Psychology Final Exam Test Bank
Critical thinking is ________. - correct answer applying a set of skills to understand and
evaluate information
2. Psychology refers to the ________. - correct answer scientific study of the mind
4. When was psychology accepted as an academic discipline? - correct answer 1800s
6. Introspection refers to a process by which someone examines ________ as objectively as
possible. - correct answer Their own conscious experience
8. Psychoanalytic theory focuses on ________ and early childhood experiences. - correct
answer a person's unconscious
11. Behaviorists study ________. - correct answer Learned behavior
15. Which aspect of the scientific method occurs first? - correct answer hypothesis
16. Which of the following exemplifies the empirical method? - correct 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 ________. - correct
answer Gestalt psychology
22. In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the ________ include food, water, and shelter. - correct
answer basic survival needs
25. The cognitive revolution created an impetus for psychologists to focus their attention on
better understanding ________. - correct answer the mind and mental processes that underlie
behavior
27. Cognitive psychology focuses on studying ________. - correct 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 ________. - correct answer social psychology
32. Behaviorism focuses on making psychology an objective science by ________. - correct
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. - correct answer neuroticism
,Psychology Final Exam Test Bank
37. When studying personality traits, someone who is helpful, trusting, and empathetic will
score high on the ________ trait. - correct answer agreeableness
40. Which of the following is not part of feminist psychology? - correct answer favoring women
over men
48. According to the biopsychosocial model, what determines health? - correct 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. - correct answer independent; dependent
3. A(n) ________ is a well-developed set of ideas that proposes an explanation for observed
phenomena. - correct answer theory
5. Which of the following would be difficult to assess using empirical research? - correct 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 ________. - correct answer case studies
11. Green et al. used a ________ from their ________ of interest in order to make a ________.
- correct answer sample; population; generalization
18. The possible range for a correlation coefficient is ________. - correct answer between -1
and +1
20. Which of the following represents a weak positive correlation? - correct 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
________. - correct answer confirmation bias
26. The ________ group does not get the experimental treatment. - correct answer control
32. A sample that ________ is most likely to yield generalizable results. - correct answer is large
and randomly selected
34. ________ refers to the ability to consistently produce a given result. - correct answer
reliability
, Psychology Final Exam Test Bank
35. ________ refers to the ability of an instrument or tool to accurately measure what it is
supposed to measure. - correct answer validity
39. Which of the following is not part of obtaining informed consent? - correct 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? - correct
answer They have not defined happiness or how it will be measured
45. A major advantage of case studies is ________. - correct answer detailed information
46. ________ is/are often conducted with large numbers of participants and can even be
conducted by phone, email, or mail. - correct answer surveys
49. Scientific knowledge is advanced through a process known as ________. - correct answer
the scientific method
50. Which of the following is a scientific way of determining facts? - correct answer empirical
studies
1. A difference in ________ can explain why one person dies from a disease and another person
survives. - correct answer genetics
2. Human eggs and sperm each contain 23 ________, which are composed of long strands of
________. - correct answer chromosomes; DNA
4. Polygenic means that most traits are controlled by ________. - correct answer more than
one gene
6. The ________ of a neuron contain ________ that house neurotransmitters, the chemical
messengers of the nervous system. - correct answer terminal buttons; synaptic vesicles
8. The space between two neurons is called the ________. - correct 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
________. - correct answer undergo no changes in strength, speed, or duration
14. ________ is a neurotransmitter with roles in pleasure and pain modulation. - correct
answer beta-endorphin
17. The ________ nervous system is responsible for responses such as pupil dilation, increased
heart rate, and increased respiration. - correct answer parasympathetic
Critical thinking is ________. - correct answer applying a set of skills to understand and
evaluate information
2. Psychology refers to the ________. - correct answer scientific study of the mind
4. When was psychology accepted as an academic discipline? - correct answer 1800s
6. Introspection refers to a process by which someone examines ________ as objectively as
possible. - correct answer Their own conscious experience
8. Psychoanalytic theory focuses on ________ and early childhood experiences. - correct
answer a person's unconscious
11. Behaviorists study ________. - correct answer Learned behavior
15. Which aspect of the scientific method occurs first? - correct answer hypothesis
16. Which of the following exemplifies the empirical method? - correct 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 ________. - correct
answer Gestalt psychology
22. In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the ________ include food, water, and shelter. - correct
answer basic survival needs
25. The cognitive revolution created an impetus for psychologists to focus their attention on
better understanding ________. - correct answer the mind and mental processes that underlie
behavior
27. Cognitive psychology focuses on studying ________. - correct 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 ________. - correct answer social psychology
32. Behaviorism focuses on making psychology an objective science by ________. - correct
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. - correct answer neuroticism
,Psychology Final Exam Test Bank
37. When studying personality traits, someone who is helpful, trusting, and empathetic will
score high on the ________ trait. - correct answer agreeableness
40. Which of the following is not part of feminist psychology? - correct answer favoring women
over men
48. According to the biopsychosocial model, what determines health? - correct 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. - correct answer independent; dependent
3. A(n) ________ is a well-developed set of ideas that proposes an explanation for observed
phenomena. - correct answer theory
5. Which of the following would be difficult to assess using empirical research? - correct 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 ________. - correct answer case studies
11. Green et al. used a ________ from their ________ of interest in order to make a ________.
- correct answer sample; population; generalization
18. The possible range for a correlation coefficient is ________. - correct answer between -1
and +1
20. Which of the following represents a weak positive correlation? - correct 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
________. - correct answer confirmation bias
26. The ________ group does not get the experimental treatment. - correct answer control
32. A sample that ________ is most likely to yield generalizable results. - correct answer is large
and randomly selected
34. ________ refers to the ability to consistently produce a given result. - correct answer
reliability
, Psychology Final Exam Test Bank
35. ________ refers to the ability of an instrument or tool to accurately measure what it is
supposed to measure. - correct answer validity
39. Which of the following is not part of obtaining informed consent? - correct 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? - correct
answer They have not defined happiness or how it will be measured
45. A major advantage of case studies is ________. - correct answer detailed information
46. ________ is/are often conducted with large numbers of participants and can even be
conducted by phone, email, or mail. - correct answer surveys
49. Scientific knowledge is advanced through a process known as ________. - correct answer
the scientific method
50. Which of the following is a scientific way of determining facts? - correct answer empirical
studies
1. A difference in ________ can explain why one person dies from a disease and another person
survives. - correct answer genetics
2. Human eggs and sperm each contain 23 ________, which are composed of long strands of
________. - correct answer chromosomes; DNA
4. Polygenic means that most traits are controlled by ________. - correct answer more than
one gene
6. The ________ of a neuron contain ________ that house neurotransmitters, the chemical
messengers of the nervous system. - correct answer terminal buttons; synaptic vesicles
8. The space between two neurons is called the ________. - correct 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
________. - correct answer undergo no changes in strength, speed, or duration
14. ________ is a neurotransmitter with roles in pleasure and pain modulation. - correct
answer beta-endorphin
17. The ________ nervous system is responsible for responses such as pupil dilation, increased
heart rate, and increased respiration. - correct answer parasympathetic
