Psychology Final Exam Test Bank
Questions with Complete Solutions
Critical thinking is ________. - Answer-applying a set of skills to understand and
evaluate information
2. Psychology refers to the ________. - Answer-scientific study of the mind
4. When was psychology accepted as an academic discipline? - Answer-1800s
6. Introspection refers to a process by which someone examines ________ as
objectively as possible. - Answer-Their own conscious experience
8. Psychoanalytic theory focuses on ________ and early childhood experiences. -
Answer-a person's unconscious
11. Behaviorists study ________. - Answer-Learned behavior
15. Which aspect of the scientific method occurs first? - Answer-hypothesis
16. Which of the following exemplifies the empirical method? - Answer-Dr. Sarkeesian
observes and records how watching cartoons influences heart rates
20. A series of dots arranged in the shape of a face will be perceived as a face, not a
series of dots. A psychologist studying this phenomenon is applying the principals of
________. - Answer-Gestalt psychology
22. In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the ________ include food, water, and shelter. -
Answer-basic survival needs
25. The cognitive revolution created an impetus for psychologists to focus their attention
on better understanding ________. - Answer-the mind and mental processes that
underlie behavior
27. Cognitive psychology focuses on studying ________. - Answer-thoughts and their
relationship to our experiences and our actions
31. Susan wants to study prejudice, attraction, how we explain our own behavior versus
how we explain the behavior of others, and how we resolve interpersonal conflicts.
Susan should conduct research in the area of ________. - Answer-social psychology
32. Behaviorism focuses on making psychology an objective science by ________. -
Answer-studying overt behavior and deemphasizing the importance of unobservable
mental processes
,33. When studying personality traits, someone who is calm, even-tempered, and secure
will score low on the ________ trait. - Answer-neuroticism
37. When studying personality traits, someone who is helpful, trusting, and empathetic
will score high on the ________ trait. - Answer-agreeableness
40. Which of the following is not part of feminist psychology? - Answer-favoring women
over men
48. According to the biopsychosocial model, what determines health? - Answer-
interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors
2. Spurling et al. investigated the effects of two vocabulary learning strategies on word
retention two weeks later. In this example, learning strategy is the ________ variable
and word retention is the ________ variable. - Answer-independent; dependent
3. A(n) ________ is a well-developed set of ideas that proposes an explanation for
observed phenomena. - Answer-theory
5. Which of the following would be difficult to assess using empirical research? -
Answer-whether the id, ego, or superego is most responsible for emotional reactions
8. Dr. Mattar is interested in knowing more about brain injury to the occipital cortex, and
he studies patients individually in order to gain in-depth knowledge about their
behaviors. These studies would best be described as ________. - Answer-case studies
11. Green et al. used a ________ from their ________ of interest in order to make a
________. - Answer-sample; population; generalization
18. The possible range for a correlation coefficient is ________. - Answer-between -1
and +1
20. Which of the following represents a weak positive correlation? - Answer-+0.2
25. Sandra strongly believes that attending daycare is detrimental to children's
development so she decides to write her psychology term paper on this topic. She does
a literature search and finds several sources supporting her opinion, but she finds that
the majority of research indicates that children attending daycare experience healthy
development. She writes a paper using the sources that find negative associations with
daycare attendance. This is an example of ________. - Answer-confirmation bias
26. The ________ group does not get the experimental treatment. - Answer-control
32. A sample that ________ is most likely to yield generalizable results. - Answer-is
large and randomly selected
, 34. ________ refers to the ability to consistently produce a given result. - Answer-
reliability
35. ________ refers to the ability of an instrument or tool to accurately measure what it
is supposed to measure. - Answer-validity
39. Which of the following is not part of obtaining informed consent? - Answer-
explaining the hypothesis to the participants
40. Magali and Jean-Gabriel have been asked to design a study investigating happiness
across the lifespan. They decide their study will involve going to the mall and asking
people of a variety of ages if they are happy or unhappy. What is the most serious flaw
of this design? - Answer-They have not defined happiness or how it will be measured
45. A major advantage of case studies is ________. - Answer-detailed information
46. ________ is/are often conducted with large numbers of participants and can even
be conducted by phone, email, or mail. - Answer-surveys
49. Scientific knowledge is advanced through a process known as ________. - Answer-
the scientific method
50. Which of the following is a scientific way of determining facts? - Answer-empirical
studies
1. A difference in ________ can explain why one person dies from a disease and
another person survives. - Answer-genetics
2. Human eggs and sperm each contain 23 ________, which are composed of long
strands of ________. - Answer-chromosomes; DNA
4. Polygenic means that most traits are controlled by ________. - Answer-more than
one gene
6. The ________ of a neuron contain ________ that house neurotransmitters, the
chemical messengers of the nervous system. - Answer-terminal buttons; synaptic
vesicles
8. The space between two neurons is called the ________. - Answer-synapse
12. A particular electrical signal being transmitted to a neuron is sufficient to generate
an action potential. If the magnitude of the incoming electrical signal is doubled, the
action potential will ________. - Answer-undergo no changes in strength, speed, or
duration
Questions with Complete Solutions
Critical thinking is ________. - Answer-applying a set of skills to understand and
evaluate information
2. Psychology refers to the ________. - Answer-scientific study of the mind
4. When was psychology accepted as an academic discipline? - Answer-1800s
6. Introspection refers to a process by which someone examines ________ as
objectively as possible. - Answer-Their own conscious experience
8. Psychoanalytic theory focuses on ________ and early childhood experiences. -
Answer-a person's unconscious
11. Behaviorists study ________. - Answer-Learned behavior
15. Which aspect of the scientific method occurs first? - Answer-hypothesis
16. Which of the following exemplifies the empirical method? - Answer-Dr. Sarkeesian
observes and records how watching cartoons influences heart rates
20. A series of dots arranged in the shape of a face will be perceived as a face, not a
series of dots. A psychologist studying this phenomenon is applying the principals of
________. - Answer-Gestalt psychology
22. In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the ________ include food, water, and shelter. -
Answer-basic survival needs
25. The cognitive revolution created an impetus for psychologists to focus their attention
on better understanding ________. - Answer-the mind and mental processes that
underlie behavior
27. Cognitive psychology focuses on studying ________. - Answer-thoughts and their
relationship to our experiences and our actions
31. Susan wants to study prejudice, attraction, how we explain our own behavior versus
how we explain the behavior of others, and how we resolve interpersonal conflicts.
