CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY
PSYCHOLOGY COMPREHENSIVE EXAM 2026
PRACTICE QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
ORIGINAL QUESTIONS, DETAILED
RATIONALES & STUDY GUIDE
1. A psychology professor wants to determine whether sleep
deprivation causes poorer working-memory performance. Students
are randomly assigned either to sleep normally or to remain awake
for 24 hours, and both groups complete the same computerized
working-memory task. Which feature of this design provides the
strongest basis for a causal conclusion?
A. The use of a computerized task
B. Random assignment to conditions
C. A large number of dependent variables
D. Measuring participants only once
Answer: B. Random assignment to conditions
Rationale: Random assignment helps distribute preexisting differences
among participants across experimental groups, reducing
confounding variables. If the groups differ systematically in working-
memory performance after the manipulation, the researcher has
stronger grounds for attributing the difference to sleep deprivation.
The computerized task and single measurement do not establish
causality, while multiple dependent variables are unnecessary for
causal inference.
2. A researcher develops a questionnaire intended to measure
anxiety. Participants who score highly on the questionnaire also
receive high scores on an established clinical anxiety inventory.
What type of validity is primarily demonstrated?
1
,A. Face validity
B. Predictive validity
C. Convergent validity
D. Ecological validity
Answer: C. Convergent validity
Rationale: Convergent validity is demonstrated when a measure
correlates substantially with other measures assessing the same or
closely related construct. An anxiety questionnaire should correlate
with established measures of anxiety. Predictive validity concerns
future outcomes, face validity concerns superficial appearance, and
ecological validity concerns generalizability to real-world settings.
3. A student receives a score of 130 on an intelligence test with a
mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. Approximately how
many standard deviations above the mean is the student's score?
A. 1.0
B. 1.5
C. 2.0
D. 3.0
Answer: C. 2.0
Rationale: The z-score is calculated as z = (X − M) / SD. Therefore, z
= (130 − 100) / 15 = = 2. The student's score is approximately
two standard deviations above the mean.
4. A psychologist observes that children who spend more time
playing violent video games tend to display more aggressive
behavior. However, the psychologist does not manipulate video-
game exposure. Which conclusion is most appropriate?
2
,A. Violent games definitely cause aggression
B. Aggression definitely causes children to play violent games
C. The variables are associated, but causation cannot be established
D. There is no relationship between the variables
Answer: C. The variables are associated, but causation cannot be
established
Rationale: A correlational relationship indicates that two variables
vary together but does not establish which variable causes the other or
whether a third variable explains the relationship. Experimental
manipulation and random assignment would provide stronger
evidence for causality.
5. Which structure of the neuron is primarily responsible for
receiving incoming signals from other neurons?
A. Axon
B. Dendrites
C. Myelin sheath
D. Terminal buttons
Answer: B. Dendrites
Rationale: Dendrites are branching structures specialized for receiving
synaptic input from other neurons. The axon carries electrical signals
away from the cell body, myelin facilitates rapid transmission along
many axons, and terminal buttons release neurotransmitters into the
synapse.
6. A drug blocks the reuptake of serotonin into presynaptic neurons.
What is the most immediate consequence?
3
, A. Reduced serotonin availability in the synaptic cleft
B. Increased serotonin remaining in the synaptic cleft
C. Complete destruction of serotonin receptors
D. Elimination of action potentials
Answer: B. Increased serotonin remaining in the synaptic cleft
Rationale: Reuptake normally removes neurotransmitters from the
synaptic cleft and returns them to the presynaptic neuron. Blocking
reuptake allows serotonin to remain available in the synaptic space for
a longer period, potentially increasing stimulation of postsynaptic
receptors.
7. Which brain structure is most directly involved in regulating
basic physiological functions such as hunger, thirst, temperature,
and endocrine activity?
A. Hypothalamus
B. Occipital lobe
C. Cerebellum
D. Hippocampus
Answer: A. Hypothalamus
Rationale: The hypothalamus plays a central role in homeostasis and
regulates hunger, thirst, body temperature, sexual behavior, stress
responses, and interactions with the endocrine system through the
pituitary gland.
8. A patient suffers damage to the hippocampus. Which impairment
would be most likely?
