DSST® practice test

Free DSST Introduction to Psychology Practice Test (2026)

This is a set of 25 original practice questions that follow the official DSST Introduction to Psychology content outline and its topic weights, each with a short explanation. Answer all 25, then read the explanations to see which topics need more study.

  • 25 questions
  • 9 topics from the official outline
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The practice test

25 questions

Question 1 of 25After a stroke, a patient understands what others say but speaks slowly and with great effort, in short phrases that leave out small words. Damage to which brain area most likely caused this?
Question 2 of 25A researcher wants to know whether a new study technique causes higher exam scores. She flips a coin to decide which of 80 volunteers will use the technique and which will study as usual. What is the main purpose of assigning people this way?
Question 3 of 25According to the Yerkes-Dodson law, at what level of arousal will a student most likely perform best on a very difficult exam?
Question 4 of 25A 4-year-old watches juice poured from a short, wide glass into a tall, thin glass and insists there is now more juice. The child lacks which understanding that Piaget said develops in the concrete operational stage?
Question 5 of 25When a driver cuts in front of him, Jamal decides the driver is simply a selfish person, without considering that the driver might be rushing to a hospital. This illustrates:
Question 6 of 25A person can just notice the difference when 1 pound is added to a 20-pound load. According to Weber's law, about how much must be added to a 60-pound load to be just noticeable?
Question 7 of 25A therapist teaches a client with a fear of elevators to relax deeply, then has her imagine a graded series of elevator scenes, from mild to most frightening, while staying relaxed. Which treatment is this?
Question 8 of 25A survey of teenagers finds a correlation of r = −0.62 between daily hours of screen time and hours of sleep. Which conclusion is justified?
Question 9 of 25Children who watch an older child being praised for sharing toys later share more often themselves, even though they were never praised. Which idea best explains this?
Question 10 of 25Furious with his boss but afraid to say anything at work, a man comes home and yells at his dog. Which Freudian defense mechanism is this?
Question 11 of 25For more than six months, Dana has worried excessively about many things, including work, health and money. She finds the worry hard to control and has muscle tension and trouble sleeping, but she has never had a panic attack. Which DSM-5 diagnosis fits best?
Question 12 of 25Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are widely used antidepressants. How do they act at the synapse?
Question 13 of 25A sleep-lab recording shows fast, low-amplitude brain waves similar to waking, rapid eye movements, and almost no tone in the large skeletal muscles. Which state is the sleeper most likely in?
Question 14 of 25Right after an unexpected near-miss in traffic, Eli's heart is still pounding when he meets a friend who tells a joke, and he laughs much harder than usual. Which theory says his emotion comes from physical arousal plus the label he gives it based on the situation?
Question 15 of 25Maya was badly startled by a thunderclap while a certain song was playing. Now she feels uneasy when she hears that song, and slightly uneasy when she hears other songs by the same band. Her reaction to the other songs is an example of:
Question 16 of 25A 16-year-old keeps trying out new styles, friend groups and possible careers while asking herself who she really is. According to Erik Erikson, which psychosocial stage is she working through?
Question 17 of 25A coworker is organized, careful and dependable, and she always meets her deadlines. Which Big Five trait is she high in?
Question 18 of 25In Hans Selye's general adaptation syndrome, what happens when stress continues for a long time without relief?
Question 19 of 25Which early school of psychology, associated with William James, asked how mental processes such as habit and attention help a person adapt to the environment?
Question 20 of 25Students hear a list of 20 words and then write down as many as they can, in any order. They recall the first few and the last few words best. What usually explains their good recall of the first few words?
Question 21 of 25Lena paid a lot for a non-refundable vacation that turned out to be dull. Back home, she tells everyone it was wonderful and worth every penny. Which concept best explains her change in attitude?
Question 22 of 25In a group project where no one's individual contribution is tracked, several members put in less effort than they would if working alone. What is this called?
Question 23 of 25Participants are told a study is about memory, but it actually measures how often they conform to a group's wrong answers. Under the APA's ethical standards, what must the researcher do?
Question 24 of 25Asked whether a man should steal an overpriced drug to save his dying wife, a teenager answers: "No, because laws keep society orderly, and if everyone broke them whenever they wanted, things would fall apart." Which level of moral reasoning in Kohlberg's theory does this reflect?
Question 25 of 25A psychologist shows a client a series of ambiguous pictures of people in scenes and asks her to tell a story about each one. Which kind of test is this?

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