MS Master of Psychology

Question 1

What distinguishes experimental research from correlational research in psychology?

Accepted Answer

Experimental research involves manipulation of a variable and can establish causation; correlational cannot

Answer

Correlational research is always more accurate

Answer

Experimental research only uses surveys

Answer

Both designs can equally establish causation

Question 2

What is the primary premise of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)?

Accepted Answer

Thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected, and changing distorted thinking patterns reduces psychological distress

Answer

Unconscious drives from childhood are the primary cause of all psychological problems

Answer

Medication is always necessary alongside therapy

Answer

Environmental reinforcement alone determines behavior

Question 3

In social psychology, what does the fundamental attribution error describe?

Accepted Answer

The tendency to over-attribute others' behavior to dispositional factors and under-weight situational factors

Answer

Attributing one's own successes to internal factors

Answer

Assuming everyone shares one's own beliefs

Answer

The tendency to blame victims for their misfortune

Question 4

What is the difference between classical and operant conditioning?

Accepted Answer

Classical conditioning associates stimuli; operant conditioning associates behavior with consequences

Answer

Both are identical forms of associative learning

Answer

Operant conditioning involves involuntary reflexes

Answer

Classical conditioning requires reinforcement schedules

Question 5

What does Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs propose about human motivation?

Accepted Answer

Lower-level deficiency needs (physiological, safety) must be satisfied before higher-level growth needs (belonging, esteem, self-actualization) motivate behavior

Answer

All human needs are equally important simultaneously

Answer

Only biological needs drive human motivation

Answer

Self-actualization is the most common motivational state

Question 6

What is the purpose of the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition)?

Accepted Answer

Provide standardized criteria for diagnosing mental disorders in the US

Answer

Prescribe medications for mental health conditions

Answer

Rank the severity of all psychological conditions

Answer

Replace clinical judgment with computerized diagnosis