Practice Questions Flashcards
An athlete’s performance may improve or worsen according to the level of arousal. Under extreme pressure, performance can diminish. This is an example of
A) the Yerkes-Dodson law
B) Clark Hull’s theory of motivation
C) the Garcia effect
D) Zajonc’s theory
E) the James-Lange theory
A
A developmental psychologist is interested in conducting a study on children’s gender perceptions. The psychologist recruits children who are either 5 years of age, 8 years of age, or 10 years of age to complete the study. Which of the following best describes the psychologist’s research design?
A) longitudinal
B) case study
C) cross-sectional
D) experimental
E) time-series
C
Piaget’s stages of cognitive development (in order) are
A) preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational, sensorimotor
B) sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational
C) sensorimotor, preoperational, formal operational, concrete operational
D) preoperational, formal operational, concrete operational, sensorimotor
E) preoperational, conservation, egocentric, scientist
B
The term vicarious reinforcement was coined by
A) John Dewey
B) Albert Bandura
C) William James
D) Carl Rogers
E) Kurt Lewin
B
Which of the following Gestalt laws refers to perceptual organization as being as “good” as possible?
A) closure
B) proximity
C) similarity
D) good continuation
E) pragnanz
E
At dinner, Karen’s brother spills his drink on the table; Karen concludes this happened because he is clumsy and careless. This is an example of the
A) social facilitation theory
B) social exchange theory
C) halo effect
D) fundamental attribution error
E) fundamental situation error
D
When communicating with others around us, which cues are typically necessary?
A) auditory or somatosensory
B) visual and auditory
C) visual and olfaction
D) visual
E) auditory
B
A choir is headed for a state competition to perform 5 pieces of music. The choir is very strong on some songs (i.e. performs well) and weaker on some songs (i.e. performs less well). If the director wants to order the songs in a strategic way, what might you suggest?
A) using random assignment for the songs
B) placing the strongest songs as the first and last pieces
C) placing the strongest songs in the middle
D) alternating between stronger bonds and weaker songs
B
Groupthink refers to which of the following?
A) Tendency of decision-making groups to strive for consensus by not considering discordant information
B) Tendency of decision-making groups to get caught up in different opinions of group members and delay decision making
C) Tendency for decision-making groups to consider all sides of the matter rather than one perspective (multiple heads are better than one)
D) Tendency for decision-making groups to separate and form sub-groups with homogenous opinions
A
Consider the following scenario: Heidi is walking down the street when she sees a man on the street covered in blood yelling, “help me!”
According to Darley and Latane’s bystander intervention research, then under which of the following circumstances would Heidi be most likely to demonstrate helping behavior?
A) Heidi is walking down a street with no one else around
B) Heidi is walking down the street with a group of her friends
C) Heidi is walking down the street by herself, but there are a few other people on the street
D) Heidi is walking down the street and it is very crowded with many people around
A
It has been observed that, over time, the persuasive power of a highly credible source (i.e. a physicist) decreases, while the persuasive power of a low-credibility source (i.e. a supermarket tabloid) increases. Which of the following identifies the term used by social psychologists to describe this odd phenomenon?
A) social learning
B) delayed-persuasion effect
C) low credibility effect
D) social loafing
E) sleeper effect
E
People tend to believe that shark attacks kill more people than asthma, even though the reverse is true. Which of the following social-psychological concepts could help to explain this phenomenon?
A) the availability heuristic
B) group polarization
C) social facilitation
D) the representativeness heuristic
A
Cindy pledges to join a sorority and goes through a series of difficult and challenging events, until she is finally accepted into the sorority. According to Festinger’s cognitive dissonance theory, what will happen to Cindy’s beliefs about the sorority?
A) She will quit the sorority.
B) She will like the sorority more.
C) Her beliefs will not change.
D) She will like the sorority less.
B
Gary passes an accident on the road while driving. He sees that one car has hit another. If he is committing the fundamental attribution error, then he would be most likely to say which of the following?
A) The driver must have been inattentive
B) Everyone makes mistakes
C) I’m a much safer driver
D) The driver has bad luck
E) The bad weather is responsible for the accident
A
According to the bystander effect, a person would be most likely to receive help during a medical emergency under which of the following circumstances?
