Question 1

Manny's cat J. J. rolls on his back and extends his paws, exposing his belly. Having studied the discussion of aggression in your text's chapter on motivation and emotion, Manny recognizes this as a(n) __________ gesture.
A) fearful
B) angry
C) conciliatory
D) loving

Accepted Answer

Rolling over and exposing the belly is a conciliatory or submissive gesture in cats, indicating a lack of aggression and a desire to avoid conflict. It is not necessarily indicative of fear, anger, or love.

Question 2

Cannon argued that sympathetic arousal serves as an emergency reaction that mobilizes the organism for "fight or flight." Why was this explanation deemed too simplistic?
A) When threatened, organisms often respond with actions other than "fight or flight."
B) Fight or flight reactions are often counterproductive to survival.
C) Both excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters are released during sympathetic arousal.
D) Both excitatory and vegetative functions (such as the inhibition of digestion) can occur during sympathetic arousal.

Accepted Answer

C  D  Cannon's explanation was deemed too simplistic because organisms can respond with actions other than "fight or flight" (A), both excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters are released during sympathetic arousal (C), and both excitatory and vegetative functions can occur during sympathetic arousal (D).

Question 3

Which gland(s) is (are) stimulated by sympathetic excitation?
A) the pituitary gland
B) the adrenal gland
C) the lymph gland
D) the smooth glands of the autonomic nervous system

Accepted Answer

Sympathetic excitation stimulates the adrenal gland to release adrenaline and noradrenaline, which activates the fight-or-flight response.

Question 4

Emmeline's dog Rusty looks ready to fight with its neighborhood nemesis, a haughty Persian named Princess. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A) Rusty's heartbeat is accelerated.
B) Rusty's digestion is enhanced.
C) Rusty's pupils are dilated.
D) Rusty is experiencing piloerection.

Accepted Answer

Rusty's digestion would not be enhanced in this situation as his body would be preparing for a fight or flight response, which would divert blood flow away from the digestive system. Therefore, statement B is not true. The other statements are all possible physiological responses to a perceived threat or challenge. A) Rusty's heartbeat would be accelerated as part of the fight or flight response. C) Rusty's pupils would be dilated to allow more light in and improve his vision during the potential fight. D) Rusty experiencing piloerection (raised hackles) is also possible as it is a sign of arousal or aggression.

Question 5

Natural selection __________.
A) limits aggression
B) encourages aggression
C) underlies virtually all forms of aggression
D) both limits and encourages aggression

Accepted Answer

Natural selection can both limit and encourage aggression depending on the context and environment. In some situations, aggression can be beneficial for survival and reproduction (e.g. competition for resources, mating opportunities), so natural selection may encourage aggressive behaviors. In other situations, aggression may be detrimental and result in injury or death, so natural selection may act to limit aggressive behaviors.

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT suggested in your text's discussion of the prevalence of warfare on the one hand and crime rates on the other?
A) It appears that aggression is probably inevitable.
B) The prevalence of warfare is declining more rapidly than are American crime rates.
C) Violent crime more directly reflects aggression's evolutionary roots than does warfare.
D) We can be optimistic that aggression does not seem to be inevitable.

Accepted Answer

The text suggests that aggression is not inevitable, as indicated by the decline in warfare and the potential for optimism regarding aggression.

Question 7

Your text suggests that modern-day stressors exact so great a toll in wear and tear on the body because, as compared to stressors in the evolutionary past, they:
A) require greater effort to confront
B) are more chronic and uncontrollable
C) are more numerous
D) are more acute and dramatic

Accepted Answer

Modern-day stressors are often chronic, meaning they are ongoing and do not have a clear endpoint. They also may be uncontrollable, such as work demands or financial difficulties. In contrast, stressors in the evolutionary past were often acute and short-lived, such as a predatory threat or a physical altercation. Therefore, modern-day stressors can lead to more wear and tear on the body over time.

Question 8

According to your text, a critical feature of aggression is the presence of __________. By this definition of aggression, predatory attacks are __________.
A) threat; excluded
B) hunger; included
C) anger; excluded
D) violence; included

Accepted Answer

According to the text, a critical feature of aggression is the presence of threat. Predatory attacks, which are motivated by hunger and not by threat, would be excluded from the definition of aggression. Therefore, choice A is the best answer.

