This comprehensive collection of Psychology MCQs is designed to assist you in preparing for exams, interviews, and assessments in the field of psychology. Covering a wide range of topics including cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, and mental health, these questions will enhance your understanding of psychological concepts and theories, helping you excel in any evaluation.
1. What is the study of behavior and mental processes called?
A) Sociology
B) Biology
C) Psychology
D) Anthropology
View AnswerC
2. Who is considered the father of modern psychology?
A) Sigmund Freud
B) Carl Jung
C) William James
D) Wilhelm Wundt
View AnswerD
3. Which psychological approach emphasizes the study of observable behavior?
A) Cognitive
B) Behavioral
C) Humanistic
D) Psychoanalytic
View AnswerB
4. What is the main focus of cognitive psychology?
A) Behavior modification
B) Unconscious processes
C) Mental processes
D) Social behavior
View AnswerC
5. What is the term for a mental framework that helps organize and interpret information?
A) Schema
B) Heuristic
C) Prototype
D) Concept
View AnswerA
6. Which part of the brain is primarily responsible for regulating emotions?
A) Cerebellum
B) Medulla
C) Limbic system
D) Brainstem
View AnswerC
7. What is a defense mechanism that involves attributing one’s unacceptable thoughts to others?
A) Projection
B) Repression
C) Rationalization
D) Displacement
View AnswerA
8. What type of learning occurs through observing and imitating others?
A) Classical conditioning
B) Operant conditioning
C) Observational learning
D) Insight learning
View AnswerC
9. Who developed the hierarchy of needs?
A) Abraham Maslow
B) Carl Rogers
C) Sigmund Freud
D) B.F. Skinner
View AnswerA
10. What is the term for a condition in which a person experiences intense fear or anxiety in social situations?
A) Agoraphobia
B) Social anxiety disorder
C) Generalized anxiety disorder
D) Panic disorder
View AnswerB
11. What is the process of changing a behavior through reinforcement or punishment?
A) Conditioning
B) Learning
C) Socialization
D) Motivation
View AnswerA
12. Which theory explains how people interpret and explain their own and others’ behavior?
A) Attribution theory
B) Cognitive dissonance theory
C) Psychoanalytic theory
D) Behaviorism
View AnswerA
13. What is the term for a temporary state of mental confusion or disorientation?
A) Delusion
B) Dementia
C) Amnesia
D) Dizziness
View AnswerC
14. What is the name of the psychological test that measures personality traits through a series of questions?
A) IQ test
B) Projective test
C) Personality inventory
D) Rorschach test
View AnswerC
15. Which psychological perspective focuses on the influence of the environment on behavior?
A) Psychodynamic
B) Behavioral
C) Cognitive
D) Humanistic
View AnswerB
16. What is the term for a severe psychological disorder characterized by a breakdown in thought processes?
A) Anxiety disorder
B) Mood disorder
C) Psychotic disorder
D) Personality disorder
View AnswerC
17. What does the term “neuroplasticity” refer to?
A) The ability of neurons to transmit signals
B) The brain’s ability to reorganize itself
C) The growth of new neurons
D) The deterioration of neural connections
View AnswerB
18. What is the primary goal of therapy in the humanistic approach?
A) To change behavior
B) To enhance self-awareness
C) To diagnose mental illness
D) To interpret dreams
View AnswerB
19. What is the effect called when people conform to a group’s beliefs or behaviors?
A) Social facilitation
B) Groupthink
C) Obedience
D) Social loafing
View AnswerB
20. Which term describes a state of mental tension or stress that arises when a person holds two conflicting beliefs?
A) Cognitive dissonance
B) Confirmation bias
C) Psychological reactance
D) Emotional intelligence
View AnswerA
21. What is the purpose of an intelligence test?
A) To measure academic performance
B) To assess personality traits
C) To evaluate cognitive abilities
D) To predict job performance
View AnswerC
22. Which neurotransmitter is commonly associated with mood regulation?
A) Dopamine
B) Serotonin
C) Acetylcholine
D) GABA
View AnswerB
23. What type of conditioning involves associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus?
A) Operant conditioning
B) Classical conditioning
C) Observational learning
D) Insight learning
View AnswerB
24. Which psychological disorder is characterized by alternating periods of high energy and deep depression?
A) Major depressive disorder
B) Bipolar disorder
C) Schizophrenia
D) Anxiety disorder
View AnswerB
25. What is the term for the psychological phenomenon where the presence of others improves individual performance?
