PSYC100 Final Exam – Multiple Choice Review – Introductory Psychology Study Guide and
Practice Questions
c. Although psychologists don't doubt that animals communicate, there is disagreement as to
whether or such communication, even with intensive instruction, qualifies as language. - correct
answer ✔✔Which of the following is TRUE about nonhuman animal communication?
a. Animal communication can truly be called a language because it consists of symbols and
grammar, and is generative.
b. Animals exhibit varied cries and calls, and some species' communication meets the criteria of
semanticity, generativity and displacement.
c. Although psychologists don't doubt that animals communicate, there is disagreement as to
whether or such communication, even with intensive instruction, qualifies as language.
d. Although animal communication is limited, some animals can learn to use human language
with ease and eventually attain the communication skills of the average 6 year old.
d. biology - correct answer ✔✔Critical periods for language development are determined by:
Select one:
a. the environment
b. the number and quality of older speakers to which the child is exposed
c. the deep structure of language
d. biology
c. Semanticity, generativity and displacement - correct answer ✔✔What are the key properties
of human language?
,Select one:
a. Categorical perception, generativity and displacement
b. Generativity, syntax and displacement
c. Semanticity, generativity and displacement
d. Syntax, generativity and pragmatics
d. overextending the word - correct answer ✔✔A child who uses the word "wawa" to refer not
only to water but to milk, juice, and other drinks is:
Select one:
a. underextending the word
b. babbling
c. overgeneralizing a grammatical rule
d. overextending the word
d. a set of inborn aids that permit children to understand the elements of grammar common to
all languages and to acquire the rules specific to their own - correct answer ✔✔Noam Chomsky
accounts for children's ability to learn something as complex as language by hypothesizing the
existence of a language-acquisition device in the brain. This device is:
Select one:
a. an innate mechanism that predisposes adults to speak slowly, simply, and with broad
gestures when talking to young children
b. an innate mechanism that permits children to understand how to use language operantly, in
order to gain rewards
c. a set of inborn aids that cue a child to attend to those who speak their language while
disregarding other speakers
,d. a set of inborn aids that permit children to understand the elements of grammar common to
all languages and to acquire the rules specific to their own
b. A heuristic is often more efficient - correct answer ✔✔What advantage is there to using a
heuristic rather than an algorithm?
Select one:
a. A heuristic will present more clearly defined solution
b. A heuristic is often more efficient
c. The heuristic will result in only one possible solution
d. A heuristic is more likely to result in a correct response
d. all of the above - correct answer ✔✔Wechsler's IQ test differed from its predecessors in that
it:
Select one:
a. used a deviation (age-normed) instead or a ratio (mental age/chronological age) IQ.
b. added nonverbal (performance) subscales to represent different forms of intelligence.
c. was valid for all age ranges
d. all of the above
d. genes, unique environment; shared environment - correct answer ✔✔Intelligence is
determined, in descending order, by:
Select one:
a. shared environment; unique environment; genes
b. genes, shared environment; unique environment
, c. shared environment; genes; unique environment
d. genes, unique environment; shared environment
b. environment contributes comparatively little to variation to characteristic X - correct answer
✔✔Suppose we measure characteristic X in siblings reared together and find a .11 correlation
for adopted siblings who are biologically unrelated, compared with a .56 correlation for
fraternal twins, and a 0.93 correlation for identical twins. This suggests that:
Select one:
a. both heredity and environment contribute substantially to variation in characteristic X
b. environment contributes comparatively little to variation to characteristic X
c. you cannot draw a conclusion from these data
d. environment contributes greatly to variation to characteristic X, but only for twins
e. heredity contributes little or nothing to variation in characteristic X
d. myelination of the frontal lobe - correct answer ✔✔Executive functioning develops in late
adolescence once ___________is complete.
Select one:
a. neurogenesis
b. plasticity
c. apoptosis
d. myelination of the frontal lobe
b. Child-rearing practices can either retard or accelerate infants' motor development. - correct
answer ✔✔Which of the following statements is an accurate portrayal of the impact of nurture
on infants' motor development?
