PR9E #3 Flashcards by Skyler Grunberg

The hypothetico-deductive system is a…

(A) theory of learning described by Edward Thorndike in which he believed that one can only make a hypothesis through deductive reasoning

(B) theory of learning described by Clark Hull in which he believed he could predict human behavior by looking at all of the possible intervening variables that could determine a relationship between an input and an output

(C) theory of cognition described by Jean Piaget in which he believed that cognitive development improves as children test hypotheses in the world and deduce the results

(D) theory of problem solving described by Daniel Kahneman in which possible solutions are hypothesized and tested

(E) theory of cognition described by Lev Vygotsky to describe the way thoughts are tested through social interaction by observing the responses of others

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Which of the following is NOT a technique used in self-presentation?

(A) Self-promotion

(B) Self-verification

(D) Self-regulation

(E) Self-deprecation

(D) Self-regulation

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A child who watches a lot of violent television shows and movies, and plays violent video games may be more likely to imitate that violence in real life. This idea is consistent with the research of which of the following theorists?

(A) Albert Bandura

(B) David Buss

(D) Walter Mischel

(E) George Kelly

(A) Albert Bandura

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Allan Paivio’s dual coding theory suggests that memory…

(A) operates on two separate systems, short-term and long-term

(B) has two interacting components: verbal representations and mental images

(D) has both an implicit and explicit component

(E) has both a semantic and episodic component

(B) has two interacting components: verbal representations and mental images

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A schema is…

(A) a drawing or outline of a concept

(B) a mental framework guiding the processing of relevant information

(D) a bias

(E) an innate tendency toward viewing objects in particular ways

(B) a mental framework guiding the processing of relevant information

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Cephalocaudal and proximodistal refer to…

(A) children’s brain development and reach development in the first year of life

(B) children’s growth trends from the inside out and the top down, respectively

(D) children’s growth trends from top down and torso to the extremities, respectively

(E) children’s reach development, involving linking brain processes to limb movement

(D) children’s growth trends from top down and torso to the extremities, respectively

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According to Diana Baumrind, parents who set severe limits with their children and give the children little voice in decision-making processes are likely following the…

(A) authoritative style of parenting

(B) attachment style of parenting

(D) disciplinarian style of parenting

(E) permissive style of parenting

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Which of the following scenarios describes motion parallax?

(A) Looking out the front window of your car and seeing the lines on the highway converge, even though you know the lines on the highway are parallel

(B) When you are in a car driving down the highway and the trees appear to be moving along with you, the trees closer to the highway moving faster than the trees farther from the highway

(C) Knowing that in a picture of elks grazing in a field that the elks are approximately the same size in real life even if some appear much smaller or larger in the image

(D) Seeing an object appear to move if you stare at it first with one eye closed and one eye open and then switch eyes

(E) When we put on goggles that skew our vision by a 30-degree angle, for example, and then take them off, our perception is off by 30 degrees until we adapt back

(B) When you are in a car driving down the highway and the trees appear to be moving along with you, the trees closer to the highway moving faster than the trees farther from the highway

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Which of the following is true about an axon when it is in its resting potential state?

(A) The fluid inside the neuron has more positively charged ions than the fluid outside, resulting in selective permeability of the axon membrane.

(B) The fluid inside the neuron has more positively charged ions than the fluid outside, resulting from selective permeability of the axon membrane.

(C) The fluid inside the neuron has more negatively charged ions than the fluid outside, resulting from selective permeability of the axon membrane.

(D) The fluid inside the neuron has more negatively charged ions than the fluid outside, resulting in selective permeability of the axon membrane.

(E) The fluid inside and outside alternate between negatively and positively charged ions.

(C) The fluid inside the neuron has more negatively charged ions than the fluid outside, resulting from selective permeability of the axon membrane.

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All of the following are experienced during REM sleep EXCEPT…

(A) rapid eye movement

(B) paralysis of the large voluntary muscles

(D) dreaming

(E) high frequency brain waves

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Karina, a post-doctoral fellow at a local university, wanted to study the impact of trauma on the families of students who were veterans with active post-traumatic stress disorder. The research could possibly cause harm to the participants. What would Karina likely have to do?

(A) Get informed consent from the participants and create a structure within her research proposal to care for students who might be harmed in the research, such as providing them with free counseling or treatment for as long as necessary

(B) Not tell the institutional review board at all and hope that no one suffers

(D) Find a different research topic since there is never a reason to do harm to another human being

(E) Provide an adequate debriefing process for each participant and get informed consent

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Landsberger’s Hawthorne effect study…

(A) analyzed data from 1924–1932 about the level of light in a company, demonstrating that what was really happening was that the workers changed their level of productivity based on whether they did tasks alone or in collaboration with a co-worker

(B) analyzed data from 1924–1932 about the level of light in a company, demonstrating that what was really happening was that the workers changed their level of productivity based on the level of light in the factory while they worked

(C) analyzed data from 1924–1932 about the level of light in a company, demonstrating that what was really happening was that the workers changed their level of productivity based on the difficulty of the assigned task on the assembly line

(D) analyzed data from 1924–1932 about the level of light in a company, demonstrating that what was really happening was that the workers changed their level of productivity based on being observed

(E) analyzed data from 1924–1932 about the level of light in a company, demonstrating that what was really happening was that the workers changed their level of productivity based on which position they held on the assembly line and how much they felt their role impacted the final product

(D) analyzed data from 1924–1932 about the level of light in a company, demonstrating that what was really happening was that the workers changed their level of productivity based on being observed

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Martin Seligman is best known for his work on…

(A) learned helplessness and positive psychology

(B) learned helplessness and rational emotive behavioral therapy

(D) learned helplessness and aversion therapies

(E) rational emotive behavioral therapy and positive psychology

(A) learned helplessness and positive psychology

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Which memory store is believed to have the smallest capacity?

(A) Short-term memory

(B) Long-term memory

(D) Procedural memory

(E) Sensory memory

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Chanel is complaining that her therapist is very directive, giving her regular homework assignments to log her thoughts, feelings, and actions. She would prefer to see a therapist who is more nondirective and creates an atmosphere in the room where she feels prized regardless of what she may say. Chanel is likely seeing a ___________ therapist but wants to try ______________.

(A) client-centered; cognitive-behavioral

(B) behavioral; psychodynamic

(D) cognitive-behavioral; client-centered

(E) psychodynamic; client-centered

(D) cognitive-behavioral; client-centered

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A person commits the fundamental attribution error when they…

(A) attribute their own good behavior to the situation

(B) attribute another’s bad behavior to that person’s character

(D) attribute another’s good behavior to that person’s character

(E) attribute another’s bad behavior to the situation

(B) attribute another’s bad behavior to that person’s character

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Claire is a well-respected intelligence agent for the government. Her job is to prevent trouble before it happens by looking for conspiracies and connections between seemingly random events for patterns. However, sometimes she takes her job too far. She stays awake for days at a time, writing cards and mapping connections using the floor, the walls, the tables, and the furniture. When her boss arrives at her apartment, Claire believes she is clearly explaining all the intricacies to her boss, who in actuality cannot understand what she is saying because she is speaking so fast and making no sense. The boss believes Claire has lost touch with reality and needs professional help; the boss rushes Claire to the hospital where she is sedated. Claire begins to receive several medications and a referral for psychotherapy. When Claire is calmer and is able to give the clinician a history, she reveals that her father dealt with nearly identical issues for many years but was never treated before his death many years ago from suicide.

A clinician treating Claire would most likely diagnose _________ and use ____________ to treat her pharmacologically.

(A) bipolar disorder I; antidepressants

(B) bipolar disorder I; mood stabilizers

(D) hypomania; mood stabilizers

(E) major depressive disorder; antidepressants

(B) bipolar disorder I; mood stabilizers

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According to the diathesis stress model, Claire’s condition could most likely be linked to which combination of diathesis and stress?

(A) Diathesis: death of her father; Stress: her job

(B) Diathesis: family history of psychological disorders; Stress: the death of her father

(D) Diathesis: family history of psychological disorders; Stress: her job

(E) Diathesis: her stressful work; Stress: family history of psychological disorders

(D) Diathesis: family history of psychological disorders; Stress: her job

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The psychologist’s report assessing Claire’s condition might include all of the following EXCEPT…

(A) a treatment plan

(B) assessment instruments used

(D) prognosis

(E) risk assessment

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Had Claire’s condition gone untreated for some time, which of the following would have most likely happened next?

(A) She would have lapsed into a deep depressive episode.

(B) She would have experienced a psychotic break.

(D) She would have continued in that state indefinitely.

(E) She would have developed a personality disorder.

(A) She would have lapsed into a deep depressive episode.

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Riya’s native language is English, but she learned French in high school and German in college. Occasionally, when speaking French, she will only remember a particular word in German, and when speaking German, she may only remember a particular word in French. Riya is experiencing…

(A) proactive and retroactive interference, respectively

(B) memory decay in both cases

(D) memory displacement in both cases

(E) memory decay and memory displacement, respectively

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Allen Newell and Herbert Simon proposed that when humans encounter and try to solve novel problems, they most often rely upon…

(A) heuristics

(B) inductive reasoning

(D) framing effects

(E) eidetic imagery

(A) heuristics

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Organizing the letters C-B-S-N, F-L-C, and I-A into C-B-S, N-F-L, and C-I-A is an example of which encoding strategy?

