Psychology is a complex science and one that is fascinating to explore. This psychology trivia will help you determine how much you know about it and which areas you may need to research further.
The basis of psychology is to understand how humans behave and think, and this is done by the scientific studying of the mind.
With roots in science and healthcare, psychology aims to uncover the workings of the brain, how this develops, varies, and what impact certain events can have on a person psychologically.
While this psychology trivia won’t allow you to fully grasp the brain’s mysteries, it may be a little gateway into this world.
Much like psychology, round 1 of this psychology trivia will embrace all aspects of the human experience, from child development to brain functionality and caring for the elderly.
I have aimed to cover a wide range of relevant topics, from DSM-V and mental disorders to debunking popular psychology myths, and I hope to keep you thinking throughout this trivia!
How well do you think you know the human mind?
Let’s play on to find out!
1: What is the opposite of a Pessimist?
Optimist.
2: What does CBT stand for?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
3: What is one of the biggest questions that child psychologists attempt to answer?
Nature Vs. Nurture.
4: What did the Bobo experiment find?
Children will learn and mimic aggression by observing adult behavior.
5: What is the 'Inkblot test' also known as?
Rorschach test.
6: In what century was The Birth of Modern Psychology?
18th century.
7: Created by Arnold Gesell, how else is Maturation Theory otherwise known?
Physical Development.
8: Today, what are Hypochondriasis Disorders better known as?
Somatic Symptom Disorder.
9: What did Neuroscientist James Fallon accidentally discover he was after studying his own brain scans?
A Psychopath.
10: What is a medicine called that has no physical effect?
A placebo.
11: Psychologist Solomon Asch conducted notable experiments in the 1950s. What did he demonstrate that people would do to fit in with peers?
Provide blatant wrong answers.
12: What is one of the most referenced theories in child development?
The Piaget theory.
13: Who founded Psychoanalysis (talking therapy)?
Sigmund Freud.
14: What is the branch of psychology that studies how people learn?
Educational Psychology.
15: Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov is most famous for conducting experiments using what animals?
Dogs.
Terminology in Psychology Trivia Questions and Answers
If you work in psychology, you’ll be all too familiar with the terminology and abbreviations, but if you’re new to this field, you may find a lot of wording confusing. This psychology trivia round aims to fix this!
Abbreviations are used consistently in psychology, mainly to avoid repeating long words and phrases; they also save time and space – but this is only if the reader knows what they stand for.
In some cases, psychology terminology and abbreviations can alienate an unfamiliar audience, and even well-intended writers can overestimate a reader’s familiarity.
If you’ve ever been confused when reading up on psychology, this round is for you!
1: What does Dx mean?
Diagnosis.
2: What is BPD?
Borderline Personality Disorder.
3: What would Munchausen Syndrome be termed when concerning a caregiver?
Munchausen by proxy.
4: What is the difference between ASD and ASC?
ASD is Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASC is Autism Spectrum Condition (this is the more preferred terminology today).
5: What does 'The Big Five' refer to in psychology?
The 5 main personality traits (agreeableness, extraversion, conscientiousness, openness, and neuroticism).
6: What is Experimental Psychology?
A branch of psychology that uses experimental methods to study psychological issues.
7: What will someone with Abulia lack?
Will, drive, or initiative for action, speech, and thought.
8: What is an I.E.P?
Individualized Education Plan.
9: What does ACT-R stand for?
Adaptive Control of Thought-Rational.
10: What is an ACE?
Adverse Childhood Experience.
11: What is a brief description of sensory overload?
When the brain gets more input from senses than it can sort through and process.
12: What does ABA stand for?
Applied Behavior Analysis.
Theories in Psychology Trivia Questions and Answers
Over the last hundred years or so, there have been many theories in psychology; some were quickly debunked, others have survived but with much skepticism, and there are those that are firmly believed and applied globally.
However, a theory is something that cannot be concretely proven and will undergo continuous study and research with the effects monitored and reported.
Today, we’re more aware than ever of mental health and psychology, and there are 6 main theories used to provide the foundation for further studies, perspectives, and therapies.
In this psychology trivia round, we will look at these 6 theories, various theorists (past and present), and some famous studies that have been conducted over the last century.
Some, you will not believe!
1: What does The Behaviorist Theory believe all behaviors are learned through?
Interactions with the environment.
2: What would Maslow's theory be referring to?
A person's hierarchy of needs.
3: How many stages of psychosocial development did Developmental Psychologist and Psychoanalyst Erik Erikson maintain that a person had to go through to develop their personality?
8.
4: Using a 9-month-old baby, what did University Professor Dr. John. B. Watson prove with The Little Albert Experiment?
That classical conditioning could be used to create a phobia.
5: Which aversion therapy involving electric shocks was published in the British Medical Journal in 1967?
Homosexual Aversion Therapy.
6: What does The Psychodynamic Theory help people to look at?
Their subconscious mind.
7: Which influential psychologist's work supported the belief that not all mental illnesses have physiological causes?
Sigmund Freud.
8: Who is the physiologist behind The Behaviorist Theory?
Ivan Pavlov.
9: Which 1971 social experiment traumatized 3 participants so much they were withdrawn within the first 4 days?
The Stanford Prison Experiment.
10: Which Psychologist's teachings helped to establish psychology as a science and is frequently referred to as the father of American psychology?
William James.
11: How did 3 researchers at the University of Michigan Medical School arguably wholly overstep the mark in 1969 with a psychology study?
They got Macaque Monkeys addicted to drugs to study the effects.
Facts About Psychology Trivia Questions and Answers
So far, in this psychology trivia, we have looked at theories and research, but there are some psychological facts, too.
How many of them do you think you know?
This section looks at math, science, and concrete evidence that support psychology; they’re fun to know and great ice-breakers to use in various human interaction situations!
Let’s see if you really know your stuff in this psychology trivia round!
1: What percentage of the time does the average person's mind wander?
30%
2: How many days will it take an average individual to make something a daily habit?
66.
3: By what percentage will eye pupils enlarge when someone looks at somebody they love?
45%
4: You are conditioned to enjoy songs you've heard most in what place?
High school.
5: What are good liars good at detecting in others?
Lies.
6: What type of humor indicates a healthy brain?
Sarcasm.
7: How long could it take someone to be convinced that they committed a crime as an adolescent?
3 hours.
8: What percentage of people will text something they feel unable to say?
90%
9: Feeling ignored causes the same chemical effect as what?
Physical injury.
10: The average high school kid today has the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in what decade?
1950's.
11: No person born blind has ever developed what mental health disorder?
Schizophrenia.
12: How many positive things are needed to outweigh a single negative thing?
5.
13: According to Paul Reber, Professor of Psychology at Northwestern University, how many gigabytes can the human brain store?
You’ve completed this psychology trivia, and I hope you’re leaving with a broader understanding of the human brain (and its 2,500,000 gigabyte capacity!). Let’s keep your brain active and play another trivia game:
Thank you for taking the time to play this psychology trivia; it was certainly a heavier one than usual but one with many foundations for further learning, too! I hope you got something more than just entertainment, and I hope to see you again soon for more trivia fun!
