EPPP practice questions and answers 2026. Tap an option to test yourself — you'll see the correct answer and a plain-English explanation for every question. Free, no login.
Q11You submitted a report to your supervisor for feedback. The critique received was unexpectedly harsh, leading you to believe the supervisor has a personal issue with you. Which attribution bias is illustrated in this example?
✓ Correct answer: B. Fundamental attribution error
Answer: Fundamental attribution error The fundamental attribution error occurs when we overvalue personal explanations for behavior and undervalue situational explanations. For instance, your supervisor's harsh critique could be due to external factors like stress or tight deadlines, not a personal issue with you. The actor-observer effect happens when we attribute dispositional factors to others' behavior while attributing situational factors to our own behavior. The self-serving bias is the tendency to attribute dispositional factors for success and external factors for failure. Culture bias involves judging based on the standards inherent to one's culture.
Q12Which psychological paradigm asserts that a behavior followed by a pleasant outcome is likely to be repeated?
✓ Correct answer: A. Operant conditioning
Answer: Operant conditioning The operant conditioning paradigm states that a behavior followed by a pleasant outcome is likely to be repeated. This involves the concept of reinforcement, where positive reinforcement increases the likelihood of a behavior. Classical conditioning involves associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response. Cognitive dissonance refers to the psychological discomfort experienced when holding contradictory thoughts or beliefs. Observational learning, or modeling, involves learning through observing the behavior of others.
Q13Amanda is a single mother living in a small rural community. She currently has a low-paying job that barely covers her and her child's basic needs. Her child has been frequently sick, and she has limited access to healthcare services. Amanda is also experiencing episodes of severe anxiety and has very few friends or family to rely on. According to Maslow, which of the following would be the most important concern to address in Amanda's life?
✓ Correct answer: A. Ensuring reliable access to healthcare
Answer: Ensuring reliable access to healthcare Maslow's hierarchy of needs is structured in a pyramid, with physiological needs such as healthcare at the base, followed by safety, social needs, self-esteem, and self-actualization at the top. For Amanda, the immediate need is access to healthcare, which is a fundamental physiological need. Without addressing this, she won't be able to move on to higher-level needs such as job skills, therapy for anxiety, or developing social connections, which are higher in Maslow's hierarchy. While improving job skills and developing social connections are important, ensuring her and her child’s health is more urgent, suggesting the need for reliable healthcare access should be the primary focus.
Q14How does the Schachter-Singer theory differ from the Lazarus theory of emotion?
✓ Correct answer: C. The Schachter-Singer theory posits that emotion arises from cognitive appraisal following physiological arousal, while the Lazarus theory proposes that cognitive appraisal precedes physiological arousal.
Answer: The Schachter-Singer theory posits that emotion arises from cognitive appraisal following physiological arousal, while the Lazarus theory proposes that cognitive appraisal precedes physiological arousal. There are several theories that attempt to explain the emotional experience. The Schachter-Singer theory, also known as the two-factor theory, proposes that an individual experiences physiological arousal and then interprets it cognitively, which leads to the experience of emotion. The Lazarus theory proposes that cognitive appraisal occurs first and it is this appraisal that provokes emotional and physiological responses.
Q15Which of the following is not a primary cognitive function assessed by traditional intelligence tests such as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)?
✓ Correct answer: B. Creativity
Answer: Creativity Traditional intelligence tests, such as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), assess specific cognitive functions that include working memory, verbal comprehension, and processing speed. Creativity is not one of the primary cognitive functions typically measured by these tests. Working memory, verbal comprehension, and processing speed are essential components of intelligence assessments according to WAIS, whereas creativity requires a different set of measurements to evaluate accurately.
Q16Which two stages of stress response are identified by Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome?
✓ Correct answer: B. Alarm and resistance
Answer: Alarm and resistance Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome identifies three distinct stages in the stress response: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. The alarm stage is the initial reaction to a stressor, characterized by the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. The resistance stage involves the body attempting to adapt to the continuous presence of the stressor. Should the stressor persist and resources deplete, the body enters the exhaustion stage. Suppression and repression are not stages in Selye's model. Adaptation and exhaustion refer only to the third stage and miss the initial phase. Primary and secondary are terms associated with Lazarus' appraisal theory, not Selye's stress response stages.
Q17A coffee shop owner offers their customers random discounts several times throughout the month. Customers receive no hint before the discounts are applied, and there is no discernible pattern for when the discounts are given. Which of the following is true of the reinforcement schedule the coffee shop owner is using?
✓ Correct answer: C. This type of reinforcement schedule is likely to increase customer visits
Answer: This type of reinforcement schedule is likely to increase customer visits. The effects of operant conditioning, including how often reinforcers appear, depend on the reinforcement schedule. Random discounts are an example of a variable ratio schedule, in which reinforcers are spaced at random times. Such schedules typically lead to a high response rate and increased behavior, in this case, more frequent visits to the coffee shop. With customers unsure when the next discount will be given, they may be more likely to visit regularly. Continuous reinforcement, where customers receive a discount every time they make a purchase, allows for the fastest learning but is not represented by random discounts. Extinction happens when a behavior ceases due to the removal of reinforcers. A variable ratio schedule would likely slow the extinction rate. Fixed interval schedules, which involve equal time gaps between reinforcements, tend to cause behavior to drop off immediately after the reinforcer is delivered. Since there is no pattern in the coffee shop's discount schedule, it does not use a fixed interval schedule.
Q18Lauren is conducting a study to determine whether a new therapy method improves symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder over a span of several years. Generally, symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder decrease over time without intervention. Which of the following is the main threat to the validity of this research?
✓ Correct answer: C. Maturation
Answer: Maturation All providers must be able to evaluate the validity of research. Maturation is a natural effect that can be mistaken for an experimental outcome. In this scenario, Lauren's experiment doesn't account for the natural decrease in generalized anxiety disorder symptoms over time, which could lead to incorrect conclusions. History is a threat to validity that comes from changes participants make during the experiment or larger events that affect the entire experiment. Attrition refers to participants dropping out of the study, which can lead to misleading results about the efficacy of the intervention.
Q19A client who was publically criticized by their boss has begun to show unjustified anger towards their spouse at home. This is an example of which defense mechanism?
✓ Correct answer: B. Displacement
Answer: Displacement Displacement occurs when a person is not able to express feelings toward the direct cause of those feelings, so they release that energy by targeting another person. The client may not have felt safe expressing their anger directly toward their boss, so instead, they have directed their anger towards their spouse. Projection involves attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to someone else. Repression is a defense mechanism aimed at unconsciously blocking disturbing thoughts from awareness. Sublimation channels unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable actions.
Q20A client exhibits cognitive distortions such as all-or-nothing thinking, overgeneralization, and mental filtering. Who proposed these types of cognitive distortions?
✓ Correct answer: A. Aaron Beck
Answer: Aaron Beck Aaron Beck is a prominent figure in cognitive therapy. He proposed several types of cognitive distortions that negatively impact an individual's thinking and contribute to psychological problems. These distortions include all-or-nothing thinking, overgeneralization, and mental filtering. Albert Ellis is known for Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), focusing on changing irrational beliefs. Freud developed psychoanalysis, emphasizing unconscious conflicts. Piaget is recognized for his theory of cognitive development, explaining how children construct a mental model of the world.
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Theory