SCSA Psychology Psychological knowledge and understanding
15 sample questions with marking guides and sample answers
The Ames room creates the illusion that two people of about the same size are radically different in size.
Explain how visual perception principles and the properties of the room create this illusion.
Reveal Answer
In the illusion, the room appears to be rectangular in shape, but it is not. To maintain the illusion, binocular depth cues are avoided due to forced monocular vision. The two back corners are different distances from the viewer but appear to be at the same distance; thus, the person in one corner appears to be as distant as the person in the other corner, even though they are much closer and thus appear much larger.
| Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|
describes a relevant property of the room | 1 |
describes an associated visual perception principle, such as absence of binocular depth cues | 1 |
explains how this results in the illusion of two people of very different size | 1 |
Use the following information to answer the question.
Systematic desensitisation, used for specific phobias, involves the creation of a fear hierarchy. An example of a fear hierarchy is shown below, where a low rating indicates a less fearful scenario.
| Scenario | Fear rating |
|---|---|
| Think about a magpie. | 10 |
| Look at a photograph of a magpie. | 25 |
| Look at a fake magpie. | 30 |
| Be in the same outdoor area as a magpie. | 50 |
| Be in the same indoor room as a magpie. | 90 |
What does the fear rating suggest about each scenario listed in the fear hierarchy?
The fear rating also equals the time (in minutes) it would take to eliminate a fear response.
A voluntary flight-or-fight response would be activated only once the fear rating reaches 50.
The fear rating demonstrates the severity of the conditioned response associated with the scenario.
Being in the same indoor room as a magpie would require more positive reinforcement than thinking about a magpie.
Reveal Answer
The fear rating also equals the time (in minutes) it would take to eliminate a fear response.
The fear rating is a subjective measure of the individual's anxiety or fear level, not a measurement of the time required to eliminate the fear response.
A voluntary flight-or-fight response would be activated only once the fear rating reaches 50.
The fight-or-flight response is an involuntary autonomic nervous system reaction, not a voluntary one, and it can be triggered at various levels of fear.
The fear rating demonstrates the severity of the conditioned response associated with the scenario.
In classical conditioning terms, a phobia is a conditioned response to a specific stimulus. The fear rating directly reflects the intensity or severity of this conditioned fear response for each scenario.
Being in the same indoor room as a magpie would require more positive reinforcement than thinking about a magpie.
Systematic desensitisation relies on classical conditioning principles (pairing relaxation with the feared stimulus to achieve extinction), rather than operant conditioning concepts like positive reinforcement.
Feinstein et al. (2010) conducted an investigation on a human patient, SM, who had a pre-existing brain lesion and was unable to experience fear. Researchers sought to invoke fear in SM by exposing them to live snakes and spiders and taking them on a tour of a haunted house. During each of these occasions SM did not exhibit any fear. In what part of the brain did SM most likely have a lesion?
cerebrum
amygdala
cerebellum
primary motor cortex
Reveal Answer
cerebrum
The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain and controls a vast array of functions including thought, memory, and senses. While the amygdala is located within the cerebrum, a general lesion to the cerebrum would cause widespread cognitive deficits rather than a specific lack of fear.
amygdala
The amygdala is the primary brain structure responsible for processing emotions, particularly fear and threat detection. Patient SM is a well-known case study where bilateral damage to the amygdala resulted in the specific inability to experience fear.
cerebellum
The cerebellum is primarily involved in motor control, coordination, balance, and motor learning. It is not the central structure for processing emotional responses like fear.
primary motor cortex
The primary motor cortex is responsible for the execution of voluntary movements. A lesion here would result in motor deficits or paralysis, not a selective inability to experience fear.
When you touch a hot stove, you instinctively pull your hand away. This demonstrates
a polysynaptic reflex.
a monosynaptic reflex.
an involuntary response from the sympathetic nervous system.
an involuntary response from the parasympathetic nervous system.
Reveal Answer
a polysynaptic reflex.
The withdrawal reflex is polysynaptic because it involves one or more interneurons in the spinal cord connecting the sensory neuron to the motor neuron.
a monosynaptic reflex.
A monosynaptic reflex, such as the knee-jerk reflex, involves a direct connection between a sensory neuron and a motor neuron without any interneurons.
an involuntary response from the sympathetic nervous system.
Although the response is involuntary, it involves skeletal muscles controlled by the somatic nervous system, not the autonomic sympathetic nervous system.
an involuntary response from the parasympathetic nervous system.
The parasympathetic nervous system regulates "rest and digest" autonomic functions, whereas this reflex involves skeletal muscle contraction via the somatic nervous system.
Use the following information to answer the question.
Physical education teachers often demonstrate a desired motor skill and then ask their students to perform the same skill in the next lesson. The teacher then provides them with encouraging and focused feedback while they practise the motor skill.
