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RBSE SS Psychology study materials
RBSE SS Psychology study resources

RBSE SS Psychology practice questions

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Question 1Variations in Psychological Attributes

In psychometrics, the consistency of scores obtained by the same person across repeated administrations of the same test is called which of the following?

  1. Standardisation
  2. Reliability Correct answer.
  3. Norms
  4. Validity

Explanation

Reliability refers to the dependability or consistency of a test's measurements over time, across forms, or across raters. A reliable test yields similar results when the underlying trait has not changed, which is a precondition for, but not the same as, validity.

Question 2Variations in Psychological Attributes

A psychologist computes the correlation between scores on a new emotional intelligence scale and scores on an established well-being inventory. This procedure is designed to establish which type of validity?

  1. Face validity
  2. Split-half reliability
  3. Test-retest reliability
  4. Concurrent validity Correct answer.

Explanation

Concurrent validity is a form of criterion validity in which a new measure is correlated with an existing criterion measure administered at roughly the same time. A high correlation supports the claim that the new scale taps the same construct as the established inventory.

Question 3Variations in Psychological Attributes

According to Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, which of the following is one of the intelligences he proposed?

  1. Intrapersonal intelligence Correct answer.
  2. Crystallised intelligence
  3. Psychometric g
  4. Fluid intelligence

Explanation

Gardner argued that intelligence is not a single general factor but a set of relatively independent capacities, among them intrapersonal intelligence, which is the ability to understand one's own emotions and inner states. His list also includes linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinaesthetic, interpersonal and naturalistic intelligences.

Question 4Variations in Psychological Attributes

A student who can analyse her own strengths and weaknesses, regulate her moods, and set realistic personal goals is displaying strength in which of Gardner's intelligences?

  1. Interpersonal intelligence
  2. Intrapersonal intelligence Correct answer.
  3. Naturalistic intelligence
  4. Spatial intelligence

Explanation

Intrapersonal intelligence is the capacity for accurate self-knowledge and self-regulation, including recognising one's own feelings and using them to guide behaviour. The scenario describes inward-directed understanding rather than understanding other people.

Question 5Variations in Psychological Attributes

Sternberg's triarchic theory of intelligence consists of which three components?

  1. Biological, social, cultural
  2. Componential, experiential, contextual Correct answer.
  3. Fluid, crystallised, general
  4. Verbal, numerical, abstract

Explanation

Sternberg divided intelligence into the componential (analytical, information-processing) subtheory, the experiential (creative, dealing with novelty and automatisation) subtheory, and the contextual (practical, adapting to and shaping environments) subtheory. Together these describe analytical, creative and practical intelligence.

Question 6Variations in Psychological Attributes

In Sternberg's theory, a person who readily generates novel solutions in unfamiliar situations and later performs them automatically is strong in which subtheory?

  1. Contextual
  2. Psychometric
  3. Experiential Correct answer.
  4. Componential

Explanation

The experiential subtheory addresses how experience with a task affects intelligent behaviour, emphasising the ability to deal with novelty and to automatise skilled performance. Creative insight in unfamiliar settings is its hallmark.

Question 7Variations in Psychological Attributes

The ability to perceive, understand, manage and use emotions effectively in reasoning and social interaction is the core focus of which construct?

  1. Social desirability
  2. Divergent thinking
  3. Practical intelligence
  4. Emotional intelligence Correct answer.

Explanation

Emotional intelligence, as popularised by Salovey, Mayer and Goleman, refers to competencies in perceiving, appraising, regulating and using emotions to facilitate thought and relationships. It is distinct from general cognitive ability and from practical intelligence, which concerns everyday problem solving.

Question 8Variations in Psychological Attributes

A manager consistently misreads colleagues' facial expressions and cannot calm a tense team meeting. Using the four-branch model of emotional intelligence, which branch is most clearly deficient?

  1. Managing emotions Correct answer.
  2. Perceiving emotions
  3. Understanding emotions
  4. Using emotions to facilitate thought

Explanation

The managing branch concerns regulating one's own and others' emotional states to achieve desired outcomes, such as defusing tension. Failing to calm a tense meeting is a regulation failure, even if perception is also poor.

Question 9Variations in Psychological Attributes

In the study of individual differences, the term 'aptitude' refers to which of the following?

