Abnormal Psychology Chapter 7

Acquiring, storing, retrieving, and using information, based on sensation, perception, problem solving, and conceptualizing, is called

cognition

Which of the following would not be considered a concept?

your cat Spike

Individual instances of a concept that are stored in memory based on personal experience are called

exemplars

Which of the following is most likely prototype of a bird?

sparrow

You are trying to decide what kind of breakfast cereal to buy. You notice a new cereal that you recall seeing advertised on television and choose to buy it. This kind of decision making fits best with the concept of the

algorithm

The _____ is a sort of mental short cut that helps us make decisions based on what is easiest to call to mind

availability heuristic

Kayla is playing blackjack and has a hand totalling 17. She knows that she will likely lose if she gets another card but she does so anyway because she has a ‘gut feeling’ she will get a lucky card. On what is Kayla’s decision making based?

intuition

When you use a specific procedure for solving a math problem that will always lead you to the correct answer, providing you correctly follow the steps, you are using a

algorithm

Juanita visits her advisor at college and afterward figures out when she will graduate by counting how many classes she has left and determining how many items it will take to complete them. She is using:

means end analysis

_____ refers to word arrangement, whereas _____ refers to the meaning of words.

Syntax, semantics

How many phonemes are in the word psychology?

8

Intonation and social rules are a part of which component of language?

pragmatics

The language in which you think largely determines the nature of your thoughts. This is called the:

linguistic relativity hypothesis

Thurston believed that seven distinct capabilities are involved in all intellectual activities, which he referred to as

primary mental abilities

We is a con artist who flunked out of school, though he always got along with teachers and students. He is currently unemployed, but runs “scams” to earn his living. He has played a bum, a cop, a priest, and a businessman as part of his efforts to cheat people and he has never been caught. Wes would likely have a high degree of Gardner’s _____ intelligence

interpersonal

Phillip is an 8 year old with a mental age of 6. According to Terman’s formula. what is his IQ?

75

When you take a psychology test and afterward believe it did not accurately measure your knowledge of psychology, you are questioning the test’s?

validity

When administered properly, the results of a standardized intelligence test

can help explain why a child may be struggling in school

Early interventions designed to enrich the environment of poor children

demonstrate that nature cannot be altered by nurturing.

When you figure out a solution to your problem and you put it into action, you are engaging in the process of

translation

A rose would be a likely prototype for the concept of flowers

True

Framing, or presenting information a certain way to emphasize an outcome or gain, has a limited effect on decision making

False

Anything that human brains can do, an artificial intelligence program can do just as well or better.

False

Morphemes, the smallest units of meaning in the English language, are always words.

False

Bilingualism during childhood is associated with an improved ability to think about language.

True

The SAT is an aptitude test designed to predict college performance.

True

Mental retardation is based solely on one’s IQ score

False

Lewis Terman’s study found that mentally gifted individuals had more mental health/psychological problems than the general population

False

Research shows that racial differences in IQ are largely due to genetic factors.

False

Women tend to better than men on mathematical calculation tests

True

Abnormal Psychology Chapter 6

Any steps you take to try and commit something to memory are part of the _____ process

encoding

When you call information for a phone number, but you don’t have a pen to write down the number, which part of your memory must attempt to maintain the number while you look for a pen?

short-term memory

The strategy of grouping bits of information into larger units that are easier to remember is called

chunking

For information stored in long-term memory to be used, it must first be

retrieved

Memories of a vacation spent with your family would be considered

episodic memories

Which of the following is not one of the three types of nondeclarative memories?

information learned in class

A memory researcher asks subjects to memorize a list of words and finds it takes them 30 minutes to do so. Two weeks later, he asks the same subjects to memorize the list of words again, and then they do so in 15 minutes. The percentage of time saved, 50%, is known as the

recognition score

Which of the following techniques is used to measure memory?

all of the above: the relearning method, tests of recall, tests of recognition

According to the serial position effect, which items on a list are least likely to be recalled?

the middle law

Vern had too much to drink. The next day he gets a phone call from a woman he met at the party, but can’t remember her name. According to the state-dependent memory effect, under which condition will Vern most likely remember her name?

when he has a bit too much to drink

An integrated framework about people, objects, and events that is stored in long-term memory is called a

schema

There is a good chance that you remember exactly where you were and exactly what you were doing when you first heard about the attacks on September 11, 2001. Such a vivid memor is called a _____ memory

flashbulb

Jacquez believes that as you get older, memories that haven’t been used will just fade away and disappear. His position is most consistent with which cause of forgetting?

decay theory

David studied French in high school but switched to learning Italian in college. Whenever he tries to speak French, he catches himself instead translating his English phrase into Italian. Why is David forgetting his French?

retroactive interference

Which of the following is not a form of motivated forgetting according to your text?