(A) Dual coding

(B) Rehearsal

(D) Chunking

(E) Simplistic

(D) Chunking

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Klinefelter’s syndrome is…

(A) a genetic condition that occurs when a boy is born with an additional X chromosome, often resulting in lower testosterone production and problems with producing sperm in adulthood

(B) a genetic condition in which a baby is born without the ability to process the amino acid phenylalanine, causing a build-up of the acid, which can be toxic

(C) a genetic condition that occurs when a baby is born with three X chromosomes, often resulting in above average height and impaired verbal development

(D) a genetic condition in which a girl is born with only one X chromosome, often resulting in a webbed neck, incomplete sexual development, and verbal impairment

(E) a genetic condition in the 21st pair of chromosomes fail to separate during meiosis, resulting in intellectual and physical impairments, as well as distinctive physical features

(A) a genetic condition that occurs when a boy is born with an additional X chromosome, often resulting in lower testosterone production and problems with producing sperm in adulthood

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All of the following are sex-related changes in men or women in middle adulthood EXCEPT... (A) loss of bone mass (B) declines in the production of androgens (C) perimenopause (D) accumulation of subcutaneous fat (E) increased difficulty in achieving erections

(D) accumulation of subcutaneous fat

Alan was suffering with terrible seizures multiple times a day. In order to treat the seizures, his doctors opted to sever his corpus callosum. The surgery gave him relief from the seizures, but the doctors noticed that... (A) if a picture were presented to Alan’s left visual field, he could name it, but if it were presented to the right, he could not name it but could draw it (B) Alan suffered no side effects of the procedure (C) Alan lost his ability to speak, but gained the ability to play the piano (D) if a picture were presented to Alan’s right visual field, he could name it, but if it were presented to the left, he could not name it but could draw it (E) Alan lost his ability to play the piano, but gained the ability draw and paint

(D) if a picture were presented to Alan’s right visual field, he could name it, but if it were presented to the left, he could not name it but could draw it

The need theory, which describes motivation in terms of a need for achievement, power, or affiliation, was developed by... (A) Abraham Maslow (B) Clark Hull (C) Carl Rogers (D) David McClelland (E) Rollo May

(D) David McClelland

A researcher travelling into the remote part of the Amazon to study a tribe speaking a language common only to that tribe and then trying to understand how the tribe’s language reflects their culture, lifestyle, and history would be doing... (A) correlational research (B) ethnographic research (C) mixed methods research (D) case study research (E) biographical study

(B) ethnographic research

Which of the following is NOT true about nonverbal communication? (A) The meaning of hand gestures and touching are culturally dependent. (B) What is considered staring in one country may be considered shifty eyed in another. (C) A variety of facial expressions seem to be consistent across cultures. (D) Microexpressions are actually useless in determining deception. (E) Paralinguistic cues, such as changes in vocal tones and pitch, can provide guides to people’s emotions.

(D) Microexpressions are actually useless in determining deception.

According to the drive-reduction theory, (A) a person will experience a need, such as a lack of food, then experience a drive, such as hunger, and then engage in a drive-reducing behavior, such as grabbing a snack from the refrigerator (B) a person will experience a drive, such as hunger, and then experience a need, such as a lack of food, and then engage in a drive-reducing behavior, such as grabbing a snack from the refrigerator (C) a person will engage in a drive-reducing behavior, such as grabbing a snack, in order to prevent the drive, hunger, from ever happening (D) a person will experience a need, such as needing to get their homework done, and engage in a goal-directed behavior, such as doing their homework, to reduce the need and restore balance (E) a person will engage in a goal-directed behavior, such as napping, in order to prevent the need for sleep from interfering with their day

(A) a person will experience a need, such as a lack of food, then experience a drive, such as hunger, and then engage in a drive-reducing behavior, such as grabbing a snack from the refrigerator

Kristy, a four-year-old fraternal twin, notices that her twin brother has “something different” down there compared to her. Sigmund Freud would likely say this child is going through the... (A) phallic stage of psychosexual development (B) anal stage of psychosexual development (C) latency stage of psychosexual development (D) trust vs. mistrust stage of psychosocial development (E) self-interest stage of moral development

(A) phallic stage of psychosexual development

If a doctor is looking to see what specific areas were impacted by a stroke, the imaging technique that would provide the most detail would be... (A) electroencephalogram (B) electrooculogram (C) magnetic resonance imaging (D) computed tomography (E) positron emission tomography

(E) positron emission tomography

Melissa, a psychotherapist, practices from the ideological orientation that a client needs to bring the real and ideal selves together in order to help a person live up to their highest potential. This orientation would likely be... (A) existential (B) humanistic (C) psychodynamic (D) integrative (E) behavioral

(B) humanistic

Katherine remembers exactly where she was at the moment she learned of the attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. She remembers every detail of what she was doing and how she responded. This is an example of... (A) a flashbulb memory (B) an elaborative memory (C) a false memory (D) a reconstructed memory (E) the misinformation effect

(A) a flashbulb memory

Peer relationships become most important in a person’s development at which of the following stages? (A) School-age (approximately 6–12) (B) Adolescence (approximately 13–18) (C) Young adulthood (approximately 20–45) (D) Preschool (approximately 3–6) (E) Infancy (approximately birth to age 2)

(B) Adolescence (approximately 13–18)

In the movie Memento, the lead character has lost his ability to consolidate short-term memory into long term memory, and instead, relies on Polaroid photographs to replace his long-term memory. The part of his brain most likely damaged is the... (A) pons (B) amygdala (C) hypothalamus (D) hippocampus (E) frontal lobe

(D) hippocampus

Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky conducted well-known research into how people manage risk and uncertainty, finding that the pain of losing is more powerful than the pleasure from winning. When confronted with possibility of, for example, flipping a coin and having a 50 percent chance of winning $100 and a 50 percent chance of losing $100, people were more likely to be afraid of the loss than pleased by the gain. Kahneman’s and Tversky’s early work looked specifically at financial loss and gain. The decision-making principle indicated above is known as... (A) the availability heuristic (B) the representativeness heuristic (C) prospecting (D) risk aversion (E) conflict theory

(D) risk aversion

Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky conducted well-known research into how people manage risk and uncertainty, finding that the pain of losing is more powerful than the pleasure from winning. When confronted with possibility of, for example, flipping a coin and having a 50 percent chance of winning $100 and a 50 percent chance of losing $100, people were more likely to be afraid of the loss than pleased by the gain. Kahneman’s and Tversky’s early work looked specifically at financial loss and gain. In Kahneman and Tversky’s studies, all of the following may have been confounding variables EXCEPT... (A) age (B) race/ethnicity (C) size of the amount of the potential gain or loss (D) gender (E) occupation

(A) age

A common practice in elementary school education is to encourage younger students to write without worrying about spelling or grammar, and only later begin to introduce the rules of spelling and grammar. This would correspond with which of the following behaviorist principles? (A) Fixed interval learning (B) Discrimination (C) Shaping (D) Generalization (E) Variable ratio reinforcement

Which of the following is NOT a component of deindividuation? (A) Negative affect (B) Anonymity (C) High arousal (D) Crowds (E) Primal “group” brain

(A) Negative affect

Baddeley and Hitch proposed a model of short-term/ working memory featuring two separate “slave systems” arose from the discovery that... (A) when people engaged in two simultaneous and similar tasks, they could perform each with efficiency (B) when people engaged in multiple tasks, neither could be performed with any real efficiency (C) when people engaged in multiple tasks, one tended to be performed better than the other (D) when people engaged in two simultaneous tasks, they could perform each with efficiency, regardless of the task type (E) when people engaged in two simultaneous tasks requiring two separate domains, such as visual and verbal, they were able to perform each with efficiency

(E) when people engaged in two simultaneous tasks requiring two separate domains, such as visual and verbal, they were able to perform each with efficiency

Bennett is conducting research with young students who may or may not have learning disabilities and commits a type 1 error. As a result... (A) a person who does have a learning disability is diagnosed as not having one (B) a person who doesn’t have a learning disability is diagnosed with one (C) a person who does have a learning disability is diagnosed with one (D) a person who does have a learning disability is diagnosed with a different one from the one they actually have (E) a person who doesn’t have a learning disability is diagnosed as not having one

(B) a person who doesn’t have a learning disability is diagnosed with one

Kenneth Bancroft Clark and Mamie Phipps Clark are known for what landmark study? (A) The Doll Tests (B) The Marshmallow Test (C) The Halo Effect experiment (D) The Stanford Prison experiment (E) The Learned Helplessness experiments

(A) The Doll Tests

A chi-square is used... (A) to describe how much difference there is between your observed data and the data one would expect if there were no relationship between the variables (B) to determine the margin of error in statistical probability (C) when the sampling distribution is close to normal (D) to determine the alpha level (E) to aid with regression analysis

(A) to describe how much difference there is between your observed data and the data one would expect if there were no relationship between the variables

Poisons and other drugs act on neurotransmitters... (A) either by mimicking the neurotransmitter in the case of agonist drugs, or blocking the neurotransmitter in the case of antagonist drugs (B) either by mimicking the neurotransmitter in the case of antagonist drugs, or blocking the neurotransmitter in the case of agonist drugs (C) by blocking the neurotransmitter in the case of both agonist and antagonist drugs (D) by mimicking the neurotransmitter in the case of both agonist and antagonist drugs (E) by acting on the postsynaptic receptor site like a key in a lock

(A) either by mimicking the neurotransmitter in the case of agonist drugs, or blocking the neurotransmitter in the case of antagonist drugs

When his mother leaves the room, little Anthony, 13 months old, cries bitterly. When she returns, he continues to sob. He lets his mother hold him, but he pushes her away as she’s trying to hold him. It is likely that Anthony has... (A) anxious-avoidant attachment (B) disorganized attachment (C) belligerent attachment (D) secure attachment (E) anxious-ambivalent attachment

(E) anxious-ambivalent attachment

A group of critical care doctors meet to discuss new protocols for the treatment of a potentially deadly virus. The group supports a treatment plan including a two-dose vaccine and preventative vitamin supplements. Some members, however, are concerned about the possibility of toxic side effects of this combination. When they try to bring it up, the group dismisses their concerns and votes overwhelmingly in favor of the treatment plan. This scenario is an example of ... (A) group polarization (B) stereotype threat (C) peer pressure (D) social facilitation (E) groupthink

(E) groupthink

Noam Chomsky believed that language development... (A) is innate, due to the presence in the brain of a language acquisition device, which allows normally developing children to acquire language when exposed to it during a critical period (B) is innate, due to the presence in the brain of a language acquisition device, which allows all humans to acquire language when exposed to it during a critical period (C) is innate, due to the presence in the brain of a language acquisition device, which allows all children to learn language through social interaction (D) is acquired through reinforcement and punishment, as children are born with a blank slate (E) is acquired through social interaction, but only when the other’s language skills are within the zone of proximal development

(A) is innate, due to the presence in the brain of a language acquisition device, which allows normally developing children to acquire language when exposed to it during a critical period

Transduction in sensory processing refers to... (A) converting neural stimuli into electrical energy (B) interactions between neurons as the stimulus is processed (C) when the electrical signals are transformed by the brain into meaningful experiences (D) when the sensory stimulus activates the appropriate receptors (E) when humans engage in goal-directed behaviors in response to the stimulus

(A) converting neural stimuli into electrical energy

The mesolimbic dopamine pathway, associated with the brain’s reward system, connects which two structures? (A) Ventral tegmental area to the pons (B) Pons to the nucleus accumbens (C) Ventral tegmental area to the synaptic clefts (D) Ventral tegmental area to the nucleus accumbens (E) Synaptic clefts to the pons