  1. A person's current level of achieved knowledge
  2. A person's potential for acquiring a skill with training Correct answer.
  3. The consistency of test scores over time
  4. The average score of a norm group

Explanation

Aptitude denotes the capacity or potential to learn and profit from training in a particular domain, as in scholastic aptitude tests used for selection. It is distinguished from achievement, which indexes what a person has already learned.

Question 10Variations in Psychological Attributes

An educational psychologist compares a student's score on a mathematics aptitude test with the same student's score on a mathematics achievement test. What is the most defensible interpretation of a large gap favouring aptitude?

  1. The achievement test measured the wrong construct
  2. The aptitude test is certainly invalid
  3. The student must be placed in a lower grade
  4. The student has high potential that current classroom attainment does not yet reflect Correct answer.

Explanation

Aptitude taps potential for future learning, whereas achievement taps what has already been learned, so a gap can indicate unrealised potential possibly due to motivation, opportunity or instruction. The gap is a hypothesis-generating signal, not proof that either test is flawed.

Question 11Variations in Psychological Attributes

Which of the following best describes the normal curve in the context of intelligence testing?

  1. A skewed distribution with a long right tail only
  2. A rectangular distribution with equal frequencies at all scores
  3. A symmetrical bell-shaped distribution in which most scores cluster near the mean Correct answer.
  4. A distribution in which most scores fall at the extreme ends

Explanation

The normal curve is a symmetrical, bell-shaped probability distribution in which frequencies are highest near the mean and taper off towards the extremes. Standardised intelligence tests are constructed so that scores approximate this curve, with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of about 15.

Question 12Variations in Psychological Attributes

On an intelligence test standardised to a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15, a score of 130 falls approximately how many standard deviations above the mean?

  1. One
  2. Half
  3. Two Correct answer.
  4. Three

Explanation

The deviation is 130 minus 100, which equals 30, and dividing by the standard deviation of 15 gives 2. A score two standard deviations above the mean lies at roughly the 98th percentile in a normal distribution.

Question 13Variations in Psychological Attributes

The deviation IQ introduced by Wechsler expresses a person's performance as which of the following?

  1. A standard score based on the person's position relative to age peers Correct answer.
  2. Mental age divided by chronological age multiplied by 100
  3. The ratio of verbal to performance subtest scores
  4. The raw number of items answered correctly

Explanation

Wechsler's deviation IQ compares an individual's score with the distribution of scores of same-age peers, expressing the result as a standard score with a fixed mean and standard deviation. This avoids the weaknesses of the earlier ratio IQ, which broke down for adults.

Question 14Variations in Psychological Attributes

A 10-year-old child has a mental age of 12 years on a test scored by the ratio method. What is the child's IQ?

  1. 125
  2. 120 Correct answer.
  3. 83
  4. 100

Explanation

Ratio IQ equals mental age divided by chronological age, multiplied by 100. Here 12 divided by 10 equals 1.2, and multiplying by 100 gives an IQ of 120.

Question 15Variations in Psychological Attributes

Which pair correctly matches a theorist with the intelligence model associated with that theorist?

  1. Thurstone - two-factor theory of g and s
  2. Gardner - theory of multiple intelligences Correct answer.
  3. Guilford - triarchic theory
  4. Spearman - theory of primary mental abilities

Explanation

Gardner is associated with the theory of multiple intelligences, which posits several relatively autonomous intelligences. The other pairings in the options reverse or misassign the models to their originators.

Question 16Variations in Psychological Attributes

Thurstone's primary mental abilities were identified mainly through which method?

  1. Clinical interviews with psychiatric patients
  2. Longitudinal case studies of gifted children
  3. Experimental manipulation of brain lesions
  4. Multiple factor analysis of test intercorrelations Correct answer.

Explanation

Thurstone applied multiple factor analysis to correlations among many ability tests and extracted several relatively independent primary mental abilities, such as verbal comprehension and perceptual speed. His work challenged Spearman's single general factor.

Question 17Variations in Psychological Attributes

The distinction between fluid and crystallised intelligence is most closely associated with which researchers?

