Approaches in Psychology AQA Practice Test

These questions are part of the practice quiz. Start practicing

• In Bandura's Bobo doll study, exposure to an aggressive model increased aggression when left alone. What contributed to this effect?
• What term describes private mental operations such as perception and attention that mediate between stimulus and response?
• The psychodynamic approach posits behaviour is influenced by early childhood experiences and is motivated by two instincts. Which instincts are they?
• What is the long fibre that conducts electrical impulses away from the neuron called?
• In token economy studies for cocaine addiction, what outcome did the program achieve compared to counselling alone?
• Which hormone is released by the pituitary gland that induces labour contractions and is released during social bonding such as hugging?
• In humanistic theory, what does it mean if there is a large gap between the real self and the ideal self?
• Which researchers are credited with introducing the scientific method into psychology according to the overall evaluation?
• How does the biological approach explain mental illness?
• A limitation of some twin studies is that they sometimes lack controls and ignore disorder subtypes. Which option best reflects this limitation?
• Which statement best reflects the cognitive approach's view on mental processing and behaviour?
• In humanistic psychology, how is mental illness typically viewed?
• Which imaging method is primarily used to measure brain metabolic activity with radioactive tracers?
• What does the process of shaping involve in operant conditioning?
• Which statement accurately describes the roles of dopamine and serotonin?
• Which brain imaging methods and what they measure are correctly matched?
• What does the cognitive approach focus on?
• The unconscious is the part of the mind that we are unaware of but which continues to direct much of our behaviour. Which option best matches this concept?
• In Rogers' theory, what does 'Real self' describe?
• In Pavlov's classical conditioning, what is the role of the bell in the standard procedure?
• What is reconstructive memory and which psychologist is associated with the idea?
• A common critique of Skinner's work is that the findings may not generalize to humans because...
• What is a weakness of the biological approach regarding causation?
• Which term is defined as a mental shortcut of beliefs and expectations developed from experience?
• In the information processing model, which term best describes the stage at which information is output?
• Self-actualisation is described as which of the following?
• Which statement best describes two common cognitive biases, the availability heuristic and the representativeness heuristic?
• What is a common critique of psychology as a science?
• Which part of Freud's personality model mediates with reality?
• Freud's five developmental stages are collectively known as what?
• What is the function of the visuospatial sketchpad in working memory?
• Which term best describes the part of the mind that remains out of conscious awareness but can guide behavior?
• Which statement describes how unconditional positive regard and conditions of worth influence self-esteem?
• What is evolution?
• What does the phenotype refer to?
• What are two advantages and two limitations of the cognitive approach?
• What term describes a parent placing limits on their love of their children, such as saying 'I will only love you if...'?
• How has the psychodynamic approach influenced modern psychotherapy despite criticisms?
• Which level sits at the top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs?
• Symbolic models are those who are in the media.
• Which mediational process provides a reason to want to copy the behaviour?
• What is extinction in operant conditioning?
• Estrogen's role includes preparing the uterus for pregnancy and maintaining the uterus during pregnancy; which gland produces estrogen?
• Which consequence increases the likelihood of a behaviour by presenting a pleasant outcome?
• Which of the following is a characteristic of the fight-or-flight response?
• Why is it difficult to separate genetic and environmental effects on behaviour?
• Which statement best describes the biological approach?
• The Oral stage occurs from birth to about 1 year. What is the focus of pleasure in this stage?
• What is the primary function of the endocrine system?
• Which brain structure initiates the fight-or-flight response by activating the sympathetic nervous system?
• In social learning theory, which option is NOT listed as a factor affecting imitation?
• How does classical conditioning relate to the development of phobias, and what behavioural treatments are used?
• What is a major weakness of evolutionary explanations for human behaviour, as described in the material?
• Darwin's theory includes natural selection and sexual selection. Which term describes the process where traits increase mating success due to attractiveness?
• What describes when an observer associates themselves with a role model and wants to be like them?
