Psychology Multiple Choice Questions: 50 Questions with Answers
Test your knowledge of psychology with 50 multiple-choice questions and detailed answers. This comprehensive quiz covers various psychology concepts and theories. Test your understanding of psychology with our comprehensive quiz! Featuring 50 multiple-choice questions, this quiz delves into a wide range of psychological concepts and theories. Whether you're a psychology student, enthusiast, or simply curious about human behavior, this quiz will challenge your knowledge and help you solidify your understanding of key psychological principles.
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1. The founding father of modern psychology is:
- a) Sigmund Freud
- b) Wilhelm Wundt
- c) B.F. Skinner
- d) Carl Rogers
Answer: b) Wilhelm Wundt
Explanation: Wilhelm Wundt established the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany, in 1879, marking the beginning of experimental psychology.
2. The term "unconscious" was popularized by:
- a) Sigmund Freud
- b) Carl Jung
- c) B.F. Skinner
- d) Abraham Maslow
Answer: a) Sigmund Freud
Explanation: Freud's psychoanalytic theory emphasized the importance of the unconscious mind in shaping behavior and personality.
3. The concept of operant conditioning is associated with:
- a) Ivan Pavlov
- b) B.F. Skinner
- c) Albert Bandura
- d) Carl Rogers
Answer: b) B.F. Skinner
Explanation: Operant conditioning involves learning through consequences, where behaviors are reinforced or punished to change their frequency.
4. The hierarchy of needs theory was proposed by:
- a) Sigmund Freud
- b) Carl Jung
- c) Abraham Maslow
- d) Carl Rogers
Answer: c) Abraham Maslow
Explanation: Maslow's theory suggests that humans have a hierarchy of needs, with physiological needs at the base and self-actualization at the top.
5. The "Little Albert" experiment was conducted by:
- a) Sigmund Freud
- b) John B. Watson
- c) B.F. Skinner
- d) Carl Rogers
Answer: b) John B. Watson
Explanation: Watson conditioned a young boy, Little Albert, to fear a white rat by associating it with a loud noise.
6. The concept of cognitive dissonance was proposed by:
- a) Leon Festinger
- b) Solomon Asch
- c) Stanley Milgram
- d) Philip Zimbardo
Answer: a) Leon Festinger
Explanation: Cognitive dissonance refers to the discomfort experienced when one's beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors are inconsistent with each other.
7. The Stanford Prison Experiment was conducted by:
- a) Leon Festinger
- b) Solomon Asch
- c) Stanley Milgram
- d) Philip Zimbardo
Answer: d) Philip Zimbardo
Explanation: The experiment explored the psychological effects of perceived power and authority on prisoners and guards.
8. The term "self-actualization" refers to:
- a) the desire to fulfill one's potential
- b) the need for belonging and love
- c) the basic physiological needs
- d) the fear of the unknown
Answer: a) the desire to fulfill one's potential
Explanation: Self-actualization is the highest level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, representing the desire to reach one's full potential.
9. The Bobo doll experiment demonstrated the concept of:
- a) classical conditioning
- b) operant conditioning
- c) social learning theory
- d) cognitive dissonance
Answer: c) social learning theory
Explanation: Bandura's experiment showed how children learn aggressive behaviors by observing and imitating models.
10. The concept of "locus of control" was proposed by:
- a) Julian Rotter
- b) Albert Bandura
- c) Martin Seligman
- d) Aaron Beck
Answer: a) Julian Rotter
Explanation: Locus of control refers to an individual's belief in their ability to control events in their life.
11. The "Id," "Ego," and "Superego" are concepts from:
- a) psychoanalytic theory
- b) cognitive psychology
- c) humanistic psychology
- d) behavioral psychology
Answer: a) psychoanalytic theory
Explanation: These concepts are central to Freud's psychoanalytic theory, representing different aspects of the personality.
12. The concept of "learned helplessness" was proposed by:
- a) Julian Rotter
- b) Albert Bandura
- c) Martin Seligman
- d) Aaron Beck
Answer: c) Martin Seligman
Explanation: Learned helplessness is the belief that one is powerless to control events in their life, often resulting from repeated negative experiences.
