Applied Psychology Foundations and Ethical
Frameworks: Comprehensive Prep Guide
Section 1: Questions 1–100
1. A 72-year-old client presents with progressive memory loss, disorientation to time
and place, and personality changes over the past two years. The client's family
reports increasing difficulty with daily activities. Which condition is most consistent
with this presentation?
A. Delirium
B. Major Neurocognitive Disorder due to Alzheimer's disease
C. Schizophrenia
D. Major Depressive Disorder
Rationale: Progressive, gradual decline in memory and cognition with functional
impairment and personality changes is characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. Delirium
has acute onset and fluctuating course .
2. A researcher is testing whether a new antidepressant reduces depressive
symptoms compared to placebo. The null hypothesis is:
A. The drug will reduce symptoms.
B. The drug will not reduce symptoms compared to placebo.
C. The drug will have side effects.
D. The drug will cure depression.
Rationale: The null hypothesis states no difference or no effect. The alternative
hypothesis states that the drug reduces symptoms .
3. A client in a therapy session discloses that her brother is planning to harm
someone. The therapist should:
A. Maintain confidentiality without exception.
B. Assess the threat and, if credible, take protective action including warning
the intended victim and notifying authorities.
C. Terminate therapy immediately.
D. Tell the client's brother to stop.
Rationale: The duty to protect (Tarasoff) requires therapists to take reasonable steps to
protect identified victims when a credible threat is made .
4. A test has a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10. A client scores 70. What is
the client's T-score?
A. 60
B. 70
C. 80
,D. 90
Rationale: T-score = 50 + 10(z). z = (70-50)/10 = 2. T = 50 + 10(2) = 70 .
5. A client presents with persistent, excessive worry about multiple areas of life for six
months, difficulty concentrating, and irritability. The most likely diagnosis is:
A. Panic Disorder
B. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
C. Social Anxiety Disorder
D. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Rationale: Excessive, uncontrollable worry about multiple domains for six months or
more is characteristic of Generalized Anxiety Disorder .
6. A psychologist is asked to evaluate a client for a possible learning disorder. The
client's achievement scores are significantly below what would be expected given
their IQ. This pattern indicates:
A. Intellectual disability
B. A specific learning disorder
C. ADHD
D. Autism spectrum disorder
Rationale: A specific learning disorder is characterized by academic skills substantially
below what would be expected given age and intelligence .
7. A psychologist is providing therapy to a client who reports a history of childhood
sexual abuse. The psychologist should prioritize:
A. Immediate trauma processing
B. Establishing safety and stabilization
C. Confronting the client's defenses
D. Diagnosing antisocial personality disorder
Rationale: In trauma-informed care, establishing safety and stabilization is the first
phase before processing traumatic material .
8. A client reports that she has been "hearing voices" telling her to hurt herself. The
psychologist should first:
A. Diagnose schizophrenia
B. Conduct a thorough risk assessment and safety planning
C. Begin cognitive remediation
D. Refer for a neurological exam
Rationale: When command hallucinations are reported, immediate safety assessment
and intervention are the priority .
9. A psychologist is working with a client from a collectivistic culture. The
psychologist should be particularly attentive to:
A. The client's individual goals and autonomy above all else
B. The client's family and community context and how decisions affect the
,group
C. The client's desire for personal achievement
D. The client's need for independence from family
Rationale: Collectivistic cultures prioritize group harmony, family obligations, and
interdependence. Assessment and treatment should incorporate this context .
10. A psychologist receives a subpoena requesting confidential treatment records.
The psychologist's initial response should be to:
A. Immediately send all requested records
B. Ignore the subpoena
C. Review the legal requirements and take appropriate steps to protect client
confidentiality before releasing records
D. Discuss the case publicly
Rationale: A subpoena does not automatically require disclosure. The psychologist
should evaluate applicable laws, ethical obligations, and client authorization before
releasing confidential information .
11. In classical conditioning, a previously neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned
stimulus by being paired with:
A. Another conditioned stimulus
B. An unconditioned stimulus
C. A conditioned response
D. A neutral response
Rationale: A neutral stimulus acquires the ability to elicit a conditioned response
through repeated pairing with an unconditioned stimulus .
12. A psychologist administers an IQ test and obtains a Full Scale IQ of 85. The test
has a standard error of measurement of 3 points. The 95% confidence interval is
approximately:
A. 82–88
B. 79–91
C. 76–94
D. 85–91
Rationale: The 95% confidence interval is approximately ±2 SEM: 85 ± (2 × 3) = 79 to
91 .
