PSY 352 PRACTICE EXAM TEST 2025/2026 QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+ TIP
✔✔Define homeostasis. - ✔✔The biological concept referring to the body's natural
tendency to maintain a balanced internal state for survival.
✔✔What is the Yerkes-Dodson law? - ✔✔Performance on tasks is best when the
arousal level is appropriate for the difficulty of the task.
✔✔What is optimal arousal theory? - ✔✔The theory that individuals are motivated to
maintain an optimal level of arousal for best performance.
✔✔What are the three types of arousal? - ✔✔Physiological, brain-related, and
psychological arousal.
✔✔What is the relationship between arousal and performance? - ✔✔Arousal affects
performance; optimal levels lead to better performance, while too high or too low can
hinder it.
✔✔What factors determine the intensity of response to stimuli? - ✔✔Cue function and
arousing function of the stimuli.
✔✔What is the role of novelty in arousal? - ✔✔Novelty refers to how new or different a
stimulus is, influencing arousal levels.
✔✔What is the schema incongruity model? - ✔✔It explains how the degree of
incongruity affects valence and arousal based on whether stimuli fit into existing
schemas.
✔✔What are Maslow's deficiency needs? - ✔✔Basic needs that must be met for
survival before higher growth needs can be pursued.
✔✔What are growth needs according to Maslow? - ✔✔Desires for personal
development and fulfillment that arise after deficiency needs are met.
✔✔What does the optimal level of stimulation theory suggest? - ✔✔That individuals
have preferred levels of stimulation that balance complexity and valence.
✔✔How does perceived complexity change with habituation? - ✔✔Perceived
complexities may decrease with habituation, affecting liking and arousal.
✔✔What is the significance of the drive in drive reduction theory? - ✔✔It is the internal
state of tension that motivates the organism to satisfy its needs.
, ✔✔What is the relationship between arousal and affective valence? - ✔✔Arousal affects
performance and is influenced by the emotional value (valence) of the stimuli.
✔✔What is Thayer's energetic arousal? - ✔✔Arousal levels associated with positive
affect, ranging from awake to tired.
✔✔What is Thayer's tense arousal? - ✔✔Arousal levels associated with negative affect,
ranging from anxiousness to calm.
✔✔What does the hierarchy of needs represent? - ✔✔An individual's quest towards
self-actualization, indicating that progress is limited by personal allowance.
✔✔What are growth needs in motivation theory? - ✔✔Needs that motivate an individual
to grow as a person, including cognitive, aesthetic, self-actualizing, and transcendence
needs.
✔✔What are deficiency needs? - ✔✔Needs arising from deprivation, including
physiological, safety, belonging and love, and esteem needs.
✔✔What is the achievement motivation theory? - ✔✔A theory that describes the desire
to do well relative to a standard of excellence.
✔✔What are the four featured variables of Atkinson's achievement motivation theory? -
✔✔Tendency to approach success, tendency to avoid failure, combination of approach-
avoidance tendencies, and future achievement orientation.
✔✔How does personality affect achievement orientation? - ✔✔Higher achievement
orientation leads individuals to give others the benefit of the doubt.
✔✔What are the situational factors in achievement motivation? - ✔✔Probability of
success and incentive value of success.
✔✔What emotional reactions are associated with achievement behavior? - ✔✔Focus on
pride of success and focus on shame of failure.
✔✔What does personal investment theory propose? - ✔✔That personal incentives,
sense of self, and perceived options are critical determinants of behavior.
✔✔What are personal incentives in the context of personal investment theory? -
✔✔Reasons identified for involvement in an activity, including mastery, recognition,
affiliation, and competition.
✔✔What does attributional theory of achievement motivation focus on? - ✔✔How
individuals interpret events and how this relates to their thinking and behavior.
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+ TIP
✔✔Define homeostasis. - ✔✔The biological concept referring to the body's natural
tendency to maintain a balanced internal state for survival.
✔✔What is the Yerkes-Dodson law? - ✔✔Performance on tasks is best when the
arousal level is appropriate for the difficulty of the task.
✔✔What is optimal arousal theory? - ✔✔The theory that individuals are motivated to
maintain an optimal level of arousal for best performance.
✔✔What are the three types of arousal? - ✔✔Physiological, brain-related, and
psychological arousal.
✔✔What is the relationship between arousal and performance? - ✔✔Arousal affects
performance; optimal levels lead to better performance, while too high or too low can
hinder it.
✔✔What factors determine the intensity of response to stimuli? - ✔✔Cue function and
arousing function of the stimuli.
✔✔What is the role of novelty in arousal? - ✔✔Novelty refers to how new or different a
stimulus is, influencing arousal levels.
✔✔What is the schema incongruity model? - ✔✔It explains how the degree of
incongruity affects valence and arousal based on whether stimuli fit into existing
schemas.
✔✔What are Maslow's deficiency needs? - ✔✔Basic needs that must be met for
survival before higher growth needs can be pursued.
✔✔What are growth needs according to Maslow? - ✔✔Desires for personal
development and fulfillment that arise after deficiency needs are met.
✔✔What does the optimal level of stimulation theory suggest? - ✔✔That individuals
have preferred levels of stimulation that balance complexity and valence.
✔✔How does perceived complexity change with habituation? - ✔✔Perceived
complexities may decrease with habituation, affecting liking and arousal.
✔✔What is the significance of the drive in drive reduction theory? - ✔✔It is the internal
state of tension that motivates the organism to satisfy its needs.
, ✔✔What is the relationship between arousal and affective valence? - ✔✔Arousal affects
performance and is influenced by the emotional value (valence) of the stimuli.
✔✔What is Thayer's energetic arousal? - ✔✔Arousal levels associated with positive
affect, ranging from awake to tired.
✔✔What is Thayer's tense arousal? - ✔✔Arousal levels associated with negative affect,
ranging from anxiousness to calm.
✔✔What does the hierarchy of needs represent? - ✔✔An individual's quest towards
self-actualization, indicating that progress is limited by personal allowance.
✔✔What are growth needs in motivation theory? - ✔✔Needs that motivate an individual
to grow as a person, including cognitive, aesthetic, self-actualizing, and transcendence
needs.
✔✔What are deficiency needs? - ✔✔Needs arising from deprivation, including
physiological, safety, belonging and love, and esteem needs.
✔✔What is the achievement motivation theory? - ✔✔A theory that describes the desire
to do well relative to a standard of excellence.
✔✔What are the four featured variables of Atkinson's achievement motivation theory? -
✔✔Tendency to approach success, tendency to avoid failure, combination of approach-
avoidance tendencies, and future achievement orientation.
✔✔How does personality affect achievement orientation? - ✔✔Higher achievement
orientation leads individuals to give others the benefit of the doubt.
✔✔What are the situational factors in achievement motivation? - ✔✔Probability of
success and incentive value of success.
✔✔What emotional reactions are associated with achievement behavior? - ✔✔Focus on
pride of success and focus on shame of failure.
✔✔What does personal investment theory propose? - ✔✔That personal incentives,
sense of self, and perceived options are critical determinants of behavior.
✔✔What are personal incentives in the context of personal investment theory? -
✔✔Reasons identified for involvement in an activity, including mastery, recognition,
affiliation, and competition.
✔✔What does attributional theory of achievement motivation focus on? - ✔✔How
individuals interpret events and how this relates to their thinking and behavior.