A) He’s a doctor
B) He’s in a large crowd
C) There’s only one or two other people present
D) He’s elderly
E) The medical emergency is common
C
Consider the following scenario: Nancy shows up to school wearing a brand new outfit that she really likes. When she arrives at school, Nancy notices that Susan (who Nancy has disliked for a long time) is wearing the exact same outfit as Nancy. Nancy decides that Susan isn’t so bad after all.
This scenario best reflects which social psychological construct?
A) fundamental attribution error
B) diffusion of responsibility
C) Festinger’s cognitive dissonance theory
D) Gain-Loss principle
C
Which of the following isn’t related to the psychological understanding of conformity, obedience, and compliance?
A) Batson’s electroshock study
B) Milgram’s electroshock study
C) Asch’s length of lines study
D) Sherif’s autokinetic effect study
E) the foot-in-the-door effect
A
The “strange situation” was an experiment devised to examine the quality of the parent-child attachment relationship by which researcher?
A) Diana Baumrind
B) Karen Horney
C) John Bowlby
D) Carol Gilligan
E) Margaret Ainsworth
E
Which well-known critic of trait theory argued that behavior is largely determined by characteristics of the situation rather than by those of the person?
A) Klein
B) Seligman
C) Dix
D) Spearman
E) Mischel
E
Which of the following mental disorders is characterized by pervasive instability in interpersonal behavior, mood, and self image; frequently intense and unstable interpersonal relationships, and often, an Intense fear of abandonment
A) narcissistic personality disorder
B) borderline personality disorder
C) antisocial personality disorder
D) histrionic personality disorder
E) schizotypical personality disorder
B
In a longitudinal study of weight loss, data is collected to assess weight change over time based on two different aerobics regimens: yoga and jogging. Which of the following research designs is best suite for this type of study?
A) between-subjects design
B) matched subjects design
C) within-subjects design
D) cross subjects design
E) interactional design
A
To assess the validity of an intelligence test that’s used to select individuals for admission for a college, a researcher collects the test takers’ college grade point averages a year later. This is an example of what type of validity?
A) convergent
B) construct
C) discriminant
D) predictive
E) concurrent
D
According to Carl Jung, major archetypes include all of the following except the
A) libido
B) shadow
C) self
D) persona
E) anima
A
The founder of operant conditioning is
A) John Watson
B) William James
C) Edward Tolman
D) Kohler
E) B.F. Skinner
E
A group of students enrolled in a psychology course are placed in a room and asked to perform a group communication task. The experiment concludes that the student’s increased performance score on the task is partly due to their professor’s presence. This is an example of
A) social loafing
B) Hawthorne effect
C) group cohesion
D) bystander effect
E) self reference effect
B
The term “split brain” refers to severing the corpus callosum. This procedure is sometimes used for patients with what disorder?
A) schizophrenia
B) depression
C) epilepsy
D) amnestic syndrome
E) alzheimer’s disease
C
The fovea, the middle section of the retina, contains only which type of photoreceptor cell?
A) cones
B) rods
C) optics
D) ganglion cells
E) lens
A
Episodic memory and semantic memory are two types of
A) short-term memory
B) iconic memory
C) sensory memory
D) procedural memory
E) declarative memory
E
The Zeigarnik effect refers to increased recall memory in which of the following contexts?
A) Primary colors versus non-primary colors
B) Similar psychological and physical state at the time of memorization and recall
C) Incomplete tasks versus completed tasks
D) Associating information with some sequence with familiar places
E) Stimuli occurring at the beginning and at the end of lists
C
Consider the following scenario: Jake failed a math test last Friday. His schoolmates accuse him of being dumb and unintelligent, and Jake responds by stating that he had slept very poorly and not been able to study as much as he had wanted.
This scenario best reflects which social psychological construct?
A) diffusion of responsibility
B) fundamental attribution error
C) Festinger’s cognitive dissonance theory
D) Gain-loss principle
B
A worker receives evaluations from her supervisor every four months. According to Aronson’s gain-loss principle, which of the following scenarios would result in the worker having the strongest attraction toward the supervisor at the end of the year?
A) negative evaluation, negative evaluation, and positive evaluation
B) Positive evaluation, negative evaluation, and negative evaluation
C) Positive evaluation, positive evaluation, and negative evaluation
D) Positive evaluation, positive evaluation, and positive evaluation
A
Tony used to believe that studying for exams was a waste of time, but now that he is using Varsity Tutors and other online resources, he is beginning to think they have value. Tony is most likely experiencing…
A) role playing
B) social judgement theory
C) social loafing
D) cognitive dissonance
E) foot in the door phenomenon
D
Which social psychologist is not correctly matched with his/her most famous finding?
