Psychology Past Paper PDF

1. Which of the following is NOT a way of gathering knowledge discussed in the text? a) Tenacity b) Intuition c) Deduction d) Authority e) Empiricism 2. A hypothesis is best described as: a) A proven fact about the natural world. b) A prediction that can be easily disproven. c) A statement about ho...

1. Which of the following is NOT a way of gathering knowledge discussed in the text? a) Tenacity b) Intuition c) Deduction d) Authority e) Empiricism 2. A hypothesis is best described as: a) A proven fact about the natural world. b) A prediction that can be easily disproven. c) A statement about how the natural world functions or is structured, subject to testing. d) A subjective opinion about a phenomenon. e) An explanation of a phenomenon based solely on intuition. 3. What is the primary goal of a research report's introduction section? a) To present the statistical analyses used in the study. b) To detail the participants and procedures of the study. c) To review existing literature and state the research question or hypothesis. d) To summarize the main findings of the study. e) To discuss the limitations of the study's methodology. 4. In a research report, where would you find a detailed description of how the study was conducted? a) Abstract b) Introduction c) Results d) Discussion e) Method 5. What type of observation involves researchers actively manipulating the environment to observe behavior? a) Naturalistic observation b) Participant observation c) Structured observation d) Intervention e) Indirect observation 6. Which scale is used to measure attitudes on a continuum from strongly agree to strongly disagree? a) Ratio scale b) Interval scale c) Nominal scale d) Likert scale e) Ordinal scale 7. Which of the following is NOT a type of physiological measure? a) Heart rate b) Brain activity c) Self-reported anxiety levels d) Hormone levels e) Skin conductance 8. Test-retest reliability assesses: a) The consistency of a measure over time. b) The agreement between different raters. c) The internal consistency of items within a measure. d) How well a measure predicts a future outcome. e) Whether a measure appears to assess what it intends to measure. 9. Which type of validity refers to how well a measure correlates with a pre-existing criterion? a) Face validity b) Content validity c) Construct validity d) Predictive validity e) Criterion-related validity 10. What is the purpose of sampling in research? a) To ensure that every member of the population is included in the study. b) To reduce the cost and time required for data collection. c) To make inferences about a population based on a smaller subset. d) To guarantee that the sample is representative of the population. e) To eliminate bias from the research process. 11. Simple random sampling ensures that: a) Every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected. b) The sample perfectly reflects the proportions of subgroups within the population. c) Participants are selected from easily accessible groups. d) Participants are recruited through existing networks. e) The sample is stratified based on relevant demographic characteristics. 12. Which sampling method is NOT a probability sampling technique? a) Simple random sampling b) Stratified random sampling c) Convenience sampling d) Cluster sampling e) Multistage sampling 13. Informed consent in research involves: a) Deception to obtain truthful responses. b) Ensuring participants understand the study's purpose and potential risks. c) Allowing participants to withdraw from the study at any time. d) Both b and c. e) None of the above. 14. Replication in research refers to: a) Repeating a study to verify the findings. b) Using different methodologies to study the same phenomenon. c) Modifying a study to test a different hypothesis. d) Both a and b. e) None of the above. 15. External validity refers to: a) The accuracy of the measurements used in a study. b) The extent to which the findings can be generalized to other populations and settings. c) The degree to which the study's results are due to the manipulated variable. d) The internal consistency of the measures used in the study. e) The validity of the conclusions drawn from the study. 16. Internal validity is concerned with: a) The generalizability of research findings. b) The reliability of the measures used. c) The extent to which a study's results are due to the manipulated variable. d) The face validity of the measures used. e) The ethical considerations of the research. 17. A correlational design investigates: a) Cause-and-effect relationships between variables. b) The relationship between two or more variables without manipulating any of them. c) The effectiveness of an intervention. d) The differences between pre-existing groups. e) The impact of a specific treatment on an outcome. 18. A confounding variable is: a) A variable that is intentionally manipulated by the researcher. b) A variable that is measured but not manipulated. c) A variable that influences both the independent and dependent variables, potentially obscuring the true relationship. d) A variable that is controlled for in the experimental design. e) A variable that is unrelated to the research question. 19. In a true experiment, the researcher: a) Observes naturally occurring events. b) Manipulates an independent variable and measures a dependent variable. c) Compares pre-existing groups. d) Uses correlational analysis to examine relationships between variables. e) Uses qualitative data collection methods. 