  1. Wechsler and Stanford
  2. Cattell and Horn Correct answer.
  3. Gardner and Goleman
  4. Binet and Simon

Explanation

Cattell proposed the fluid-crystallised distinction, and Horn developed it further within the Gf-Gc model. Fluid intelligence is the capacity to solve novel problems, while crystallised intelligence is accumulated knowledge and skill.

Question 18Variations in Psychological Attributes

A 70-year-old performs more poorly than a 25-year-old on a timed test of novel abstract reasoning but equally well on a vocabulary test. Which pattern best fits the fluid-crystallised model?

  1. Crystallised intelligence has declined while fluid intelligence has been maintained
  2. Neither fluid nor crystallised intelligence changes with age
  3. Fluid intelligence has declined while crystallised intelligence has been maintained Correct answer.
  4. Both fluid and crystallised intelligence have declined equally

Explanation

Fluid intelligence, which depends on processing speed and novel reasoning, typically shows earlier age-related decline, whereas crystallised intelligence, built from accumulated knowledge, tends to hold steady or grow. The pattern of poorer abstract reasoning with preserved vocabulary matches this dissociation.

Question 19Variations in Psychological Attributes

In the context of intellectual disability, an IQ score of approximately 70 or below on a standardised test is conventionally used together with which additional criterion?

  1. Evidence of giftedness in a single domain
  2. A diagnosis of a specific learning disorder
  3. A history of exceptional academic achievement
  4. Deficits in adaptive functioning in everyday life Correct answer.

Explanation

Intellectual disability is defined by significantly subaverage intellectual functioning together with concurrent deficits in adaptive behaviour, with onset in the developmental period. IQ alone is insufficient because everyday functioning must also be impaired.

Question 20Variations in Psychological Attributes

A child shows exceptional performance in mathematics, far above age peers, but average performance in language and social skills. Which concept best characterises this profile?

  1. Dissociative identity pattern
  2. Generalised anxiety disorder
  3. Global intellectual disability
  4. Specific talent or domain-specific giftedness Correct answer.

Explanation

Giftedness can be domain-specific, with exceptional ability concentrated in one area such as mathematics while other domains remain average. This contrasts with a uniformly high general ability profile.

Question 21Variations in Psychological Attributes

Which of the following is a recognised limitation of intelligence tests as measures of psychological attributes?

  1. They never show any relationship with academic performance
  2. Scores can be influenced by cultural and educational background, disadvantaging some groups Correct answer.
  3. They require no standardisation to be meaningful
  4. They cannot be scored objectively

Explanation

A major criticism of intelligence tests is cultural bias, since item content and testing conventions reflect particular cultural and educational experiences, which can disadvantage test-takers from other backgrounds. This is why test fairness and cultural equivalence require ongoing scrutiny.

Question 22Variations in Psychological Attributes

In psychological assessment, the term 'norms' refers to which of the following?

  1. The internal consistency of test items
  2. The performance distribution of a representative standardisation sample Correct answer.
  3. The ethical rules governing test administration
  4. The theoretical definition of the construct being measured

Explanation

Norms are the scores of a representative standardisation sample against which an individual's raw score is compared to yield a percentile or standard score. They allow interpretation of whether a score is typical or exceptional for a given population.

Question 23Variations in Psychological Attributes

A researcher finds that scores on a creativity test correlate only weakly with scores on a standard intelligence test. What is the most reasonable conclusion?

  1. The creativity test measures nothing at all
  2. The intelligence test must be unreliable
  3. Creativity and intelligence overlap only partly, supporting a partly independent construct Correct answer.
  4. Creativity is entirely unrelated to intelligence in all cases

Explanation

A weak but positive correlation suggests partial overlap, consistent with the view that creativity involves divergent thinking that is not fully captured by conventional intelligence tests. Threshold models propose that beyond a certain IQ level, creativity depends less on intelligence.

Question 24Variations in Psychological Attributes

Divergent thinking, often used as an index of creativity, is best described as which of the following?

  1. Recalling previously learned factual material
  2. Selecting the single best answer from alternatives
  3. Generating many varied solutions to an open-ended problem Correct answer.
  4. Matching a stimulus to its exact copy

Explanation

Divergent thinking involves producing multiple, varied and original responses to an open-ended prompt, as in the alternate uses task. It contrasts with convergent thinking, which narrows possibilities towards one correct solution.

