Sample Questions

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Exam Questions

Question 1
His performances on the test and in the program suggest that the test was
A. high in reliability but low in validity
B. high in both reliability and validity
C. low in reliability but high in validity
D. low in both reliability and validity
E. inconsistent with respect to reliability and validity
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure. Max's high scores on two separate occasions indicate the test is reliable. Validity refers to whether a test measures what it claims to measure. The test claims to predict pilot aptitude, but Max performed poorly in actual flight training, indicating the test is not a valid predictor of real-world performance.
Question 2
Of the following groups of people, which would be most likely to have the highest standard deviation in scores of intelligence?
A. Psychology professors
B. Residents of a large metropolitan city
C. Airline pilots
D. Gifted students
E. Piano teachers
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Standard deviation measures the variability or spread of scores. A large metropolitan city has a very diverse population in terms of education, occupation, and socioeconomic status, leading to a wide range of intelligence scores. The other groups (professors, pilots, gifted students, teachers) are more selective and homogeneous, resulting in lower variability.
Question 3
Given that intelligence quotient (IQ) scores are normally distributed with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15, which of the following statements is accurate?
A. The highest IQ score possible is 145.
B. IQ scores of 70 and 130 are equally likely to occur.
C. The average IQ score in the population is 115.
D. Approximately 50 percent of all IQ scores would be expected to fall above 85.
E. The likelihood of obtaining an IQ score of 115 is greater than that of obtaining an IQ score of 85.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: In a normal distribution, the mean is 100. A score of 85 is one standard deviation below the mean. In a normal distribution, 50% of scores fall above the mean. Since 85 is below the mean, more than 50% of scores fall above it. The other options are incorrect: IQ is not capped at 145, scores closer to the mean (100) are more likely than extreme scores (70 or 130), the average is 100 not 115, and 115 and 85 are equally likely as they are both 15 points from the mean.
Question 4
Which of the following theories would suggest that dreaming is merely a consequence of random activity in the brain?
A. Activation-synthesis
B. Wish fulfillment
C. Problem solving
D. Repair and restoration
E. Survival
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The activation-synthesis theory proposes that dreams are the brain's attempt to make sense of (synthesize) random neural activity (activation) originating in the brainstem during sleep. The other theories attribute more meaning or purpose to dreams.
Question 5
The first psychological laboratory was founded in Germany in the
A. early eighteenth century
B. late eighteenth century
C. early nineteenth century
D. late nineteenth century
E. early twentieth century
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Wilhelm Wundt established the first laboratory dedicated exclusively to psychological research in Leipzig, Germany, in 1879, which is the late 19th century.