhood experiences and his
resulting development of self?

a. psychodynamic b. cognitive c. behavioral d. evolutionary

5. Which of the following professionals in psychology has a doctoral degree but it is not in medicine?

a. psychiatrist b. psychiatric nurse c. psychiatric social worker d. psychologist

6. If Dr. Swasey is like most psychologists, where does she probably work?

a. university/college b. self-employed c. federal government d. state or local government

Scientific Research

1. Dr. White noticed something odd happening to the behavior of his students as midterm exams neared. He decided
to take notes about this behavior to find out exactly what was happening and the circumstances surrounding the
behavior. His goal is clearly

a. description. b. explanation c. prediction. d. control.

2. Which of the following is an example of observer bias?

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 a. You ask your fellow students to be participants in a study of adult memory.

b. You ask people from your church to participate in a study of family values.

c. You develop an opinion of what you expect to see in an experiment.

d. You allow a student to quit an experiment simply because he or she is bored.

3. The main advantage of a survey is that

a. only a small number of subjects need to be accessed.

b. a large amount of data can be gathered.

c. the chance of experimenter error is removed.

d. subjects will not know if they are part of a control or experimental group.

4. Which of the following would indicate the weakest relationship and thus be close to complete randomness?

a. +1.04 b. −0.89 c.+0.01 d. −0.98

5. In an experiment to examine the effects of sleep deprivation on completion of a puzzle, one group is allowed to
sleep 8 hours while another group is made to stay awake. In this experiment, the control group is

a. the group that gets to sleep. b. the group that remains awake.

c. the puzzle. d. the difference in time for each group to complete the puzzle.

6. In a __________ study, the participants do not know if they are part of the control group or the experimental
group. Only the experimenter knows who is in each group.

a. placebo b. single-blind c. double-blind d. triple-blind

Test Yourself

1. In the definition of psychology, the term behavior means

a. internal, covert processes. b. outward behavior. c. overt actions and reactions. d. only animal behavior.

2. Who is considered to be the father of African American psychology?

a. Charles Henry Thompson b. Robert V. Guthrie c. Francis Cecil Sumner d. Howard Hale Long

3. Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis focused on

a. observable behavior. b. Gestalt perceptions. c. introspection. d. early childhood experiences.

4. Which psychologist dared to ignore the whole consciousness issue and return to a study of scientific inquiry by
focusing on observable behavior?

a. Ivan Pavlov b. John Watson c. Sigmund Freud d. William James

5. Which perspective is often referred to as the “third force” in psychology and focuses on a person’s freedom of
choice in determining their behavior?

a. biopsychological perspective b. behaviorism c. cognitive psychology d. humanism

6. Which perspective best explains the bystander effect whereby individuals will be less likely to help someone in
need because of the presence of others close by?

a. psychoanalysis b. behaviorism c. cognitive psychology d. sociocultural

7. If Dr. Byers uses an eclectic approach in her clinical treatment of children, what is it that she is doing?

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 a. She is relying primarily on one psychological perspective to treat all her patients.

b. She is using medications with all her patients, especially those suffering from depression.

c. She relies heavily on the Freudian psychodynamic perspective to help children who show abnormal behavior.

d. She is using a combination of perspectives to treat different clients.

8. Dr. Colton identifies himself with the largest subfield of psychology. What kind of psychologist is he?

a. counselling b. clinical c. school d. experimental

9. Micah has recently been diagnosed with a psychological disorder that is best addressed initially with medication.
He would likely benefit the most by first seeing a ___________.

a. psychiatrist b. psychoanalyst c. psychiatric social worker d. psychologist

10. A psychologist is interested in finding out why married couples seemingly begin to look like each other after
several years of marriage. This psychologist is most interested in the goal of

a. description. b. explanation. c. prediction. d. control.

11. Which step in the scientific approach is derived from the goal of description?

a. reporting your results b. perceiving a question c. drawing conclusions d. forming a hypothesis

12. Brianne wants to find an explanation for the behavior of her lab rats in her study. Which step in the scientific
approach is she currently focusing on?

a. testing a hypothesis b. perceiving the question c. drawing conclusions d. reporting her results

13. The famous study of Phineas Gage, who survived when a metal rod pierced his skull, is an example of a

a. laboratory experiment. b. correlation. c. case study. d. survey.

