Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology Practice EPPP (100
Questions with 100% Correct Answers & Explanations)
Which of the following best explains the significant differences between mean IQ scores of
European American and African American undergraduates? Correct Answer: A. The difference
in the quality of secondary education for European American and African American students
B. Inherent brain differences between European American and African American students
C. Differences between urban and suburban experiences
D. An inherent bias in IQ tests toward the majority group
Further, there is little consensus regarding the definition of intelligence, the definition of test
bias, the existence of test bias, the types of test biases, the impact of test bias on diverse students,
and the nature and extent of test bias in contemporary or newly re-normed tests. These two
educational fields rely extensively on tests to make educational and placement decisions. In
gifted education, low test scores often prevent diverse students from being identified as gifted
and receiving services; in special education, low test scores often result in identifications such as
learning disabled, mentally retarded, and so forth. Racially and linguistically diverse students
(African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans) are under-represented in gifted
education and over-represented in special education. In one camp, scholars argue that the low
test performance of minority students can be attributed to cultural deprivation or disadvantage(s);
connotatively, this refers to the notion of diverse students being inferior to other students (see
Rushton, 2003). Unfortunately, deficit thinking orientations are present even today (e.g., Ford,
Harris, Tyson, & Frazier Trotman, 2002). For instance, Frasier, García, and Passow (1995), and
Harmon (2002) argued that teachers tend not to refer racially and culturally diverse students to
gifted programs because of their deficit thinking and stereotypes about diverse students. When
the focus is on what diverse students cannot do rather than what they can do, then they are not
likely to be referred for gifted education services.
In a different camp, scholars argue that minority students are culturally different, but not
culturally disadvantaged or deficient (e.g., Boykin, 1986; Delpit, 1995; Erickson, 2004; Nieto,
1999; Rodriguez & Bellanca, 1996; Shade, Kelly, & Oberg, 1997). These individuals
acknowledge that culture impacts test performance, but they do not equate or associate low
performance with inferiority.
The complex nucleic acids RNA and DNA have been identified as the vehicles that carry the
genetic code. Studies suggest that these nucleic acids may play a role in adaptive behavior as
well, and evidence has been cited for their function in: Correct Answer: A. consciousness.
B. memory.
C. social motivation.
D. creativity.
D is correct. Genome-wide copy number variation analysis in extended families and unrelated
individuals characterized for musical aptitude and creativity in music. One study found that an
increased presence of a particular cluster of genes (associated with plasticity in the brain) could
heighten someone's chance of harboring creative thought - this is because these particular genes
are associated with the brain's ability to break and form new connections between cells. In
,human terms, this genetic makeup can make you a faster learner. Something which is generally
considered to be an asset to creativity, but not a sure-fire root to achieving it.
As Type I (alpha) error increases, power: Correct Answer: A. decreases; and as Type II error
(beta) increases, power increases.
B. increases; and as Type II error (beta) increases, power increases.
C. decreases; and as Type II error (beta) increases, power decreases.
D. increases; and as Type II error (beta) increases, power decreases.
D. is correct. The practical result of this is that if we require stronger evidence to reject the null
hypothesis (smaller significance level = probability of a Type I error), we will increase the
chance that we will be unable to reject the null hypothesis when in fact Ho is false (increases the
probability of a Type II error).
Decreasing the alpha reduces the risk of a Type I error
Decreasing the alpha increases the risk of a Type II error
Increasing sample size decreases beta/ increases power
Increasing power decreases potential for Type II error
One of a psychologist's undergraduate students reports a desire to terminate therapy with another
clinician and begin a therapeutic relationship with the psychologist. According to ethics codes
published by the American and Canadian Psychological Associations, the most appropriate
response to this request is to: Correct Answer: A. speak to the current therapist about the
students concerns.
B. encourage the student to discuss the issue with the current therapist.
C. accept the student as a client but arrange to have the students course work graded by another
instructor.
D. obtain the current therapists permission to begin treating the student.
B is correct.
A psychologist refrains from entering into or promising another personal, scientific, professional,
financial, or other relationship with such persons if it appears likely that such a relationship
reasonably might impair the psychologist's objectivity or otherwise interfere with the
psychologist's effectively performing his or her functions as a psychologist, or might harm or
exploit the other party. (section 1.17a)
The attachment of infants to their mothers and fathers, which depends on appropriate parental
response during a brief sensitive period of the infant's life, is suggestive of: Correct Answer: A.
internalization.
B. contact conditioning.
C. habituation.
D. imprinting
D is correct.