A) Milgram: obedience
B) Sheriff: social judgement
C) Ashe: door in the face
D) Festinger: cognitive dissonance
E) Zimbardo: role playing
C
Which of the following social psychological phenomena occurs when individuals are less likely to intervene in a given social situation when more people are present?
A) social loafing
B) reciprocity norm
C) bystander effort
D) social exchange
C
Darla is trying to sell cookies for her girl scout troop. She goes to her neighbor house and asks her to purchase a box of cookies, to which the neighbor agrees. Darla then asks if she would consider purchasing two additional boxes of another type of cookie. Darla is trying to use which technique to get her neightbor to purchase cookies?
A) obedience
B) door-in-the-face
C) minority persuasion
D) foot-in-the-door
D
Consider the following scenario: An high school teacher encounters the principal of the school in the hallway on her way to class. The principal instructs the teacher to immediately leave the campus and purchase a pizza for him. The teacher resists saying that she needs to go teach her class and has a test to give, but the principal repeats and insists on his instructions to get a pizza. The teacher goes to get the pizza and misses the class.
Which of the following classic social psychology experiments was best illustrated by the example scenario?
A) Soloman Asch’s Conformity Study
B) Clark and Clark’s Doll Preference Study
C) Phillip Zimbardo’s Prison Experiment
D) Milgram’s obedience study
D
Which of the following best illustrates the door in the face effect?
A) An antique salesperson tells a customer that if she does not buy a ring on that particular day, somebody else probably will.
B) An advertisement indicates that anyone who buys two shirts at $20 will be given a third shirt free.
C) A salesperson tries to sell a car to a customer for $100,000. The customer resists and the salesperson drops the price to $40,000.
D) A non-profit company calls you to ask for a $10 donation. You agree, and then the following month, the company calls again asking for a $20 donation.
D
Which of the following best illustrates the foot in the door effect?
A) An advertisement indicates that anyone who buys two shirts at $20 will be given a third shirt free.
B) A salesperson tries to sell a car to a customer for $100,000. The customer resists and the salesperson drops the price to $40,000.
C) An antique salesperson tells a customer that if she does not buy a ring on that particular day, somebody else probably will.
D) A non-profit company calls you to ask for a $10 donation. You agree, and then the following month, the company calls again asking for a $20 donation.
D
Which of the following was the main finding of Milgram’s classic study on obedience and conformity?
A) Black and white children preferred white dolls
B) Subjects yield to group pressure and chose incorrect line
C) Individuals estimates of movement conformed to group’s
D) Subjects shocked people and the majority continued shocking up to maximum voltage
D
According to inoculation theory, which of the following would be the best protection against a persuasive attack?
A) Anticipating and discrediting the points of the argument prior to the attack
B) Providing arguments to support the initial belief prior to the attack
C) Anticipating and discrediting the character of the attacker
D) Anticipating and supporting the points of the argument prior to the attack
A
Consider the following scenario: A study group of five students is meeting for a math review before a big test. On the first problem, the students work the problem separately and then share their answers. The first four students give the same answer. When it is the fifth student’s turn to share, he decides to say what the other students said even though he got a different answer to the math problem.
Which classic social psychology study is illustrated best through the scenario?
A) Soloman Asch’s Conformity Study
B) Phillip Zimbardo’s Prison Experiment
C) Stanley Milgram’s Obedience Experiment
D) Clark and Clark’s Doll Preference Experiment
A
__________ attached people report the highest rate of happy and trusting relationships.
A) ambivalent
B) securely
C) avoidant
D) anxious
B
Which of the following is not a component of Sternberg’s “Triangular Theory of Love?”
A) communication
B) commitment
C) passion
D) intimacy
A
When it comes to physical attraction between people of the opposite sex, the “matching hypothesis” implies which of the following?
A) We seek people who are about as attractive as we are
B) Males seek females like their mothers, and females seek males like their fathers
C) We are attracted to people who reciprocate our liking of them
D) Females seek males who match their parents’ images
A
Generally speaking, a person is not likely to be attracted to a prospective love interest who possesses which of the following traits?
A) Also is attracted to him or her
B) Opinions similar to his or her own
C) Emotionally reserved
D) Near to him or her
E) Physically attractive
C
Which of the following correctly identifies the sequence of group formation, according to psychologist Bruce Tuckman?
