Q&A Hero

Q: The divisions of psychology listed by the APA today gives a clear indication of the: A. diversity of the field B. experimental focus of the field C. consensus in the field D. need to go back to the purely scientific nature of the field

Q: Which of the following is true? A. The APA currently has approximately 10,000 members. B. In 2005, 72% of new Ph.D.s in psychology were obtained by women. C. In 2005, 72% of new Ph.D.s in psychology were obtained by men. D. APA members can only belong to one division.

Q: Perhaps the closest psychology has ever came to being a single-paradigm discipline has been during: A. the Middle Ages B. the Enlightenment C. the period of early American psychology D. the early twentieth century

Q: Although connectionism in the neural network model has been well accepted, it does have its critics. Who, in spite of supporting the Computational Theory of Mind (CTM), has written about the limits in explaining human cognition through any computational model? A. James McClelland B. Donald Hebb C. Jerry Fodor D. David Rumelhart

Q: NETtalk exemplifies the type of neural network that utilizes: A. Hebb's rule B. back-propagation C. good old-fashioned artificial intelligence (GOFAI) D. the sequential processing of information

Q: Neural networks based on Hebb's rule ____; however, back-propagation systems ____. A. require extensive training; require a "teacher" to provide feedback on performance B. require feedback; are self-correcting C. process several sequences simultaneously; are self-correcting D. are self-correcting; require a "teacher" to provide feedback about performance

Q: Neural network systems have been most successful at: A. recognizing patterns and objects B. explaining human behavior C. processing sequential information D. duplicating human consciousness

Q: A major difference between connectionism (neural networks) and good old fashioned AI (GOFAI) is that GOFAI systems ____ and neural networks ____. A. process information simultaneously; process information one sequence at a time B. process patterns of excitation and inhibition; processes information according to rules C. reason about the information they contain; change associations based on experience D. mimic human cognition more closely; work within a limited domain

Q: Which of the following is true of neural networks? A. They process information one sequence at a time. B. They store and retrieve symbolic representations. C. They process several sequences of information simultaneously. D. They are incapable of learning.

Q: Connectionism takes as its model a complex system of artificial neurons called a: A. neural network B. phase sequence C. cell assembly D. corpus callosum

Q: Within a neural network model, learning is explained in terms of changing patterns of: A. parallel distributed processing B. if-then statements C. excitation and inhibition D. mathematical weights

Q: A neural network that proposes that the strengths of the connections among units that are active together are increased by mathematically increasing their weights is referred to as: A. back-propagation B. Hebb's rule C. drive reduction D. good old fashion artificial intelligence (GOFAI)

Q: Hebb's rule states that: A. scientific explanations should always be as parsimonious as possible B. the knowledge sought by scientists should always have practical value C. if neurons are simultaneously active, the strength of their connections increases D. computers can only simulate human cognitive processes, but not duplicate them

Q: Hebb's rule are based on associative laws of ____ and ____. A. contiguity; cause and effect B. cause and effect; frequency C. frequency; contiguity D. cause; effect

Q: Hebb's speculations regarding how cell assemblies and phase sequences develop has led to a new research area called: A. cybernetics B. computer simulation C. information-processing models D. connectionism

Q: According to proponents of strong artificial intelligence (AI), computer programs: A. can only simulate human cognitive abilities B. can duplicate human cognitive abilities C. should be based on relevant information and rules of organization D. use self-correcting programs that are not relevant to human cognition

Q: According to proponents of weak artificial intelligence, (AI) computer programs: A. can only simulate human cognitive abilities B. can duplicate human cognitive abilities C. should be based on relevant information and rules of organization D. use self-correcting programs that are not relevant to human cognition

Q: For information-processing psychologists, ____ replaces stimulus and ____ replaces behavior and response. A. encoding; output B. input; processing C. storage; retrieval D. input; output

Q: The information-processing psychologist uses ____ as his or her model while studying humans. A. non-human animals B. the computer C. Newtonian physics D. evolutionary theory

Q: It is generally agreed that an article by ____ in 1958 marked the transition between artificial intelligence and information-processing psychology. A. Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver B. Allen Newell, J. Shaw, and Herbert Simon C. John Searle D. Alan Turing