The idea of imprinting was discovered by the English biologist Douglas Spalding, who, whilst
observing the behavior of chicks and adult chickens, noted the "stamping in" of the impression
left by the first moving object that a chick saw. Across many birds and mammals, the first
,movement seen by newborns is the mother, and as Spalding observed, the chicks would follow
their mother around as a result
A psychologist's personal conduct outside a professional setting is subject to the scrutiny of the
profession: Correct Answer: A. only if the conduct reflects impairment.
B. when such conduct compromises the psychologists professional responsibilities or reduces
public trust in the profession.
C. at all times, because the code of ethics applies equally to professional and personal conduct.
D. at no time, because only professional conduct falls under the legitimate authority of
professional regulatory bodies and/or ethics committees.
B is correct.
When such conduct compromises the psychologists professional responsibilities or reduces
public trust in the profession.
Psychologists' moral standards and conduct are personal matters to the same degree as is true for
any other person, except as psychologists' conduct may compromise their professional
responsibilities or reduce the public's trust in psychology and psychologists
A statistically significant correlation between mothers' IQ scores on an adult intelligence scale
and their children's IQ scores on an intelligence scale for children should be interpreted as:
Correct Answer: A. proof of the hypothesis that intelligent mothers produce intelligent children.
B. a significant association between the two IQ scores.
C. a possibly spurious relationship due to the variability of correlation coefficients.
D. questionable, because it is based on two different measures of intelligence.
B a significant association between the two IQ scores
Family studies: Galton found that the correlation of high intelligence in immediate families runs
about .5, whereas the correlation among extended families is .15. However, studies of intact
families don't allow us to distinguish between nature and nurture. Twin studies: Identical twins'
IQs correlate between .7 and .8. Fraternal twins' IQs correlate between .3 and .4. Adoption
studies: how adopted children resemble their adoptive versus biological parents. Confound:
selective placement Adopted children's IQ tend to be similar to the IQs of their biological
parents, but this resemblence often dissipates once these children become older and approach
adolescence. Genes highly correlate with IQs. Among low-SES families, genetic factors have
been reported to explain less of the variance in intelligence; the reverse is found for high-SES
families. The evidence however is inconsistent. Other studies have reported an effect in the
opposite direction (higher heritability in lower SES), or no moderation of the genetic effect on
intelligence.
C? A spurious correlation is a relationship between two variables that appear to have
interdependence or association with each other but actually do not. Spurious correlation is often
caused by a third factor that is not apparent at the time of examination.
Here are some more examples of common spurious correlations:
-Drownings rise when ice cream sales rise. It may seem that increased ice cream sales cause
more drowning, but in reality, rising heat may cause more people to swim, as well as buy more
ice cream.
, -The U.S. murder rate from 2006-2011 dropped at the same rate as Microsoft Internet Explorer
usage.
-Executives who say please and thank you more often enjoy better share performance.
-People who wear Oakland Raiders team gear are more likely to commit crimes.
Consistent with ethics codes published by the American and Canadian Psychological
Associations, authorship of research publications should be attributed to: Correct Answer:
A.individuals who do the actual writing, have made a substantial scientific contribution to the
study, or have contributed to the data collection.
B.everyone involved in conducting the study or in the administration of the research work.
C.individuals who do the actual writing of the study.
D.those individuals who do the actual writing and those who have made a substantial scientific
contribution to the study.
A.individuals who do the actual writing, have made a substantial scientific contribution to the
study, or have contributed to the data collection.
Authorship credit should reflect the individual's contribution to the study. An author is
considered anyone involved with initial research design, data collection and analysis, manuscript
drafting, and final approval.
Which multisystemic therapy (MST) approach entails the following cyclical and overlapping
stages: joining with the family, assessing the family's functioning and creating a family map, and
altering the family system? Correct Answer: A.Structural approach
B.Strategic approach
C.Social learning approach
D.Family of origin approach
A.Structural approach. Structural family therapy (SFT) is a method of psychotherapy developed
by Salvador Minuchin which addresses problems in functioning within a family. Structural
family therapists strive to enter, or "join", the family system in therapy in order to understand the
invisible rules which govern its functioning, map the relationships between family members or
between subsets of the family, and ultimately disrupt dysfunctional relationships within the
family, causing it to stabilize into healthier patterns. Minuchin contends that pathology rests not
in the individual, but within the family system.
Strategic therapy closely examines patterns of interaction and conflict between family members
and seeks to increase awareness and mindfulness of these patterns. A more direct approach than
some other family therapy techniques, each individual family member is assigned work in order
to improve how they interact with their other family members, particularly those who may be
facing unique challenges or struggling with mental or neurological illnesses or disorders. This
therapy technique also subverts the authority of the most dominant family member, allowing
communication changes to evolve positively between family members and the symptom sufferer.