(D) Ventral tegmental area to the nucleus accumbens

In 2008, Stark, Kim, Miller, and Borgida published a study on the effectiveness of graphic warnings (i.e., pictures) for reducing the appeal of tobacco products. The researchers exposed both smokers and nonsmokers to combinations of large versus small warning labels and the inclusion versus omission of graphic pictures on three types of tobacco products. In one group, the participants saw advertisements for three products (tobacco, smoking cessation lozenges, and reduced exposure cigarettes). The other group’s participants saw either a Surgeon General’s tobacco warning label, or a graphic picture. For both groups, the researchers varied the size of the advertisement. What might be used as an operational definition for the reduced appeal? (A) Buying fewer tobacco products over the course of the year following the study (B) How many friends they told about the effects the experiment had on them (C) A questionnaire with a 7-point Likert scale indicating attitudes about smoking’s appeal to them (D) Measurements of cortisol and dopamine levels (E) The Beck Depression Inventory scale to measure how they felt about the images

In 2008, Stark, Kim, Miller, and Borgida published a study on the effectiveness of graphic warnings (i.e., pictures) for reducing the appeal of tobacco products. The researchers exposed both smokers and nonsmokers to combinations of large versus small warning labels and the inclusion versus omission of graphic pictures on three types of tobacco products. In one group, the participants saw advertisements for three products (tobacco, smoking cessation lozenges, and reduced exposure cigarettes). The other group’s participants saw either a Surgeon General’s tobacco warning label, or a graphic picture. For both groups, the researchers varied the size of the advertisement. If the research described was changed so that there was only one group consisting of smokers who saw the large warning labels and the graphic pictures, and the group’s attitudes were measured before they began the study and after the study was over, the study’s design would now be a... (A) correlational study (B) between-subjects study (C) phenomenological study (D) within-subjects study (E) comparison study

(D) within-subjects study

Which of the following correctly describes the stages of speech development in children? (A) Cooing, babbling, overextension, telegraphic speech, overregularization (B) Cooing, babbling, overregularization, overextension, telegraphic speech (C) Babbling, cooing, overextension, overregularization, telegraphic speech (D) Babbling, cooing, telegraphic speech, overextension, overregularization (E) Cooing, babbling, telegraphic speech, overextension, overregularization

(A) Cooing, babbling, overextension, telegraphic speech, overregularization

According to classical conditioning theories, learning is most effective when the unconditioned stimulus is presented in which pairing sequence? (A) Simultaneous pairing (B) Trace pairing (C) Response pairing (D) Delayed pairing (E) Backward pairing

(D) Delayed pairing

In the second wave of feminism of the 1960s and 1970s, many men did not want women to have more opportunities in traditionally “male” positions, such as doctors and CEOs, keeping women in those fields relegated to positions as nurses or secretaries, because the men felt that there would not be enough doctor and CEO positions left for them if women filled those positions. This perspective exemplifies... (A) realistic conflict theory (B) superordinate goals (C) glass ceiling effect (D) glass cliff effect (E) stereotype threat

(A) realistic conflict theory

Risk-taking behaviors in teens has been linked biologically to... (A) synaptic pruning, removing connections to their amygdalas and thus reducing the fear response (B) a prevalence of drugs and alcohol in school and in the community (C) excess serotonin and norepinephrine present in the brain from excessive video game play (D) the fact that the prefrontal cortex, responsible for decision-making and planning, is not yet fully developed until one is in their mid-20s (E) the epigenetic changes to the brain

(D) the fact that the prefrontal cortex, responsible for decision-making and planning, is not yet fully developed until one is in their mid-20s

Walter Mischel’s famous “marshmallow experiment” is a dramatic example of what type of study? (A) Cross-sectional studies (B) Heritability studies (C) Case studies (D) Naturalistic studies (E) Longitudinal studies

(E) Longitudinal studies

The magical number seven study, determining that human working memory can hold only 7 +/– 2 items at any given time was published by... (A) Leon Festinger (B) George A. Miller (C) Edward Tolman (D) Donald Hebb (E) Alan Baddeley

(B) George A. Miller

In order to get more information about attitudes a person may be unwilling or unable to report, or attitudes they may not even be aware of, a research study might use... (A) the Beck Depression Inventory (B) the Buss Perry Aggression Questionnaire (C) the Hamilton Rating Scale (D) the Implicit Association Test (E) the Reference Groups Inventory

(D) the Implicit Association Test

According to Weber and Fechner, in order to detect change, two stimuli... (A) must differ by a constant percentage, which varies by stimulus type but remains constant for a given stimulus (B) must differ by a constant proportion, which remains constant across different stimulus types (C) must differ by a constant proportion, which varies by stimulus type but remains constant for a given stimulus (D) must differ by a constant amount, which varies by stimulus type but remains constant for a given stimulus (E) must differ by a constant amount, which remains constant across different stimulus types

Reggie suffers a stroke near where the parietal lobe borders with the occipital lobe. The symptom she is most likely experiencing is... (A) loss of memory (B) right side paralysis (C) left side paralysis (D) loss of the ability to understand speech (E) visual and sensory hallucinations

(E) visual and sensory hallucinations

Understanding that there are only two givens in human existence—that we are born into a human body and that we die—and everything else involves elements of freedom, choice, and responsibility is consistent with the writings of... (A) Carl Rogers (B) Rollo May (C) Abraham Maslow (D) Neal Miller (E) Hans Eysenck

(B) Rollo May

The famous research study involving baby geese and how they imprint on the first moving stimulus they see within a critical period of about 13–16 hours after birth was conducted by... (A) John Bowlby (B) Konrad Lorenz (C) Mary Main (D) Mary Ainsworth (E) Erik Erikson

(B) Konrad Lorenz

Claude is conducting research into the effectiveness of three different behavioral therapies on smoking cessation. The best way to statistically work with his data would be to use... (A) the correlation coefficient (B) one-way ANOVA (C) two-way ANOVA (D) T-tests (E) measures of central tendency

(B) one-way ANOVA

In his studies on memory, Herman Ebbinghaus chose to use nonsense syllables for all the following reasons EXCEPT: (A) They were uniformly difficult. (B) They were accurately measurable. (C) They were plentiful. (D) They were rhythmic. (E) It was unlikely that participants could create associations to them.

(D) They were rhythmic.

Oscar spends much of his day in front of the television. On the news one day is a report of a terrible bungee-jumping disaster in a remote part of the world, where many people die and more are injured. For several days, Oscar hears continuous coverage of this disaster. According to the availability heuristic, Oscar will... (A) donate any of his available funds to the rescue and relief effort (B) compare this incident to other tragic events he has heard about in recent memory (C) become very afraid of dying in a bungee-jumping accident, even though he doesn’t bungee-jump (D) feel sympathy for the victims but relief that he is at home on his sofa (E) feel that the victims got what they deserved for taking such a huge risk

All of the following psychoactive drugs are believed to increase alertness or energy EXCEPT... (A) cocaine (B) ketamine (C) nicotine (D) caffeine (E) MDMA

(B) ketamine

All of the following are directly involved in kinesthetic sensing EXCEPT... (A) semicircular canals (B) joint receptors (C) free nerve endings (D) muscle spindles (E) Golgi tendon organs

(A) semicircular canals

An individual who presents as attention-seeking, dramatic, overly emotional, and inclined to speak in a vague and impressionistic style most likely has which one of the following personality disorders? (A) Narcissistic (B) Antisocial (C) Histrionic (D) Schizotypal (E) Obsessive-compulsive

Which of the following statistics, if true, would provide the most support for the assertion that poverty causes drug addiction? (A) 69% of poor people are drug addicts. (B) 98% of drug addicts are poor. (C) 85% of poor people are drug addicts, and for 80% of those individuals, they were poor for at least five years before they became drug addicts. (D) Whenever rates of poverty increase among the population, rates of drug addiction increase proportionately. (E) Whenever rates of drug addiction decrease among the population, rates of poverty decrease proportionately.

(C) 85% of poor people are drug addicts, and for 80% of those individuals, they were poor for at least five years before they became drug addicts.

The theory that alcoholism is genetic is best supported by which one of the following scenarios? (A) Dizygotic twins are reared together; both are alcoholic (B) Monozygotic twins are reared apart; neither is alcoholic (C) Monozygotic twins are reared together; both are alcoholic (D) Monozygotic twins are reared apart; both are alcoholic (E) Dizygotic twins are reared apart; only one is alcoholic

(D) Monozygotic twins are reared apart; both are alcoholic

A teacher tells her class that she is going to read a list of words, and the student who can subsequently recall the greatest number of words will win a prize. She reads the following list of words in this order: bird, foot, house, cake, table, mind, car, snow, bath, dress, pen, yarn, and green. She then asks the students to write down all the words they remember. On average, the class will... (A) be more likely to remember the word “foot” than the word “green,” owing to the recency effect (B) be more likely to remember the words “bird” and “green” than the word “car,” owing to serial position effects (C) be more likely to remember the word “snow” than the word “yarn,” owing to the recency effect (D) be more likely to remember the words in the middle of the list than those at the beginning, owing to the primacy effect (E) be more likely to remember certain words randomly than to recall any of the words based on serial position

(B) be more likely to remember the words “bird” and “green” than the word “car,” owing to serial position effects

The just-world hypothesis is best exemplified by which one of the following situations? (A) Scott, who is typically kind, is mean to another boy because everyone else at school is. (B) Beth is convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Many people take up her cause, asserting that she is actually innocent. (C) Henry is extremely good-looking and popular. His baseball teammates elect him team captain, despite his lack of relevant experience and irresponsible behavior. (D) Meg is fired from her job and her friends and family support her claim of racial discrimination. (E) Ralph is beaten up by a gang of hoodlums on the street at 4:30 a.m. in a high-crime area. He is sharply criticized by the local community for placing himself in such a dangerous situation.

(E) Ralph is beaten up by a gang of hoodlums on the street at 4:30 a.m. in a high-crime area. He is sharply criticized by the local community for placing himself in such a dangerous situation.

Puffy, the Jackson family cat, had always been indifferent to Mr. Jackson until two weeks ago when Mrs. Jackson, who usually feeds the household pets, went on vacation. Now when Mr. Jackson comes home from work, Puffy begins to salivate and meow repeatedly until he feeds her. While not as attentive to Puffy as his wife is, Mr. Jackson eventually feeds Puffy after he gets tired of her meowing. How much meowing Mr. Jackson tolerates before he gives in depends upon his mood. Which of the following statements is true regarding the situation described above? (A) Mr. Jackson is an unconditioned stimulus for Puffy’s salivation. (B) Puffy’s salivation is an unconditioned response to Mr. Jackson. (C) Mr. Jackson has been conditioned to feed Puffy through negative reinforcement. (D) When Mr. Jackson feeds Puffy he is positively reinforced with food. (E) Puffy’s meowing is positive punishment for Mr. Jackson’s act of feeding her.

