Introduction to Psychology: cram pack

Formula sheets, the key method steps for every topic and 8 practice problems, with full solutions at the back.

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1Practice problems

1.Cognitive psychologyMedium

According to the levels-of-processing approach, which task leads to the best recall of words?

  1. ADeciding whether each word rhymes with "cat"
  2. BCounting the letters in each word
  3. CDeciding whether each word is in capital letters
  4. DDeciding whether each word fits into a sentence
2.Cognitive psychologyHard

H.M. practised mirror drawing over several days. His performance improved steadily, yet each day he said he had never done the task before. What does this show?

  1. AH.M. was only pretending not to remember the sessions
  2. BSkills can be learned without remembering the practice
  3. CMirror drawing depends mainly on the hippocampus
  4. DHis improvement came from rehearsal in short-term memory
3.Developmental psychologyMedium

Habituation in infant research is used to show that babies:

  1. APrefer their own reflection
  2. BCan tell two stimuli apart because interest returns when the stimulus changes
  3. CBecome drowsy and sleep more when the same stimulus is presented over and over again
  4. DAre born with full adult vision
4.Developmental psychologyHard

Main's Adult Attachment Interview found that parents who describe their own childhood in a coherent, balanced way tend to have infants who:

  1. AAre securely attached in the Strange Situation
  2. BAre always insecure-avoidant
  3. CDevelop formal operational thought earlier
  4. DShow no attachment at all
5.Social psychologyMedium

Exposing people to weak arguments against their view, along with rebuttals, makes them more resistant to later persuasion. This is:

  1. AInoculation theory
  2. BReactance theory
  3. CThe sleeper effect
  4. DThe elaboration likelihood model
6.Social psychologyHard

Festinger and Carlsmith paid participants either $1 or $20 to tell others a boring task was fun. Who later rated the task as more enjoyable?

  1. ANeither group changed its rating
  2. BThose paid $20
  3. CThose paid $1
  4. DBoth groups rated it the same
7.Clinical psychologyMedium

Which of these is a positive symptom of schizophrenia?

  1. APoverty of speech
  2. BSocial withdrawal
  3. CDelusions
  4. DFlat affect
8.Clinical psychologyHard

The "Dodo bird verdict" in psychotherapy research refers to the finding that:

  1. AOnly psychoanalysis is effective for depression
  2. BMedication always outperforms psychotherapy
  3. CUntreated clients on waiting lists improve faster than treated clients
  4. DDifferent bona fide therapies often produce broadly similar outcomes

2Solutions

1.Cognitive psychology

Answer: D · Deciding whether each word fits into a sentence

Why this is the answer

Craik and Lockhart argued that semantic (deep) processing gives better recall than structural or phonemic (shallow) processing.

Answer

D · Deciding whether each word fits into a sentence
2.Cognitive psychology

Answer: B · Skills can be learned without remembering the practice

Why this is the answer

Milner's finding showed that procedural (implicit) learning does not depend on the medial temporal structures needed for forming new declarative memories.

Answer

B · Skills can be learned without remembering the practice
3.Developmental psychology

Answer: B · Can tell two stimuli apart because interest returns when the stimulus changes

Why this is the answer

When a familiar stimulus is replaced by a new one, a recovery in looking time (dishabituation) shows the infant perceives the difference.

Answer

B · Can tell two stimuli apart because interest returns when the stimulus changes
4.Developmental psychology

Answer: A · Are securely attached in the Strange Situation

Why this is the answer

Parents classified as "secure-autonomous" on the AAI are more likely to have securely attached infants, consistent with internal working models passing between generations.

Answer

A · Are securely attached in the Strange Situation
5.Social psychology

Answer: A · Inoculation theory

Why this is the answer

McGuire's inoculation theory proposes that small doses of counterarguments motivate people to build defences for their attitudes.

Answer

A · Inoculation theory
6.Social psychology

Answer: C · Those paid $1

Why this is the answer

The $1 group had insufficient external justification, so they reduced dissonance by changing their attitude, rating the task as more enjoyable.

Answer

C · Those paid $1
7.Clinical psychology

Answer: C · Delusions

Why this is the answer

Positive symptoms are additions (hallucinations, delusions, disorganised speech). Negative symptoms are losses (flat affect, avolition, alogia).

Answer

C · Delusions
8.Clinical psychology

Answer: D · Different bona fide therapies often produce broadly similar outcomes

Why this is the answer

Meta-analyses often find small differences between established therapies, which has been taken to support common factors such as the alliance. Some disorders, such as OCD and phobias, show clear advantages for specific treatments like exposure.

Answer

D · Different bona fide therapies often produce broadly similar outcomes

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