13. A client with bipolar disorder is prescribed lithium. The psychologist should be
aware that lithium requires:
A. No monitoring
B. Regular blood level monitoring due to a narrow therapeutic window
C. Only initial monitoring
D. Monitoring only if side effects occur
Rationale: Lithium has a narrow therapeutic index, requiring regular blood monitoring
to prevent toxicity .
, 14. A psychologist is using cognitive restructuring with a client who believes "I must
be perfect or I am a failure." The goal is to help the client:
A. Suppress the thought
B. Identify and modify the irrational belief
C. Distract themselves
D. Accept the thought without change
Rationale: Cognitive restructuring involves identifying irrational or maladaptive
thoughts and replacing them with more balanced, realistic appraisals .
15. A client reports that she has been unable to leave her house for the past month
because she fears having a panic attack in public. The most likely diagnosis is:
A. Social Anxiety Disorder
B. Agoraphobia
C. Specific Phobia
D. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Rationale: Agoraphobia involves fear or avoidance of situations where escape might be
difficult or help unavailable in the event of panic-like symptoms .
16. A psychologist is conducting a study and the IRB requires that participants be
debriefed. The psychologist should:
A. Skip debriefing if the study is low risk
B. Provide participants with information about the study's purpose, procedures,
and findings, and address any concerns
C. Only debrief participants who ask questions
D. Debrief only if deception was used
Rationale: Debriefing is an ethical requirement that involves providing participants
with information about the study and addressing any concerns .
17. A psychologist is working with a client who has been diagnosed with PTSD. The
psychologist should:
A. Avoid discussing the trauma
B. Use trauma-focused evidence-based treatments such as Prolonged Exposure,
Cognitive Processing Therapy, or EMDR
C. Focus only on medication
D. Tell the client to forget the trauma
Rationale: Trauma-focused psychotherapies are the evidence-based psychological
treatments for PTSD .
18. A psychologist is asked to provide a second opinion on a diagnosis. The
psychologist should:
A. Simply agree with the original diagnosis
B. Conduct an independent evaluation and provide an objective opinion based
on the available data
C. Refuse because it might offend the original diagnostician
Frameworks: Comprehensive Prep Guide
Section 1: Questions 1–100
1. A 72-year-old client presents with progressive memory loss, disorientation to time
and place, and personality changes over the past two years. The client's family
reports increasing difficulty with daily activities. Which condition is most consistent
with this presentation?
A. Delirium
B. Major Neurocognitive Disorder due to Alzheimer's disease
C. Schizophrenia
D. Major Depressive Disorder
Rationale: Progressive, gradual decline in memory and cognition with functional
impairment and personality changes is characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. Delirium
has acute onset and fluctuating course .
2. A researcher is testing whether a new antidepressant reduces depressive
symptoms compared to placebo. The null hypothesis is:
A. The drug will reduce symptoms.
B. The drug will not reduce symptoms compared to placebo.
C. The drug will have side effects.
D. The drug will cure depression.
Rationale: The null hypothesis states no difference or no effect. The alternative
hypothesis states that the drug reduces symptoms .
3. A client in a therapy session discloses that her brother is planning to harm
someone. The therapist should:
A. Maintain confidentiality without exception.
B. Assess the threat and, if credible, take protective action including warning
the intended victim and notifying authorities.
C. Terminate therapy immediately.
D. Tell the client's brother to stop.
Rationale: The duty to protect (Tarasoff) requires therapists to take reasonable steps to
protect identified victims when a credible threat is made .
4. A test has a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10. A client scores 70. What is
the client's T-score?
A. 60
B. 70
C. 80
,D. 90
Rationale: T-score = 50 + 10(z). z = (70-50)/10 = 2. T = 50 + 10(2) = 70 .
5. A client presents with persistent, excessive worry about multiple areas of life for six
months, difficulty concentrating, and irritability. The most likely diagnosis is:
A. Panic Disorder
B. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
C. Social Anxiety Disorder
D. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Rationale: Excessive, uncontrollable worry about multiple domains for six months or
more is characteristic of Generalized Anxiety Disorder .
6. A psychologist is asked to evaluate a client for a possible learning disorder. The
client's achievement scores are significantly below what would be expected given
their IQ. This pattern indicates:
A. Intellectual disability
B. A specific learning disorder
C. ADHD
D. Autism spectrum disorder
Rationale: A specific learning disorder is characterized by academic skills substantially
below what would be expected given age and intelligence .
