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

Encoding specificity means that recall is best when:

  1. AInformation is learned in one long session
  2. BLearning happens just before sleep only
  3. CThe context at retrieval matches the context at learning
  4. DThe material is learned in a noisy room
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

Children get better at ignoring distractions and switching between tasks through childhood and adolescence. This improvement in executive function is linked mainly to maturation of the:

  1. AOccipital lobe
  2. BCerebellum
  3. CPrefrontal cortex
  4. DBrainstem
4.Developmental psychologyHard

Adolescents take more risks in a driving game when friends are watching, but adults are less affected. Steinberg explains this mainly by:

  1. AReward systems maturing earlier than prefrontal self-control
  2. BAdolescents having faster reaction times than adults do
  3. CAdolescents being unable to understand the rules of the driving game
  4. DAdults being less aware of risks than adolescents are
5.Social psychologyMedium

The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to:

  1. ABlame the situation for one's own failures while taking personal credit for one's successes
  2. BAssume others agree with us
  3. COverestimate personality and underestimate the situation when explaining others' behaviour
  4. DOverestimate the role of luck in success
6.Social psychologyHard

The just-world hypothesis can lead people to:

  1. AIgnore social norms completely
  2. BBelieve that all outcomes are random
  3. CBlame victims for their misfortune
  4. DHelp victims more readily
7.Clinical psychologyMedium

In suicide risk assessment, which factor is one of the strongest predictors of a future suicide attempt?

  1. ATalking openly to a therapist
  2. BHaving a large circle of friends
  3. CBeing a university student
  4. DA previous suicide attempt
8.Clinical psychologyHard

A therapist asks a client to rate the evidence for and against the thought "I always fail". Which technique is this?

  1. AFree association
  2. BCognitive restructuring
  3. CSystematic desensitisation
  4. DToken economy

2Solutions

1.Cognitive psychology

Answer: C · The context at retrieval matches the context at learning

Why this is the answer

Godden and Baddeley showed that recall is better when learning and recall contexts match, because cues present at encoding help retrieval.

Answer

C · The context at retrieval matches the context at learning
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: C · Prefrontal cortex

Why this is the answer

Executive functions such as inhibition, working memory and flexible switching depend heavily on the prefrontal cortex, which continues developing into the twenties.

Answer

C · Prefrontal cortex
4.Developmental psychology

Answer: A · Reward systems maturing earlier than prefrontal self-control

Why this is the answer

The dual systems model proposes that reward sensitivity rises in adolescence, while cognitive control matures more slowly, so peers can push decisions towards risk.

Answer

A · Reward systems maturing earlier than prefrontal self-control
5.Social psychology

Answer: C · Overestimate personality and underestimate the situation when explaining others' behaviour

Why this is the answer

When explaining others' behaviour, people overemphasise dispositional causes and neglect situational pressures.

Answer

C · Overestimate personality and underestimate the situation when explaining others' behaviour
6.Social psychology

Answer: C · Blame victims for their misfortune

Why this is the answer

Believing the world is fair can lead people to derogate or blame victims to maintain the belief that bad things happen only to those who deserve them.

Answer

C · Blame victims for their misfortune
7.Clinical psychology

Answer: D · A previous suicide attempt

Why this is the answer

A history of suicide attempts is among the strongest risk factors. Asking directly about suicidal thoughts does not increase risk and is part of good assessment.

Answer

D · A previous suicide attempt
8.Clinical psychology

Answer: B · Cognitive restructuring

Why this is the answer

Cognitive restructuring identifies automatic thoughts, examines evidence and replaces distortions such as overgeneralisation with balanced thoughts.

Answer

B · Cognitive restructuring

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