PSYCH 110 Midterm Exam MCQ and Essay Type Question & Answers (Latest): DeVry University, Chicago

PSYCH 110 Midterm Exam MCQ and Essay Type Question & Answers (Latest):

DeVry University, Chicago

 

Question 1.1. (TCOs 1, 2) Participants in research early in psychology’s history might have been asked to view a chair and describe its color, shape, texture, and other aspects of their conscious experience. These individuals would have been using a method called (Points : 2)

       hypnosis.
       objective introspection.
       psychosurgery.
       psychoanalysis. 
 

Question 2.2. (TCO 4)  As part of a psychology experiment, Brett decides to measure a person’s “anxiety” by noting the number of blinks a person makes in a 20-minute social interaction with a stranger. Brett appears to have offered a(n) _____ of anxiety. (Points : 2)

       variable
       operational definition
       theory
       hypothesis
 

Question 3.3. (TCOs 2, 3)  Marta was in an automobile accident and suffered an injury to her brain, resulting in the paralysis of her left arm. What part of Marta’s brain was injured?(Points : 2)

       Auditory association area
       Motor cortex
       Association areas
       Somatosensory cortex 
 

Question 4.4. (TCOs 2, 3)  A group of axons bundled together coated in myelin that travels together through the body is called a (Points : 2)

       synaptic vesicle.
       nerve.
       neurilemma.
       myelinated pathway.
 

Question 5.5. (TCOs 2, 3)  _____ synapses make it more likely that a neuron will send its message to other neurons, whereas _____ synapses make it less likely that a neuron will send its message. (Points : 2)

       Excitatory; inhibitory
       Inhibitory; excitatory
       Augmentation; depletion
       Depletion; augmentation 
 

Question 6.6. (TCO 4)  Which of the following phenomena is a function of the distribution of the rods and cones in the retina? (Points : 2)

       The moon looks much larger near the horizon than it looks when it is higher in the sky.
       The light from distant stars moving rapidly away from us is shifted toward the red end of the spectrum.
       Stars can be seen only with difficulty during the daytime.
       A dim star viewed at night may disappear when you look directly at it, but reappear when you look to one side of it.
 

Question 7.7. ( TCO 4)  What are the five primary tastes? (Points : 2)

       Hot, sour, spicy, sweet, origami
       Salty, sour, spicy, sweet, tart
       Bitter, salty, sour, sweet, umami
       Peppery, salty, sour, sweet, acidic
 

Question 8.8. (TCO 4) Dizziness, nausea, and disorientation may result if the information from the eyes conflicts a little too much with that from the vestibular organs, according to the _____ of motion sickness. (Points : 2)

       sensory conflict theory
       motor conflict theory
       vestibular conflict theory
       semicircular canal conflict theory
 

Question 9.9. (TCO 5) Judith is startled when her 6-year-old daughter, Laura, sleepwalks into the family room. It is most likely that Laura is experiencing the _____ stage of the sleep cycle. (Points : 2)

       REM
       first
       second
       fourth
 

Question 10.10. (TCO 5) A client tells his therapist about a dream of riding on a train with his boss. At the end of the journey, the boss gets off the train at a terminal. The content of this dream, as related by the client to the therapist, is what Freud called its _____. (Points : 2)

       primary content
       manifest content
       secondary content
       latent content
 

Question 11.11. (TCO 5) A student nurse looks at a patient’s chart and does not understand the meaning of serious sleep apnea, so she asks the head nurse for assistance. How might the head nurse describe this condition? (Points : 2)

       The patient is mentally ill and tends to try to suffocate himself at times.
       The patient cannot sleep unless he uses several pillows to deaden sounds that might awaken him.
       The patient appears to awaken throughout the night and start walking, but he will not respond to commands.
       The patient has a potentially life-threatening condition in which air does not flow into or out of his nose or mouth for periods of time while he is asleep.
 

Question 12.12. (TCOs 7, 8)  A child learns that whenever he eats all of his dinner, he gets a cookie for dessert. This type of learning is BEST explained by (Points : 2)

       classical conditioning.
       operant conditioning.
       biofeedback theory.
       social learning theory.
 

Question 13.13. (TCOs 7, 8)  Bill hates to clean up after dinner. One night, he volunteers to bathe the dog before cleaning up. When he finishes with the dog and returns to the kitchen, his wife has cleaned everything up for him. Which of the following statements is most likely true? (Points : 2)

       Bill will start cleaning up the kitchen before he bathes the dog.
       Bill’s wife has positively reinforced him for bathing the dog.
       Bill’s wife has negatively reinforced him for bathing the dog.
       Bill will never bathe the dog again.