7. A psychologist is providing therapy to a client who reports a history of childhood
sexual abuse. The psychologist should prioritize:
A. Immediate trauma processing
B. Establishing safety and stabilization
C. Confronting the client's defenses
D. Diagnosing antisocial personality disorder
Rationale: In trauma-informed care, establishing safety and stabilization is the first
phase before processing traumatic material .
8. A client reports that she has been "hearing voices" telling her to hurt herself. The
psychologist should first:
A. Diagnose schizophrenia
B. Conduct a thorough risk assessment and safety planning
C. Begin cognitive remediation
D. Refer for a neurological exam
Rationale: When command hallucinations are reported, immediate safety assessment
and intervention are the priority .
9. A psychologist is working with a client from a collectivistic culture. The
psychologist should be particularly attentive to:
A. The client's individual goals and autonomy above all else
B. The client's family and community context and how decisions affect the
,group
C. The client's desire for personal achievement
D. The client's need for independence from family
Rationale: Collectivistic cultures prioritize group harmony, family obligations, and
interdependence. Assessment and treatment should incorporate this context .
10. A psychologist receives a subpoena requesting confidential treatment records.
The psychologist's initial response should be to:
A. Immediately send all requested records
B. Ignore the subpoena
C. Review the legal requirements and take appropriate steps to protect client
confidentiality before releasing records
D. Discuss the case publicly
Rationale: A subpoena does not automatically require disclosure. The psychologist
should evaluate applicable laws, ethical obligations, and client authorization before
releasing confidential information .
11. In classical conditioning, a previously neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned
stimulus by being paired with:
A. Another conditioned stimulus
B. An unconditioned stimulus
C. A conditioned response
D. A neutral response
Rationale: A neutral stimulus acquires the ability to elicit a conditioned response
through repeated pairing with an unconditioned stimulus .
12. A psychologist administers an IQ test and obtains a Full Scale IQ of 85. The test
has a standard error of measurement of 3 points. The 95% confidence interval is
approximately:
A. 82–88
B. 79–91
C. 76–94
D. 85–91
Rationale: The 95% confidence interval is approximately ±2 SEM: 85 ± (2 × 3) = 79 to
91 .
13. A client with bipolar disorder is prescribed lithium. The psychologist should be
aware that lithium requires:
A. No monitoring
B. Regular blood level monitoring due to a narrow therapeutic window
C. Only initial monitoring
D. Monitoring only if side effects occur
Rationale: Lithium has a narrow therapeutic index, requiring regular blood monitoring
to prevent toxicity .
, 14. A psychologist is using cognitive restructuring with a client who believes "I must
be perfect or I am a failure." The goal is to help the client:
A. Suppress the thought
B. Identify and modify the irrational belief
C. Distract themselves
D. Accept the thought without change
Rationale: Cognitive restructuring involves identifying irrational or maladaptive
thoughts and replacing them with more balanced, realistic appraisals .
15. A client reports that she has been unable to leave her house for the past month
because she fears having a panic attack in public. The most likely diagnosis is:
A. Social Anxiety Disorder
B. Agoraphobia
C. Specific Phobia
D. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Rationale: Agoraphobia involves fear or avoidance of situations where escape might be
difficult or help unavailable in the event of panic-like symptoms .
16. A psychologist is conducting a study and the IRB requires that participants be
debriefed. The psychologist should:
A. Skip debriefing if the study is low risk
B. Provide participants with information about the study's purpose, procedures,
and findings, and address any concerns
C. Only debrief participants who ask questions
D. Debrief only if deception was used
Rationale: Debriefing is an ethical requirement that involves providing participants
with information about the study and addressing any concerns .
17. A psychologist is working with a client who has been diagnosed with PTSD. The
psychologist should:
A. Avoid discussing the trauma
B. Use trauma-focused evidence-based treatments such as Prolonged Exposure,
Cognitive Processing Therapy, or EMDR
C. Focus only on medication
D. Tell the client to forget the trauma
Rationale: Trauma-focused psychotherapies are the evidence-based psychological
treatments for PTSD .
18. A psychologist is asked to provide a second opinion on a diagnosis. The
psychologist should:
A. Simply agree with the original diagnosis
B. Conduct an independent evaluation and provide an objective opinion based
on the available data
C. Refuse because it might offend the original diagnostician