Puffy, the Jackson family cat, had always been indifferent to Mr. Jackson until two weeks ago when Mrs. Jackson, who usually feeds the household pets, went on vacation. Now when Mr. Jackson comes home from work, Puffy begins to salivate and meow repeatedly until he feeds her. While not as attentive to Puffy as his wife is, Mr. Jackson eventually feeds Puffy after he gets tired of her meowing. How much meowing Mr. Jackson tolerates before he gives in depends upon his mood. Assume Mr. Jackson finds Puffy’s meowing highly annoying and wants it to stop as soon as his wife resumes pet-feeding duties. For the next week he should... (A) feed Puffy as soon as she meows for food the first time (B) feed Puffy as soon as she meows for food the fifth time (C) feed Puffy after ten minutes, regardless of how many times she has meowed for food (D) vary the number of meows it will take to feed Puffy according to the specific day of the week (E) vary the number of minutes it will take to feed Puffy according to the specific day of the week

(A) feed Puffy as soon as she meows for food the first time

A researcher wishes to examine the relationship between age and marital satisfaction among American women. Which of the following research methods would be the best choice? (A) A cross-sectional study (B) Naturalistic observation (C) A controlled laboratory experiment (D) A quasi-experiment (E) A case study

(A) A cross-sectional study

Bill has been unable to form new memories ever since he sustained a severe head injury in a sporting match two years ago. Which part of his brain has been damaged? (A) The hypothalamus (B) The medulla (C) The occipital lobe (D) The temporal lobe (E) The hippocampus

(E) The hippocampus

A schizophrenic individual is LEAST likely to have which one of the following symptoms? (A) Auditory hallucinations (B) A flat affect (C) Disordered thinking (D) Delusions (E) Visual hallucinations

(E) Visual hallucinations

Neuron branches that conduct impulses toward the cell are called... (A) dendrites (B) synapses (C) axons (D) myelin sheaths (E) somas

(A) dendrites

Debra, who believes that she is a literal demon and must be destroyed, will attempt suicide if hospital staff do not watch her continuously. She cries constantly and refuses to eat or leave her bed. Debra’s behavior pattern is most accurately described as... (A) schizoid (B) schizotypal (C) schizophrenic (D) schizoaffective (E) None of the above

(D) schizoaffective

Kevin, who loves playing football, watches a documentary about how dangerous playing football can be and how associated head injuries can cause brain damage. According to cognitive dissonance theory, Kevin is LEAST likely to do which of the following after watching the documentary? (A) Play football less often (B) Question the medical accuracy of the information in the documentary (C) Stop playing football altogether (D) Accept the documentary’s conclusions and continue to play football as often as before (E) Decide that his love of football is worth the risk of injury

(D) Accept the documentary’s conclusions and continue to play football as often as before

Which of the following is one of Ekman’s universal basic emotions? (A) Shame (B) Curiosity (C) Disgust (D) Jealousy (E) Guilt

If a man remembers an acquaintance’s unusual name because, coincidentally, it is also his mother’s name, his ease in remembering would be an example of... (A) social learning (B) the self-reference effect (C) depth of processing (D) explicit memory (E) social facilitation

(B) the self-reference effect

Maurice, a professional actor, didn’t bother to prepare for an important audition for a movie role. He believed that, if he was meant to get the part, then he would get it. Which of the following is most likely to be true based on this information? (A) He has a self-serving bias. (B) He has an internal locus of control. (C) He suffers from learned helplessness. (D) He has low self-esteem. (E) He has an external locus of control.

(E) He has an external locus of control.

Emily is attempting to learn a challenging new aerobic exercise routine that involves many complicated movements. Her success will depend most heavily on her... (A) proprioception (B) depth perception (C) subliminal perception (D) osmoreception (E) kinesthetic reception

(E) kinesthetic reception

In the famous “Little Albert” experiment, fear of the loud noise was the... (A) conditioned stimulus (B) unconditioned response (C) unconditioned stimulus (D) secondary punisher (E) conditioned response

(B) unconditioned response

A soldier is carried off the battlefield during heavy combat after he suddenly announces that he cannot see. Subsequent medical examinations reveal no damage to the eye, optic nerve, or brain. The soldier appears nonchalant about the situation, but is adamant that he remains completely blind. Based on these facts, which of the following is the most appropriate diagnosis for a treating psychiatrist to make? (A) Hypochondriasis (B) Post-traumatic stress disorder (C) Conversion disorder (D) Body dysmorphic disorder (E) Delusional disorder

Laura had dated three different men who were doctors, all of whom she found kind and thoughtful. This prompted her to date Jim, who was also a doctor, whom she ultimately found rude and insensitive. Laura concluded that at least some doctors are unkind and thoughtless, so she consequently resolved not to date doctors anymore. Laura’s belief that doctors are kind and thoughtful was the product of... (A) assimilation (B) schema (C) accommodation (D) cognitive dissonance (E) archetype

(A) assimilation

Jenny received a score of 580 on a standardized college entrance exam, which places her in the 75th percentile. This means that... (A) she answered 75% of the questions correctly (B) 25% of the students who took that test scored lower than she did (C) a score of 580 is below average for that test (D) 75% of the students who took that test scored higher than she did (E) she scored higher than 75% of the students who took that test

(E) she scored higher than 75% of the students who took that test

Max has a serious and varied criminal history going back to when he was in elementary school. He takes advantage of others whenever he has the opportunity. A Freudian theorist would believe that Max failed to develop a(n)... (A) superego (B) id (C) ego (D) Oedipal complex (E) fixation

(A) superego

All of the following make a word in a list easier to recall EXCEPT... (A) familiarity to the person recalling it (B) brevity (C) importance to the person recalling it (D) concreteness (E) acoustic similarity to other words on the list

(E) acoustic similarity to other words on the list

Kelly is an extremely aggressive five-year-old who is frequently in trouble for physically assaulting other children, often biting and spitting at them. Albert Bandura’s theories and research findings would suggest that Kelly most likely... (A) has observed adults behaving violently (B) finds at least some of the consequences of her aggressive behavior pleasant or desirable (C) is fixated at the oral stage of psychosexual development (D) has a genetic predisposition toward violence (E) would have had a distinct survival advantage had she lived in a prehistoric era

(A) has observed adults behaving violently

Four-year-old Jimmy exclaims proudly to his mother: “I runned home all by myself”! Jimmy’s speech reflects which one of the following linguistic concepts? (A) Overextension (B) Parsing (C) Telegraphic speech (D) Holophrastic speech (E) Overregularization

(E) Overregularization

The average American has an IQ score of (A) 90 (B) 95 (C) 100 (D) 105 (E) 110

Which of the following best exemplifies confirmation bias? (A) Ken believes capital punishment is morally wrong, although he remains open to thoughtful debate on the subject. (B) Ken holds no strong views about capital punishment, but avoids discussing the topic with others because it’s controversial. (C) Ken used to support capital punishment but, after learning of a case in which an innocent person was executed, now firmly believes that capital punishment is wrong. (D) Ken believes that capital punishment is wrong; he subscribes to several newsletters and podcasts aimed at abolishing the practice. (E) Ken believes in capital punishment and refuses to change his views on the matter.

(D) Ken believes that capital punishment is wrong; he subscribes to several newsletters and podcasts aimed at abolishing the practice.

Mary is in her eleventh week of pregnancy. Her child is in which stage of development? (A) Embryonic (B) Fetal (C) Neonatal (D) Gastrulating (E) Germinal

(B) Fetal

Which of the following is an example of the door-in-theface technique? (A) Stephanie’s mother allows her to stay out one hour past curfew one night, even though the curfew is generally strictly enforced in the family home. The next week Stephanie asks to stay out three hours past curfew, and her mother allows it. (B) Every time Stephanie’s mother lets her stay out late, Stephanie showers her with affection. (C) Stephanie pesters her mother all day to allow her to stay out late that night, crying and constantly complaining that she has no social life, until her mother finally gives in. Then Stephanie is quiet and stops complaining. (D) Stephanie’s mother strictly enforces her daughter’s curfew, no matter how much Stephanie pleads or complains. (E) Stephanie asks her mother to let her stay out three hours past curfew one evening and her mother flatly refuses. Stephanie then asks her mother to let her stay out one hour past curfew instead, and her mother agrees.

(E) Stephanie asks her mother to let her stay out three hours past curfew one evening and her mother flatly refuses. Stephanie then asks her mother to let her stay out one hour past curfew instead, and her mother agrees.

A kindergarten teacher makes her students line up according to height. Height is which type of variable? (A) Nominal (B) Ordinal (C) Interval (D) Ratio (E) None of the above

(B) Ordinal

Thorazine (chlorpromazine) is best described as a(n) (A) tricyclic antidepressant (B) anxiolytic (C) phenothiazine antipsychotic (D) selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) (E) monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI)

Cindy, furious at her parents because they grounded her, punches her little brother, Marky, in the nose without provocation. When Marky then calls Cindy names, Cindy accuses Marky of being mean to her. Which two defense mechanisms, respectively, best explain both of Cindy’s actions? (A) Displacement and sublimation (B) Denial and undoing (C) Reaction formation and denial (D) Displacement and projection (E) Denial and repression

(D) Displacement and projection

Andrew stays up for 30 hours straight partying with his friends, then falls asleep. He fails to wake up when his phone, which is right next to his head on his nightstand, signals an incoming call with very loud rock music. Which of the following brainwaves are likely dominant in Andrew’s brain while he sleeps through the loud music? (A) Theta (B) Alpha and beta (C) Beta and theta (D) Delta and beta (E) Delta

(E) Delta

How many morphemes are there in the word “laughable”? (A) 1 (B) 2 (C) 3 (D) 4 (E) 5

(B) 2

Which of the following is NOT a symptom of bipolar disorder? (A) Suicidal ideation (B) Racing thoughts (C) Severe anxiety (D) Intense sadness (E) Grandiosity

Secondary drive-reduction is exemplified by which of the following actions? (A) Phil buys an expensive fan for his second-story apartment. (B) Phil works two jobs to increase his income. (C) Phil eats two large pieces of cake because he can’t resist chocolate. (D) Phil purchases gloves, despite living in a subtropical climate, because the temperature occasionally falls below freezing. (E) Phil takes the day off work because he’s too tired to get out of bed.

(B) Phil works two jobs to increase his income.

For which of the following research issues would a longitudinal study be the best methodological choice? (A) The effects of gender and age on obedience (B) The relationship between race, unemployment, and health in the United States (C) The rate of progression of Alzheimer’s disease in women versus men (D) The efficacy of a new experimental drug for influenza (E) The extent to which immigrants are impoverished in American versus European cities

Which of the following statements is FALSE? (A) Neurotransmitters are primarily found in the nervous system. (B) Hormones are transmitted through the bloodstream. (C) Hormones transmit signals faster than neurotransmitters do. (D) Neurotransmitters are transmitted across the synaptic cleft. (E) Hormones are produced by the endocrine system.

