Psychology 100 Fall 2004 C

Front 1

Which brain structure is most responsible for governing the autonomic nervous system?
(A) the corpus callosum
(B) the medulla oblongata
(C) the thalamus
(D) the hypothalamus

Back 1

(D) the hypothalamus

Front 2

Milgrim's experiment on obedience to authority foudn that a number of people obeyed the experimenter's orders to deliver shocks to another person. What kind of people served as subjects in Milgrim's experiment?
(A) only college students
(B) only military personnel
(C) prisoners and mental patients
(D) a diverse sample of normal adults

Back 2

(D) a diverse sample of normal adults

Front 3

The Society of Help Aging Rock Entertainers asks you whether you could contribute $50.00 per month to help cause, and you refuse. Then, the Society asks whether you could at least make a one-time contribution of $10.00. The Society is using the _____ technique.
(A) door-in-the-face
(B) that's-not-all
(C) self-handicapping
(D) foot-in-the-door

Back 3

(A) door-in-the-face

Front 4

According to Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome, what is the order of stages the body goes through in response to stress?
(A) alarm, resistance, exhaustion
(B) resistance, alarm, exhaustion
(C) exhaustion, resistance, alarm
(D) resistance, alarm, exhaustion

Back 4

(A) alarm, resistance, exhaustion

Front 5

Which theory hold that our level of physiological arousal determines the intensity of an emotion and our interpretation of a situation determines which emotion we feel?
(A) opponent-process theory
(B) James-Lange theory
(C) Schacter and Singer theory
(D) Cannon-Bard theory

Back 5

(C) Schacter and Singer theory

Front 6

Harry accepts a request to play the piano at his church's Sunday services, even though he is still learning to play the piano. He plays a well-learned, simple piece. Happily, he perfomrs very well infront of his congregation. Harry's behavior illustrates:
(A) social compensation
(B) socail loafing
(C) the bystander intervention effect
(D) social facilitaion

Back 6

(D) social facilitaion

Front 7

People in group (especially a group od stangers) are less likely to help a person in need thatn a singl individual. Which of the following is the best explaination for this tendency?
(A) cognitive dissonance
(B) group polarization
(C) diffusion of responsibility
(D) prisoner's dilemma

Back 7

(C) diffusion of responsibility

Front 8

When one factor that influences behavior has different effects, depending on the level of another factor, is know, as a/an:
(A) zero sum game
(B) illusionary correlation
(C) interaction
(D) conditional probability

Back 8

(C) interaction

Front 9

In general, unpleasant events produce more stress if they are:
(A) controlable
(B) unpredictable
(C) rare
(D) predictable

Back 9

(B) unpredictable

Front 10

Psychologists Latane and Darley proposed that no one helped Kitty Genovese when whe was brutally murdered near her apartment in New York City in 1964 because:
(A) nobody realized she needed help
(B) it appeared she was the one committing the murder
(C) nobody wanted to get involved, our of fear for their own life
(D) eveyone knew there were other people who could, and persumably would, help her

Back 10

(D) everyone knew there were other people who could, and persumably would, help her

Front 11

Maintaining or changing one's behavior to mathc the behvavior of others is called:
(A) a self-fullfilling prophecy
(B) conformity
(C) group polarization
(D) the bystander effect

Back 11

(B) conformity

Front 12

Raymond says his brother Charlie, "I'm a very good driver," despite the fact that he is totally inept and hve very limited driving experience. His inflated view of his driving prowess is an example of:
(A) delusional cognitions
(B) downward social comparison
(C) self-evaluative maintenance
(D) the better-than-average effect

Back 12

(D) the better-than-average effect

Front 13

Maintaining stability of the body's temperature, weight, water, and other biological conditions is called:
(A) homeostasis
(B) libido
(C) intrinsic motivation
(D) sensation-seeking