14. A researcher finds that as her subjects increased the number of hours they spent exercising, the overall weight of
her subjects decreased. This would be an example of a _________ correlation.

a. positive b. negative c. zero d. causal

15. A researcher wants to study the effects of texting on driving. Students in Group A drive a car in a computer game
and see how many virtual accidents they have. Students in Group B are asked to drive the same virtual car but they
must respond to and send at least three texts. The number of virtual accidents is measured for each group. What is
the independent variable?

a. the virtual car b. texting c. the number of virtual accidents d. the group assignment

16. A researcher asks an assistant to conduct a study on her behalf. She specifically tells her assistant only to share
the results anonymously and not include the names of the students along with their scores. Such an experiment
would be considered a

a. double-blind experiment. b. single-blind experiment. c. correlational study. d. laboratory observation.

17. Double-blind studies control for

a. the placebo effect. b. the experimenter effect.

c. the placebo effect and the experimenter effect. d. extrinsic motivation.

18. In the stereotypes-and-athletes study, who was the control group?

a. those students who completed the survey prior to the intelligence test

b. those students who completed the survey after the intelligence test

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 c. those students who were not asked to complete the intelligence test

d. those students who did not take part in the study at all

19. Dr. Calvin needs just one more participant to complete her experiment. Lisa, a student of Dr. Calvin, has almost
completed the experiment when she announces she wants to quit because the experiment is boring. What options
does Dr. Calvin have?

a. Dr. Calvin can require that Lisa finish because students don’t have the same rights to quit an experiment as the
general public does.

b. Dr. Calvin can require that Lisa finish because boredom is not an acceptable excuse for quitting.

c. Dr. Calvin can make Lisa stay since she is a student of hers and she requires students to take part in her
experiments.

d. Dr. Calvin must let Lisa go and find another participant.

20. A famous golfer advertises a new golf bracelet that helps minimize fatigue while playing. If Bethany decides to
order the bracelet because she believes that such a well-known personality should know if it works or not, she has
made an error in which of the following?

a. Few “truths” do not need to be tested.

b. All evidence is not equal in quality.

c. Authority or expertise does not make the claims of the authority or expert true.

d. Critical thinking requires an open mind

2. The Biological Perspective

Neurons and Nerves: Building the Network

1. Which part of the neuron carries messages to other cells?

a. axon b. dendrite c. soma d. myelin

2. Which one of the following is NOT a function of glial cells?

a. getting nutrients to the neurons b. generating action potentials

c. cleaning up the remains of dead neurons d. generating myelin

3. When a neuron’s resting potential is occurring, the neuron is __________ charged on the inside.

a. positively b. negatively c. both positively and negatively d. neutrally

4. Neurotransmitters must pass from an axon terminal to the next dendrite by crossing a fluid-filled space called the

a. synapse. b. reuptake inhibitor c. neuron. d. glial cell.

5. The venom of a black widow spider acts as a(n) __________ by mimicking the effects of acetylcholine.

a. agonist b. antagonist c. protagonist d. glial cell

6. Which of the following is associated with pain relief?

a. acetylcholine b. glutamate c. serotonin d. endorphins

An Overview of the Nervous System

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 1. If you touch a hot stove, your spinal cord can prompt you to withdraw your hand without having to send the
message all the way to the brain. This is due to what scientists call

a. the reflex arc. b. neuroplasticity. c. the parasympathetic nervous system. d. the sympathetic nervoussystem.

2. What is the process whereby the structure and function of brain cells change in response to trauma, damage, or
even learning?

a. shallow lesioning b. deep lesioning c. cell regeneration d. neuroplasticity

3. The neurons of the sensory pathway contain

a. efferent neurons. b. afferent neurons. c. both efferent and afferent neurons. d. voluntary muscle fibers.

4. Yvonne’s ability to reach for and pick up her book is largely due to the functions of the _________ pathway of the
_____________ nervous system.

a. sensory; somatic b. motor; somatic c. autonomic; peripheral d. parasympathetic; autonomic

5. Which of the following would be active if you have just had an automobile accident?

a. sympathetic division b. parasympathetic division c. somatic division d. motor division

The Endocrine Glands

1. Your friend Melissa has suffered from diabetes for her entire life. She regularly tests her blood to make sure her
sugar levels are not too high or low. Which gland in her endocrine system is responsible for regulating her blood
sugar?

a. pancreas b. thyroid c. pituitary d. adrenal

2. Andrew has always been thin. In fact, he often seems to be able to eat whatever he wants without gaining weight.
The doctor told his parents that Andrew’s __________ gland is the cause of his fast metabolism.

a. pituitary b. adrenal c. thyroid d. pancreas

3. Although oxytocin has been tied to a variety of prosocial behaviors such as “love” and “trust,” some researchers
believe that in humans, it may actually work to increase ___________.