Practice Questions
c. Although psychologists don't doubt that animals communicate, there is disagreement as to
whether or such communication, even with intensive instruction, qualifies as language. - correct
answer ✔✔Which of the following is TRUE about nonhuman animal communication?
a. Animal communication can truly be called a language because it consists of symbols and
grammar, and is generative.
b. Animals exhibit varied cries and calls, and some species' communication meets the criteria of
semanticity, generativity and displacement.
c. Although psychologists don't doubt that animals communicate, there is disagreement as to
whether or such communication, even with intensive instruction, qualifies as language.
d. Although animal communication is limited, some animals can learn to use human language
with ease and eventually attain the communication skills of the average 6 year old.
d. biology - correct answer ✔✔Critical periods for language development are determined by:
Select one:
a. the environment
b. the number and quality of older speakers to which the child is exposed
c. the deep structure of language
d. biology
c. Semanticity, generativity and displacement - correct answer ✔✔What are the key properties
of human language?
,Select one:
a. Categorical perception, generativity and displacement
b. Generativity, syntax and displacement
c. Semanticity, generativity and displacement
d. Syntax, generativity and pragmatics
d. overextending the word - correct answer ✔✔A child who uses the word "wawa" to refer not
only to water but to milk, juice, and other drinks is:
Select one:
a. underextending the word
b. babbling
c. overgeneralizing a grammatical rule
d. overextending the word
d. a set of inborn aids that permit children to understand the elements of grammar common to
all languages and to acquire the rules specific to their own - correct answer ✔✔Noam Chomsky
accounts for children's ability to learn something as complex as language by hypothesizing the
existence of a language-acquisition device in the brain. This device is:
Select one:
a. an innate mechanism that predisposes adults to speak slowly, simply, and with broad
gestures when talking to young children
b. an innate mechanism that permits children to understand how to use language operantly, in
order to gain rewards
c. a set of inborn aids that cue a child to attend to those who speak their language while
disregarding other speakers
,d. a set of inborn aids that permit children to understand the elements of grammar common to
all languages and to acquire the rules specific to their own
b. A heuristic is often more efficient - correct answer ✔✔What advantage is there to using a
heuristic rather than an algorithm?
Select one:
a. A heuristic will present more clearly defined solution
b. A heuristic is often more efficient
c. The heuristic will result in only one possible solution
d. A heuristic is more likely to result in a correct response
d. all of the above - correct answer ✔✔Wechsler's IQ test differed from its predecessors in that
it:
Select one:
a. used a deviation (age-normed) instead or a ratio (mental age/chronological age) IQ.
b. added nonverbal (performance) subscales to represent different forms of intelligence.
c. was valid for all age ranges
d. all of the above
d. genes, unique environment; shared environment - correct answer ✔✔Intelligence is
determined, in descending order, by:
Select one:
a. shared environment; unique environment; genes
b. genes, shared environment; unique environment
, c. shared environment; genes; unique environment
d. genes, unique environment; shared environment
b. environment contributes comparatively little to variation to characteristic X - correct answer
✔✔Suppose we measure characteristic X in siblings reared together and find a .11 correlation
for adopted siblings who are biologically unrelated, compared with a .56 correlation for
fraternal twins, and a 0.93 correlation for identical twins. This suggests that:
Select one:
a. both heredity and environment contribute substantially to variation in characteristic X
b. environment contributes comparatively little to variation to characteristic X
c. you cannot draw a conclusion from these data
d. environment contributes greatly to variation to characteristic X, but only for twins
e. heredity contributes little or nothing to variation in characteristic X
d. myelination of the frontal lobe - correct answer ✔✔Executive functioning develops in late
adolescence once ___________is complete.
Select one:
a. neurogenesis
b. plasticity
c. apoptosis
d. myelination of the frontal lobe
b. Child-rearing practices can either retard or accelerate infants' motor development. - correct
answer ✔✔Which of the following statements is an accurate portrayal of the impact of nurture
on infants' motor development?