Back 13

(A) homeostasis

Front 14

The process of assigning causes to someone's behavior (including one's own) is known as:
(A) cognitive dissonance
(B) group polarization
(C) attribution
(D) self-serving bias

Back 14

(C) attribution

Front 15

A famous study coducted by LaPiere (1934) showed that, when a Chinese couple attempted to visit a hotel or restaurant, almost all of the establishments _____ them, which was _____ with their written policy.
(A) accepted, consistent
(B) accepted, inconsistent
(C) rejected, consistent
(D) rejected, inconsistent

Back 15

(A) accepted, consistent

Front 16

The rule that implicity or explicity govern the behaviors of members of a group are called:
(A) goals
(B) roles
(C) norms
(D) status hierarchie

Back 16

(C) norms

Front 17

Which part of the autonomic nervous system prepares the body for "flight or fight"?
(A) parasympathetic nervous system
(B) sympathetic nervous system
(C) neither the sympathetic nor the parasympathetic nervous system
(D) both the sympathetic and parasympathetics nervous systems equally

Back 17

(B) sympathetic nerovus system

Front 18

Which of the following is evidence that people have built-in, unlearned tendencies for certain facial expression?
(A) people in all parts of the world laygh equally frequently adn they laugh at the same things
(B) children who are born deaf and blind develop normal facial expressions
(C) peopleuse various facial expressions throughout the day, even when they were feeling no emotion
(D) humans use facial expressions to express emotions and other animals do nto

Back 18

(B) children who are born deaf and blind develop normal facial expression

Front 19

How dow bulima differ from anorexia?
(A) Bulimics typically maintain normal weight, while anorexics become abnormally underweight
(B) bulimics often eat large amounts of food, ehile anorexics eat very little
(C) bulimia is much more common than anotexia
(D) all of the above

Back 19

(D) all of the above

Front 20

Suppose you are sitting in one of you classes, and you di not underdstand what the professor is saying. You'd like to aks a question but, as you look arounf the room, you see others quietly taking notes and it appears that they all understand. Because nobody is asking questions, you don't either. AS it turns out, however, the majority of the students are thinking just as you are. So nobody asks any questions. This situation illustrates the concept of:
(A) the diffusion of responsibility
(B) pluralistic ignorance
(C) social loafing
(D) group polarization

Back 20

(B) pluralistic ignorance

Front 21

In Dr. Capo's vivid description of an incident that illustrates the "power of the situation," which species of animal almost kille dthe young reveler?
(A) tiger
(B) lowland gorilla
(C) rhinoceros
(D) polar bear

Back 21

(D) polar bear

Front 22

Many self-help books instruct readers to perform action "A" and, as a result, "B" will happen. However, such books rarely ecplain the fundamental principles that govern the desired effect. Stanvich calls this type of "knowledge"
(A) piecemeal knowledge
(B) recipe knowledge
(C) metacognition
(D) naive knowledge

Back 22

(B) recipe knowledge

Front 23

The hormone, secreted by the adrenal gland in response to stress, which elevates blood sugar and enhanses metabolism is
(A) endorphins
(B) estradiol
(C) oxytocin
(D) cortisol

Back 23

(D) cortisol

Front 24

Which kind of people are most likely to gain weight?
(A) those with anxiety problems
(B) those who crave salt
(C) people with depression and anger
(D) people who expend very little energy

Back 24

(D) people who expend very little energy

Front 25

An area of the brain that is especially important in determining when to start and stop eating is the:
(A) cerebellum
(B) hippocampus
(C) medulla
(D) hypothalamus

Back 25

(D) hypothalamus

Front 26

A psychosomatic illness is bes described as an illness:
(A) that is in the person's imagination
(B) in which people have an impaired ability to distinguish between reality and fantasy
(C) that is influenced by stressful experiences and reactions to stress
(D) that result from neorons that are incapable of generating action potential

