PSYC 140 EXAM-ALL MODULES | PORTAGE LEARNING |
PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026/2027 |
EXAM PREP | COMPREHENSIVE EXAM GUIDE
1. Which statement best describes the primary focus of psychology as a scientific
discipline?
A. The diagnosis of all mental disorders
B. The study of behavior and mental processes using systematic methods
C. The prediction of every individual decision
D. The treatment of neurological diseases
Psychology scientifically examines behavior and mental processes. Its methods include
observation, measurement, experimentation, and analysis rather than being limited to
mental illness.
2. A researcher observes how frequently infants look toward a caregiver during an
unfamiliar social interaction. Which psychological approach is most directly represented?
A. Behavioral observation
B. Psychoanalytic interpretation
C. Biological reductionism
D. Humanistic counseling
Behavioral observation involves systematically recording observable actions. The researcher
can measure the infants' looking behavior without assuming an underlying unconscious
motive.
3. Which example best illustrates a testable psychological hypothesis?
A. Happiness is important to everyone.
B. Personality is fascinating.
C. Students who sleep at least seven hours will perform better on a memory test than
students who sleep less than five hours.
D. Intelligence determines success in life.
A scientific hypothesis must be testable. The statement specifies measurable sleep conditions
and a measurable outcome, making it possible to collect evidence for or against the
prediction.
4. A psychologist wants to determine whether background music causes changes in
concentration. Which research design provides the strongest evidence of causation?
A. Naturalistic observation
B. Correlational study
C. Case study
D. Controlled experiment
,A controlled experiment allows the researcher to manipulate background music while
controlling other relevant variables, providing evidence about whether music causes changes
in concentration.
5. A student concludes that because two variables are correlated, one variable must cause
the other. What is the primary problem with this conclusion?
A. Correlations cannot be measured numerically.
B. Correlation alone does not establish causation.
C. Experiments cannot examine variables simultaneously.
D. Correlations are always negative.
A correlation indicates that variables are related, but it does not establish which variable
causes the other or whether a third variable explains the relationship.
6. Which measure of central tendency is most affected by an extremely high score in a
dataset?
A. Mean
B. Median
C. Mode
D. Percentile rank
The mean incorporates every score and can therefore be pulled substantially upward or
downward by extreme values. The median is generally more resistant to outliers.
7. A researcher randomly assigns participants to either a mindfulness-training group or a
control group. What is the primary purpose of random assignment?
A. To guarantee a large sample
B. To eliminate the need for informed consent
C. To increase the likelihood that participant characteristics are distributed across groups
D. To ensure that the hypothesis is supported
Random assignment helps distribute individual differences across conditions, reducing the
likelihood that preexisting participant characteristics systematically influence the results.
8. Which ethical principle requires researchers to explain relevant procedures, risks, and
participation requirements before individuals agree to participate?
A. Debriefing
B. Confidentiality
C. Informed consent
D. Randomization
Informed consent requires participants to receive sufficient information about the research so
they can make a voluntary and informed decision about participation.
,9. A participant is told that leaving a psychology study will not result in a penalty. Which
ethical principle does this primarily reflect?
A. Right to withdraw
B. Deception
C. Statistical validity
D. Experimental control
Participants should generally be able to discontinue participation without inappropriate
penalty or coercion.
10. Which perspective emphasizes how behavior and mental processes may have developed
because they enhanced survival or reproductive success?
A. Behavioral
B. Evolutionary
C. Humanistic
D. Sociocultural
The evolutionary perspective examines how natural selection and adaptation may contribute
to psychological characteristics and behavioral tendencies.
11. A psychologist examines how neurotransmitters influence mood and behavior. Which
perspective is most directly represented?
A. Biological
B. Humanistic
C. Behavioral
D. Sociocultural
The biological perspective examines relationships between physiological processes, including
brain activity and neurotransmitters, and behavior or mental processes.
12. A therapist asks a client to examine childhood experiences and unconscious conflicts
that may influence current behavior. This approach is most closely associated with which
perspective?
A. Cognitive
B. Behavioral
C. Psychoanalytic
D. Evolutionary
The psychoanalytic tradition emphasizes unconscious processes, early experiences, conflicts,
and psychological dynamics that may influence current behavior.
13. Which statement best distinguishes sensation from perception?
A. Sensation is unconscious while perception is always conscious.
B. Sensation involves detecting sensory information, whereas perception involves organizing
and interpreting it.
, C. Sensation occurs only in the brain, whereas perception occurs only in sensory organs.
D. Sensation requires learning, whereas perception never does.
Sensation involves receiving and detecting physical stimuli, while perception involves
organizing and interpreting sensory information.
14. A person enters a dark room and initially sees very little but gradually becomes able to
distinguish objects. What process contributes most directly to this adjustment?
A. Dark adaptation
B. Selective attention
C. Feature detection
D. Sensory interaction
Dark adaptation is the process through which the visual system becomes increasingly
sensitive in low-light conditions after exposure to darkness.
15. Which structure regulates the amount of light entering the eye?
A. Retina
B. Optic nerve
C. Lens
D. Iris
The iris controls pupil size, thereby regulating how much light enters the eye.
16. The retina contains specialized cells that convert light energy into neural signals. Which
cells perform this function?
A. Rods and cones
B. Glial cells
C. Motor neurons
D. Hair cells
Rods and cones are photoreceptors in the retina that transduce light into neural signals.
17. Which photoreceptors are especially important for vision in low-light conditions?
A. Cones
B. Rods
C. Bipolar cells
D. Ganglion cells
Rods are highly sensitive to low levels of light and contribute substantially to night and
peripheral vision.
18. Which photoreceptors are most important for detailed color vision in adequate
lighting?
