Practice Exam Questions
The following questions should give you some idea of what to expect for the multiple choice portion of the exams. If you are unable to answer these questions even with the use of your notes, then this suggests that your notes are incomplete. Without complete notes, you will not do well on the actual exam.
Exam 1 questions are followed by exam 2, exam 3, and final exam questions.
Practice Exam 1
1. If a measure (scale) results in the same score each time it is given to the same individual, then this means it is;
a) reliable
b) valid
c) useless
d) unstable
2.
The approach to research involving a large number of
participants, questionnaires, but no manipulation of variables is called:
a) survey.
b) case study.
c) experimental.
d) naturalistic observation
3. Subjects recruited for Milgram's experiments involving shocks were initially told that they would be taking part in a study on;
a) the power of obedience
b) how much people enjoyed giving shocks
c) the effects of punishment on learning
d) the effects of rewards on learning
e) fear and learning
4. According to sociobiological theory, in short term relationships (relationships where there is no interest in long term commitment) a trait that is sought out by both males and females is;
a) financial stability
b) minimal (or ideally no) sexual experience
c) sexual availability
d) earning potential
5. Research (by Florence Geis in 1986) using female college students who viewed commercials in which the traditional
gender roles were reversed (e.g., a husband proudly serves dinner to his wife who is just returning from work) showed that
a) such commercials had no change on the behavior of females
b) a "negative" reaction occurred, whereby the females were more likely to enact traditionally female roles and values
c) females were more likely to adopt traditionally male roles and values
d) although it had no effect on the females, it did result in less extreme behavior on the part of males
6. In the 1950's Solomon Asch ran a series of studies to test the effects of conformity pressure. Subjects were shown a line
on a white card (target line). Afterwards, they were shown three lines and asked to indicate which of the three lines
matched the target line in length. Assuming you are a typical subject in this experiment and you know the correct
response, what are some factors that would make it hard for you to give the correct answer if the other subjects already
agreed upon a different and apparently incorrect response?
a) if the other subjects appeared to be of higher status than you
b) if the other subjects appeared to be in unanimous agreement with each other
c) if you thought you would be ridiculed for your different answer
d) all of the above
7. Most people are likely to be surprised by the results of Milgram's initial
obedience experiments because:
a) the "learners" made so few learning errors under stressful conditions
b) the "teachers" actually enjoyed shocking another person
c) the "learners" obediently accepted painful shocks with only minimal protest
d) the "teachers" were more obedient than most people would have predicted
e) all of the above are true.
8. Reaction time is a measure that is frequently used in psychology. It is measured on what kind of scale?
a) ratio
b) interval
c) nominal
d) ordinal
9. A mode is defined as;
a) the arithmetic average
b) the point at which half of the numbers are above and half are below
c) the range of all the scores
d) the most frequently occurring score
10. Given that Michael Jordan is probably a better basketball player than you, which of the following would give you the best statistical chance at beating him?
a) Playing a regulation 48-minute game of one-on-one.
b) Playing a game of one-on-one up to 21.
c) Playing a game of one-on-one where the first basket wins.
d) From a statistical standpoint, all of the above are equally likely to result in your losing.
1. The sense of taste includes the four basic sensations of:
a) bitter, sweet, cool, sour
b) sweet, sour, hot, bitter
c) sweet, sour, bitter, salty
d) sweet, sour, salty, spicy
2. The Opponent Process theory for color vision suggest that a single neuron is responsible for the detection of two colors. One (e.g., red) occurs when the neuron is _______, and one (e.g., green) occurs when it is ________.
a) yellow; blue
b) firing; inhibited (resting)
c) in the light; in the dark
d) in the rods; in the cones
e) the figure; the ground
3. After being in the swimming pool for 10 minutes the water temperature feels quite comfortable. However, the water felt very cold when you first got in. What physiological phenomenon can account for this effect?