13. The "Big Five" personality traits include:
- a) openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism
- b) introversion, extroversion, sensing, intuition, thinking, feeling, judging, perceiving
- c) type A, type B, type C personalities
- d) optimistic, pessimistic, realistic
Answer: a) openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism
Explanation: The Big Five is a widely accepted model of personality traits.
14. The term "cognitive-behavioral therapy" (CBT) is associated with:
- a) Sigmund Freud
- b) Carl Rogers
- c) Aaron Beck
- d) B.F. Skinner
Answer: c) Aaron Beck
Explanation: CBT is a therapeutic approach that focuses on changing negative thoughts and behaviors.
15. The "DSM-5" is a:
- a) diagnostic manual for mental disorders
- b) personality assessment tool
- c) psychological research method
- d) therapy technique
Answer: a) diagnostic manual for mental disorders
Explanation: The DSM-5 is a widely used classification system for diagnosing mental health conditions.
16. The concept of "self-efficacy" was proposed by:
- a) Sigmund Freud
- b) Carl Rogers
- c) Albert Bandura
- d) Martin Seligman
Answer: c) Albert Bandura
Explanation: Self-efficacy refers to one's belief in their ability to succeed in a particular task.
17. The term "positive psychology" is associated with:
- a) Sigmund Freud
- b) Carl Rogers
- c) Martin Seligman
- d) B.F. Skinner
Answer: c) Martin Seligman
Explanation: Positive psychology focuses on the study of human strengths and well-being.
18. The "Rorschach inkblot test" is a:
- a) personality assessment tool
- b) intelligence test
- c) therapeutic technique
- d) research method
Answer: a) personality assessment tool
Explanation: The Rorschach test is a projective personality test where individuals interpret ambiguous inkblot images.
19. The concept of "attachment styles" was developed by:
- a) Sigmund Freud
- b) John Bowlby
- c) Erik Erikson
- d) Jean Piaget
Answer: b) John Bowlby
Explanation: Attachment styles refer to the emotional bond between infants and their caregivers, which can influence later relationships.
20. The "Thematic Apperception Test" (TAT) is a:
- a) personality assessment tool
- b) intelligence test
- c) therapeutic technique
- d) research method
Answer: a) personality assessment tool
Explanation: The TAT involves individuals telling stories about ambiguous pictures, which can reveal their underlying thoughts, feelings, and motivations.
21. The "Myers-Briggs Type Indicator" (MBTI) is a:
- a) personality assessment tool
- b) intelligence test
- c) therapeutic technique
- d) research method
Answer: a) personality assessment tool
Explanation: The MBTI categorizes individuals into 16 personality types based on their preferences for introversion/extroversion, sensing/intuition, thinking/feeling, and judging/perceiving.
22. The "Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory" (MMPI) is a:
- a) personality assessment tool
- b) intelligence test
- c) therapeutic technique
- d) research method
Answer: a) personality assessment tool
Explanation: The MMPI is a comprehensive personality inventory that assesses a wide range of psychological traits.
23. The "Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale" is a:
- a) personality assessment tool
- b) intelligence test
- c) therapeutic technique
- d) research method
Answer: b) intelligence test
Explanation: The Stanford-Binet test measures overall intelligence and cognitive abilities.
24. The "Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale" (WAIS) is a:
- a) personality assessment tool
- b) intelligence test
- c) therapeutic technique
- d) research method
Answer: b) intelligence test
Explanation: The WAIS is an intelligence test specifically designed for adults.
25. The "WISC-V" is a:
- a) personality assessment tool
- b) intelligence test for adults
- c) intelligence test for children
- d) therapeutic technique
Answer: c) intelligence test for children
Explanation: The WISC-V is a comprehensive intelligence test for children.
26. The concept of "object permanence" was proposed by:
- a) Sigmund Freud
- b) Jean Piaget
- c) Erik Erikson
- d) Lev Vygotsky
Answer: b) Jean Piaget
Explanation: Object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are not seen.