a. heart rate and empathy b. the importance of some social stimuli

c. negative pair bonding d. social loafing

4. Which gland(s) have the greatest influence over other components of the endocrine system?

a. gonads b. pineal c. pituitary d. pancreas

Looking Inside the Living Brain

1. Which of the following techniques involves passing a mild current through the brain to activate certain structures
without damaging them?

a. electroconvulsive tomography (ECT) b. magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

c. deep brain lesioning d. electrical stimulation of the brain (ESB)

2. Which of the following techniques analyzes blood oxygen levels to look at the functioning of the brain?

a. EEG b. CT c. fMRI d. PET

3. Dr. Roll is conducting a research study. She wants to measure the physical connectivity in the research
participants’ brains by imaging their white matter. Which of the following methods will she use?

a. diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) b. MRI spectroscopy

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 c. functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) d. computed tomography (CT)

4. If you were suffering from neurological problems and your neurologist wanted to have a study done of your brain
and its electrical functioning, which of the following techniques would be most appropriate?

a. PTI b. EEG c. PET d. DTI

From the Bottom Up: The Structures of the Brain

1. Which brain structure allows us to pay attention to certain stimuli while ignoring others?

a. medulla b. cerebellum c. reticular formation d. pons

2. Which brain structure relays incoming sensory information?

a. thalamus b. hypothalamus c. reticular formation d. pons

3. If you were to develop a rare condition in which you were not able to remember to be afraid of certain situations,
animals, or events, which part of the brain would most likely be damaged?

a. cingulate cortex b. hypothalamus c. thalamus d. amygdala

4. What part of the brain can sometimes be referred to as the “rind” or outer covering?

a. thalamus b. medulla c. corpus callosum d. cortex

5. In which of the following lobes of the cortex would you find the primary visual cortex?

a. frontal b. temporal c. occipital d. parietal

6. You have a dream in which you wake up to find that people around you are using words that make no sense.
What’s more, your friends don’t seem to understand you when you speak. At one point in your dream, your mom
tells you that you almost forgot your tree limb today. When you give her a puzzled look, she holds up your lunchbox
and repeats, “You know, your tree limb.” Your predicament in your dream is most like which of the following
disorders?

a. Wernicke’s aphasia b. Broca’s aphasia c. apraxia d. spatial neglect

Test Yourself

1. In the structure of the neuron, the __________ receives messages from other cells.

a. axon b. dendrite c. soma d. myelin

2. Oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells generate a fatty substance known as

a. glial. b. soma c. myelin. d. neurilemma.

3. Which of the following insulates and protects a neuron’s axon, as well as helps speed along electrical impulses?

a. synaptic knobs b. receptor sites c. myelin sheath d. neuromodulators

4. When a neuron is in the resting potential state, the neuron is negatively charged on the _________ and positively
charged on the _________.

a. inside; outside b. outside; inside c. top; bottom d. bottom; top

5. Which neurotransmitter stimulates muscle cells to contract but slows contractions in the heart?

a. acetylcholine b. GABA c. serotonin d. endorphin

6. Heroin mimics the actions of endorphins, inhibiting pain signals and creating a “high” feeling. Heroin is an example
of a(n):

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 a. protagonist. b. antagonist. c. agonist. d. glial cell.

7. Involuntary muscles are controlled by the __________ nervous system.

a. somatic b. autonomic c. sympathetic d. parasympathetic

8. As you take notes, your heart beats at a normal rate. Your breathing is normal and your stomach slowly digests
your earlier meal. What division of the peripheral nervous system is currently in action?

a. sympathetic b. parasympathetic c. autonomic d. somatic

9. Robert has had difficulty sleeping for the past 6 months, and his body seemingly no longer differentiates between
night and day. His doctor believes the problem lies with Robert’s endocrine system. What gland will Robert’s
physician focus on?

a. pituitary b. adrenal c. thyroid d. pineal

10. Which gland(s) is/are known to influence all other glands within the endocrine system?

a. pineal gland b. pituitary gland c. thyroid gland d. adrenal glands

11. Danielle is a subject in a study on memory and problem solving. The researcher is applying magnetic pulses to
her brain through copper wire coils positioned directly above her scalp. Danielle study would best be described as
a(n)

a. invasive stimulation technique. b. noninvasive stimulation technique.

c. EEG technique. d. PET technique.

