PSYC 140 Module 1 Exam Prep (2026
Updated) | Psychology Foundations Study
Guide | Practice Questions, Case Scenarios &
Detailed Answer Explanations | Respondus
LockDown Browser Ready Review
• This PSYC 140 Module 1 Exam Prep guide contains 200 carefully crafted multiple-
choice questions with highlighted correct answers and detailed EXPERT
RATIONALE to reinforce your understanding of Psychology Foundations.
• Study by attempting each question first before checking the correct answer and
EXPERT RATIONALE — this active recall method is proven to boost retention and
exam performance.
1. Psychology is best defined as:
A. The study of the brain and nervous system
B. The philosophical study of human thought
C. The science of behavior and mental processes
D. The medical treatment of mental illness
E. The study of unconscious motivations
Correct Answer: C. The science of behavior and mental processes
EXPERT RATIONALE: Psychology is formally defined as the scientific study of
behavior and mental processes. It encompasses observable actions as well as
internal experiences such as thoughts, feelings, and perceptions.
2. Which perspective focuses on how the mind organizes information into
meaningful wholes?
A. Behaviorism
B. Psychoanalysis
C. Structuralism
,D. Gestalt psychology
E. Functionalism
Correct Answer: D. Gestalt psychology
EXPERT RATIONALE: Gestalt psychology emphasizes that the mind perceives
objects as whole patterns rather than individual parts. The phrase "the whole is
greater than the sum of its parts" is central to this perspective.
3. Wilhelm Wundt is significant in the history of psychology because he:
A. Developed the theory of psychoanalysis
B. Wrote the first psychology textbook in America
C. Established the first formal psychology laboratory
D. Introduced the concept of behaviorism
E. Founded humanistic psychology
Correct Answer: C. Established the first formal psychology laboratory
EXPERT RATIONALE: Wilhelm Wundt opened the first experimental psychology
laboratory in Leipzig, Germany in 1879, marking the official beginning of psychology
as a scientific discipline.
4. Structuralism, the earliest school of psychological thought, sought to:
A. Study how mental processes help organisms adapt
B. Analyze the basic elements of conscious experience
C. Understand unconscious conflicts
D. Observe and measure only behavior
E. Promote self-actualization
Correct Answer: B. Analyze the basic elements of conscious experience
, EXPERT RATIONALE: Structuralism, associated with Wundt and Titchener,
aimed to break down mental processes into their most basic components using
introspection, much like analyzing the elements of a compound in chemistry.
5. Functionalism, developed by William James, emphasized:
A. The structure of conscious thought
B. Unconscious motivations
C. How mental processes help individuals adapt to their environment
D. The role of reinforcement in shaping behavior
E. The measurement of intelligence
Correct Answer: C. How mental processes help individuals adapt to their
environment
EXPERT RATIONALE: Functionalism was influenced by Darwin's theory of
evolution and focused on how mental functions serve adaptive purposes, asking
"what does the mind do?" rather than "what is the mind made of?"
6. John B. Watson's behaviorism argued that psychology should focus on:
A. Unconscious drives
B. Conscious thoughts
C. Observable behavior only
D. Brain chemistry
E. Emotional responses
Correct Answer: C. Observable behavior only
EXPERT RATIONALE: Watson believed that only observable, measurable
behavior should be the subject of scientific psychology. He rejected the study of
internal mental states as unscientific.
, 7. Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory emphasized the role of:
A. Reinforcement and punishment
B. Unconscious conflicts and childhood experiences
C. Cognitive distortions
D. Brain structure
E. Social learning
Correct Answer: B. Unconscious conflicts and childhood experiences
EXPERT RATIONALE: Freud believed that much of human behavior is driven by
unconscious desires, conflicts, and repressed memories from early childhood,
forming the basis of psychoanalytic theory.
8. Humanistic psychology, represented by Maslow and Rogers, emphasizes:
A. Deterministic forces shaping behavior
B. Unconscious conflicts
C. Human potential, free will, and self-growth
D. Observable behavior only
E. Cognitive distortions
Correct Answer: C. Human potential, free will, and self-growth
EXPERT RATIONALE: Humanistic psychology arose as a reaction to both
behaviorism and psychoanalysis. It focuses on the inherent goodness of people,
personal growth, and the drive toward self-actualization.