A squad of cheerleaders from North Shore High School misses an important meeting with the town council about the upcoming holiday parade. There was heavy traffic on the roads that day. Another squad of cheerleaders from a rival school misses the same meeting. Which of the following would best exemplify the ultimate attribution error? (A) The North Shore cheerleaders blame heavy traffic for causing both squads to miss the meeting. (B) The North Shore cheerleaders admit that they didn’t get to the meeting because they really don’t care about administrative meetings; they assume the rival squad felt the same way. (C) The rival cheerleaders assume that the North Shore squad didn’t attend because of the heavy traffic. (D) The rival cheerleaders assume that the North Shore cheerleaders were just too flighty and irresponsible to attend the meeting. (E) The North Shore cheerleaders believe that the heavy traffic prevented them from getting to the meeting, but that the rival cheerleaders were just too flighty and irresponsible to attend.

(E) The North Shore cheerleaders believe that the heavy traffic prevented them from getting to the meeting, but that the rival cheerleaders were just too flighty and irresponsible to attend.

The following numerals are a series of quiz scores (graded on a scale of 1 to 5): [1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 4]. Which of the following statements is true of these scores? (A) The mean is higher than the mode. (B) The mode is higher than the mean. (C) There is no median. (D) The mode is equal to the mean. (E) The median is higher than the mean.

(D) The mode is equal to the mean.

The figure above is an example of a... (A) bar graph (B) histogram (C) frequency polygon (D) pie chart (E) scatter plot

(B) histogram

According to the DSM-5, which of the following is an impulse-control disorder? (A) Narcolepsy (B) Kleptomania (C) Pedophilic disorder (D) Somnambulism (E) Anorexia nervosa

(B) Kleptomania

Human beings in which of the following age groups are especially primed to learn new tasks and information? (A) 10 to 20 years (B) 20 to 30 years (C) 30 to 40 years (D) 40 to 50 years (E) 50 to 60 years

(A) 10 to 20 years

Timmy is a second-grader who is struggling with simple arithmetic. In accordance with the zone of proximal development, what would be the best way for him to improve? (A) Have his teacher give him extra arithmetic help (B) Have his parents work with him on his arithmetic homework after school (C) Have a high schooler who is a math genius tutor him in arithmetic (D) Have Timmy work through numerous arithmetic problems on his own (E) Have another second-grader who is excelling in arithmetic help him as needed

(E) Have another second-grader who is excelling in arithmetic help him as needed

Sally, a kindergartener who has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, is most likely to have a normal ability to... (A) converse fluidly with other children (B) develop strong bonds with teachers (C) adapt to new classroom routines (D) physically manipulate toys and other objects (E) respond empathically to her classmates’ emotions

(D) physically manipulate toys and other objects

Victor Frankl theorized that most people’s emotional difficulties stem from... (A) irrational beliefs (B) feelings of inferiority (C) frustrated sexual and aggressive urges (D) maladaptive learning (E) lack of a meaningful existence

(E) lack of a meaningful existence

Which of the following is a parasomnia? (A) Hypersomnia (B) Narcolepsy (C) Somnambulism (D) Insomnia (E) None of the above

Which of the following is an example of deductive reasoning? (A) All dogs breathe. Fido is a dog. Therefore, Fido breathes. (B) Fido is a dog and he breathes, Lassie is a dog and she breathes, and Benji is a dog and he breathes. Therefore, dogs breathe. (C) All dogs breathe. My cat breathes. Therefore, my cat is a dog. (D) Fido breathes. Some dogs don’t breathe. Therefore, Fido is probably not a dog. (E) All dogs breathe. Fido breathes. Therefore, Fido is a dog.

(A) All dogs breathe. Fido is a dog. Therefore, Fido breathes.

Which of the following is the best example of a script? (A) Rick plans precisely how he is going to respond to specific job interview questions. (B) Rick has always used teacups for drinking tea; he would never think to use them to store small household items. (C) Rick is in a public library trying to find a librarian; he approaches a middle-aged woman with glasses who is wearing conservative clothing and her hair in a bun. (D) Rick enters a high-security government building, immediately removes anything metal from his briefcase or person, and gets in line to be searched. (E) Rick reboots his computer to get it to stop malfunctioning because doing so usually solves whatever problem he is experiencing

(D) Rick enters a high-security government building, immediately removes anything metal from his briefcase or person, and gets in line to be searched.

The correlation between anxiety and performance on standardized tests is most likely... (A) zero (B) positive (C) negative (D) curvilinear (E) none of the above

(D) curvilinear

Which of the following adjectives best characterizes an individual with borderline personality disorder? (A) Shy \(B) Bizarre (C) Erratic (D) Suspicious (E) Exploitative

Which of the following individuals is statistically the most likely to develop a serious mental illness (SMI)? (A) A seventy-year-old white female (B) A twenty-year-old black male (C) A fifty-year-old Hispanic male (D) A nineteen-year-old biracial female (E) A twelve-year-old white female

(D) A nineteen-year-old biracial female

Which one of the following groups would be most likely to have its collective thought process impaired by groupthink phenomena? (A) Citizens of a small European country voting to elect a prime minister (B) Country music fans voting online for their favorite singers on a talent-competition reality show (C) Members of two rival prison gangs planning an escape together (D) Residents of a close-knit sorority house who must decide how to spend some money they won (E) A group of passengers on a train who must decide how to handle a medical emergency

(D) Residents of a close-knit sorority house who must decide how to spend some money they won

Josie is playing with her puppy on the kitchen floor when her father picks Josie up, carries her up the stairs, and brings her into the nursery to get her diaper changed. All the while Josie cries and reaches out in the direction of the kitchen, as though she were trying to pet the puppy. According to Piaget, Josie most likely... (A) has achieved object permanence (B) has reached the formal operations stage because she used logic in her attempt to reach the puppy (C) has reached the concrete operational stage (D) is in the sensorimotor stage because she has mastered conservation (E) is in the preoperational stage because she can think symbolically

(A) has achieved object permanence

Julia is physically assaulted by a mugger while riding the subway alone in a major city. According to social psychological theory, in which of the following scenarios would she have the greatest chance of receiving help from someone? (A) Nobody else is present. (B) 1 other person is present. (C) 2 other persons are present. (D) 3 other persons are present. (E) 4 other persons are present.

(B) 1 other person is present.

Steve is shopping at a convenience store when a masked man points a gun at him and demands his cash. Steve grabs the gun and struggles with the assailant, wrestling him to the ground. Which of the following bodily changes would be most likely to occur as Steve is attempting to subdue the robber? (A) Increased epinephrine levels (B) Decreased respiration (C) Decreased sympathetic activity (D) Increased parasympathetic activity (E) Decreased adrenaline levels

(A) Increased epinephrine levels

Since early childhood Jack has had a crippling fear of cats that impairs many aspects of his daily functioning. Which of the following clinicians would probably be LEAST effective in helping Jack achieve his therapeutic goals? (A) A behaviorist who adheres strictly to Skinnerian principles (B) A Rogerian/client-centered psychotherapist (C) A Freudian psychoanalyst (D) A psychologist who performs rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) (E) An eclectic practitioner who uses various therapeutic techniques

(B) A Rogerian/client-centered psychotherapist

Martha is forty years old with an IQ of 67. She still lives with her parents and relies upon them for help with significant life decisions. She holds down a job cleaning at a local church, although she frequently requires assistance from church staff to carry out her duties. She can dress and groom herself and manage small amounts of money independently. Which of the following best describes Martha’s intellectual functioning? (A) Mild disability (B) Moderate disability (C) Severe disability (D) Profound disability (E) No disability

(A) Mild disability

In Milgram’s original obedience experiments, which of the following was NOT associated with a change in the level of obedience demonstrated by subjects? (A) The proximity of the “learner” to the “teacher” (B) The proximity of the experimenter to the “teacher” (C) The presence of confederates who refused to obey (D) The apparent prestige of the experimenter and the institution sponsoring the research (E) The gender of the experimenter

(E) The gender of the experimenter

Which of the following groups of test scores has the lowest standard deviation? (A) 60, 60, 60, 62, 62, 62 (B) 80, 81, 83, 85, 97 (C) 40, 43, 44, 50 (D) 61, 65, 75, 84, 99 (E) 42, 71, 79

(A) 60, 60, 60, 62, 62, 62

The brain’s parietal lobe controls... (A) impulse inhibition (B) hearing and language processing (C) planning and goal-setting (D) pain recognition (E) visual processing

(D) pain recognition

Which one of the following substances is the LEAST dangerous to suddenly stop ingesting after long periods of chronic use? (A) Opiates (B) Alcohol (C) Methamphetamine (D) Prescription sedatives (Xanax, Valium, etc.) (E) LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)

(E) LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)

An individual with prosopagnosia... (A) has lost the ability to write (B) cannot recognize faces (C) has lost the ability to read (D) has lost the ability to understand language in spoken or written form (E) cannot perform certain motor movements, despite having no pertinent injury or physical abnormality

(B) cannot recognize faces

Jill helped her best friend move and the friend was extremely grateful. To show her gratitude, the friend took Jill out for a nice lunch and then surprised her with $50 cash and tickets to a popular rock concert. The lunch, the cash, and the concert tickets are, respectively (A) a primary reinforcer, a secondary reinforcer, and a secondary reinforcer (B) a secondary reinforcer, a primary reinforcer, and a secondary reinforcer (C) a secondary reinforcer, a secondary reinforcer, and a primary reinforcer (D) a secondary reinforcer, a secondary reinforcer, and a secondary reinforcer (E) a primary reinforcer, a secondary reinforcer, and a primary reinforcer

(A) a primary reinforcer, a secondary reinforcer, and a secondary reinforcer

Of the following psychiatric patients, which one is the most likely to be malingering? (A) A sixty-year-old woman who seems to be responding to auditory hallucinations (B) A twenty-one-year-old woman who insists that hospital staff are trying to poison her (C) A very animated fifteen-year-old boy who reports feeling euphoric but is threatening suicide (D) A highly educated fifty-year-old man who speaks incoherently and nonsensically (E) A forty-year-old woman who shows virtually no emotion when angrily yelled at by another patient

Approximately how long does it take to complete stages 1–4 of the sleep cycle? (A) 110 to 120 minutes (B) 90 to 110 minutes (C) 80 to 90 minutes (D) 65 to 90 minutes (E) 50 to 60 minutes

(B) 90 to 110 minutes

Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding hormones and neurotransmitters? (A) Neurotransmitters are primarily found in the nervous system. (B) Hormones transmit signals faster than neurotransmitters do. (C) Hormones are transmitted through the bloodstream. (D) Neurotransmitters are transmitted across the synaptic cleft. (E) Hormones are produced by the endocrine system.

(B) Hormones transmit signals faster than neurotransmitters do.

