AP Psychology essay prompts and scoring

AP Psychology Essay Prompts and Scoring Rubrics

The enclosed document includes an essay prompt for each unit in AP Psychology and a corresponding scoring rubric. The purpose of this activity is to increase the students’ awareness of how AP exam readers grade from a rubric. Emphasis is placed on the definition of terms and the application of those terms. Units include:

Introduction to Psychology
Psychobiology
Sensation and Perception
Memory
Learning Nature and Nurture of Behavior
Developing Person
Thinking, Language, and Intelligence
States of Consciousness Motivation and Emotion
Personality
Stress and Health
Psychological Disorders
Therapy
Social Psychology

Unit: Introduction to Psychology Describe the different perspectives from which psychologists examine behavior and mental processes, and explain their complementarity. Your answer should include:
 Neuroscience
 Evolutionary
 Behavior Genetics
 Psychodynamic
 Behavioral
 Cognitive
 Social-cultural

Rubrics

Note: The application portion on the rubrics may include a variety of answers. This is simply an example of possible answers. The perspectives have more than one complement.

Term Definition Application Neuroscience The study of how the neurological system affects such things as emotions, memories, and sensory experiences. It is complementary to evolutionary because the structures and functions of the brain that promote survival are the most likely to develop.
Evolutionary The study of the natural selection of some traits that promotes genetic survival. It is complementary to the behavioral perspective because some behaviors may enhance the chance to survival.
Behavior Genetics The study of how much our psychological traits are attributed to our genetic make-up or as a result of environmental influences. It is complementary to the cognitive process because our thinking, language, and intelligence may be the result of