PSYC 2150 Exam 1-3 Comprehensive Study Guide + Exam
Questions & Solutions Graded A+
1. Which of the following research methods allows a researcher to determine cause-and-effect
relationships?
A) Naturalistic observation
B) Correlational study
C) Experimental method
D) Case study
Answer: C – Explanation: Only the experimental method, with manipulation of an independent variable
and control of extraneous variables, allows causal inferences. Correlational studies only identify
relationships, not causation.
2. A researcher finds a correlation coefficient of -0.85 between hours of sleep and reaction time. This
indicates:
A) More sleep is associated with slower reaction time
B) More sleep is associated with faster reaction time
C) Sleep has no effect on reaction time
D) Sleep causes improved reaction time
Answer: B – Explanation: A negative correlation means as one variable increases, the other decreases.
More sleep (increase) is associated with faster reaction time (decrease in reaction time = better
performance).
3. The part of the neuron that receives messages from other neurons is the:
A) Axon
B) Myelin sheath
C) Dendrite
D) Synaptic terminal
Answer: C – Explanation: Dendrites receive incoming signals from other neurons. Axons transmit signals
away from the cell body.
,4. Which neurotransmitter is primarily associated with movement, reward, and pleasure, and is
dysregulated in Parkinson’s disease?
A) Serotonin
B) Acetylcholine
C) Dopamine
D) GABA
Answer: C – Explanation: Dopamine is involved in motor control and reward pathways. Parkinson’s
disease involves degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons.
5. The function of the myelin sheath is to:
A) Produce neurotransmitters
B) Speed up neural transmission
C) Receive signals from other neurons
D) Protect the neuron from toxins
Answer: B – Explanation: Myelin sheath insulates the axon and increases the speed of action potential
propagation via saltatory conduction.
6. Which lobe of the brain is primarily responsible for processing auditory information and memory?
A) Frontal lobe
B) Parietal lobe
C) Temporal lobe
D) Occipital lobe
Answer: C – Explanation: The temporal lobe contains the primary auditory cortex and the hippocampus
(memory). Occipital is vision, parietal is somatosensory, frontal is executive function.
7. In classical conditioning, the neutral stimulus becomes the _______ after pairing with an
unconditioned stimulus.
A) Unconditioned response
B) Conditioned stimulus
C) Unconditioned stimulus
,D) Conditioned response
Answer: B – Explanation: The neutral stimulus becomes the conditioned stimulus (CS) that elicits a
conditioned response (CR) after learning.
8. A child learns to say “please” because her parents give her a cookie every time she says it. This is an
example of:
A) Positive reinforcement
B) Negative reinforcement
C) Positive punishment
D) Negative punishment
Answer: A – Explanation: Positive reinforcement adds a pleasant stimulus (cookie) to increase a behavior
(saying please).
9. Which memory system has a very brief duration (milliseconds to seconds) and holds raw sensory
information?
A) Short-term memory
B) Working memory
C) Long-term memory
D) Sensory memory
Answer: D – Explanation: Sensory memory (iconic for vision, echoic for hearing) holds information for a
fraction of a second before it is either transferred to short-term memory or lost.
10. The capacity of short-term memory (working memory) is approximately:
A) 2 ± 1 items
B) 7 ± 2 items
C) 15 ± 3 items
D) Unlimited
Answer: B – Explanation: George Miller’s classic research found that short-term memory can hold about
7 (plus or minus 2) chunks of information.
, 11. A patient with damage to the hippocampus is unable to form new memories but can recall events
from before the injury. This is called:
A) Retrograde amnesia
B) Anterograde amnesia
C) Source amnesia
D) Dissociative amnesia
Answer: B – Explanation: Anterograde amnesia is the inability to form new memories after an injury.
Retrograde is loss of past memories.
12. Which of the following is an example of implicit (non-declarative) memory?
A) Recalling your first day of school
B) Remembering the capital of France
C) Knowing how to ride a bicycle
D) Memorizing a list of words for a test
Answer: C – Explanation: Implicit memory includes procedural memory (skills, habits) that are expressed
through performance without conscious recall. Facts and events are explicit (declarative) memory.
13. According to Piaget, a child in the preoperational stage is typically characterized by:
A) Object permanence
B) Abstract reasoning
C) Egocentrism and lack of conservation
D) Hypothetical-deductive reasoning
Answer: C – Explanation: Preoperational stage (ages 2-7) is marked by egocentrism (inability to take
another’s perspective) and inability to understand conservation (that quantity doesn’t change with
shape).
14. A baby is shown a toy, then a screen blocks the toy. The baby does not search for the toy. According
to Piaget, this baby has not yet developed:
A) Stranger anxiety
B) Object permanence
C) Accommodation
Questions & Solutions Graded A+
1. Which of the following research methods allows a researcher to determine cause-and-effect
relationships?