a) sensory assimilation
b) perceptual accommodation
c) sensory adaptation
d) neural excitation
e) physiological arousal
4. The JND for weight is;
a) 1% b) 2% c) 5% d) 10% e) 20%
5. Erikson argued that the ability to enter into a loving relationship with others is resolved in what stage?
a) initiative vs. guilt
b) relationship vs. loneliness
6. Kohlberg's theory of moral reasoning argues that moral reasoning progresses from
a) a consideration of rewards and punishments to societal rules to internally held moral principles
b) a consideration of internally held moral principles to societal rules to rewards and punishments
c) a consideration of societal rules to rewards and punishments to internally held moral principles
d) thinking about society to thinking only about personal gains
7. Lev Vygotsky's view of cognitive development emphasizes the
a) influence of environment on cognitive development
b) role of maturation in cognitive development
c) role of genetic factors in cognitive development
d) influence of diet on cognitive development
8. The cognitive ability that allows you to know that a tall glass does not necessarily hold more liquid than a shorter, wider glass is
(according to Piaget) called the;
a) conservation of mass
b) maintenance of mass
9. The lobes located at the back of the head are largely responsible for:
a) visual processing
b) auditory processing
c) sensations of the skin and basic drives such as hunger
d) higher cognitive and motor functioning
Practice Exam 3
1. In Watson and Raynor's experiments with Little Albert, the conditioned response (CR) was:
a) the fear of the loud noise
b) the white rat
c) the loud noise
d) the fear of the white rat
e) all of the above
2. Most intelligence scales used today are;
a) too broad
b) culturally biased
c) too short
d) gender biased
e) biased against those who speak English
3. According to Freud, the most basic defense mechanism is known as;
a) reaction formation
b) projection
c) intellectualization
d) sublimation
e) denial
4. In which hemisphere is the ability for speech located?
a) the right d) the back (dorsal)
b) the left e) the top (crown)
c) the front
5. The best schedule to maintain behavior is the;
a) fixed ratio schedule
b) continuous schedule
c) fixed interval schedule
d) variable ratio schedule
6. When given the option of believing a true personality assessment as opposed to a fabricated, but positive and general assessment...
a) most people prefer (believe) the true assessment
b) most people prefer (believe) the fabricated assessment
c) most people prefer (believe) to ignore both types of assessments
d) most people will believe both equally
7. Systematic desensitization is best used to treat;
a) depression
b) phobias
c) alcoholism
d) schizophrenia
8. A neural impulse will travel faster when
a) it fires more quickly
b) portions of the neuron are covered with a myelin sheath
c) it fires at least 4 times
d) portions of the neuron have extra neurotransmitters
e) all of the above
Practice - Final exam
1. Conversion disorder (previously known as hysteria) involves the manifestation of some physical symptom that is thought to be psychologically driven. One identifying feature is that there may be "selective demonstration" of the symptom (e.g., a hand paralysis might not be present while the patient is sleeping). Which of the following represent any of the remaining features commonly associated with conversion disorder that distinguish it from a medical condition (like, for example, a true paralysis)?
a) indifference towards the physical symptom
b) the physical symptom is neurologically impossible
c) the physical symptom relieves the individual from some responsibility
d) all of the above
2. When considering the physiological effects of cocaine, it is classified as;
a) a hallucinogen
b) a stimulant
c) a distortant
d) a depressant
e) none of the above
3. Exogenous depression is marked by;
a) a long course
b) a mixture of manic episodes
c) a clear external trigger (e.g., divorce, job loss, etc.)
d) all of the above
e) none of the above
4. When it takes less of a drug to have the same physiological effect, then this is known as;
a) a "cheap date effect"
b) extra tolerance
c) reverse tolerance
d) no tolerance
e) timed tolerance
5. Symptoms of schizophrenia do NOT typically include which of the following?
a) delusions
b) hallucinations
c) flat affect
d) loss of motivation/interests
e) anxiety
6. Retrograde amnesia refers to when one can't recall anything;
a) after a stressor or injury
b) prior to a stressor or injury
c) prior to AND after a stressor or injury
d) that occurred at the time of a stressor or injury
7. Memories stored by some visual representation in the sensory register are usually referred to as;
a) iconic memories
b) echoic memories
c) semantic memories
d) visual memories
e) none of the above