A) Social inhibition
B) Social facilitation
C) Groupthink
D) Bystander effect
View AnswerB
26. Who is known for developing the theory of cognitive development in children?
A) Sigmund Freud
B) Erik Erikson
C) Jean Piaget
D) Lev Vygotsky
View AnswerC
27. What is the term for the ability to understand and manage one’s own emotions?
A) Emotional intelligence
B) Cognitive empathy
C) Social awareness
D) Interpersonal skills
View AnswerA
28. What is the main focus of psychoanalysis?
A) Observable behavior
B) Unconscious motives
C) Social interactions
D) Cognitive processes
View AnswerB
29. Which psychological approach emphasizes the study of free will and personal growth?
A) Psychodynamic
B) Humanistic
C) Behaviorist
D) Cognitive
View AnswerB
30. What is the term for a persistent, irrational fear of a specific object or situation?
A) Anxiety disorder
B) Phobia
C) Panic disorder
D) Obsessive-compulsive disorder
View AnswerB
31. Which part of the brain is responsible for higher cognitive functions such as reasoning and decision-making?
A) Limbic system
B) Cerebellum
C) Cerebral cortex
D) Brainstem
View AnswerC
32. What type of therapy focuses on changing negative thought patterns?
A) Cognitive-behavioral therapy
B) Psychodynamic therapy
C) Humanistic therapy
D) Behavior therapy
View AnswerA
33. Which term refers to the psychological impact of having a traumatic experience?
A) PTSD
B) Acute stress disorder
C) Generalized anxiety disorder
D) Major depressive disorder
View AnswerA
34. What is the primary goal of behavior therapy?
A) To explore unconscious motives
B) To change maladaptive behaviors
C) To enhance self-awareness
D) To facilitate emotional expression
View AnswerB
35. Who proposed the stages of psychosocial development?
A) Sigmund Freud
B) Carl Jung
C) Erik Erikson
D) Abraham Maslow
View AnswerC
36. What is the name of the phenomenon where individuals perform worse on tasks in the presence of others?
A) Social facilitation
B) Social loafing
C) Groupthink
D) Bystander effect
View AnswerB
37. Which psychological approach focuses on the role of genetics and biological processes?
A) Behavioral
B) Cognitive
C) Biological
D) Humanistic
View AnswerC
38. What is the term for the mental process of organizing and interpreting sensory information?
A) Perception
B) Sensation
C) Cognition
D) Awareness
View AnswerA
39. Which concept explains the tendency to seek information that confirms one’s existing beliefs?
A) Cognitive dissonance
B) Confirmation bias
C) Fundamental attribution error
D) Self-serving bias
View AnswerB
40. What is the focus of developmental psychology?
A) Mental illness
B) Personality
C) Lifespan changes
D) Social behavior
View AnswerC
41. Which type of memory involves the recall of specific facts and events?
A) Procedural memory
B) Semantic memory
C) Episodic memory
D) Implicit memory
View AnswerC
42. What is the process of maintaining information in memory over time?
A) Encoding
B) Storage
C) Retrieval
D) Recognition
View AnswerB
43. Which psychological disorder is characterized by persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest?
A) Generalized anxiety disorder
B) Major depressive disorder
C) Bipolar disorder
D) Schizophrenia
View AnswerB
44. What is the term for a pattern of behavior that deviates from cultural norms?
A) Psychopathology
B) Abnormal behavior
C) Personality disorder
D) Mood disorder
View AnswerB
45. Who is known for the theory of classical conditioning?
A) B.F. Skinner
B) Ivan Pavlov
C) Albert Bandura
D) Carl Rogers
View AnswerB
46. What is the term for the mental process of understanding and processing language?
A) Cognition
B) Communication
C) Language acquisition
D) Semantic processing
View AnswerA
47. Which psychological theory focuses on the role of the unconscious mind?
A) Behaviorism
B) Humanistic psychology
C) Psychoanalytic theory
D) Cognitive theory
View AnswerC
48. What is the primary focus of social psychology?
A) Individual behavior
B) Group dynamics
C) Cognitive processes
D) Developmental stages
View AnswerB
49. What is the term for a psychological disorder that affects one’s ability to function in daily life?
A) Clinical disorder
B) Neurotic disorder
C) Psychotic disorder
D) Adjustment disorder
View AnswerA
50. Which type of reinforcement involves removing an unpleasant stimulus to increase a behavior?
A) Positive reinforcement
B) Negative reinforcement
C) Punishment
D) Extinction
View AnswerB
51. What is the term for the ability to understand and empathize with others’ feelings?
A) Emotional intelligence
B) Social intelligence