Q: In the 1970's, information-processing psychologists combined their efforts to understand cognition with other professionals such as philosophers, linguists, engineers, and computer scientists, thus creating the field of: A. artificial intelligence B. information theory C. cognitive science D. ecological psychology

Q: The radical behaviorists addressed the mind-body problem by: A. denying the existence of a causal mind B. changing the issue to a mind-brain problem C. accepting epiphenomenalism D. accepting interactionism

Q: According to your text, the mind-body problem: A. can be solved by linking cognitive events with neurophysiological changes B. is a relatively small question for contemporary cognitive psychology C. remains one of psychology's persistent problems D. is mainly considered problematic from the radical behaviorist perspective

Q: Largely because of its relationship with ____, faculty psychology came into disfavor among scientists and was essentially discarded. A. the mind-body problem B. materialism C. phrenology D. rationalistic philosophy

Q: The recent interest in cognitive psychology spurred a renewed interest in: A. operant conditioning and positivism B. operant conditioning and the mind-body problem C. faculty psychology and positivism D. faculty psychology and the mind-body problem

Q: There is a kinship between information-processing psychology and which of the following? A. sensationalism B. radical behaviorism C. dualism D. Gestalt psychology

Q: According to Flanagan, when cognitive scientists are asked about their philosophical forebears, one hears the name of ____ more than any other. A. Skinner B. Piaget C. James D. Kant

Q: According to the text, information-processing psychology follows in the tradition of: A. empiricism B. rationalism C. romanticism D. associationism

Q: Developments in cybernetics, information theory, and computer technology combined to form the field of : A. information processing psychology B. biocognitive science C. artificial intelligence (AI) D. analytical connectionism

Q: The founder of artificial intelligence was: A. Turing B. Hebb C. Searle D. Fetzer

Q: Who would be most likely to view artificial intelligence (AI) as potentially useful in an effort to understand humans? A. methodological behaviorists B. humanistic psychologists C. radical behaviorists D. materialists

Q: Searle concluded which of the following? A. Computers have semantics but not syntax. B. Computers display intentionality. C. Computers cannot simulate human cognitive abilities. D. A computer can pass the Turing test without being able to think.

Q: According to the Turing test: A. when a human can solve a computational problem as well as a computer, the human can be considered intelligent B. if an observer cannot differentiate between the answers to questions given by a human and those given by a computer, the computer can be said to think C. a computer must score at least 100 on an IQ test in order to be considered intelligent D. it must be demonstrated that a computer understands what it is doing before it can be said to think

Q: The field of artificial intelligence (AI) investigates: A. the extent to which machines can replicate the mental powers of humans B. how humans can increase their mental capacities by learning from machines C. the usefulness of machines in molding the behavior of humans D. how we can understand human behavior via the machine model

Q: Hebb's preferred approach to studying cognitive processes was to speculate about: A. neural networks B. computer modeling C. their implications on behavior D. their biological foundations

Q: According to Hebb, the second phase of the American revolution in psychology would consist of: A. exclusively studying overt behavior B. developing third-force or humanistic psychology C. using scientific rigor to study cognitive processes D. synthesizing behaviorism and psychoanalysis

Q: In 1960, Donald Hebb referred to the American revolution in psychology. According to Hebb, only one phase of the American revolution in psychology had taken place at that time: A. the behavioristic movement B. the cognitive movement C. the psychobiological movement D. the psychoanalytical movement

Q: Who founded the Center for Cognitive Studies at Harvard in 1960? A. Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver B. George Miller and Jerome Bruner C. Allen Newell and Herbert Simon D. Tracy Kendler and Howard Kendler

Q: According to the text, Albert Bandura's social cognitive theory can be considered a direct descendent of ____ theory. A. Ebbinghaus's B. Piaget's C. Hebb's D. Tolman's

Q: Whose name is correctly associated with the theory of cognitive dissonance? A. Jerome Bruner B. George Miller C. Howard Kendler D. Leon Festinger