12. Which technique of studying the brain involves injecting the patient with radioactive glucose?

a. EEG b. CT c. MRI d. PET

13. Maria often sleeps soundly and rarely awakens to any outside noise. However, the cries of Maria’s baby can
awaken her immediately. What part of the brain is responsible for this reaction?

a. medulla b. pons c. reticular formation d. cerebellum

14. Nicole and Camille are synchronized swimmers for their college swim team. They often work long hours to
ensure the movements in their routine are perfectly timed. What part of their brains must Camille and Nicole rely
most upon?

a. medulla b. pons c. reticular formation d. cerebellum

15. Your psychology professor refers to this as the great relay station of the brain. What part is he or she referring
to?

a. thalamus b. hypothalamus c. hippocampus d. amygdala

16. Which part of the brain is involved in the creation of memories and is often linked to Alzheimer’s disease?

a. hippocampus b. thalamus c. hypothalamus d. amygdala

17. Madison suffered a severe blow to the back of her head when she was thrown to the mat during a judo match.
Subsequently, her occipital lobe has been injured. Which of her senses has the highest chance of being affected?

a. hearing b. touch c. taste and smell d. vision

18. Jaime’s grandfather recently suffered a stroke and has had difficulty with language production ever since. Most
likely, he has experienced damage to the __________ area of his brain.

a. right rear b. left frontal c. left rear d. right frontal

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 19. Felicia is recovering from a brain injury. She is able to speak fluently but often uses incorrect words in a sentence.
In one instance at a friend’s birthday party, she said, “I would like something to drink. Can I have some battery?”
Felicia’s problem is known as

a. spatial neglect. b. visual agnosia. c. Broca’s aphasia. d. Wernicke’s aphasia.

20 Although the brain works largely as a whole, which of the following is not a correct pairing of hemisphere and
function?

a. left; control of right-handed motor functions b. right; control of right-handed motor functions

c. right; recognition of faces d. left; reading

3. Sensation and Perception

The ABCs of Sensation

1. ________ involves the detection of physical stimuli from our environment and is made possible by the activation
of specific receptor cells.

a. Perception b. Sublimation c. Adaptation d. Sensation

2. The lowest level of stimulation that a person can consciously detect 50 percent of the time the stimulation is
present is called

a. absolute threshold. b. just noticeable difference c. sensation. d. sensory adaptation.

3. After being in class for a while, ____________ is a likely explanation for not hearing the sound of the lights buzzing
above you until someone says something about it.

a. accommodation b. adaptation c. sublimation d. habituation

4. You are drinking a strong cup of coffee that is particularly bitter. After a while, the coffee doesn’t taste as strong as
it did when you first tasted it. What has happened?

a. sensory adaptation b. subliminal perception c. habituation d. perceptual defense

The Science of Seeing

1. Which of the following is largely determined by the length of a light wave?

a. color b. brightness c. saturation d. duration

2. Aside from the lens, damage to the ________ can affect the eye’s ability to focus light.

a. iris b. cornea c. pupil d. retina

3. In farsightedness, also known as _______________, the focal point is _____________ the retina.

a. presbyopia; above b. myopia; below c. hyperopia; beyond d. presbyopia; in front of

4. Colleen stares at a fixed spot in her bedroom using only one eye. After a while, what might happen to her vision?

a. Any small object that crosses her visual field very slowly may at one point disappear.

b. Any object that she focuses on will begin to rotate, first clockwise, then counterclockwise.

c. Objects will become more focused the longer she looks at them.

d. Objects will become more distorted the longer she looks at them.

5. What are the three primary colors as proposed by the trichromatic theory?

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 a. red, yellow, blue b. red, green, blue c. white, black, brown d. white, black, red

6. Which of the following best explains afterimages?

a. trichromatic theory b. opponent-process theory c. color-deficient vision d. monochrome color blindness

The Hearing Sense: Can You Hear Me Now?

1. The part of the ear that can be seen is also called the

a. pinna. b. oval window. c. organ of Corti. d. cochlea.

2. The oval window is found in what part of the ear?

a. outer ear b. middle ear c. inner ear d. The oval window is not a structure of the ear.

3. Which theory cannot adequately account for pitches above 1,000 Hz?

a. place b. frequency c. volley d. adaptive

4. Yoshi has suffered minor damage to the bones in his left middle ear. What treatment, if any, might help restore his
hearing?

a. a hearing aid

b. a cochlear implant

c. Both a hearing aid and a cochlear implant will be needed.

d. Such damage is permanent and cannot be remedied.

5. Which is considered the most common type of permanent hearing loss?

a. psychological hearing loss b. conductive hearing loss

c. frequency-based hearing loss d. sensorineural hearing loss

Chemical Senses: It Tastes Good and Smells Even Better

1. Taste is often called a ____________ sense because it works with the molecules of foods that people eat.

a. physical b. psychological c. chemical d. electrical

2. Research has found that taste information is sent to the

a. pons and medulla. c. cerebellum and parietal lobe.

b. suprachiasmatic nucleus. d. insula and frontal operculum.