Question 25Self and Personality

In Freud's structural model of personality, which instance operates according to the pleasure principle and seeks immediate gratification of instinctual drives?

  1. The ego-ideal
  2. The superego
  3. The ego
  4. The id Correct answer.

Explanation

Freud described the id as the oldest part of the mind, present from birth and driven entirely by the pleasure principle, demanding immediate satisfaction of biological urges without regard for reality or morality. The ego and superego develop later and mediate or restrain these demands.

Question 26Self and Personality

A student who generally feels competent but doubts their ability specifically in mathematics is best described as having which kind of self-esteem pattern?

  1. Chronically low global self-esteem
  2. Global self-esteem with a domain-specific dip Correct answer.
  3. No self-esteem structure at all
  4. Defensive high self-esteem across all domains

Explanation

Self-esteem can be assessed globally and also within particular domains, so a person may hold generally positive overall self-worth while reporting lower academic self-esteem in one subject area. This differentiated pattern is normal and does not imply globally low self-worth.

Question 27Self and Personality

Which of the following best defines a trait in personality psychology?

  1. A relatively stable disposition that predisposes a person to behave consistently across situations Correct answer.
  2. A biological reflex present only in infancy
  3. A momentary emotional reaction to a specific stimulus
  4. A learned habit confined to one narrow setting

Explanation

Traits are enduring dispositions that describe consistent patterns of thought, feeling, and behaviour across time and situations. They are distinguished from transient states such as moods, which fluctuate with circumstances.

Question 28Self and Personality

In Carl Rogers' person-centred theory, the gap between the real self and the ideal self is most likely to produce which outcome when it is large?

  1. Stronger unconditional positive regard from others
  2. Greater self-actualisation and openness to experience
  3. Improved congruence between experience and awareness
  4. Increased incongruence and psychological discomfort Correct answer.

Explanation

Rogers argued that a large discrepancy between how one actually is and how one wishes to be creates incongruence, which he linked to anxiety and maladjustment. Congruence, by contrast, arises when the real and ideal selves are closely aligned.

Question 29Self and Personality

Jung's concept of the persona refers to which aspect of personality?

  1. The inner feminine side of a man
  2. The dark, repressed side of the self
  3. The inherited memories of the collective past
  4. The social mask a person presents to others Correct answer.

Explanation

In Jung's analytical psychology the persona is the socially acceptable face or role adopted to meet the demands of society. It is a public presentation rather than the whole of the self.

Question 30Self and Personality

A researcher finds that identical twins raised apart are more similar in extraversion than fraternal twins raised together. Which conclusion is most consistent with this finding?

  1. Extraversion is entirely determined by shared environment
  2. Extraversion cannot be measured reliably
  3. Genetic factors contribute substantially to extraversion Correct answer.
  4. Birth order fully explains extraversion differences

Explanation

Higher concordance among identical twins than fraternal twins, even when rearing environments differ, points to a heritable component in the trait. The design controls for shared environment by comparing twins raised apart.

Question 31Self and Personality

Which defence mechanism involves attributing one's own unacceptable impulses to another person?

  1. Projection Correct answer.
  2. Sublimation
  3. Rationalisation
  4. Regression

Explanation

Projection protects the ego by disowning unwanted feelings and perceiving them as belonging to someone else. The other mechanisms transform or justify the impulse rather than relocating it to another person.

Question 32Self and Personality

In Bandura's social-cognitive theory, self-efficacy refers to which belief?

  1. A person's expectation that others will reward them
  2. A person's confidence in their capacity to execute the actions needed for a task Correct answer.
  3. A person's belief that outcomes are entirely due to luck
  4. A person's general sense of moral worth

Explanation

Self-efficacy is the belief in one's own capability to organise and carry out the actions required to reach a goal. It is task-specific and influences effort, persistence, and choice of activities.

Question 33Self and Personality

Which type of assessment presents ambiguous stimuli such as inkblots and asks the respondent to describe what they see?

  1. Behavioural rating scale
  2. Self-report inventory
  3. Projective test Correct answer.
  4. Structured clinical interview

Explanation

Projective tests assume that people project unconscious needs and conflicts onto ambiguous material, which the examiner then interprets. Self-report inventories and rating scales instead use fixed, explicit items.