Page 2

Question 1.1. (TCOs 7, 8)  Dad is watching a home improvement show about how to install a new sink. He really wants to do it and watches the show intently. He knows that his wife will reward him when he is done. However, when he tests the new sink, water spurts everywhere. Taking the new sink apart, he finds that he has left out the crucial washers in the faucet assembly even though this was emphasized in the TV show. What part of Bandura’s theory of the necessary components of observational learning is most likely the reason for this disaster? (Points : 2)

       Attention
       Memory
       Imitation
       Motivation
 

Question 2.2. (TCO 7) Suzy looks up from her lunch, realizing that Jacques has just said something to her. What was it? Oh, yes, he has just asked her if she wants to go to the movies. Suzy’s ability to retrieve what Jacques said is due to her (Points : 2)

       iconic sensory memory.
       echoic sensory memory.
       short-term memory.
       tactile sensory memory.
 

Question 3.3. (TCO 7) Rochelle remembered getting “B’s” in her English literature classes in college. But years
later, when she applied for a job and took out her transcript, she was shocked to find that she had actually gotten “C–” grades. She then started telling everyone she remembers being a pretty poor student. Her erratic memory of her mediocre performance is most likely due to (Points : 2)

       her poor memory.
       hindsight bias.
       consolidation.
       eidetic imagery.
 

Question 4.4. (TCO 7) Moishe can remember only the first two items and the last two items on the grocery list that his wife just read to him over the phone. The other five items in between are gone. This is an example of the (Points : 2)

       encoding specificity effect.
       serial position effect.
       TOT effect.
       reintegrative effect.
 

Question 5.5. (TCO 8)  Sally is enrolled in a high school geometry course, which she describes as “drawing figures and figuring drawings.” In a typical class, students draw geometric figures and use a formula to calculate an aspect of the figure, such as its area. Each time Sally uses a formula, she is making use of what psychologists call (Points : 2)

       heuristics.
       logarithms.
       algorithms.
       convergence.
 

Question 6.6. (TCO 8)  Which of the following statements about gifted people is true? (Points : 2)

       They are more likely to suffer from mental illnesses.
       They are physically weaker than nongifted persons.
       They are often skilled leaders.
       They are socially unskilled.
 

Question 7.7. (TCO 9) Sam is known to be the fastest worker in the mail room. He has worked in the mail room for only a short time, but prides himself on being competent and a quick learner. He often gets positive comments from coworkers and his boss, which helps to motivate him and has a positive effect as he continues to challenge himself at work. As a result of his efficient style, he is also given more freedom than other workers, because his boss is impressed by his ability to sort and organize mail. Sam is likely to be _____ motivated as he continues to challenge and push himself to perform even better each day. (Points : 2)

       intrinsically
       extrinsically
       superiorly
       withinsically
 

Question 8.8. (TCO 9)  Jack said, “I want to rule the world.” What type of need is this? (Points : 2)

       Need for achievement
       Need for affiliation
       Need for power
       Need for sex
 

Question 9.9. (TCO 9)  Although Kim just ate a huge meal and feels “stuffed,” the idea of a chocolate sundae is too good to pass up. Which motivational term explains the appeal of the sundae? (Points : 2)

       Incentive
       Instinctive
       Drive reduction
       Cognitive dissonance
 

Question 10.10. (TCO 11)  Carolyn took home some printer paper from the office. Later, she felt guilty for stealing it, so she brought some paper to work to replace what she took. Freud would suggest that Carolyn’s _____ was influencing her motives and behavior. (Points : 2)

       id
       unconscious mind
       ego
       superego
 

Question 11.11. (TCO 11)  A famous psychologist argues that there are three factors that influence personality: environment, person, and behavior. This psychologist is most likely a _____ psychologist. (Points : 2)

       psychodynamic
       social cognitive
       psychoanalytic
       trait
 

Question 12.12. (TCO 11)  Travis is a participant in the X-Games every year, which features events that are high-flying and exhilarating to watch or participate in, but also very dangerous to the competitors. Because Travis is willing to take chances with his health to get the adrenaline rush from these sorts of events, Cost and McCrae would argue that he ranks high on which of the five factors? (Points : 2)

       Openness
       Neuroticism
       Conscientiousness
       Extraversion

Page 3

Question 1.1. (TCOs 2, 3, 4) What are the primary functions of the sympathetic and parasympathetic components of the peripheral nervous system? Describe a situation or experience in which activation of the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions has occurred. (Points : 10)

The sympathetic division is responsible for controlling actions that are activated in stressful, angry, or fearful situations, while the parasympathetic is responsible for controlling relaxation, enjoyment, and rest.

