Trial exam Introduction to Psychology
Mieke Donk
Martijn Meeter
This exam consists of 62 questions. Each question has an equal weight in the assessment.
Please read the questions and the alternatives carefully.
1. Variability within one species is a(n) ...... evolutionary change.
A. unwanted byproduct of
B. essential condition for
C. barrier to
D. precursor of
2. When a property is recessively inherited, then
A. it is a detrimental feature.
B. this property is determined by sex-linked chromosomes.
C. the property must be passed by both parents to express itself in the phenotype.
D. only parents who have this feature can pass it to their children.
3. Which of the following options is the most direct determinant of gene expression?
A. The moment in development
B. The biochemical environment within a cell
C. The biochemical environment outside a cell
D. The total environment
4. A brother and a sister with the same parents probably have
A. the same set of 46 chromosomes.
B. no chromosome in common.
C. about 50% of the chromosomes in common.
D. the same chromosome except the sex chromosome.
5. When an individual is homozygous for a particular gene, then this individual has
A. two recessive alleles.
B. two dominant alleles.
C. one recessive and one dominant allele.
D. two identical alleles.
6. The two parts of the peripheral nervous system are
A. the brain and spinal cord.
B. the somatic and the autonomous nervous system.
C. the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous system.
D. the autonomous and sympathetic nervous system.
7. Neurotransmitters from the presynaptic neuron A have an excitatory effect on the postsynaptic
neuron B as
A. they increase the potential difference between the inside and outside of the presynaptic neuron A.
B. they lower the potential difference between the inside and outside of the presynaptic neuron A.
,C. they increase the potential difference between the inside and outside of the postsynaptic neuron
B.
D. they lower the potential difference between the inside and outside of the postsynaptic neuron B.
8. During a brain operation, a part of the primary motor projection area is stimulated in a patient. As
a result of this stimulation, the left leg of the patient moves. The most likely place of stimulation was
the part of the ... lobe.
A. left Frontal
B. right Frontal
C. left Parietal
D. right Parietal
9. Some agonists cause an effect by
A. an increase in reuptake.
B. blocking the receptors.
C. mimicking a neurotransmitter.
D. a decrease of a precursor.
10. In which of the following techniques is the electrical activity of the brain recorded?
A. fMRI
B. PET
C. EEG
D. CT
11. While driving to a store, your mind wanders, and you are surprised to find that you have arrived.
This experience supports the idea that:
A. automatic processes need awareness.
B. automatic processes do not need awareness.
C. awareness needs automatic processes.
D. awareness does not need automatic processes.
12. In the technique known as shadowing, a research participant repeats back:
A. text they are reading.
B. their internal monologue.
C. words heard in one ear.
D. their current conversation.
13. Frank Tong and colleagues superimposed a house onto a face and asked participants to make
judgments about what they saw. What were the participants’ brain responses?
A. The brain activity changed depending on whether participants reported seeing a house or a face.
B. The brain noticed both equally, meaning that eventually everything becomes conscious.
C. The unconscious brain became confused and thus the participants were unable to see either the
house or the face.
D. The brain emitted large, slow-wave activity equally for both images.
14. Which of the following statements regarding the brain during sleep is NOT correct?
A. Sleep is an altered state of consciousness.
B. The brain shuts down during sleep.
,C. Complex thinking can occur during sleep.
D. Conscious experience of the outside world is largely turned off during sleep.
15. The Weber fraction for weights discrimination is about 1/40. How many grams should you add to
a standard weight of 240 grams to detect a difference?
A. 2 grams
B. 3 grams
C. 6 grams
D. 40 grams
16. An observer sees two equal trees. One tree is at a distance of 20 meters from the observer and
the other tree is at a distance of 100 meters from the observer. The retinal image of the first tree will
be ... the second tree.