A) Naturalistic observation
B) Correlational study
C) Experimental method
D) Case study
Answer: C – Explanation: Only the experimental method, with manipulation of an independent variable
and control of extraneous variables, allows causal inferences. Correlational studies only identify
relationships, not causation.
2. A researcher finds a correlation coefficient of -0.85 between hours of sleep and reaction time. This
indicates:
A) More sleep is associated with slower reaction time
B) More sleep is associated with faster reaction time
C) Sleep has no effect on reaction time
D) Sleep causes improved reaction time
Answer: B – Explanation: A negative correlation means as one variable increases, the other decreases.
More sleep (increase) is associated with faster reaction time (decrease in reaction time = better
performance).
3. The part of the neuron that receives messages from other neurons is the:
A) Axon
B) Myelin sheath
C) Dendrite
D) Synaptic terminal
Answer: C – Explanation: Dendrites receive incoming signals from other neurons. Axons transmit signals
away from the cell body.
,4. Which neurotransmitter is primarily associated with movement, reward, and pleasure, and is
dysregulated in Parkinson’s disease?
A) Serotonin
B) Acetylcholine
C) Dopamine
D) GABA
Answer: C – Explanation: Dopamine is involved in motor control and reward pathways. Parkinson’s
disease involves degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons.
5. The function of the myelin sheath is to:
A) Produce neurotransmitters
B) Speed up neural transmission
C) Receive signals from other neurons
D) Protect the neuron from toxins
Answer: B – Explanation: Myelin sheath insulates the axon and increases the speed of action potential
propagation via saltatory conduction.
6. Which lobe of the brain is primarily responsible for processing auditory information and memory?
A) Frontal lobe
B) Parietal lobe
C) Temporal lobe
D) Occipital lobe
Answer: C – Explanation: The temporal lobe contains the primary auditory cortex and the hippocampus
(memory). Occipital is vision, parietal is somatosensory, frontal is executive function.
7. In classical conditioning, the neutral stimulus becomes the _______ after pairing with an
unconditioned stimulus.
A) Unconditioned response
B) Conditioned stimulus
C) Unconditioned stimulus
,D) Conditioned response
Answer: B – Explanation: The neutral stimulus becomes the conditioned stimulus (CS) that elicits a
conditioned response (CR) after learning.
8. A child learns to say “please” because her parents give her a cookie every time she says it. This is an
example of:
A) Positive reinforcement
B) Negative reinforcement
C) Positive punishment
D) Negative punishment
Answer: A – Explanation: Positive reinforcement adds a pleasant stimulus (cookie) to increase a behavior
(saying please).
9. Which memory system has a very brief duration (milliseconds to seconds) and holds raw sensory
information?
A) Short-term memory
B) Working memory
C) Long-term memory
D) Sensory memory
Answer: D – Explanation: Sensory memory (iconic for vision, echoic for hearing) holds information for a
fraction of a second before it is either transferred to short-term memory or lost.
10. The capacity of short-term memory (working memory) is approximately:
A) 2 ± 1 items
B) 7 ± 2 items
C) 15 ± 3 items
D) Unlimited
Answer: B – Explanation: George Miller’s classic research found that short-term memory can hold about
7 (plus or minus 2) chunks of information.
, 11. A patient with damage to the hippocampus is unable to form new memories but can recall events
from before the injury. This is called:
A) Retrograde amnesia
B) Anterograde amnesia
C) Source amnesia
D) Dissociative amnesia
Answer: B – Explanation: Anterograde amnesia is the inability to form new memories after an injury.
Retrograde is loss of past memories.
12. Which of the following is an example of implicit (non-declarative) memory?
A) Recalling your first day of school
B) Remembering the capital of France
C) Knowing how to ride a bicycle
D) Memorizing a list of words for a test
Answer: C – Explanation: Implicit memory includes procedural memory (skills, habits) that are expressed
through performance without conscious recall. Facts and events are explicit (declarative) memory.
13. According to Piaget, a child in the preoperational stage is typically characterized by:
A) Object permanence
B) Abstract reasoning
C) Egocentrism and lack of conservation
D) Hypothetical-deductive reasoning
Answer: C – Explanation: Preoperational stage (ages 2-7) is marked by egocentrism (inability to take
another’s perspective) and inability to understand conservation (that quantity doesn’t change with
shape).
14. A baby is shown a toy, then a screen blocks the toy. The baby does not search for the toy. According
to Piaget, this baby has not yet developed:
A) Stranger anxiety
B) Object permanence
C) Accommodation
