Question 1

Which of the following best illustrates the principle of 'naïve realism' in psychology?

Accepted Answer

Believing that our perceptions of the world are always accurate reflections of reality.

Question 2

A researcher wants to study the effects of sleep deprivation on memory. She randomly assigns participants to either a sleep deprivation group or a control group and then measures their memory performance. Which research method is she using, and what is its key advantage?

Accepted Answer

Experiment; it allows for causal conclusions due to random assignment.

Question 3

Which of the following is a sign that a claim may be pseudoscientific rather than scientific?

Accepted Answer

The claim relies heavily on anecdotal evidence and lacks openness to peer review.

Question 4

Which of the following best describes the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics?

Accepted Answer

Descriptive statistics summarize data, while inferential statistics allow us to draw conclusions about populations from samples.

Question 5

A psychologist is interested in the heritability of intelligence. Which research design would best help her estimate the genetic contribution to intelligence?

Accepted Answer

Twin studies comparing identical and fraternal twins raised together and apart.

Question 6

Which of the following equations correctly represents the calculation of the standard deviation $$s$$ for a sample of $$n$$ scores $$x_1$$, $$x_2$$, ..., x_n$$ with mean $$\bar{x}$$?

Accepted Answer

$$s = \sqrt{\frac{1}{n-1} \sum_{i=1}^{n} (x_i - \bar{x})^2$}$$

Question 7

Which of the following best describes the process of an action potential in a neuron?

Accepted Answer

A rapid electrical impulse that travels down the axon, caused by the movement of sodium and potassium ions across the membrane.

Question 8

Which of the following is an example of top-down processing in perception?

Accepted Answer

Interpreting a blurry image as a familiar face based on prior experience.

Question 9

A patient suffers damage to the hippocampus and is unable to form new explicit memories, but can still learn new motor skills. This pattern of memory loss is best described as:

Accepted Answer

Anterograde amnesia affecting explicit (declarative) memory but sparing implicit (procedural) memory.

Question 10

Which of the following best illustrates the reconstructive nature of memory?

Accepted Answer

A witness recalls details of a crime that were suggested by leading questions, not actually observed.

Question 11

Which of the following is a key difference between classical and operant conditioning?

Accepted Answer

In classical conditioning, the response is elicited automatically by the stimulus; in operant conditioning, the response is emitted voluntarily and followed by a consequence.

Question 12

Which reinforcement schedule produces the highest and most consistent rate of responding, as seen in gambling behaviors?

Accepted Answer

Variable ratio schedule

Question 13

Which of the following is an example of observational learning?

Accepted Answer

A child learns to tie their shoes by watching their older sibling do it.

Question 14

Which of the following best describes the James-Lange theory of emotion?

Accepted Answer

Emotions result from our interpretations of our bodily reactions to stimuli.

Question 15

Which of the following is a common misconception about heritability?

Accepted Answer

Heritability applies to groups, not individuals, and does not indicate whether a trait can be changed.

Question 16

Which of the following best describes the function of the corpus callosum in the brain?

Accepted Answer

It connects the left and right hemispheres, allowing communication between them.

Question 17

A person is able to detect a candle flame 30 miles away on a clear night. This threshold is an example of:

Accepted Answer

An absolute threshold

Question 18

Which of the following best describes the process of long-term potentiation (LTP) in memory?

Accepted Answer

A long-lasting strengthening of synaptic connections between neurons, increasing the efficiency of neural transmission.

Question 19

Which of the following is a potential danger of pseudoscience in psychology?

Accepted Answer

It can lead people to make harmful decisions based on unsupported claims.

Psychology Study Guide: Foundations, Methods, Biological Bases, Sensation, Memory, and Emotion

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