Answers to questions are at the bottom of the exam

 

PSY301-Pennebaker

Exam 2 –October 13, 2004

 

1. Genny knows a lot about birds.  But, recently, while she was on a late evening bird watching trip she saw a bat for the first time in her life.  In order to cognitively process the new information, she will first try to understand the bat by ___________ it into her “bird” schema but then realize that there are many key differences between the bat and a bird and end up _________________ the bat by creating a new “bat” schema.   

a.       Assimilating, accommodating

b.       Schematizing, changing her attachment to

c.       Reducing, running from

d.       Bargaining, psychologically consuming

e.       Operationalizing, rationalizing

 

2. Theory of mind, or TOM:

a. is mastered during the concrete operations stage and is considered an example of the  loss of egocentric thought.

b. is a sign of general intelligence.

c. seems to be a learned ability.

d. is a philosophical movement based on Descartes.

e. seeks to understand how people behave based on their mental states.

 

3. Joe Bob has been in a close relationship with Chauntelle for two years.  When she announces that she will be going out of town for work, he gets extremely nervous and upset, begging her not to leave.  While she is gone, he tries to call her several times a day. When she finally returns, his first reaction to seeing her is anger rather than happiness.  An attachment expert would probably observe that Joe Bob:

a.  never resolved the trust versus mistrust stage

b.  serves as an excellent example of Parental Investment Theory

c.  grew up with an anxious relationship with his mother and/or father that has resulted in his having a preoccupied attachment style

d.  may have had an insecure attachment relationship with his parents as a child but his current issues with Chauntelle reflect common insecurities of new adult relationships

e.  is a serious nut and that Chauntelle would do well to find someone who was a little bit more stable

 

4. Which of the following groups exhibit parallel forms of babbling as compared to normal children?

a. deaf children of parents who sign

b. children with dyslexia

c. autistic children

d. infant chimpanzees

e. children with Down syndrome

 

 5. The case of Genie, the girl who was exposed to virtually no language until discovered by welfare workers at the age of 13, provided evidence that:

a.  synaptic pruning causes alexithymia and hyper-phonology

            b.  people can master language at any age due to the brain’s plasticity

c.  stories of children not being exposed to language in a household are almost always a  hoax.  Highly abusive upbringings inevitably lead to the early death of the child (failure to thrive)

d.  individuals are unable to acquire more than a few words if they are not exposed to language by the age of 12

            e.  children must be exposed to language before the age of 12 if they are to master the rules that govern language

 

6. Operant conditioning typically involves ____________ while classical conditioning more often involves _____________.

a.  species-specific behavior; conditioned behavior mediated by the frontal lobe

b.  avoiding punishment; seeking rewards

c.  species-specific behavior; voluntary decisions by the peripheral nervous system

d.  voluntary behavior linked to a positive or negative outcome; involuntary response linked to a stimulus

e.  spontaneous behavior; conditioned behavior controlled by the cerebral cortex

 

7. Ann wants to teach her young son Musafer to start walking before any of the other babies in their play group.  Will Ann’s efforts pay off?

a.       Yes, depending on the diet that Ann provides for Musafer.  Assuming that he eats protein-rich food (as exists in breast milk), higher dopamine and androgenic B12+ will accelerate motor development.

b.       It depends on the mother-child attachment relationship between Ann and Musafer.  A child that has a secure relationship with a parent figure is more likely to develop the emotional courage to try walking early.

c.       No, because children who are pushed too hard in their early development generally show a failure to thrive.

d.       No, young children learn to walk only when they are ready to walk and the process cannot be sped up.

e.       Yes, but only if she can work with Musafer’s muscle development in a systematic way, at least 20 minutes per day

 

8. Chronic alcoholism is associated with __________, a disorder that can lead to __________.

a. Korsakoff's syndrome; anterograde amnesia

b. Separation anxiety; gender identity disorder

c. Parkinson's disease; anterograde amnesia

d. Schizophrenia; blocking

e. Huntington's chorea; blocking

 

9. According to what is known about gender differences in perception of cues, which of the following directions would most likely be given by a woman?

a.       “Go 3 miles south on I-84 an take exit 65 east.”

b.       “Go until you get to the river and then head towards the mountains until you see the old yellow house, then take a left.”

c.        “Drive south for 20 minutes and then turn west and continue driving for 5 more minutes and turn south again.”

d.        “Turn left on Pine Street, go about a mile and then left for about 2 minutes and you should be there.”

e.       “Find it yourself, you idiot.”

