Final Examination Noncumulative Portion 1. An ontogenetic developmental psychologist would study all BUT which of the following? A. The impact that puberty has on our social networks. B. How memory capabilities change with age. *C. Why adults appear to have developed an instinctual need to care for young. D. The impact on parents when they begin to transition their perception of their offspring from child to adult. % Correct: 35 Since people who study developmental psychology with the ontogenetic view look at changes that occur during the lifespan, answers A, B, and D all fit into the ontogenetic view. The only answer that doesn’t look at the topic of change is answer C. Though on the surface this looks like a difficult question, the ontogenetic view was covered in detail during the lecture portion of the class. 2. What does a child in the formal operations stage do that a child in the concrete operations stage does not? *A. plan systematic approaches to hypothetical questions B. correctly answer questions about object permanence C. understand that some people have false beliefs D. understand conservation of number % Correct: 76 The stages listed above that are associated with cognitive stages of development were introduced by Jean Piaget. In Piaget’s work, the formal operational stage dealt with the development of the ability to think more abstractly and plan more distant events. The answer in B dealt with something that children can learn to do by the end of the sensorimotor stage. Answer C dealt with the theory of mind, a skill developed during the pre-operational stage, and answer D develops at the same time as answer C. 3. The “baby X” studies that required participants to play with a baby “boy” or “girl” showed the importance of _________ when examining how gender related characteristics emerge within many of us even at a young age. *A. evocation B. genetic proclivities C. our looks D. stigma against females % Correct: 53 The term linked to this question was evocation. In this study, participants were shown a child always dressed in the exact same way, but the baby was called a different name—the name being masculine or feminine. What they found in this study was that the mere mention of the name caused people to treat the children differently—something that we concluded would eventually cause different behaviors in the children in the long run. When our treatment of someone impacts their eventual behavior, we call this effect evocation. 4. Researchers that call themselves experimental psychopathologists would be interested in looking at *A. performance differences in a variety of tasks between those that are diagnosed with disorders and those that are not. B. ways to compare the effectiveness of different therapeutic techniques. C. cultural norms that help produce psychological disorders. D. ways to understand why so many psychologists often study the thing that they themselves struggle to master. % Correct: 50 This was a definition based question. Experimental psychopathologists study measurable differences (anatomical, performance based, etc.) between those diagnosed with disorders and those that are not. They don’t study cultures, they don’t study the effectiveness of treatments, and they don’t under any circumstances study characteristics about therapists or researchers that are in the field. 5. In the implicit cognitions research literature, we have strong evidence that implicit ____________ exist— while weak to no evidence that other implicit cognitions exist. *A. memories B. learning C. motives D. emotions % Correct: 53 Though there is some research, and a ton of different tools that have been developed to look for implicit motives and emotions, as Dr Kihlstrom indicated, there is still a lot of disagreement about whether or not these things actually exist. The same skepticism work with implicit learning. The only implicit concept that we are firmly agreed upon in terms of its existence is implicit memory. 6. Eye tracking research would suggest that someone with schizophrenia would __________ during eye tracking tasks in comparison to someone that is not diagnosed with the disorder. *A. show more erratic eye movement B. show less erratic eye movement C. sometimes show more, sometimes show less erratic eye movement D. show smoother, but slower eye movement % Correct: 89 This was one of the topics discussed during the experimental psychopathology lecture. Research has indeed shown that individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia show impaired ability to smoothly track moving objects with their eyes. There are other disorders and drugs that have subsequently been linked to this poor tracking ability, but this discovery is considered a great example of the value of experimental psychopathology research. 7. Irenka just examined the correlation of resourcefulness scores between identical and fraternal twin pairs. She found a correlation of .5 for identical twins, and a correlation of .25 for fraternal twins. What percentage of this ability can be attributed to shared environments based on these results? *A. 0% B. 25% C. 50% D. 75% % Correct: 33 Everyone was given credit for this question. It was admittedly difficult since the formula for how to calculate out shared environment needed to be known to answer this question. However, if you do use the formula from the heritability topic (which actually came straight from a lecture example), you’ll come to the answer of 0%. 