On a certain standardized essay test, scores range from 1 to 12: 1 to 4 is below average, 5 to 8 is average, and 9 to 12 is above average. Nancy received a score of 8, as one grader gave her a 12 and another grader gave her a 4—with 8 being the arithmetic mean. After challenging her score, Nancy requested that another grader review her essay, and this third individual gave Nancy a score of 8. Based on this information alone, the essay test in question might have... (A) high parallel-forms reliability (B) high inter-rater reliability (C) high test-retest reliability (D) low inter-rater reliability (E) low split-half reliability

(D) low inter-rater reliability

A brain stem injury would be LEAST likely to cause which of the following? (A) Problems swallowing (B) Respiratory difficulties (C) Disturbances in balance (D) Sleep disruption (E) Retrograde amnesia

(E) Retrograde amnesia

Edna, a seventy-year-old housewife and grandmother, enters a baking contest. Of the other contestants, four are men and two are young professional women. Edna bakes the most delicious chocolate cake she has ever baked in her life and wins the contest. Which of the following phenomena might have produced this outcome? (A) Stereotype threat (B) Prejudice (C) The halo effect (D) Overconfidence bias (E) Stereotype boost

(E) Stereotype boost

Which of the following pairs of symptoms probably warrants a diagnosis of schizophrenia, as opposed to schizotypal personality disorder? (A) Social isolation and social anxiety (B) Marked eccentricities and odd behavior (C) Delusions and hallucinations (D) Paranoia and distorted perceptions (E) Flat affect and inappropriate emotional responses

Which of the following is an example of habituation? (A) The first time Tom visits a shooting range, he finds the noise level unbearable. (B) Tom can only stay in the shooting range for a few minutes at a time because the noise is so upsetting. (C) Tom visited the shooting range for the first time two months ago; since then he goes at least once per week. (D) Tom always find the noise level at the shooting range unpleasant, but he forces himself to stay because he doesn’t want to appear weak. (E) When Tom visits the shooting range the noise typically only bothers him for the first few minutes.

(E) When Tom visits the shooting range the noise typically only bothers him for the first few minutes.

All of the following patients show signs of dementia. Which one is most likely to be suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)? (A) An eighty-five old woman who worked as a schoolteacher before retiring (B) A fifty-year-old man who played professional football until age thirty-five who has never been diagnosed with a concussion (C) A thirty-year-old woman whose symptoms appeared following a recent car accident and resultant head injury (D) A sixty-five-year-old woman who is a chronic alcoholic and drug addict (E) A fourteen-year-old boy who suffered a major blow to the head during a high school boxing match

(B) A fifty-year-old man who played professional football until age thirty-five who has never been diagnosed with a concussion

The tendency to view the figure above in terms of four rows, as opposed to five columns, reflects the Gestalt principle of... (A) proximity (B) closure (C) figure and ground (D) continuity (E) similarity

(E) similarity

Which of the following is a projective test? (A) The Beck Depression Inventory (B) The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) (C) The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) (D) The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) (E) A clinical intake interview

(D) The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

Each of the following individuals suffers from anxiety. Which one would be LEAST likely to benefit from systematic desensitization? (A) An agoraphobic woman who is terrified to step outside her home (B) A combat veteran who began experiencing crippling symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder after seeing his comrades seriously injured in battle (C) A businessman who is so afraid of heights that he cannot travel for his job (D) A depressed woman who developed a fear of snakes after having encountered an aggressive one (E) A teenager who developed debilitating generalized anxiety at around the age of puberty

(E) A teenager who developed debilitating generalized anxiety at around the age of puberty

Rhonda took a course in Spanish in seventh grade and did quite well. In eighth grade she decided to take a course in French and did poorly, constantly using Spanish words instead of French ones. This is an example of... (A) proactive interference (B) the Zeigarnik effect (C) source monitoring errors (D) flashbulb memories (E) retroactive interference

(A) proactive interference

For an experimental drug trial, a double-blind design would be preferable because it would likely eliminate which of the following? (A) Demand characteristics (B) The placebo effect (C) Random error (D) The need for informed consent (E) Side effects of the drugs administered

(A) Demand characteristics

Eric had always included two teaspoons of oregano in his spaghetti sauce recipe until his wife, Donna, recently complained that it was too bland. The next six times Eric made the sauce he added an additional teaspoon of oregano, but Donna only noticed this increase on the last two occasions. Which of the following statements is accurate about Eric’s spaghetti sauce and Donna? (A) Her absolute threshold for oregano is two teaspoons. (B) Her difference threshold (JND) for oregano is one teaspoon. (C) Her difference threshold (JND) for oregano is greater than one teaspoon. (D) Her difference threshold (JND) for oregano is three teaspoons. (E) Her absolute threshold for oregano is greater than her difference threshold (JND) for oregano.

An individual who is fixated at the anal stage of psycho-sexual development, according to Freudian theory, might... (A) be overly dependent on others (B) smoke cigarettes (C) be preoccupied with cleanliness (D) become an alcoholic (E) develop an aversion to eating

Dave is desperate to catch a cab during rush hour to get to the airport on time. When a cab pulls up and another man attempts to get in, an argument ensues and blows are exchanged. According to attribution theory, Dave will most likely... (A) consider the fight to be the result of his own character flaws and feel guilty (B) conclude that the other man is a violent individual (C) assume that the other man was also desperate for a cab (D) believe that the fight occurred because both men were feeling tremendous pressure (E) attribute the other man’s physical aggression to the fact that Dave was himself physically aggressive

(B) conclude that the other man is a violent individual

Dr. Stevens, the head psychiatrist on a psychiatric unit, suspects that his new patient (a twenty-five-year-old man) might have antisocial personality disorder. Which of the following would be the best way to assess the patient in terms of this potential diagnosis? (A) Talk with him for several hours to get a sense of his character (B) Administer Rorschach inkblots and interpret his responses (C) Have him fill out a questionnaire that asks about antisocial behavior (D) Discuss each of the DSM-5 criteria for antisocial personality disorder with him during the clinical intake interview to determine which, if any, apply (E) Obtain relevant information from third parties, such as family accounts and police reports, and have staff monitor his behavior closely

(E) Obtain relevant information from third parties, such as family accounts and police reports, and have staff monitor his behavior closely

Which of the following is in the middle of Maslow’s pyramid of human needs? (A) Physical safety (B) Food and water (C) Self-actualization (D) Sleep (E) Love and a sense of belonging

(E) Love and a sense of belonging

Billy, a very timid two-year-old, gets hit by another child on the playground. He runs to his mother crying, but then runs away when she attempts to comfort him. Based on the research and theories of Mary Ainsworth, it is likely that... (A) Billy has an “ambivalent/resistant” attachment to his mother (B) Billy’s mother is abusive (C) Billy has a “secure” attachment to his mother (D) Billy has an “avoidant” attachment to his mother (E) Billy has a more secure attachment to his father than to his mother

(A) Billy has an “ambivalent/resistant” attachment to his mother

Jane is pulled over by the police for erratic driving and made to take a roadside sobriety test. The officer instructs her to stand still, close her eyes, and then touch her nose with her left finger. The officer is primarily testing Jane’s... (A) short-term memory (B) reaction time (C) attention span (D) proprioception (E) visual acuity

(D) proprioception

The availability heuristic is best exemplified by which one of the following situations? (A) Peter believes that his sister is a poor student because she failed all her classes this semester. (B) Peter expects his next child to be a boy because he and his wife already have five girls. (C) Peter thinks that pretty women are more likely to get abducted than they really are because the media tends to focus on such cases. (D) Peter is worried about his washing machine breaking because that model is associated with a disproportionate number of online consumer complaints. (E) Peter buys a chocolate chip cookie, although he would have preferred an oatmeal one, because there were no oatmeal cookies available for purchase

(C) Peter thinks that pretty women are more likely to get abducted than they really are because the media tends to focus on such cases.

The middle ear is separated from the outer ear by the... (A) cochlea (B) semicircular canals (C) incus (D) malleus (E) tympanic membrane

(E) tympanic membrane

Walter, the elderly owner of a construction company, is looking to hire a new manager. He interviews Sasha, a very attractive twenty-five-year-old blond woman, who has excellent references and relevant experience. Walter likes Sasha but doesn’t hire her; he believes that someone with her looks wouldn’t be “taken seriously” as an authority figure. He is also afraid that a “flighty blond” would spend more time flirting with the construction workers than attending to her managerial duties. Which of the following does NOT characterize Walter’s actions? (A) Prejudice (B) Discrimination (C) Intergroup comparison (D) Stereotype (E) Self-serving bias

(E) Self-serving bias

Which of the following is the best example of top-down processing? (A) Carla reaches into her wallet for her driver’s license but mistakenly grabs her credit card instead, as the items are about the same size. (B) Carla sees an object lying in the road but can’t identify it at such distance; when she gets closer, she realizes that it is the hubcap from an automobile. (C) Carla sees a man standing outside a store, then notices that he is wearing a uniform, then notices that he is holding a plate of food; she then realizes that the man is an employee offering free samples of the store’s merchandise. (D) Carla is trying to read a cake recipe that has been partially torn. She sees the letters “S” and “U” and correctly concludes that the word is “sugar.” (E) Carla is blind, so she differentiates between oranges and grapefruits by feeling how large they are.

(D) Carla is trying to read a cake recipe that has been partially torn. She sees the letters “S” and “U” and correctly concludes that the word is “sugar.”

Barbara is surprised to learn that her houseguests find the scent of her fragrant candles excessive and overwhelming. The most likely explanation is that Barbara is experiencing which of the following? (A) Olfactory fatigue (B) Anosmia (C) Agnosia (D) Ageusia (E) Cocktail party syndrome

(A) Olfactory fatigue

Which of the following research studies is LEAST ethically problematic? (A) An experiment measuring the extent to which subjects are willing to administer a lethal electric shock to a stranger (although, unbeknownst to the subject, the shocks are fake) (B) A drug trial in which prisoners are required to participate in order to retain important privileges within the correctional facility (C) A study involving treatment for substance abuse in which subjects’ names are published along with the data pertaining to them (D) An experiment about learning styles in which the researcher lies about the purpose of the study, telling subjects it’s about short-term memory (E) A nutritional study in which children are given vitamin supplements without their parents’ knowledge

(D) An experiment about learning styles in which the researcher lies about the purpose of the study, telling subjects it’s about short-term memory

In a research experiment only boys on “Unit 1” of a certain boys’ reform school participated in a group therapy program. Daily staff reports showed that there was an average of only twelve violent incidents on Unit 1 during the six months in which the group therapy was taking place—81% fewer than average in that school during that period. Which of the following, if true, would cast doubt on the study’s finding that group therapy reduces violence in reform schools? (A) All boys at the school were given a special diet intended to promote well-being during the sixmonth period in question. (B) Security, which is usually the same throughout the reform school, was much stricter on Unit 1 than on other units of the school during the six-month period in question. (C) Only very violent boys attend that reform school. (D) Psychologists from outside the school ran the group therapy program and wanted it to succeed. (E) The most violent boys tend to be assigned to Unit 1 when they are admitted to the school.

