WGU C180 EXAM / INTRODUCTION TO
PSYCHOLOGY / WGU C180 INTRODUCTION
TO PSYCHOLOGY OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT
(OA) ACTUAL 2026/2027 COMPLETE
ACCURATE EXAM APPROVED QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT VERIFIED ANSWERS
(DETAILED ANSWERS) LATEST UPDATED
VERSION 2026 EDITION FULL REVISED
EXAM
__________________________________________________________________
1. In the context of psychological research, what is the primary characteristic that
distinguishes a true experiment from a correlational study?
A. The use of a large sample size
B. The manipulation of an independent variable
C. The study of behavior in a natural environment
D. The use of surveys and questionnaires
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The defining feature of a true experiment is the manipulation of an
independent variable by the researcher to observe its effect on a dependent
variable, which allows for the determination of cause-and-effect relationships.
Correlational studies, in contrast, only measure the relationship between variables
without manipulating them.
__________________________________________________________________
2. According to Freud's psychodynamic theory, the part of the personality that
operates on the reality principle, mediating between desires and moral constraints,
is the:
,A. Id
B. Ego
C. Superego
D. Collective unconscious.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The ego is the rational part of the personality that operates on the
reality principle. It mediates between the impulsive desires of the id, the moralistic
constraints of the superego, and the demands of the external world.
__________________________________________________________________
3. Which of the following is a primary function of the myelin sheath?
A. To receive signals from other neurons
B. To speed up the transmission of neural impulses
C. To produce neurotransmitters
D. To connect the brain to the spinal cord
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The myelin sheath is a fatty layer that insulates the axon of a neuron.
Its primary purpose is to increase the speed at which neural impulses travel along
the axon, making communication between neurons more efficient.
__________________________________________________________________
4. A researcher is interested in studying the relationship between hours of sleep
and academic performance. They find that students who sleep more tend to have
higher GPAs. This is an example of a:
A. Positive correlation
B. Negative correlation
C. Zero correlation
D. Spurious correlation
Correct Answer: A
,Rationale: A positive correlation indicates that as one variable increases, the other
variable also increases. In this case, an increase in sleep hours is associated with an
increase in GPA. This relationship does not imply causation.
5. In operant conditioning, taking away a teenager's phone for breaking curfew is
an example of:
A. Positive reinforcement
B. Negative reinforcement
C. Positive punishment
D. Negative punishment
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: This is negative punishment because a pleasant stimulus (the phone) is
being removed to decrease the undesired behavior (breaking curfew). The word
"negative" means a stimulus is removed, and "punishment" means the behavior is
intended to decrease.
6. Which of the following psychological perspectives is most likely to focus on an
individual's inherent drive toward self-actualization and personal growth?
A. Behaviorism
B. Psychoanalysis
C. Humanism
D. Cognitive psychology
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Humanistic psychology, championed by figures like Abraham Maslow
and Carl Rogers, emphasizes free will, personal growth, and the innate drive to
reach one's full potential (self-actualization). It arose as a reaction to the
determinism of behaviorism and psychoanalysis.
, 7. The "master gland" of the endocrine system, which regulates the function of
other glands, is the:
A. Thyroid
B. Adrenal gland
C. Pituitary gland
D. Pineal gland
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The pituitary gland is often called the "master gland" because it
produces hormones that control and regulate many other endocrine glands,
including the thyroid and adrenal glands.
8. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the most fundamental needs that
must be met first are:
A. Esteem needs
B. Belongingness needs
C. Self-actualization needs
D. Physiological needs
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Maslow's hierarchy is often depicted as a pyramid with physiological
needs (e.g., food, water, shelter) at the base. These are the most basic survival
needs and must be satisfied before an individual can pursue higher-level needs like
safety, belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.
9. A psychologist wants to determine whether a person's behavior is influenced
more by inherited traits than environmental experiences. Which perspective is
primarily concerned with this question?
