Practice test for Consciousness
Note: These questions are part of a larger data base of questions & are selected
to represent the type of question you should expect on exams. Exam questions,
however, may deal with topics not covered in the self tests or in lectures but are discussed in
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Use these sample questions to test yourself & to practice for the test.
1. Jane is aware that she is sitting in her psychology class and it is almost lunchtime.
She is also aware of how tired she is since staying up late to watch a movie. Thus, if
Jane is aware of what is going on around her and what is going on within her, then
it is safe to say that she is in a(an)
state of waking consciousness.
altered state of consciousness.
unconsciousness.
preconsciousness.
2. What part of the brain is influential in determining when to sleep?
hippocampus
hypothalamus
thalamus
frontal lobe
3. Consciousness can be defined as
the process by which a sensation becomes a perception.
the cognitive reflection of the physical events one encounters.
introspective thinking which results in mental experiences.
the quality or state of being aware especially of something within oneself.
4. How many times a day is your body programmed to feel sleepy?
one
two
three
four
5. Which of the following groups needs up to 13 hours of sleep per night?
School-aged children
Preschoolers
Adolescents
Adults
6. Carlos is pulling an all-nighter in preparation for his big psychology class tomorrow. According to
the research, what is the result on Carlos's memory when he deprives himself of sleep the night
prior to his exam?
Carlos will retain information from staying up all night, but only if his test is early
in the morning.
The ability to retain information can be influenced by the presence of sunlight.
Thus, if the sun is shining, Carlos will remember more than if it is a cloudy day.
Carlos will actually remember less if he deprives himself of sleep the night before.
Carlos's memory will not be affected in any way assuming he only stays awake for
one all-night study session.
7. The two states of sleep are REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non-rapid eye movement).
How many stages of NREM (Rechtschaffen and Kales (R&K) standardization of 1968)
sleep are there?
three
four
five
six
8. Your uncle Karl, who recently retired, has mentioned how he doesn't sleep as well as he
did when he was younger. For many years, he regularly slept about 7-8 hours, but now that
he is in his 60's he tends to get only 5-6 hours of sleep per night. What would you tell him?
Getting less sleep seems to be a common consequence of aging.
Getting less sleep as we age is not normal, since studies show that we need
more sleep as we age.
Getting less sleep is dangerous as we age. People should seek medical intervention
to help the sleep.
Getting less sleep is associated with mental health problems in our later years.
Uncle Karl should consider seeing a psychologist.
9. Which of the following can result from not getting enough sleep?
Diarrhea
Blurred vision
Low-grade fever
All of the above
10. You find yourself driving very late at night. As you are driving you realize that you
actually were falling off to sleep for a couple of seconds. Such a phenomenon
is known as
microsleep.
daydreaming.
circadian rhythms.
hypnic jerk.
11. Studies have found that certain chemicals that help repair damaged cells only
function while we sleep. What theory best explains this?
circadian rhythm of sleep
adaptive theory of sleep
restorative theory of sleep
sleep deprivation theory
12. Sleep disorders and chronic sleep loss have been linked to which of the following?
Heart disease
Stroke
High blood pressure
All of the above
13. In which stages of sleep do sleep spindles occur?
N1 (NREM Stage 1)
N2 (NREM Stage 2)
N3 (NREM Stage 3)
REM
14. Josef has had a very demanding day. Through his work is not physically challenging,
it tends to mentally drain him. What type of sleep will Josef probably require more of?
N1 (NREM Stage 1)
N2 (NREM Stage 2)
N3 (NREM Stage 3)
REM
15. Your Doctor has told you that your youngest son suffers from somnambulism.
What is another name for somnambulism?
insomnia
sleepwalking
sleep apnea
narcolepsy
16. Sleepwalking may include other complex activities, such as:
Driving a car
Moving furniture
Eating
All of the above
17. Sleep apnea is characterized by pauses in breathing while you sleep.
These pauses can occur how many times per hour?
Up to 5 times
Up to 10 times
Up to 20 times
30 times or more
18. Which of the following is the most common cause of nightmares?
Eating before going to bed
Excessive alcohol consumption
Stress and anxiety
Illness with a fever
19. Professor Smith is lecturing and notices a student in the back of the room who appears
to be daydreaming. Professor Smith startles the student by asking, Excuse me. Can I help
you? Given what we know about daydreaming, the student is most likely to be daydreaming
about
a sexual fantasy.
lying on the beach soaking up the sun.
I was just thinking about a paper I have to write in another course.
I was just thinking what I would do if a won the Mega Lotto tonight."
20. ________ refers to awareness that differs from normal consciousness.
Altered states
Controlled processes
Automatic processes
Cognitive unconscious
21. Gerald has difficulty falling off to sleep. Harley can fall off to asleep easily but often wakes
up early. Dale typically sleeps for 10 hours. All three are tired and not rested upon rising. Who
seems to be experiencing insomnia?
Gerald
Harley
Dale
All three suffer from insomnia.
22. What is the literal meaning of circadian?
about a day
the minds day
the minds clock
time has no end
23. Very young infants who suffer from sleep apnea may be more at risk for SIDS, or sudden
infant death syndrome. Why might these infants have difficulty breathing?