3. How often are olfactory receptors replaced by new olfactory receptors?

a. every 12–24 hours b. every 2–3 days c. every 30 days d. every 5–8 weeks

4. Olfactory receptors project directly to the ________________ and are unique in that signals do not first connect
to the thalamus.

a. occipital lobe b. olfactory bulbs c. hypothalamus d. gustatory cortex

The Other Senses: What the Body Knows

1. __________ are tactile receptors that are located just beneath the skin and respond to changes in pressure.

a. Oligodendrocytes b. Free nerve endings c. Tactile interneurons d. Pacinian corpuscles

2. In gate-control theory, substance P

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 a. opens the spinal gates for pain. b. closes the spinal gates for pain.

c. is unrelated to pain. d. is similar in function to endorphins.

3. When you close your eyes and raise your hand above your head, you know where your hand is due to information
from

a. your otolith organs. b. the horizontal canals c. your proprioceptors. d. the semicircular canals.

4. Motion sickness often results from conflicting signals sent from the _______________ and from the _________.

a. eyes; vestibular organs b. brain; internal organs c. conscious; unconscious d. extremities; brain

The ABCs of Perception

1. When opening a door, the actual image on your retina changes drastically, but you still perceive the door as a
rectangle. This is an example of

a. size constancy. b. shape constancy. c. color constancy. d. brightness constancy.

2. Hunters who wear camouflage so that they can blend in with their surroundings are relying on which principle of
perception?

a. shape constancy b. expectancy c. figure–ground relationships d. depth perception

3. What monocular depth cue can best explain why railroad tracks appear to come together in the distance?

a. convergence b. linear perspective c. overlap d. texture gradient

4. The Müller-Lyer illusion occurs more frequently in

a. children than adults. c. people living in a Western culture.

b. men than women. d. individuals living in poverty.

5. Jason’s uncle claimed to have seen a black panther in the trees beside the highway, although no one else saw it.
Knowing that his uncle has been looking for a black panther for years, Jason attributes his uncle’s “sighting” to

a. perceptual set. b. perceptual defense c. bottom-up processing. d. cognitive convergence.

6. The first time Megan had to install a ceiling fan in her new home, it took a long time. But later when she helped
install a ceiling fan in her best friend’s home, she completed the job very quickly. Her improved speed and skill can
partially be attributed to

a. bottom-up processing. b. top-down processing c. perceptual expectancy. d. perceptual set.

Test Yourself

1. In making a large pot of chili for a family reunion, you find that you have to add 1 onion to your pot of chili that
already has 5 onions mixed in it to notice a difference. According to Weber’s Law, how many onions would you have
to add to notice a difference if you are making twice as much chili with 10 onions?

a. 1 b. 2 c. 4 d. 5

2. A study purportedly conducted by James Vicary teaches us what about the power of subliminal perception and its
effect on advertising?

a. Subliminal advertising can profoundly affect a consumer’s decision-making process.

b. Subliminal advertising affects a consumer’s decision-making process but only when it involves comfort foods such
as popcorn and soda.

c. Subliminal advertising is effective on those who believe in the power of the unconscious.

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 d. Subliminal advertising was never supported, since Vicary ultimately admitted that he never truly conducted such a
study

3. You detect the strong smell of cedar when you enter a furniture store. However, after a short while in the store,
you no longer can detect the smell. This process is known as

a. sensory adaptation. b. habituation. c. perceptual constancy. d. accommodation.

4. Which of the following terms refers to the amplitude of a light wave such as how high or low the wave is?

a. color b. brightness c. pitch d. hue

5. When an ophthalmologist surgically corrects a patient’s vision through LASIK or PRK, the doctor is making
adjustments to the patient’s

a. cornea. b. lens. c. retina. d. iris.

6. What part of the eye hardens as we age, thus causing many to suffer from presbyopia?

a. rods b. cones c. lens d. vitreous humor

7. A deer’s inability to quickly respond to the headlights of an approaching car is due to what sensory phenomenon?

a. dark adaptation b. light adaptation c. afterimage d. opponent-process theory

8. The hammer, the anvil, and the stirrup are part of the

a. outer ear. b. middle ear. c. inner ear. d. cochlea.

9. John has played his music loudly for years. Now, in his 20s, he finds he has a continuous ringing in both of his ears.
What would John probably be diagnosed with?

a. Tinnitus, which is a nerve-based disorder that has no permanent cure.

b. Conduction-based hearing impairment; however, hearing aids may be able to help.

c. Damage to the pinna, which can be corrected with surgery.

d. Regardless of the disorder, John will ultimately require a cochlear implant.

