GRE Subject Test: Psychology : GRE Subject Test: Psychology

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Subject Test: Psychology

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All GRE Subject Test: Psychology Resources

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Example Questions

Example Question #2 : Language

A gorilla which has learned a limited form of sign language gains the attention of its trainer and signs the incomplete sentence "treat, bring now."

This is most closely an example of which of the following?

Possible Answers:

Syntax error

Telegraphic speech

Language drift

Overgeneralization

Babbling

Correct answer:

Telegraphic speech

Explanation:

Telegraphic speech is speech during the two-word stage of language acquisition, consisting of commands or imperatives given in three-or-more word sentences consisting of functional words only. A sentence like "treat, bring now" contains enough to make the message effective, if not particularly precise.

Example Question #1 : Phonemes, Morphemes, & Phrases

Which of the following words contains an example of a cranberry morpheme?

Possible Answers:

Deadly

Killed

Sublimation

Damaging

Progeny

Correct answer:

Progeny

Explanation:

A cranberry morpheme is a type of morpheme (the smallest meaningful unit of language) which has no independent meaning or function, but which still serves to distinguish one word from another. In this case, progeny contains the the cranberry morpheme '-geny', an obsolete term designating offspring which is also found in exogeny and endogeny

Example Question #3 : Language

Which of the following words contains an example of a cranberry morpheme?

Possible Answers:

Unapologetic

Hinterland

Barometer 

Thermometer

Destroyer

Correct answer:

Hinterland

Explanation:

A cranberry morpheme is a type of morpheme (the smallest meaningful unit of language) which has no independent meaning or function, but which still serves to distinguish one word from another. In this case, the term hinterland contains the German word hinter ("behind"), paired with the free morpheme '-land'.

Example Question #2 : Language

The addition of a string of phonologically absent symbols onto a word creates which of the following?

Possible Answers:

None of these

Cranberry morpheme

Allomorph

Contraindicated morpheme

Null morpheme

Correct answer:

Null morpheme

Explanation:

Null morphemes are theorized to be those morpheme strings which, while possessing no identifying characteristics, nonetheless allow us to differentiate between different forms of a word. Morphologists propose various theories for how these null morphemes may exist and whether or not we learn them naturally as part of the process of language acquisition.

Example Question #2 : Phonemes, Morphemes, & Phrases

Which of the following pairs of words best illustrates the definition of an allomorph?

Possible Answers:

Greatness. . . Grateful

All of these

Bubbles. . . Cats

Helped. . . Trapped

Kindly. . . Unkind

Correct answer:

Bubbles. . . Cats

Explanation:

An allomorph occurs when a morpheme varies in pronunciation but not in meaning. For example, the pluralizing morpheme "s/es" in English sounds like "z" in bubbles, but like "s" in cats. Recognition of these allomorphs is often much more difficult for non-native speakers of a language.

Example Question #3 : Language

Which of the following pairs of words best illustrates the definition of an allomorph?

Possible Answers:

Flavoring. . . Seasoning

Blasts. . . Hikes

Depth. . . Width

None of these

Wasted. . . Wished

Correct answer:

Wasted. . . Wished

Explanation:

An allomorph occurs when a morpheme varies in pronunciation but not in meaning. For example, the pluralizing morpheme "ed" sounds like a "schwa" in wasted but like "t" in wished.

Example Question #3 : Language

Which of the following is not an example of a derivative morpheme?

Possible Answers:

Wise. . . Wiser

Make. . . Maker

Sell. . . Seller

Smile. . . Smiler

None of these

Correct answer:

Wise. . . Wiser

Explanation:

Derivational morphemes change either the semantic meaning or the part of speech to which the base word belongs. For example, in the word atypical the derivational morpheme a- reverses the meaning of the word typical to mean "not typical". The usage of the morpheme -er to change "wise" to "wiser", on the other hand, is inflectional only, as it only changes the comparative state of the associated adjective wise.

Example Question #1 : Phonemes, Morphemes, & Phrases

Which of the following is not an example of a inflectional morpheme?

Possible Answers:

None of these

Word. . . Words

Cruel. . . Cruelty

Kind. . . Kindest

Drag. . . Dragged

Correct answer:

Cruel. . . Cruelty

Explanation:

Inflectional morphemes are morphemes which modify either a noun/pronoun/adjective's number, gender, or case, or a verb's tense, mood, number, person or aspect, but do not chance the word's overall meaning or the part of speech to which the word belongs. The morpheme -ty at the end of the word cruel changes the word from an adjective to a noun, and is thus an example of a derivational morpheme.

Example Question #11 : Phonemes, Morphemes, & Phrases

Telegraphic speech, where morphemic usage is limited to very short usage, is commonly seen in adults as a symptom of which of the following?

Possible Answers:

Word salad

Nominal aphasia

All of these

Dysarthria

Non-fluent aphasia

Correct answer:

Non-fluent aphasia

Explanation:

Non-fluent aphasia, such as Broca's aphasia, is often triggered by damage due to stroke or other cardiovascular problem, and often produces the short, morpheme-absent language typical of telegraphic speech.

Example Question #12 : Phonemes, Morphemes, & Phrases

Which of the following correctly mirrors the types of inflectional morphemes below:

Possessive. . . Superlative. . . Past Tense. . . Past Participle

Possible Answers:

Zach's. . . Strongest. . . Proven. . . Joined

Cars. . . Grandest. . . Ran. . . Jumps

None of these

Mine. . . Greater. . . Held. . . Swinging

Its. . . Highest. . . Waited. . . Waited

Correct answer:

Its. . . Highest. . . Waited. . . Waited

Explanation:

The answer makes more sense when you realize that the past tense and past participle of the verb wait are both waited. Consider the sentences "I waited for John for half an hour" and "I had waited for John for half an hour" -- both grammatically correct, but implying different things about the present.

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