Chapter 3: School Of Psychology PYQs
( MCQs also Included )
Q1. Which psychological school includes famous figures like Donald Broadbent, George Miller, Eleanor Rosch, and Amos Tversky?
Answer – d. Cognitive
Explanation: These psychologists advanced our understanding of mental functions like attention, memory, categorization, and decision-making — core to cognitive psychology.
Q2. The idea of focusing on the “Here-and-Now” experience is most aligned with which psychological school?
Answer – d. Humanistic-Existential Psychology
Explanation: This school emphasizes authentic, present-moment awareness, personal responsibility, and subjective experience — core ideas in existential and humanistic therapies.
Q3. Which of the following is an incorrect statement regarding introspection?
Answer – d. It’s like poetic self-reflection and rumination
Explanation: Early psychologists like Wundt used structured introspection under controlled conditions, unlike casual self-reflection.
Q4. Which movement in psychology is often referred to as the “Fourth Force”?
Answer – c. Transpersonal
Explanation: Transpersonal psychology addresses higher states of consciousness and spirituality, extending the ideas of humanistic psychology into a broader realm.
Q5. Who introduced the concept of the “Collective Unconscious”?
Answer – c. Carl Jung
Explanation: Jung believed in a universal, inherited reservoir of symbols and archetypes shared by all humans, called the collective unconscious.
Q6. Which psychological school aimed to analyze the mind by breaking mental processes into their simplest elements?
Answer – C) Structuralism
Explanation: Structuralism aimed to understand the structure of the mind by identifying its basic components—like sensations, feelings, and thoughts.
Q7. Who is credited with founding the school of Structuralism?
Answer – D) Edward Titchener
Explanation: Edward Titchener, a student of Wundt, formalized Structuralism and used introspection to study the structure of mental processes.
Q8. What was the main method used by Structuralists to explore mental processes?
Answer – B) Introspection
Explanation: Structuralists relied on introspection, a method where trained participants described their conscious experiences under controlled conditions.
Q9. Functionalism emerged as a reaction to which earlier psychological approach?
Answer – B) Structuralism
Explanation: Functionalism was developed to understand how mental activities help individuals adapt, in contrast to Structuralism’s focus on dissecting mental components.
Q10. Who is recognized as the founder of the Functionalist school of psychology?
Answer – A) William James
Explanation: William James emphasized the usefulness of mental processes in helping individuals adapt and function effectively in their environments—defining Functionalism.
Q11. Which of the following is not a central focus of Existential psychology?
Answer – c) Uncovering our unconscious fears and desires
Explanation: This is a concept rooted in psychoanalytic theory, not existentialism. Existential psychology is more focused on life’s deeper questions like meaning, mortality, and freedom.
Q12. Slips of the tongue that unintentionally reveal unconscious feelings are called:
Answer – b) Freudian slips
Explanation: These unintentional speech errors are believed to reflect repressed thoughts surfacing, a key idea in Freud’s psychoanalytic theory.
Q13. Who suggested that animals can form internal cognitive maps of their environment?
Answer – a) Tolman
Explanation: Edward Tolman demonstrated through maze experiments that rats developed cognitive maps, indicating mental representation rather than just stimulus-response learning.
Q14. What is the correct order of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, from most basic to highest?
Answer – c) Physiological-safety-social-esteem-self actualization
Explanation: Maslow’s hierarchy starts from survival needs (food, water) and moves up through safety, love/belonging, esteem, and finally, self-actualization (realizing one’s potential).
Q15. Who authored the influential book The Principles of Psychology?
Answer – A) William James
Explanation: The Principles of Psychology (1890) by William James was a foundational text that explored consciousness and laid groundwork for Functionalism.
Q16. Emma is curious to explore how people think, solve problems, and make decisions. Which branch of psychology should she pursue?
Answer – A) Cognitive
Explanation: Cognitive psychology deals with internal mental processes such as memory, decision-making, language, and problem-solving — perfect for Emma’s interests.
Q17. Who is considered the pioneer and founder of the behaviorist approach in psychology?
Answer – c) John B. Watson
Explanation: Watson launched behaviorism by insisting that psychology focus only on observable behavior, dismissing mental introspection as unscientific.
Q18. What is a central principle in existential psychology?
Answer – a) The person is a “being-in-the-world” with biological, social, and psychological dimensions
Explanation: Existential psychology views people as whole beings existing within a complex reality, embracing the struggles and choices that define human existence.
Q19. Which psychologists are best known for establishing humanistic psychology?
Answer – b) Maslow and Rogers
Explanation: Abraham Maslow introduced the hierarchy of needs, and Carl Rogers emphasized the self-concept and unconditional positive regard — both central to humanistic psychology.