Social learning theory (Bandura) is a theory of learning process and social behavior which
proposes that new behaviors can be acquired by observing and imitating others. It states that
learning is a cognitive process that takes place in a social context and can occur purely through
Questions with 100% Correct Answers & Explanations)
Which of the following best explains the significant differences between mean IQ scores of
European American and African American undergraduates? Correct Answer: A. The difference
in the quality of secondary education for European American and African American students
B. Inherent brain differences between European American and African American students
C. Differences between urban and suburban experiences
D. An inherent bias in IQ tests toward the majority group
Further, there is little consensus regarding the definition of intelligence, the definition of test
bias, the existence of test bias, the types of test biases, the impact of test bias on diverse students,
and the nature and extent of test bias in contemporary or newly re-normed tests. These two
educational fields rely extensively on tests to make educational and placement decisions. In
gifted education, low test scores often prevent diverse students from being identified as gifted
and receiving services; in special education, low test scores often result in identifications such as
learning disabled, mentally retarded, and so forth. Racially and linguistically diverse students
(African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans) are under-represented in gifted
education and over-represented in special education. In one camp, scholars argue that the low
test performance of minority students can be attributed to cultural deprivation or disadvantage(s);
connotatively, this refers to the notion of diverse students being inferior to other students (see
Rushton, 2003). Unfortunately, deficit thinking orientations are present even today (e.g., Ford,
Harris, Tyson, & Frazier Trotman, 2002). For instance, Frasier, García, and Passow (1995), and
Harmon (2002) argued that teachers tend not to refer racially and culturally diverse students to
gifted programs because of their deficit thinking and stereotypes about diverse students. When
the focus is on what diverse students cannot do rather than what they can do, then they are not
likely to be referred for gifted education services.
In a different camp, scholars argue that minority students are culturally different, but not
culturally disadvantaged or deficient (e.g., Boykin, 1986; Delpit, 1995; Erickson, 2004; Nieto,
1999; Rodriguez & Bellanca, 1996; Shade, Kelly, & Oberg, 1997). These individuals
acknowledge that culture impacts test performance, but they do not equate or associate low
performance with inferiority.
The complex nucleic acids RNA and DNA have been identified as the vehicles that carry the
genetic code. Studies suggest that these nucleic acids may play a role in adaptive behavior as
well, and evidence has been cited for their function in: Correct Answer: A. consciousness.
B. memory.
C. social motivation.
D. creativity.
D is correct. Genome-wide copy number variation analysis in extended families and unrelated
individuals characterized for musical aptitude and creativity in music. One study found that an
increased presence of a particular cluster of genes (associated with plasticity in the brain) could
heighten someone's chance of harboring creative thought - this is because these particular genes
are associated with the brain's ability to break and form new connections between cells. In
,human terms, this genetic makeup can make you a faster learner. Something which is generally
considered to be an asset to creativity, but not a sure-fire root to achieving it.
As Type I (alpha) error increases, power: Correct Answer: A. decreases; and as Type II error
(beta) increases, power increases.
B. increases; and as Type II error (beta) increases, power increases.
C. decreases; and as Type II error (beta) increases, power decreases.
D. increases; and as Type II error (beta) increases, power decreases.
D. is correct. The practical result of this is that if we require stronger evidence to reject the null
hypothesis (smaller significance level = probability of a Type I error), we will increase the
chance that we will be unable to reject the null hypothesis when in fact Ho is false (increases the
probability of a Type II error).
Decreasing the alpha reduces the risk of a Type I error
Decreasing the alpha increases the risk of a Type II error
Increasing sample size decreases beta/ increases power
Increasing power decreases potential for Type II error
One of a psychologist's undergraduate students reports a desire to terminate therapy with another
clinician and begin a therapeutic relationship with the psychologist. According to ethics codes
published by the American and Canadian Psychological Associations, the most appropriate
response to this request is to: Correct Answer: A. speak to the current therapist about the
students concerns.
B. encourage the student to discuss the issue with the current therapist.
C. accept the student as a client but arrange to have the students course work graded by another
instructor.
D. obtain the current therapists permission to begin treating the student.
B is correct.
A psychologist refrains from entering into or promising another personal, scientific, professional,
financial, or other relationship with such persons if it appears likely that such a relationship
reasonably might impair the psychologist's objectivity or otherwise interfere with the
psychologist's effectively performing his or her functions as a psychologist, or might harm or
exploit the other party. (section 1.17a)
The attachment of infants to their mothers and fathers, which depends on appropriate parental
response during a brief sensitive period of the infant's life, is suggestive of: Correct Answer: A.
internalization.
B. contact conditioning.
C. habituation.
D. imprinting
D is correct.
The idea of imprinting was discovered by the English biologist Douglas Spalding, who, whilst
observing the behavior of chicks and adult chickens, noted the "stamping in" of the impression
left by the first moving object that a chick saw. Across many birds and mammals, the first
,movement seen by newborns is the mother, and as Spalding observed, the chicks would follow
their mother around as a result
A psychologist's personal conduct outside a professional setting is subject to the scrutiny of the
profession: Correct Answer: A. only if the conduct reflects impairment.