As students master the desired action, the memory of the motor skill involves the
neocortex and hippocampus, as it is an explicit memory.
basal ganglia and cerebellum, as it is an implicit memory.
hippocampus and cerebellum, as it is an implicit memory.
hippocampus, neocortex and amygdala, as it is an explicit memory.
Reveal Answer
neocortex and hippocampus, as it is an explicit memory.
Motor skills are procedural memories, which are a type of implicit memory, not explicit memory. The neocortex and hippocampus are primarily involved in explicit memory.
basal ganglia and cerebellum, as it is an implicit memory.
Motor skills are procedural memories, which are a type of implicit memory. The basal ganglia and cerebellum are the key brain structures involved in the formation and storage of implicit memories.
hippocampus and cerebellum, as it is an implicit memory.
While the cerebellum is involved in implicit memory, the hippocampus is primarily responsible for explicit memory consolidation, making this pairing incorrect.
hippocampus, neocortex and amygdala, as it is an explicit memory.
Motor skills are implicit memories, not explicit memories. The hippocampus, neocortex, and amygdala are involved in explicit and emotional memories.
Use the following information to answer the question.
In the 1940s, American psychologist Orval H. Mowrer developed a 'two-factor theory' for understanding the development of a specific phobia. He applied two behaviourist approaches to learning – classical and operant conditioning – in explaining how an otherwise harmless object could persist in causing a strong anxiety response. This theory informs our current understanding of the development of a phobia.
One aspect of this theory is that
the use of negative reinforcement precipitates the phobia.
avoidance precipitates the unconditioned response to a phobic stimulus.
the constant desire to remove the phobic stimulus perpetuates the feelings of anxiety.
repeated associations between a neutral and unconditioned stimulus perpetuate the phobia.
Reveal Answer
the use of negative reinforcement precipitates the phobia.
Negative reinforcement is involved in the perpetuation (maintenance) of a phobia through operant conditioning, not its precipitation (initiation).
avoidance precipitates the unconditioned response to a phobic stimulus.
Avoidance behavior perpetuates the phobia rather than precipitating it. Additionally, the anxiety response to a phobic stimulus is a conditioned response, not an unconditioned one.
the constant desire to remove the phobic stimulus perpetuates the feelings of anxiety.
According to Mowrer's two-factor theory, avoiding or removing the phobic stimulus reduces anxiety, which acts as negative reinforcement. This avoidance prevents the extinction of the fear, thereby perpetuating the phobia and its associated anxiety.
repeated associations between a neutral and unconditioned stimulus perpetuate the phobia.
The association between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus is the mechanism of classical conditioning, which precipitates (initiates) the phobia rather than perpetuating it.
Use the following information to answer the question.
Study 1: The characteristics of 'event memories' in dogs
Recent research has summarised numerous case studies regarding the autobiographical memory of dogs. Findings suggest that dogs have long-term memories of past events, as 80% of owners reported that their pet had shown signs of remembering an event. The most reported long-term memories involved dogs locating hidden items.
The following is an excerpt of a case study collected during Study 1.
Case Study A: One owner reported that their dog had escaped through their fence to the neighbour's house, then in through the neighbour's cat door to eat the cat's food. Several years later, on a day when their dog had not been fed, it again escaped through the same fence and in through the same neighbour's cat door to get to the food.
Source: Adapted from A Lewis and D Berntsen, 'Pet memoirs: The characteristics of event memories in cats and dogs, as reported by their owners', Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 2020, 222 [104885] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2019.104885
The study defined an 'event memory' as an experience or event that occurred in the past and was later recalled. According to the Atkinson-Shiffrin multi-store model of memory, an 'event memory' would involve
all sensory memory being retained and retrieved.
the visual information being attended to and encoded.
the retrieval of short-term memory to echoic sensory memory.
the use of rehearsal to transfer sensory memory to short-term memory.
Reveal Answer
all sensory memory being retained and retrieved.
Sensory memory holds a vast amount of information but only for a fraction of a second. Only a small portion of sensory memory is attended to and retained, not all of it.
the visual information being attended to and encoded.
In the Atkinson-Shiffrin model, sensory information (such as visual details of an event) must be attended to in order to enter short-term memory, and then encoded to be stored in long-term memory for later recall.
the retrieval of short-term memory to echoic sensory memory.
Information flows from sensory memory to short-term memory, not the other way around. Retrieval involves bringing information from long-term memory back into short-term memory.
the use of rehearsal to transfer sensory memory to short-term memory.
Attention, not rehearsal, is the process required to transfer information from sensory memory to short-term memory. Rehearsal is used to transfer information from short-term memory to long-term memory.
Use the following information to answer the question.