Question 9

One form of violence that organisms engage in is called predation. Such predatory attacks seem to be an outgrowth of __________.
A) dominance hierarchies
B) hormonal imbalance
C) intense arousal
D) the hunger motive

Accepted Answer

Predation is driven by the hunger motive, as organisms hunt and consume other organisms as a source of food. A predator must kill in order to survive and reproduce, as it relies on the energy and nutrients gained from consuming its prey. Dominance hierarchies, hormonal imbalances, and intense arousal may play a role in certain forms of violence, but they are not directly related to predation.

Question 10

Dr. Spielmann is reading several students' essays on aggression. Which of the following students is most accurate in describing trends in crime rates and the prevalence of warfare?
A) Niall: "The American crime rate continues to rise. Similarly, warfare is becoming more common, having increased 50% worldwide."
B) Otto: "While the American crime rate continues to rise, warfare is becoming less common around the world, its prevalence having dropped by 50%."
C) Pat: "The prevalence of warfare worldwide has remained unchanged. In contrast, the American crime rate has fallen over the past 15 years, though this trend may be slowing or reversing."
D) Rosemary: "The prevalence of warfare worldwide has dropped by half. In recent years, the American crime rate has also fallen, though this trend may be slowing or even reversing."

Accepted Answer

Rosemary accurately describes that the prevalence of warfare worldwide has dropped by half, while also acknowledging that the American crime rate has fallen over the past few years (though the trend may be slowing or reversing). Niall's statement about the American crime rate rising and warfare increasing by 50% worldwide is incorrect. Otto's statement about crime rates rising in America but warfare becoming less common worldwide is also incorrect. Pat's statement about warfare remaining unchanged worldwide is incorrect, and while it is true that the American crime rate has fallen in recent years, they are incorrect to suggest that this trend is currently reversing.

Question 11

Your text notes that aggression is related to both sensation-seeking and impulsivity. What type of correlation might you predict between sensation-seeking and impulsivity scores?
A) a zero correlation
B) a negative correlation
C) a positive correlation
D) a perfect correlation

Accepted Answer

A positive correlation is most likely between sensation-seeking and impulsivity scores. This is because both traits involve seeking out intense experiences and taking risks. So, individuals who score high on one trait are likely to score high on the other.

Question 12

Walking into a class that he had foolishly ignored for a month, Roy discovers that an exam is scheduled for that session. As part of his panic, which of the following happens?
A) Roy's sympathetic nervous system becomes aroused.
B) Roy's parasympathetic nervous system becomes aroused.
C) Roy's hindbrain shuts down to conserve energy.
D) Roy's midbrain shuts down to conserve energy.

Accepted Answer

Roy's sympathetic nervous system would be activated in a situation of panic, as it prepares the body for the "fight or flight" response. This includes increased heart rate, blood pressure, and adrenaline secretion. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for the body's "rest and digest" functions and would not be activated in a panicked state. The hindbrain and midbrain are responsible for basic survival functions such as breathing and heart rate, and would not shut down to conserve energy in a panicked state.

Question 13

Your text notes that until recently, most studies of the stress response had been conducted on males. The use of only male participants is most likely to compromise a study's __________.
A) external consistency
B) internal consistency
C) external validity
D) internal validity

Accepted Answer

External validity refers to the extent to which the findings of a study can be generalized to other people, settings, and situations. By only studying males, the external validity of the study is compromised because the findings may not apply to females.

Question 14

Dr. Figueroa finds a correlation between testosterone levels and the likelihood of aggressive behavior. Which of the following statements regarding this correlation is FALSE?
A) It is positive.
B) It is not perfect.
C) It may mean that aggression produces high testosterone levels.
D) It means that high testosterone levels produce aggression.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Dr. Figueroa finds a correlation between testosterone...

Question 15

"New and different is always better," Karl often says. Karl would score high on a measure of the personality trait of __________.
A) neuroticism
B) extraversion
C) impulsivity
D) sensation seeking

Accepted Answer

Karl's statement suggests a desire for novelty and variety, which aligns with the personality trait of sensation seeking. This trait is characterized by a preference for new and exciting experiences and a willingness to take risks to achieve them.