10. Studies show that taste preference can typically begin

a. before a baby is born. b. in the first 3 to 6 months after birth.

c. by age 1. d. during preschool.

11. Jude is suffering from a severe cold. His nose has been stopped up for several days. What effect, if any, might his
cold have on his sense of taste?

a. His sense of taste will be increased since he isn’t receiving additional sensory input from his smell.

b. His sense of taste will be dulled since taste and smell often work together.

c. His sense of taste will get better but not until 48 hours after he loses his sense of smell.

d. His sense of taste will be no better or worse since the senses of taste and smell are completely separate.

12. If a child suffers from congenital analgesia, why must he or she be careful when outside playing?

a. The child often cannot hear sounds unless he or she is within 3 feet of the source.

b. The child cannot feel pain and can suffer injuries without even knowing it.

c. The child lacks the ability to react to a dangerous situation.

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 d. The child’s sense of smell does not work properly.

13. If Tabitha closes her eyes when she rides in her parents’ car, she can still tell that the car is moving. This is due to
the movement of tiny crystals in the

a. outer ear. b. cochlea. c. otolith organs. d. middle ear.

14. A child may sometimes play by quickly turning around in a circle. When the child stops, he or she often feels like
his or her head is still spinning. What is responsible for this sensation?

a. fluid still rotating in the semicircular canal b. proprioceptors

c. compression of the otolith organs d. disruption of the otolith crystals

15. Little Karla is with her mother at the docks waiting for her daddy to return from his naval deployment. While the
boat is still a way out, her mother says, “There is daddy’s boat.” Karla is confused. She cannot understand how her
dad can be on a boat that is so small that she can hold up her thumb and cover the entire boat. It’s safe to assume
that Karla does not yet understand

a. size constancy. b. shape constancy. c. brightness constancy. d. color constancy.

16. XX XX XX XXXXXX

XX XX XX XXXXXX

XX XX XX XXXXXX

In viewing the items above, seeing three columns of Xs on the left versus three rows of Xs on the right can be
explained by the Gestalt principle of __________.

a. closure b. similarity c. proximity d. contiguity

17. From experience, you know that commercial jets typically fly around 500 miles per hour at a height of 30,000
feet. However, as you watch one fly high overhead, it seems to slowly pass by. What monocular depth cue best
explains this?

a. motion parallax b. linear perspective c. overlap d. texture gradient

18. The Müller-Lyer illusion is influenced greatly by one’s

a. age. b. gender. c. level of intellect. d. culture.

19. Allison opened her new jigsaw puzzle but soon realized that she had the same puzzle when she was a child. With
her past experience to rely upon, Allison will probably use __________ to help her reassemble the puzzle.

a. bottom-up processing b. top-down processing c. perceptual expectancy d. perceptual set

20. Kip enjoys playing with sparklers on the 4th of July. He always loves watching a friend run with a sparkler and the
momentary trail of light that seems to be left behind. Which aspect of our visual system best explains this trail of
light?

a. lateral inhibition b. microsaccades of the eyes c. persistence of vision d. achromatopsia

4. Consciousness

What Is Consciousness?

1. A change in the quality or pattern of mental activity, such as increased alertness or divided consciousness, is called
a(n)

a. waking consciousness. b. altered state of consciousness. c. transient state of consciousness. d. hallucination.

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 2. Consciousness can be defined as a set of action potentials occurring among neurons in which of the following
views?

a. behavioral b. sociocultural c. cognitive neuroscience d. evolutionary

3. Which of the following is an example of an automatic process?

a. Driving a car. b. Talking on a cell phone. c. Doing math problems. d. Brushing your teeth.

4. Which of the following statements is false?

a. It is safe to drive and talk on a cell phone as long as it is hands free.

b. Brushing your hair while talking on the phone is easy to do.

c. Texting while driving is more dangerous than talking on a cell phone while driving.

d. Driving while talking on a cell phone is as risky as driving while under the influence of alcohol.

Sleep

1. The sleep–wake cycle typically follows a 24-hour cycle and is regulated by the __________.

a. cerebellum b. frontal lobe c. pituitary gland d. suprachiasmatic nucleus

2. The pineal gland receives instructions from the __________ to release __________.

a. thalamus; dopamine b. occipital lobe; serotonin

c. suprachiasmatic nucleus; melatonin d. spinal cord; acetylcholine

3. Which of the following is involved in determining when we sleep?

a. body position b. digestion c. body temperature d. GABA

4. Which theory states that sleep is a product of evolution?

a. restorative theory b. reactive theory c. adaptive theory d. REM theory

5. Which of the following is a characteristic of stage N3, or slow-wave sleep?

a. paralysis of voluntary muscles b. increased heart rate

c. deepest level of sleep d. increased body temperature

6. Sleepwalking occurs in stage __________ sleep, whereas nightmares occur in stage __________ sleep.

a. N1; N2 b. R; N3 c. N2; N1 d. N3; R

Dreams

1. In Freud’s theory, the actual content of a dream is called

a. manifest content. b. latent content. c. symbolic content. d. hidden content.

