GRE Subject Test: Psychology : Experimental

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Subject Test: Psychology

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All GRE Subject Test: Psychology Resources

105 Practice Tests Question of the Day Flashcards Learn by Concept

Example Questions

Example Question #21 : Experimental

Which of the following biological factors allows humans to see in low light conditions?

Possible Answers:

Rhodopsin

Appropriate levels of beta-caratin

Influences from adrenaline and other survival oriented hormones

Prevalence of rods over cones

Increased utilization of memory and previous examples to fill in visual blanks

Correct answer:

Rhodopsin

Explanation:

Rhodopsin is a biological pigment specifically found in rods in the retina. It specifically reacts when exposed to light, and is considered rather sensitive--it enables humans to see in low light conditions by photobleaching when exposed to light. 

Example Question #22 : Experimental

Which of the following lobes of the brain is responsible for vision perception?

Possible Answers:

Occipital lobe

Parietal lobe

Temporal lobe

None of these

Frontal lobe

Correct answer:

Occipital lobe

Explanation:

The occipital lobe is responsible for eyesight processing. Other areas of eyesight processing involve cranial nerves, Meyer's loop and Baum's loop which send information to the occipital lobe to be processed. On the other hand, the rest of the listed choices are incorrect. The frontal lobe is responsible for reward, attention, short-term memory tasks, planning, and motivation. It is also the part that tells a person if they are making a good decision or not. The parietal lobe is responsible for processing sensory information from your environment. Last, the temporal lobe is responsible for hearing and memory input.

Example Question #23 : Experimental

Farsightedness, nearsightedness, and astigmatism are visual deficiencies caused by which of the following?

Possible Answers:

Psychosomatic conditions, such as body dysmorphic disorder

Damage to the sensory nerves involved in vision

None of these

Abnormalities in the physical shape of the eye

Irregularities in or damage to the visual cortex

Correct answer:

Abnormalities in the physical shape of the eye

Explanation:

Abnormalities in the shape of the eye are the cause of all of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Typically nearsightedness and farsightedness are caused by irregularities in the lens of the eye. This causes light to improperly be focused relative to the retina. As a result, either near or far images will appear out of focus, due to the improper adjustment of the lens. In the case of astigmatism, the cornea as well as the lens may be implicated, in which case the an abnormality in the curvature of this front portion of the eye contributes to blurry vision. All of these defects may be corrected by LASIK, or corrective lenses. Damage to the nervous system or the visual cortex would lead to partial or total cortical blindness, not to these conditions. Though some psychological disorders are implicated in visual deficits, they do not play a role in these three.

Example Question #1 : Audition

A hearing aid will not be of use to someone with __________ deafness.

Possible Answers:

temporary 

auditory

conduction

cortical

ossicle

Correct answer:

cortical

Explanation:

Hearing aids replace the cochlea and the essential apparatuses contained within. Most significantly, they perform the role of the receptor cells lining the basilar membrane within the cochlea, which are responsible for the transduction of information carried by physical energy into electrical energy within the nervous system. This type of hearing aid is of value to an individual suffering from conduction deafness, which is deafness brought about due to damage to the apparatuses of the ear. An example of this would be a soldier deafened by exploding ordinance, or an airport worker continuously exposed to the loud volume of plane engines without sufficient ear protection. Cortical deafness, also known as nerve or sensorineural deafness, however, is brought about through damage to the auditory regions of the nervous system. As such, an individual with perfectly healthy ears might be rendered deaf due to damage caused by a stroke or brain trauma. This kind of deafness cannot be rectified by hearing aids, or any other form of extant medical intervention. "Ossicle" may refer to the bones of the inner ears (the auditory ossicles), but is not itself the name for a form of deafness nor is "auditory."

Example Question #1 : Audition

Which of the following correctly describes the path of air vibrations that are perceived as sound?

