• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

(B) muscular effectors

(C) pressure receptors

(D) rods and cones

(E) thermoreceptors

96. Which of the following is not a basic somatosensation?

(A) pain

(B) touch

(C) cold

(D) warmth

(E) itch

97. All of the following are characteristic of physiological arousal EXCEPT

(A) dilation of the pupils

(B) increase in salivation

(C) increase in perspiration

(D) increase in secretion of stress hormones

(E) decrease in peristalsis

98. Nearsightedness results from

(A) too much curvature of the cornea and lens

(B) too little curvature of the cornea and lens

(C) too much curvature of the iris and lens

(D) too little curvature of the iris and lens

(E) lack of aqueous or vitreous humor

99. Of the following theories, the presence of Hilgard’s “hidden observer” best supports

(A) dissociation

(B) opponent process

(C) activation-synthesis

(D) diathesis-stress

(E) evolution

100. Although many studies regarding the effects of a particular herb on memory have been conducted, results of any one study have been inconclusive. An overall conclusion might be reached by performing

(A) meta-analysis

(B) revising the data from one of the experiments

(C) calculating the statistical significance of each study

(D) cross-cultural analysis

(E) factor analysis

SECTION II

Time—50 minutes

Directions: Take approximately 50 minutes to answer both of the essay questions. According to the College Board directions, “It is not enough to answer a question by merely listing facts. You should present a cogent argument based on your critical analysis of the question posed, using appropriate psychological terminology.” Write your essays on separate sheets of paper.

Essay 1:

Although historically nature versus nurture was considered an all-or-none proposition, most psychologists today agree that heredity and environment are both important in determining behavior and mental processes. Describe the extent to which heredity and the extent to which environment affect expression of each of the following:

• shyness

• language acquisition

• phenylketonuria

• violent behavior

• schizophrenia

Essay 2:

Yesterday when a brown bear unexpectedly appeared in his backyard, John ran into his house faster than he ever ran before.

a. Describe how John’s eye and brain enabled him to see the bear. In your description include how the eye focused the image, transduced energy, and transmitted information to the brain; identify the parts of the brain involved.

b. Explain how the “fight-or-flight” response enabled John to run faster than ever before.

c. Using a current theory of emotion, account for why John experienced fear rather than anger or sadness.

END PRACTICE EXAM

Answers and Explanations

Section I

1. B—(Chapter 18) Conformity. Etan seems to want the group’s approval and so conforms to their behavior.

2. D—(Chapter 5) The humanistic approach believes that man is good by nature and emphasizes the need for people to do their best and strive toward self-actualization.

3. B—(Chapter 13) Authoritative. Authoritative families are democratic by nature and, though there are rules, these are flexible and children grow up helping to make their own decisions and accepting responsibility for their behavior.

4. D—(Chapter 11) An algorithm. This is the problem-solving technique where there is an exhaustive search of all possible answers and a guaranteed solution.

5. A—(Chapter 8) Absolute threshold. This is the minimum stimulation at which 50% of the time Bessie can detect the sweetness in the water.

6. D—(Chapter 10) No longer evokes the conditioned response. Extinction is the elimination of a learned response. In classical conditioning, when the UCS is removed and the CS is repeatedly presented, eventually it will no longer produce the CR and is extinguished.

7. C—(Chapter 7) PET. A PET scan shows the activity in the brain and is useful in allowing doctors to see where different tasks, such as this patient’s language, are processed in the brain. For most people,