PSYC 101 General Psychology
Final Assessment Review
Questions & Solutions
2025
©2025
, 1. In a high-stress clinical environment, a nurse must perform critical
tasks under pressure. According to the Yerkes–Dodson Law, which level
of arousal is most conducive to optimal performance?
A) Low arousal
B) Moderate arousal
C) High arousal
D) Arousal level is irrelevant
> Correct ANS: B) Moderate arousal
> Rationale: The Yerkes–Dodson Law posits that performance improves
with moderate arousal but deteriorates if the arousal is too low or too
high. In nursing, the optimal balance between calmness and alertness is
essential for safe patient care.
---
2. When evaluating patient behavior, a nurse must remain aware of
cognitive biases. Which bias specifically involves overemphasizing
personal characteristics while underestimating environmental factors?
A) Confirmation bias
B) Fundamental attribution error
C) Hindsight bias
D) Anchoring bias
> Correct ANS: B) Fundamental attribution error
> Rationale: This bias leads practitioners to attribute a patient’s
behaviors more to inherent disposition than to situational factors,
potentially skewing assessments and care planning.
---
3. A nurse faces inner conflict when required to follow a hospital
protocol that conflicts with personal values. Which psychological concept
best explains the discomfort experienced in this situation?
A) Cognitive dissonance
B) Self-efficacy
©2025
,C) Learned helplessness
D) Operant conditioning
> Correct ANS: A) Cognitive dissonance
> Rationale: Cognitive dissonance occurs when actions conflict with
personal beliefs, producing discomfort that can affect decision-making
and stress levels in clinical settings.
---
4. When making complex diagnostic decisions, which metacognitive
strategy is most effective for reducing bias?
A) Relying solely on clinical experience
B) Consulting colleagues and reflecting on one’s own thought process
C) Following rigid protocols without deviation
D) Ignoring anomalous data
> Correct ANS: B) Consulting colleagues and reflecting on one’s own
thought process
> Rationale: Engaging in reflective practice and seeking external
feedback are essential for mitigating bias and enhancing diagnostic
accuracy.
---
5. Which psychological model is most frequently applied to understand
and improve patient adherence to treatment regimens in chronic care?
A) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
B) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
C) Health Belief Model
D) Self-Determination Theory
> Correct ANS: C) Health Belief Model
> Rationale: The Health Belief Model examines individual beliefs about
disease and treatments, offering insight into why patients accept or
reject interventions.
---
©2025
, 6. A patient demonstrates reluctance to change behavior by attributing
outcomes to external forces. This phenotype is best described by which
concept?
A) External locus of control
B) Internal locus of control
C) Learned optimism
D) Self-efficacy
> Correct ANS: A) External locus of control
> Rationale: Believing that outcomes are determined by factors outside
one’s control can diminish a patient’s motivation to engage in healthier
behaviors—a key consideration in nursing interventions.
---
7. Which theory best explains the interactive process in which personal
factors, behavioral patterns, and the environment mutually influence one
another?
A) Social Learning Theory
B) Psychoanalytic Theory
C) Attribution Theory
D) Behaviorism
> Correct ANS: A) Social Learning Theory
> Rationale: Bandura’s Social Learning Theory emphasizes reciprocal
determinism, highlighting the dynamic interaction among personal,
environmental, and behavioral factors—a concept relevant to both
patient education and nurse behavior modeling.
---
8. A nurse undertakes reflective practice to evaluate clinical decisions
and improve care quality. This process is most closely related to which
psychological concept?
A) Self-actualization
B) Metacognition
©2025
Final Assessment Review
Questions & Solutions
2025
©2025
, 1. In a high-stress clinical environment, a nurse must perform critical
tasks under pressure. According to the Yerkes–Dodson Law, which level
of arousal is most conducive to optimal performance?
A) Low arousal
B) Moderate arousal
C) High arousal
D) Arousal level is irrelevant
> Correct ANS: B) Moderate arousal
> Rationale: The Yerkes–Dodson Law posits that performance improves
with moderate arousal but deteriorates if the arousal is too low or too
high. In nursing, the optimal balance between calmness and alertness is
essential for safe patient care.
---
2. When evaluating patient behavior, a nurse must remain aware of
cognitive biases. Which bias specifically involves overemphasizing
personal characteristics while underestimating environmental factors?
A) Confirmation bias
B) Fundamental attribution error
C) Hindsight bias
D) Anchoring bias
> Correct ANS: B) Fundamental attribution error
> Rationale: This bias leads practitioners to attribute a patient’s
behaviors more to inherent disposition than to situational factors,
potentially skewing assessments and care planning.
---
3. A nurse faces inner conflict when required to follow a hospital
protocol that conflicts with personal values. Which psychological concept
best explains the discomfort experienced in this situation?
A) Cognitive dissonance
B) Self-efficacy
©2025
,C) Learned helplessness
D) Operant conditioning
> Correct ANS: A) Cognitive dissonance
> Rationale: Cognitive dissonance occurs when actions conflict with
personal beliefs, producing discomfort that can affect decision-making
and stress levels in clinical settings.
---
4. When making complex diagnostic decisions, which metacognitive
strategy is most effective for reducing bias?
A) Relying solely on clinical experience
B) Consulting colleagues and reflecting on one’s own thought process
C) Following rigid protocols without deviation
D) Ignoring anomalous data
> Correct ANS: B) Consulting colleagues and reflecting on one’s own
thought process
> Rationale: Engaging in reflective practice and seeking external
feedback are essential for mitigating bias and enhancing diagnostic
accuracy.
---
5. Which psychological model is most frequently applied to understand
and improve patient adherence to treatment regimens in chronic care?
A) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
B) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
C) Health Belief Model
D) Self-Determination Theory
> Correct ANS: C) Health Belief Model
> Rationale: The Health Belief Model examines individual beliefs about
disease and treatments, offering insight into why patients accept or
reject interventions.
---
©2025
, 6. A patient demonstrates reluctance to change behavior by attributing
outcomes to external forces. This phenotype is best described by which
concept?
A) External locus of control
B) Internal locus of control
C) Learned optimism
D) Self-efficacy
> Correct ANS: A) External locus of control
> Rationale: Believing that outcomes are determined by factors outside
one’s control can diminish a patient’s motivation to engage in healthier
behaviors—a key consideration in nursing interventions.
---
7. Which theory best explains the interactive process in which personal
factors, behavioral patterns, and the environment mutually influence one
another?
A) Social Learning Theory
B) Psychoanalytic Theory
C) Attribution Theory
D) Behaviorism
> Correct ANS: A) Social Learning Theory
> Rationale: Bandura’s Social Learning Theory emphasizes reciprocal
determinism, highlighting the dynamic interaction among personal,
environmental, and behavioral factors—a concept relevant to both
patient education and nurse behavior modeling.
---
8. A nurse undertakes reflective practice to evaluate clinical decisions
and improve care quality. This process is most closely related to which
psychological concept?
A) Self-actualization
B) Metacognition
©2025
