NAME__________________ TEACHER______________
Copyright reserved 2011. This practice exam originally published by Trials for Teachers.
Adapted for Oxford University Press.
Permission is granted for copying for use by authorised schools only.
SEMESTER EXAMINATION
VCE PSYCHOLOGY
UNIT 1
INSTRUCTIONS
Reading Time Writing time -
15 minutes
90 minutes
SECTION A
45 Multiple choice questions
1 mark each
Answer the multiple choice questions on the answer sheet provided.
SECTION B
16 Short Answer questions
Answer the short answer questions in this booklet.
Possible marks: 100
45 marks
55 marks
IMPORTANT NOTES
 THIS PRACTICE EXAMINATION WAS CONSTRUCTED AND REVIEWED BY EXPERIENCED
TEACHERS OF VCE PSYCHOLOGY. IT HAS NO OFFICIAL STATUS.
 QUESTIONS IN THIS PAPER ARE ORIGINAL EXAMPLES, BASED ON THE TYPE OF
QUESTIONS THAT HAVE APPEARED IN PREVIOUS VCE EXAMINATIONS AND ON THE
SAMPLE EXAM QUESTIONS FROM THE ROLL-OUT OF THE 2011 UNITS 3 & 4 STUDY
DESIGN.
Question 1
Psychology is usually described as
A. the study of the human mind
B. the study of human society
C. the study of the human mind and behaviour
D. all of the above are correct
Question 2
Psychology is a science because
A. its helps to explain findings in other sciences
B. psychology can be studied as part of a science degree
C. psychologists publish their research findings in scientific journals
D. psychologists follow strict scientific procedures in their research
Question 3
Psychology as a science shares theories and areas of study with sciences such as ____________________
and social sciences such as __________________
A. neuroscience and biology: sociology and anthropology
B. chemistry and biology: history and anthropology
C. neuroscience and anthropology: sociology and history
D. biology and anatomy: sociology and anthropology
Question 4
Margaret is concerned about her daughter Lizzie who seems to be slower than most of her class in learning to
read. Margaret takes Lizzie to a psychologist for assistance. The ‘type’ of psychologist Margaret is likely to
consult is a(n)
A. counselling psychologist
B. educational and developmental psychologist
C. clinical psychologist
D. mental health psychologist
Question 5
Research by Harlow and Harlow has helped us to an understanding of attachment in baby rhesus monkeys
and also in
A. baby mammals of all types
B. infant primates in general
C. infant humans
D. baby apes of all types
Question 6
In the 16th century, Descartes proposed that the mind and body are separate entities, though the mind inhabits the
body and possesses ‘free will’. This doctrine is referred to as
A. duelling
B. duality
C. monism
D. dualism
Question 7
Which of the following lists the groups of visual perceptual principles used to organise and help interpret stimuli?
A. perceptual set; Gestalt principles; expectancies
B. depth and distance cues; perceptual constancies; Gestalt principles
C. expectancies; Gestalt principles; depth and distance cues
D. visual illusions; Gestalt principles; depth and distance cues
Question 8
The brain and the retina are connected to each other via
A. the photoreceptor cells
B. the 1 000 000 axons in the optic nerve
C. the primary visual cortex
D. the corpus callosum
Question 9
Which of the following represents the appropriate sequence of processes involved in visual perception?
A. reception; selection; transduction; organization; transmission; interpretation
B. reception; selection; organization; transmission; transduction; interpretation
C. reception; transmission; selection; transduction; organization; interpretation
D. reception; transduction; transmission; selection; organization; interpretation
Question 10
When Julie was five years old, she used to love to watch hot-air balloons as they flew over her house, but
she was puzzled about how big people could fit in the tiny baskets hanging below the balloons.
Her mother took her to the park early in the morning, to see the balloons heating up and Julie saw that the
gondolas (baskets) were big enough to hold several people.
Julie’s confusion when she first saw the balloons in the air occurred because
A. she was too young to have learned about size constancy
B. hot-air balloons and baskets the size of gondolas were outside her experience so she could not
apply the depth cue of relative size
C. Julie could not apply the depth cues of texture gradient or linear perspective because the balloons
in the air were too far away.