Susan should conduct research in the area of ________. - Answer-social psychology
32. Behaviorism focuses on making psychology an objective science by ________. -
Answer-studying overt behavior and deemphasizing the importance of unobservable
mental processes
,33. When studying personality traits, someone who is calm, even-tempered, and secure
will score low on the ________ trait. - Answer-neuroticism
37. When studying personality traits, someone who is helpful, trusting, and empathetic
will score high on the ________ trait. - Answer-agreeableness
40. Which of the following is not part of feminist psychology? - Answer-favoring women
over men
48. According to the biopsychosocial model, what determines health? - Answer-
interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors
2. Spurling et al. investigated the effects of two vocabulary learning strategies on word
retention two weeks later. In this example, learning strategy is the ________ variable
and word retention is the ________ variable. - Answer-independent; dependent
3. A(n) ________ is a well-developed set of ideas that proposes an explanation for
observed phenomena. - Answer-theory
5. Which of the following would be difficult to assess using empirical research? -
Answer-whether the id, ego, or superego is most responsible for emotional reactions
8. Dr. Mattar is interested in knowing more about brain injury to the occipital cortex, and
he studies patients individually in order to gain in-depth knowledge about their
behaviors. These studies would best be described as ________. - Answer-case studies
11. Green et al. used a ________ from their ________ of interest in order to make a
________. - Answer-sample; population; generalization
18. The possible range for a correlation coefficient is ________. - Answer-between -1
and +1
20. Which of the following represents a weak positive correlation? - Answer-+0.2
25. Sandra strongly believes that attending daycare is detrimental to children's
development so she decides to write her psychology term paper on this topic. She does
a literature search and finds several sources supporting her opinion, but she finds that
the majority of research indicates that children attending daycare experience healthy
development. She writes a paper using the sources that find negative associations with
daycare attendance. This is an example of ________. - Answer-confirmation bias
26. The ________ group does not get the experimental treatment. - Answer-control
32. A sample that ________ is most likely to yield generalizable results. - Answer-is
large and randomly selected
, 34. ________ refers to the ability to consistently produce a given result. - Answer-
reliability
35. ________ refers to the ability of an instrument or tool to accurately measure what it
is supposed to measure. - Answer-validity
39. Which of the following is not part of obtaining informed consent? - Answer-
explaining the hypothesis to the participants
40. Magali and Jean-Gabriel have been asked to design a study investigating happiness
across the lifespan. They decide their study will involve going to the mall and asking
people of a variety of ages if they are happy or unhappy. What is the most serious flaw
of this design? - Answer-They have not defined happiness or how it will be measured
45. A major advantage of case studies is ________. - Answer-detailed information
46. ________ is/are often conducted with large numbers of participants and can even
be conducted by phone, email, or mail. - Answer-surveys
49. Scientific knowledge is advanced through a process known as ________. - Answer-
the scientific method
50. Which of the following is a scientific way of determining facts? - Answer-empirical
studies
1. A difference in ________ can explain why one person dies from a disease and
another person survives. - Answer-genetics
2. Human eggs and sperm each contain 23 ________, which are composed of long
strands of ________. - Answer-chromosomes; DNA
4. Polygenic means that most traits are controlled by ________. - Answer-more than
one gene
6. The ________ of a neuron contain ________ that house neurotransmitters, the
chemical messengers of the nervous system. - Answer-terminal buttons; synaptic
vesicles
8. The space between two neurons is called the ________. - Answer-synapse
12. A particular electrical signal being transmitted to a neuron is sufficient to generate
an action potential. If the magnitude of the incoming electrical signal is doubled, the
action potential will ________. - Answer-undergo no changes in strength, speed, or
duration