20. An independent groups design involves: a) The same participants experiencing all conditions of the independent variable. b) Different participants being randomly assigned to different conditions of the independent variable. c) Participants being matched on relevant characteristics before assignment to conditions. d) Participants self-selecting into different conditions of the independent variable. e) No random assignment of participants to conditions. 21. A repeated measures design involves: a) Different participants experiencing each condition of the independent variable. b) The same participants experiencing all conditions of the independent variable. c) Participants being matched on relevant characteristics before assignment to conditions. d) Participants self-selecting into different conditions of the independent variable. e) No random assignment of participants to conditions. 22. What is the defining characteristic of a quasi-experimental design? a) Random assignment of participants to conditions. b) Manipulation of an independent variable. c) Lack of random assignment to conditions. d) Measurement of a dependent variable. e) Use of a control group. 23. Which of the following is NOT a type of non-experimental research design? a) Differential research design b) Post-test only non-equivalent control group design c) One-group pretest-posttest design d) True experimental design e) Pretest-posttest non-equivalent control group design 24. The scientific method involves which of the following steps? a) Generating a research question, formulating a hypothesis, gathering data, and interpreting results. b) Observing a phenomenon, developing a theory, and conducting a single experiment. c) Formulating a hypothesis, proving it correct, and publishing the results. d) Collecting data, analyzing it, and drawing conclusions without a prior hypothesis. e) Relying solely on intuition and personal experience. 25. What is the purpose of a literature review in a research report? a) To present the study's findings. b) To provide an overview of the existing research on the topic. c) To describe the methods used in the study. d) To discuss the limitations of the study. e) To offer recommendations for future research. 26. What does the term "pseudoscience" refer to? a) A body of knowledge based on scientific principles and methods. b) A system of beliefs or practices that are mistakenly regarded as scientific. c) A branch of science that is still under development. d) A field of study that uses rigorous experimental methods. e) A well-established and widely accepted scientific theory. 27. What is the main purpose of an abstract in a research report? a) To provide a detailed description of the study's methodology. b) To present the full results of the statistical analyses. c) To summarize the study's main points, including the purpose, methods, results, and conclusions. d) To critically evaluate the study's strengths and weaknesses. e) To introduce the background literature on the research topic. 28. Why is it important to cite sources correctly in a research report? a) To avoid plagiarism and give credit to the original authors. b) To impress the reader with the author's knowledge. c) To make the report longer and more comprehensive. d) To obscure the sources of information. e) To make it difficult for others to verify the information. 29. Which of the following is a key principle of ethical research? a) Deception is always acceptable. b) Participants must be fully informed about the study's purpose and procedures. c) Participants should not be compensated for their time. d) The researcher can decide if data is flawed. e) Participants should not be allowed to withdraw from the study once they have begun. 30. A researcher uses a convenience sample. What is a limitation of this approach? a) It guarantees a representative sample. b) It is a very time-consuming process. c) The sample may not be representative of the target population. d) It requires extensive resources. e) It ensures high response rates. 31. What is a primary source in research? a) A textbook that summarizes research findings. b) A review article that synthesizes multiple studies. c) An original research article that reports the results of a study. d) A website that provides general information on a topic. e) A popular science magazine article. 32. What is the role of a control group in an experiment? a) To receive the experimental treatment. b) To provide a baseline for comparison with the experimental group. c) To introduce extraneous variables into the study. d) To demonstrate the effectiveness of the treatment. e) To ensure that the results are statistically significant. 33. Which of the following best describes a dependent variable? a) The variable that is manipulated by the researcher. b) The variable that is measured and expected to change in response to the independent variable. c) A variable that is held constant throughout the study. d) A variable that is not related to the research question. e) The variable that is used to control for extraneous factors. 