Q: In the 1930's and 1940's, Hull and Tolman postulated intervening variables. For Hull, these variables were ____; for Tolman, they were ____. A. mainly cognitive; also mainly cognitive B. mainly physiological; mainly affective C. mainly physiological; mainly cognitive D. mainly affective; mainly cognitive

Q: Cognitive dissonance exists when a person: A. has incompatible ideas that motivates him or her to change beliefs or behavior B. has compatible ideas that motivates him/her to change beliefs or behavior C. is motivated by introspection to change their thinking about something D. is trying to stop engaging in behavior that is destructive

Q: Chomsky's explanation of language is basically: A. empiricistic B. nativistic C. associationistic D. mechanistic

Q: Chomsky radically changed the course of psychology by showing that: A. language acquisition cannot be explained using operant principles B. learned behavior is eventually displaced by instinctual behavior C. some associations are more easily learned than others D. language is explained in the same way as any other form of learned behavior

Q: According to Miller, the magical number for humans' capacity to process information is: A. five +/- two B. seven +/- two C. nine +/- two D. eleven +/- two

Q: What field is most interested in the transformation that information undergoes as it enters a communication system, as it operates within the system, and as it leaves the system? A. Cybernetics B. Artificial intelligence C. Information theory D. Theory of cognitive dissonance

Q: Jean Piaget's major contribution to the field of psychology was: A. creating the foundations for neural networks B. creating a cognitive revolution through psycholinguistics C. suggesting that computer programs can simulate but not duplicate human thought D. characterizing the evolution of schemata during maturation and through experience

Q: Bartlett in his book, Remembering: A Study in Experimental and Social Psychology, demonstrated that: A. memory is greatly influenced by personal, cognitive themes and schemas B. memories of details remain relatively unchanged throughout one's lifetime C. information is stored in a serial fashion D. memory is greatly influenced by laws of association

Q: Who created the field that came to be known as information theory? A. Norbert Wiener B. Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver C. Allen Newell and Herbert Simon D. Noam Chomsky

Q: Who developed a cognitive development theory and is considered an even more prolific writer than Wundt? A. Bartlett B. Ebbinghaus C. Piaget D. Wiener

Q: Cybernetics: A. is the study of methodological motivational systems in humans B. is the study of the structure and function of information-processing systems C. suggests that self-feedback is not possible for mechanical systems D. suggests that the study of goal-directed behavior must be subjective

Q: Who created the field of cybernetics? A. Norbert Wiener B. Claude Shannon C. George Miller D. Herbert Simon

Q: Why is it inaccurate to say that psychology is becoming cognitively oriented? A. Radical behaviorism is as popular today as it has ever been. B. The most popular model of human behavior today is in fact the computer model. C. With only a few exceptions psychology has always been cognitively oriented. D. The study of cognitive processes has in fact been steadily losing popularity.

Q: Behavioral geneticists tend toward ____ because they believe that at least some thought processes or behavior patterns are strongly influenced by heredity. A. empiricism B. nativism C. dualism D. sensationalism

Q: Bouchard and his colleagues found the heritability for personality traits to be about ____ and for religious interest, attitudes, and values to be about ____. A. .70; .10 B. .10; .70 C. .80; .20 D. .50; .50

Q: Bouchard and his colleagues found that the most important determinant of a person's religious interests, attitudes, and values is: A. degree of education B. socioeconomic status C. genetics D. early childhood experience

Q: Bouchard reached which of the following conclusions? A. Nature and nurture interact to mold personality traits. B. People have similar personality traits to the extent that they are genetically related. C. People have similar personality traits to the extent that they have common experiences. D. The heritability of personality traits is close to 0.