A) Forming, storming, norming, and performing
B) Norming, storming, performing, and forming
C) Storming, forming, norming, and performing
D) Forming, storming, performing, and norming
D
A group of biologists at a university appreciate the diversity of their peers’ research in regard to subject matters ranging from oncology to environmental studies; however, they assume that a group of English majors study the same subjects in literature. Which of the following psychological terms best explains the biases that the biologists have to other majors at their university?
A) in-group homogeneity
B) out-group homogeneity
C) in-group heterogeneity
D) out-group heterogeneity
E) none of the above
B
People from individualist cultures are least likely to do which of the following?
A) express themselves directly and clearly
B) focus on internal attributes
C) develop a wide circle of acquaintances
D) define themselves in relation to others
D
Jung began as a Freudian psychoanalyst but eventually broke away from Freud’s theories. Jung’s criticism of his mentor was mostly aimed at which of the following Freudian concepts?
A) Freud’s focus on sexual drives as the root cause of neuroses
B) Biological determinism
C) The idea of coping mechanisms
D) The concept of the ego
E) All of these
A
Holland Occupational Themes is a personality test that measures vocational codes and corresponding personality traits. An individual is assigned three traits out of six based upon their corresponding scores on the test. Which of the following sets of three traits are least likely to appear on this test?
A) Realistic, artistic, and conventional
B) Investigative, artistic, and social
C) Social, enterprising, and conventional
D) Realistic, investigative, and artistic
E) none of the above
A
According to Gordon Allport’s trait theory, a __________ trait is a significant part of a person’s personality and others almost always associate these traits with these individuals. Allport also believed that this type of trait was rare, and that most people’s personality instead included a combination of several traits.
A) secondary trait
B) cardinal trait
C) central trait
D) primary trait
B
Which of the following is not one of the Big 5 personality traits?
A) neuroticism
B) openness to new experiences
C) locus of control
D) conscientiousness
E) agreeableness
C
Which of the following is an example of reaction formation?
A) Being loving and warm toward a person you are angry with
B) Forcing all anger toward your parents out of your mind
C) Feeling angry toward a family member instead of your boss
D) Distancing yourself from your feelings by focusing on logical facts
E) Attributing your own anger to someone else
A
Which of the following are considered tenants of personality according to trait theorists?
A) Traits change based on situations and exposure, traits are affected by behavior, and traits do not affect each other (friendly and unfriendly at once)
B) There are only five personality traits, people are born with and retain the same traits throughout their life, and traits are entirely based on nature
C) Traits influence marketable intelligence and success, all people with the same traits respond similarly in certain situations, and traits hierarchically build upon and influence each other
D) Traits are relatively stable over time, traits influence behavior, and traits are bipolar (friendly vs. unfriendly)
E) Traits are entirely influenced by genotypes, traits can be used to predict a person’s behavior, and all people have the same definable traits
D
According to Freud, fixation during the oral psychosexual stage of development can lead to which of the following?
A) excessive libido
B) excessive messiness
C) excessive orderliness
D) excessive dependency
D
According to Freud, libidinal energy is present from __________.
A) phallic stage
B) birth
C) puberty
D) anal stage
B
A client takes a personality test because their therapist suggested it might help them find a career more suitable to their preferences. Their results yielded a personality profile labeled as INTP. Which of the following personality tests did the client take?
A) The Signature Strengths Test
B) Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator Test
C) Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Test II
D) The Big Five Test
B
Which of the following is not an example of a projective test?
A) MMPI
B) TAT
C) Rorschach Inkblot test
D) Black pictures
A
Which of the following terms refers to the masculinity found in women?
A) anima
B) masculine self-concept
C) inner self
D) animus
D
Which of the following is not a correct statement regarding temperament and personality?
A) Temperament is observable in infancy; whereas personality is not
B) Temperament is the central aspect to personality
C) Temperament is a broader set of tendencies compared to personality
D) Temperament develops after personality
D
A parent sets rigid rules and demands obedience. They may use physical force, verbal insults or withdrawal of attention or love as motivators. They lack the warmth of other parents. According to Baumrind, this parent is using which parenting style?
A) permissive-uninvolved
B) authoritarian
C) authoritative
D) permissive-indulgent
E) none of the above
C
A parent is warm and loving to their child. They are very affectionate, and rarely punish their offspring. In fact, they almost never set limits or boundaries, and never dole out punishments. This parent is exhibiting which of Baumrind’s parenting styles?