Question 16

The primary purpose of sympathetic nervous system activation is to __________.
A) prepare the body for rest
B) regulate heart rate and respiration
C) prepare the body for muscular effort
D) aid digestion

Accepted Answer

The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the "fight or flight" response, which prepares the body for muscular effort or physical activity in response to a perceived threat. This involves increasing heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure to provide more oxygen and nutrients to the muscles. It also involves the release of adrenaline and other stress hormones to give the body a burst of energy. The sympathetic nervous system does not play a role in rest, heart rate regulation, or digestion.

Question 17

High testosterone levels in the bloodstream are associated with increased physical aggressiveness. Which of the following statements is FALSE?
A) Some human aggression bears no relationship to testosterone levels.
B) Testosterone is not associated with aggression in many other species, like lizards, turtles, mice, and monkeys.
C) Researchers have yet to show that aggressive feelings lead to an increase in the secretion of testosterone.
D) Aggression has also been shown to reflect high levels of the female sex hormone, estrogen.

Accepted Answer

The answer of High testosterone levels in the bloodstream are...

Question 18

LeAndra tends to act without thinking. LeAndra would score high on a measure of the personality trait of __________.
A) sensation seeking
B) impulsivity
C) extraversion
D) neuroticism

Accepted Answer

Impulsivity is characterized by acting without thinking or considering consequences, which is the tendency exhibited by LeAndra.

Question 19

Which of the following BEST reflects your text's conclusion regarding the relationship between media violence and aggression?
A) There is no real association between media violence and aggression.
B) There is a loose association between media violence and aggression.
C) There is a causal association between media violence and aggression.
D) There is a correlational association between media violence and aggression.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following BEST reflects your...

Question 20

Social provocations are more likely to inspire aggression if the person involved __________.
A) has unrealistically high self-esteem
B) is an extravert
C) has a history of child abuse
D) suffers from social anxiety disorder

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that individuals who have experienced child abuse are more likely to respond with aggression to social provocations compared to those who have not experienced abuse. Unrealistically high self-esteem, extraversion, and social anxiety disorder are not necessarily linked to increased aggression in response to social provocations.

Quiz 12: Motivation and Emotion

Manny's cat J. J. rolls on his back and extends his paws, exposing his belly. Having studied the discussion of aggression in your text's chapter on motivation and emotion, Manny recognizes this as a(n) __________ gesture.

Cannon argued that sympathetic arousal serves as an emergency reaction that mobilizes the organism for "fight or flight." Why was this explanation deemed too simplistic?

Which gland(s) is (are) stimulated by sympathetic excitation?

Emmeline's dog Rusty looks ready to fight with its neighborhood nemesis, a haughty Persian named Princess. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

Natural selection __________.

Which of the following is NOT suggested in your text's discussion of the prevalence of warfare on the one hand and crime rates on the other?

Your text suggests that modern-day stressors exact so great a toll in wear and tear on the body because, as compared to stressors in the evolutionary past, they:

According to your text, a critical feature of aggression is the presence of . By this definition of aggression, predatory attacks are .

One form of violence that organisms engage in is called predation. Such predatory attacks seem to be an outgrowth of __________.

Dr. Spielmann is reading several students' essays on aggression. Which of the following students is most accurate in describing trends in crime rates and the prevalence of warfare?

Your text notes that aggression is related to both sensation-seeking and impulsivity. What type of correlation might you predict between sensation-seeking and impulsivity scores?

Walking into a class that he had foolishly ignored for a month, Roy discovers that an exam is scheduled for that session. As part of his panic, which of the following happens?

Your text notes that until recently, most studies of the stress response had been conducted on males. The use of only male participants is most likely to compromise a study's __________.

Dr. Figueroa finds a correlation between testosterone levels and the likelihood of aggressive behavior. Which of the following statements regarding this correlation is FALSE?

"New and different is always better," Karl often says. Karl would score high on a measure of the personality trait of __________.

The primary purpose of sympathetic nervous system activation is to __________.

High testosterone levels in the bloodstream are associated with increased physical aggressiveness. Which of the following statements is FALSE?

LeAndra tends to act without thinking. LeAndra would score high on a measure of the personality trait of __________.

Which of the following BEST reflects your text's conclusion regarding the relationship between media violence and aggression?

Social provocations are more likely to inspire aggression if the person involved __________.