Psychology MCQs

By: Prof. Dr. Fazal Rehman | Last updated: April 16, 2025

1. Which psychological perspective focuses on the study of mental processes such as perception and memory?
(A) Behavioral
(B) Cognitive
(C) Humanistic
(D) Psychodynamic

2. What term describes the process of learning through the association of stimuli?
(A) Operant conditioning
(B) Classical conditioning
(C) Observational learning
(D) Insight learning

3. Which psychologist is known for developing the theory of operant conditioning?
(A) John Watson
(B) B.F. Skinner
(C) Ivan Pavlov
(D) Carl Rogers

4. What is the primary focus of humanistic psychology?
(A) Behavioral modification
(B) Self-actualization and personal growth
(C) Unconscious motives
(D) Cognitive processes

5. Which approach to psychology emphasizes the role of unconscious processes and childhood experiences?
(A) Humanistic
(B) Cognitive
(C) Psychodynamic
(D) Biological

6. What is the term for the mental process of organizing and interpreting sensory information?
(A) Sensation
(B) Perception
(C) Attention
(D) Memory

7. Which term refers to the tendency to believe that an event was predictable after it has already happened?
(A) Confirmation bias
(B) Hindsight bias
(C) Self-serving bias
(D) Fundamental attribution error

8. What is the primary focus of behavioral psychology?
(A) Conscious and unconscious processes
(B) Observable behaviors and learning
(C) Cognitive processes
(D) Emotional and social development

9. Which of the following is a projective personality test?
(A) MMPI
(B) Rorschach Inkblot Test
(C) Big Five Inventory
(D) NEO-PI

10. What is the primary function of the amygdala in the brain?
(A) Memory formation
(B) Emotional regulation
(C) Motor control
(D) Sensory processing

11. Which term describes the tendency to attribute our successes to internal factors and our failures to external factors?
(A) Self-serving bias
(B) Fundamental attribution error
(C) Hindsight bias
(D) Confirmation bias

12. Which theory suggests that physiological arousal and emotional experience occur simultaneously?
(A) Cannon-Bard Theory
(B) James-Lange Theory
(C) Schachter-Singer Theory
(D) Lazarus Theory

13. What type of memory holds information for a very short period, typically less than a second?
(A) Sensory memory
(B) Short-term memory
(C) Long-term memory
(D) Working memory

14. Which psychological disorder is characterized by persistent and excessive worry about various aspects of life?
(A) Major depressive disorder
(B) Obsessive-compulsive disorder
(C) Generalized anxiety disorder
(D) Bipolar disorder

15. What is the term for a mental disorder characterized by the presence of two or more distinct personality states?
(A) Dissociative identity disorder
(B) Schizophrenia
(C) Borderline personality disorder
(D) Bipolar disorder

16. Which cognitive bias refers to the tendency to seek out information that confirms one’s existing beliefs?
(A) Hindsight bias
(B) Confirmation bias
(C) Anchoring bias
(D) Availability heuristic

17. What is the term for the tendency to perceive oneself as better than average in various aspects?
(A) Self-serving bias
(B) Overconfidence bias
(C) Halo effect
(D) False consensus effect

18. Which type of learning involves acquiring skills or knowledge through observing others?
(A) Classical conditioning
(B) Operant conditioning
(C) Observational learning
(D) Insight learning

19. What term describes the psychological and physiological state of arousal that occurs in response to stress?
(A) Eustress
(B) Distress
(C) Homeostasis
(D) Adaptation

20. Which of the following is an example of a negative reinforcement?
(A) Giving a reward for good behavior
(B) Removing an unpleasant stimulus to increase behavior
(C) Presenting an aversive stimulus to decrease behavior
(D) Providing praise to encourage a behavior

21. What is the term for the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person?
(A) Sympathy
(B) Empathy
(C) Apathy
(D) Compassion

22. Which term refers to the process by which an individual comes to terms with the reality of a stressful situation?
(A) Coping
(B) Denial
(C) Repression
(D) Projection

23. What is the focus of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)?
(A) Uncovering unconscious conflicts
(B) Changing maladaptive thought patterns and behaviors
(C) Exploring childhood experiences
(D) Enhancing self-esteem