A) authoritative
B) permissive-indulgent
C) authoritarian
D) permissive-uninvolved
E) none of the above
B
According to the Denver Developmental Screening Test, a child should develop which of the following motor skills at approximately eight months old?
A) make a tower of 2 cubes
B) scribble
C) walk
D) kick a ball
E) grasp a piece of cereal in thumb and finger
E
A mother tickles her newborn baby’s foot, causing the baby’s big toe to extend upwards while the other toes fan out. This best describes which of the following reflexes?
A) moro
B) rooting
C) Babinski
D) grasp
C
Reflexes occur after particular parts of the body are stimulated. Which of the following body parts and infant reflexes is correctly matched?
A) Rooting and cheeks
B) Grasping and toes
C) Babinski and ears
D) Moro and hands
A
What motor movement is an infant expected to be able to do around the same time the child develops a social smile?
A) lift head up while lying on back
B) crawl
C) walk without assistance
D) sit without assistance
A
At 4-6 months of age, an infant is expected to be able to do/exhibit all of the following except:
A) sit unassisted
B) recognize familiar people
C) crawl on hands and knees
D) smile socially
C
An infant can show separation anxiety at the same time period they are expected to be able to:
A) throw unassisted
B) walk unassisted
C) say 5 or more words
D) draw a square
B
At 1.5 years of age, a child is expected to be able to
A) copy a circle
B) stack 3 blocks
C) use about 250 words
D) catch a ball with 2 hands
B
A child is expected to have imaginary companions at the same age they are expected to be able to:
A) hop on one foot
B) read
C) tie their shoelaces
D) hop on one foot
D
At what age is a child expected to be able to catch a ball with both hands?
A) 3 years
B) 2 years
C) 4 years
D) 5 years
D
What shape is a child expected to be able to copy at the age of 4 years?
A) cross
B) square
C) triangle
D) diamond
A
Which of the following cognitive psychologists is associated with the field of structuralism?
A) Edward Titchener
B) Abraham Maslow
C) Sigmund Freud
D) Noam Chomsky
E) none of the above
A
At what age is an infant expected to say their first words?
A) 4-6 months
B) 7-11 months
C) 12-15 months
D) 16-18 months
C
At what age is an infant expected to imitate sounds and respond to their own name?
A) 4-6 months
B) 7-11 months
C) 12-15 months
D) 1-3 months
B
A child says to her mother, “I goed to the store today.” Using “goed” instead of “went” is known as which of the following?
A) babbling
B) pragmatics
C) phonology
D) error of growth
D
According to Erik Erikson, the parent’s role in stimulating curiosity and reinforcing a sence of accomplishment in intellectual success so that the child develops a sense of competence occurs during which developmental stage?
A) infancy (0-1 year)
B) early childhood (2-6)
C) grade school years (6-12)
D) toddler (1-2)
E) adolescence (12-18)
C
Which of the following types of intelligence derived from Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences theory is concerned with the ability to solve problems?
A) linguistic
B) logical-mathematical
C) spatial
D) interpersonal
B
According to Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, there are __________ (how many) cognitive levels?
A) 4
B) 7
C) 5
D) 6
D
Psychological researchers have proposed an explanation(s) for the Flynn Effect. Their results point to which of the following?:
A) Decreases in infectious diseases
B) Improved nutrition
C) Increased years of schooling
D) all of the above
D
Which level of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives describes a student’s ability to compare and discriminate between ideas as well as make judgements as to the purpose of those ideas?
A) synthesis
B) analysis
C) application
D) evaluation
D
Which level of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives requires students to identify patterns and/or meanings?
A) analysis
B) evaluation
C) synthesis
D) application
A
Which level of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives requires students to use old ideas to create new ones?
A) synthesis
B) application
C) evaluation
D) analysis
A
Which theorist of intelligence development proposed that there is a general factor that accounts for and underlies intelligent behavior?
A) Louis Thurstone
B) Alfred Binet
C) Robert Sternburg
D) Charles Spearman
D
Which theorist proposed a theory of intelligence development that is based on the information-processing approach?
A) Daniel Goleman
B) Alfred Binet
C) Howard Gardner
D) Robert Sternberg
D
Which theorist of intelligence development popularized the concept of Emotional Intelligence?
