Learning Psychology | Comprehensive Questions,
Answers & Rationales
This comprehensive study resource is designed for students preparing for the PSYC 140
Module 1 Exam. It includes multiple-choice questions derived from key course concepts,
with highlighted correct answers and detailed rationales to enhance understanding and
retention.
Question 1: Patrick has been in a relationship with Antonia for 4 months but finds it
hard to relax. He tends to try to get Antonia to be very close too quickly and wonders
if she really wants to be dating. This pattern has emerged before causing problems.
What kind of attachment pattern does this most likely represent?
A) Secure attachment
B) Anxious-resistant attachment
C) Avoidant attachment
D) Disorganized attachment
Rationale: Patrick’s behavior—seeking closeness quickly, difficulty relaxing, and worrying
about the partner’s commitment—fits the anxious-resistant attachment style, characterized
by anxiety and insecurity about relationships. Secure attachment (A) would involve comfort
with closeness and trust. Avoidant attachment (C) involves discomfort with closeness and
emotional distance. Disorganized attachment (D) involves inconsistent and erratic behavior,
often linked to trauma, which is not described here.
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Question 2: Imagine a person can pull a lever to redirect a speeding train onto one of
two tracks. Their best friend is tied to one track, and their sibling to the other. Which
explanation best accounts for why people tend to choose to save their sibling?
A) Genetic relatedness influences altruistic behavior
B) Cultural norms dictate prioritizing friends over family
C) Random choice due to emotional conflict
D) Equal likelihood of saving either person
Rationale: People widely demonstrate a preference for saving individuals who are genetically
related, such as siblings, due to the evolutionary basis of kin selection theory. This explains
altruistic behavior favoring relatives. Cultural norms (B) vary and often promote family—but
, here the genetic basis is primary. Random choice (C) does not explain widespread tendencies.
Equal likelihood (D) contradicts observed patterns in studies of altruism.
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Question 3: Which type of study is most useful to developmental researchers
interested in aging, as it minimizes confounding effects of cohort, time of study, or
historical events?
A) Cross-sectional study
B) Longitudinal study
C) Experimental study
D) Case study
Rationale: Longitudinal studies (B) follow the same participants over time, allowing
researchers to observe developmental changes within individuals, reducing confounds related
to cohort or historical effects. Cross-sectional studies (A) compare different age groups at one
time, subject to cohort effects. Experimental studies (C) involve manipulation of variables but
are not primarily designed for long-term developmental observation. Case studies (D) involve
in-depth analysis of a single subject but lack generalizability.
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Question 4: Twenty-eight-year-old Ha-joon lives with his parents in South Korea. Like
many others, he believes he will not feel like a full adult until he __________.
A) moves out and supports himself financially
B) graduates from university
C) gets married and starts a family
D) reaches a certain age regardless of life milestones
Rationale: In many traditional cultures such as South Korea, adulthood is strongly associated
with social roles like marriage and family formation (C). Moving out or financial independence
(A) may be less emphasized culturally. Graduation (B) and age (D) alone are less likely to
define adulthood in this context.
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Question 5: The vast majority of children are classified as _______ attached.
A) Anxious-resistant
B) Avoidant