MS MS in Psychology

Question 1

Which research design randomly assigns participants to conditions to establish cause-and-effect relationships?

Accepted Answer

Randomized controlled experiment

Answer

A randomized controlled experiment (RCT) uses random assignment to control and experimental groups, allowing researchers to infer causation rather than mere correlation.

Question 2

What term describes the tendency to seek information that confirms pre-existing beliefs?

Accepted Answer

Confirmation bias

Answer

Confirmation bias is the cognitive tendency to search for, interpret, and recall information in a way that confirms one's prior beliefs or hypotheses.

Question 3

Which neurotransmitter is primarily associated with reward, motivation, and pleasure pathways in the brain?

Accepted Answer

Dopamine

Answer

Dopamine is the primary neurotransmitter in the mesolimbic reward pathway, playing a central role in motivation, reinforcement learning, and the experience of pleasure.

Question 4

In Piaget's theory, which stage (ages 7–11) is characterized by logical thinking about concrete objects?

Accepted Answer

Concrete operational stage

Answer

During the concrete operational stage, children develop logical reasoning abilities but apply them primarily to tangible, concrete objects rather than abstract hypotheticals.

Question 5

What is the independent variable in a psychology experiment?

Accepted Answer

The variable manipulated by the researcher

Answer

The independent variable is the factor that the researcher deliberately manipulates to examine its effect on the dependent (outcome) variable.

MS - Master of Science Practice Test

MS - Master of Science Practice Test

MS MS in Psychology