A. larger than the retinal image of
B. smaller than the retinal image of
C. equal to the retinal image of
D. the inverse of the retinal image of
17. Which of the following statements is true?
A. The density of cones and rods in the retina increases from the fovea to the periphery.
B. In the fovea there are mainly rods, while the cones are mostly in the periphery.
C. In the retina there are no cones and rods where the optic nerve exits the eye.
D. All of the above options are correct.
18. Suppose the distance between the eyes can be increased. This would have the following effect:
A. an increase in binocular disparity.
B. a decrease in binocular disparity.
C. an increase in the effect of motion parallax.
D. a reduction in the effect of motion parallax.
19. A subject is asked how he perceives the following stimulus:
-* -* -*
The subject reports that this stimulus is perceived as three pairs, each of which contains a dash and
an asterisk. This subject grouped the stimuli based on
A. similarity.
B. proximity.
C. continuity.
D. closure.
20. The path that brings visual information to the parietal lobe is the
A. What system.
B. Where system.
C. Why system.
D. When system.
21. A tap with a hammer just under the knee leads to a lower leg movement, the knee reflex. This
movement that occurs after a tap with a hammer is an example of a(n)
A. Unconditioned response.
,B. Conditioned response.
C. Unconditioned stimulus.
D. Conditioned stimulus.
22. In classical conditioning an animal learns the relation between ... .; In instrumental conditioning,
an animal learns the relationship between ....
A. CR and US; Stimulus and response
B. CS and UR; Stimulus and response
C. CR and UR; Response and reward
D. CS and US; Response and reward
23. Which rat will show the fastest extinction of pushing a button? A rat trained with
A. a VR 10 scheme of reinforcement.
B. a VR 5 scheme of reinforcement.
C. a FR 12 scheme of reinforcement.
D. Continuous reinforcement.
24. A child is continuously seeing the same stimulus. Eventually, the child loses any interest in the
stimulus. This decrease in response represents
A. the learning curve.
B. the law or effect.
C. habituation.
D. stimulus generalization.
25. According to the stadia theory of memory
A. items are broken down in memory.
B. items only come in long-term memory (LTM) after they have been in short-term memory (STM).
C. all items from short-term memory (STM) are eventually transferred to long-term memory (LTM).
D. b and c
26. In a memory task, subjects are sometimes asked to count back during the interval between
stimulus presentation and reporting. Why is this back-counting task used?
A. This task contributes to a higher concentration.
B. This task keeps the subject alert.
C. This task prevents interference from other matters.
D. This task overwrites the contents of working memory.
27. In a verbal learning study, retroactive interference proved to be a major cause of forgetting. This
study showed that
A. the probability of remembering information decreased with the amount of information previously
learned.
B. the probability of remembering information increased with the amount of information previously
learned.
C. the probability of remembering information decreased with the amount of information learned
later.
D. the probability of remembering information increased with the amount of information learned
later.
,28. The name of your primary school teacher is probably saved in your .... When you try to recall this
name, you are basically engaged in an ... memory task.
A. long-term memory; explicit
B. long term memory; implicit
C. random access memory; explicit
D. random access memory; implicit
29. Which of the following findings is an indication that analogue (mental) images are not the same
as perceptual images.
A. Mental images cannot be rotated.
B. Mental images cannot be scanned.
C. Mental images cannot easily be reinterpreted.
D. Mental images can easily be reinterpreted.
30. Max knows one person from New Zealand. This person is friendly and considerate. When asked
what he thinks people in New Zealand are like, Max answers that he thinks they are friendly and
considerate. This judgment is probably based on
A. the representativeness of heuristics.
B. the availability heuristics.
C. framing effects.
D. the confirmation bias.
31. A person must solve a very difficult problem. In order to increase the probability that he actually
comes up with the solution, one needs
A. to maximize the reward for solving the problem.
B. to encourage the person to use analogies.
C. to reinforce the mental set of the person.
D. all of the above options are correct.
32. Judi is six years old and in a Binet intelligence test she solves all the items that an average nine-
year-old can solve. She cannot solve the items that can be resolved by an average 10 year old. Judi's
IQ is according to Binet:
A. 50 points.
B. 100 points.
C. 150 points.
D. impossible to determine based on the above.
33. Among the group of people with an IQ lower than 70, one can distinguish between people with
an IQ between 40 and 55 and people with an IQ between 55 and 70. Which statement is correct?
A. There are fewer people with an IQ between 40 and 55 than people with an IQ between 55 and 70.
B. There are as many people with an IQ between 40 and 55 as people with an IQ between 55 and 70.
C. There are more people with an IQ between 40 and 55 than people with an IQ between 55 and 70.
D. There is no way to decide.
34. Twin studies show that the correlation for intelligence between monozygotic twins is not perfect.
This specific finding suggests that
A. intelligence is also determined by genetic factors.
B. intelligence is also determined by environmental factors.
,C. intelligence is determined by both genetic and environmental factors.
