PA PERSONAL CARE HOME (PCH) ADMINISTRATOR EXAMINATION
2026/2027 ACTUAL EXAM | 300 Q&A WITH EXPERT RATIONALES |
### Section 1: History, Approaches, and Schools of Thought (Questions 1-30)
1. Wilhelm Wundt is considered the "father of psychology" primarily because he:
A. Wrote the first book on behaviorism.
B. Established the first formal laboratory for psychological research.
C. Developed the first theory of personality.
D. Was the first to use the scientific method to study dreams.
Answer: B
Rationale: Wundt established the first experimental psychology lab at the
University of Leipzig in 1879, marking psychology's formal separation from
philosophy.
2. The school of psychology that focused on breaking down conscious experience
into its basic elements is known as:
A. Functionalism
B. Behaviorism
C. Structuralism
D. Humanism
Answer: C
Rationale: Structuralism, pioneered by Edward Titchener, aimed to analyze the
adult mind in terms of its simplest definable components and find how these fit
together.
, 3. William James and John Dewey were key figures in which school of thought that
focused on the purpose of consciousness?
A. Structuralism
B. Functionalism
C. Psychoanalysis
D. Gestalt Psychology
Answer: B
Rationale: Functionalism was influenced by Darwin's theory of evolution and
focused on how mental processes help organisms adapt to their environment.
4. The "whole is greater than the sum of its parts" is a core principle of:
A. Structuralism
B. Behaviorism
C. Psychoanalysis
D. Gestalt Psychology
Answer: D
Rationale: Gestalt psychologists argued that psychological phenomena cannot be
broken down into smaller elements, but must be viewed as a whole.
5. Sigmund Freud's theory of personality is known as:
A. Behaviorism
B. Humanism
C. Psychoanalysis
D. Functionalism
Answer: C
Rationale: Psychoanalysis emphasizes the role of unconscious conflicts, early
childhood experiences, and sexual/aggressive drives in shaping behavior.
,6. John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner are most associated with:
A. Psychoanalysis
B. Humanism
C. Behaviorism
D. Cognitive Psychology
Answer: C
Rationale: Behaviorism is a school of thought that argues psychology should be an
objective science that studies only observable behavior, rejecting the study of the
mind.
7. The behavioral approach is often criticized for:
A. Being too subjective.
B. Ignoring mental processes like thoughts and feelings.
C. Focusing too much on the unconscious.
D. Not being scientific enough.
Answer: B
Rationale: Behaviorism's strict focus on observable behavior ignores the internal
cognitive processes that are crucial for understanding human experience.
8. Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers are central figures in the _____ perspective.
A. Psychodynamic
B. Behavioral
C. Humanistic
D. Biological
Answer: C
Rationale: Humanism emphasizes human potential, free will, and the innate drive
for self-actualization, contrasting with the determinism of behaviorism and
psychoanalysis.
, 9. The cognitive perspective in psychology primarily focuses on:
A. Observable behaviors and their reinforcement.
B. Unconscious drives and conflicts.
C. Mental processes like memory, thinking, and problem-solving.
D. The role of genetics and hormones.
Answer: C
Rationale: The cognitive revolution brought mental processes back into the
forefront of psychological research, studying how people perceive, process, and
remember information.
10. The biological perspective in psychology would most likely study:
A. How peer pressure influences behavior.
B. The role of neurotransmitters in depression.
C. The impact of childhood trauma on adult personality.
D. How we interpret ambiguous visual stimuli.
Answer: B
Rationale: The biological perspective examines the physical basis of behavior,
including the nervous system, hormones, and genetics.
11. The evolutionary perspective argues that many human behaviors exist because
they:
A. Are learned through classical conditioning.
B. Are a result of repressed childhood desires.
C. Helped our ancestors survive and reproduce.
D. Are chosen freely by the individual.
Answer: C
2026/2027 ACTUAL EXAM | 300 Q&A WITH EXPERT RATIONALES |
### Section 1: History, Approaches, and Schools of Thought (Questions 1-30)
1. Wilhelm Wundt is considered the "father of psychology" primarily because he:
A. Wrote the first book on behaviorism.
B. Established the first formal laboratory for psychological research.
C. Developed the first theory of personality.
D. Was the first to use the scientific method to study dreams.
Answer: B
Rationale: Wundt established the first experimental psychology lab at the
University of Leipzig in 1879, marking psychology's formal separation from
philosophy.
2. The school of psychology that focused on breaking down conscious experience
into its basic elements is known as:
A. Functionalism
B. Behaviorism
C. Structuralism
D. Humanism
Answer: C
Rationale: Structuralism, pioneered by Edward Titchener, aimed to analyze the
adult mind in terms of its simplest definable components and find how these fit
together.
, 3. William James and John Dewey were key figures in which school of thought that
focused on the purpose of consciousness?
A. Structuralism
B. Functionalism
C. Psychoanalysis
D. Gestalt Psychology
Answer: B
Rationale: Functionalism was influenced by Darwin's theory of evolution and
focused on how mental processes help organisms adapt to their environment.
4. The "whole is greater than the sum of its parts" is a core principle of:
A. Structuralism
B. Behaviorism
C. Psychoanalysis
D. Gestalt Psychology
Answer: D
Rationale: Gestalt psychologists argued that psychological phenomena cannot be
broken down into smaller elements, but must be viewed as a whole.
5. Sigmund Freud's theory of personality is known as:
A. Behaviorism
B. Humanism
C. Psychoanalysis
D. Functionalism
Answer: C
Rationale: Psychoanalysis emphasizes the role of unconscious conflicts, early
childhood experiences, and sexual/aggressive drives in shaping behavior.
,6. John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner are most associated with:
A. Psychoanalysis
B. Humanism
C. Behaviorism
D. Cognitive Psychology
Answer: C
Rationale: Behaviorism is a school of thought that argues psychology should be an
objective science that studies only observable behavior, rejecting the study of the
mind.
7. The behavioral approach is often criticized for:
A. Being too subjective.
B. Ignoring mental processes like thoughts and feelings.
C. Focusing too much on the unconscious.
D. Not being scientific enough.
Answer: B
Rationale: Behaviorism's strict focus on observable behavior ignores the internal
cognitive processes that are crucial for understanding human experience.
8. Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers are central figures in the _____ perspective.
A. Psychodynamic
B. Behavioral
C. Humanistic
D. Biological
Answer: C
Rationale: Humanism emphasizes human potential, free will, and the innate drive
for self-actualization, contrasting with the determinism of behaviorism and
psychoanalysis.
, 9. The cognitive perspective in psychology primarily focuses on:
A. Observable behaviors and their reinforcement.
B. Unconscious drives and conflicts.
C. Mental processes like memory, thinking, and problem-solving.
D. The role of genetics and hormones.
Answer: C
Rationale: The cognitive revolution brought mental processes back into the
forefront of psychological research, studying how people perceive, process, and
remember information.
10. The biological perspective in psychology would most likely study:
A. How peer pressure influences behavior.
B. The role of neurotransmitters in depression.
C. The impact of childhood trauma on adult personality.
D. How we interpret ambiguous visual stimuli.
Answer: B
Rationale: The biological perspective examines the physical basis of behavior,
including the nervous system, hormones, and genetics.
11. The evolutionary perspective argues that many human behaviors exist because
they:
A. Are learned through classical conditioning.
B. Are a result of repressed childhood desires.
C. Helped our ancestors survive and reproduce.
D. Are chosen freely by the individual.
Answer: C