A. Rods
B. Ganglion cells
PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026/2027 |
EXAM PREP | COMPREHENSIVE EXAM GUIDE
1. Which statement best describes the primary focus of psychology as a scientific
discipline?
A. The diagnosis of all mental disorders
B. The study of behavior and mental processes using systematic methods
C. The prediction of every individual decision
D. The treatment of neurological diseases
Psychology scientifically examines behavior and mental processes. Its methods include
observation, measurement, experimentation, and analysis rather than being limited to
mental illness.
2. A researcher observes how frequently infants look toward a caregiver during an
unfamiliar social interaction. Which psychological approach is most directly represented?
A. Behavioral observation
B. Psychoanalytic interpretation
C. Biological reductionism
D. Humanistic counseling
Behavioral observation involves systematically recording observable actions. The researcher
can measure the infants' looking behavior without assuming an underlying unconscious
motive.
3. Which example best illustrates a testable psychological hypothesis?
A. Happiness is important to everyone.
B. Personality is fascinating.
C. Students who sleep at least seven hours will perform better on a memory test than
students who sleep less than five hours.
D. Intelligence determines success in life.
A scientific hypothesis must be testable. The statement specifies measurable sleep conditions
and a measurable outcome, making it possible to collect evidence for or against the
prediction.
4. A psychologist wants to determine whether background music causes changes in
concentration. Which research design provides the strongest evidence of causation?
A. Naturalistic observation
B. Correlational study
C. Case study
D. Controlled experiment
,A controlled experiment allows the researcher to manipulate background music while
controlling other relevant variables, providing evidence about whether music causes changes
in concentration.
5. A student concludes that because two variables are correlated, one variable must cause
the other. What is the primary problem with this conclusion?
A. Correlations cannot be measured numerically.
B. Correlation alone does not establish causation.
C. Experiments cannot examine variables simultaneously.
D. Correlations are always negative.
A correlation indicates that variables are related, but it does not establish which variable
causes the other or whether a third variable explains the relationship.
6. Which measure of central tendency is most affected by an extremely high score in a
dataset?
A. Mean
B. Median
C. Mode
D. Percentile rank
The mean incorporates every score and can therefore be pulled substantially upward or
downward by extreme values. The median is generally more resistant to outliers.
7. A researcher randomly assigns participants to either a mindfulness-training group or a
control group. What is the primary purpose of random assignment?
A. To guarantee a large sample
B. To eliminate the need for informed consent
C. To increase the likelihood that participant characteristics are distributed across groups
D. To ensure that the hypothesis is supported
Random assignment helps distribute individual differences across conditions, reducing the
likelihood that preexisting participant characteristics systematically influence the results.
8. Which ethical principle requires researchers to explain relevant procedures, risks, and
participation requirements before individuals agree to participate?
A. Debriefing
B. Confidentiality
C. Informed consent
D. Randomization
Informed consent requires participants to receive sufficient information about the research so
they can make a voluntary and informed decision about participation.
,9. A participant is told that leaving a psychology study will not result in a penalty. Which
ethical principle does this primarily reflect?
A. Right to withdraw
B. Deception
C. Statistical validity
D. Experimental control
Participants should generally be able to discontinue participation without inappropriate
penalty or coercion.
10. Which perspective emphasizes how behavior and mental processes may have developed
because they enhanced survival or reproductive success?
A. Behavioral
B. Evolutionary
C. Humanistic
D. Sociocultural
The evolutionary perspective examines how natural selection and adaptation may contribute
to psychological characteristics and behavioral tendencies.
11. A psychologist examines how neurotransmitters influence mood and behavior. Which
perspective is most directly represented?
A. Biological
B. Humanistic
C. Behavioral
D. Sociocultural
The biological perspective examines relationships between physiological processes, including
brain activity and neurotransmitters, and behavior or mental processes.
12. A therapist asks a client to examine childhood experiences and unconscious conflicts
that may influence current behavior. This approach is most closely associated with which
perspective?
A. Cognitive
B. Behavioral
C. Psychoanalytic
D. Evolutionary
The psychoanalytic tradition emphasizes unconscious processes, early experiences, conflicts,
and psychological dynamics that may influence current behavior.
13. Which statement best distinguishes sensation from perception?
A. Sensation is unconscious while perception is always conscious.
B. Sensation involves detecting sensory information, whereas perception involves organizing
and interpreting it.
, C. Sensation occurs only in the brain, whereas perception occurs only in sensory organs.
D. Sensation requires learning, whereas perception never does.
Sensation involves receiving and detecting physical stimuli, while perception involves
organizing and interpreting sensory information.
14. A person enters a dark room and initially sees very little but gradually becomes able to
distinguish objects. What process contributes most directly to this adjustment?
A. Dark adaptation
B. Selective attention
C. Feature detection
D. Sensory interaction
Dark adaptation is the process through which the visual system becomes increasingly
sensitive in low-light conditions after exposure to darkness.
15. Which structure regulates the amount of light entering the eye?
A. Retina
B. Optic nerve
C. Lens
D. Iris
The iris controls pupil size, thereby regulating how much light enters the eye.
16. The retina contains specialized cells that convert light energy into neural signals. Which
cells perform this function?
A. Rods and cones
B. Glial cells
C. Motor neurons
D. Hair cells
Rods and cones are photoreceptors in the retina that transduce light into neural signals.
17. Which photoreceptors are especially important for vision in low-light conditions?
A. Cones
B. Rods
C. Bipolar cells
D. Ganglion cells
Rods are highly sensitive to low levels of light and contribute substantially to night and
peripheral vision.
18. Which photoreceptors are most important for detailed color vision in adequate
lighting?
A. Rods
B. Ganglion cells