Possible Answers:

Pinna, auditory ossicles, tympanic membrane, cochlea

Cochlea, auditory ossicles, pinna, tympanic membrane

Tympanic membrane, auditory ossicles, pinna, cochlea

Pinna, tympanic membrane, auditory ossicles, cochlea

Auditory ossicles, cochlea, tympanic membrane, pinna

Correct answer:

Pinna, tympanic membrane, auditory ossicles, cochlea

Explanation:

The pinna is the formal term for the body part that is commonly referred to as the 'ear'. This is the portion of the ear that projects from the head. This is the first point of contact with air vibrations that will enter the ear canal to pass their vibrations onto the eardrum. The tympanic membrane the formal term for the eardrum. From here, the auditory ossicles are vibrated. These are the three, minute bones found within the middle ear: the malleus, incus, and stapes. These three bones transmit the vibrations onto the oval window of the cochlea, which contains the basilar membrane, where transduction of the physical information occurs.

Thus the correct order is: pinna, tympanic membrane, auditory ossicles, and cochlea.

Example Question #21 : Sensation & Perception

What is determined by the frequency of a sound?

Possible Answers:

Timbre

Pitch

Length (in time)

None of these

Volume

Correct answer:

Pitch

Explanation:

The frequency of a vibration corresponds to the pitch of the perceived sound produced from it. Higher frequencies will produce higher pitched notes, while lower frequencies will produce lower pitched notes. On the other hand, the amplitude of a sound wave will determine the volume of a perceived sound. Timbre is a complex component of a sound, and is the result of a variety of other elements. To provide a brief illustration however, timbre explains why a G# note on a trumpet sounds distinct from a G# note played on a piano. The longevity of a note is not the result of either the frequency or the amplitude of a sound. This is simply determined by how long the vibration continues.

Example Question #1 : Audition

A change in the frequency of a sound wave will affect its __________.

Possible Answers:

All of these

None of these

timbre

pitch

loudness

Correct answer:

pitch

Explanation:

The frequency of a sound wave, or the pace of its vibrations within the ear, will determine the sound's pitch. The sound's loudness is determined by the amplitude of the sound wave, the timbre by its complexity.

Example Question #2 : Audition

Sensorineural hearing loss can result from damage to which of the following areas?

Possible Answers:

Middle ear

Outer and middle ear

Inner ear

None of these

Outer ear

Correct answer:

Inner ear

Explanation:

Sensorineural hearing loss is permanent and often results from the loss or damage to hair cells or the nerve from the ear to the brain. For this reason, it occurs from damage to the inner ear, where the nerve and hair cells are located. Damage to the middle ear would result in conductive hearing loss. Damage to the outer ear, would likely result in decreased sound localization. 

Example Question #3 : Audition

Which of the following is the unit of loudness?

Possible Answers:

Octave

Decibel (dB)

Pascal (Pa)

Hertz (Hz)

meters/second (m/s)

Correct answer:

Decibel (dB)

Explanation:

Sound waves are pressure changes and loudness is related to the amplitude of the wave. It is quantified by the decibel (dB). Pascal is the standard unit for pressure. Whereas, Hertz is used to quantify frequencies and an octave is a doubling in frequency. Meters/second describes the speed at which sound propagates.

Example Question #24 : Sensation & Perception

Patients with which of the following disorders are sometimes known to develop hypersensitivity of taste: hypergeusia?

Possible Answers:

Myasthenia gravis

Anosmia

Addison's disease

Schizophrenia

Broca's insufficiency

Correct answer:

Addison's disease

Explanation:

Addison's disease, a chronic disorder of the endocrine system, is caused by an inability of the adrenal glands to produce sufficient steroid hormones (specifically, two types of necessary natural corticosteroids). In addition to causing renal insufficiency and muscle weakness, Addison's has been known to idiopathically—through an unknown mechanism—hyper-sensitize one or more senses in the body, most commonly taste.

All GRE Subject Test: Psychology Resources

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