24. Which stage of Erik Erikson’s psychosocial development theory involves the challenge of forming intimate relationships?
(A) Industry vs. Inferiority
(B) Identity vs. Role Confusion
(C) Generativity vs. Stagnation
(D) Intimacy vs. Isolation

25. What term describes the tendency for individuals to perform better on tasks in the presence of others?
(A) Social facilitation
(B) Social loafing
(C) Groupthink
(D) Deindividuation

26. Which theory of emotion suggests that emotions result from our interpretation of physiological arousal?
(A) James-Lange Theory
(B) Cannon-Bard Theory
(C) Schachter-Singer Theory
(D) Lazarus Theory

27. What is the term for the phenomenon where people in a group go along with the majority view, even if it contradicts their own beliefs?
(A) Conformity
(B) Obedience
(C) Compliance
(D) Persuasion

28. Which psychological perspective focuses on the role of biological processes and brain structures in behavior?
(A) Cognitive
(B) Humanistic
(C) Evolutionary
(D) Biological

29. What is the term for the mental process of retrieving information from long-term memory?
(A) Encoding
(B) Storage
(C) Retrieval
(D) Consolidation

30. Which type of memory is used to temporarily hold and manipulate information during cognitive tasks?
(A) Sensory memory
(B) Short-term memory
(C) Long-term memory
(D) Working memory

31. What is the term for the belief that one’s own culture or group is superior to others?
(A) Ethnocentrism
(B) Prejudice
(C) Discrimination
(D) Stereotyping

32. Which term describes a mental shortcut that relies on immediate examples that come to mind when evaluating a situation?
(A) Availability heuristic
(B) Representativeness heuristic
(C) Anchoring bias
(D) Confirmation bias

33. What is the term for a psychological condition characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness?
(A) Anxiety disorder
(B) Bipolar disorder
(C) Major depressive disorder
(D) Schizophrenia

34. Which approach to psychology emphasizes the study of individual differences and the impact of genetics on behavior?
(A) Psychodynamic
(B) Humanistic
(C) Evolutionary
(D) Trait theory

35. What is the term for the process of adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information?
(A) Assimilation
(B) Accommodation
(C) Equilibration
(D) Conservation

36. Which psychological perspective focuses on the study of mental processes and their influence on behavior?
(A) Behavioral
(B) Cognitive
(C) Humanistic
(D) Psychodynamic

37. What is the term for the tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviors?
(A) False consensus effect
(B) Halo effect
(C) Self-serving bias
(D) Hindsight bias

38. Which term refers to the mental process of organizing and interpreting sensory information to make sense of the world?
(A) Perception
(B) Sensation
(C) Attention
(D) Memory

39. What is the term for the psychological phenomenon where an individual’s performance improves on a task when they are observed by others?
(A) Social facilitation
(B) Social loafing
(C) Groupthink
(D) Deindividuation

40. Which term describes the tendency to attribute others’ behaviors to internal factors while attributing our own behaviors to external factors?
(A) Fundamental attribution error
(B) Self-serving bias
(C) Hindsight bias
(D) Confirmation bias

41. Which type of learning involves associating a behavior with its consequences?
(A) Classical conditioning
(B) Observational learning
(C) Operant conditioning
(D) Insight learning

42. What is the term for a mental disorder characterized by a detachment from reality, including symptoms like hallucinations and delusions?
(A) Bipolar disorder
(B) Schizophrenia
(C) Major depressive disorder
(D) Generalized anxiety disorder

43. Which term refers to the process of maintaining a stable internal environment despite external changes?
(A) Homeostasis
(B) Adaptation
(C) Coping
(D) Equilibration

44. What is the term for the tendency to seek information that confirms one’s preexisting beliefs and ignore information that contradicts them?
(A) Confirmation bias
(B) Hindsight bias
(C) Availability heuristic
(D) Anchoring bias

45. Which term describes a cognitive bias where people rely too heavily on the first piece of information they encounter when making decisions?
(A) Anchoring bias
(B) Availability heuristic
(C) Representativeness heuristic
(D) Self-serving bias

46. What is the primary focus of social psychology?
(A) Mental disorders and treatment
(B) Cognitive processes and memory
(C) Social interactions and group behavior
(D) Biological processes and genetics

47. Which term refers to a mental state characterized by the feeling of being overwhelmed and unable to cope with life’s demands?
(A) Stress
(B) Anxiety
(C) Depression
(D) Burnout