D. Julie could not apply the depth cues of convergence or retinal disparity as the flying balloons were
too far away
Question 11
In the Muller-Lyer illusion, as illustrated below,
Ross Day proposes that Line A is perceived as longer because we average out the distance between the end
of the straight line and the tips of the angled lines, so in the larger figure the parallel line is perceived to be
longer. Richard Gregory, however, proposes that Line A is perceived as longer because it resembles the
inside corner of a room and is therefore the furthest part of the room from the observer, whilst Line B is the
outside corner of a building, nearest to us as we approach.
These two different theories are referred to as Day’s _________________ and Gregory’s______________
A. apparent distance hypothesis; perceptual compromise hypothesis
B. perceptual compromise hypothesis; apparent distance hypothesis
C. constructionist hypothesis; mean distance hypothesis
D. mean distance hypothesis; constructionist hypothesis
A
B
Questions 12 to 17 refer to the following information:
An educational psychologist wishes to discover whether middle-school children who study in supportive
groups show more rapid increase in academic improvement than those who study alone.
She uses teacher reports from semester 1, matches participants on their performance in Maths and English
and allocates one of each pair to the ‘group’ condition and one to the ‘solo’ condition. She uses their
semester 2 reports to assign a ‘study success’ score based on Maths and English marks.
Question 12
The independent variable in the study would be
A. mean difference in scores from semester 1 to semester 2
B. ‘supported’ or ‘solo’ studying
C. intelligence of children
D. mean scores on semester 2 reports for ‘supported’ or ‘solo’ groups
Question 13
The dependent variable in this study would be
A. mean difference in scores from semester 1 to semester 2
B. ‘supported’ or ‘solo’ studying
C. intelligence of children
D. mean scores on semester 2 reports for ‘supported’ or ‘solo’ groups
Question 14
An appropriate hypothesis for this study would be:
A. Studying in supportive groups or alone will influence academic achievement for middle-school students
B. Will middle-school students who study in supportive groups show more rapid academic improvement than
those who study alone?
C. Middle-school students who study in supportive groups will show more rapid academic improvement than
those who study alone
D. Intelligence will affect the ability of middle-school students to benefit from academic support
Question 15
A friend of the researcher criticized her experiment, saying that the semester reports are not a true indication of
progress the children have made. The friend was criticising the ___________________ of the research.
A. accuracy
B. relevance
C. validity
D. reliability
Question 16
Another friend said that the research would not be accurate because if she repeated the research next year, the results
would be different. This friend was criticising the ___________________ of the research.
A. accuracy
B. relevance
C. validity
D. reliability
Question 17
The design used in this research was
A. independent groups design
B. repeated measures design
C. matched participants design
D. within subjects design
Question 18
Most athletes perform at their peak during
A. pre-adolescence
B. adolescence
C. early adulthood
D. middle age
Question 19
As a baby grows, the last area of the brain to develop is the ____________________. This area is very important for
______________________
A. primary somatosensory cortex; feelings and emotions
B. frontal lobes; higher order thinking
C. occipital lobes; vision
D. cerebellum; breathing
Question 20
During old age, memory loss
A. is significant for most people
B. only occurs if there is degenerative illness
C. is very rare
D. can occur, but in many people it will not happen
Question 21
Cognitive development refers to
A. development of the ability to think, reason and remember
B. growth of knowledge
C. growth in understanding and use of vocabulary
D. understanding social interactions
Question 22
Thread-like genetic structures in the cell nucleus are called
A. genes
B. chromosomes
C. genomes
D. alleles
Question 23
In the “Nature–Nurture” debate, “nature” refers to ______________________ whilst “nurture” refers to
_________________________
A. environmental factors; genetic make-up
B. genetic make-up; environmental factors
C. genetic make-up; cultural factors
D. cultural factors; genetic make-up
Question 24
Jackie and her brother John are twins. They share approximately ________ percent of genetic material.