 

10. Pavlov's great insight was that dogs

a. have an inborn reflex to salivate at the sight of a food bowl.

b. with enough positive reinforcement, a dog’s personality could be changed.

c. could sense when their lab technicians were to arrive.

d. also experience emotions.

e. came to associate the arrival of their bowls with the delivery of food.

 

11. At lunch, little Anna was very upset that her older sister, Jane, got a bigger hot dog than she did. Her frustrated mother took Anna’s hotdog, cut it in half, and gave the two pieces back to Anna, saying: “Well, now you have more. You have 2 and Jane only has 1.” Anna smiled and said: “Now I have more than you Jane!”  What is likely responsible for Anna’s reasoning?

            a.   equilibration

            b.   decentration

            c.   egocentrism

            d.   absence of object permanence

             e.   lack of conservation

 

12. In the case of a cancer patient who develops an aversion to foods, the CS is the __________ and the UCS is the __________.

a.  chemotherapy; food eaten

b.  nausea; food eaten

c.  food eaten; nausea

d.  nausea; chemotherapy

e.  food eaten; chemotherapy

 

13. Based on Harlow’s experiments with baby monkeys brought up without their real mothers, which of the following statements best describes the study findings?

            a.  familiarity is more important than nourishment in the development of attachment

            b.  nourishment and familiarity lead to attachment

c.  simple nourishment leads to attachment

d.  perceived security and contact comfort are more important than nourishment in the development of attachment

e.  Nourishment places a more important role than contact comfort in the development of attachment.

 

14. Which term describes learning that takes place without reinforcement?

a. negative reinforcement

b. latent or insight learning

c. instrumental or operant conditioning

d. retrograde amnesia

e. fantabulous

 

15. Which of the following is true with regard to eyewitness testimony:

a. People’s memories can be altered by suggesting false details of an event

b. Although eyewitnesses tend to be wrong quite frequently, deep down they know that they are wrong

c. The more time that people think about an event, the more accurate their memory

d. Women are better at remembering details of a stressful event than men

e. Most eyewitness accounts of crimes are quite accurate

 

16. According to well-established research by linguists and psycholinguists on universal grammar, the reason that children are able to learn words and put them together into meaningful sentences so quickly is because:

a.  of Kohlberg’s moral development stage theory – starting around age 2, children advance to the preconceptual stage of development where they now can begin to reason what is the “morally right” way to speak

b.  of the innate ability of understanding the deep structure of language – babies are born with a genetically-based linguistic acquisition device (LAD)

c.  of observational learning – from birth, young children are remarkable listeners;  they listen to the ways that adults organize language and quickly master it once they begin to understand the meaning of words

d.  of the nature of verbs – all languages have verbs and, once children understand the meaning of action, they can automatically figure out how ideas are formed

e.  of positive reinforcement – children are systematically reinforced by parents and others and gradually learn how words are put together

 

17. Two-year-old Lauren loves to play "peek-a-boo" with her mommy, indicating that she has acquired

            a.  schema reasoning

            b.  metacognition

            c.  centration

            d.  transitivity

e.  object permanence

 

18. The best evidence for a “critical period” for language development comes from the

observation that:

            a.  deaf children who come to signing late never get as good at it as early signers

            b.  deaf children show great resiliency in catching up with learning sign language even    

                 when they grow up.

            c.  deaf children do not develop symbolic communication on their own

d.       the more languages you learn, the harder it is to learn the next one

e.       children of deaf parents don’t learn to sign

 

19. Who will have the best short-term recall for chess pieces placed randomly on a game board? [Bad question – everyone gets credit]

a. chess experts

b. beginning chess players

c. non-chess players

d. all of the above equally

e. none of the above

 

20.  If you visit your grandfather in the hospital, but he claims not to remember your visit, even though you had a coherent conversation, it is likely that

a. his immediate memory was working, but his working memory was disrupted.

b. his memory was working according to the on-and-off cycle:  it would work for approximately 4 hours and then would go off for four hours.

c. all aspects of his memory were working, but your grandfather experienced retrograde interference.

d. no aspects of his memory were working properly.

e. his working memory was working, but consolidation to long-term memory was disrupted.

 

21. If you were reminded of a childhood friend and then were asked to name a lake, you are more likely to recall the name of the lake near your friend's house because of

a. suggestibility and misinformation

b. localizing function within the medial temporal lobes

c. repressed memory syndrome

d. spreading activation effects

e. encoding specificity

 

22. Which of the following statements is NOT true about Erikson’s theory dealing with development across the life cycle?

a.       The first developmental task facing infants is to develop a sense of trust.

b.       At each of eight stages, an individual faces a developmental task, a challenge that is normative for that period of life.

c.       His theory of social development is based on a linear model in the sense that people develop gradually over time.

d.       In describing one of the developmental challenges, Erikson coined the term, identity crisis.

e.       A major contribution of the theory is to recognize that people continue to develop throughout life and to deal with issues as they get older.