• Why is it difficult to test evolutionary explanations of behaviour in humans?
• Which type of twins shares 100% of their DNA?
• Which statement about Maslow's hierarchy is exemplified by the notes?
• Which mediational process involves remembering the behaviour?
• How does the cognitive approach study mental processes?
• Which of the following is considered a strength of the humanistic approach?
• After many trials, the bell elicited saliva; what has the bell become?
• In Pavlov's experiments, what did the bell serve as the neutral stimulus?
• In the Phallic stage, the focus of pleasure is which area?
• Wundt defined psychology as the science of what and highlighted introspection?
• The Genital stage begins at puberty and is marked by what?
• Which method did Wilhelm Wundt emphasize as foundational to psychology?
• Which mechanism is specifically about keeping distressing memories out of conscious awareness?
• Which of the following is a limitation of the psychodynamic approach according to the notes?
• What is the difference between imitation and identification?
• What are two examples of localisation of function and their corresponding brain areas?
• Which Freud stage is associated with pleasure from the mouth and weaning?
• In Skinner's box, pressing the lever to obtain food demonstrates which principle?
• How has the humanistic approach influenced modern therapy?
• During conditioning in classical conditioning, the neutral stimulus is paired with the unconditioned stimulus resulting in what?
• The Phallic stage (roughly ages 3 to 5) involves which complex?
• Which stage is characterized by focus on genitals and conflicts?
• What does 'Self' refer to in the notes?
• In the Little Albert experiment, what stimulus was paired with a loud noise to produce a fear response?
• In genetics, what does concordance rate refer to?
• How do twin studies contribute to understanding genetic influences on behaviour?
• Which mediational process involves noticing certain behaviours?
• In the Working Memory Model, what is the function of the central executive?
• In the Simmons and Chabris inattentional blindness study, what percentage noticed the gorilla?
• Which of the following is a strength of the cognitive approach?
• Which model refers to real people such as parents, siblings, and teachers?
• Guilt activates which brain region according to cognitive neuroscience findings?
• Which imaging technique is used to study brain activity in cognitive neuroscience?
• In humanistic psychology, congruence refers to...
• What does natural selection imply about traits that increase reproductive success?
• What is the role of the episodic buffer in the Working Memory Model?
• Which statement best describes the core assumptions of the behaviourist approach?
• Rogers uses which terms to describe different aspects of the self?
• Which concepts were emphasized by Wundt as part of early psychology?
• How do unconditional positive regard and conditions of worth differ in shaping self-esteem?
• What is sexual selection in evolutionary terms?
• Live models are real people such as parents or siblings, while symbolic models are media figures.
• Which defense mechanism involves transferring feelings from the original source of distress to a substitute target?
• Vicarious reinforcement occurs when the observer witnesses someone else being reinforced for their behaviour.
• Darwin's theory of natural selection posits which of the following?
• The Little Hans case is commonly cited as support for which Freudian concept?
• Which description best captures the role of the sympathetic nervous system?
• In the evaluation of Little Hans, what is said about universality and Freud's view?
• What is a common critique of classical and operant conditioning research regarding realism?
• The 'reality check' that balances the conflicting demands of the id and superego is known as which structure?
• Which technique in psychodynamic therapy involves the client speaking freely and saying whatever comes to mind?
• Which research design is used to explore genetic influence by comparing different types of twins, including identical and fraternal twins?
• What does concordance measure in twin studies?
• A common criticism of cognitive models is that they may do what with complex mental processes?
• A commonly cited weakness of the Little Albert study is that Albert may have had what condition?
• Name two neurotransmitters and their associated roles.
• What is a major limitation of the behaviourist approach?
• Which term relates to chemicals in the brain that regulate psychological functioning?
• What is a strength of using the scientific method in psychology?
• What is psychoanalytic (psychodynamic) therapy and its aim?
• According to natural selection, what happens to genes that code for traits beneficial to survival?