Question 34Self and Personality

A person who scores high on openness to experience is most likely to display which of the following behaviours?

  1. Seeking out novel ideas and unconventional experiences Correct answer.
  2. Being easily irritated and prone to conflict
  3. Preferring rigid routines and familiar procedures
  4. Being highly organised and dependable on deadlines

Explanation

Openness in the Big Five model captures intellectual curiosity, imagination, and receptivity to new experiences and ideas. It is distinguished from conscientiousness and emotional stability, which describe other facets of personality.

Question 35Self and Personality

What does the term 'reciprocal determinism' mean in Bandura's theory?

  1. Rewards always precede the behaviour they reinforce
  2. Personality is fully fixed by early childhood
  3. Genes determine behaviour independent of environment
  4. Personal factors, behaviour, and environment influence one another continuously Correct answer.

Explanation

Reciprocal determinism holds that the person, their behaviour, and the environment act as interacting determinants of one another over time. This bidirectional causality replaces the one-way influence assumed by earlier theories.

Question 36Self and Personality

Allport distinguished cardinal, central, and secondary dispositions. Which description fits a central disposition?

  1. A preference that appears only in specific, limited situations
  2. A handful of traits that broadly characterise a person's behaviour Correct answer.
  3. A trait inherited exclusively from one parent
  4. A single trait that dominates almost every aspect of a life

Explanation

Central dispositions are the few traits, often five to ten, that best describe a person and shape much of their behaviour. Cardinal dispositions are rarer and all-encompassing, while secondary dispositions are situation-specific.

Question 37Self and Personality

A therapist asks a client to describe what a series of ambiguous pictures suggests about the characters' feelings. Which assumption underlies this technique?

  1. The pictures measure intelligence rather than personality
  2. The scoring is fully objective and free of examiner interpretation
  3. Unconscious needs and conflicts are projected onto the ambiguous material Correct answer.
  4. The client's answers reflect conscious self-presentation only

Explanation

Projective techniques such as the Thematic Apperception Test assume respondents project internal states onto ambiguous stimuli, making unconscious material accessible. Interpretation therefore depends partly on clinical judgement rather than purely objective scoring.

Question 38Self and Personality

Which statement best captures the psychodynamic view of personality development across stages?

  1. Personality is largely unrelated to early experience
  2. Fixation at an earlier stage can shape adult personality traits Correct answer.
  3. Development ends completely at the phallic stage
  4. Each stage is independent of the others with no lasting effects

Explanation

In the psychodynamic account, unresolved conflicts at a psychosexual stage can produce fixation, leaving a lasting imprint on adult personality. Later experiences may modify but do not erase these early patterns.

Question 39Self and Personality

A student says, 'I failed the exam because the questions were unfair, but I passed the quiz because I am smart.' Which attributional bias does this illustrate?

  1. Fundamental attribution error
  2. Just-world belief
  3. Self-serving bias Correct answer.
  4. Actor-observer bias

Explanation

Self-serving bias involves attributing successes to internal qualities and failures to external circumstances, protecting self-esteem. The pattern here credits ability for success and blames the test for failure.

Question 40Self and Personality

Which of the following best describes the idiographic approach to personality study?

  1. Averaging scores across large samples to find general laws
  2. Measuring only observable behaviour in laboratory conditions
  3. Comparison of individuals on standardised trait dimensions
  4. Intensive study of the unique individual case Correct answer.

Explanation

The idiographic approach focuses on understanding one person's unique configuration of characteristics in depth. The nomothetic approach instead seeks general laws by comparing many individuals on common dimensions.

Question 41Self and Personality

In Eysenck's PEN model, which dimension is most strongly associated with emotional instability and proneness to anxiety?

  1. Extraversion
  2. Neuroticism Correct answer.
  3. Psychoticism
  4. Conscientiousness

Explanation

Eysenck's neuroticism dimension reflects emotional lability, with high scorers being anxious, moody, and easily aroused. Extraversion and psychoticism capture different aspects of temperament.

Question 42Self and Personality

A child who is consistently criticised by caregivers may develop which Rogerian condition that interferes with self-actualisation?