A. Difficulty forming new explicit memories
B. Complete loss of visual perception
4
PSYCHOLOGY COMPREHENSIVE EXAM 2026
PRACTICE QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
ORIGINAL QUESTIONS, DETAILED
RATIONALES & STUDY GUIDE
1. A psychology professor wants to determine whether sleep
deprivation causes poorer working-memory performance. Students
are randomly assigned either to sleep normally or to remain awake
for 24 hours, and both groups complete the same computerized
working-memory task. Which feature of this design provides the
strongest basis for a causal conclusion?
A. The use of a computerized task
B. Random assignment to conditions
C. A large number of dependent variables
D. Measuring participants only once
Answer: B. Random assignment to conditions
Rationale: Random assignment helps distribute preexisting differences
among participants across experimental groups, reducing
confounding variables. If the groups differ systematically in working-
memory performance after the manipulation, the researcher has
stronger grounds for attributing the difference to sleep deprivation.
The computerized task and single measurement do not establish
causality, while multiple dependent variables are unnecessary for
causal inference.
2. A researcher develops a questionnaire intended to measure
anxiety. Participants who score highly on the questionnaire also
receive high scores on an established clinical anxiety inventory.
What type of validity is primarily demonstrated?
1
,A. Face validity
B. Predictive validity
C. Convergent validity
D. Ecological validity
Answer: C. Convergent validity
Rationale: Convergent validity is demonstrated when a measure
correlates substantially with other measures assessing the same or
closely related construct. An anxiety questionnaire should correlate
with established measures of anxiety. Predictive validity concerns
future outcomes, face validity concerns superficial appearance, and
ecological validity concerns generalizability to real-world settings.
3. A student receives a score of 130 on an intelligence test with a
mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. Approximately how
many standard deviations above the mean is the student's score?
A. 1.0
B. 1.5
C. 2.0
D. 3.0
Answer: C. 2.0
Rationale: The z-score is calculated as z = (X − M) / SD. Therefore, z
= (130 − 100) / 15 = = 2. The student's score is approximately
two standard deviations above the mean.
4. A psychologist observes that children who spend more time
playing violent video games tend to display more aggressive
behavior. However, the psychologist does not manipulate video-
game exposure. Which conclusion is most appropriate?
2
,A. Violent games definitely cause aggression
B. Aggression definitely causes children to play violent games
C. The variables are associated, but causation cannot be established
D. There is no relationship between the variables
Answer: C. The variables are associated, but causation cannot be
established
Rationale: A correlational relationship indicates that two variables
vary together but does not establish which variable causes the other or
whether a third variable explains the relationship. Experimental
manipulation and random assignment would provide stronger
evidence for causality.
5. Which structure of the neuron is primarily responsible for
receiving incoming signals from other neurons?
A. Axon
B. Dendrites
C. Myelin sheath
D. Terminal buttons
Answer: B. Dendrites
Rationale: Dendrites are branching structures specialized for receiving
synaptic input from other neurons. The axon carries electrical signals
away from the cell body, myelin facilitates rapid transmission along
many axons, and terminal buttons release neurotransmitters into the
synapse.
6. A drug blocks the reuptake of serotonin into presynaptic neurons.
What is the most immediate consequence?
3
, A. Reduced serotonin availability in the synaptic cleft
B. Increased serotonin remaining in the synaptic cleft
C. Complete destruction of serotonin receptors
D. Elimination of action potentials
Answer: B. Increased serotonin remaining in the synaptic cleft
Rationale: Reuptake normally removes neurotransmitters from the
synaptic cleft and returns them to the presynaptic neuron. Blocking
reuptake allows serotonin to remain available in the synaptic space for
a longer period, potentially increasing stimulation of postsynaptic
receptors.
7. Which brain structure is most directly involved in regulating
basic physiological functions such as hunger, thirst, temperature,
and endocrine activity?
A. Hypothalamus
B. Occipital lobe
C. Cerebellum
D. Hippocampus
Answer: A. Hypothalamus
Rationale: The hypothalamus plays a central role in homeostasis and
regulates hunger, thirst, body temperature, sexual behavior, stress
responses, and interactions with the endocrine system through the
pituitary gland.
8. A patient suffers damage to the hippocampus. Which impairment
would be most likely?
A. Difficulty forming new explicit memories
B. Complete loss of visual perception
4