A. 25
B. 50
C. 75
D. 100
Question 25
Research with newborn babies has found that they will spend a longer time looking at
A. a complex pattern
B. a plain stimulus in a bright colour
C. a stimulus that resembles an animal
D. a stimulus that resembles a tree
Question 26
Gibson and Walk (1960) studied responses using an apparent drop called the “visual cliff”. Their experiments found
the following
A. the ability to perceive depth is innate (inborn)
B. perception of depth occurs in humans earlier than in other animal babies
C. infants can perceive depth before they can crawl
D. fear of heights is innate
Question 27
In terms of the development of vision, human babies can first notice all features of the face and can distinguish
between two different faces at age
A. 1 month
B. 3 months
C. 5 months
D. 10 months
Question 28
In Piaget’s four stages of cognitive development, immediately before the concrete-operational stage is the
____________________ stage
A. latency
B. sensorimotor
C. formal-operational
D. pre-operational
Question 29
Jean Piaget suggested that as children learn they sometimes take new information and incorporate it into their preexisting mental idea about objects and the world. He referred to this process as
A. adaptation
B. assimilation
C. affiliation
D. accommodation
Question 30
Jean Piaget suggested that as children learn, sometimes they may take new information and change their pre-existing
mental idea about objects and the world so that the new idea ‘fits in’. He referred to this process as
A. adaptation
B. assimilation
C. affiliation
D. accommodation
Question 31
Piaget identified the ability of object permanence as being achieved during the _____________________________
stage
A. formal-operational
B. pre-operational
C. sensorimotor
D. concrete-operational
Question 32
According to Ainsworth, the majority of infants show
A. insecure avoidant attachment
B. insecure resistant attachment
C. secure attachment
D. secure approaching attachment
Question 33
Erikson suggested that each stage of life has a particular ‘dilemma’ or ‘crisis’ that needs to be resolved. Which of
the following is the ‘crisis’ for the stage of ‘adolescence’?
A. generativity versus stagnation
B. industry versus inferiority
C. intimacy versus isolation
D. identity versus identity confusion
Question 34
According to Erikson, ‘autonomy versus shame and doubt’ represents the dilemma of the ________________ stage
of development.
A. infancy (first year)
B. infancy (1 to 3 years)
C. middle adulthood (40s and 50s)
D. middle and late childhood (6 years to puberty)
Question 35
Kohlberg suggested that moral development occurs as a series of levels, each of which contains two stages. The
stages identified with the conventional level are:
A. obedience/punishment and naïve reward orientation
B. good boy/good girl and authority orientation
C. social contract and individual principles orientation
D. conscience and social integrity organisation
Question 36
Jimmy always wears his bicycle helmet because it is against the law to fail to do so.
Jimmy is probably in the _______________________ stage of moral development.
A. good boy/good girl
B. obedience and punishment
C. social contract orientation
D. authority orientation
Question 37
A person who, on hearing Kohlberg’s “Heinz” dilemma, suggests that Heinz was right to steal the drug because
“although it was against the law, human life is worth more than the need to follow the law” would be in which stage
of morality?
A. authority orientation
B. naïve reward orientation
C. social contract orientation
D. individual principles and conscience orientation
Question 38
“Mental health” refers to
A. a state of mental and emotional well-being
B. the absence of mental illness
C. intelligence
D. functional normality
Question 39
The most common mental illness throughout the lifespan is
A. schizophrenia
B. borderline personality disorder
C. Alzheimer’s disease
D. depression
Question 40
The onset of schizophrenia is most likely to be during
A. childhood or adolescence
B. adolescence
C. adolescence or early adulthood
D. middle adulthood
Question 41
What percentage of the population is likely to experience mental illness at some stage of their lives?
A. 5–10%
B. 10–20%
C. 20–30%
D. 30–40%
Question 42
The two most commonly used diagnostic systems for mental illness are
A. ICM and DSM
B. ICD and DSM
C. ICD and DSC
D. ICM and DSC
Question 43
As a person ages, cognitive ___________________ tend to decline whilst cognitive ______________________ tend
to remain steady or improve.
A. pragmatics; mechanics
B. mechanics; pragmatics
C. semantic memories; working memories
D. working memories; semantic memories
Question 44
Baltes’ SOC (Selection – Optimisation – Compensation) model would suggest that as a great concert pianist such as
Arthur Rubinstein gets older, he would be advised to
A. play fewer pieces at each concert
B. practise for longer
C. slow down before a fast passage so that it appears faster
D. all of the above are suitable strategies
Question 45
According to Baltes, “wisdom” involves all of the following except
A. being rich in factual knowledge
B. being rich in language skills including a wide vocabulary
C. being rich in procedural knowledge – knowing how best to do things
D. being tolerant of uncertainty
SECTION B – ANSWER IN THE SPACES PROVIDED
Question 1
i.
