PSYC 2150 – Comprehensive Exam (Exams
1–3) Academic Year: 2026/2027
SECTION A: MULTIPLE CHOICE (85 questions)
Exam 1: Introduction, Research Methods, Social Cognition, The Self
1. Social psychology differs from sociology primarily in its focus on:
a) Large social structures
b) The individual in social context
c) Brain activity
d) Historical trends
Answer: b) The individual in social context
Rationale:
• *a*: Sociology focuses on groups/institutions.
• *b*: Correct – social psychology studies how individuals think, feel, behave socially.
• *c*: Neuroscience.
• *d*: History.
2. A study finds a correlation of -0.80 between stress and happiness. This means:
a) More stress causes less happiness
b) Less happiness causes more stress
c) Higher stress is associated with lower happiness
d) No relationship exists
Answer: c) Higher stress is associated with lower happiness
Rationale:
• *a* & *b*: Correlation does not imply causation.
• *c*: Correct – strong negative correlation.
• *d*: Incorrect; -0.80 is strong.
3. Random assignment is important because it:
a) Ensures large sample size
b) Eliminates demand characteristics
c) Distributes participant differences evenly across groups
d) Guarantees statistical significance
, Answer: c) Distributes participant differences evenly across groups
Rationale:
• *a*: Sample size is separate.
• *b*: Demand characteristics are about cues.
• *c*: Correct – equalizes confounds.
• *d*: No, it affects internal validity, not significance.
4. The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to:
a) Overestimate situational factors for others’ behavior
b) Overestimate dispositional factors for others’ behavior
c) Underestimate dispositional factors for own behavior
d) Overestimate situational factors for own behavior
Answer: b) Overestimate dispositional factors for others’ behavior
Rationale:
• *a*: Opposite.
• *b*: Correct – e.g., assuming someone cut you off because they’re rude, not because of
emergency.
• *c* & *d*: Actor-observer effect differs.
5. A schema is to a heuristic as:
a) Effortful is to automatic
b) Structure is to shortcut
c) Conscious is to unconscious
d) Accurate is to biased
Answer: b) Structure is to shortcut
Rationale:
• *a*: Both can be automatic.
• *b*: Correct – schema organizes knowledge; heuristic is a mental shortcut.
• *c*: Both can be non-conscious.
• *d*: Both can be biased.
6. Which of the following best demonstrates the availability heuristic?
a) Thinking sharks are more dangerous than horses because shark attacks are memorable
b) Assuming a quiet person is shy because they match the prototype
c) Using a rule of thumb to solve a math problem
d) Logically calculating probabilities
Answer: a) Thinking sharks are more dangerous than horses because shark attacks are memorable
Rationale:
1–3) Academic Year: 2026/2027
SECTION A: MULTIPLE CHOICE (85 questions)
Exam 1: Introduction, Research Methods, Social Cognition, The Self
1. Social psychology differs from sociology primarily in its focus on:
a) Large social structures
b) The individual in social context
c) Brain activity
d) Historical trends
Answer: b) The individual in social context
Rationale:
• *a*: Sociology focuses on groups/institutions.
• *b*: Correct – social psychology studies how individuals think, feel, behave socially.
• *c*: Neuroscience.
• *d*: History.
2. A study finds a correlation of -0.80 between stress and happiness. This means:
a) More stress causes less happiness
b) Less happiness causes more stress
c) Higher stress is associated with lower happiness
d) No relationship exists
Answer: c) Higher stress is associated with lower happiness
Rationale:
• *a* & *b*: Correlation does not imply causation.
• *c*: Correct – strong negative correlation.
• *d*: Incorrect; -0.80 is strong.
3. Random assignment is important because it:
a) Ensures large sample size
b) Eliminates demand characteristics
c) Distributes participant differences evenly across groups
d) Guarantees statistical significance
, Answer: c) Distributes participant differences evenly across groups
Rationale:
• *a*: Sample size is separate.
• *b*: Demand characteristics are about cues.
• *c*: Correct – equalizes confounds.
• *d*: No, it affects internal validity, not significance.
4. The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to:
a) Overestimate situational factors for others’ behavior
b) Overestimate dispositional factors for others’ behavior
c) Underestimate dispositional factors for own behavior
d) Overestimate situational factors for own behavior
Answer: b) Overestimate dispositional factors for others’ behavior
Rationale:
• *a*: Opposite.
• *b*: Correct – e.g., assuming someone cut you off because they’re rude, not because of
emergency.
• *c* & *d*: Actor-observer effect differs.
5. A schema is to a heuristic as:
a) Effortful is to automatic
b) Structure is to shortcut
c) Conscious is to unconscious
d) Accurate is to biased
Answer: b) Structure is to shortcut
Rationale:
• *a*: Both can be automatic.
• *b*: Correct – schema organizes knowledge; heuristic is a mental shortcut.
• *c*: Both can be non-conscious.
• *d*: Both can be biased.
6. Which of the following best demonstrates the availability heuristic?
a) Thinking sharks are more dangerous than horses because shark attacks are memorable
b) Assuming a quiet person is shy because they match the prototype
c) Using a rule of thumb to solve a math problem
d) Logically calculating probabilities
Answer: a) Thinking sharks are more dangerous than horses because shark attacks are memorable
Rationale:
