,PSYC101/PSYC 101 Module Exam 1 | General
Psychology | Portage Learning | Q & A | 2026 Edition
(PDF)
1. Psychology is formally defined as the scientific study of:
A) The brain and its chemical functions
B) Consciousness and unconscious thought processes
C) Behavior and mental processes
D) Observable actions and their environmental causes
Correct Answer: Behavior and mental processes
Rationale: The standard definition of psychology encompasses both overt actions (behavior) and internal
experiences such as thoughts, feelings, and memories (mental processes).
2. Who is credited with establishing the first experimental psychology laboratory in 1879?
A) Sigmund Freud
B) William James
C) Wilhelm Wundt
D) John B. Watson
Correct Answer: Wilhelm Wundt
Rationale: Wundt's laboratory at the University of Leipzig is widely recognized as the event that marked
psychology's birth as an independent scientific discipline.
3. The early school of psychology that focused on breaking down conscious experience into its basic
elements is called:
A) Functionalism
B) Behaviorism
,C) Structuralism
D) Psychoanalysis
Correct Answer: Structuralism
Rationale: Structuralism, led by Edward Titchener, used introspection to analyze the structure of the
mind by breaking it down into its basic components.
4. Which psychologist is most associated with functionalism?
A) Wilhelm Wundt
B) William James
C) B.F. Skinner
D) Sigmund Freud
Correct Answer: William James
Rationale: William James wrote the influential "Principles of Psychology" and emphasized the adaptive
purpose of mental processes, a core tenet of functionalism.
5. Functionalism was heavily influenced by Darwin's theory of:
A) Evolution
B) Establishing the American Psychological Association (APA)
C) Both A and B
D) Developing behaviorism
Correct Answer: Both A and B
Rationale: Functionalism was influenced by Darwin's theory of evolution, which suggested that mental
processes serve adaptive purposes. G. Stanley Hall, a functionalist, also founded the first U.S. psychology
lab and was the first president of the APA.
, 6. Which perspective in psychology focuses on observable, measurable behavior and the role of
environmental stimuli?
A) Cognitive psychology
B) Behaviorism
C) Psychoanalysis
D) Humanistic psychology
Correct Answer: Behaviorism
Rationale: Behaviorism, led by figures like John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner, emphasizes the study of
observable behavior and the processes of learning and motivation, focusing on stimulus-response
relationships.
7. Which school of thought, founded by Sigmund Freud, emphasizes the role of unconscious drives and
early childhood experiences?
A) Structuralism
B) Functionalism
C) Behaviorism
D) Psychoanalysis
Correct Answer: Psychoanalysis
Rationale: Psychoanalysis, or psychodynamic theory, focuses on the influence of the unconscious mind
and early life experiences on behavior and mental processes.
8. Which psychological perspective emphasizes the potential for personal growth, free will, and self-
actualization?
A) Behaviorism
B) Psychoanalysis
C) Humanistic psychology
Psychology | Portage Learning | Q & A | 2026 Edition
(PDF)
1. Psychology is formally defined as the scientific study of:
A) The brain and its chemical functions
B) Consciousness and unconscious thought processes
C) Behavior and mental processes
D) Observable actions and their environmental causes
Correct Answer: Behavior and mental processes
Rationale: The standard definition of psychology encompasses both overt actions (behavior) and internal
experiences such as thoughts, feelings, and memories (mental processes).
2. Who is credited with establishing the first experimental psychology laboratory in 1879?
A) Sigmund Freud
B) William James
C) Wilhelm Wundt
D) John B. Watson
Correct Answer: Wilhelm Wundt
Rationale: Wundt's laboratory at the University of Leipzig is widely recognized as the event that marked
psychology's birth as an independent scientific discipline.
3. The early school of psychology that focused on breaking down conscious experience into its basic
elements is called:
A) Functionalism
B) Behaviorism
,C) Structuralism
D) Psychoanalysis
Correct Answer: Structuralism
Rationale: Structuralism, led by Edward Titchener, used introspection to analyze the structure of the
mind by breaking it down into its basic components.
4. Which psychologist is most associated with functionalism?
A) Wilhelm Wundt
B) William James
C) B.F. Skinner
D) Sigmund Freud
Correct Answer: William James
Rationale: William James wrote the influential "Principles of Psychology" and emphasized the adaptive
purpose of mental processes, a core tenet of functionalism.
5. Functionalism was heavily influenced by Darwin's theory of:
A) Evolution
B) Establishing the American Psychological Association (APA)
C) Both A and B
D) Developing behaviorism
Correct Answer: Both A and B
Rationale: Functionalism was influenced by Darwin's theory of evolution, which suggested that mental
processes serve adaptive purposes. G. Stanley Hall, a functionalist, also founded the first U.S. psychology
lab and was the first president of the APA.
, 6. Which perspective in psychology focuses on observable, measurable behavior and the role of
environmental stimuli?
A) Cognitive psychology
B) Behaviorism
C) Psychoanalysis
D) Humanistic psychology
Correct Answer: Behaviorism
Rationale: Behaviorism, led by figures like John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner, emphasizes the study of
observable behavior and the processes of learning and motivation, focusing on stimulus-response
relationships.
7. Which school of thought, founded by Sigmund Freud, emphasizes the role of unconscious drives and
early childhood experiences?
A) Structuralism
B) Functionalism
C) Behaviorism
D) Psychoanalysis
Correct Answer: Psychoanalysis
Rationale: Psychoanalysis, or psychodynamic theory, focuses on the influence of the unconscious mind
and early life experiences on behavior and mental processes.
8. Which psychological perspective emphasizes the potential for personal growth, free will, and self-
actualization?
A) Behaviorism
B) Psychoanalysis
C) Humanistic psychology
