Psychology 101 -- Lippa Sample test questions

What is an "action potential"?

a. a long fiber that stretches from the cell body of a neuron

b. a neurotransmitter substance that carries information across the synapse

c. the time a neuron has to wait before firing again

d. the change in electrical charge that travels down the axon

At any given level of the spinal cord, two kinds of nerves enter or leave the spinal cord. They are:

a. sensory nerves and motor nerves

b. voluntary nerves and involuntary nerves

c. myelinated nerves and unmyelinated nerves

d. cranial nerves and peripheral nerves

The motor cortex (which controls movements of different parts of the body) is located in which lobe of the brain?

a. occipital

b. parietal

c. frontal

d. temporal

The concept of mind-body dualism is associated with

a. Rene Descartes

b. the British associationist philosophers

c. Sigmund Freud

d. Charles Darwin

It doesn't pay to study a person's "mind." Science instead should study people's observable actions and the environmental conditions (stimuli) that produce them. The previous statements illustrate the ________ approach.

a. Freudian

b. behavioristic

c. sociobiological

d. cognitive

The higher individuals are on one variable (drug use) the lower they are on another variable (Grade Point Average). That is, drug use and GPA shows a(n) ________ correlation.

a. negative

b. zero

c. positive

d. experimental

The ________ is a tiny brain structure adjacent to the pituitary gland that is responsible for homeostasis -- that, maintain a balance in vital bodily processes such as temperature, blood-sugar, and metabolism.

a. hippocampus

b. cerebellum

c. thalamus

d. hypothalamus

Phineas Gage had a pipe blown through his head during a railroad accident. After recovered from gross injury to the frontal lobes of his brain, he experienced

a. paralysis and impaired motor abilities

b. decreased intelligence and cognitive abilities

c. an altered personality

d. language problems

The peripheral nervous system is composed of

a. the spinal cord and the brain

b. the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system

c. the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system

d. hormones and neurotransmitter substances

According to Lippa's discussion the first day of class, attitudes, personality traits, and intelligence are all examples of

a. group-level explanations of behavior

b. individual-level explanations of behavior

c. mediating variables.

d. operational definitions

Broca's area of the brain is responsible for

a. speech comprehension

b. speech production

c. emotional experience

d. bodily movements

Decreased availability of the neurotransmitter ________ is common in depression. This neurotransmitter is also involved in mood, sleep, eating, and arousal.

a. dopamine

b. serotonin

c. endorphins

d. testosterone

I conduct a study in which I measure 100 students’ head size and see if this is related to their intelligence as measured by an IQ test. This study is

a. correlational

b. experimental

c. flawed by experimenter bias

d. an example of a case study

An operational definition is

a. a conceptual definition

b. a dictionary definition

c. a definition that is consistent with a scientific theory

d. a definition in terms of a measurement procedure