C) Interpersonal skills
D) Empathy
View AnswerA
52. Which psychological disorder is characterized by excessive worry about various aspects of life?
A) Panic disorder
B) Generalized anxiety disorder
C) Social anxiety disorder
D) Specific phobia
View AnswerB
53. What is the term for the psychological process of forgetting?
A) Repression
B) Amnesia
C) Decay
D) Extinction
View AnswerC
54. Which area of psychology focuses on the treatment of mental disorders?
A) Developmental psychology
B) Clinical psychology
C) Social psychology
D) Cognitive psychology
View AnswerB
55. What is the term for a strong, irrational fear of an object or situation?
A) Anxiety disorder
B) Phobia
C) Obsessive-compulsive disorder
D) Post-traumatic stress disorder
View AnswerB
56. Who developed the concept of operant conditioning?
A) Ivan Pavlov
B) Albert Bandura
C) B.F. Skinner
D) Carl Rogers
View AnswerC
57. What is the primary focus of forensic psychology?
A) Criminal behavior
B) Child development
C) Cognitive processes
D) Social interactions
View AnswerA
58. What is the term for the psychological discomfort experienced when one’s beliefs conflict with their actions?
A) Cognitive dissonance
B) Emotional turmoil
C) Psychological distress
D) Social anxiety
View AnswerA
59. Which psychological approach emphasizes the importance of personal growth and self-actualization?
A) Cognitive
B) Behavioral
C) Humanistic
D) Psychodynamic
View AnswerC
60. What is the term for the ability to recall past experiences and information?
A) Recognition
B) Memory
C) Retrieval
D) Recall
View AnswerB
61. Which brain structure is primarily involved in forming new memories?
A) Amygdala
B) Hippocampus
C) Cerebellum
D) Thalamus
View AnswerB
62. What is the term for the psychological condition where a person experiences a disconnect from reality?
A) Dissociation
B) Depersonalization
C) Delusion
D) Hallucination
View AnswerA
63. What is the primary goal of cognitive therapy?
A) To change behavior
B) To alter thought patterns
C) To explore the unconscious
D) To enhance emotional expression
View AnswerB
64. Who is known for the theory of multiple intelligences?
A) Howard Gardner
B) Daniel Goleman
C) Sigmund Freud
D) Abraham Maslow
View AnswerA
65. What is the term for the psychological phenomenon where individuals conform to group norms?
A) Groupthink
B) Social facilitation
C) Social influence
D) Peer pressure
View AnswerA
66. Which term refers to the mental process of evaluating the significance of a stimulus?
A) Interpretation
B) Perception
C) Cognition
D) Appraisal
View AnswerD
67. What is the term for an emotional reaction to a specific stimulus?
A) Emotion
B) Mood
C) Affect
D) Sentiment
View AnswerA
68. Which psychological disorder is characterized by recurrent, intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors?
A) Generalized anxiety disorder
B) Panic disorder
C) Obsessive-compulsive disorder
D) Social anxiety disorder
View AnswerC
69. What is the term for the theory that explains behavior through the influence of rewards and punishments?
A) Social learning theory
B) Operant conditioning
C) Classical conditioning
D) Cognitive theory
View AnswerB
70. Which psychological theory emphasizes the role of reinforcement and punishment in behavior?
A) Behaviorism
B) Psychoanalysis
C) Humanistic psychology
D) Cognitive psychology
View AnswerA
71. What is the term for a psychological state characterized by extreme mood swings?
A) Bipolar disorder
B) Major depressive disorder
C) Anxiety disorder
D) Personality disorder
View AnswerA
72. Which concept refers to the tendency to attribute personal successes to internal factors and failures to external factors?
A) Fundamental attribution error
B) Self-serving bias
C) Confirmation bias
D) Hindsight bias
View AnswerB
73. What is the term for a mental process that involves a series of steps to reach a solution?
A) Heuristic
B) Algorithm
C) Insight
D) Problem-solving
View AnswerB
74. Which psychological perspective focuses on the study of the individual’s subjective experience?
A) Humanistic psychology
B) Behavioral psychology
C) Cognitive psychology
D) Psychoanalytic psychology
View AnswerA
75. What is the primary focus of health psychology?
A) Treatment of mental disorders
B) Behavior change and health promotion
C) Developmental stages
D) Cognitive processes
View AnswerB
76. Which term refers to the mental process of acquiring knowledge through experience?
A) Learning
B) Memory
C) Cognition
D) Perception
View AnswerA
77. What is the term for a stable pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that distinguish one person from another?