A) Binet
B) Wechsler
C) Gardner
D) Goleman
D
Which of the following is not one of areas tested by the Stanford-Binet intelligence test?
A) crystallized intelligence
B) working memory
C) perceptual speed
D) fluid intelligence
C
Which theorist of intelligence development among the following proposed the model of Primary Mental Abilities?
A) Charles Spearman
B) Robert Sternburg
C) Binet
D) Thurstone
D
Which of the following is not one of Thurstone’s Primary Mental Abilities?
A) verbal ability
B) spatial ability
C) working memory
D) perceptual speed
C
Vygostky’s research helped to crystallize our understanding of how children’s cognitive abilities develop. He coined the term “zone of proximal development” to describe which of the following phenomena?
A) This zone refers to the difference between a child’s knowledge and their street smarts
B) This zone refers to those abilities that are in the process of developing
C) This zone refers to the ideal environment in which a child will thrive and learn
D) The zone refers to the difference between a child’s current knowledge and his or her abilities after a year of schooling
E) none of the above
B
A traditional Russian saying states, “Once per month, the Moon tears herself to shreds and scatters, to replace the fallen stars.” This Russian proverb is an example of which of the following psychological principles?
A) overextension
B) ethnocentrism
C) object sexuality
D) attribution error
E) animism
E
Which of the following statements about aging is false?
A) Vision and hearing abilities tend to decline
B) In most individuals, sense of well-being increases
C) In men, testosterone decreases
D) Crystallized intelligence decreases as people age
D
When Bobby watches liquid from a thin, long container be poured into a wide, short container he incorrectly states that there is less liquid in the wide, short container. In addition, Bobby engages in pretend play and is egocentric. Which of the following stages of Piaget’s cognitive development is Bobby currently experiencing?
A) concrete operational
B) sensorimotor
C) preoperational
D) formal operational
E) conservation
C
Which developmental theorist would be most likely to observe that a child is having trouble taking into account the perspective of others and abstract thought?
A) Erikson
B) Thomas
C) Freud
D) Piaget
D
Consider a child who has been referring to all four legged furry creatures as “cats”. Eventually, the child learns that not all four legged furry creatures are cats; there are other animals like dogs and rabbits and cows. The process of adjusting one’s schema to allow for new information is known as __________.
A) assimilation
B) accommodation
C) sublimation
D) centration
B
Which of the following types of intelligence derived from Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences theory is concerned with the ability to solve problems?
A) spatial
B) kinesthetic
C) linguistic
D) interpersonal
E) logical-mathematical
E
According to Erik Erikson, at what stage of development does a child need to experience discipline in order to learn a responsible way of living?
A) early childhood
B) toddler
C) infancy
D) adolescence
E) grade school years
A
According to Erik Erikson, a child is most likely to experience an “identity crisis” and be unable to make choices about their role in life during what developmental stage?
A) toddler
B) infancy
C) grade school years
D) adolescence
E) early childhood
D
A client is 7 years old. Due to intense childhood trauma, he still sucks his thumb, talks in a baby voice. and has minimal social interaction. The client is highly dependent on his caregiver and will not complete tasks without the caregiver’s assistance. He experiences high levels of anxiety and cannot be left alone due to a fear of abandonment. According to Erickson’s stages of psychosocial development, this child has regressed to which of the following stages of development?
A) dependence vs independence
B) intimacy vs isolation
C) initiative vs guilt
D) trust vs mistrust
E) autonomy vs shame/doubt
D
Ellie is 10 years old and is learning to master skills and work cooperatively with her peers in school. If she successfully masters her current stage of development, then she will experience a sense of competence. If she fails to master her current stage of development, then she will likely feel inadequate. Ellie is in which of Erikson’s psychosocial stages of development?
A) industry vs inferiority
B) initiative vs guilt
C) trust vs mistrust
D) autonomy vs shame and doubt
A
Maria is 17 years old and preparing for college. She has decided to become a lawyer because both of her parents are lawyers. She has not considered other career options and does not plan to in the future. Maria is most likely in which of the following identity states?
A) identity achievement
B) differentiation
C) moratorium
D) foreclosure
E) identity diffusion
D
Anne is 40 years old. Her main priorities are caring for her growing children, continuing to excel at work, and giving back to the community by volunteering on the weekends. Anne is most likely in which of Erikson’s psychosocial stages of development?
