GRE Psychology Practice Questions
with Correct Answers
Acetycholine - CORRECT ANSWER -neurotransmitter associated with voluntary movement, sleep
and wakefulness. Too little is associated with Alzheimer's
Analysis of Variance/ANOVA - CORRECT ANSWER -inferential statistical procedure used to
compare 2 or more means to see if the difference is not chance (need p<.05 for statistical
significance)
Aphasia - CORRECT ANSWER -impairment of ability to communicate either through oral or
written discourse as a result of brain damage. Ex. Wernicke's ________ or Broca's __________
Optimum Arousal Theory - CORRECT ANSWER -Theory stating that we are motivated by our
innate desire to maintain an personally preferred level of arousal.
Broca's Aphasia - CORRECT ANSWER -Loss of function associated with damage to a specific area
of the left frontal lobe, demonstrated by impairment in producing understandable speech.
Egocentric - CORRECT ANSWER -young child's inability to understand another person's
perspective - typical of Piaget's preoperational stage
Concrete Operational Stage - CORRECT ANSWER -According to Piaget - stage of cognitive
development where child between ages of 7 and 12 begins thinking more globally and outside
of the self but are still deficient in abstract thought.
Construct Validity - CORRECT ANSWER -Validity answers the question of whether or not the
measuring device actually measures the theoretical idea under question.
,Convergence - CORRECT ANSWER -Binocular cue to distance referring to fact that the closer an
object is, the more inward our eyes need to turn in order to focus
Dopamine Hypothesis - CORRECT ANSWER -Theory that schizophrenia is caused by an excess
amount of dopamine in brain. Research has found that medication to reduce dopamine can
reduce the positive symptoms of schizophrenia.
Endorphins - CORRECT ANSWER -neurotransmitter involved in pain relief, and feelings of
pleasure and contentedness.
Epinephrine - CORRECT ANSWER -neurotransmitter involved in energy and glucose metabolism.
External Validity - CORRECT ANSWER -The extent to which data collected from a sample can be
generalized to the entire population.
Factor Analysis - CORRECT ANSWER -A statistical technique used combine data into similar
groups
Frequency Effect - CORRECT ANSWER -The phenomenon in memory which states that we tend
to remember information better if it is repeated.
Formal Operational Stage - CORRECT ANSWER -Piaget's fourth and final stage of cognitive
development where thinking becomes more abstract. 12+ years
Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis - CORRECT ANSWER -Theory arguing that aggression is the
natural reaction to frustration.
g factor - CORRECT ANSWER -Basic intelligence of Spearman's theory. Typically compared to s
which represents specific intelligences.
, Gender Identity - CORRECT ANSWER -Internal sense of being either male or female. Usually
congruent with biological gender, but not always.
Hawthorne Effect - CORRECT ANSWER -Phenomenon that subject behavior changes by mere
fact that they are being observed.
Introspection - CORRECT ANSWER -The process of examining one's own consciousness used by
Structuralists and Functionalist researchers
Legitimate Power - CORRECT ANSWER -Power derived through one's position, such as a police
officer or elected official.
Motive - CORRECT ANSWER -Internal states that provide direction for one's behaviors.
Norepinephrine - CORRECT ANSWER -neurotransmitter associated with eating and alertness.
Too little has been associated with depression in addition to serotonin
Overlearning - CORRECT ANSWER -A technique used to improve memory where info is learned
to the point that it can be repeated without mistake more than one time. Continuted rehearsal
after material is leanred - Ebbinghaus
Phi Phenomenon - CORRECT ANSWER -The perception of motion based on two or more
stationary objects (e.g., perception of chaser lights brought about by different lights blinking at
different times).
Criterion Validity - CORRECT ANSWER -A measurements ability to predict scores on another
measurement that is related or purports to measure the same or similar construct
with Correct Answers
Acetycholine - CORRECT ANSWER -neurotransmitter associated with voluntary movement, sleep
and wakefulness. Too little is associated with Alzheimer's
Analysis of Variance/ANOVA - CORRECT ANSWER -inferential statistical procedure used to
compare 2 or more means to see if the difference is not chance (need p<.05 for statistical
significance)
Aphasia - CORRECT ANSWER -impairment of ability to communicate either through oral or
written discourse as a result of brain damage. Ex. Wernicke's ________ or Broca's __________
Optimum Arousal Theory - CORRECT ANSWER -Theory stating that we are motivated by our
innate desire to maintain an personally preferred level of arousal.
Broca's Aphasia - CORRECT ANSWER -Loss of function associated with damage to a specific area
of the left frontal lobe, demonstrated by impairment in producing understandable speech.
Egocentric - CORRECT ANSWER -young child's inability to understand another person's
perspective - typical of Piaget's preoperational stage
Concrete Operational Stage - CORRECT ANSWER -According to Piaget - stage of cognitive
development where child between ages of 7 and 12 begins thinking more globally and outside
of the self but are still deficient in abstract thought.
Construct Validity - CORRECT ANSWER -Validity answers the question of whether or not the
measuring device actually measures the theoretical idea under question.
,Convergence - CORRECT ANSWER -Binocular cue to distance referring to fact that the closer an
object is, the more inward our eyes need to turn in order to focus
Dopamine Hypothesis - CORRECT ANSWER -Theory that schizophrenia is caused by an excess
amount of dopamine in brain. Research has found that medication to reduce dopamine can
reduce the positive symptoms of schizophrenia.
Endorphins - CORRECT ANSWER -neurotransmitter involved in pain relief, and feelings of
pleasure and contentedness.
Epinephrine - CORRECT ANSWER -neurotransmitter involved in energy and glucose metabolism.
External Validity - CORRECT ANSWER -The extent to which data collected from a sample can be
generalized to the entire population.
Factor Analysis - CORRECT ANSWER -A statistical technique used combine data into similar
groups
Frequency Effect - CORRECT ANSWER -The phenomenon in memory which states that we tend
to remember information better if it is repeated.
Formal Operational Stage - CORRECT ANSWER -Piaget's fourth and final stage of cognitive
development where thinking becomes more abstract. 12+ years
Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis - CORRECT ANSWER -Theory arguing that aggression is the
natural reaction to frustration.
g factor - CORRECT ANSWER -Basic intelligence of Spearman's theory. Typically compared to s
which represents specific intelligences.
, Gender Identity - CORRECT ANSWER -Internal sense of being either male or female. Usually
congruent with biological gender, but not always.
Hawthorne Effect - CORRECT ANSWER -Phenomenon that subject behavior changes by mere
fact that they are being observed.
Introspection - CORRECT ANSWER -The process of examining one's own consciousness used by
Structuralists and Functionalist researchers
Legitimate Power - CORRECT ANSWER -Power derived through one's position, such as a police
officer or elected official.
Motive - CORRECT ANSWER -Internal states that provide direction for one's behaviors.
Norepinephrine - CORRECT ANSWER -neurotransmitter associated with eating and alertness.
Too little has been associated with depression in addition to serotonin
Overlearning - CORRECT ANSWER -A technique used to improve memory where info is learned
to the point that it can be repeated without mistake more than one time. Continuted rehearsal
after material is leanred - Ebbinghaus
Phi Phenomenon - CORRECT ANSWER -The perception of motion based on two or more
stationary objects (e.g., perception of chaser lights brought about by different lights blinking at
different times).
Criterion Validity - CORRECT ANSWER -A measurements ability to predict scores on another
measurement that is related or purports to measure the same or similar construct