Systematic desensitisation, used for specific phobias, involves the creation of a fear hierarchy. An example of a fear hierarchy is shown below, where a low rating indicates a less fearful scenario.
| Scenario | Fear rating |
|---|---|
| Think about a magpie. | 10 |
| Look at a photograph of a magpie. | 25 |
| Look at a fake magpie. | 30 |
| Be in the same outdoor area as a magpie. | 50 |
| Be in the same indoor room as a magpie. | 90 |
Which one of the following accurately explains a factor that might contribute to the development of a phobia of magpies?
Increased levels of GABA make the fear response to magpies greater.
A direct encounter with an aggressive magpie causes an extreme fear response.
Magpies are an unconditioned stimulus associated with an unconditioned response of extreme fear.
Increased glutamate levels make postsynaptic neurons less likely to fire, strengthening the association between magpies and fear.
Reveal Answer
Increased levels of GABA make the fear response to magpies greater.
GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that helps calm the nervous system. Decreased, not increased, levels of GABA are associated with a greater fear response and the development of phobias.
A direct encounter with an aggressive magpie causes an extreme fear response.
A direct encounter with an aggressive magpie acts as a specific environmental trigger, leading to the development of a phobia through classical conditioning.
Magpies are an unconditioned stimulus associated with an unconditioned response of extreme fear.
In classical conditioning, the magpie is initially a neutral stimulus that becomes a conditioned stimulus, not an unconditioned stimulus.
Increased glutamate levels make postsynaptic neurons less likely to fire, strengthening the association between magpies and fear.
Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter, meaning increased levels would make postsynaptic neurons more likely to fire, not less.
Use the following information to answer the question.
Justin is listening to the radio in his car when a 'guess the song' competition is announced. Justin thinks he knows the song, so he listens for the phone number to call.
According to the Atkinson-Shiffrin multi-store model of memory, when Justin wants to retrieve the phone number from long-term memory, the number will be
recalled directly from long-term memory.
moved from long-term memory to short-term memory.
moved from long-term memory directly to sensory memory.
moved from long-term memory to sensory memory, via short-term memory.
Reveal Answer
recalled directly from long-term memory.
According to the Atkinson-Shiffrin model, information cannot be consciously processed directly in long-term memory; it must be transferred to short-term memory first.
moved from long-term memory to short-term memory.
In the Atkinson-Shiffrin model, retrieval is the process of transferring information from long-term memory back into short-term memory for conscious use.
moved from long-term memory directly to sensory memory.
Information is not transferred back to sensory memory, which only briefly holds raw sensory input from the environment before it is passed to short-term memory.
moved from long-term memory to sensory memory, via short-term memory.
While information retrieved from long-term memory does enter short-term memory, it does not continue on to sensory memory.
Use the following information to answer the question.
In the 1940s, American psychologist Orval H. Mowrer developed a 'two-factor theory' for understanding the development of a specific phobia. He applied two behaviourist approaches to learning – classical and operant conditioning – in explaining how an otherwise harmless object could persist in causing a strong anxiety response. This theory informs our current understanding of the development of a phobia.
Which one of the following correctly applies behaviourist approaches to the development of a specific phobia?
Memory bias can interfere with the retention stage of learning.
High levels of motivation cause a reproduction of the phobic response.
The phobic response is both a conditioned response and a consequence.
The conditioned stimulus acts as an antecedent that triggers an avoidance behaviour.
Reveal Answer
Memory bias can interfere with the retention stage of learning.
Memory bias is a cognitive factor, and retention is a stage of observational learning. Neither of these belong to the behaviourist approaches (classical and operant conditioning) used in the two-factor theory.
High levels of motivation cause a reproduction of the phobic response.
Motivation and reproduction are components of observational learning, not the classical or operant conditioning principles that make up the two-factor theory.
The phobic response is both a conditioned response and a consequence.
While the phobic response (fear) is a conditioned response in classical conditioning, it is not the consequence in operant conditioning. The consequence is actually the reduction of anxiety that follows avoidance behaviour.
The conditioned stimulus acts as an antecedent that triggers an avoidance behaviour.
This correctly integrates both factors: the conditioned stimulus (acquired via classical conditioning) acts as the antecedent in operant conditioning, triggering an avoidance behaviour that is subsequently negatively reinforced.
Use the following information to answer the question.
A study explored which paper-folding techniques are more easily learnt by four-year-old children. Researchers observed 30 children in their kindergarten classrooms while the children folded paper.
During the study, a piece of paper cuts a child’s finger and the child quickly withdraws their hand.
The memory of the fine motor skills required for paper-folding is stored in the
neocortex, because this is a semantic memory.
cerebellum, because this is an implicit memory.
basal ganglia, because this is an explicit memory.
hippocampus, because this is a procedural memory.
Reveal Answer
neocortex, because this is a semantic memory.