 

23. The encoding specificity principle is to state dependent memory as _______ is to ______:

a. feelings of depression related to the head of a high school; feelings of memory loss associated with larger states (such as Texas)

b. spatial memory; repressed memory

c. retrieval cues in longterm memory; explicit memory

d. a retrieval cue in the environment that triggers a memory; a mood or physical feeling that triggers memories

e. a highly specific rule; a memory that depends on a particular location

 

24. Of the following individuals, who would we expect to use “I” the most in their speaking and writing?

a.       A 50 year old man suffering from depression.

b.       A 50 year old democrat.

c.       A 25 year old woman suffering from depression.

d.       A 50 year old woman with Broca’s area damage.

             e.   A 25 year old man with Broca’s area damage.

 

25. When people are asked to memorize 20 words that are called out one after another, they usually forget at least 12 of them within a few minutes.  The reason they forget them is most likely due to:

a. anterograde amnesia.

b. repression.

c. retrograde amnesia.

d. lack of intelligence.

e. transience.

 

26. James is a normal 8 year old child.  According to Piaget, which of the following is a task that James could probably NOT do?

a.       Solve a maze in reverse.

b.       Understand that he has the power to move his fingers and toes.

c.       Understand that the family cat still exists when it leaves the room.

d.       Understand how his sister can feel sad when he feels happy.

e.       Know that when he pours Kool-Aid from a fat cup into a skinny cup, there is still the same amount of Kool-Aid.

 

27. In general, psychologists advocate the use of ________ in trying to modify human behavior.

a. negative punishment over positive reinforcement

b. positive punishment over observational learning.

c. negative punishment over operant conditioning.

d. positive reinforcement over punishment.

e. punishment over negative reinforcement.

 

28. Which of the following is an example of the sociobiological perspective of evolution.

a.       A young man showing anger when his neighbor threatens to take his food supply.

b.       A male wanting to get many females pregnant (that he is not related to).

c.       A healthy individual deciding not to get one of few available flu vaccinations so someone who is at risk for dying from the flu can.

d.       A wife being jealous about her husband’s fondness of his secretary.

             e.  A woman looking for financial and psychological stability in a potential husband.

 

29.  The Iraq War has already resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 U.S. soldiers.  Assuming the war ended today, do you think a monument to it would ever be built? 

a. No.  An event that arouses tremendous conflict with people is quickly forgotten and the building of a monument is unlikely because of the political turmoil it arouses

b. Yes.  Monuments are built for all wars fought by U.S. soldiers.  Monuments are usually built soon after the war ends so that people don’t forget those who died.

c. Yes.  If a monument isn’t built immediately after the war, it usually takes about 25 years before one is finally built – about the time that it takes for today’s 13-25 year olds to reach the age of having money and power.

d. Yes.  But it generally takes several generations for a country to build a monument because it is impossible to decide on what historical events mean.  Most monuments are built because of the recommendations of historians and not psychologists.

e. Yes.  It depends on the final outcome of the war.  If it turns out positively, then a monument is generally built quickly (usually within 2-5 years).  If the war ends badly, then it usually takes 1-2 generations.

 

30. Which aspect of memory is most affected by dementia?

a. long-term memory

b. short-term memory

c. iconic memory

d. cell memory

e. sensory memory

 

31.  Bemoni gave the following grocery list of items to George to pick up at the store: milk, eggs, ham, ice cream, whip cream, Kleenex, tortillas, bananas, oranges.  But when George arrived at the store, he realized that he forgot to bring the grocery list but, instead of going back to get the list, tried to remember what was on it.  Based on the serial position effects on recall, which of the following would be the items he would be most likely to remember?

a.       Milk, eggs, ham.

b.       Eggs, ham, tortillas.

c.       Milk, bananas, oranges.

d.       Tortillas, bananas, oranges.

e.       Ice cream, whip cream, Kleenex.

 

 

 

32. Pat eats a mushroom pizza from a new pizzeria in town.  Two days later, he becomes violently ill.  From that point on, he cannot even look at ANY food dish that has mushrooms in it without getting nauseas.  What explanation might an evolutionary psychologist give for Pat’s strong reaction to mushrooms?

a.       Pat’s response is an example of an individual making a sacrifice for the good of the group.

b.       Pat’s response is due to his ambivalent relationship with his mother.

c.       Pat’s response is an example of an auditory phobia that can be acquired through classical conditioning.

d.       Pat’s response stems from an adaptation to avoid foods that could kill him and make it less likely that he will pass on his genetic make-up.

e.       Pat’s response is caused by the negative reward he experienced last time he ate mushrooms.