suppression

Cassie is playing Trivial Pursuit with friends. She is asked and question and knows the answer. However, she becomes frustrated because although she knows the answer she can not retrieve it. What is she experiencing?

tip of the tongue phenomenon

Which of the following hormones has not been related to memory processes, according to your text?

cortisol

Which type of memory is reconstructive?

all of the above: autobiographical, flashbulb, source

While passing on an interesting bit of gossip to a friend, the friend asks where you heard the information. Try as you might, you can’t recall. You have experienced a failure of _____ memory.

semantic

Henry, a college student, has difficulty remembering events from the first few years of his life. This is likely due to

infantile amnesia

Elaborative rehearsal is the best method for remembering complex information like material for this class

True

Recall tasks are typically considered to be easier than recognition tasks.

False

A reconstruction of an event may sometimes be based on inaccurate information

True

Hermann Ebbinghaus conducted the first experimental studies on learning and memory

True

The tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon is an example of retrieval failure

True

The brain structure associated with transfer of information from short-to long-term memory is the amygdala

True

If a person’s hippocampus is damaged, she may be unable to store new information in long-term memory.

True

Your strongest, most long-lasting memories are usually those fueled by your emotions.

True

Research suggests that eyewitness testimony is too unreliable to be considered as evidence in criminal court cases.

False

Repressed memories are controversial in that the event never really occured

False

Abnormal Psychology Chapter 5

The individual most directly responsible for the process of classical education is

Ivan Pavlov

Vinny’s professor always says “Here we go!” before administering an exam. For some reason now, Vinny becomes nervous every time he hears someone say, “Here we go!” In this example of classical conditioning, which is the conditioned stimulus?

hearing the phrase “Here we go!”

Twenty two year old Sofia drank too much vodka and cranberry juice one evening and became very ill/ Now, anytime Sofia tastes cranberry, she feels very ill. Based on classical conditioning, ______ is the unconditioned stimulus whereas ________ is the conditioned stimulus.

too much vodka; cranberry juice

The weakening and eventual disappearance of a conditioned response that is caused by a repeated presentation of the conditioned stimulus without the presence of the unconditioned stimulus is called

extinction

Jerry bought a dog to serve as a watchdog. He teaches it to bark when the doorbell rings. However, the dog also barks at the telephone or a doorbell ring on television. Which process explains these additional responses?

generalization

John B. Watson’s work with Little Albert was significant because it demonstrated

a conditioned fear response

Janie once ate fish at a restaurant and later felt ill. Now the very smell of cooked fish makes her nauseous. What has Janie experienced.

a taste generalization

Bill completes his drug rehabilitation program. His counselors strongly urges him to avoid going to places where he used to use drugs. His counselor says this is so:

Bill doesn’t come into contact with stimuli previously associated with drug use

Thorndike’s experiment using the cat that had to learn to escape the puzzle box for food illustrated which behavioral law:

law of effect

_____ are the major concepts of operant conditioning, a type of learning devised by ______.

Stimulus and reinforcement, Skinner

The process of shaping a response involves reinforcing each of a series of steps that becomes increasingly more similar to the desired response. This is called:

successive approximations

What causes extinction in operant conditioning?

withholding reinforcement

Cindy cries for candy when in the store with her mother. Her mother, wanting Cindy to be quiet, gets her candy, at which point Cindy becomes silent. The next time they go to the store the process repeats itself. Which of the following best describes what has happened?

Cindy’s behavior is positively reinforced, and her mother's behavior is positively reinforced.

Positive reinforcement ______ the likelihood of a behavior happening again; negative reinforcement ______ the likelihood of a behavior happening again.

increases; decreases

Which of the following is the best example of a primary reinforcer?

water

A professor gives his class a quiz each Monday. Consequently, students do not study much during the week, but “cram” throughout the weekend to earn a good grade. Their behavior best corresponds to which schedule of reinforcement?

fixed interval

When Billy misbehaves, his parents make sure to apply punishment immediately and consistently and to use the harshest possible punishment so that Billy will “get the message.” According to research, which of the following is a recommendation you might have to help make their use of punishment be more effective?

make punishment less severe

Seligman’s experiments with dogs that did not escape the shock administered, even when they could have, demonstrates which principle?

learned helplessness

Carrie is trying to complete a jigsaw puzzle. She struggles with it for some time until she suddenly sees how the pieces fit together. Which type  of learning is Carrie exhibiting?

insight learning

Carl learned how to change a flat tire by watching his mother do so. She would change a tire and then have him show her each steps as well. Which type of learning does this demonstrate?

observational learning

Memorizing a phone number long enough to dial it, and then forgetting it, fits the text definition of learning.

false

Classical conditioning takes place most readily when the unconditioned stimulus occurs just before the conditioned stimulus.

true.