(B) Security, which is usually the same throughout the reform school, was much stricter on Unit 1 than on other units of the school during the six-month period in question.

Frank’s dog, Rover, barks excitedly whenever Frank takes out a can of Rover’s dog food from the cabinet. Rover also behaves this way when Frank takes out a can of beans from the cabinet (which Rover does not eat), but not when he takes out a can of peas (which Rover also does not eat). Frank feeds Rover his dog food every day, but has not taken any beans or peas out of the cabinet three days. Based on this information, which of the following is most likely true? (A) Stimulus discrimination caused Rover to bark at the can of beans. (B) Stimulus generalization caused Rover not to bark at the peas. (C) Rover’s failure to bark at the can of peas is due to overgeneralization. (D) The can of dog food looks more like the can of beans than like the can of peas. (E) If Rover barks at the can of beans, this will be due to spontaneous recovery.

(D) The can of dog food looks more like the can of beans than like the can of peas.

According to Piaget, when a child masters conservation he or she understands that... (A) a given amount of liquid remains the same despite being poured into a smaller container (B) objects still exist even though they can’t be seen (C) abstract ideas can be represented by symbols (D) objects are represented by words (E) effects have causes

(A) a given amount of liquid remains the same despite being poured into a smaller container

Joe, a trained boxer, is in the gym practicing his moves on a punching bag. If several other boxers enter the gym and begin using punching bags as well, Joe’s performance will most likely... (A) worsen substantially due to social loafing (B) worsen slightly due to the bystander effect (C) be unaffected (D) improve slightly (E) improve substantially due to the mere-exposure effect

(D) improve slightly

Which of the following statements is true about hypnosis? (A) Most people can be hypnotized against their will. (B) Hypnosis has proven beneficial in treating some physical conditions. (C) While hypnotized, subjects are often forced to violate their personal moral codes. (D) All people are equally susceptible to hypnosis. (E) Post-hypnotic suggestion is not used in therapeutic settings.

(B) Hypnosis has proven beneficial in treating some physical conditions.

Which of the following is an example of selective breeding? (A) Two groups of snails cannot mate because they have incompatible genital structures. (B) Two species of lizard cannot breed because they are indigenous to different continents. (C) One species of Florida frog only mates in spring, while a closely-related species only mates in later summer. (D) Two closely-related species of bird in a jungle have distinct mating calls. (E) Chickens that produce small eggs on a farm are prohibited from mating.

(E) Chickens that produce small eggs on a farm are prohibited from mating.

A behavioral analyst visits a certain high school classroom, which is known for being especially rowdy, in order to study the effects of a token economy on disruptive behavior. Half the students were put on a token economy and the other half were not, with students being randomly assigned to the “token” and “control” groups. If disruptive behavior decreased significantly for both groups, but the reduction was much greater for the “token” group, which concepts would, respectively, best explain these two findings? (A) Social facilitation and operant conditioning (B) The Hawthorne effect and the placebo effect (C) The placebo effect and the Hawthorne effect (D) The Hawthorne effect and operant conditioning (E) Operant conditioning and social facilitation

(D) The Hawthorne effect and operant conditioning

Henry is an extremely popular seventeen-year-old high school student who is a nationally recognized athlete and has many close friends. He is very shy around girls, however, and has never had a girlfriend, preferring to spend time with his mother whenever possible. Henry typically earns “C’s” and “B’s” in his academic courses (his one “A” was in philosophy), although he has repeatedly failed algebra. Henry smokes cigarettes and drinks alcohol, despite his parents’ sharp disapproval and the fact that he was cited by law enforcement for underage drinking. Henry believes that it is his inviolable right as a human being to put any substances he chooses into his own body, regardless of society’s laws, so long as he harms nobody else by doing so. Accordingly, he spends much of his spare time lobbying to lower state drinking laws. Erikson would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements about Henry’s psychosocial development? (A) He is, for the most part, currently failing to negotiate the “Identity vs. Confusion” stage. (B) He is, for the most part, currently failing to negotiate the “Intimacy vs. Isolation” stage. (C) He is, for the most part, currently successfully negotiating the “Identity vs. Confusion” stage. (D) He is, for the most part, currently successfully negotiating the “Initiative vs. Guilt” stage. (E) He is, for the most part, currently successfully negotiating the “Intimacy vs. Isolation” stage.

Henry is an extremely popular seventeen-year-old high school student who is a nationally recognized athlete and has many close friends. He is very shy around girls, however, and has never had a girlfriend, preferring to spend time with his mother whenever possible. Henry typically earns “C’s” and “B’s” in his academic courses (his one “A” was in philosophy), although he has repeatedly failed algebra. Henry smokes cigarettes and drinks alcohol, despite his parents’ sharp disapproval and the fact that he was cited by law enforcement for underage drinking. Henry believes that it is his inviolable right as a human being to put any substances he chooses into his own body, regardless of society’s laws, so long as he harms nobody else by doing so. Accordingly, he spends much of his spare time lobbying to lower state drinking laws. Freud would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements about Henry’s psychosexual development? (A) He is probably fixated at the anal stage. (B) He is currently successfully negotiating the genital stage. (C) He has successfully negotiated the oral and anal stages without significant problems. (D) He may not have resolved his Oedipal complex. (E) He has successfully negotiated the phallic stage.

(D) He may not have resolved his Oedipal complex.

Henry is an extremely popular seventeen-year-old high school student who is a nationally recognized athlete and has many close friends. He is very shy around girls, however, and has never had a girlfriend, preferring to spend time with his mother whenever possible. Henry typically earns “C’s” and “B’s” in his academic courses (his one “A” was in philosophy), although he has repeatedly failed algebra. Henry smokes cigarettes and drinks alcohol, despite his parents’ sharp disapproval and the fact that he was cited by law enforcement for underage drinking. Henry believes that it is his inviolable right as a human being to put any substances he chooses into his own body, regardless of society’s laws, so long as he harms nobody else by doing so. Accordingly, he spends much of his spare time lobbying to lower state drinking laws. Piaget would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements about Henry’s cognitive development? (A) He is still in the concrete operational stage. (B) He has not yet mastered symbolic thinking. (C) He is in the formal operational stage. (D) He has not yet mastered counterfactual thinking. (E) He is still in the preoperational stage.

Henry is an extremely popular seventeen-year-old high school student who is a nationally recognized athlete and has many close friends. He is very shy around girls, however, and has never had a girlfriend, preferring to spend time with his mother whenever possible. Henry typically earns “C’s” and “B’s” in his academic courses (his one “A” was in philosophy), although he has repeatedly failed algebra. Henry smokes cigarettes and drinks alcohol, despite his parents’ sharp disapproval and the fact that he was cited by law enforcement for underage drinking. Henry believes that it is his inviolable right as a human being to put any substances he chooses into his own body, regardless of society’s laws, so long as he harms nobody else by doing so. Accordingly, he spends much of his spare time lobbying to lower state drinking laws. Kohlberg would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements about Henry’s moral development? (A) He is in the conventional stage. (B) He is in stage 3: good boy/good girl. (C) He places a premium on preserving the social order. (D) His concept of morality is primarily motivated by self-interest. (E) He is in stage 6: universal principles.

(E) He is in stage 6: universal principles.

Falsely concluding that research findings are statistically significant is called... (A) a null hypothesis (B) a type 1 error (C) a regression toward the mean (D) a random error (E) a type 2 error

(B) a type 1 error

Which of the following sentences has an ambiguity problem? (A) If you enjoy cookies, you should eat them. (B) My friend and me arrived on time. (C) Jack and his brother caught a cab, but he left his luggage in the trunk by mistake. (D) The boys’ hats were wet. (E) I want something.

During a sudden blizzard, Tim uses a small blanket as a scarf. Tim has overcome which of the following? (A) Conformity (B) The fundamental attribution error (C) The mere exposure effect (D) Functional fixedness (E) Learned helplessness

(D) Functional fixedness

Which of the following is true about afferent neurons? (A) They are motor neurons. (B) They transmit impulses between other neurons. (C) They carry neural impulses away from the central nervous system to the muscles. (D) They carry neural impulses from sensory stimuli toward the central nervous system. (E) They enable communication between sensory and motor neurons.

(D) They carry neural impulses from sensory stimuli toward the central nervous system.

Carol is drowsy, is breathing very slowly, and has constricted pupils. Which of the following drugs is she most likely to have ingested? (A) Oxycontin (B) Cocaine (C) Marijuana (D) Methamphetamine (E) Ecstasy (methylenedioxymethamphetamine)

(A) Oxycontin

The process of chunking is exemplified by which of the following? (A) Studying only math on Mondays, only English on Tuesdays, and only history on Wednesdays (B) Reciting a social security number as follows: the first three digits followed by a pause, then the next two digits followed by a pause, then the last four digits (C) Repeating a coupon code over and over out loud until it can be typed into a computer (D) Using an ocean-scented candle to trigger a memory of being at the beach (E) Teaching children the names of the fifty states by setting them to music

(B) Reciting a social security number as follows: the first three digits followed by a pause, then the next two digits followed by a pause, then the last four digits

Light enters the eye through the... (A) pupil (B) retina (C) lens (D) cornea (E) iris

(D) cornea

Dr. Jenkins is a psychologist who performs rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). His patient, Liz, says that she is a failure as a mother because her children are unhappy. Dr. Jenkins would be most likely to do which of the following? (A) Approach her with unconditional positive regard (B) Ask her about her early childhood and relationship with her father (C) Challenge the truth of her negative beliefs about herself (D) Have her tell him about her dreams (E) Put her on a “token economy” behavior modification program

Richard is a clerk at a law firm who is a very unproductive employee; he only produces documents quickly and efficiently for three or four days out of the month (right before payday). Richard’s employers should change his payment schedule... (A) from a variable interval reinforcement schedule to a fixed interval reinforcement schedule (B) from a fixed ratio reinforcement schedule to a variable ratio reinforcement schedule (C) from a variable interval reinforcement schedule to a variable ratio reinforcement schedule (D) from a fixed interval reinforcement schedule to a fixed ratio reinforcement schedule (E) from a variable interval reinforcement schedule to a fixed ratio reinforcement schedule

(D) from a fixed interval reinforcement schedule to a fixed ratio reinforcement schedule

A psychiatric hospital places 42 out of 75 incoming patients (those who are depressed) on a strict sugar-free diet upon admission; the remaining 33 (those who are not depressed) eat essentially as they choose. Hospital staff then assess the depressed patients’ conditions every day and rate them according to frequency and severity of depressive symptoms. The patients demonstrate an average 65% decrease in depressive symptoms after one month. Based on these findings, the researchers conclude that sugar causes depression in some individuals. Which of the following is NOT a critical flaw in this study? (A) There was no control group. (B) There are many possible confounding variables. (C) Demand characteristics may have affected the results. (D) Causality is improperly inferred. (E) Subjects were not randomly assigned to the “sugar free” and “normal” diet conditions.