2. Michael finds that most of his dreams are little more than random images that seemingly have been put into a
strange storyline. Which theory of dreams best explains this?

a. Freudian dream theory b. dreams for survival theory

c. activation-synthesis hypothesis d. Hall’s dreams as reflections of everyday life

3. According to Calvin Hall, around what are most dreams centered?

a. everyday life b. unfulfilled fantasies c. frightening events d. past childhood

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 4. Studies show that most people tend to

a. dream in black and white. b. dream in color. c. only have nightmares. d. not dream at all.

Hypnosis

1. The primary key to hypnosis is finding someone who

a. accepts suggestions easily. b. has a vivid imagination. c. is already very tired. d. is easily distracted.

2. Some researchers have suggested that hypnosis may work due to an individual’s personal expectations about
what being hypnotized is supposed to be like and the individual’s ability to play a particular role in the given social
situation. Which theory of hypnosis best accounts for these possible explanations for an individual’s behavior while
hypnotized?

a. dissociative theory b. expectancy theory c. social-cognitive theory d. biological theory

3. Your friend tells you she is seeing a therapist who wishes to use hypnosis as part of her therapy. However, your
friend is concerned that she might be hypnotized without knowing it. What might you tell her?

a. Be careful. Hypnotists are in control of you while hypnotized.

b. Not to worry. Hypnotists can only control their patient’s behavior about 40 percent of the time.

c. That you actually hypnotize yourself and you cannot be hypnotized against your will.

d. Don’t worry. Hypnosis is just an illusion and doesn’t really work.

4. Which theory of hypnosis includes the idea of a “hidden observer”?

a. social cognitive b. biological c. expectancy d. dissociative

The Influence of Psychoactive Drugs

1. As consequences to stopping drug use, headaches, nausea, shaking, and elevated blood pressure are all signs of

a. withdrawal. b. overdose. c. psychological dependency. d. amphetamine toxicity.

2. What drug’s physical withdrawal symptoms include severe mood swings (crash), paranoia, extreme fatigue, and
an inability to feel pleasure?

a. heroin b. caffeine c. alcohol d. cocaine

3. Which of the following statements about nicotine is true?

a. In terms of addictive power, nicotine is more powerful than heroin or alcohol.

b. Nicotine can slow the heart and therefore create a sense of relaxation.

c. Overall, the number of Americans smoking is on the increase.

d. Overall, the number of women and teenagers smoking is on the decrease.

4. _____________ is a tranquilizer that is also known as the “date rape” drug.

a. Halcion b. Librium c. Rohypnol d. Xanax

5. Typically, opiates have the ability to

a. cause intense hallucinations. b. suppress the sensation of pain.

c. stimulate the user. d. cause deep levels of depression.

6. Most studies of marijuana’s effects have found that

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 a. it creates a powerful psychological dependency. b. it creates a strong physical dependency.

c. it produces intense withdrawal symptoms. d. it is easy to overdose on the substance.

Test Yourself

1. Jane is aware that she is sitting in her psychology class and it is almost lunchtime. She is also aware of how tired
she is after staying up late to watch a movie. Thus, if Jane is aware of what is going on around her and what is going
on within her, then it is safe to say that she is in a(n)

a. state of waking consciousness. b. altered state of consciousness.

c. unconscious state. d. preconscious state.

2. What part of the brain is influential in determining when to sleep?

a. hippocampus b. hypothalamus c. thalamus d. frontal lobe

3. As the sun begins to set, Winston finds himself becoming more and more sleepy. What structure is sensitive to
light and influences when to go to sleep and when to awaken?

a. corpus callosum b. occipital lobe c. thalamus d. suprachiasmatic nucleus

4 Carlos is pulling an all-nighter in preparation for his big psychology test tomorrow. According to the research, what
is the result on Carlos’s memory when he deprives himself of sleep the night prior to his exam?

a. Carlos will retain information from staying up all night, but only if his test is early in the morning.

b. The ability to retain information can be influenced by the presence of sunlight. Thus, if the sun is shining, Carlos
will remember more than if it is a cloudy day.

c. Carlos will actually remember less if he deprives himself of sleep the night before.

d. Carlos’s memory will not be affected in any way assuming he only stays awake for one all-night study session.

