PSYCH 111: Introduction to Psychology Final Exam

The Correct Answer is:

C. Clinical psychology

Clinical psychology focuses on assessing, diagnosing, preventing, and treating psychological disorders by integrating scientific research with therapeutic techniques. Clinical psychologists use evidence-based practices, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychotherapy, and psychological testing, to improve clients’ mental health and overall well-being. They work in various settings, including hospitals, clinics, private practices, and research institutions.

Why the other options are incorrect:

Personality psychology

This is incorrect because personality psychology studies individual traits, behaviors, and thought patterns that make people unique. While it provides insights into personality development, it does not primarily focus on preventing or treating mental disorders.

Social psychology

This is incorrect because social psychology examines how people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by others and social environments. It focuses on group dynamics, attitudes, and relationships rather than diagnosing or treating psychological disorders.

Abnormal psychology

This is incorrect because abnormal psychology focuses on studying atypical thoughts, emotions, and behaviors but does not necessarily involve prevention or direct treatment. Clinical psychology, on the other hand, applies scientific findings to actively diagnose and treat disorders.

The Correct Answer is:

B. To analyze how the structure and function of the nervous system generate behavior

Biological psychologists (also called biopsychologists or neuroscientists) study how the brain, spinal cord, neurotransmitters, hormones, and overall nervous system influence thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. They investigate the biological basis of mental processes and behavior, often using techniques like brain imaging, electrophysiology, and genetic studies to understand how the body and mind are connected.

Why the other options are incorrect:

To study cultural and social influences on behavior

This is incorrect because studying how culture and social context affect behavior is the focus of the sociocultural perspective, not biological psychology.

To focus on unconscious conflicts and repressed memories

This is incorrect because exploring hidden desires and early life experiences is the domain of psychoanalysis, not biological psychology.

To examine only learned behaviors through conditioning

This is incorrect because studying observable learning and reinforcement is the focus of behaviorism, while biological psychology emphasizes the nervous system and brain function in shaping behavior.

The Correct Answer is:

B. During a specific time of year, usually fall or winter

Seasonal pattern depression, commonly referred to as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), occurs when major depressive symptoms appear consistently during a particular season, usually fall or winter, and subside in spring or summer. It is often linked to reduced sunlight exposure, which can disrupt circadian rhythms and affect serotonin regulation, leading to feelings of sadness, fatigue, and low motivation.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. During stressful life events

This is incorrect because situational depression occurs due to specific stressful experiences, not seasonal changes. Seasonal depression follows predictable patterns year after year.

C. Only during pregnancy and after childbirth

This is incorrect because that describes peripartum-onset depression, not seasonal depression.

D. Randomly throughout the year without seasonal variation

This is incorrect because symptoms of seasonal depression occur consistently in certain seasons. Non-seasonal depression has no time-related pattern.

The Correct Answer is:

B. The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight

Jean Piaget’s research in developmental psychology showed that infants under six to eight months old lack object permanence, meaning they believe that if something is hidden, it no longer exists. As children grow and their cognitive development progresses, they acquire this understanding, typically around 8–12 months of age. Object permanence marks an important milestone in Piaget’s sensorimotor stage of development.

Why the other options are incorrect:

The ability to memorize the names of physical objects

This is incorrect because object permanence is not about memory of names; it’s about understanding the continued existence of objects when unseen.

The skill of recognizing objects only when they are visible

This is incorrect because this describes limited perception, not object permanence. Children who lack object permanence do not realize unseen objects still exist.

The ability to distinguish between real and imaginary objects

This is incorrect because distinguishing reality from imagination is related to later stages of cognitive development, not the concept of object permanence, which focuses specifically on physical existence.

The Correct Answer is:

B. The inability to recall important personal information, usually after experiencing extreme stress or trauma

Dissociative amnesia is characterized by the partial or complete inability to recall significant personal information, often related to stressful or traumatic experiences such as combat, natural disasters, or violent assaults. Unlike ordinary forgetfulness, dissociative amnesia is not caused by physical brain injury but rather by psychological defense mechanisms that protect the individual from overwhelming distress. In some cases, the amnesia is localized (specific to a particular event), while in others, it may involve broader gaps in memory.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. A disorder involving difficulty forming new memories due to brain injury

This is incorrect because difficulty creating new memories after physical brain damage is known as anterograde amnesia, which differs from dissociative amnesia, where memory loss stems from psychological trauma rather than neurological injury.

C. A temporary loss of memory caused by normal aging

This is incorrect because age-related memory lapses are gradual, affect minor details, and are not linked to traumatic events. Dissociative amnesia, on the other hand, involves significant gaps in memory following extreme psychological stress.

D. Forgetting minor day-to-day tasks such as misplacing items or missing appointments

This is incorrect because everyday forgetfulness is common and unrelated to dissociative amnesia. In dissociative amnesia, the individual loses access to critical personal information, often involving identity, relationships, or traumatic experiences.