(E) Subjects were not randomly assigned to the “sugar free” and “normal” diet conditions.

Detective Smith, one of the only female detectives in a male-dominated homicide unit, is placed in charge of a high-profile murder case. Her superiors know that the case will likely never be solved, and they don’t want one of the male detectives to lose his career due to the inevitable media backlash. They ultimately blame the lack of leads in the case on Detective Smith’s incompetence and demote her. Which of the following concepts best characterizes what occurred? (A) The glass ceiling (B) The glass cliff (C) Risk aversion (D) Stereotype threat (E) Tokenism

(B) The glass cliff

Beth is slightly intoxicated at a party and learns a new trendy dance routine. She attempts to recall the steps at the office the next day but cannot remember them well. The next week, Beth is drinking at another party and performs that same dance routine perfectly. This is an example of... (A) the encoding specificity principle (B) rehearsal (C) semantic memory (D) echoic memory (E) self-reference

(A) the encoding specificity principle

Which of the following represents the correct order of Piaget’s stages of cognitive development? (A) Sensorimotor; Preoperational; Formal Operational; Concrete Operational (B) Preoperational, Sensorimotor, Concrete Operational, Formal Operational (C) Preoperational, Concrete Operational, Formal Operational, Sensorimotor (D) Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational, Formal Operational (E) Concrete Operational; Preoperational, Formal Operational, Sensorimotor

(D) Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational, Formal Operational

Which of the following is an example of sublimation? (A) Craig is angry and emotionally tormented. He expresses these negative feelings through his paintings, which have become quite valuable. (B) Craig refuses to believe that his wife is unfaithful, even though her infidelity is obvious to everyone else. (C) Craig, who is thirty-five, calls out “Mommy” after he’s seriously injured in an accident. (D) Craig reads books about alcoholism instead of dealing with the reasons why he drinks. (E) Craig fails to show up to his highly coveted job due to laziness and gets fired. He then concludes that he must not have liked the job and is now better off.

(A) Craig is angry and emotionally tormented. He expresses these negative feelings through his paintings, which have become quite valuable.

Which of the following best exemplifies instinctual drift? (A) A school of salmon swim upstream to lay their eggs. (B) A circus tiger that has performed well for over ten years gets angry and mauls his trainer. (C) Any normal goose of a certain species whose egg rolls out of its nest automatically performs a complex series of stereotyped actions to retrieve it. (D) A stray dog that previously hunted cats is adopted; after a rough transition, he now gets along well with the family cats. (E) A spider spins a web perfectly without ever being “taught” how.

(B) A circus tiger that has performed well for over ten years gets angry and mauls his trainer.

The Harlow infant monkey experiments demonstrate that... (A) food and comfort are equally important to infant monkeys (B) food is more important than comfort to infant monkeys (C) infant monkeys bond with their mothers primarily through comfort contact (D) infant monkeys only prefer maternal comfort to food when they have formed insecure attachments to their mothers (E) infant monkeys bond with their mothers primarily through feeding, but comfort is important too

A gamete has how many chromosomes? (A) 22 (B) 23 (C) 24 (D) 46 (E) 48

(B) 23

Which of the following is an example of prosody? (A) Raising the pitch of one’s voice at the end of a sentence to convey uncertainty (B) Following a request with the word “please” (C) Calling the dog “kitty” because dogs and cats are both furry household pets (D) Uttering unintelligible vocalizations that incorporate both vowel and consonant sounds (E) Pairing the plural noun “boys” with the plural verb “were”

(A) Raising the pitch of one’s voice at the end of a sentence to convey uncertainty

The results of the Gibson and Walk “visual cliff” experiments strongly suggest that... (A) depth perception is innate in animals, but human beings must learn it (B) most infants do not yet have depth perception (C) infants typically acquire depth perception by experiencing the negative consequences of a fall and making the necessary association (D) most animals learn depth perception by observing their mothers or other adult members of their species (E) depth perception is likely innate in both animals and human beings

(E) depth perception is likely innate in both animals and human beings

Which of the following statements is true regarding language development? (A) Bilingual children learn language faster than do monolingual children. (B) Boys and girls learn language at essentially the same rate. (C) Monolingual children learn language faster than do bilingual children. (D) Boys are more accurate than girls are in terms of language learning. (E) Girls learn language more slowly than boys.

Which one of the following is NOT one of the five basic tastes? (A) Sweet (B) Bitter (C) Spicy (D) Sour (E) Umami

A group of psychology graduate students constructs an assessment scale designed to measure schizophrenic symptoms. If the scale has construct validity, then... (A) it will yield approximately the same results if administered more than once (B) the average graduate student of psychology would agree that it appears to be measuring symptoms of schizophrenia (C) regardless of which examiner completes the assessment, it will yield approximately the same results (D) it will correlate strongly with any established instrument designed to assess schizophrenia (E) it will not correlate perfectly with any established instrument designed to assess bipolar disorder

(E) it will not correlate perfectly with any established instrument designed to assess bipolar disorder

Which of the following is an example of metacognition? (A) Hal theorizes that negative racial stereotypes affect performance on simple tasks and designs a controlled laboratory experiment to test a specific related hypothesis. (B) Hal knows that all students on the Honor Roll have a GPA of 3.6 or above. He concludes that his friend, who is on the Honor Roll, has a GPA of 3.6 or higher. (C) Hal Tutors GRE students and knows they get anxious about their scores. He generalizes this knowledge to MCAT students and assumes they get anxious too. (D) Hal prepares a casserole twice, and both times it tastes bad. He suddenly realizes that he has been mistaking the jar of sugar for salt. (E) Hal does poorly on a test and then drops the course because he thinks he can’t succeed. He then resolves to be more positive and stop blowing his failures out of proportion.

(E) Hal does poorly on a test and then drops the course because he thinks he can’t succeed. He then resolves to be more positive and stop blowing his failures out of proportion.

Which of the following is a criterion-referenced test? (A) The GRE (B) The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV) (C) The Rorschach test (D) An arithmetic quiz prepared by a third-grade teacher for her class (E) An Army aptitude test

(D) An arithmetic quiz prepared by a third-grade teacher for her class

A third-grade teacher administers a baseline written comprehensive academic examination to her 24 students on the first day of class. Unbeknownst to anyone but her, she then randomly assigns each student in the class to one of three groups: high praise, moderate praise, or low praise. Throughout the semester she praises the “high praise” students effusively whenever they orally answer a question correctly or perform a task satisfactorily in the classroom. Accordingly, she praises the “moderate praise” students halfheartedly, while praising the “low praise” students virtually not all. At the end of the semester, she administers another comprehensive written academic examination to the class (adjusted in difficulty to account for the students’ advancements during the semester). On average, the “high praise” students perform an average of 13% better than they did on the first exam (p \< 0.01), the “moderate praise” students perform 2% better (p \< 0.05), and the “low praise” students perform 10% worse (p \< 0.01). The teacher then debriefs the students and discusses how the experiment proves that praise causes human beings to perform better. Which of the following would be the correct way to measure the dependent variable of this experiment? (A) Compare the average score on the second exam for the “high praise” group with the average score earned on that exam by the “low praise” group, etc.; see if there are significant differences between or among the three groups. (B) Compare the average score on the baseline exam for the “high praise” group with the average score earned on that exam by the “low praise” group, etc.; see if there are significant differences between or among the three groups. (C) Compare the scores on the baseline exam to scores on the second exam for all students; see if there are significant differences in terms of score change, on average, between or among the three groups. (D) Quantify precisely how much praise the students in the “high praise,” “moderate praise,” and “low praise” groups actually received during the semester in relation to the other groups. (E) Count how many questions the students answered correctly orally in the classroom during the semester, as well as how many tasks they performed satisfactorily, and compare the averages for the three groups to determine if significant differences exist.

(C) Compare the scores on the baseline exam to scores on the second exam for all students; see if there are significant differences in terms of score change, on average, between or among the three groups.

(A) It is flawed because the teacher knew which students were in which group.

(D) Between-subjects

The collective unconscious is most closely associated with which one of the following individuals? (A) Sigmund Freud (B) Alfred Adler (C) Carl Jung (D) Ivan Pavlov (E) William James

Wernicke’s area... (A) is involved in speech production (B) is located in the frontal lobe (C) is largely responsible for language comprehension (D) controls balance and movement (E) is associated with memory formation

Which of the following best exemplifies a delusion? (A) Jan believes nobody likes her, even though many people do. (B) Jan hears voices that nobody else hears; they tell her she is God. (C) Jan sees hairy monsters in her kitchen that nobody else sees. (D) Jan, who is not in the public eye, believes that a famous movie star whom she’s never met is madly in love with her. (E) Jan believes that she’s fat, even though her weight is normal.

(D) Jan, who is not in the public eye, believes that a famous movie star whom she’s never met is madly in love with her.

Short-term memory lasts for approximately... (A) 5 to 15 seconds (B) 15 to 30 seconds (C) 60 seconds to 75 seconds (D) 75 seconds to 90 seconds (E) 90 seconds to 120 seconds

(B) 15 to 30 seconds

Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison experiment is often cited as evidence that all human beings can become brutal if placed into certain extreme situations. The study and its findings are subject to each of the following criticisms EXCEPT: (A) The experiment was unethical. (B) The mock prison setting was unrealistic. (C) The subjects were all college-age males. (D) There were confounding variables due to lack of random assignment. (E) The demand characteristics likely affected subjects’ behavior.

(D) There were confounding variables due to lack of random assignment.

Melinda’s friends voice a political opinion that she herself strongly questions. She is more likely to offer a dissenting opinion if... (A) she has high self-esteem (B) the dissent will occur in public (C) the group’s opinion is unanimous (D) she has previously offered no differing opinion on the matter (E) she has an authoritative personality

(A) she has high self-esteem

Which of the following individuals is associated with attribution theory? (A) Fritz Heider (B) Leon Festinger (C) Daryl Bem (D) Ellen Langer (E) M.J. Lerner

(A) Fritz Heider

The perception that women bond more easily with their romantic partners than men do may be due to the presence of which one of the following hormones? (A) Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) (B) Oxytocin (C) Vasopressin (D) Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) (E) Cortisol

(B) Oxytocin

PR9E #3 Flashcards

(205 cards)