• The moralistic part of our personality which represents the ideal self: how we ought to be, is which component?
• What is a weakness of the fight-or-flight response in modern humans?
• In the cognitive approach, how are stimulus, thought processes, and response related?
• Which defence mechanism involves pushing uncomfortable thoughts into the unconscious?
• Congruence occurs when which two aspects align?
• What is the process whereby cognitive psychologists draw conclusions about mental processes based on observed behaviour?
• What concordance rate would be expected for monozygotic twins if a trait were completely genetic?
• What is dual-coding theory and its implication for memory?
• What is a major strength of the behaviourist approach?
• Nestadt and colleagues found what in their OCD family study?
• Unconscious strategies that the ego uses to manage the conflict between the id and the superego are called what?
• According to humanistic theory, what happens when there are discrepancies between the self and the ideal self?
• What is the genotype?
• Differentiate between fixed-ratio and fixed-interval schedules of reinforcement and their effect on behaviour.
• In social learning theory, modelling involves the observer imitating the model's behaviour.
• Which is a strength of the cognitive approach?
• Which of the following is a function of testosterone in males as listed?
• How do classical and operant conditioning differ in what they explain about learning?
• Which statement about pharmacological treatments is most accurate?
• Which of the following is a potential negative effect of schemas?
• Free will is defined as which of the following?
• Which stage involves maturation of sexual interests?
• What are genes made of?
• Which concept is described as the psychodynamic approach emphasizing the influence of the unconscious and early childhood on behavior?
• Which part of the peripheral nervous system controls internal organs and involuntary actions?
• Which components form the basic structure of a neuron?
• Which of the following is a weakness of the social learning theory?
• What is the Multi-Store Model of Memory and its key components?
• Approximately what fraction of men were reported to carry the MAOA Warrior gene linked to aggression?
• Which stage is characterized by dormancy of sexual feelings?
• In Freud's theory, which stage is characterized by the repression of earlier conflicts?
• According to psychodynamic theory, how does the unconscious mind influence behaviour?
• Who proposed the Oedipus complex?
• Who introduced the Electra complex?
• High heritability estimates imply what about environmental effects?
• The conscious is the part of our mind we are aware of on a daily basis and can be influenced by the unconscious. Which term fits this description?
• What role do hormones and neurotransmitters play in behavior according to the biological approach?
• Explain gene-environment interaction with an example.
• Concordance rates in twin studies measure what?
• Humanistic counselling is described as which of the following?
• Which statement best describes a common limitation of humanistic psychology?
• What role do pharmacological treatments play in psychology, and give two examples?
• In operant conditioning, which outcome increases the frequency of a behavior when it follows a pleasant consequence?
• Which statement best describes self-actualization in Maslow's framework?
• Freud's psychosexual theory is defined as which of the following?
• Which option is NOT listed as a weakness of evolutionary explanations in the material?
• Which technique is used to understand brain activity in cognitive neuroscience?
• What connects the two hemispheres of the brain?
• What is the second viewpoint described by Wundt, regarding behavior?
• Which statement about token economies is true?
• Which structure relays information between the brain and the body?
• Which of the following describes Rogerian client-centered therapy?
• What is a common caveat when generalising animal study results to humans?
• In Nestadt et al.'s family study on OCD, first-degree relatives of OCD sufferers had what percentage chance of developing the disorder compared to relatives of healthy parents?
• What does the cognitive approach assume about mental processes and behaviour?
• Lea et al reported that the MAOA Warrior gene is found in about what fraction of men?
• What is the misinformation effect and how does it challenge eyewitness testimony?
• Operant conditioning is a form of learning in which behaviour is shaped by its consequences. Which of the following is a possible consequence?
• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is described as:
• What is a commonly cited weakness of evolutionary explanations of behaviour?
• What term describes the gradual disappearance of a previously reinforced behaviour when reinforcement ends?
• Which two types of conditioning are used in the behavioural approach?
