1.Cognitive psychologyMedium
The availability heuristic means people judge how likely an event is by:
- AIts actual statistical frequency
- BHow easily examples come to mind
- CThe first number they hear
- DHow similar it is to a typical case
Introduction to Psychology: cram pack
Formula sheets, the key method steps for every topic and 8 practice problems, with full solutions at the back.
1Practice problems
2.Cognitive psychologyHard
In the Wason selection task, cards show E, K, 4 and 7. The rule is "If a card has a vowel on one side, it has an even number on the other". Which cards must be turned to test the rule?
- AE and 7
- BE and 4
- CE, 4 and 7
- DE only
3.Developmental psychologyMedium
A 5-year-old says a boy who broke 15 cups by accident is naughtier than a boy who broke 1 cup while stealing jam. Piaget called this:
- AAutonomous morality (moral relativism)
- BFormal operational moral thought
- CHeteronomous morality (moral realism)
- DPost-conventional moral reasoning
4.Developmental psychologyHard
Parents who love reading pass on genes linked to verbal ability and also fill the house with books. This is which gene–environment correlation?
- AActive (niche-picking)
- BPassive
- CEvocative
- DGene–environment interaction
5.Social psychologyMedium
A smoker who knows smoking is harmful tells himself "the research isn't really conclusive". In dissonance terms, he is reducing dissonance by:
- AChanging his behaviour
- BConforming to a group norm
- CIncreasing the importance of the conflict
- DChanging one of the conflicting cognitions
6.Social psychologyHard
Kunst-Wilson and Zajonc showed octagons too briefly to be recognised. Later, participants could not tell old from new shapes but preferred the ones shown before. This suggests:
- AVery brief exposure tends to reduce liking for a shape
- BPeople always know which shapes they have seen before
- CLiking depends only on what can be consciously remembered from before
- DMere exposure can raise liking without conscious recognition
7.Clinical psychologyMedium
A patient feels intense anxiety about having a serious illness despite having few or no bodily symptoms and repeated normal tests. Which diagnosis fits best?
- ASomatic symptom disorder
- BFunctional neurological symptom disorder
- CFactitious disorder
- DIllness anxiety disorder
8.Clinical psychologyHard
A student believes "If I'm not perfect, I'm worthless." In Beck's model, this belief is best classed as:
- AA dysfunctional assumption or core belief that makes the person vulnerable
- BA negative symptom of schizophrenia
- CA defence mechanism called sublimation, which channels distress into socially valued work
- DA hallucination that requires antipsychotics
2Solutions
1.Cognitive psychology
Answer: B · How easily examples come to mind
Why this is the answer
Tversky and Kahneman showed that people overestimate events that are easy to recall, such as dramatic or recent ones.
Answer
B · How easily examples come to mind
2.Cognitive psychology
Answer: A · E and 7
Why this is the answer
Only a vowel with an odd number falsifies the rule, so check E (odd on back?) and 7 (vowel on back?). Most people choose E and 4, which reflects a matching or confirmation tendency.
Answer
A · E and 7
3.Developmental psychology
Answer: C · Heteronomous morality (moral realism)
Why this is the answer
Heteronomous children see rules as fixed and judge actions by the amount of damage. Older, autonomous children take intentions into account.
Answer
C · Heteronomous morality (moral realism)
4.Developmental psychology
Answer: B · Passive
Why this is the answer
In passive correlations, biological parents provide both genes and an environment that fits them. This is strongest in early childhood.
Answer
B · Passive
5.Social psychology
Answer: D · Changing one of the conflicting cognitions
Why this is the answer
Dissonance can be reduced by changing behaviour, changing a belief or adding new justifying beliefs. Doubting the evidence changes a belief.
Answer
D · Changing one of the conflicting cognitions
6.Social psychology
Answer: D · Mere exposure can raise liking without conscious recognition
Why this is the answer
The mere exposure effect can occur without awareness, suggesting affective reactions can be formed independently of conscious recognition.
Answer
D · Mere exposure can raise liking without conscious recognition
7.Clinical psychology
Answer: D · Illness anxiety disorder
Why this is the answer
Illness anxiety disorder involves preoccupation with having or acquiring a serious illness with minimal somatic symptoms. Somatic symptom disorder centres on distressing symptoms and excessive thoughts about them.
Answer
D · Illness anxiety disorder
8.Clinical psychology
Answer: A · A dysfunctional assumption or core belief that makes the person vulnerable
Why this is the answer
Beck distinguished surface negative automatic thoughts from deeper schemas and conditional assumptions. Such beliefs remain dormant until activated by a matching stressor, such as failure.
Answer
A · A dysfunctional assumption or core belief that makes the person vulnerable
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