Why do scientists and researchers use statistical methods to determine whether their
results are statistically significant?
A.They want to find out whether their findings would be likely to occur by chance.
B.They want to report the mean, median, and mode of their data.
C.They want to collect information on the reliability of the measures they used.
D.They want to interrogate the external validity of their research.
According to the sociocognitive theory, hypnosis is:
A.a trancelike state.
B.a dissociative state.
C.a social act.
D.fake.
Place coding occurs mostly at the ________of the basilar membrane, while temporal
coding takes place mostly at the ________ of the basilar membrane.
A.base; tip
B.tip; base
C.outer duct; inner duct
D.inner duct; outer duct
Mary and Brian see a machine on the television program American Inventor. Mary
wants to know what parts make up the machine, but Brian wants to know its purpose.
Mary’s approach is most similar to the ________ school of psychology, while Brian’s
approach is most similar to the ________ school of psychology.
A.structuralist; functionalist
B.functionalist; structuralist
C.Gestalt; psychoanalytic
D.psychoanalytic; Gestalt
Which of the following is a source of evidence that human skin color is genetically
more complex than flower color in Mendel’s experiments?
A.Humans are more complicated than plants.
B.Humans have a large range of skin tones.
C.Mammals and plants follow completely different genetic principles.
D.Humans do not have dominant genes.
Amanda plays the violin professionally and can easily distinguish between a high C
note and a high
B note. What kind of process is responsible for Amanda’s ability to make this
distinction and where does it take place?
A.place coding; base of basilar membrane
B.temporal coding; tip of basilar membrane
C.place coding; tip of basilar membrane
D.temporal coding; base of basilar membrane
Imagine that scientists have developed an experimental medication that completely
blocks the sensation of pain. This medication most likely targets:
A.the amygdala.
B.the autonomic nervous system.
C.interneurons.
D.somatosensory nerves.
Based on your text’s discussion of scientific inquiry, the goals of psychological science
include each of the following EXCEPT ________ behavior and mental processes.
A.explaining
B.controlling the causes of
C.synthesizing
D.predicting
Operational definitions make it possible for researchers to:
A.think about abstract qualities of their measures.
B.randomly assign participants to different conditions.
C.identify variables and record their quantities.
D.none of the above.
Days after breaking his nose in a football game, Ben still perceives a dull pain in his
nose. The dull ache travels along ________ pain fibers, which are ________.
A.slow; unmyelinated
B.slow; myelinated
C.fast; unmyelinated
D.fast; myelinated
Alex is at a rock concert. When his ears send a signal to his brain that he has heard a
sound, this process is most accurately called ________. But when he recognizes that the
sound is his favorite song, this process is most accurately called ________.
A.sensation; perception
B.false alarm; hit
C.perception; sensation
D.hit; false alarm
Terry, a split-brain patient, is shown two pictures simultaneously: the right side of her
visual field is presented with a pencil, and the left side of her visual field is presented
with a pen. When Terry is asked to pick up the item she saw from an array of objects,
she is most likely to pick up:
A.a pencil with her left hand.
B.a pencil with her right hand.
C.a pen with her left hand.
D.a pen with her right hand.
The central nervous system (CNS) consists of:
A.the brain and spinal cord.
B.the somatic and autonomic nervous systems.
C.the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
D.the central and peripheral nervous systems.
The ethical treatment of animals is important to consider for:
A.any study using vertebrates.
B.only studies using mice.
C.any study conducted by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).
D.only studies using more than 100 animals.
In which of the following ways are conducting research with humans versus animals
similar?
A.Consent is necessary for both.
B.Animals are used as research models for humans, and humans are used as research
models for animals.
C.Both require approval by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).
D.Ethics are an important consideration for both.
Which theory of sleep would explain why Jon slept an extra four hours after running a
marathon?
A.circadian rhythms theory
B.facilitation of learning theory
C.restorative theory
D.paradoxical theory
Kaley has a big presentation at work. Afterward, her boss tells her she did a terrible job
and fires her immediately. Given what you know about the self-serving bias, how will
Kaley explain this situation?
A.I did poorly on this presentation because I am stupid.
B.I did poorly on this presentation because the topic was confusing and my boss did not
give me enough time to complete it.
C.I did well on this presentation because I am a good public speaker and I am smart.
D.I did well on this presentation because it was easy and my boss did most of the work.
What is one way the hypothalamus influences physical growth?
A.by affecting the release of growth hormone
B.by activating calcium receptors in the bones and tissues
C.by directing the reception of growth hormone at the receptor sites
D.by absorbing growth hormone
A college is planning on turning a grassy area into a parking lot. A researcher wants to
investigate the response of students about this change. She plans to give a questionnaire
to a random sample of students. It is likely that:
A.her results will generalize to the population of interest to her.
B.she will not be able to generalize her results because she is using a convenience
sample.
C.if she repeated the study with another random sample, she would get very different
results.
D.her findings are not representative of the attitudes of students on the campus.