Review Session 2

1) The primary method of research employed by scientists adopting a behaviorist perspective is• Clinical observation• Case study• Naturalistic observation• Cross-cultural comparison• Experimentation

2) Which of the following is the best example of an attribute that is culturally based rather than primarily psychologically based?• Caring for one’s children• Arriving on time for work• Having the desire to reproduce• Seeking food and water• Smiling

3) Which of the following types of scientists were the first to contend that in individual’s ways of thinking are shaped primarily by cultural values and ideas?• Structuralists• Ethologists• Sociobiologists• Behaviorists• Anthropologists

4) The scientific investigation of mental processes and behavior is called• Biology• Psychology• Cognition• Scientific method• Research

5) An educational psychologist is administering a basic skills exam to second-graders of two different schools in order to compare the students’ performance. The researcher administers the exam to students of the Antrim School on a Wednesday morning, and then administered the same exam in exactly the same fashion on that same Wednesday afternoon to the second-graders of Barton School. Which of the following best identifies a confounding variable in the psychologist’s research?• The psychologist is comparing two different schools.• The psychologist is comparing the same grade in each school.• The psychologist is testing the students in the two schools at two

different times.• The psychologist is testing the students in the two schools on the

same day.• The psychologist is administering a basic skills exam.

 

6) A psychologist, wishing to study the behavior of prisoners, arranges to dress as a prison guard so that he can stand in the recreation area and study unobtrusively that actions and interactions of the inmates. The psychologist is employing which of the following research tools?

• Quasi-experimental• Naturalistic observation• Correlational research• Random sampling• Case study

7) Psychologists generally prefer the experimental method to other research because

• Experiments are more likely to support psychologists’ hypotheses• Experiments can show cause-effect relationships• It is easier to obtain a random sample for the experiment• Double-blind designs are unnecessary in an experiment• Experiments are more likely to result in statistically significant findings

8) Theoretically, random assignment should eliminate• Sampling error• The need to use statistics• Concerns over validity• Many confounding variables• The need for a representative sample

9) Karthik and Sue are lab partners designed to research who is friendlier, girls or boys. After conversing with their first 10 participants, they find that their friendliness ratings often differ. With which of the following should they be the most concerned?• Reliability• Confounding variables• Ethics• Validity• Assignment

10) Which of the following hypotheses would be most difficult to test experimentally?

• People exposed to the color red will be more aggressive than people exposed to the color blue

• Exercise improves mood• Exposure to violent television increases aggression• Studying leady to better grades• Divorce makes children more independent

11) Professor Ma wants to design a project studying emotional response to date rape. He advertises for participants in the school newspaper, informs them about the nature of the study, gets their consent, conducts an interview, and debriefs them about the results when the experiment is over. If you were on the IRB, which ethical consideration would you most likely have the most concern about in this study?

• Coercion• Deception• Confounding variables• Anonymity• Clear scientific purpose

12) In what way might a behaviorist disagree with a cognitive psychologist about the cause of aggression?• A behaviorist might state that aggression is caused by

memories or ways we think about aggressive behavior, while a cognitive psychologist might say aggression is caused by a past repressed experience

• A behaviorist might state that aggression is a behavior encouraged by our genetic code, while a cognitive psychologist might state that aggression is caused by memories or ways we think about aggressive behavior

• A behaviorist might state that aggression is caused by past rewards for aggressive behavior, while a cognitive psychologist might believe aggression is caused by an expressed desire to fulfill certain life needs

• A behaviorist might state that aggression is caused by past rewards for aggressive behavior, while a cognitive psychologist might believe aggression is caused by memories or ways we think about aggressive behavior

• A behaviorist would not disagree with a cognitive psychologist about aggression because they both believe that aggressive behavior is caused by the way we cognitively process certain behaviors

13) Dr. Marco explains to a client that his feelings of hostility toward a coworker are most likely caused by the way the client interprets that coworker’s actions and the way he thinks that people should behave at work. Dr. Marco is most likely working from what perspective?• Behavioral• Cognitive• Psychoanalytic• Humanist• Social-cultural

14) The research methodology Wilhelm Wundt used is called• Introspection• Structuralism• Naturalistic observation• Inferential • Scientific

15) Which of the following psychologists was part of the Gestalt group of psychologists?• Carl Rogers• Wilhelm Wundt• B.F. Skinner• John Watson• Max Wertheimer

16) Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory has been criticized for being• Appropriate for female patients, but not male patients• Only applicable to research settings, not therapy settings• Based on large groups, not individual cases• Unscientific and unverifiable• Too closely tied to behavioristic thought

Dendrites- stretch out from the cell body; grow to make connections with other neurons

Cell Body (Soma)- contains the nucleus Axon- extends from the cell body and ends with the

terminal buttons

Myelin sheath- fatty covering around the axon that speeds up neural impulses

Terminal buttons (aka branches, knobs, buttons)- contain the neurotransmitters

Neurotransmitters- chemicals that enable neurons to communicate; fit into the receptor sites on dendrites like a key into a lock

Synapse- the space between the terminal buttons of one neuron and the dendrites of the next neuron

While in a resting state, a neuron has a slightly negative charge; mostly negative ions inside and positive ions outside

Terminal buttons of neuron A are stimulated and release neurotransmitters into the synapse

These neurotransmitters fit into receptor sites on the dendrites of neuron B

If enough neurotransmitters are received and the threshold is reached, the membrane of neuron B becomes permeable and neurons rush into the cell

The electric charge, the action potential travels down the axon and reaches the terminal buttons

The buttons release their neurotransmitter into the next synapse

Neurons fire on the all-or-none principle, they don’t fire halfway

Excitatory- excite the next cell into firing Inhibitory- inhibit the next cell from firing Each synaptic gap may contain many different

kinds of inhibitory and excitatory neurons The amount and

type of neurotransmitters received on the receptor sites determine whether the threshold will be reached and the neuron will fire

Neurotransmitter Function Problems Associated with an Excess or a Deficit

Acetylcholine Motor Movement Lack of acetylcholine is associated with Alzheimer’s disease

Dopamine Motor Movement and Alertness

Lack of dopamine is associated with Parkinson’s disease, an overabundance is associated with schizophrenia

Endorphins Pain control Involved in addictions

Serotonin Mood control Lack of serotonin is associated with clinical depression

Neuron can only fire in one direction, so two systems are needed• Afferent neurons (aka Sensory Neurons)- take

info from the senses to the brain (At the brain)

• Interneurons- take messages in the brain and spinal cord and send them to other areas of the brain or to efferent neurons

• Efferent neurons (aka Motor Neurons)- take information from the brain to the rest of the body (Exits the brain)

Some reactions can occur the moment sensory impulses reach the spinal cord

Information processed by the spine and the information doesn’t reach the brain until after the reflex occurs• Intense heat or cold

Accidents- Phineas Gage • 1848- Railroad spike through head,

damaged the parts of the brain involved in emotional control

Lesions- removing brain tissue• When brain tumors are removed• Frontal lobotomies- often overused

Made patients calm, relieved some symptoms Replaced by drug treatments

EEG- detects brain waves• widely used in sleep

research CAT or CT- combination of

several X ray pictures to create a 3D image• can only show structures• used to find tumors

MRI- uses magnetic fields to create a more detailed image• patient not exposed to radiation• can only show structures

PET- lets researchers see what areas of the brain are most active during a task• Measures how much of a chemical

(glucose, etc.) parts of the brain are using

fMRI- combines elements of both• Details + information of brain blood flow

Structures in the top part of the spinal cord• Medulla- controls blood pressure, heart rate,

breathing• Pons- connects

hindbrain with midbrain and forebrain, involved in facial expressions

• Cerebellum- means “little brain”, coordinates habitual muscle movements and balance

Very small area below hindbrain and above forebrain• Coordinates simple muscle movements with

sensory information

• Includes reticular formation- controls body arousal and ability to focus attention (Does not function- coma)

Center of thought and reason• Limbic System

Thalamus- located at the top of the brain stem, sends sensory information upward

Hypothalamus- controls body temp., sexual arousal, hunger, thirst, endocrine system

Amygdala- emotion Hippocampus-

memory• Cerebral Cortex

Cerebral cortex• As we learn, the dendrites in the cerebral

cortex grow and connect• Surface is filled with wrinkles (fissures) to

increase the surface area of the brain. Would need to be 3

square feet

Contralateral Control:• Left Hemisphere- gets sensory information

from and controls motor function of the RIGHT half of the body

• Right Hemisphere- gets sensory information from and controls motor function of the LEFT half of the body

Brain lateralization- specialization of hemispheres• LH-May be more active during logical and

sequential tasks• RH-May be more active during spatial and

creative tasks Studied using split brain

patients• Have had their corpus

collosum cut• Cannot orally report info

reported to the RH

Association areas- any area not associated with receiving sensory information or controlling muscle movements• Very active in

human thoughts and behaviors (judgment, humor, etc.)