A) Personality
B) Character
C) Trait
D) Identity
View AnswerA
78. Which area of psychology focuses on understanding how people learn?
A) Developmental psychology
B) Educational psychology
C) Clinical psychology
D) Social psychology
View AnswerB
79. What is the term for the mental process of breaking down information into manageable parts?
A) Chunking
B) Organization
C) Categorization
D) Simplification
View AnswerA
80. Which term refers to the ability to adapt one’s thinking to new information?
A) Accommodation
B) Assimilation
C) Modification
D) Adjustment
View AnswerA
81. What is the term for the tendency to make judgments based on the most easily recalled information?
A) Availability heuristic
B) Anchoring bias
C) Confirmation bias
D) Overconfidence bias
View AnswerA
82. Which psychological concept involves the development of moral reasoning?
A) Cognitive development
B) Psychosocial development
C) Moral development
D) Social development
View AnswerC
83. What is the term for the psychological phenomenon where individuals feel less responsible when in a group?
A) Diffusion of responsibility
B) Groupthink
C) Bystander effect
D) Social loafing
View AnswerA
84. Which area of psychology studies the psychological aspects of the workplace?
A) Industrial-organizational psychology
B) Developmental psychology
C) Clinical psychology
D) Educational psychology
View AnswerA
85. What is the term for a psychological disorder characterized by periods of extreme energy and activity?
A) Major depressive disorder
B) Bipolar disorder
C) Anxiety disorder
D) Schizophrenia
View AnswerB
86. Which theory explains the relationship between stress and physical health?
A) Psychosomatic theory
B) Cognitive theory
C) Behavioral theory
D) Biological theory
View AnswerA
87. What is the term for the cognitive bias where people overestimate the likelihood of dramatic events?
A) Availability heuristic
B) Confirmation bias
C) Hindsight bias
D) Overconfidence bias
View AnswerA
88. Which psychological approach focuses on the influence of social and cultural factors on behavior?
A) Humanistic
B) Behavioral
C) Sociocultural
D) Cognitive
View AnswerC
89. What is the term for the psychological process of focusing attention on a particular stimulus?
A) Concentration
B) Attention
C) Awareness
D) Focus
View AnswerB
90. Which area of psychology examines how people think about and interact with others?
A) Cognitive psychology
B) Social psychology
C) Developmental psychology
D) Clinical psychology
View AnswerB
91. What is the term for the mental process of visualizing an event that has not yet occurred?
A) Anticipation
B) Imagery
C) Prediction
D) Visualization
View AnswerB
92. Which psychological concept refers to the tendency to favor information that supports one’s existing beliefs?
A) Confirmation bias
B) Anchoring bias
C) Hindsight bias
D) Self-serving bias
View AnswerA
93. What is the term for the ability to recover memories from storage?
A) Recall
B) Recognition
C) Retrieval
D) Recollection
View AnswerC
94. Which psychological disorder is characterized by a pattern of disregard for the rights of others?
A) Antisocial personality disorder
B) Narcissistic personality disorder
C) Borderline personality disorder
D) Histrionic personality disorder
View AnswerA
95. What is the term for a state of mental fatigue often associated with prolonged stress?
A) Burnout
B) Exhaustion
C) Overwork
D) Stress overload
View AnswerA
96. Which psychological theory focuses on the role of thought processes in behavior?
A) Behaviorism
B) Cognitive psychology
C) Humanistic psychology
D) Psychodynamic psychology
View AnswerB
97. What is the term for a mental shortcut that allows for quick problem-solving?
A) Heuristic
B) Algorithm
C) Insight
D) Formula
View AnswerA
98. Which area of psychology focuses on the psychological effects of aging?
A) Developmental psychology
B) Geropsychology
C) Clinical psychology
D) Health psychology
View AnswerB
99. What is the term for a psychological disorder characterized by excessive fear of having a serious illness?
A) Hypochondriasis
B) Panic disorder
C) Social anxiety disorder
D) Specific phobia
View AnswerA
100. Which psychological concept refers to the belief in one’s ability to succeed?
A) Self-esteem
B) Self-efficacy
C) Self-concept
D) Self-worth
View AnswerB