John B. Watson was one of the researchers who demonstrated that fear could be conditioned in humans.

true

Rescorla’s cognitive view of classical conditioning suggests that the repeated pairing of the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus is the critical element for conditioning to occur.

false.

The “operant” in operant conditioning refers to voluntary behavior.

true

Negative reinforcement is designed to have the same outcome as a punishment

true

According to Skinner, punishment can suppress behavior but not extinguish it.

True

Biofeedback can be used to train individuals to control internal responses such as heart rate and anxiety tension states.

True

Behavior modification programs require a therapist to administer them.

False

The process of latent learning depends on reinforcement taking place.

False.

Abnormal Psychology Chapter 4

A mental state other than wakefulness, such as sleep or meditation, is called

an altered state of conscious

Circadian rhythms exist for

all of the above: appetite, learning efficiency, energy level,

Which hormone is most related to the sleep/wake cycle

melatonin

_____ occurs in four stages

NREM sleep

Which EEG pattern is typical of someone who is relaxed and drowsy but not yet asleep

alpha waves

Jones stayed up all night at a party. The next night he had nightmares when he slept. This was probably because of

REM rebound effect

Which theory explains the function of sleep in humans

a combination of both the restorative and circadian theories of sleep

Laura describes a dream she had to her friend, Jessica. Jessica explains her view of what the dream means. According to Freud, Jessica is offering her opinion of which aspect of Laura’s dream?

manifest content

Which of the following best describes the activation-synthesis hypothesis of dreaming?

Dreams are the brain’s attempt to make sense of the random firing of brain cells during REM sleep

The technical term for talking in one’s sleep is:

somniloquy

Which of the following major sleep disorders may be treated through surgery

sleep apnea

Nightmares and sleep terrors

occur during different stages of sleep

Terrell spends time every morning sitting alone, concentrating on his breathing. He is experiencing the benefits of

meditation

Which of the following statements about hypnosis is true?

people are more suggestible when hypnotized.

Which theory of hypnosis states that the behavior of a hypnotized person is a function of his or her own expectations about how people behave while hypnotized?

sociocognitive theory of hypnosis

Which of the following is not a psychoactive drug?

all of the above are psychoactive drugs: marijuana, nicotine, caffeine

Alcohol is classified as a

depressant

Blake uses cocaine. He finds he need more cocaine now to receive the same effect he once received from smaller amounts of the drug. This symptom of cocaine dependence is called

drug tollerance

According to psychologists, at what point does casual use of a psychoactive drug become abuse?

when use of the drug has begun to negatively affect important aspects of the person's life and functioning

The neurotransmitter associated with the feelings of reward or pleasure produced by many psychoactive substances is

dopamine

Chronic jet lag can result in permanent memory deficits

True

Exposure to bright sunlight during early morning hours and avoidance of bright light in the evening may help restore circadian rhythms for those experiencing jet lag

True

Sleep deprivation may negatively affect mood but has little effect on cognitive performance

False

Dreams occurs only during REM sleep

False

Chronic insomnia can last for years

True

Meditation can help some people with depression

True

Hypnosis has been effective in helping people control pain

True

Substance abuse is a more severe problem than substance dependence

False

An individual who is addicted to cocaine and tries to quit using will often feel irritable and may have trouble sleeping

True

Marijuana has been associated with lung diseases

True

Abnormal Psychology Chapter 3

Jenna accidentally steps on a pin. The stimulation of her skin and transmission of the information regarding this touch to the central nervous system is the process of

sensation

To sense a change in weights being carried, the additional weight added must be 2% higher than what you carried before. This difference threshold is calculated using:

Weber’s law

The process of converting sensory information into neural impulses is called

Transduction

Jake and Abby walked into their local Starbucks to get coffee. Jake immediately noticed the smell of coffee beans. Abby couldn’t smell them until she walked closer to the counter. Jake and Abby likely have different:

absolute thresholds

The outer part of of the eye that serves to protect the eye, and on which you would place your contact lenses is called the

cornea

The ______ is the structure responsible for transduction for vision.

optic nerve

Which theory best explains visual phenomena such as afterimages?

opponent-process theory

The loudness of a sound corresponds to which physical characteristic of a sound wave?

aimplitude

Which of the following best describes where transduction for hearing takes place?

hair cells in the cochlea

Which theory of hearing best explains how sensory receptions in our ear encode sound wave frequency over 1,000 Hz?

neither frequency theory nor place theory

Glenda purchases some new perfume to attract her boyfriends attention. The perfume is meant to stimulate which sensory system?

olfactory

Linda’s friends all drink coffee, but Linda finds the taste of coffee very bitter, more so than do her friends. Which is one explanation for Linda’s dislike of coffee?

she is a “supertaster”

Monique experiences a leg cramp in her calf. She massages the muscle while gritting her teeth and finds she feels less pain. Which theory explains this decrease in pain?

closure

A toddler plays with blocks by sorting them into piles by color, so that the red blocks make up one pile, the blue blocks make up a second pile, and the green blocks make up a third pile. He is using which Gestalt principle of perceptual organization?

similarity

Gary sees a friend standing near a fence. The fence partially blocks his view of his friend, so Gary realizes the fence is closer to him than is his friend. Which monocular depth cue is Gary using?

interposition

The “old woman/young woman” image is an example of

an ambiguous figure

Which of the following involves an illusion using two equal lines with diagonals extending outward from one line, making it appear longer than the line with diagonals extending inward?