Back 26

(C) that is influenced by stressful experiences and reactions to stress

Front 27

The Society for the Defense of Apathy asks you to make a $1.00 contribution, and you agree. Later, they ask you for a $50.00 donation. The Society is using the _____ technique.
(A) that's-not-all
(B) self-handicapping
(C) door-in-the-face
(D) foot-in-the-door

Back 27

(D) foot-in-the-door

Front 28

Attributions that we adopt in an effor to maximize our credit for success and minimize our blame for failure are called:
(A) self-esteem beliefs
(B) self-serving biases
(C) fundamental attribution error
(D) bystander effect

Back 28

(B) self-serving biases

Front 29

Damage to the lateral hypothalamus leads to _____ and damage to the ventomedial hypothalamus leads to ____.
(A) weight loss, weight gain
(B) weight loss, weight loss
(C) weight gain, weight loss
(D) weight gain, weight gain

Back 29

(A) weight loss, weight loss

Front 30

A group of military stategists has agreed on a plan to attack an island. No one questioned whether the plan has a reasonable chance of success. Which of the following best describes what happened during that meeting?
(A) diffusion of responsibility
(B) social loafing
(C) groupthink
(D) bystander apathy

Back 30

(C) groupthink

Front 31

How does a high level of insulin in the blood lead to an increase in appetite?
(A) it causes glucose to be stored as fat, instead of remaining available for use as energy
(B) it increases the rate at which the body burns energy supllies and, therefore, increases the body's nutritional needs
(C) it directly alters the taste buds to increase their response to sweet tastes
(D) it slows digestive processes and, therefore, decreases the frequency of meals

Back 31

(A) it causes glucose to be stored as fat, instead of remaining available for eused as energy

Front 32

According to the James-Lange theory:
(A) emotion is our perception of bodily movements and autonomic changes
(B) frusteration leads to aggression
(C) the limbic system of the brain is critical for emotional behavior
(D) intermediate arousal levels produce the best performance on difficult tasks

Back 32

(A) emotion is our perception of bodily movements and autonomic changes

Front 33

The term "coping" refers to:
(A) the harmful effects of stressors
(B) the process of learning to decrease the negative effects of stressors
(C) the acquisition of enough physical comforts to counteract stressors

Back 33

(B) the process of learning to decrease the negative effects of stressors

Front 34

Hans Selye's alarm stage is characterized by activation of the :
(A) digestive system
(B) glial cells
(C) parasympathetic system
(D) sympathetic system

Back 34

(D) sympathetic system

Front 35

When a group of psychiatrists was asked to predict whether participants would give the highest level of shock to the "learner" in Milgrim's obedience experiemetns, the psychiatrists predicted that:
(A) very few would administer the highest level
(B) two-thirds would administer the highest level
(C) three-fourths would administer the highest level
(D) all would administer the highest level

Back 35

(A) very few would administer the highest level

Front 36

The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to
(A) use external, or situational, causes as decoy attributions to explain our failures
(B) feel less responsiblility for helping someone when you that other people are around
(C) overemphasize internal, or dispositional, attributions for other people's behavior
(D) silence all disagreement and move quickly toward a group decision

Back 36

(C) overemphasize internal, or dispositional, attributions for other people's behavior

Front 37

Anorexia nervosa is far more likely to occur in _____ than in _____.
(A) young children, teenagers
(B) African Americans, European Americans
(C) African Americans, Japanese people
(D) women, men

Back 37

(D) women, men

Front 38

Brandy is at a concert where she is surrounded by thousands of people. Though she is normally shy and afraid to express her feelings, she soon gets swept up in the madness around her. She joins the "mosh pit" and begins yelling, laughing, and dancing histeriacally. Which of the following best explains her sudden loss of inhibition?
(A) deindividualation
(B) bystander intervention
(C) social facilitation
(D) groupthink

Back 38

(A) deindividualation

Front 39

The mrere exposure effect refers to the fact that:
(A) we tend to dislike someone we are merely exposed to, if we are unable to interact with the person
(B) we tend to prefer people we have merely been exposed to over those we know well
(C) proximity makes people like each other less
(D) we tend to increase our liking for people who have become familiar