D. intelligence is not determined by genetic and environmental factors.
35. According to Charles Spearman, the intercorrelations between WAIS-R subtests are not perfect
because
A. people vary too much in their intelligence score.
B. there is a general intelligence factor.
C. there are specific intelligence factors.
D. people vary too little in their intelligence score.
36. When the heritability ratio is high, behavior is predominantly determined by
A. genetic factors.
B. environmental factors.
C. phenotype.
D. differences in education.
37. Object permanence refers to the child's awareness that
A. various actions are coordinated in one organized scheme.
B. the mass of an object does not change despite transformations in the shape of that object.
C. objects exist regardless of perception or action.
D. certain motor action patterns can be permanently associated with certain environmental objects.
38. A child receives a glass of lemonade from his mother. Then he complains that he wants more
lemonade. On this, his mother takes the glass and pours the lemonade into a higher but smaller
glass. The child is then happy. According to Piaget, this child has not yet developed
A. object permanence.
B. conservation.
C. classification.
D. visual perspective.
39. Recent research suggests that Piaget probably …… cognitive skills of children
A. underestimated
B. accurately estimated
C. slightly overrated
D. highly overrated
40. According to Harlow, what could a mother do best when a child is afraid?
A. Leave the child alone.
B. Give the child something to eat.
C. Talk to the child.
D. Touch and hold the child.
41. The part of the brain that regulates hunger, thirst, sex and temperature is
A. the thalamus.
B. the hypothalamus.
C. the cerebellum.
D. the hippocampus.
,42. When getting hungry
A. glucose is converted to glycogen.
B. glucose is converted to fat.
C. glycogen is converted to glucose.
D. glycogen is converted to fat.
43. Which of the following systems is responsible for a decrease in heart rate?
A. The sympathetic nervous system.
B. The parasympathetic nervous system.
C. The endocrine system.
D. Certain systems in the temporal lobe of the cortex.
44. Dopamine is related to endorphin as __________ relates to __________.
A. Liking; Wanting
B. Wanting; Liking
C. Pain; Pleasure
D. Intrinsic reward; External reward
45. One of Canon's major objections to the James-Lange theory was that
A. different emotions produce the same physical reactions, making it difficult to determine how a
person knows what he feels.
B. the role of the sympathetic nervous system was underestimated.
C. emotions vary in intensity and this could not be explained by the James-Lange theory.
D. emotions are subjective experiences, therefore a general theory will always be insufficient.
46. Subjects’ responses in the study of Asch in which subjects had to estimate lines suggest that
A. we believe that physical reality is shared by all people.
B. public opinion has little influence on our personal beliefs.
C. our belief in physical reality is immune to social pressure.
D. cognitive and social processes are separate and independent.
47. A lawyer has to defend a client. In the lawyer’s opinion the client is guilty. According to cognitive
dissonance theory, under what condition will the lawyer be more inclined to believe in the innocence
of the client?
A. When the lawyer gets paid more than usual.
B. When the lawyer gets paid less than usual.
C. When the client is friendly to the lawyer.
D. When the client is in fact guilty.
48. In determining the causes of the behavior of others (causal attribution), people tend to
A. overestimate the situational and disposition factors.
B. overestimate the situational factors and underestimate the dispositional factors.
C. underestimate the situational and dispositional factors.
D. underestimate the situational factors and overestimate the dispositional factors.
49. According to the familiarity hypothesis, we prefer to look at
A. pictures of ourselves and friends above mirror images of ourselves and friends.
B. mirror images of ourselves and friends above pictures of ourselves and friends.
,C. pictures of ourselves and mirror images of friends.
