Psychology Degree Psychology 101 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which research method allows psychologists to establish cause-and-effect relationships?
- Case study
- Survey
- Experiment (Correct answer)
- Naturalistic observation
Correct answer: Experiment
Experiments manipulate an independent variable and control confounds, enabling causal conclusions.
Question 2: The concept of 'tabula rasa' — the idea that the mind is a blank slate at birth — is most associated with which philosopher who influenced psychology?
- Rene Descartes
- John Locke (Correct answer)
- Immanuel Kant
- Wilhelm Wundt
Correct answer: John Locke
John Locke argued all knowledge comes from sensory experience, with no innate ideas.
Question 3: Which lobe of the cerebral cortex is primarily responsible for processing visual information?
- Frontal lobe
- Parietal lobe
- Temporal lobe
- Occipital lobe (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Occipital lobe
The occipital lobe, located at the back of the brain, contains the primary visual cortex.
Question 4: In operant conditioning, a negative reinforcer is best defined as:
- A punishment that decreases behavior
- The removal of an aversive stimulus that increases behavior (Correct answer)
- Adding an unpleasant stimulus after a response
- Any stimulus that follows unwanted behavior
Correct answer: The removal of an aversive stimulus that increases behavior
Negative reinforcement removes an unpleasant stimulus, thereby strengthening the behavior that preceded its removal.
Question 5: The James-Lange theory of emotion proposes that:
- Emotions and physiological responses occur simultaneously
- Cognitive appraisal determines the emotional label
- Physiological arousal occurs first, and emotion is the interpretation of that arousal (Correct answer)
- The thalamus sends signals to both the cortex and amygdala simultaneously
Correct answer: Physiological arousal occurs first, and emotion is the interpretation of that arousal
James and Lange independently argued that we feel afraid because we notice our heart racing, not the reverse.
Question 6: Which neurotransmitter is most directly associated with reward, motivation, and pleasure pathways in the brain?
- Serotonin
- GABA
- Dopamine (Correct answer)
- Acetylcholine
Correct answer: Dopamine
Dopamine is released in the nucleus accumbens during rewarding activities and underlies the brain's reward circuitry.
Question 7: A researcher measures participants' IQ scores twice without any intervention. The correlation between the two scores reflects:
- Construct validity
- Test-retest reliability (Correct answer)
- Inter-rater reliability
- Ecological validity
Correct answer: Test-retest reliability
Test-retest reliability assesses whether a measure produces consistent results across time.
Psychology Degree Psychology 101 2
Which research method allows psychologists to establish cause-and-effect relationships?