Back 39

(D) we tend to increase out liking for people who have become familiar

Front 40

Accoring to the cognitive dissonance theory, people:
(A) will change their behavior only after their attitudes have changed
(B) always try to undertand and explain their own behavior
(C) change their attitudes to reduce the tension that results from inconsistent attitudes and behaviors
(D) will like an activity if they recieve a large payoff for doing it

Back 40

(C) change their attitudes to reduce the tension that results from inconsistent attitudes and behaviors

Front 41

After a political candidate lost badly in an election, the paid political workers were discouraged, but the volunteers felt their effort was worthwhile. What psychological prinicple is probably responsible for this difference in attitudes?
(A) group polarization
(B) conformity
(C) cognitive dissonance
(D) attributional bias

Back 41

(C) cognitive dissonance

Front 42

What evidence do some psychologists cite to support the idea that humans have a few "basic" emotions, such as joy, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, and disgust?
(A) each of these emotional experiences depend on teh activity of a different neurotransmitter in the brain
(B) people with vaious genetic abnormalities expereince all of these emotions except one, and different mutations delete different emotions
(C) each emotion develops rather suddenly at a different age in human development
(D) people throughout the world can recognize facial expressions corresponding to those emotional experiences

Back 42

(D) people throughout the world can recognize facial expressions corresponding to those emotions

Front 43

Since psychology is probabilistic, psychologists should not:
(A) try to predict behavior at all
(B) make claims about general behavioral tendencies
(C) claim to be able to predict behavior case by case
(D) be concerned with behavior

Back 43

(C) claim to be able to predict behavior case by case

Front 44

The best predictor of stress-related illness seems to be:
(A) any major change in life circumstances
(B) any positive event that is not view as such
(C) any negative event
(D) the total amount of lifes' daily hassles

Back 44

(D) the total amount of life's daily hassels

Front 45

The group poloarization effect refers to the fact that:
(A) a group composed of people with widely differing opinions tends to shift most of its members towards a moderate position
(B) groups that discuss an issue tend to split into opposite, hostile camps
(C) people with opposite personalities find each other attractive
(D) after a group discusses an issue, it tends to shift toward a more extreme position

Back 45

(D) after a group discusses an issue, it tends to shift toward a more extremem position

Front 46

Stanovich describes the desire to find one "single cause" explainations in terms of searching for a(n):
(A) interaction
(B) magic bullet
(C) conditional probability
(D) oddmatch

Back 46

(B) magic bullet

Front 47

Social loafing refers to peoples' tendencies to:
(A) group other people together based on socal status
(B) put less effort into relationships that have been ongoing than in new relationships
(C) work less hard when sharing the work with other people than when working alone
(D) work less hard when they have an audience then when they are alone

Back 47

(C) work less hard when sharing the work with other people than when working alone

Front 48

According to Stanovich, the Achilles' Heel of Human Cognition is:
(A) memory
(B) the unconscious
(C) probabilistic reasoning
(D) common sense

Back 48

(C) probabilistic reasoning

Front 49

Suppose you are taking a course on drugs and behavior. When the instructor informs the class that research indicates that heavy consumption of alcohol is related to depression, one of you fellow students raises his hand and claims, "that can't be true. My uncle drank every day and he was never depressed." Your peer was using whta Stanovich calls a/an:
(A) actuarial prediction
(B) gambler's fallacy
(C) person-who statistic
(D) inversion error

Back 49

(C) person-who statistic

Front 50

Which of the following is the best reason for why the measurement of an attitude may not correlate strongly with a particular behavior?
(A) attitudes change much more frequently than behavior changes
(B) people frequently lie about their attitudes
(C) people usually behave in a way to intentionally hide or mask their true attitudes
(D) many variables other than attitudes also influence behavior

Back 50

(D) many vairables other than attitudes also influence behavior