Use these CLEP Introduction to Educational Psychology sample questions to review cognition, behavior, development, motivation, individual differences, assessment, pedagogy, research, and multicultural education. Each question applies educational psychology concepts to a classroom or learning situation.
Topics Covered
- Cognitive learning and memory
- Behavioral learning theory
- Cognitive and social development
- Motivation and goal orientation
- Individual learning differences
- Criterion-referenced assessment
- Reliability and validity
- Scaffolding and instructional support
- Research design and correlation
- Culturally responsive teaching
Sample Questions
- A. Elaborative encoding
- B. Sensory adaptation
- C. Classical conditioning
- D. Functional fixedness
- E. Learned helplessness
Show Answer
Elaborative encoding occurs when a learner connects new information with existing knowledge and expresses relationships among ideas.
Summarizing in one’s own words and making meaningful connections generally produces stronger memory than copying information without processing it.
- A. Continuous reinforcement
- B. Fixed-interval schedule
- C. Fixed-ratio schedule
- D. Variable-interval schedule
- E. Variable-ratio schedule
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A variable-interval schedule provides reinforcement after changing, unpredictable amounts of time.
The important feature is that the interval varies. A variable-ratio schedule instead depends on an unpredictable number of responses.
- A. Formal operational stage
- B. Zone of proximal development
- C. Object-permanence range
- D. Level of moral realism
- E. Fixed intelligence limit
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The zone of proximal development includes tasks a learner cannot yet complete independently but can complete with appropriate guidance.
Support supplied within this zone can be gradually reduced as the learner becomes more capable.
- A. Performance-avoidance orientation
- B. Learned helplessness
- C. Mastery-goal orientation
- D. External regulation
- E. Fear conditioning
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A mastery-goal orientation emphasizes learning, improvement, understanding, and skill development.
The student selects the challenging task because of what she can learn rather than because it provides a better external reward.
- A. Assume that accurate decoding proves the student has no reading difficulty.
- B. Provide targeted comprehension instruction and gather additional assessment information.
- C. Move the student immediately to a substantially easier grade-level curriculum in every subject.
- D. Reduce all opportunities for independent reading.
- E. Conclude that the student lacks motivation without collecting more evidence.
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Accurate word reading and reading comprehension are related but distinct skills.
Targeted instruction and additional evidence can help identify the specific difficulty and guide support without making unsupported assumptions about ability or motivation.
- A. Norm-referenced
- B. Criterion-referenced
- C. Ipsative
- D. Projective
- E. Correlational
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A criterion-referenced interpretation compares performance with defined knowledge or skill standards.
A norm-referenced interpretation compares a student’s performance with the performance of a reference group.
- A. Scaffolding
- B. Massed practice
- C. Negative transfer
- D. Ability tracking
- E. Punishment
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Scaffolding provides temporary support that helps learners perform a task they cannot yet complete independently.
The support is gradually reduced as students gain skill and assume more responsibility.
- A. Reading more books definitely causes higher writing scores.
- B. Higher writing scores definitely cause students to read more books.
- C. The two variables are associated, but the study alone does not establish causation.
- D. The relationship must be caused by students’ age.
- E. No relationship exists because the study was not experimental.
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Correlation indicates that two variables vary together.
Without experimental control and random assignment, other variables or reverse causation may explain the relationship, so a causal conclusion is not justified.
- A. Using one cultural viewpoint as the neutral standard for every topic
- B. Avoiding all discussion of students’ backgrounds
- C. Connecting instruction with varied cultural experiences while maintaining rigorous learning goals
- D. Assigning students permanent groups based on ethnicity
- E. Lowering academic expectations for multilingual learners
Show Answer
Culturally responsive teaching treats students’ cultural knowledge and experiences as resources for learning.
It does not require stereotyping students, separating them by identity, or lowering academic expectations.
- A. It appears reliable but has weak content validity.
- B. It has strong content validity but weak reliability.
- C. It is both unreliable and invalid because scores are similar.
- D. It is norm-referenced because it uses equivalent forms.
- E. It has strong predictive validity because it covers little content.
Show Answer
Consistent scores across equivalent forms provide evidence of reliability.
Because the test samples too little of the intended curriculum, it has weak content validity even though its scores are consistent.
How to Use These Questions
Identify the theory or principle being tested before evaluating the classroom scenario. Pay attention to distinctions such as reinforcement versus punishment, mastery versus performance goals, reliability versus validity, and correlation versus causation.
For applied questions, choose the response that is supported by evidence and addresses the learner’s specific needs without making assumptions based on a single observation.
These practice questions are not official CLEP questions and are not endorsed by the College Board.
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