5. Your uncle Karl, who recently retired, has mentioned how he doesn’t sleep as well as he did when he was younger.
For many years, he regularly slept about 7 to 8 hours, but now that he is in his 60s he tends to get only 5 to 6 hours
of sleep per night. What would you tell him?

a. Getting less sleep seems to be a common consequence of aging.

b. Getting less sleep as we age is not normal, since studies show we need more sleep as we age.

c. Getting less sleep is dangerous as we age. People should seek medical intervention to help them sleep.

d. Getting less sleep is associated with mental health problems in our later years. Uncle Karl should consider seeing a
psychologist.

6. You find yourself driving very late at night. As you are driving, you realize that you actually were falling off to sleep
for a couple of seconds. Such a phenomenon is known as

a. microsleep b. daydreaming. c. circadian rhythms. d. hypnic jerk.

7. Studies have found that certain chemicals that help repair damaged cells only function while we sleep. What
theory best explains this?

a. circadian rhythm of sleep b. adaptive theory of sleep

c. restorative theory of sleep d. sleep deprivation theory

8. In which stage of sleep do sleep spindles occur?

a. N1 b. N2 c. N3 d. R

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 9. Josef has had a very demanding day. Though his work is not physically challenging, it tends to mentally drain him.
Which type of sleep will Josef probably require more of?

a. N1 b. N2 c. N3 d. R

10. Your doctor has told you that your youngest son suffers from somnambulism. What is another name for
somnambulism?

a. insomnia b. sleepwalking c. sleep apnea d. narcolepsy

11. Gerald has difficulty falling off to sleep. Harley can fall off to sleep easily but often wakes up early. Dale typically
sleeps for 10 hours. All three are tired and not rested upon rising. Who seems to be experiencing insomnia?

a. Gerald b. Harley c. Dale d. All three suffer from insomnia.

12. Very young infants who suffer from sleep apnea may be more at risk for SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome.
Why might these infants have difficulty breathing?

a. Many of these infants are obese and therefore their airways are obstructed.

b. The brain stem is not yet fully mature.

c. The tissue lining in the nasal passageway may be obstructing their airflow.

d. No medical explanation has been determined.

13. Bill suddenly and without warning slips into REM sleep during the day. He often falls to the ground and is difficult
to awaken. Bill may have a condition called

a. sleep apnea. b. insomnia. c. narcolepsy. d. epilepsy.

14. Calvin had a dream about his dog Snoopy in which he constantly looked for him but couldn’t find him. In reality,
Calvin’s dog had died after being hit by a car. According to Sigmund Freud, his dream in which he was searching for
his dog is an example of ________________, while the inner meaning that he misses his dog terribly is an example of
________________.

a. wish fulfillment; manifest content b. latent content; wish fulfillment

c. latent content; manifest content d. manifest content; latent content

15. When Tawny is asked to write down her dreams as a class assignment, she is bothered by the fact that her
dreams often seem to jump randomly from scene to scene with little meaning. What theory best explains her
dreams?

a. activation-synthesis b. dreams-for-survival c. sociocultural theory d. Freudian

16. Anthony’s therapist is using hypnosis to help him recall the night he was supposedly abducted by aliens. Danny’s
therapist is using hypnosis to help him prepare for the pain of dental surgery because Danny is allergic to the
dentist’s painkillers. Patrick’s therapist is using hypnosis to help him quit drinking and smoking. Which client has the
highest chance for success?

a. Anthony b. Danny

c. Patrick d. All three can benefit from hypnosis because each technique is proven effective.

17. Bobby agreed to be hypnotized during a comedy routine. While hypnotized, he stood on his chair and crowed
like a rooster. Later, when his friends asked why he did this, Bobby replied that he didn’t know, it must have been
because he was hypnotized. What theory best explains his behavior?

a. the hidden observer theory of hypnosis b. the social-cognitive explanation of hypnosis

c. the biological theory of hypnosis d. the behavioral theory of hypnosis

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 18. Jackie has found that when she tries to quit drinking, she gets headaches, has night sweats, and shakes
uncontrollably. Such a reaction is an example of

a. psychological dependence. b. overdose. c. withdrawal. d. learned behavior.

19. What is the most commonly used and abused depressant?

a. alcohol b. Prozac c. tranquilizers d. caffeine

20. Which drug, depending on the dosage, can be a hallucinogen, stimulant, depressant, or painkiller?

a. marijuana b. opium c. PCP d. caffeine

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