D. mirror images of ourselves and pictures of friends.
50. Walter Mischel has strongly criticized the trait approach on the basis of evidence that shows that
A. different observers describe a single individual in terms of different characteristics (traits).
B. personality is based on one core feature, rather than on a system of different characteristics.
C. people behave less consistently across different situations than predicted by the trait theory.
D. All of the above.
51. A method used in psychoanalysis in which patients say everything that comes to mind is called:
A. Symbolism.
B. Free association.
C. Reaction formation.
D. Congratulations.
52. According to Sigmund Freud, what is NOT a stage of psychosocial development?
A. The oral stage
B. The anal stage
C. The pedophile stage
D. The phallic stage
53. "People need more than food and sex. .... Some actions are intrinsically satisfying because they
create joy. " The person who makes these statements is probably a
A. behaviorist.
B. humanist.
C. psychoanalyst.
D. neo-freudian.
54. How do behaviorists explain that certain behaviors continue to exist even when there is no
ongoing reinforcement?
A. Because these behaviors were previously rewarded.
B. People have an intrinsic need for attention and therefore continue to show certain behaviors.
C. The behaviors are embedded in the personality and therefore remain as such.
D. Radical behaviorists do not try to explain this kind of thing.
55. According to the behaviorist explanation of phobias, the dreaded object functions as a(n)
A. Conditioned stimulus.
B. Unconditioned stimulus.
C. Conditioned response.
D. Unconditioned response.
56. The Dopamine hypothesis is based on the idea that schizophrenia is the result of
A. the production of an abnormal substance in the brain, namely dopamine.
B. the overactivity of neurons sensitive to dopamine.
C. the inability to produce enough dopamine.
D. the inhibition of brain activity caused by dopamine.
,57. According to Beck's cognitive theory of depression
A. depression is caused by negative thoughts.
B. depression causes negative thoughts.
C. depression is caused by an hopeless situation.
D. depression causes a hopeless situation.
58. ... are incorrect interpretations of reality while ... are experiences that are not based on reality.
A. Distorted cognitions; Hallucinations
B. Hallucinations; Disturbed cognitions
C. Delusions; Hallucinations
D. Distorted cognitions; Delusions
59. In evaluating the efficacy of a drug, consideration should be given to the possible effects of
A. spontaneous recovery.
B. placebo.
C. the expectations of the researchers.
D. All of the above.
60. Which of the following is the least interesting for a behavior therapist?
A. Personal history
B. Current conditions
C. Unconscious thoughts
D. Behavior
61. Cognitive therapy helps the patient
A. remembering traumatic early childhood experiences.
B. solving conflicts between the different parts of his personality.
C. accepting and appreciating oneself.
D. identifying and changing maladaptive patterns of thought.
62. Systematic desensitization is the most useful treatment for
A. mania.
B. general anxiety disorder.
C. depression.
D. phobia.
, Answers
1. b
- For evolutionary change there has to be variability where one trait is more favorable than the
other and the trait heritable so it can be passed on from generation to generation.
2. c
- A recessive allele Only shows their effect in the phenotype if the other allele is the same
variant (homozygote).
o So both parents have to pass it on.
- A recessive allele could be X-linked but this does not have to be always the case.
- Parents could be carrier of the recessive allele which means that the property is not
expressed in the phenotype but the parents can give it to their children. So it is not necessary
that the parents have the feature themselves to pass it on to their children.
3. b
- In each cell, some genes are expressed at any point in time and others are not. This is
controlled by the biochemical environment inside the cell.
o The biochemical environment inside the cell is influenced by e.g., the environment
outside the cell, timing in development, the overall environment, experience,
behavior.
4. c
- You share 50% of your DNA with your siblings.
- Only identical twins share 100% of their DNA with each other.
- Fraternal twins share 50% of their DNA with each other.
5. d
- Homozygous means that both alleles are the same. This could be two recessive alleles or two
dominant alleles.
- Heterozygous means that the two alleles are different One dominant and one recessive
allele.
6. b
- Nervous system can be divided in two systems:
o Central nervous system:
Brain and spinal cord.
o Peripheral nervous system:
Somatic nervous system:
Afferent neurons Signal travels from body to spinal cord and
brain.
Efferent neurons Signal travels from spinal cord and brain to the
body.
Autonomic nervous system:
Sympathetic nervous system Prepares the body for action.
Parasympathetic nervous system Returns the body to a resting
state.
7. d
- Excitatory effect of pre synaptic neuron means that the postsynaptic neuron is more inclined
to fire.
- A neuron fires when the excitation threshold is hit -55 mV.
- The rest membrane potential is -70 mV.