B. when such conduct compromises the psychologists professional responsibilities or reduces
public trust in the profession.
C. at all times, because the code of ethics applies equally to professional and personal conduct.
D. at no time, because only professional conduct falls under the legitimate authority of
professional regulatory bodies and/or ethics committees.
B is correct.
When such conduct compromises the psychologists professional responsibilities or reduces
public trust in the profession.
Psychologists' moral standards and conduct are personal matters to the same degree as is true for
any other person, except as psychologists' conduct may compromise their professional
responsibilities or reduce the public's trust in psychology and psychologists
A statistically significant correlation between mothers' IQ scores on an adult intelligence scale
and their children's IQ scores on an intelligence scale for children should be interpreted as:
Correct Answer: A. proof of the hypothesis that intelligent mothers produce intelligent children.
B. a significant association between the two IQ scores.
C. a possibly spurious relationship due to the variability of correlation coefficients.
D. questionable, because it is based on two different measures of intelligence.
B a significant association between the two IQ scores
Family studies: Galton found that the correlation of high intelligence in immediate families runs
about .5, whereas the correlation among extended families is .15. However, studies of intact
families don't allow us to distinguish between nature and nurture. Twin studies: Identical twins'
IQs correlate between .7 and .8. Fraternal twins' IQs correlate between .3 and .4. Adoption
studies: how adopted children resemble their adoptive versus biological parents. Confound:
selective placement Adopted children's IQ tend to be similar to the IQs of their biological
parents, but this resemblence often dissipates once these children become older and approach
adolescence. Genes highly correlate with IQs. Among low-SES families, genetic factors have
been reported to explain less of the variance in intelligence; the reverse is found for high-SES
families. The evidence however is inconsistent. Other studies have reported an effect in the
opposite direction (higher heritability in lower SES), or no moderation of the genetic effect on
intelligence.
C? A spurious correlation is a relationship between two variables that appear to have
interdependence or association with each other but actually do not. Spurious correlation is often
caused by a third factor that is not apparent at the time of examination.
Here are some more examples of common spurious correlations:
-Drownings rise when ice cream sales rise. It may seem that increased ice cream sales cause
more drowning, but in reality, rising heat may cause more people to swim, as well as buy more
ice cream.
, -The U.S. murder rate from 2006-2011 dropped at the same rate as Microsoft Internet Explorer
usage.
-Executives who say please and thank you more often enjoy better share performance.
-People who wear Oakland Raiders team gear are more likely to commit crimes.
Consistent with ethics codes published by the American and Canadian Psychological
Associations, authorship of research publications should be attributed to: Correct Answer:
A.individuals who do the actual writing, have made a substantial scientific contribution to the
study, or have contributed to the data collection.
B.everyone involved in conducting the study or in the administration of the research work.
C.individuals who do the actual writing of the study.
D.those individuals who do the actual writing and those who have made a substantial scientific
contribution to the study.
A.individuals who do the actual writing, have made a substantial scientific contribution to the
study, or have contributed to the data collection.
Authorship credit should reflect the individual's contribution to the study. An author is
considered anyone involved with initial research design, data collection and analysis, manuscript
drafting, and final approval.
Which multisystemic therapy (MST) approach entails the following cyclical and overlapping
stages: joining with the family, assessing the family's functioning and creating a family map, and
altering the family system? Correct Answer: A.Structural approach
B.Strategic approach
C.Social learning approach
D.Family of origin approach
A.Structural approach. Structural family therapy (SFT) is a method of psychotherapy developed
by Salvador Minuchin which addresses problems in functioning within a family. Structural
family therapists strive to enter, or "join", the family system in therapy in order to understand the
invisible rules which govern its functioning, map the relationships between family members or
between subsets of the family, and ultimately disrupt dysfunctional relationships within the
family, causing it to stabilize into healthier patterns. Minuchin contends that pathology rests not
in the individual, but within the family system.
Strategic therapy closely examines patterns of interaction and conflict between family members
and seeks to increase awareness and mindfulness of these patterns. A more direct approach than
some other family therapy techniques, each individual family member is assigned work in order
to improve how they interact with their other family members, particularly those who may be
facing unique challenges or struggling with mental or neurological illnesses or disorders. This
therapy technique also subverts the authority of the most dominant family member, allowing
communication changes to evolve positively between family members and the symptom sufferer.
Social learning theory (Bandura) is a theory of learning process and social behavior which
proposes that new behaviors can be acquired by observing and imitating others. It states that
learning is a cognitive process that takes place in a social context and can occur purely through
