Question 1

Which of the following best describes the difference between a correlational and an experimental study in biological research?

Accepted Answer

A correlational study examines the relationship between variables without manipulation, while an experimental study involves manipulation of variables to test causality.

Question 2

A researcher wants to test whether caffeine affects memory recall. She randomly assigns participants to receive either caffeine or a placebo, then measures their recall of a word list. What is the independent variable in this experiment?

Accepted Answer

The type of beverage (caffeine or placebo)

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of a negatively correlated relationship?

Accepted Answer

As the amount of exercise increases, body fat percentage decreases.

Question 4

A patient suffers damage to the occipital lobe of the brain. Which function is most likely to be impaired?

Accepted Answer

Vision

Question 5

Which neurotransmitter is most directly involved in mood regulation and is often targeted by antidepressant medications?

Accepted Answer

Serotonin

Question 6

If a person is unable to form new long-term memories after a head injury, which brain region is most likely damaged?

Accepted Answer

Hippocampus

Question 7

Which of the following best illustrates the concept of random sampling in a biological study?

Accepted Answer

Choosing participants so that every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected

Question 8

A scientist finds that the correlation coefficient between hours of sleep and reaction time is $r = -0.65$. What does this indicate?

Accepted Answer

As hours of sleep increase, reaction time decreases.

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of an operational definition in a biological experiment?

Accepted Answer

Defining 'stress' as the number of times a participant reports feeling anxious in a week.

Question 10

A researcher is studying the effect of light intensity on plant growth. She measures the height of plants grown under different light conditions. Which is the dependent variable?

Accepted Answer

The height of the plants

Question 11

Which of the following best describes the function of the myelin sheath in neurons?

Accepted Answer

It increases the speed of nerve impulse transmission.

Question 12

A person is able to recall the steps of riding a bicycle but cannot remember the name of their first-grade teacher. Which types of memory are being demonstrated?

Accepted Answer

Procedural memory and failure of episodic memory

Question 13

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the concept of a confounding variable in an experiment?

Accepted Answer

A study on exercise and mood where participants who exercise also tend to eat healthier diets.

Question 14

Which of the following best explains why double-blind procedures are used in experimental studies?

Accepted Answer

To prevent both participants and researchers from knowing group assignments, reducing bias.

Question 15

If a neuron receives enough excitatory input to reach threshold, what will occur?

Accepted Answer

An action potential will be generated.

Question 16

Which of the following best describes the difference between explicit and implicit memory?

Accepted Answer

Explicit memory involves conscious recall, while implicit memory does not require conscious awareness.

Question 17

A researcher finds that the mean reaction time for a group is $0.45$ seconds with a standard deviation of $0.05$ seconds. If a participant has a reaction time of $0.60$ seconds, what is their $z$-score?

Accepted Answer

$z = \frac{0.60 - 0.45}{0.05} = 3.0$

Question 18

Which of the following is an example of classical conditioning?

Accepted Answer

A dog salivates when it hears a bell that has been repeatedly paired with food.

Question 19

If the just noticeable difference (JND) for weight is $2$ grams for a $20$ gram object, according to Weber's Law, what would be the JND for a $100$ gram object?

Accepted Answer

$10$ grams

Question 20

Which of the following best describes the function of the thalamus in the brain?

Accepted Answer

It acts as a relay station for sensory information to the cerebral cortex.

Study Guide: Key Concepts in Biological Psychology and Research Methods

Study Guide - Practice Questions

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