In a Study by Mario Mikulincer and Colleagues (2000), Participants

question 17

Multiple Choice

In a study by Mario Mikulincer and colleagues (2000) , participants viewed "prime" words, some of which were threatening (e.g., "failure') , and some neutral (e.g., "chair") . After each prime word, a "target" string of letters was displayed; the participant's task was to decide as quickly as possible whether the string was a word or not. Results showed that participants detected "target" words with close relationship themes (e.g., "love") faster after seeing a threatening prime than after a neutral prime. Which of the following best describes the main implication of these results?

• A) When adults are threatened, their minds turn automatically to thoughts of social support.
• B) People are emotionally disturbed by the idea of failure.
• C) People recognize relationship-themed words more quickly than words without relationship themes.
• D) The average person is very concerned that their close relationships might fail.

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Definitions:

Central Nervous System

The part of the nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord, which integrates and coordinates all bodily functions and processes information.

Sedatives

Sleep-inducing drugs that tend to decrease central nervous system and behavioral activity.

Stimulants

Drugs that tend to increase central nervous system and behavioral activity.

Hallucinogens

A diverse group of drugs that have powerful effects on mental and emotional functioning, marked most prominently by distortions in sensory and perceptual experience.