8. “Goodness of fit” studies have shown the importance of ___________ when examining how well parents and children get along and how easily the parents can understand and interact with the child. A. facial symmetry *B. temperament C. conscientiousness D. physical strength and stamina % Correct: 76 When developmental psychologists talk about the “goodness of fit” model, they are universally talking about the topic of temperament—our overall level of reactivity and worry to our social environment. Researchers have consistently found that children who have caregivers with similar temperaments—regardless of what they are—often have much better relationships with those caregivers in comparison to those that do not have matching temperaments with their caregivers. 9. Psychologists contend that gender in human beings is determined by *A. an interaction between the biological and social environment. B. genotype and phenotype. C. phenotype alone. D. genotype alone. % Correct: 79 Biological sex is the term we use when looking at a person’s genotype. A person’s phenotype refers the person’s observable sexual organs. A person’s gender is about the sexual category that someone identifies themselves in. It is developed through a combination of the biology and social standards placed on and/or embraced by that person. 10. Of the following disorder classifications, which one is diagnosed the least often in the United States? A. depression B. substance abuse disorders *C. schizophrenia D. attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder % Correct: 75 Though none of these disorders are desirable, schizophrenia is by far the least common. It is found in roughly 1% of the population in the United States, with those numbers being even lower in non-developed countries. As a side note, depression is commonly viewed as the most common of the disorders listed above, though there’s the potential that substance abuse and ADHD could someday pass depression in prominence. 11. Which of the following best describes the relationship between light-dark cycles (from the rising and setting sun) and circadian rhythms? A. Circadian rhythms are completely independent of light-dark cycles. B. Circadian rhythms are completely determined by light-dark cycles. C. Circadian rhythms function only during the day (light cycle). *D. Circadian rhythms are generated by the body, but reset by light-dark cycles. % Correct: 85 Numerous studies have been done over the years to determine how the cyclical changes that our bodies undergo each day are linked to the sun. The most involved study on the topic was the “Cave Study”. In it, and others, research has conclusively shown that our bodies seem to have their own circadian rhythms that are not dictated by the sun. However, these cycles surprisingly don’t last for exactly 24 hours—usually they last about 25 hours. To keep us on this 24 hour cycle that most of our bodies are on, we need the sun. 12. Systematic desensitization is a special type of which psychotherapy? A. psychoanalysis B. family therapy *C. behavioral therapy D. cognitive therapy % Correct: 51 The low percentage of students that correctly answered this question was extremely shocking. This was anticipated as one of the easier topics in the class since the process was discussed in both the readings and the presentation. Systematic desensitization is by far the most common treatment for a variety of disorders, and it utilizes concepts from the behavioral model of therapy. 13. Most research involving gender roles in twin studies has shown that __________ are the most critical factors impacting ones identification with a specific gender role. A. shared environments *B. non-shared environments C. genetics D. genetics for males and shared environments for females % Correct: 73 Research on twin studies and heritability have provided researchers—and parents—with some surprising results with respect to the sources of many different behaviors and aspects associated with a person. Though genes certainly matter, and parents do play a role in the development of a child, the biggest factor in our lives that places a role in almost everything that makes us unique is our unshared environment. However, even though our experiences and friends are VERY important, much of our unshared environments are linked to the way we interact with our siblings and the way our parents and family members treat us differently. 14. Someone who alternates between inactive, inhibited periods and highly active, uninhibited periods is probably suffering from A. schizophrenia. B. obsessive-compulsive disorder. C. conversion disorder. *D. bipolar disorder. % Correct: 91 This is the textbook definition of bipolar disorder—something that many of you were able to identify. For clinical psychologists, the challenge with this disorder is to decipher if a person’s mood swings qualify as a disorder, and if so, which subcategory of the disorder they qualify as displaying. Moreover, it can often be difficult to determine if the swings are a result of different symptoms that are linked to schizophrenia. 