When people experience the sympathetic component, their eyes tend to become bigger (to allow in more light) and their heart starts pumping faster and harder than usual.  An example of this situation is somebody getting bullied and getting ready to fight back.

The parasympathetic division is heavily responsible for the most common daily activities bodily functioning, such as keeping a steady heartbeat, as well as keeping normal breathing and digestion.  “People spend the greater part of their 24-hour day eating, sleeping, digesting, end excreting.  So it is the parasympathetic division that is typically active.”  Source: Our Text, pg 63

Question 2.2. (TCOs 5, 7) What are the main differences between physical dependence and psychological dependence? Give examples of both types of dependence. (Points : 10)

Physical and psychological dependence are somewhat similar but have unique differences between the two.  Physical Dependence defined by the appearance of characteristic withdrawal symptoms when the substance is no longer being regularly used.  As an individual uses the said drug over and over, they will require larger doses over time to achieve the initial effects of the drug.  Another example of a physical dependence for a substance or drug is that the individual starts to experience symptoms of withdrawal when deprived of the drug.  Depending on the drug that the person has taken, these symptoms can be anything from as small as from headaches, and nausea, become as big as irritability to severe pain, cramping, shaking, and dangerously elevated blood pressure. Source: Our Text, pg 159

Question 3.3. (TCOs 7, 8) Agatha Harkness-Smythe is determined to ban guns in the United States. This is a controversial topic and social scientists have debated whether the ownership of guns by citizens increases or decreases crime. Agatha could go the library and research this, using the social science literature. Instead, Agatha just reads the local newspaper and only cuts out articles about robberies where the “bad guy” used a firearm. Agatha is using a heuristic device that is impeding or obstructing her thinking. Define this heuristic device. What might be a better way for her to examine the issue and avoid this mistake? (Points : 10)

Agatha is using the Representativeness Heuristic in this situation.  She seems to be biased against guns for unknown reasons (it’s possible something personal happened to her in the past).  A better way to approach this situation would be for Agatha to use credible sources and show both sides of the argument, in order for her to prove her point.  If she can be convincing enough, she can make it work (if this was an alternate universe that is).

Question 4.4. (TCOs 9, 11 ) What are the pros and cons of trait theories of personality? (Points : 10)

Social cognitive theorist Walter Mischel (Pg 520) has said, there is a trait-situation interaction in which the particular circumstance of any given situation are assumed to influence the way in which a trait is expressed”.  This means that there are unique pros and cons to using trait theories of personalities.  One of the largest pros in using trait theories of personalities is that it can help teach people how to work together in harmony, as well as give them chances to be successful.  A con would be that this can possibly manipulate and deceive people into thinking they are something they are not.  Trait theories of personalities aren’t always 100% accurate, and if a person takes an inaccurate result to heart, it could change the way they look at themselves.  For example, a usually open, extroverted person takes the trait theories of personalities survey and get the result that he is apparently closed and introverted, they might start to behave that way more often.

Question 5.5. (TCOs 7, 8) What is meant by a flashbulb memory? Describe its characteristics. Give an example that is well-known. Some psychologists are not impressed by these well-known examples of this phenomenon. What are some of the criticisms of the idea of flashbulb memory? (Points : 10)

Flashbulb memories are supposed to be thoughts and recollections that were made instantaneously and ended up being remembered forever. Typically, these memories form after shocking events. A popular example would be the 9/11 attacks.

There are also individual personal flashlight memories of things like birthdays, embarrassing events, or tragic accidents.

A big criticism of the idea of flashbulb memory is that there is a shortage on studies regarding personal events such as accidents or trauma.  Another criticism of flashbulb memory is that it is not always reliable.  Neisser argued that these memories are often inaccurate or fabricated, and then he gave a personal example:

“For many years I have remembered how I heard of the news of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which occurred on the day before my thirteen birthday.  I recall sitting in the living room of our house – we only lived in that house for one year, but I remember it well – listening to a baseball game on the radio.  The game was interrupted by an announcement of the attack, and I rushed upstairs to tell my mother.   This memory has been so clear for so long that I never confronted its inherent absurdly until last year: no one broadcasts baseball games in December”

Sources:

Our Text Pgs 240-241

http://www.intropsych.com/ch06_memory/flashbulb_memory.html