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Practice Questions- Motivation


Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 

 1. 
Motivation is defined by psychologists as
a.
an impulse to accomplish something of significance.
b.
rigidly patterned behavior characteristic of all people.
c.
a need or desire that energizes and directs behavior toward a goal.
d.
the cause of behavior.
e.
an external reward or goal that pushes a person toward accomplishments.
 

 2. 
A complex, unlearned, and fixed pattern of behavior common to all members of a species is called a(n)
a.
set point.
b.
drive.
c.
instinct.
d.
need.
e.
incentive.
 

 3. 
Which of the following refers to a physiological state that usually triggers a state of motivational arousal?
a.
need
b.
homeostasis
c.
instinct
d.
drive
e.
incentive
 

 4. 
For a thirsty person, drinking water serves to reduce
a.
homeostasis.
b.
a drive.
c.
an instinct.
d.
the set point.
e.
basal metabolic rate.
 

 5. 
The term homeostasis literally means
a.
“common to all.”
b.
“unique to humans.”
c.
“staying the same. ”
d.
“motivational dynamics.”
e.
“constant stimulation.”
 

 6. 
The body's tendency to maintain a constant internal state is known as
a.
refractory period.
b.
instinct.
c.
homeostasis.
d.
metabolism.
e.
incentive.
 

 7. 
An incentive is a
a.
rigidly patterned behavior characteristic of an entire species.
b.
state of deprivation that triggers arousal.
c.
positive or negative environmental stimulus that motivates behavior.
d.
state of arousal triggered by deprivation.
e.
basic need listed on the lower levels of Maslow's hierarchy.
 

 8. 
Positive and negative environmental stimuli that motivate behavior are called
a.
needs.
b.
incentives.
c.
set points.
d.
drives.
e.
instincts.
 

 9. 
Victims of a famine will often eat unappetizing and nutritionally poor foods simply to relieve their constant hunger. Their behavior is best explained in terms of
a.
arousal theory.
b.
instinct theory.
c.
drive-reduction theory.
d.
incentive theory.
e.
set point.
 

 10. 
The arousal theory of motivation would be most useful for explaining an infant's urge to
a.
cry.
b.
sleep.
c.
eat.
d.
explore.
e.
smile.
 

 11. 
Which theory would be most helpful for explaining why people are motivated to watch horror movies?
a.
instinct theory
b.
drive-reduction theory
c.
hierarchy of needs theory
d.
arousal theory
e.
homeostasis
 

 12. 
Professor Sanford explains that the need for physical safety must be met before city dwellers will be motivated to form close friendships with fellow citizens. Professor Sanford is providing an example of
a.
set points.
b.
a hierarchy of motives.
c.
homeostasis.
d.
erotic plasticity.
e.
instincts.
 

 13. 
The most basic or lowest-level need in Maslow's hierarchy of human motives includes the need for
a.
self-esteem.
b.
love and friendship.
c.
religious fulfillment.
d.
food and drink.
e.
achievement.
 

 14. 
Prisoners of war placed on a semistarvation diet in which their food intake is cut in half are likely to
a.
lose half their original body weight.
b.
show an increased interest in sex and politics.
c.
spend a great deal of time daydreaming about food.
d.
stop consciously experiencing thoughts about hunger.
e.
dream about objects that symbolize food (latent content).
 

 15. 
Hunger controls are located within the brain's
a.
hypothalamus.
b.
medulla.
c.
temporal lobe.
d.
amygdala.
e.
hippocampus.
 

 16. 
In addition to producing orexin, the ________ monitors levels of the body's other appetite hormones.
a.
hippocampus
b.
amygdala
c.
cerebellum
d.
hypothalamus
e.
medulla
 

 17. 
Ghrelin, a hormone that influences appetite, is secreted by the
a.
stomach.
b.
pancreas.
c.
hypothalamus.
d.
liver.
e.
hippocampus.
 

 18. 
The set point is
a.
the stage of the sexual response cycle that occurs just before orgasm.
b.
the body temperature of a healthy organism, for example, 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit in humans.
c.
the point at which energy expenditures from exercise and from metabolism are equal.
d.
the specific body weight maintained automatically by most adults over long periods of time.
e.
the current stage achieved on the hierarchy of needs.
 

 19. 
The specific body weight maintained automatically by most adults over long periods of time is known as the
a.
set point.
b.
refractory period.
c.
hypothalamic plateau.
d.
basal metabolic rate.
e.
homeostatic weight.
 

 20. 
Basal metabolic rate is the body's resting rate of
a.
drive reduction.
b.
insulin secretion.
c.
energy expenditure.
d.
homeostasis.
e.
motivation.
 

 21. 
People's preferences for sweet tastes are ________, and their preferences for excessively salty tastes are ________.
a.
needs; incentives
b.
incentives; needs
c.
universal; learned
d.
learned; universal
e.
instinctual; conditioned
 

 22. 
The recipes commonly used in countries with hot climates are more likely to include ________ than those in countries with colder climates.
a.
spices
b.
carbohydrates
c.
fats
d.
proteins
e.
sugar
 

 23. 
Anorexia nervosa is typically characterized by
a.
an unusually high rate of metabolism.
b.
cyclical fluctuations between extreme thinness and obesity.
c.
frequent migraine headaches.
d.
an obsessive fear of becoming obese.
e.
binge-eating episodes.
 

 24. 
Individuals who are most vulnerable to anorexia nervosa are those who live in cultures that idealize
a.
erotic plasticity.
b.
homeostasis.
c.
thin bodies.
d.
set points.
e.
strong family relationships.
 