Q20. According to J.B. Watson, psychology should be defined as the science of ________
Answer – d) Behavior
Explanation: Watson rejected mentalistic concepts and emphasized that psychology should be based only on measurable and observable behavior.
Q21. What does Functionalism primarily aim to understand in psychology?
Answer – C) Understanding the function of mental processes
Explanation: Functionalism is concerned with how mental processes operate to help an organism adapt to the environment — focusing on function over structure.
Q22. The idea of “psychology as the science of behavior” is most closely linked with which psychological school?
Answer – C) Behaviorism
Explanation: Behaviorism emphasizes observable behavior over internal mental processes, aiming to make psychology a more objective science.
Q23. Who is widely recognized as the founding figure of Behaviorism?
Answer – C) John B. Watson
Explanation: Watson formalized behaviorism by rejecting introspection and focusing purely on observable behavior in psychological research.
Q24. Which psychologist introduced the concept of operant conditioning in behavioral psychology?
Answer – C) B.F. Skinner
Explanation: Skinner introduced operant conditioning, which focuses on how behavior is influenced by consequences like rewards and punishments.
Q25. What is the key idea emphasized in Gestalt psychology?
Answer – C) Whole perceptions over parts
Explanation: Gestalt psychology teaches that we perceive entire patterns or configurations, not just individual components — “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
Q26. The phrase “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts” is associated with which school of thought?
Answer – B) Gestalt Psychology
Explanation: Gestalt psychology emphasizes that perception is organized and holistic, not just a collection of parts — hence the phrase.
Q27. Who is considered a founding figure in Gestalt Psychology?
Answer – B) Max Wertheimer
Explanation: Max Wertheimer is one of the key founders of Gestalt psychology, known for studying visual perception and motion illusions.
Q28. What is the primary focus of Psychoanalysis as a school of psychology?
Answer – D) Uncovering unconscious thoughts and feelings
Explanation: Psychoanalysis, founded by Freud, digs into unconscious drives, suppressed memories, and inner conflict that influence behavior.
Q29. Which school of psychology introduced the idea of defense mechanisms?
Answer – C) Psychoanalysis
Explanation: Freud’s Psychoanalysis introduced defense mechanisms like repression and denial to explain how the ego manages inner conflict and anxiety.
Q30. Who is the founder of the Psychoanalytic school of thought?
Answer – B) Sigmund Freud
Explanation: Sigmund Freud founded psychoanalysis, a theory centered on unconscious drives, conflict, and early developmental influences.
Q31. Humanistic psychology emphasizes:
Answer – C) Free will and personal growth
Explanation: Humanistic psychology centers on self-awareness, choice, and reaching one’s full potential — a view championed by Rogers and Maslow.
Q32. Abraham Maslow is best known for:
Answer – B) Hierarchy of Needs
Explanation: Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs outlines stages from basic needs to self-actualization — a cornerstone of humanistic psychology.
Q33. Which school of psychology values subjective experiences and self-actualization?
Answer – B) Humanism
Explanation: Humanism emphasizes the unique experiences and growth potential of individuals, viewing each person as inherently good and capable of change.
Q34. Cognitive psychology emerged as a reaction to:
Answer – C) Behaviorism’s limitations
Explanation: Cognitive psychology challenged behaviorism by focusing on internal mental processes like memory, attention, and language.
Q35. Cognitive psychology is primarily concerned with:
Answer – B) Mental processes like thinking and memory
Explanation: Cognitive psychology studies how people acquire, process, store, and use information — key names include George Miller and Ulric Neisser.
Q36. Functionalists were influenced by which theory?
Answer – b) Darwin’s theory
Explanation: Functionalism, led by William James, was influenced by Darwin’s ideas on evolution and adaptation. It viewed mental processes as tools for survival.
Q37. “Each person must continually recreate himself. The meaning of life and of existence is never fixed; rather, it constantly changes.” This can be best explained by –
Answer – a) Humanistic Psychology
Explanation: The quote captures the essence of Humanistic Psychology, emphasizing personal growth, freedom, and evolving meaning — core ideas in the works of Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow.
Q38. Cognitive Revolution in Psychology emerged as a limitation to –
Answer – a) Behaviourism
Explanation: The Cognitive Revolution rose in response to behaviorism’s neglect of the mind, instead emphasizing mental processes like perception, attention, and problem-solving.
Q39. What is true about Structuralism?
Answer – a) Aim was to create a “periodic table” of the “elements of sensations”
Explanation: Structuralism tried to classify the basic components of consciousness — similar to how chemistry organizes elements — through introspection.
Q40. Of the following, who is associated with the Gestalt school of psychology?
Answer – D) Max Wertheimer
Explanation: Max Wertheimer founded Gestalt psychology, which emphasizes perceiving wholes and patterns in mental life, rather than isolated elements.