27. The "zone of proximal development" was proposed by:
- a) Sigmund Freud
- b) Jean Piaget
- c) Erik Erikson
- d) Lev Vygotsky
Answer: d) Lev Vygotsky
Explanation: The zone of proximal development refers to the range of tasks that a child cannot yet do independently but can accomplish with guidance.
28. The "strange situation" experiment was conducted by:
- a) Mary Ainsworth
- b) JohnAnswer:** a) Mary Ainsworth
Explanation: The strange situation experiment is used to assess infants' attachment styles.
29. The "generativity vs. stagnation" stage of psychosocial development is according to:
Answer:** c) Erik Erikson
Explanation: This stage occurs during middle adulthood and focuses on the conflict between contributing to the next generation and feeling stagnant.
30. The "theory of mind" refers to:
- a) the ability to understand one's own thoughts and feelings
- b) the ability to understand the thoughts and feelings of others
- c) the ability to regulate one's emotions
- d) the ability to learn from experience
Answer: b) the ability to understand the thoughts and feelings of others
Explanation: Theory of mind is the ability to attribute mental states to oneself and others.
31. The "Flynn effect" refers to:
- a) the increase in intelligence test scores over time
- b) the decrease in intelligence test scores over time
- c) the genetic basis of intelligence
- d) the environmental influences on intelligence
Answer: a) the increase in intelligence test scores over time
Explanation: The Flynn effect is the gradual increase in intelligence test scores observed in many countries over the past century.
32. The "Twin studies" are used to investigate:
- a) the role of genetics in behavior
- b) the role of the environment in behavior
- c) the interaction between genetics and the environment
- d) all of the above
Answer: d) all of the above
Explanation: Twin studies compare identical and fraternal twins to examine the relative influences of genetics and environment on various traits.
33. The "Barnum effect" refers to:
- a) the tendency to believe vague and general personality descriptions
- b) the tendency to perceive patterns in random events
- c) the tendency to attribute human characteristics to nonhuman entities
- d) the tendency to overestimate one's own abilities
Answer: a) the tendency to believe vague and general personality descriptions
Explanation: The Barnum effect is the tendency to accept vague and general personality descriptions as accurate.
34. The "foot-in-the-door" technique is a:
- a) social psychology phenomenon
- b) therapeutic technique
- c) personality assessment tool
- d) research method
Answer: a) social psychology phenomenon
Explanation: The foot-in-the-door technique involves persuading someone to agree to a small request first, then a larger related request later.
35. The "door-in-the-face" technique is a:
- a) social psychology phenomenon
- b) therapeutic technique
- c) personality assessment tool
- d) research method
Answer: a) social psychology phenomenon
Explanation: The door-in-the-face technique involves making a large request first, then a smaller related request that is more likely to be granted.
36. The "bystander effect" refers to:
- a) the tendency to help others in need
- b) the tendency to avoid helping others in need
- c) the tendency to conform to group norms
- d) the tendency to obey authority figures
Answer: b) the tendency to avoid helping others in need
Explanation: The bystander effect is the phenomenon where individuals are less likely to help someone in need when others are present.
37. The "diffusion of responsibility" is related to:
- a) the bystander effect
- b) the foot-in-the-door technique
- c) the door-in-the-face technique
- d) the Barnum effect
Answer: a) the bystander effect
Explanation: Diffusion of responsibility occurs when individuals feel less personal responsibility to help when others are present.
38. The "mere exposure effect" suggests that:
- a) familiarity breeds contempt
- b) familiarity breeds liking
- c) familiarity breeds indifference
- d) familiarity breeds fear
Answer: b) familiarity breeds liking
Explanation: The mere exposure effect is the tendency to prefer things we have seen or heard before.
39. The "attribution theory" explains:
- a) how people perceive and interpret social information
- b) how people form impressions of others
- c) how people make causal attributions for events
- d) all of the above
Answer: d) all of the above
Explanation: Attribution theory explains how people attribute causes to behaviors and events.