The Correct Answer is:

B. B.F. Skinner

B.F. Skinner is most associated with behaviorism, a school of thought that focuses on observable behaviors rather than internal mental processes. Skinner expanded on John B. Watson’s ideas and introduced the concept of operant conditioning, where behaviors are shaped by rewards and punishments. His experiments with reinforcement and learning significantly influenced psychology, education, and behavior modification techniques still used today.

Why the other options are incorrect:

Carl Rogers

This is incorrect because Carl Rogers is a founder of humanistic psychology, which focuses on personal growth, self-actualization, and the client-centered approach in therapy. Unlike behaviorism, Rogers emphasized individual experiences and free will rather than conditioning or observable behavior.

Abraham Maslow

This is incorrect because Abraham Maslow, another humanistic psychologist, is best known for creating the hierarchy of needs, which explains human motivation. Maslow’s theory focuses on fulfilling psychological and self-actualization needs rather than using reinforcement or punishment to shape behavior, which is the core principle of behaviorism.

Erik Erikson

This is incorrect because Erik Erikson is known for his psychosocial theory of development, which outlines eight stages of personality development across the lifespan. Unlike Skinner, Erikson studied how social relationships and identity formation shape behavior rather than focusing on conditioning or reinforcement principles.

The Correct Answer is:

B. It emphasizes the innate potential for good in humans and personal growth

Humanistic psychology focuses on the idea that all humans have an inherent capacity for growth, self-improvement, and reaching their full potential. Pioneers like Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers believed that individuals are naturally motivated toward self-actualization and achieving personal fulfillment. Humanistic therapy often promotes empathy, unconditional positive regard, and self-awareness to help clients overcome challenges and maximize their potential.

Why the other options are incorrect:

It focuses on unconscious conflicts and repressed childhood experiences

This is incorrect because this approach is central to psychoanalysis, founded by Sigmund Freud, not the humanistic perspective.

It studies only observable behaviors and measurable actions

This is incorrect because that describes behaviorism, developed by psychologists like B.F. Skinner and John B. Watson, which focuses on conditioning rather than personal growth.

It explains behavior primarily through biological and genetic factors

This is incorrect because the biological perspective studies genetics, brain chemistry, and heredity, whereas humanism emphasizes personal choice, self-awareness, and positive potential.

The Correct Answer is:

A. Amygdala and prefrontal cortex

Depression is strongly associated with abnormal activity in several brain regions, especially the amygdala and prefrontal cortex (PFC). The amygdala plays a critical role in evaluating the emotional significance of stimuli and generating emotional responses, while the PFC helps regulate and control these emotions. In depression, studies show hyperactivity in the amygdala and reduced activity in the PFC, which together contribute to persistent sadness, rumination, and difficulty managing negative emotions effectively.

Why the other options are incorrect:

B. Hippocampus and cerebellum

This is incorrect because, although the hippocampus is involved in memory and the cerebellum regulates coordination and balance, these regions are not the primary centers of emotional processing disrupted in depression.

C. Occipital lobe and temporal lobe

This is incorrect because the occipital lobe is mainly responsible for visual processing, while the temporal lobe focuses on language and auditory processing. While the temporal lobe has some role in emotional perception, neither is central to the emotional regulation problems seen in depression.

D. Brainstem and medulla oblongata

This is incorrect because these regions are primarily responsible for automatic survival functions like breathing, heart rate, and reflexes. They are not directly linked to the emotional dysregulation commonly observed in depressive disorders.

The Correct Answer is:

C. Examination of mental processes like memory and problem-solving

The cognitive approach focuses on understanding mental processes such as perception, memory, thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving. It studies how people acquire, store, and retrieve information and how these processes influence behavior. This approach emerged as a reaction to behaviorism, emphasizing that internal thought processes are just as important as observable actions for understanding human behavior.

Why the other options are incorrect:

Focus on unconscious motives

This is incorrect because focusing on unconscious motives is the foundation of psychoanalysis, developed by Sigmund Freud. Unlike the cognitive approach, psychoanalysis emphasizes repressed desires, childhood experiences, and unconscious conflicts rather than studying conscious mental processes like reasoning and memory.

Study of observable behaviors only

This is incorrect because the exclusive study of observable behaviors is the focus of behaviorism, developed by psychologists like John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner. Behaviorists ignored mental processes, whereas the cognitive approach actively investigates how the mind processes and organizes information internally.

Analysis of chemical imbalances in the brain

This is incorrect because analyzing chemical imbalances is part of the biological approach to psychology, which focuses on brain structures, neurotransmitters, and genetics. While biological factors can influence thinking, the cognitive approach specifically studies how the mind processes information rather than focusing on brain chemistry or physiological mechanisms.