Frontal lobes-• Prefrontal cortex- directs thought processes,

makes decisions, foresees consequences, pursues goals, controls emotions (Phineas Gage)

• In the left hemisphere, contains the Broca’s area- controls the muscle movements for producing speech

• Contains the motor cortex- sends messages to muscles telling them to move; top of the body controlled by the bottom of the motor cortex

Parietal Lobes• Contain the sensory cortex, located right behind

the motor cortex, which receives touch sensations from the rest of the body

• Top receives sensation from the bottom of the body

Occipital lobes• Interprets messages

from our eyes in the visual cortex

• Impulses are sent by the retina

Temporal Lobes• Process sounds sent

by our ears in the auditory cortex

• Includes the Wernicke’s area- interprets both written and spoken speech, damage would affect our ability to understand language

Parts of the brain can adapt themselves to perform other functions if damaged

Dendrites are formed throughout our entire lives

Dendrites grow more quickly in children

System of glands that secretes hormones, regulated by the hypothalamus• Adrenal glands-

produce adrenaline• Ovaries and Testes-

produce estrogen, progesterone, testosterone

Each cell has 46 chromosomes in 23 pairs

Chromosomes are made up of DNA

DNA controls the production of proteins

Twin Studies: Nature vs. Nurture• Effective psychological environment- similar

appearance may cause twins to be treated in similar ways, leading to similar personalities

1) Blindness could result from damage to what cortex and lobe of the brain?• Visual cortex in the frontal lobe• Visual cortex in the temporal lobe• Sensory cortex in the parietal lobe• Visual cortex in the occipital lobe• Cerebral cortex in the occipital lobe

2) Paralysis of the left arm might be explained by a problem in the• Motor cortex in the frontal lobe in the left hemisphere• Motor cortex in the frontal lobe in the right hemisphere• Sensorimotor cortex in the temporal lobe in the left hemisphere• Motor cortex in the parietal lobe in the left hemisphere• Motor cortex in the occipital lobe in the right hemisphere

3) Which chemicals pass across the synaptic gap and increase the possibility the next neuron in the chain will fire?• Synaptic peptides• Inhibitory neurotransmitters• Adrenaline-type receptors• Excitatory neurotransmitters• Potassium and sodium

4) You eat some bad sushi and feels that you are slowly losing control of your muscles. The bacteria you ingested from the bad sushi most likely interferes with the use of• Serotonin• Insulin• Acetylcholine• Thorazine• Adrenaline

5) The three major categories researchers use to organize the entire brain are• Old brain, new brain, and cerebral cortex• Lower, middle, and upper brain• Hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain• Brain stem, limbic system, and cerebral cortex• Neurons, synapses, and cerebral cortex

6) Antidepressant drugs like Prozac are often used to treat mood disorders. According to what you know about their function, which neurotransmitter do these drugs try to affect?• Serotonin• Adrenaline• Acetylcholine• Endorphins• Morphine

7) A spinal reflex differs from a normal sensory and motor reflex in that• A spinal reflex only occurs in response to extremely stressful

stimuli• In a spinal reflex, the spine moves the muscles in response as

soon as the sensory information reaches the spine while usually the impulse reaches the brain before a response

• In a normal sensory/motor reaction, the spine transmits the information through afferent nerve fibers, while reflex reactions are transmitted along special efferent nerves

• Spinal reflexes are art of the central nervous system response, while normal sensory/motor reactions are part of the peripheral nervous system

• Spinal reflexes occur only in animals because humans are born without instinctual responses

8) Which sentence most clearly describes neural transmission?• An electric charge is created in the neuron, the charge

travels down the cell, and chemicals are released that cross the synapse to the next cell

• A chemical change occurs within the cell, the change causes an electric charge to be produced, and the charge jumps across the gap between the nerve cells

• The electric charge produced chemically inside a group of neurons causes chemical changes in surrounding cells

• Neurotransmitters produced in the hindbrain are transmitted to the forebrain, causing electrical charges in the cerebral cortex

• Neural transmission is an electrochemical process both inside and outside the cell

10) Dr. Dahab, a brain researcher, is investigating the connection between certain environmental stimuli and brain processes. Which types of brain scans is he most likely to use?• MRI and CAT• CAT and EKG• PET and EEG• EKG and CAT• Lesioning and MRI