 

33. Kohlberg's theory emphasized that moral development occurs

a.  in a continuous fashion.

b.  because infants are innately very moral individuals.

c.  as the result of experience.

d.  as the result of emotional development.

e.  in stages.

 

 34. What does research on observational learning suggest about violence in the media?

a. Exposure to aggression can have a profound influence on children.

b. Exposure to aggression has no influence on children.

c. Children are not able to learn from observation because they have not yet mastered formal operations.

d. Exposure to aggression only influences children who are low in self-esteem.

e. Exposure to aggression reduces later aggressive behavior (catharsis).

 

35. “Got in the car.  Drove to the bank and left because the line was too long and then went to the store later.  Bought some milk and came home.  I didn’t rob no bank.”  This is what one of the suspects said when asked about a bank robbery.  According to work on linguistic lie detection, it likely that: 

a.   He is lying because his words tend to be too short.  Also, his use of a double negative at the end of his statement suggests that he really did rob the bank.

b.       He is lying because he doesn’t “own” what he is saying by using more 1st person singular.  He also doesn’t use any exclusive words (except, but, exclude).

c.       He is telling the truth because he uses action verbs (got, drove, bought) suggesting that he is reliving the experience accurately.

d.       He is telling the truth because he is laying out a specific plan of action.  Also, he addresses the accusation about the robbery directly.

e.   Linguistic lie detection doesn’t work at rates above chance.  It’s impossible to predict honesty or dishonesty from word usage.

 

36. In operant conditioning, reinforcement occurs because of __________ release in the __________.

a. serotonin; ventral tegmental area

b. dopamine; temporal lobe

c. zumbitoxia; wycambial chomberatis

d. serotonin; locus coerelius

e. dopamine; nucleus accumbens

 

37. Why are slot machines very effective money makers in casinos?

a.       Slot machines are programmed to pay out winnings on a fixed schedule so people play them for a long time before quitting.

b.       Slot machines are programmed to pay out winnings on a variable ratio schedule so extinction happens slowly.

c.       Slot machines are played mostly by older people who have failing long-term memory, making it more difficult for them to recall how they have done in the past.

d.       Slot machines work like the “wire mothers” in the attachment research.  Based on people’s childhood relationships with parent, people naturally turn to any person or object that provides some form of love or acceptance.

e.       Slot machines are unpredictable so people do not become instrumentally conditioned into playing them.

 

38. Missy was listening to Joey at the party and having difficulty making sense of what he was saying. What Joey was saying did not make much sense to Missy although he seemed at ease and talking a lot. According to studies on brain damaged patients, Joey might be suffering from damage to his _________ while his _______ might be intact.

a. Hippocampus, amygdala

b. Basal ganglia, the occipital lobe

c. Broca’s area, Wernicke’s area

d. Thalamus, hypothalamus

e. Wernicke’s area, Broca’s area

 

39. Which of the following statements is FALSE about aging:

a.  As people get older, they become increasingly likely to become socially isolated and depressed

            b.  Crystallized intelligence (the ability to learn or memorize new information) generally

                increases with age until the most advanced age periods

c.  As people get older, they use more positive emotion words and fewer negative emotion words

d.  Mental processing speed declines with age

e.    Men and women above the age of 60 are generally able to have an active sex life

 

40.  Adults who have frontal lobe brain damage often exhibit signs of the grasping reflex and other instinctual behaviors that they haven’t done since they were infants.  Does this provide evidence for a linear model of development or for a stage model of development?

a.       Linear, because linear theory claims that skills and abilities are gradually learned and build on previous skills and abilities.

b.       Stage, because stage theory claims it is possible to fall back into old stages that an individual has already left.

c.       A linear-stage model, wherein brain development stops soon after about 6 months and then linear learning takes over.

d.       Stage, because, as Shakespeare said, “All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”

e.       Linear, because linear theory suggests a circular development where people eventually end up where they started.

 

 

 

1. a

2. e

3. c

4. a

5. e

6. d

7. d

8. a

9. b

10. e

11. e

12. e

13. d

14. b

15. a

16. b

17. e

18. a

19. fugetaboutit – bad question

20. e

21. d

22. c

23. d

24. c

25. e

26. a

27. d

28. c

29. c

30. a

31. c

32. d

33. e

34. a

35. b

36. e

37. b

38. e

39. a

40. a