PSYC 101 Final Exam – Psychology Portage Learning (2026) Actual Questions &
Verified Answers (PDF
PSYC 101 General Psychology – Final Exam Practice
Part 1: History, Approaches, & Research Methods (Questions 1-15)
1. Dr. Smith is studying how a new teaching method affects exam scores. She
measures the scores of a control group (traditional teaching) and an experimental
group (new method). What is the independent variable?
A) The exam scores
B) The students' prior knowledge
C) The teaching method
D) The number of students in the study
Answer: C
Rationale: The independent variable is what the researcher manipulates or
changes. Here, Dr. Smith is manipulating the teaching method. The dependent
variable (what is measured) is the exam scores .
2. The humanistic perspective, championed by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow,
emphasizes:
,A) Unconscious sexual conflicts
B) Conditioned responses to environmental stimuli
C) The inherent goodness and potential for self-growth in people
D) The biological basis of mental disorders
Answer: C
Rationale: Humanistic psychology arose as a reaction to behaviorism and
psychoanalysis, focusing on free will, personal growth, and the concept of self-
actualization.
3. A researcher wants to observe children's natural play behavior on a playground
without them knowing they are being watched. This method is called:
A) A case study
B) A survey
C) Naturalistic observation
D) A correlational study
Answer: C
Rationale: Naturalistic observation involves observing subjects in their natural
environment without interference .
,4. Which research method would be most appropriate for investigating the
relationship between hours of sleep and GPA, without manipulating any
variables?
A) Experiment
B) Correlational study
C) Naturalistic observation
D) Case study
Answer: B
Rationale: A correlational study measures the relationship between two variables
to see if they are associated, but it does not prove causation.
5. "Psychology is the scientific study of observable behavior." This statement
aligns most closely with which school of thought?
A) Structuralism
B) Functionalism
C) Psychoanalysis
D) Behaviorism
, Answer: D
Rationale: Behaviorism, led by John Watson and B.F. Skinner, focused exclusively
on observable behavior, rejecting the study of internal mental states.
6. The part of the neuron that receives messages from other neurons is the:
A) Axon
B) Myelin sheath
C) Dendrite
D) Terminal button
Answer: C
Rationale: Dendrites branch out from the cell body and receive signals. The axon
sends signals away .
7. Which of the following is a chemical messenger that travels across the synaptic
gap?
A) Synapse
B) Hormone
C) Neurotransmitter
D) Agonist
Verified Answers (PDF
PSYC 101 General Psychology – Final Exam Practice
Part 1: History, Approaches, & Research Methods (Questions 1-15)
1. Dr. Smith is studying how a new teaching method affects exam scores. She
measures the scores of a control group (traditional teaching) and an experimental
group (new method). What is the independent variable?
A) The exam scores
B) The students' prior knowledge
C) The teaching method
D) The number of students in the study
Answer: C
Rationale: The independent variable is what the researcher manipulates or
changes. Here, Dr. Smith is manipulating the teaching method. The dependent
variable (what is measured) is the exam scores .
2. The humanistic perspective, championed by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow,
emphasizes:
,A) Unconscious sexual conflicts
B) Conditioned responses to environmental stimuli
C) The inherent goodness and potential for self-growth in people
D) The biological basis of mental disorders
Answer: C
Rationale: Humanistic psychology arose as a reaction to behaviorism and
psychoanalysis, focusing on free will, personal growth, and the concept of self-
actualization.
3. A researcher wants to observe children's natural play behavior on a playground
without them knowing they are being watched. This method is called:
A) A case study
B) A survey
C) Naturalistic observation
D) A correlational study
Answer: C
Rationale: Naturalistic observation involves observing subjects in their natural
environment without interference .
,4. Which research method would be most appropriate for investigating the
relationship between hours of sleep and GPA, without manipulating any
variables?
A) Experiment
B) Correlational study
C) Naturalistic observation
D) Case study
Answer: B
Rationale: A correlational study measures the relationship between two variables
to see if they are associated, but it does not prove causation.
5. "Psychology is the scientific study of observable behavior." This statement
aligns most closely with which school of thought?
A) Structuralism
B) Functionalism
C) Psychoanalysis
D) Behaviorism
, Answer: D
Rationale: Behaviorism, led by John Watson and B.F. Skinner, focused exclusively
on observable behavior, rejecting the study of internal mental states.
6. The part of the neuron that receives messages from other neurons is the:
A) Axon
B) Myelin sheath
C) Dendrite
D) Terminal button
Answer: C
Rationale: Dendrites branch out from the cell body and receive signals. The axon
sends signals away .
7. Which of the following is a chemical messenger that travels across the synaptic
gap?
A) Synapse
B) Hormone
C) Neurotransmitter
D) Agonist