Fine motor skills are procedural memories, not semantic memories. Semantic memories are explicit memories of facts and general knowledge, which are stored in the neocortex.
cerebellum, because this is an implicit memory.
Fine motor skills are a type of procedural memory, which is a form of implicit memory. The cerebellum plays a crucial role in the learning and storage of these implicit motor skills.
basal ganglia, because this is an explicit memory.
While the basal ganglia are indeed involved in procedural memory and motor control, motor skills are a type of implicit memory, not explicit memory.
hippocampus, because this is a procedural memory.
Although motor skills are procedural memories, the hippocampus is primarily responsible for the consolidation of explicit memories (like episodic and semantic memories), not procedural ones.
In Watson and Rayner’s (1920) Little Albert experiment, a loud noise was repeatedly paired with presentation of a rat. Little Albert’s crying when the rat was later shown is an example of
an unconditioned response.
an unconditioned stimulus.
a conditioned response.
a conditioned stimulus.
Reveal Answer
an unconditioned response.
An unconditioned response is an innate, unlearned reaction to a stimulus. In this experiment, crying in response to the loud noise itself would be the unconditioned response.
an unconditioned stimulus.
An unconditioned stimulus is a trigger that naturally elicits a response without prior learning. In this experiment, the loud noise served as the unconditioned stimulus.
a conditioned response.
A conditioned response is a learned reaction to a previously neutral stimulus. Since Albert learned to cry in response to the rat due to its association with the noise, this behavior is a conditioned response.
a conditioned stimulus.
A conditioned stimulus is the object or event that triggers a learned response. In this scenario, the rat is the conditioned stimulus, not the act of crying.
Use the following information to answer the question.
Study 1: The characteristics of 'event memories' in dogs
Recent research has summarised numerous case studies regarding the autobiographical memory of dogs. Findings suggest that dogs have long-term memories of past events, as 80% of owners reported that their pet had shown signs of remembering an event. The most reported long-term memories involved dogs locating hidden items.
The following is an excerpt of a case study collected during Study 1.
Case Study A: One owner reported that their dog had escaped through their fence to the neighbour's house, then in through the neighbour's cat door to eat the cat's food. Several years later, on a day when their dog had not been fed, it again escaped through the same fence and in through the same neighbour's cat door to get to the food.
Source: Adapted from A Lewis and D Berntsen, 'Pet memoirs: The characteristics of event memories in cats and dogs, as reported by their owners', Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 2020, 222 [104885] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2019.104885
The dog owner's memory of their dog's behaviour could be explained by the
amygdala storing the feeling of embarrassment caused by the event.
encoding of semantic autobiographical memory by the hippocampus.
storage of the implicit autobiographical memories in the hippocampus.
amygdala consolidating the spatial component of the location of the neighbour's house.
Reveal Answer
amygdala storing the feeling of embarrassment caused by the event.
While the amygdala is involved in processing and consolidating emotional memories, it does not store the explicit, factual details of the event itself.
encoding of semantic autobiographical memory by the hippocampus.
The hippocampus is responsible for encoding explicit (declarative) memories, which include the semantic and episodic components that make up autobiographical memories.
storage of the implicit autobiographical memories in the hippocampus.
Autobiographical memories are explicit (declarative) memories, not implicit. Additionally, implicit memories are typically processed by the cerebellum and basal ganglia, not the hippocampus.
amygdala consolidating the spatial component of the location of the neighbour's house.
The hippocampus, rather than the amygdala, is the primary brain structure responsible for encoding and consolidating spatial memories, such as the location of a house.
Explain the formation of gender roles from the perspective of social learning theory. Use an example of primary socialisation in your response.
Reveal Answer
Social learning theory focuses on learning by observation. In the case of gender roles, the behaviour of same-gender models is observed and imitated.
For example, primary socialisation takes place when children observe and imitate the behaviours of same-gender parents.
| Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|
Explains the formation of gender roles through social learning | 1 |
Provides an example of primary socialisation | 1 |
Which one of the following is most likely to be experienced following brain trauma that results in a diagnosis of anterograde amnesia?
poor recall of memories
difficulty forming new memories
loss of both explicit and implicit memories
an inability to recall events prior to the damage
Reveal Answer
poor recall of memories
While memory is impaired, this description is too broad. Anterograde amnesia specifically affects the creation of new memories rather than just the general recall of existing ones.
difficulty forming new memories
Anterograde amnesia is defined as the inability to form new memories following brain trauma, typically due to damage to the hippocampus preventing memory consolidation.
loss of both explicit and implicit memories
Anterograde amnesia primarily impairs the formation of new explicit (declarative) memories, while the ability to form new implicit (procedural) memories usually remains intact.
an inability to recall events prior to the damage
The inability to recall events that occurred prior to the brain damage is the definition of retrograde amnesia, not anterograde amnesia.