MA In Psychology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which neurotransmitter is most directly implicated in the reward circuitry disrupted in addiction?
- Serotonin
- Dopamine (Correct answer)
- Acetylcholine
- GABA
Correct answer: Dopamine
Dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens underlies the reinforcing effects of addictive substances.
Question 2: Erik Erikson's stage of 'Generativity vs. Stagnation' occurs during which life period?
- Adolescence
- Early adulthood
- Middle adulthood (Correct answer)
- Late adulthood
Correct answer: Middle adulthood
Generativity vs. Stagnation is Erikson's seventh stage, spanning middle adulthood (roughly ages 40–65).
Question 3: In classical conditioning, what is 'extinction'?
- Forgetting the unconditioned stimulus
- Gradual weakening of the CR when the CS is repeatedly presented without the UCS (Correct answer)
- Spontaneous recovery of the conditioned response
- Generalization of the conditioned stimulus
Correct answer: Gradual weakening of the CR when the CS is repeatedly presented without the UCS
Extinction occurs when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented alone, causing the conditioned response to diminish over time.
Question 4: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) uses which type of diagnostic system?
- Dimensional only
- Categorical with dimensional cross-cutting measures (Correct answer)
- Purely etiological
- Psychodynamic formulation
Correct answer: Categorical with dimensional cross-cutting measures
The DSM-5 retains categorical diagnoses but adds dimensional severity ratings and cross-cutting symptom measures.
Question 5: What does the term 'reliability' mean in the context of psychological assessment?
- The test measures what it claims to measure
- The test produces consistent results across administrations (Correct answer)
- The test predicts future behavior accurately
- The test norms are based on a representative sample
Correct answer: The test produces consistent results across administrations
Reliability refers to the consistency of a measurement instrument across time, raters, or items.
Question 6: Which defense mechanism involves attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to another person?
- Reaction formation
- Displacement
- Projection (Correct answer)
- Sublimation
Correct answer: Projection
Projection is the unconscious attribution of one's own unacceptable impulses or traits to someone else.
Question 7: The 'Strange Situation' procedure developed by Mary Ainsworth assesses which psychological construct?
- Temperament
- Theory of mind
- Attachment style (Correct answer)
- Object permanence
Correct answer: Attachment style
Ainsworth's Strange Situation classifies infants into secure, anxious-avoidant, and anxious-ambivalent attachment patterns.
MA In Psychology 2
Which neurotransmitter is most directly implicated in the reward circuitry disrupted in addiction?