15. Based on birth order research—or at least theory—which of the following individuals is most likely to push for uniqueness? A. Frank, a first born male who was born in the United States B. Lucinda, a first born female who was born in the United States C. Rin, a first born male who just moved to the United States *D. Trina, a third born female who just moved to the United States % Correct: 77 The topic of birth order was discussed a lot in the development lectures. Research by people like Frank Sulloway has suggested that children born later in a family often push for uniqueness. There is no substantial evidence that moving to the US or being a specific gender enhances this push nearly as much as birth order. In other words, the other answers were distractors. 16. At what age can children often identify gender clearly in their conversation and interactions? *A. age 2 B. age 4 C. age 6 D. age 8 % Correct: 49 Though most of us might guess that children cannot distinguish gender differences until later in life, we do indeed see that most children have the ability to decipher gender roles and gender differences by the age of 2. With that being said, questions have been raised by researchers about the children’s comprehension of the permanence of gender and why/how these genders are determined. 17. Dr. Publisher reports a study comparing 3-year-old, 5-year-old, and 7-year-old children, all tested at the same time. Which kind of research design is this? A. longitudinal B. retrospective *C. cross-sectional D. sequential % Correct: 75 This is the definition of a cross-sectional study. If a developmental psychologist would like to study the change in a specific topic over time but doesn’t have the funds or time to track a group for an extended period of time, they often resort to this approach. It does make research much easier, but cohort effects must always be considered if one uses this approach. 18. An investigator covers a toy and watches whether a child removes the cover to retrieve the toy. Which developmental psychology concept is the investigator apparently testing? A. conservation. *B. object permanence. C. identity achievement. D. assimilation. % Correct: 81 This is a classic example of testing for object permanence—the knowledge that objects continue exist, even when not seen. In fact, this particular example was one that Piaget himself often used in his testing of the comprehension of this topic in his infants that he studied over the years. 19. Pierre has discovered that childhood irritability is strongly impacted by sibling interactions. This specific finding would suggest that childhood irritability is most impacted by A. shared environments. *B. non-shared environments. C. genetics. D. a combination of shared environments and genetics. % Correct: 27 Hmmm. This was an interesting one for so many students to get wrong. A large portion of the class identified that non-shared environments were critical in development in an earlier question, but most missed one of the key non-shared environments that is out there. Sibling interactions, though they sound a lot like shared environments, are a prime example of a non-shared environment that can cause children to develop differently. Many students incorrectly chose A or D for this question. 20. Yuli wants a cookie from the cookie jar even though her mother has told her that she cannot have one. When her mother is not looking, Yuli grabs a cookie and eats it. Her mother catches her and asks her why she did it. Yuli responds, “I didn’t think you’d catch me”. Based on this, Yuli’s moral development would be defined by Lawrence Kohlberg as being in the ____________ stage. A. sensorimotor *B. pre-conventional C. conventional D. post-conventional % Correct: 72 This question referenced the book’s discussion of Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory of moral development. In preconventional moral reasoning, children are not able to determine right from wrong by examining how their actions affect others, or what improves the greater good. Instead, they judge it by the consequences they experience for their actions. 21. In 1965 a high-school student, Randy Gardner, stayed awake 11 days for a science fair project. What effect did this experience have on him? A. Gardner suffered from severe hallucinations during the final days of his project. B. Once he was allowed to sleep, Gardner slept for 5 consecutive days and nights. C. Gardner suffered permanent intellectual impairment. *D. Gardner suffered no serious psychological consequences. % Correct: 38 This was a question that came from the book. Despite what most theorists assumed before Gardner was run in these studies, he indeed functioned quite well after being awake for 11 days. Nobody assumes that this will be the case for all of us—Gardner was selected for this experiment because of his uncanny ability to require very little sleep—but it does bring into question our assumptions about the necessity of sleep. 