LSU PSYC 2000 FINAL KNAPP ACTUAL
EXAM PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS GRADED A+
◍ Circadian rythm.
Answer: Cyclical changes that occur on a roughly 24 hour basis in many
biological processes
◍ What are mental processes?.
Answer: Internal, personal experiences that we infer from behavior.
◍ Biological clock.
Answer: Term for the area of the hypothalamus that is responsible for
controlling our level of alertness
◍ Sleep debt.
Answer: Missing sleep takes a toll on your body and must be made
upMental effects: mild depression, difficulty learning new information,
problems paying attention, problems thinking clearly, and slowed reaction
timePhysical effects: weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart
problems
◍ What are some examples of mental processes?.
Answer: Sensations, perceptions, dreams, feelings, beliefs, etc.
◍ Can we directly observe mental processes?.
Answer: No, we cannot see these directly.
◍ Stage 1 of sleep.
Answer: Brain activity powers down by 50% or more creating theta waves.
Lasts about 5-10 minutes. (light sleep "no I wasn't actually sleeping")
◍ Stage 2 of sleep.
, Answer: Brain waves slow down even more. As brain activity decreases,
heart rate slows down, body temperature decreases, muscles relax, and eye
movements cease. About 65% of the sleep cycle is in stage 2
◍ Stage 5 of sleep.
Answer: REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. Brain is most active during
this stage, creating vivid dreaming. Lasts about 10-20 minutes (20-25%)
before the cycle repeats
◍ Paradoxical Sleep.
Answer: Sometimes what REM sleep is called because the brain is active,
yet the body isn't. (The sleeper is paralyzed during REM, otherwise they'd
act out their dreams)
◍ How can we infer mental processes?.
Answer: By observing behaviors.
◍ Insomnia.
Answer: Difficulty in falling or staying asleep
◍ Hypothesis.
Answer: educated guess to explain something; needs to be tested
◍ empircial method.
Answer: Way of answering questions based on
observation/experiementation-Not just logically thinking- MUST SHOW
DATA
◍ Night terrors.
Answer: Episodes of screaming, perspiring, and confusion followed by a
return to a deep sleep. Typically harmless and most often occurs in children
◍ Sleepwalking and sexsomnia.
Answer: walking while fully asleep... Or having sex
◍ Freud's dream protection theory.
Answer: dreams are the "guardians of sleep." They require interpretation to
reveal the true meanings.
, ◍ Applying the empirical method.
Answer: Step 1: Ask a Testable Question"Does sleep deprivation affect
short-term memory?" - HAS to be measurableStep 2: Form a
HypothesisPeople who sleep less than 5 hours will score lower on a memory
test than those who sleep 8 hours.Step 3: Design the StudyExperiment:
Control groups and variables (e.g., sleep hours controlled).Observation:
Watch behavior in natural settings.Survey: Ask participants questions and
record answers.Case Study: Deep analysis of one individual or small
group.Step 4: Collect and Analyze the DataStep 5: Draw Conclusions
◍ Critical Thinking.
Answer: Doesn't just blindly accept conclusionsExamines assumptions,
Considers sources, Looks for bias, evaluates evidence and conclusions
◍ Manifest Content.
Answer: According to Freud, dreams details
◍ 3 Main characteristics to think CRITICALLY.
Answer: 1. Curiosity2. Skepticism3. HumilityCritical thinking helps
students learn to communicate more effectively and better understand
themselves and others.
◍ Latent content.
Answer: According to Freud, the dream's hidden meaning
◍ Curiosity.
Answer: to have the enthusiasm and willingness to question and explore the
world - science comes from the curiosity of the human MIND
◍ Activation synthesis theory.
Answer: theory that dreams reflect inputs from the brain activation
originating in the pons, which the fore brain then attempts to weave into a
story, which is why dreams are rarely coherent or logical
◍ Neurocognitive theory of dreaming.