34. What is meant by "operational definition" in research? a) A general description of a concept. b) A precise definition of a variable in terms of how it is measured or manipulated. c) A subjective interpretation of a research finding. d) A theoretical framework for understanding a phenomenon. e) A statistical technique for analyzing data. 35. Why is it important to consider the limitations of a study? a) To make the study seem more rigorous. b) To exaggerate the importance of the findings. c) To provide a more balanced and accurate interpretation of the results. d) To avoid criticism from other researchers. e) To ignore potential flaws in the methodology. 36. What is the difference between a population and a sample in research? a) There is no difference; the terms are used interchangeably. b) The population is the entire group of interest, while the sample is a subset of that group. c) The sample is always larger than the population. d) The population is always easily accessible, while the sample is not. e) The population is less important than the sample. 37. What is the purpose of a research question? a) To provide a definitive answer to a phenomenon. b) To guide the research process and focus the investigation. c) To prove a pre-existing theory. d) To avoid any further research on the topic. e) To state the conclusions of a study before conducting any research. 38. What is meant by "peer review" in the context of academic publishing? a) A process where research papers are evaluated by experts in the field before publication. b) A process where researchers self-evaluate their own work. c) A process where the editor of a journal makes all decisions about publication. d) A process where only the most experienced researchers are allowed to publish. e) A process where the public votes on which research papers should be published. 39. What is the role of the discussion section in a research report? a) To simply reiterate the results of the study. b) To present the statistical analyses used in the study. c) To interpret the findings, discuss their implications, and address limitations of the study. d) To provide a detailed description of the participants and procedures. e) To describe the background literature. 40. What is the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics? a) There is no difference; the terms are used interchangeably. b) Descriptive statistics summarize data, while inferential statistics draw conclusions about a population based on sample data. c) Descriptive statistics are used in qualitative research, while inferential statistics are used in quantitative research. d) Descriptive statistics are more important than inferential statistics. e) Inferential statistics are only used when the sample size is very large. ANSWER KEY: 1. c) Deduction 2. c) A statement about how the natural world functions or is structured, subject to testing. 3. c) To review existing literature and state the research question or hypothesis. 4. e) Method 5. d) Intervention 6. d) Likert scale 7. c) Self-reported anxiety levels 8. a) The consistency of a measure over time. 9. e) Criterion-related validity 10. c) To make inferences about a population based on a smaller subset. 11. a) Every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected. 12. c) Convenience sampling 13. d) Both b and c. 14. a) Repeating a study to verify the findings. 15. b) The extent to which the findings can be generalized to other populations and settings. 16. c) The extent to which a study's results are due to the manipulated variable. 17. b) The relationship between two or more variables without manipulating any of them. 18. c) A variable that influences both the independent and dependent variables, potentially obscuring the true relationship. 19. b) Manipulates an independent variable and measures a dependent variable. 20. b) Different participants being randomly assigned to different conditions of the independent variable. 21. b) The same participants experiencing all conditions of the independent variable. 22. c) Lack of random assignment to conditions. 23. d) True experimental design 24. a) Generating a research question, formulating a hypothesis, gathering data, and interpreting results. 25. b) To provide an overview of the existing research on the topic. 26. b) A system of beliefs or practices that are mistakenly regarded as scientific. 27. c) To summarize the study's main points, including the purpose, methods, results, and conclusions. 28. a) To avoid plagiarism and give credit to the original authors. 29. b) Participants must be fully informed about the study's purpose and procedures. 30. c) The sample may not be representative of the target population. 31. c) An original research article that reports the results of a study. 32. b) To provide a baseline for comparison with the experimental group. 33. b) The variable that is measured and expected to change in response to the independent variable. 34. b) A precise definition of a variable in terms of how it is measured or manipulated. 35. c) To provide a more balanced and accurate interpretation of the results. 36. b) The population is the entire group of interest, while the sample is a subset of that group. 37. b) To guide the research process and focus the investigation. 38. a) A process where research papers are evaluated by experts in the field before publication. 39. c) To interpret the findings, discuss their implications, and address limitations of the study. 40. b) Descriptive statistics summarize data, while inferential statistics draw conclusions about a population based on sample data.