INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY EXAM 1
STUDY GUIDE 100 ADVANCED PRACTICE
QUESTIONS AND EXPLANATIONS
History, Approaches, & Subfields
1. Dr. Amin is studying how a person's ability to adapt to a high-
stress workplace is shaped by environmental demands and
evolutionary survival mechanisms. Which historical school of
thought does Dr. Amin’s research framework mirror most closely?
A. Structuralism
B. Functionalism
C. Psychoanalysis
D. Behaviorism
CORRECT ANSWER: B
RATiONAlE: Functionalism, championed by William James,
focused on how mental processes and behaviors function to
allow organisms to adapt, survive, and flourish in their
changing environments.
2. An individual undergoes a series of trials where they are
exposed to precise visual stimuli and asked to describe the
conscious, raw sensory components of their immediate experience
down to elemental sensations. This technique is known as
______ and is associated with ______.
A. Introspection; Structuralism
B. Empiricism; Functionalism
C. Free Association; Psychoanalysis
D. Operant Conditioning; Behaviorism
,CORRECT ANSWER: A
RATiONAlE: Introspection was the primary methodology
used by Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener within the school
of Structuralism to break down conscious experiences into their
core fundamental elements.
3. A psychologist argues that a patient's chronic anxiety stems
from unresolved aggressive impulses and traumatic early
childhood experiences hidden away from conscious awareness.
This view aligns with which perspective?
A. Humanistic
B. Behavioral
C. Psychodynamic
D. Cognitive
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATiONAlE: The psychodynamic perspective, originated by
Sigmund Freud, emphasizes the role of the unconscious mind,
primitive drives, and the profound impact of early childhood
experiences on current adult behavior.
4. A school psychologist observes a student's aggressive behavior
on the playground and sets up a system of token rewards for
prosocial actions and time-outs for disruptive acts. The focus
strictly on overt actions rather than internal mental states reflects
the philosophy of:
A. John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner
B. William James and Wilhelm Wundt
C. Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow
D. Jean Piaget and Noam Chomsky
,CORRECT ANSWER: A
RATiONAlE: Behaviorism, defined by Watson and Skinner,
explicitly rejected the study of the unobservable mind or
consciousness, choosing instead to focus entirely on observable,
measurable behavior shaped by environmental consequences.
5. During a faculty meeting, Dr. Zhao notes, "Human beings
possess a natural, inherent drive toward personal growth, self-
actualization, and have the free will to make conscious choices
regarding their destinies." Dr. Zhao is expressing the tenets of:
A. Cognitive Psychology
B. Humanistic Psychology
C. Evolutionary Psychology
D. Biopsychosocial Psychology
CORRECT ANSWER: B
RATiONAlE: Humanistic psychology emerged as a "third
force" that emphasized human potential, free will, self-
awareness, and the capacity for conscious, healthy self-direction.
Part 2: Research Methods & Statistics
6. A researcher wants to discover if there is a relationship
between the number of hours college students spend using social
media apps and their final exam scores. The study uncovers a
correlation coefficient of
𝑟
=
−0.68
, . How should this result be interpreted?
A. Increased social media use causes a drop in exam scores.
B. There is a strong, inverse relationship where higher social
media usage accompanies lower exam scores.
C. There is a weak, positive relationship between the two
variables.
D. A third variable, like intelligence, is proven to cause both
behaviors.
CORRECT ANSWER: B
RATiONAlE: A correlation coefficient of -0.68 signifies a
strong negative (inverse) correlation. Correlation cannot prove
direct cause-and-effect relationships due to the directionality
problem and potential confounding third variables.
7. To evaluate the efficacy of a new antidepressant medication,
Dr. Vance designs a study where neither the patients nor the
clinicians administering the pills know who is receiving the actual
chemical compound and who is receiving an inert sugar pill. This
design is called a:
A. Single-blind experiment
B. Naturalistic observation
C. Double-blind procedure
D. Quasi-experimental design
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATiONAlE: A double-blind procedure protects against both
participant expectations (the placebo effect) and researcher
expectancy biases by keeping both groups blind to the treatment
allocations.