Answer: Theory that dreams are a meaningful product of our cognitive
EXAM PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS GRADED A+
◍ Circadian rythm.
Answer: Cyclical changes that occur on a roughly 24 hour basis in many
biological processes
◍ What are mental processes?.
Answer: Internal, personal experiences that we infer from behavior.
◍ Biological clock.
Answer: Term for the area of the hypothalamus that is responsible for
controlling our level of alertness
◍ Sleep debt.
Answer: Missing sleep takes a toll on your body and must be made
upMental effects: mild depression, difficulty learning new information,
problems paying attention, problems thinking clearly, and slowed reaction
timePhysical effects: weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart
problems
◍ What are some examples of mental processes?.
Answer: Sensations, perceptions, dreams, feelings, beliefs, etc.
◍ Can we directly observe mental processes?.
Answer: No, we cannot see these directly.
◍ Stage 1 of sleep.
Answer: Brain activity powers down by 50% or more creating theta waves.
Lasts about 5-10 minutes. (light sleep "no I wasn't actually sleeping")
◍ Stage 2 of sleep.
, Answer: Brain waves slow down even more. As brain activity decreases,
heart rate slows down, body temperature decreases, muscles relax, and eye
movements cease. About 65% of the sleep cycle is in stage 2
◍ Stage 5 of sleep.
Answer: REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. Brain is most active during
this stage, creating vivid dreaming. Lasts about 10-20 minutes (20-25%)
before the cycle repeats
◍ Paradoxical Sleep.
Answer: Sometimes what REM sleep is called because the brain is active,
yet the body isn't. (The sleeper is paralyzed during REM, otherwise they'd
act out their dreams)
◍ How can we infer mental processes?.
Answer: By observing behaviors.
◍ Insomnia.
Answer: Difficulty in falling or staying asleep
◍ Hypothesis.
Answer: educated guess to explain something; needs to be tested
◍ empircial method.
Answer: Way of answering questions based on
observation/experiementation-Not just logically thinking- MUST SHOW
DATA
◍ Night terrors.
Answer: Episodes of screaming, perspiring, and confusion followed by a
return to a deep sleep. Typically harmless and most often occurs in children
◍ Sleepwalking and sexsomnia.
Answer: walking while fully asleep... Or having sex
◍ Freud's dream protection theory.
Answer: dreams are the "guardians of sleep." They require interpretation to
reveal the true meanings.
, ◍ Applying the empirical method.
Answer: Step 1: Ask a Testable Question"Does sleep deprivation affect
short-term memory?" - HAS to be measurableStep 2: Form a
HypothesisPeople who sleep less than 5 hours will score lower on a memory
test than those who sleep 8 hours.Step 3: Design the StudyExperiment:
Control groups and variables (e.g., sleep hours controlled).Observation:
Watch behavior in natural settings.Survey: Ask participants questions and
record answers.Case Study: Deep analysis of one individual or small
group.Step 4: Collect and Analyze the DataStep 5: Draw Conclusions
◍ Critical Thinking.
Answer: Doesn't just blindly accept conclusionsExamines assumptions,
Considers sources, Looks for bias, evaluates evidence and conclusions
◍ Manifest Content.
Answer: According to Freud, dreams details
◍ 3 Main characteristics to think CRITICALLY.
Answer: 1. Curiosity2. Skepticism3. HumilityCritical thinking helps
students learn to communicate more effectively and better understand
themselves and others.
◍ Latent content.
Answer: According to Freud, the dream's hidden meaning
◍ Curiosity.
Answer: to have the enthusiasm and willingness to question and explore the
world - science comes from the curiosity of the human MIND
◍ Activation synthesis theory.
Answer: theory that dreams reflect inputs from the brain activation
originating in the pons, which the fore brain then attempts to weave into a
story, which is why dreams are rarely coherent or logical
◍ Neurocognitive theory of dreaming.
Answer: Theory that dreams are a meaningful product of our cognitive