Q: Bouchard estimated the heritability of intelligence to be about: A. .10 B. .50 C. .70 D. 1.00

Q: What indicates how much of the variation among measures (e.g., test scores) is attributed to genetic influences? A. Nurture B. Heritability C. The preparedness continuum D. The correlation coefficient (r)

Q: Bouchard reasoned that if intelligence and personality are largely determined by experience (nurture) then: A. both fraternal and identical twins reared together would correlate highly on these traits B. both fraternal and identical twins reared apart would correlate highly on these traits C. fraternal twins, whether reared together or apart, should show modest correlations on these traits D. identical twins, whether reared together or apart, should show high correlations on these traits

Q: According to Bouchard, any similarities in intelligence or personality between twins separated at birth must be due to: A. culture and biological influences B. genetic influences C. learning D. nurture

Q: According to Seligman, ____ determines how easily an animal will learn an association. A. an association's place on the preparedness continuum B. environmental factors independent of genetic predisposition C. the prior experience of the animal involved D. strength of the association

Q: Seligman has found that: A. for any given species of animal, some associations are easier to learn than others B. mass action accounts for learning C. an animal comes to the learning situation as a tabula rasa D. the heritability of the ability to learn is close to 0

Q: Which of the following statements is supported by the work of the Brelands? A. Animals bring no genetic predispositions with them to the learning experience. B. Genetic differences among various species of animals are unimportant. C. Any response that an animal is capable of making can be conditioned to any stimulus that the animal can detect. D. Animal behavior cannot be properly understood without a knowledge of the animal's instinctual tendencies.

Q: The Brelands referred to the interference or displacement of learned behavior by instinctive behavior as: A. response generalization B. the habit family hierarchy C. instinctual drift D. the leash principle

Q: The co-option of an original adaptation for a useful but unrelated function is called: A. a spandrel B. an extirpation C. an exaptation D. pseudoevolution

Q: What is one of the criticisms of adaptationism? A. Factors other than adaptation can cause evolutionary change. B. A trait must be adaptive in the present environment because it was adaptive in past environments. C. A trait that evolved for a specific purpose in the past typically retains its native function. D. Traits that are passed down from generation to generation do not always support survival of the species.

Q: According to Buss, the sociobiological fallacy refers to: A. the contention that we merely live to pass copies of our genes into the next generation B. the idea that behaviors were selected in our evolutionary past because they solved problems C. the application of Darwinian principles to human social behavior D. a behavioral tendency now exists because it contributed to the survival of a species

Q: The termsociobiologyis often used interchangeably with the term: A. connectionism B. behavioral genetics C. evolutionary psychology D. ethology

Q: Barash wrote the book, The Whisperings Within. "Whisperings" refers to what? A. a hard-wired set of behaviors B. environmentally controlled behaviors C. predispositions to act in certain ways D. complex human social behaviors

Q: Edward Wilson describes the close relationship between culture and the satisfaction of biological needs with his: A. concept of biogrammar B. leash principle C. whisper principle D. concept of nothing butism

Q: "Nothing-butism" is the claim that behavior is: A. caused solely by biological factors B. caused solely by environmental factors C. caused only by biological factors or that it is caused only by environmental factors. D. caused by both biological and environmental factors in varying degrees

Q: In explanations of behavior, sociobiologists urge social scientists to avoid ____. A. biological distractors B. complex factors C. competing principles D. nothing-butism

Q: According to the sociobiologists, the social behavior of any individual is determined by: A. inherited dispositions (biology) only B. culture only C. both inherited dispositions (biology) and culture D. neither inherited dispositions (biology) nor culture

Q: According to the sociobiologists, the strategy typically used by males to project copies of their genes into the next generation is ____, whereas for females, it is ____. A. promiscuity; the careful selection of an adequate mate B. the careful selection of an adequate mate; promiscuity C. to seek females with good resources with whom to reproduce; to seek males who are young and physically attractive D. to seek females with prominent family backgrounds with whom to reproduce; to seek selfish males

Q: According to David Barash, humans possess an innate ____ that structures their social behavior. A. schema B. instinctual drift C. biogrammar D. engram

Q: The founder of sociobiology was: A. Barash B. Wilson C. Lorenz D. Buss

Q: Sociobiology attempts to explain complex social behavior in terms of ____ theory. A. learning B. psychoanalytical C. cognitive D. evolutionary

Q: The main influence of evolutionary theory upon psychology came through: A. radical behaviorism B. sociobiology C. cognitive science D. research on instinctual drift

Q: The study of ____ is especially important to ethologists. A. the learning process B. species-specific behavior C. language D. cost-benefit analyses