Many of these infants are obese and therefore their airways are obstructed.
The brain stem is not yet fully developed.
The tissue lining the nasal passageway may be obstructing their airflow.
No medical explanation has been determined.
24. REM sleep is called paradoxical sleep because
the body does not need REM sleep, but does need regular sleep.
although asleep, the brain waves are identical to those recorded awake.
dreams often make no sense to the individual once they are awake.
REM sleep occurs immediately following Stage 1 sleep and immediately before
Stage 2 sleep.
25. REM rebound is caused by
narcolepsy.
sleep deprivation.
REM deprivation.
delta wave synchrony.
26. Bill suddenly and without warning slips into REM sleep during the day. He often falls
to the ground and is difficult to awaken. Bill may have a condition called
sleep apnea.
insomnia.
narcolepsy.
epilepsy.
27. Irresistible attacks of sleepiness & muscle paralysis are symptoms of a sleep disorder called
insomnia.
narcolepsy.
sleep apnea.
night terrors.
28. Freuds interpretation of dreams was based on the assumption that
the content of dreams had to be considered symbolic.
dream content reflected what worried us in our waking state.
dream content was a continuation of the events in our daily lives.
dreams were similar to the hallucinations experienced by schizophrenics.
29. The _________ theory suggests that sleep evolved because it prevented energy
waste and minimized exposure to dangers.
repair
adaptive
Freudian
activation-synthesis
30. Calvin had a dream about his dog Snoopy in which he constantly looked for him but
couldn't find him. In reality, Calvin's dog died after being hit by a car. According to Sigmund
Freud, his dream in which he is searching for his dog is an example of ____________,
while the inner meaning that he misses his dog terribly is an example of ______________.
wish fulfillment; manifest content
latent content; wish fulfillment
latent content; manifest content
manifest content; latent content
31. What tends to happen to people as they age with regard to circadian preference?
People tend to become more like evening persons after reaching 50.
People tend to become more like morning persons after reaching 50.
People tend to become more like afternoon persons after reaching 50.
People's tendency for circadian preference remains unchanged until the late 70s.
32. After experiencing months of poor sleep, Ray is evaluated in a sleep laboratory. After his
evaluation his doctor tells him that he is suffering from sleep apnea. This means that Ray has
insomnia caused by anxiety.
a condition in which he stops breathing while he sleeps.
insomnia caused by the excessive use of sedatives during the day.
a disorder in which he falls asleep uncontrollably during the day but not at night.
33. When Tawny is asked to write down her dreams as a class assignment, she is
bothered by the fact that her dreams often seem to jump randomly from scene to scene with
little meaning. What theory best explains her dreams?
activation-synthesis
dreams-for-survival
sociocultural theory
Freudian
34. Anthony's therapist is using hypnosis to help him recall the night he was supposedly
abducted by aliens. Danny's therapist is using hypnosis to prepare for the pain of dental surgery
since Danny is allergic to the dentist's pain killers. Patrick's therapist is using hypnosis to help
him quit drinking and smoking. Which client has the highest chance of success?
Anthony
Danny
Patrick
All three can benefit from hypnosis since each technique is proven effective.
35. Hypnosis tends to be more effective in addressing problems related to _________,
but less effective in problems related to __________.
mind-body interactions; self-control
self-control; mind-body interactions
self-control; impulse control
mind-body interactions; psychosomatic symptoms
36. What do hypnosis & LSD have in common?
Both of them can have therapeutic benefits such as losing weight.
They were both discovered by accident by Sigmund Freud.
At one time, they were both illegal - now just LSD is.
Both have the ability to alter ones consciousness.
37. Bobby agree to be hypnotized during a comedy routine. While hypnotized he
stood on his chair and crowed like a rooster. Later, when is friends asked why he did this,
Bobby replied that he didn't know, it must have been because he was hypnotized. What
theory best explains his behavior?
the hidden observer theory of hypnosis
the social-cognitive explanation of hypnosis
the biological theory of hypnosis
the behavioral theory of hypnosis
38. Once the individual has developed a behavioral pattern of drug abuse & an overwhelming
desire to get and use the drug, then we say that the individual has developed a(n)
tolerance.
addiction.
withdrawal symptom.
psychological dependence.
39. Jackie has found that when she tries to quit drinking, she gets headaches, has night
sweats, and shakes uncontrollably. Such a reaction is an example of
psychological dependence.
overdose.
withdrawal.
learned behavior.
40. A long-term effect of marijuana use is
asthma.
lung cancer.
immune system damage.
all of these.
41. What is the most commonly used and abused depressant?
alcohol
Prozac
tranquilizers
caffeine
42. Rose claims that cocaine is the most dangerous drug in terms of the number of deaths
caused each year. Her belief is
correct.
incorrect; heroin causes far more deaths.
incorrect; alcohol causes far more deaths.
incorrect; nicotine causes far more deaths.
43. Which drug, depending on the dosage, can be a hallucinogen, stimulant, depressant, or painkiller?
• marijuana
• opium
• PCP
• caffeine
44. Which of the following is not a mechanism by which drugs change behavior?
blocking reuptake
mimicking the action of neurotransmitters
decreasing the production of synaptic vesicles
activating the brains reward/pleasure circuit
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Robert C. Gates