  1. Unconditional positive regard
  2. Conditions of worth Correct answer.
  3. Congruence
  4. Organismic valuing

Explanation

Conditions of worth arise when acceptance is made contingent on meeting others' standards, leading the child to suppress genuine feelings. This produces incongruence and obstructs the natural actualising tendency.

Question 43Self and Personality

Which of the following most clearly illustrates the operation of the superego?

  1. Planning a route to avoid traffic
  2. Eating when hungry without deliberation
  3. Daydreaming about a holiday
  4. Feeling guilt after cheating on a test even though no one noticed Correct answer.

Explanation

The superego internalises moral standards and generates guilt when those standards are violated, even without external detection. This internal moral surveillance distinguishes it from the reality-oriented ego and instinct-driven id.

Question 44Self and Personality

A researcher wants to reduce social desirability bias in a personality inventory. Which design choice is most appropriate?

  1. Removing all items that mention socially valued traits
  2. Increasing item length without changing content
  3. Including validity scales and anonymous administration Correct answer.
  4. Using only ambiguous inkblot stimuli

Explanation

Validity scales detect impression management, and anonymity reduces the motivation to present oneself favourably. Together they mitigate social desirability bias while preserving the inventory's content coverage.

Question 45Self and Personality

Which of the following best distinguishes a state from a trait in personality assessment?

  1. States apply only to children, whereas traits apply only to adults
  2. States are inherited, whereas traits are always learned
  3. States are enduring, whereas traits fluctuate moment to moment
  4. States are temporary conditions, whereas traits are enduring dispositions Correct answer.

Explanation

States refer to transient conditions such as current mood or anxiety level, while traits describe stable predispositions that persist over time and situations. Assessment instruments differ accordingly in what they aim to capture.

Question 46Self and Personality

In a study, participants high in self-monitoring are most likely to do which of the following?

  1. Maintain identical behaviour regardless of the audience
  2. Adjust their self-presentation to fit different social situations Correct answer.
  3. Show heightened anxiety in all social settings
  4. Avoid all forms of social interaction

Explanation

High self-monitors are sensitive to social cues and regulate their expressive behaviour to match situational expectations. Low self-monitors instead behave consistently across contexts, guided more by internal dispositions.

Question 47Self and Personality

A test of conscientiousness yields similar scores when the same people are retested a month later, but the scores fail to predict supervisor ratings of work diligence. What does this pattern indicate?

  1. Perfect construct validity
  2. Neither reliability nor validity
  3. High validity with limited reliability
  4. High reliability with limited validity evidence Correct answer.

Explanation

Consistency across retesting demonstrates reliability, while the failure to predict a relevant criterion such as supervisor ratings indicates weak validity evidence. A measure can be reliable yet not valid for a particular purpose.

Question 48Self and Personality

Which contrast best captures the difference between the nomothetic and idiographic approaches in personality research?

  1. Nomothetic research studies one person, while idiographic research compares large groups
  2. Nomothetic research studies only children, while idiographic research studies only adults
  3. Nomothetic research seeks general laws across people, while idiographic research studies unique individuals in depth Correct answer.
  4. Nomothetic research rejects measurement, while idiographic research relies on standardised scores

Explanation

The nomothetic approach compares many people on common dimensions to establish general principles, whereas the idiographic approach examines a single person's distinctive organisation of traits. The two strategies answer different kinds of questions.

Question 49Self and Personality

A person who habitually uses sublimation is best described by which example?

  1. Channeling aggressive impulses into competitive sport Correct answer.
  2. Returning to childish behaviour under pressure
  3. Denying that a stressful event occurred
  4. Blaming a colleague for one's own mistake

Explanation

Sublimation redirects unacceptable impulses into socially valued and constructive activities, such as sport or art. It is considered a mature defence because the original energy is transformed rather than blocked or displaced onto others.

Question 50Self and Personality

In Freud's structural model, which part of the psyche operates according to the reality principle, negotiating between instinctual demands and external constraints?

  1. The id
  2. The collective unconscious
  3. The superego
  4. The ego Correct answer.

Explanation

The ego functions as the executive that mediates among the id, the superego, and external reality, delaying gratification and planning realistic action. It follows the reality principle, whereas the id follows the pleasure principle and the superego operates as an internalised moral censor.