4.2.1.7 Comparison of approaches Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 2

The 20 questions

1. Which approach is most associated with the nature side of the nature-nurture debate?

   • The biological approach
   • The humanistic approach
   • The psychodynamic approach
   • The behaviourist approach

2. Which approach explains behaviour mainly in terms of learning through reinforcement?

   • The humanistic approach, through free will and self-actualisation
   • The biological approach, through genetic and neural structures
   • The learning approach, including behaviourism
   • The psychodynamic approach, through unconscious drives and conflicts

3. Which approach is the main one that uses a computer analogy for the mind?

   • The behaviourist approach
   • The humanistic approach
   • The psychodynamic approach
   • The cognitive approach

4. Which approach places the greatest emphasis on free will?

   • The behaviourist approach
   • The humanistic approach
   • The biological approach
   • The psychodynamic approach

5. The idiographic approach to research focuses on:

   • The identification of general laws across large groups
   • The in-depth study of the individual
   • The measurement of genetic variation in populations
   • The comparison of brain structures across species

6. Which approach is most reductionist in explaining behaviour by simpler components such as genes, neurons and neurochemicals?

   • The humanistic approach
   • The psychodynamic approach
   • The biological approach
   • The holistic cognitive approach

7. Which term describes the view that behaviour is shaped mainly by the environment rather than inheritance?

   • Genetic determinism of traits
   • Environmental determinism
   • Self-actualisation drive
   • Free will and personal choice

8. A researcher studies one person's memory in great depth over several years. Which approach to research is this?

   • Nomothetic
   • Quantitative and experimental
   • Cross-cultural and comparative
   • Idiographic

9. A study measures serotonin levels in participants after a drug is given, using laboratory assays. Which approach is most clearly represented?

   • The humanistic approach
   • The social learning approach
   • The psychodynamic approach
   • The biological approach

10. A therapist explains a patient's anxiety in terms of childhood trauma that is held in the unconscious. Which approach is the therapist using?

    • The cognitive approach, via schemas
    • The psychodynamic approach
    • The biological approach, via genes
    • The behaviourist approach, via reinforcement

11. A child becomes aggressive after watching adults behave aggressively on film and being rewarded for it. Which approach best explains this?

    • Social learning theory
    • Humanistic theory of growth
    • Maslow's hierarchy of needs
    • Psychodynamic theory of identity

12. A psychologist argues that behaviour is predetermined by biology with little room for choice. Which criticism is most likely from humanistic psychologists?

    • This view underplays the role of brain chemistry
    • This view overplays the role of unconscious drives
    • This view underplays free will and personal choice
    • This view underplays the role of genes in behaviour

13. Which approach is generally considered most scientific in its use of objective, observable data?

    • The humanistic approach, based on subjective experience
    • The behaviourist (learning) approach
    • The psychodynamic approach, based on unconscious drives
    • The unconscious drive approach, based on early conflict

14. A cognitive psychologist says a child expects dogs to bark, based on a stored schema. What does the schema represent?

    • A hormone that prepares the body for threat, released into the bloodstream
    • A reinforcer that increases a response when it follows the behaviour in question
    • An unconscious conflict between the id and superego that shapes what a child expects
    • An organised mental framework that guides expectations and interpretation

15. A strength of the biological approach is that it:

    • Uses objective measures such as brain scans and neurochemical data
    • Focuses on the free choices of individuals, who create their own meaning and direction
    • Explains all behaviour in terms of unconscious drives and childhood psychosexual conflicts
    • Relies solely on case studies of single patients, interpreted through clinical judgement

16. A criticism of biological determinism is that labelling people as genetically predetermined can:

    • Increase the use of laboratory experiments with animals and controlled procedures
    • Eliminate all individual differences, so that every person responds identically to stimuli
    • Lead to ethical concerns about stigma and reduced personal responsibility
    • Lead to a complete absence of scientific evidence and reliable measurement methods

17. A humanistic psychologist studies the whole person rather than separate components. Which principle does this illustrate?

    • Falsifiability
    • Idiography
    • Reductionism
    • Holism

18. Why might a psychologist prefer an interactionist explanation of aggression?

    • It assumes behaviour is entirely random and cannot be explained by any theory
    • It rules out any role for biology and learning, focusing only on conscious thought
    • It recognises both a biological predisposition and environmental triggers
    • It relies on one approach only, which keeps the research design simple and clear

19. Which evaluation point applies to the psychodynamic approach but is less true of the learning approach?

    • Its findings rely on controlled laboratory experiments
    • Its concepts are defined in measurable terms
    • Its explanations use observable behaviour
    • Its central concepts are difficult to test and falsify

20. A child's phobia of dogs is explained as a learned response that formed after a frightening bite. Which approach offers this explanation?

    • The learning approach, through classical conditioning
    • The biological approach, through a fixed genetic trait only
    • The humanistic approach, through conditions of worth
    • The psychodynamic approach, through repressed childhood conflict

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