All GRE Subject Test: Psychology Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #81 : Experimental
A 19 year old female is walking home from her friends apartment when a dog beings to follow her. The girl is very nervous and begins to run. She makes it home and lays down on the couch. After a couple minutes she feels relaxed. Which of the following neurotransmitters is at a high level during relaxation?
Norepinephrine
Epinephrine
None of these
Dopamine
Acetylcholine
Acetylcholine
Relaxation indicates that the body possesses a high level of acetylcholine. This is know as the "rest and digest" stage. Epinephrine and norepinephrine perform the opposite task of acetylcholine and are "fight or flight" neurotransmitters. Last, dopamine is a pleasure hormone
Example Question #82 : Experimental
Gina is in the middle of her workday, she is fully focused and alert to the new information she is reviewing on her computer screen. After a while, she sits back in her chair and takes a few deep breaths with her eyes closed to relax. What of the following pairs of brain waves and corresponding hertz best identifies what Gina's brain is producing while concentrating and while at rest?
None of these
Beta 13-30 hertz and alpha 8-13 hertz
Alpha 13-30 hertz and alpha 8-13 hertz
Theta 4-8 hertz and beta 13-30 hertz
Beta 4-8 hertz and alpha 13-30 hertz
Beta 13-30 hertz and alpha 8-13 hertz
Beta brainwaves function at 13-30 hertz and they are associated with being alert, active, or concentrated. On the other hand, alpha brainwaves function at 8-13 hertz and are associated with daydreaming and more relaxed states of mind. Alpha waves are responsible for the calming feeling that one experiences when they close their eyes and take a few deep breaths.
Example Question #83 : Experimental
Insomnia is best defined as which of the following?
The ability to fall asleep at inopportune times
Disorder marked by constant sleep spindles
An excess of sleep
The inability to breathe while sleeping
The inability to fall asleep or stay asleep
The inability to fall asleep or stay asleep
Insomnia is best defined as "the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep." It is commonly characterized by symptoms associated with having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
Example Question #3 : States Of Consciousness
On a normal night, a person goes through different stages of sleep. During which stage of sleep is the largest amount acetylcholine (i.e. the "rest and digest" hormone) released?
NREM3
All of these
REM
NREM1
NREM2
REM
During REM sleep there is an increase in the amount of acetylcholine released. During all stages of NREM sleep there is minimal acetylcholine release.
Example Question #4 : States Of Consciousness
On a normal night, a person goes through different stages of sleep. During which stage of sleep does a person experience twitches, hypnic jerks and hypnagogic hallucinations?
NREM2
NREM1
NREM3
REM
None of these
NREM1
When a person is falling asleep they experience twitching, hypnic jerks and hypnagogic hallucinations. This all occurs in the first stage of sleep, NREM 1.An easy way to remember this is to think if someone wakes you up shortly after you fall asleep. You may recall a vivid hallucination but you were not yet in REM sleep, the stage of dreams.
Example Question #5 : States Of Consciousness
On a normal night, a person goes through different stages of sleep. During which stage of sleep can delta waves be seen, the slowest of all sleep waves?
None of these
NREM3
NREM1
REM
NREM2
NREM3
During stage NREM 3 there are delta waves present on EEG. These are the slowest of all sleep brain waves and signifies the deepest, most restful stage of sleep.
Example Question #84 : Experimental
Albert recently suffered brain damage and can no longer recognize familiar faces. Which of the following is Albert experiencing?
Prosopagnosia
Anomia
Akathisia
Apraxia
Agnosia
Prosopagnosia
“Prosopagnosia” is the inability to recognize familiar faces. The other choices are incorrect. “Agnosia” is the inability to recognize familiar objects. “Akathisia” is a feeling of restlessness and agitation that may be caused by antipsychotic medications. “Anomia” is difficulty with naming objects. “Apraxia” is the inability to perform skilled movements.
Example Question #85 : Experimental
Which of the following is not a characteristic of Phenylketonuria (PKU)?
It involves a build up of phenylalanine in the body
It is caused by a third 21st chromosome
It is a genetic disorder
It can be treated with a low protein diet
If left untreated it can result in intellectual disability
It is caused by a third 21st chromosome
All of the responses are true of PKU except that it is caused by a third 21st chromosome. Down Syndrome is caused by an extra copy of the 21st chromosome. Symptoms typically include delayed development, intellectual disability, and specific facial features. Unfortunately Down Syndrome cannot be managed by a change in diet. The most helpful interventions for Down Syndrome include parents, therapists, and teachers working together to support the child early on.
Example Question #81 : Experimental
Long term memory can be divided into two categories, commonly referred to as which of the following?
Episodic and procedural memory
Priming and explicit memory
Semantic and episodic memory
Declarative and non-declarative memory
Deep and shallow processing
Declarative and non-declarative memory
Declarative and non-declarative, or implicit and explicit memory, are the two different categories of long term memory; they both are responsible for different types of memory encoding/retrieval, and their neural actions and reactions take place in different parts of the brain.
Example Question #1 : Types Of Memory
A student is cramming for a final examination, and decides to use a cue in the form of a nursery rhyme to remember a particularly hard formula. On the morning of the examination, the student is so nervous that she forgets the nursery rhyme. She cannot correctly answer the questions related to the formula. This scenario is an example of which of the following errors in memory?
Encoding error
Recall error
Storage error
Declarative error
Procedural error
Recall error
A retrieval error—in this case, a feature cue error—in memory is any error, which results from a failure to correctly recall information that was successfully stored in long-term memory. If a cue fails to produce a strong enough association with a word or an interfering event prevents complete remembering of a prior event, then a retrieval error is said to have occurred.