40. The "fundamental attribution error" is the tendency to:
- a) overestimate the role of situational factors in explaining behavior
- b) underestimate the role of situational factors in explaining behavior
- c) overestimate the role of dispositional factors in explaining behavior
- d) underestimate the role of dispositional factors in explaining behavior
Answer: c) overestimate the role of dispositional factors in explaining behavior
Explanation: The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to attribute others' behavior to their personality traits rather than situational factors.
41. The "self-serving bias" is the tendency to:
- a) attribute positive outcomes to oneself and negative outcomes to external factors
- b) attribute positive outcomes to external factors and negative outcomes to oneself
- c) attribute both positive and negative outcomes to oneself
- d) attribute both positive and negative outcomes to external factors
Answer: a) attribute positive outcomes to oneself and negative outcomes to external factors
Explanation: The self-serving bias is the tendency to take credit for successes and blame external factors for failures.
42. The "stereotype threat" refers to:
- a) the fear of being judged negatively based on one's group membership
- b) the tendency to stereotype others
- c) the belief that one's group is superior to others
- d) the tendency to conform to group norms
Answer: a) the fear of being judged negatively based on one's group membership
Explanation: Stereotype threat is the fear of confirming negative stereotypes about one's group, which can impair performance.
43. The "illusion of control" is the tendency to:
- a) overestimate one's control over events
- b) underestimate one's control over events
- c) believe in fate
- d) believe in chance
Answer: a) overestimate one's control over events
Explanation: The illusion of control is the belief that one has more control over events than they actually do.
44. The "halo effect" refers to:
- a) the tendency to judge people based on their physical appearance
- b) the tendency to judge people based on their first impression
- c) the tendency to judge people based on their behavior in one situation
- d) the tendency to judge people based on their reputation
Answer: b) the tendency to judge people based on their first impression
Explanation: The halo effect is the tendency to form a positive overall impression of someone based on a single positive trait.
45. The "horns effect" is the tendency to:
- a) form a positive overall impression of someone based on a single positive trait
- b) form a negative overall impression of someone based on a single negative trait
- c) judge people based on their physical appearance
- d) judge people based on their reputation
Answer: b) form a negative overall impression of someone based on a single negative trait
Explanation: The horns effect is the opposite of the halo effect and involves forming a negative overall impression based on a single negative trait.
46. The "self-fulfilling prophecy" is the tendency to:
- a) act in ways that confirm our own expectations
- b) act in ways that confirm others' expectations
- c) act in ways that are contrary to our expectations
- d) act in ways that are contrary to others' expectations
Answer: a) act in ways that confirm our own expectations
Explanation: The self-fulfilling prophecy is the belief that something will happen, which then leads to behaviors that make it happen.
47. The "cognitive dissonance theory" suggests that:
- a) people are motivated to reduce inconsistency between their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors
- b) people are motivated to maintain consistency between their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors
- c) people are indifferent to inconsistencies between their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors
- d) people are unaware of inconsistencies between their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors
Answer: a) people are motivated to reduce inconsistency between their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors
Explanation: Cognitive dissonance theory proposes that people are motivated to reduce discomfort caused by inconsistencies in their thoughts and actions.
48. The "just-world hypothesis" is the belief that:
- a) the world is a fair and just place
- b) the world is an unfair and unjust place
- c) people get what they deserve
- d) all of the above
Answer: d) all of the above
Explanation: The just-world hypothesis is the belief that people get what they deserve, often leading to blaming victims for their misfortunes.
49. The "illusory correlation" is the tendency to:
- a) perceive a relationship between events that are not actually related
- b) perceive a relationship between events that are related
- c) ignore the relationship between events
- d) exaggerate the relationship between events
Answer: a) perceive a relationship between events that are not actually related
Explanation: The illusory correlation is the tendency to see relationships between events that are not actually correlated.
50. The "hindsight bias" is the tendency to:
- a) overestimate one's ability to predict future events
- b) underestimate one's ability to predict future events
- c) believe that past events were more predictable than they actually were
- d) believe that past events were less predictable than they actually were
Answer: c) believe that past events were more predictable than they actually were
Explanation: The hindsight bias is the tendency to believe that one could have predicted an outcome after it has already occurred.
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