Why are phrenology and numerology referred to as pseudo-sciences?
1 mark
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
ii.
What specialty in psychology would deal with treatment of persons who have suffered the loss of
a loved one in a motor accident?
1 mark
____________________________________________________________________________
iii.
Choose one of the following and outline the contribution made to the field of psychology by that
person: Wilhelm Wundt, William James and John B. Watson.
2 marks
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Question 2
Complete the table below to show the major areas of specialization for psychologists practising in the
areas indicated
2 + 2 = 4 marks
TYPE OF
PSYCHOLOGIST
AREA OF SPECIALIZATION
ORGANISATIONAL
PSYCHOLOGIST
FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGIST
Question 3
The following are sub-fields of the biological approach to psychology. For each one, identify the
main area of focus:
1 + 1 + 1 = 3 marks
Psychopharmacology_______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Psychophysiology_________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Neuropsychology__________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Question 4
What is the main principle underlying research by psychologists using the behavioural approach?
2 marks
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Question 5
With reference to the above picture, identify two depth cues and explain how each one
demonstrates depth and distance in this picture.
2 + 2 = 4 marks
Depth cue 1 __________________________________________________
Explanation
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Depth cue 2 __________________________________________________
Explanation
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Question 6
Explain, using an example, the Gestalt principle of similarity.
2 marks
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Question 7
Little Lily is three months old, she had regularly looked at a toy doll for periods of 5 to 10 seconds
but now she just glances and then looks away. When a new toy teddy is waved in front of her, she
spends longer looking at this new toy. Lily is showing
________________________________
1 mark
Question 8
Dina and her older brother, Marcus, have each been given a ball of play-dough by their mother.
When Marcus rolls his into a long “sausage”, Dina looks at both pieces of play-dough and begins to
cry, complaining that Marcus has more than she does.
i.
In terms of Piaget’s theories, name the process that Dina has not yet mastered.
1 mark
_____________________________________________________________________
ii.
Explain the meaning of this term.
2 marks
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Question 9
Complete the following table:
Stage of Lifespan
Infancy
Pre-school age childhood
Approximate Age (years)
0–2.0
2.1–5
School age childhood
6–11
8 marks
Key Events
Rapid brain development:
Increased language skills
and usage
12–20
21–39
Peak physical function.
Intimacy and independence
40–64
Old age
65+
Question 10a.
Explain the value of twin studies in studying nature and nurture across the lifespan.
3 marks
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Question 10b.
Explain the added value of adoption studies of twins in studying nature and nurture across the
lifespan.
2 marks
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Question 11
John Bowlby described four phases of infant attachment. Complete the following table showing
details of this theory.
1 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 6 marks
Phase (1 mark each)
Description (2 marks each)
Age
Infants interact with other
Pre-attachment
0–2 months
people and cannot distinguish
among different people.
They will smile and cry for
family or strangers and can be
left with a stranger as a
caregiver without distress.
3–7 months
8–24 months
Goal-directed partnership
24 months +
Children recognize the needs,
feelings and plans (intentions)
of others. They understand that
if a caregiver leaves they will
also return. Separation anxiety
reduces and communication
skills improve.
Question 12
Identify what Kohlberg meant by the “naïve reward orientation” stage and explain using an
example.
3 marks
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Question 13
a.
What is one advantage in using a statistical definition of normality?
1 mark
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
b.
What is one limitation in using a statistical definition of normality?
1 mark
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Question 14
It is estimated that between 5% and 10% of people worldwide suffer from Attention-Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Explain how a psychologist, using the medical definition of
abnormality, would view ADHD.
(2 marks)
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Question 15
Paranoid schizophrenia is one of the more common forms of schizophrenia.
a. Outline two common symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia.
2 marks
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
b. What is the likely course of schizophrenia when it is correctly diagnosed and treated?
2 marks
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Question 16
Baltes believed that development over the lifespan is a continual process occurring throughout
life and shaped by biological, cognitive and social influences. Analyse Baltes’s view in terms of
the ‘nature–nurture’ debate.
2 marks
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________