1.Cognitive psychologyMedium
Rubin's vase, which can be seen as a vase or as two faces, illustrates:
- AThe law of closure
- BSize constancy
- CRetinal disparity
- DFigure–ground organisation
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
Chase and Simon showed chess positions briefly to experts and novices. Experts recalled real game positions much better, but not random positions. This suggests expertise relies on:
- APhotographic iconic memory
- BChunks of meaningful patterns stored in long-term memory
- CBetter eyesight
- DA larger short-term memory capacity in general
3.Developmental psychologyMedium
A parent's stressful workplace affects a child's home life, although the child never goes there. In Bronfenbrenner's theory, the workplace is part of the child's:
- AExosystem
- BMicrosystem
- CChronosystem
- DMesosystem
4.Developmental psychologyHard
In an adoption study, adopted children's IQ scores correlate more with their biological parents' scores than with their adoptive parents' scores. This suggests:
- AThat adoptive parents give poor care
- BGenetic influence on individual differences in IQ
- CThat the family environment has no effect at all on IQ
- DThat IQ is fixed at birth
5.Social psychologyMedium
In a variation of Asch's study, participants wrote their answers privately instead of saying them aloud, and conformity dropped sharply. What does this suggest?
- AMost participants had poor eyesight for lines
- BMuch of the original conformity was normative
- CWriting answers made the task more difficult
- DThe conformity was mainly informational
6.Social psychologyHard
In the Clarks' doll studies, many Black children preferred a white doll and described it as "nice". This research was cited in a US court case because it suggested:
- AYoung children have no racial awareness
- BDoll preferences are fully innate
- CSegregation harmed Black children's self-image
- DSegregated schools improved self-esteem
7.Clinical psychologyMedium
Rosenhan's study "On being sane in insane places" raised concerns about:
- AThe validity of psychiatric diagnosis
- BThe safety of antidepressants
- CThe ethics of animal research
- DThe effectiveness of CBT
8.Clinical psychologyHard
A study compares a new therapy with a waiting-list control and finds a large benefit. Why might this overestimate the therapy's specific effect?
- AWaiting-list participants cannot be randomised
- BWaiting-list controls always receive the same therapy
- CA waiting list controls for time passing but not for attention, expectation or the alliance
- DWaiting lists remove the placebo effect completely, so any benefit must come from the therapy itself
2Solutions
1.Cognitive psychology
Answer: D · Figure–ground organisation
Why this is the answer
Perception separates a scene into a figure and a background. In ambiguous figures like Rubin's vase, the two interpretations alternate.
Answer
D · Figure–ground organisation
2.Cognitive psychology
Answer: B · Chunks of meaningful patterns stored in long-term memory
Why this is the answer
Experts recognise familiar configurations as chunks, so they can encode more pieces at once. Their general memory capacity is not larger.
Answer
B · Chunks of meaningful patterns stored in long-term memory
3.Developmental psychology
Answer: A · Exosystem
Why this is the answer
The exosystem includes settings that affect the child indirectly, such as a parent's job or local government decisions.
Answer
A · Exosystem
4.Developmental psychology
Answer: B · Genetic influence on individual differences in IQ
Why this is the answer
Greater resemblance to biological parents points to genetic influence, though prenatal environment and selective placement can complicate the interpretation.
Answer
B · Genetic influence on individual differences in IQ
5.Social psychology
Answer: B · Much of the original conformity was normative
Why this is the answer
Since the lines were unambiguous, conformity in public reflected the wish to fit in. When answers were private, that pressure was removed.
Answer
B · Much of the original conformity was normative
6.Social psychology
Answer: C · Segregation harmed Black children's self-image
Why this is the answer
The findings were used to argue that segregation caused psychological harm, contributing to the US Supreme Court ruling that segregated schools were unconstitutional.
Answer
C · Segregation harmed Black children's self-image
7.Clinical psychology
Answer: A · The validity of psychiatric diagnosis
Why this is the answer
Pseudopatients who reported hearing a single word were admitted and kept for weeks, suggesting diagnosis was influenced by context. The study's methods have been questioned since.
Answer
A · The validity of psychiatric diagnosis
8.Clinical psychology
Answer: C · A waiting list controls for time passing but not for attention, expectation or the alliance
Why this is the answer
Waiting-list designs show that therapy beats no treatment, but common factors such as hope and therapist contact are not controlled. An active comparison or attention-placebo control is needed to test specific ingredients.
Answer
C · A waiting list controls for time passing but not for attention, expectation or the alliance
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