A. Behavioral perspective
B. Biological perspective
PSYCHOLOGY / WGU C180 INTRODUCTION
TO PSYCHOLOGY OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT
(OA) ACTUAL 2026/2027 COMPLETE
ACCURATE EXAM APPROVED QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT VERIFIED ANSWERS
(DETAILED ANSWERS) LATEST UPDATED
VERSION 2026 EDITION FULL REVISED
EXAM
__________________________________________________________________
1. In the context of psychological research, what is the primary characteristic that
distinguishes a true experiment from a correlational study?
A. The use of a large sample size
B. The manipulation of an independent variable
C. The study of behavior in a natural environment
D. The use of surveys and questionnaires
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The defining feature of a true experiment is the manipulation of an
independent variable by the researcher to observe its effect on a dependent
variable, which allows for the determination of cause-and-effect relationships.
Correlational studies, in contrast, only measure the relationship between variables
without manipulating them.
__________________________________________________________________
2. According to Freud's psychodynamic theory, the part of the personality that
operates on the reality principle, mediating between desires and moral constraints,
is the:
,A. Id
B. Ego
C. Superego
D. Collective unconscious.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The ego is the rational part of the personality that operates on the
reality principle. It mediates between the impulsive desires of the id, the moralistic
constraints of the superego, and the demands of the external world.
__________________________________________________________________
3. Which of the following is a primary function of the myelin sheath?
A. To receive signals from other neurons
B. To speed up the transmission of neural impulses
C. To produce neurotransmitters
D. To connect the brain to the spinal cord
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The myelin sheath is a fatty layer that insulates the axon of a neuron.
Its primary purpose is to increase the speed at which neural impulses travel along
the axon, making communication between neurons more efficient.
__________________________________________________________________
4. A researcher is interested in studying the relationship between hours of sleep
and academic performance. They find that students who sleep more tend to have
higher GPAs. This is an example of a:
A. Positive correlation
B. Negative correlation
C. Zero correlation
D. Spurious correlation
Correct Answer: A
,Rationale: A positive correlation indicates that as one variable increases, the other
variable also increases. In this case, an increase in sleep hours is associated with an
increase in GPA. This relationship does not imply causation.
5. In operant conditioning, taking away a teenager's phone for breaking curfew is
an example of:
A. Positive reinforcement
B. Negative reinforcement
C. Positive punishment
D. Negative punishment
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: This is negative punishment because a pleasant stimulus (the phone) is
being removed to decrease the undesired behavior (breaking curfew). The word
"negative" means a stimulus is removed, and "punishment" means the behavior is
intended to decrease.
6. Which of the following psychological perspectives is most likely to focus on an
individual's inherent drive toward self-actualization and personal growth?
A. Behaviorism
B. Psychoanalysis
C. Humanism
D. Cognitive psychology
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Humanistic psychology, championed by figures like Abraham Maslow
and Carl Rogers, emphasizes free will, personal growth, and the innate drive to
reach one's full potential (self-actualization). It arose as a reaction to the
determinism of behaviorism and psychoanalysis.
, 7. The "master gland" of the endocrine system, which regulates the function of
other glands, is the:
A. Thyroid
B. Adrenal gland
C. Pituitary gland
D. Pineal gland
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The pituitary gland is often called the "master gland" because it
produces hormones that control and regulate many other endocrine glands,
including the thyroid and adrenal glands.
8. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the most fundamental needs that
must be met first are:
A. Esteem needs
B. Belongingness needs
C. Self-actualization needs
D. Physiological needs
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Maslow's hierarchy is often depicted as a pyramid with physiological
needs (e.g., food, water, shelter) at the base. These are the most basic survival
needs and must be satisfied before an individual can pursue higher-level needs like
safety, belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.
9. A psychologist wants to determine whether a person's behavior is influenced
more by inherited traits than environmental experiences. Which perspective is
primarily concerned with this question?
A. Behavioral perspective
B. Biological perspective