• Which statement aligns with Darwin’s concept of sexual selection?
• How does the text describe the relationship between aggression and testosterone?
• Which example illustrates a trait that reduces survival but may be favored by sexual selection?
• Psychology relies on which philosophical viewpoint that knowledge comes from experiment?
• What is schema theory and how does it affect memory and perception?
• Unresolved conflict during the Anal stage is associated with which possible outcome?
• In classical conditioning, which stage describes a neutral stimulus producing no response before conditioning?
• Which statement best reflects the core claim of the biological approach?
• Which part of personality is the moralistic component representing how we ought to be?
• Which defence mechanism involves refusing to acknowledge uncomfortable reality?
• Which approach is most associated with controlled laboratory experiments and animal research?
• What is the role of the phonological loop in working memory?
• Humanistic psychology, according to the notes, is not primarily about which topic?
• How does the psychodynamic approach explain anxiety or neurotic symptoms?
• Which elements are cited as influencing behavior in the biological approach?
• In psychodynamic theory, which structure acts as the mediator between id impulses and moral constraints and follows the reality principle?
• What term describes the characteristics of an individual determined by both genes and the environment?
• Besides genes, which factor is suggested to influence behaviour according to the material?
• What does cognitive neuroscience study?
• What is the genotype?
• In Pavlov's classical conditioning, which sequence correctly describes the relationship between UCS, UCR, CS and CR?
• Which is a common criticism of the psychodynamic approach?
• What is a commonly cited criticism about the evidence base and generalizability of humanistic psychology?
• What does the term biological structure refer to?
• The id is entirely unconscious and is made up of selfish aggressive instincts that demand immediate gratification. Which term describes this concept?
• What term describes copying the behaviour of others?
• Which brain area is primarily associated with speech production?
• According to Lea et al, why might aggressive males have higher survival and reproductive success?
• What does non-directive mean in Rogerian client-centered therapy?
• For a trait that is completely genetic, what would the concordance be for monozygotic twins?
• Forcing a distressing memory out of the conscious mind describes which defence mechanism?
• In the Henry Molaison case, removal of which brain area impaired transfer of information from short-term to long-term memory?
• What did Watson propose about emotions and learning?
• Which statement best captures the core assumptions of the humanistic approach?
• A weakness of Wundt's approach was that asking participants to report how they feel is highly what?
• Which mediational process concerns whether the behaviour is physically possible to carry out?
• The Little Hans case is used to illustrate which psychoanalytic idea?
• A study using MCPP to alter serotonin showed OCD symptoms increased after administration in OCD patients; this supports the role of which neurotransmitter?
• From Maslow's description, which of the following is explicitly given as a basic need example?
• What did Groothorst et al. conclude about OCD heritability in children compared with adults?
• Which neurons carry information from sensory receptors to the spinal cord or brain?
• In Bandura's experiments, watching a video of an aggressive model produced similar effects to live modeling. This supports which concept?
• Explain Skinner's operant conditioning and identify the four consequences.
• Which theory emphasizes learning through observation and sees humans as active processors of information?
• Which statement about personal growth and humanistic psychology is supported by the notes?
• Which components are said to influence behaviour in the biological approach?
• How does the endocrine system influence behavior?
• What is a token economy and how does it illustrate operant conditioning?
• What happens when neurotransmitters bind to receptors on the postsynaptic neuron?
• What is the Working Memory Model and its components?
• In the Anal stage, pleasure is derived from which bodily area?
• Which of the following is a strength of the social learning theory?
• Which reinforcement schedule is most effective for establishing a new behavior?
• Which technique involves analyzing dreams to access unconscious thoughts?
• Which is a classic conceptual model used in cognitive psychology?
• Which Freud stage involves toilet training and control?
• Which of the following is cited as a bias in the evaluation of Little Hans?
• Which pair of techniques is listed under psychodynamic therapy?
• Vicarious reinforcement is a key factor in imitation because the observer learns from seeing others' rewards.