9. The cognitive perspective in psychology focuses on:
A. Mental processes such as thinking, memory, and perception
Updated) | Psychology Foundations Study
Guide | Practice Questions, Case Scenarios &
Detailed Answer Explanations | Respondus
LockDown Browser Ready Review
• This PSYC 140 Module 1 Exam Prep guide contains 200 carefully crafted multiple-
choice questions with highlighted correct answers and detailed EXPERT
RATIONALE to reinforce your understanding of Psychology Foundations.
• Study by attempting each question first before checking the correct answer and
EXPERT RATIONALE — this active recall method is proven to boost retention and
exam performance.
1. Psychology is best defined as:
A. The study of the brain and nervous system
B. The philosophical study of human thought
C. The science of behavior and mental processes
D. The medical treatment of mental illness
E. The study of unconscious motivations
Correct Answer: C. The science of behavior and mental processes
EXPERT RATIONALE: Psychology is formally defined as the scientific study of
behavior and mental processes. It encompasses observable actions as well as
internal experiences such as thoughts, feelings, and perceptions.
2. Which perspective focuses on how the mind organizes information into
meaningful wholes?
A. Behaviorism
B. Psychoanalysis
C. Structuralism
,D. Gestalt psychology
E. Functionalism
Correct Answer: D. Gestalt psychology
EXPERT RATIONALE: Gestalt psychology emphasizes that the mind perceives
objects as whole patterns rather than individual parts. The phrase "the whole is
greater than the sum of its parts" is central to this perspective.
3. Wilhelm Wundt is significant in the history of psychology because he:
A. Developed the theory of psychoanalysis
B. Wrote the first psychology textbook in America
C. Established the first formal psychology laboratory
D. Introduced the concept of behaviorism
E. Founded humanistic psychology
Correct Answer: C. Established the first formal psychology laboratory
EXPERT RATIONALE: Wilhelm Wundt opened the first experimental psychology
laboratory in Leipzig, Germany in 1879, marking the official beginning of psychology
as a scientific discipline.
4. Structuralism, the earliest school of psychological thought, sought to:
A. Study how mental processes help organisms adapt
B. Analyze the basic elements of conscious experience
C. Understand unconscious conflicts
D. Observe and measure only behavior
E. Promote self-actualization
Correct Answer: B. Analyze the basic elements of conscious experience
, EXPERT RATIONALE: Structuralism, associated with Wundt and Titchener,
aimed to break down mental processes into their most basic components using
introspection, much like analyzing the elements of a compound in chemistry.
5. Functionalism, developed by William James, emphasized:
A. The structure of conscious thought
B. Unconscious motivations
C. How mental processes help individuals adapt to their environment
D. The role of reinforcement in shaping behavior
E. The measurement of intelligence
Correct Answer: C. How mental processes help individuals adapt to their
environment
EXPERT RATIONALE: Functionalism was influenced by Darwin's theory of
evolution and focused on how mental functions serve adaptive purposes, asking
"what does the mind do?" rather than "what is the mind made of?"
6. John B. Watson's behaviorism argued that psychology should focus on:
A. Unconscious drives
B. Conscious thoughts
C. Observable behavior only
D. Brain chemistry
E. Emotional responses
Correct Answer: C. Observable behavior only
EXPERT RATIONALE: Watson believed that only observable, measurable
behavior should be the subject of scientific psychology. He rejected the study of
internal mental states as unscientific.
, 7. Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory emphasized the role of:
A. Reinforcement and punishment
B. Unconscious conflicts and childhood experiences
C. Cognitive distortions
D. Brain structure
E. Social learning
Correct Answer: B. Unconscious conflicts and childhood experiences
EXPERT RATIONALE: Freud believed that much of human behavior is driven by
unconscious desires, conflicts, and repressed memories from early childhood,
forming the basis of psychoanalytic theory.
8. Humanistic psychology, represented by Maslow and Rogers, emphasizes:
A. Deterministic forces shaping behavior
B. Unconscious conflicts
C. Human potential, free will, and self-growth
D. Observable behavior only
E. Cognitive distortions
Correct Answer: C. Human potential, free will, and self-growth
EXPERT RATIONALE: Humanistic psychology arose as a reaction to both
behaviorism and psychoanalysis. It focuses on the inherent goodness of people,
personal growth, and the drive toward self-actualization.
9. The cognitive perspective in psychology focuses on:
A. Mental processes such as thinking, memory, and perception