Muller-Lyer illusion

Brandi is learning to read by sounding out a word one letter at a time. Which type of processing is she using?

Gestalt principle of closure

Leroy is studying and trying to ignore his roommate’s phone conversation in the other room. When he hears his name mentioned, he suddenly becomes aware of what his roommate is saying on the phone. Which perceptual concept does this example demonstrate?

cocktail party phenomenon

Which type of extrasensory perception ritual might be claimed by individuals who try to predict the outcome of a football game?

precognition

The lens in the eye is a muscle that dilates or constricts depending on the amount of light in the environment.

False

A blind spot exists in our vision due to an area on the retina the lacks rods and cones.

True

Someone with color blindness cannot perceives any colors at all

False

The same note played on different musical instruments sounds different because of a change in the timbre

True

Receptors in our muscles, joints, and ligaments allow us to obtain information as to where our body is in space.

False

The sensory receptors for the olfactory system are located in the olfactory bulbs

False

Specific areas if the tongue specialize in processing different taste sensations.

True

The body has the ability to produce natural painkillers called endorphins in times of need.

True

Illusions fool our perceptual system only when our attention decreases.

False

Subliminal perception can influence behavior to some degree

False. 

Abnormal Psychology Chapter 2

During an exam, which brain-wave pattern are you most likely to exhibit?

Beta Wave

Kevin is undergoing some test to look for signs of physical damage to his brain. He also needs to be sure certain parts of his brain are working properly. Which types of diagnosis technique reveal both structures and activity?

fMRI - function MRI

The Neurons that relay messages from the sense organs to the central nervous system are:

afferet (sensory) Neurons

Which part of the neuron receives messages from other cells?

dendrite

When a neuron axon carries a positive electrical potential of about 50 millivolts for a brief moment, it is said to be firing. This is called the

action potential

Sarah seems to be depressed, isn’t sleeping well, and has little appetite. Which neurotransmitter is most likely to be involved in the problem?

serotonin

Which part of the nervous system is primarily responsible for regulating the body’s involuntary, internal environment?

autonomic nervous system

Maria is riding a roller coaster. As it surges over the high point to plunge downward, her heart races, her breathing quickens, and blood flow to her skeletal muscles increases. Which division of the peripheral nervous system is most active?

sympathetic nervous system

Jesse is wiring together his home theater system, and he accidentally touches a live wire. He gets a painful shock and quickly jerks his hand away. The reflex of pulling his hand back is dictated by the:

spinal cord

A severe injury to the medulla would likely result in:

death

Which area of the brain regulates several body functions, including hunger, thirst, sexual behavior, and internal body temperature?

hypothalamus

Danielle is left handed. When she is taking notes in class, which part of her brain is directing the movements of her hand?

right frontal lobe

The visual cortex is located in the

occipital lobe

Because medications are not controlling her seizures, which of the following is Coral’s doctor likely considering?

He plans to sever her corpus callosum

Which individual is most likely to recover or at least partially recover a lost brain function following a head injury?

15 year old boy

Which of the following statements about gender differences in the adult brain is true?

Women have more gray matter in the area of the brain that controls emotions than do men

_____ are to the central nervous system as _____ are to the endocrine system

Neurotransmitters, hormones

Which organ is responsible for regulating blood sugar by releasing insulin and glucagon into the bloodstream?

pancreas

In a dominant-recessive pattern set of inheritance rules, which pair of genes would result in the expression of a recessive trait?

two recessive genes

Which of the following is true regarding the field of behavioral genetics?

all of the above

An MRI is a more powerful way to view the brains structures than an EEG

True

The myelin sheath allows neural impulses to travel faster

True

Any neurotransmitter can fit into any receptor

False

The somatic nervous system can be divided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.

False.

The limbic system is a series of brain structures involved in emotion

True

Wernicke’s aphasia involves difficulty with comprehension of speech.

False.

The right hemisphere of the brain is responsible for most language functions.

False.

Pain perception occurs in the somatosensory area of the cerebrum

True

The gonads are primarily responsible for the production of sex hormones

True

There are 22 pairs of chromosomes in the human body.

False.