A) Intimacy vs. isolation
B) Trust vs. mistrust
C) Generativity vs. stagnation
D) Industry vs. inferiority
E) Ego integrity vs. despair
C
According to Erikson, which of the following is the central crisis of emerging adulthood?
A) Intimacy vs. isolation
B) Identity vs. role confusion
C) Trust vs. mistrust
D) Industry vs. inferiority
A
An elderly individual approaching death reflects on his life and has a sense of regret and that his life has not been worthwhile. Which of the following conflicts would he be most likely to be experiencing?
A) Integrity vs. despair
B) anal fixation
C) generatively vs stagnation
D) oral fixation
A
Which of the following is characteristic of a child’s behavior with anxious-resistant insecure attachment?
A) When a parent leaves and returns to a room, the child cries upon the return, but still approaches the parent.
B) When a parent leaves and returns to a room, the child is ambivalent about the parent’s return.
C) The child is likely to explore a novel situation.
D) The child will likely go on to have secure attachment in adult relationships.
E) The child does not exhibit any distress when the parent leaves them alone in an unfamiliar room.
B
A parent hesitates to set boundaries for her children but is nurturing and warm. She caters to her children’s needs and desires and has trouble saying “no.” Which of the following best identifies this type of parenting style?
A) authoritative
B) uninvolved
C) permissive-indulgent
D) authoritarian
C
Which of the following best identifies the Russian-American psychologist who proposed the Ecological Systems Theory and was the founder of the Head Start Program for low SES preschoolers?
A) Erich Fromm
B) Martin Seligman
C) Erik Erikson
D) Urie Bronfenbrenner
D
Which of the following best identifies the Danish-German-American developmental psychologist who introduced the 8 stages of psychosocial development?
A) Carl Rogers
B) Alfred Adler
C) Erik Erikson
D) Martin Seligman
C
According to Erik Erikson, which of the following events would be most distressing for a child in elementary school?
A) Learning that they’d had the worst performance in the class on a recent math test
B) Being ignored by a parent when they ask for a glass of water
C) Being kicked off a sports team
D) Being rejected by a romantic interest
E) Being yelled at by a parent for making too much noise
A
Which developmental psychologist is most well known for discovering that “contact comfort” is more essential in bond formation than physical needs?
A) John Bowlby
B) Mary Ainsworth
C) Harry Harlow
D) Lawrence Kolberg
C
According to Mary Ainsworth’s strange situation task, which of the following infant reactions would be considered a secure attachment?
A) Distressed upon separation and are inclined to resist physical contact with the mother upon her return
B) No distress upon separation, and avoid contact with the mother upon her return
C) Mildly distressed upon separation, but greet the mother positively upon her return
D) Mildly distressed upon separation, and show no interest with the mother upon her return
C
The Heinz Dilemma devised by Lawrence Kolberg is aimed at determining which of the following?
A) psychosocial development
B) cognitive development
C) moral development
D) gender development
C
In Sternberg’s triangular theory of love, what traits lead to companionate love?
A) commitment and passion
B) intimacy, commitment, and passion
C) passion and intimacy
D) intimacy
E) intimacy and commitment
E
Gottman could predict the risk of divorced in couples based upon four interaction patterns he termed the “four horsemen of the apocalypse.” Which of the following is not one of Gottman’s interaction patterns?
A) contempt
B) inconsistent communication
C) stonewalling
D) defensiveness
E) criticism
B
Between what time period is the average infant expected to show stranger anxiety
A) 1-3 months
B) 7-11 months
C) 12-15 months
D) 4-6 months
B
At what age does a child develop a sense of self as a male or a female?
A) 1 year
B) 3 years
C) 2 years
D) 4 years
B
Which of the following terms describes the response of an organism to stress?
A) anxiety
B) assimilation
C) adaptation
D) accommodation
E) adjustment
C
Which of the following best describes a diathesis?
A) A traumatic life event
B) An early diagnosis of a mental illness
C) A predisposition towards developing a certain mental disorder
D) A cluster of depressive symptoms
E) none of the above
C
The diathesis-stress model offers a theoretical explanation for which of the following diagnoses?
A) substance abuse
B) major depressive disorder
C) autism spectrum disorder
D) Broca’s aphasia
B
Which of the following types of stress has beneficial consequences rather than harmful effects?
A) hyperstress
B) hypostress
C) distress
D) eustress
D
Which of the following factors does not promote coping during stressful situations?
A) support from peers
B) perceived lack of control
C) faith or spiritual practice
D) altruism
B