22. Of the following psychotherapy techniques, which has proven to be the MOST effective across a wide range of different mental disorders? A. the psychodynamic approach B. the humanistic approach (client centered therapy) C. the Gestaltist approach *D. cognitive and cognitive-behavioral approaches % Correct: 71 Though many therapists still incorporate a number of different therapeutic approaches to different disorders, numerous comparative studies have suggested that CBT is the most effective technique for a multitude of different diagnosed disorders. In fact, many researchers today call it the “gold standard” of therapeutic approaches to indicate the notion that new approaches are only worthwhile if they can show more effectiveness than CBT. 23. Before we develop sex specific reproductive organs during early development inside the womb, our primary sex organs all start as something called the _____________. A. undifferentiated *B. gonads C. ova D. procreatives % Correct: 69 This was a terminology question. Though the words “undifferentiated” and “procreatives” look like they might define our internal organs before they become our sex organs, in biological science, we call these organs the gonads. 24. Karen identifies herself as heterosexual. This label indicates Karen’s A. gender identity. *B. erotic orientation. C. gender role. D. biological sex. % Correct: 76 Heterosexuals are individuals that pursue member of the opposite sex when seeking intimate relationships. Though I suppose gender identity is important to know in order to pursue someone that has an opposite gender identity, the concept of sexuality—what psychologists call erotic orientation—is the key element when using terms like heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, and others. 25. During which stage of sleep is the brain most active? A. stage 2 B. stage 3 C. stage 4 *D. REM % Correct: 85 Though there is brain activity in individuals undergoing all stages of sleep, it becomes less and less common as we progress into higher stages of sleep. The one stage of sleep that is linked to the most amount of brain activity—in fact, this is part of the reason for why we call it paradoxical sleep—is REM, or rapid eye movement, sleep. 26. Research on subliminal processing and priming with amnesiacs suggests that A. the unconscious does not exist. B. Freud’s concept of the unconscious was fairly accurate. *C. the unconscious exists but in a very different way from what Freud conceived. D. there are contradictory results about whether or not the unconscious exists. % Correct: 69 Answers A, B, and D are VERY wrong. Considerable research has indeed shown that the unconscious does indeed exist, but in a very different form from what Freud had originally proposed. In fact, many have suggested that we call this form of consciousness the “sub-conscious” so as to prevent any confusion between this level of consciousness and the one that Freud originally envisioned. 27. Tests like the Thematic Apperception Test, where people are asked to describe the events surrounding an ambiguous picture that they are shown, are hypothetically designed to find *A. implicit motivation. B. explicit motivation. C. explicit thought. D. implicit thought. % Correct: 45 Though the TAT faces a lot of criticism as to whether or not it is measuring something—and if it is, whether or not it is measuring something implicit—developers of the test suggest that it should be measuring levels of different types of implicit motivation contained within an individual. The three biggest implicit motivations being measured in this test are the need to achieve, the need for affiliation, and the need for power. 28. Developmental disorders are defined as such by clinical psychologists because *A. they are linked to abnormal development since birth. B. they come on slowly, unlike most other disorders. C. they are a by-product of early developmental exposures. D. they are the disorders that are caused by an interaction between genes and the environment. % Correct: 65 Developmental disorders come in a variety of forms, with a litany of different issues, causes, and symptoms associated with them. However, one hallmark to all of them is that they begin appearing in individuals near the time of their birth. 29. According to the lecture by Dr Kihlstrom, if someone is diagnosed as displaying symptoms of psychosis, he/she can potentially be diagnosed with which of the following psychological disorders? A. panic disorder *B. bi-polar disorder C. dementia D. aphasia % Correct: 50 Though the DSM does mention the definition of psychosis in its most recent edition, this isn’t a big focus in the book or the DSM on tis topic. However, since Dr Kiihlstrom still spends a lot of a time on this topic in lecture, this question was a must. Psychosis, the loss of one’s grasp on reality, is common in people diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Several students answered dementia in this question, but this is not a psychological disorder.