 25. 
A body that can store fat has the advantage of possessing
a.
low blood pressure.
b.
stored energy.
c.
a low set point.
d.
reduced levels of serotonin.
e.
high refractory period.
 

 26. 
The World Health Organization identifies obesity as a high
a.
basal metabolic rate.
b.
body mass index.
c.
set point.
d.
unit bias.
e.
glucose level.
 

 27. 
If your close friend becomes obese, the odds of you likewise becoming obese increase.  This best illustrates the impact of ________ on obesity.
a.
unit bias
b.
neophobia
c.
homeostasis
d.
social influence
e.
the hierarchy of needs
 

 28. 
Researchers have observed that the incidence of obesity and diabetes among 50,000 nurses was predicted by their
a.
unit bias.
b.
refractory period.
c.
TV-viewing habits.
d.
childhood taste preferences.
e.
homeostasis level.
 

 29. 
Among dieters who consciously restrain their eating, the urge to eat is likely to be unleashed by
a.
drinking alcohol.
b.
eating early in the day.
c.
brief periods of exercise.
d.
focusing attention on what they are eating.
e.
getting too much sleep.
 

 30. 
The time span after orgasm during which a male cannot be aroused to another orgasm is called
a.
the plateau phase.
b.
coitus interruptus.
c.
the set point.
d.
homeostasis.
e.
the refractory period.
 

 31. 
Secretion of the female hormones, the estrogens, peaks during
a.
the refractory period.
b.
the set point.
c.
menstruation.
d.
ovulation.
e.
the sexual response cycle.
 

 32. 
Women are more likely than men to experience
a.
genital arousal during their dreams.
b.
sexually vivid dreams that lead to orgasm.
c.
fantasies of being sexually taken by a passionate lover.
d.
fantasies of coercing someone else into having sex.
e.
shortened sexual response cycles.
 

 33. 
Rates of adolescent sexual intercourse are
a.
higher in Arab and Asian countries than in Western Europe.
b.
higher in Latin American countries than in Western Europe.
c.
similar in Western Europe and Latin America.
d.
similar in North America than in Arab countries.
e.
higher in North Americans of Asian descent.
 

 34. 
Premarital sexual activity is higher among American teens who
a.
have college-educated rather than high school-educated parents.
b.
frequently rather than seldom attend religious services.
c.
earn high rather than low grades in school.
d.
consume rather than abstain from alcohol.
e.
underestimate rather than overestimate their peers' sexual activity.
 

 35. 
Compared with girls living in father-absent families, girls with fathers present are less likely to experience
a.
erotic plasticity.
b.
a sexual response cycle.
c.
teen pregnancy.
d.
the older-brother effect.
e.
refractory periods.
 

 36. 
Isaac, a 25-year-old law student, is heterosexual; his brother Chaim, a 21-year-old college senior, is homosexual. The brothers obviously differ in their
a.
erotic plasticity.
b.
sexual response cycle.
c.
sexual orientation.
d.
refractory period.
e.
set point.
 

 37. 
More than a dozen national surveys in the early 1990s indicated that in both Europe and the United States, about ________ percent of men are gay and about ________ percent of women are lesbian.
a.
3 or 4; 1 or 2
b.
3 or 4; 3 or 4
c.
10 or 11; 5 or 6
d.
10 or 11; 10 or 11
e.
5 or 6; 10 or 11
 

 38. 
Compared with men who do not have older brothers, men who have older brothers are somewhat more likely to experience
a.
obesity.
b.
anorexia nervosa.
c.
a homosexual orientation.
d.
a refractory period.
e.
a sexual response cycle.
 

 39. 
Research on the causes of homosexuality suggests that
a.
homosexuality develops most readily in families with domineering mothers and weak, ineffectual fathers.
b.
homosexuality arises from a fear of members of the opposite sex.
c.
male homosexuality results from abnormally high levels of testosterone in the blood.
d.
childhood sexual victimization contributes strongly to homosexual development.
e.
genetic influence plays a role in sexual orientation.
 

 40. 
Sheila is more fearful of loneliness than of remaining in a physically abusive relationship with her boyfriend.  This best illustrates the potentially harmful impact of ________ needs.
a.
self-actualization
b.
homeostasis
c.
belongingness
d.
instinct
e.
safety
 

 41. 
Evolutionary psychologists are most likely to suggest that almost all humans are genetically predisposed to
a.
engage in both homosexual and heterosexual behaviors.
b.
form close enduring relationships with fellow humans.
c.
avoid eating carbohydrate-laden foods when feeling depressed.
d.
satisfy their need for political freedom before seeking emotional security.
e.
respond to environmental incentives.
 

 42. 
A deep sense of well-being results when our need for relatedness is satisfied in balance with our psychological need for
a.
autonomy.
b.
homeostasis.
c.
refractory periods.
d.
incentives.
e.
conditioning.
 

 43. 
When asked to describe personal episodes that made them feel particularly bad about themselves, about four times in five, people describe
a.
a childhood memory.
b.
an academic failure.
c.
a relationship difficulty.
d.
a physical illness.
e.
a career problem.
 

 44. 
Which of the following is most clearly a form of ostracism?
a.
drive reduction
b.
self-transcendence
c.
cluster migration
d.
solitary confinement
e.
homeostasis attainment
 

 45. 
Our need to belong is most clearly threatened by
a.
cluster migration.
b.
drive reduction.
c.
ostracism.
d.
unit bias.
e.
refractory periods.
 



 
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