STUDY GUIDE 100 ADVANCED PRACTICE
QUESTIONS AND EXPLANATIONS
History, Approaches, & Subfields
1. Dr. Amin is studying how a person's ability to adapt to a high-
stress workplace is shaped by environmental demands and
evolutionary survival mechanisms. Which historical school of
thought does Dr. Amin’s research framework mirror most closely?
A. Structuralism
B. Functionalism
C. Psychoanalysis
D. Behaviorism
CORRECT ANSWER: B
RATiONAlE: Functionalism, championed by William James,
focused on how mental processes and behaviors function to
allow organisms to adapt, survive, and flourish in their
changing environments.
2. An individual undergoes a series of trials where they are
exposed to precise visual stimuli and asked to describe the
conscious, raw sensory components of their immediate experience
down to elemental sensations. This technique is known as
______ and is associated with ______.
A. Introspection; Structuralism
B. Empiricism; Functionalism
C. Free Association; Psychoanalysis
D. Operant Conditioning; Behaviorism
,CORRECT ANSWER: A
RATiONAlE: Introspection was the primary methodology
used by Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener within the school
of Structuralism to break down conscious experiences into their
core fundamental elements.
3. A psychologist argues that a patient's chronic anxiety stems
from unresolved aggressive impulses and traumatic early
childhood experiences hidden away from conscious awareness.
This view aligns with which perspective?
A. Humanistic
B. Behavioral
C. Psychodynamic
D. Cognitive
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATiONAlE: The psychodynamic perspective, originated by
Sigmund Freud, emphasizes the role of the unconscious mind,
primitive drives, and the profound impact of early childhood
experiences on current adult behavior.
4. A school psychologist observes a student's aggressive behavior
on the playground and sets up a system of token rewards for
prosocial actions and time-outs for disruptive acts. The focus
strictly on overt actions rather than internal mental states reflects
the philosophy of:
A. John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner
B. William James and Wilhelm Wundt
C. Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow
D. Jean Piaget and Noam Chomsky
,CORRECT ANSWER: A
RATiONAlE: Behaviorism, defined by Watson and Skinner,
explicitly rejected the study of the unobservable mind or
consciousness, choosing instead to focus entirely on observable,
measurable behavior shaped by environmental consequences.
5. During a faculty meeting, Dr. Zhao notes, "Human beings
possess a natural, inherent drive toward personal growth, self-
actualization, and have the free will to make conscious choices
regarding their destinies." Dr. Zhao is expressing the tenets of:
A. Cognitive Psychology
B. Humanistic Psychology
C. Evolutionary Psychology
D. Biopsychosocial Psychology
CORRECT ANSWER: B
RATiONAlE: Humanistic psychology emerged as a "third
force" that emphasized human potential, free will, self-
awareness, and the capacity for conscious, healthy self-direction.
Part 2: Research Methods & Statistics
6. A researcher wants to discover if there is a relationship
between the number of hours college students spend using social
media apps and their final exam scores. The study uncovers a
correlation coefficient of
𝑟
=
−0.68
, . How should this result be interpreted?
A. Increased social media use causes a drop in exam scores.
B. There is a strong, inverse relationship where higher social
media usage accompanies lower exam scores.
C. There is a weak, positive relationship between the two
variables.
D. A third variable, like intelligence, is proven to cause both
behaviors.
CORRECT ANSWER: B
RATiONAlE: A correlation coefficient of -0.68 signifies a
strong negative (inverse) correlation. Correlation cannot prove
direct cause-and-effect relationships due to the directionality
problem and potential confounding third variables.
7. To evaluate the efficacy of a new antidepressant medication,
Dr. Vance designs a study where neither the patients nor the
clinicians administering the pills know who is receiving the actual
chemical compound and who is receiving an inert sugar pill. This
design is called a:
A. Single-blind experiment
B. Naturalistic observation
C. Double-blind procedure
D. Quasi-experimental design
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATiONAlE: A double-blind procedure protects against both
participant expectations (the placebo effect) and researcher
expectancy biases by keeping both groups blind to the treatment
allocations.
