AP Psychology Free Response Questions
AP Psychology Free Response Questions
Directions: Read each of the following questions and answer any two. Please make sure that you address each component of the questions you choose and be sure to answer the questions in complete sentences. It is recommended that you time yourself, each question should be completed in 25 minutes. If you were unable to finish the essay in 25 minutes, please continue on and complete your response.
Your answers should be typed, single spaced in font size 12. The assignment will be collected on Thursday, April 10th.
1. Psychologists use a variety of research methods to study behavior. Three of the main research methods used are:
• Case study
• Correlational study
• Experiment
A. Discuss one advantage
of each research method listed above.
B. Discuss one disadvantage of each research method listed above.
Pretend you are a psychologist who will use each of the three research methods – case study, correlational study, and experiment – to determine the effect of taking vitamin J on improving memory.
C. For each method listed above, explain a key characteristic of the basic approach you could use to reach a scientific conclusion about the relationship between taking vitamin J and improving memory. You need not design a complete study.
2. A. Define the following psychological concepts.
• Cognitive dissonance
• Conformity
• Incentive motivation
• Negative reinforcement
• Physiological addiction
B. Use one specific example for each of the concepts in part A to explain how the concept might relate to either the development of or the continuation of a smoking habit. It is not necessary to use the same example for each concept.
3. Psychologists conduct research to investigate controversial issues. Consider the following:
• The value of diagnostic labeling
• Children’s acquisition of language
• Explanations of hypnosis
A. Describe the opposing points of view on each of the psychological issues listed above. Your description must provide one argument on each side of the controversy.
B. For each issue, choose one point of view to support. Using evidence from psychological research, justify why you think this point of view is correct.
4. Time is an important variable in many psychological concepts. Describe a specific example that clearly demonstrates an understanding of each of the following concepts and how it relates to or is affected by time. Use a different example for each concept.
• Critical period
• Fluid intelligence
• Group polarization
• James-Lange theory of emotion
• Presentation of the conditioned stimulus (CS) and unconditioned stimulus (UCS) in classical conditioning
• Refractory period in neural firing
• Sound localization
• Spontaneous recovery
5. A. Statistics are often used to describe and interpret the results of intelligence testing.
• Describe three measures of central tendency (mean, median, and mode).
• Describe a skewed distribution.
• Relate the three measures of central tendency to a normal distribution.
• Relate the three measures of central tendency to a positively skewed distribution.
• An intelligence test for which the scores are normally distributed has a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. Use this information to describe how the scores are distributed.
• In two normal distributions, the means are 100 for group I and 115 for group II. Can an individual in group I have a higher score than the mean score for group II? Explain.
B. Apply knowledge of psychological research in answering the following questions about intelligence scores.
• Explain why norms for standardized intelligence tests are periodically updated.
• Describe how to determine whether an intelligence test is biased.
Directions: Read each of the following questions and answer any two. Please make sure that you address each component of the questions you choose and be sure to answer the questions in complete sentences. It is recommended that you time yourself, each question should be completed in 25 minutes. If you were unable to finish the essay in 25 minutes, please continue on and complete your response.
Your answers should be typed, single spaced in font size 12. The assignment will be collected on Thursday, April 10th.
1. Psychologists use a variety of research methods to study behavior. Three of the main research methods used are:
• Case study
• Correlational study
• Experiment
A. Discuss one advantage
of each research method listed above.
B. Discuss one disadvantage of each research method listed above.
Pretend you are a psychologist who will use each of the three research methods – case study, correlational study, and experiment – to determine the effect of taking vitamin J on improving memory.
C. For each method listed above, explain a key characteristic of the basic approach you could use to reach a scientific conclusion about the relationship between taking vitamin J and improving memory. You need not design a complete study.
2. A. Define the following psychological concepts.
• Cognitive dissonance
• Conformity
• Incentive motivation
• Negative reinforcement
• Physiological addiction
B. Use one specific example for each of the concepts in part A to explain how the concept might relate to either the development of or the continuation of a smoking habit. It is not necessary to use the same example for each concept.
3. Psychologists conduct research to investigate controversial issues. Consider the following:
• The value of diagnostic labeling
• Children’s acquisition of language
• Explanations of hypnosis
A. Describe the opposing points of view on each of the psychological issues listed above. Your description must provide one argument on each side of the controversy.
B. For each issue, choose one point of view to support. Using evidence from psychological research, justify why you think this point of view is correct.
4. Time is an important variable in many psychological concepts. Describe a specific example that clearly demonstrates an understanding of each of the following concepts and how it relates to or is affected by time. Use a different example for each concept.
• Critical period
• Fluid intelligence
• Group polarization
• James-Lange theory of emotion
• Presentation of the conditioned stimulus (CS) and unconditioned stimulus (UCS) in classical conditioning
• Refractory period in neural firing
• Sound localization
• Spontaneous recovery
5. A. Statistics are often used to describe and interpret the results of intelligence testing.
• Describe three measures of central tendency (mean, median, and mode).
• Describe a skewed distribution.
• Relate the three measures of central tendency to a normal distribution.
• Relate the three measures of central tendency to a positively skewed distribution.
• An intelligence test for which the scores are normally distributed has a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. Use this information to describe how the scores are distributed.
• In two normal distributions, the means are 100 for group I and 115 for group II. Can an individual in group I have a higher score than the mean score for group II? Explain.
B. Apply knowledge of psychological research in answering the following questions about intelligence scores.
• Explain why norms for standardized intelligence tests are periodically updated.
• Describe how to determine whether an intelligence test is biased.