AP Practice Test Psychology 1 — Questions and Answers

Question 1: Milgram's famous shock experiment required participants' obedience and demonstrated the existence of what psychological phenomenon?

The power of reinforcement
The power of authority (Correct answer)
The power of peer pressure
The power of social learning

Correct answer: The power of authority

Stanley Milgram's famous shock experiment demonstrated that individuals are surprisingly willing to obey commands from an authority figure, even when those commands conflict with their personal conscience. The study highlighted the profound influence of perceived 'power of authority' on human behavior, showing how people can be compelled to act against their moral judgment.

Question 2: Which of the following is an illustration of the fundamental attribution error?

Mr. Hudson is unsure whether Kath's misbehavior is the result of poor parenting or of her psychiatric illness.
Claire sees people as generally good people with good intentions.
Jensen is tripped in the hallway and believes the other person did it on purpose. (Correct answer)
Irish attributes her good grades to her dedication to her studies.

Correct answer: Jensen is tripped in the hallway and believes the other person did it on purpose.

The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overestimate the impact of dispositional factors (like personality or intent) and underestimate the impact of situational factors when explaining other people's behavior. Jensen, attributing the tripping to the other person's deliberate action rather than a possible accident, exemplifies this error by focusing on intent over circumstance.

Question 3: What exactly is a stereotype threat?

The reaction felt during a discriminatory episode
Fear of confirming negative stereotypes about one's race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation (Correct answer)
Using discrimination to advance one's social standing
One's first encounter with prejudice

Correct answer: Fear of confirming negative stereotypes about one's race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation

Stereotype threat is a psychological phenomenon where individuals experience anxiety or concern about confirming a negative stereotype about their social group. This fear can lead to decreased performance in tasks related to the stereotype, as the individual's cognitive resources are diverted by the pressure of potentially fulfilling the negative expectation.

Question 4: What exactly is a morpheme?

The smallest unit of language capable of carrying meaning. (Correct answer)
A type of medication used to treat people who are in a lot of pain.
How children explore the world through sensorimotor skills
The smallest distinguishable unit of sound

Correct answer: The smallest unit of language capable of carrying meaning.

In linguistics, a 'morpheme' is defined as the smallest meaningful unit in a language. Unlike a phoneme, which is the smallest unit of sound, a morpheme carries semantic meaning or grammatical function, such as prefixes, suffixes, or root words.

Question 5: Which social psychology pioneer conducted a famous conformity experiment in which subjects were required to match lines?

Sigmund Freud
Ancel Keys
Solomon Asch (Correct answer)
William James

Correct answer: Solomon Asch

Solomon Asch is renowned for his groundbreaking conformity experiments conducted in the 1950s. In these studies, participants were asked to match the length of a line with one of three comparison lines, often giving incorrect answers to conform with a group of confederates. This research vividly demonstrated the powerful influence of social pressure on individual judgment and behavior.

Question 6: Who is considered to be the father of cognitive therapy?

Sigmund Freud
William James
Aaron Beck (Correct answer)
William James

Correct answer: Aaron Beck

Aaron Beck is widely recognized as the father of cognitive therapy (CT). He developed this therapeutic approach in the 1960s, focusing on identifying and challenging dysfunctional thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes that contribute to psychological distress. His work laid the foundation for cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), a highly effective treatment for various mental health conditions.

Question 7: Paul Ekman did not discover a universal facial expression for which of the following emotions?

Disgust
Joy
Fear
Envy (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Envy

Paul Ekman's extensive research identified six basic emotions—anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise—that have universally recognized facial expressions across cultures. While envy is a complex human emotion, Ekman did not find a distinct, universally recognized facial expression for it. His work primarily focused on the biological and cultural factors influencing emotional expression.

Question 8: A psychologist from which of the following schools of psychotherapy would most likely administer a Rorschach inkblot test?

Behavioralism
Psychoanalysis (Correct answer)
Humanism
Existential psychology

Correct answer: Psychoanalysis

The Rorschach inkblot test is a projective test primarily used within the psychoanalytic tradition. Psychoanalytic psychologists believe that by interpreting ambiguous stimuli like inkblots, individuals unconsciously project their inner thoughts, feelings, and conflicts. This allows the therapist to gain insight into the client's unconscious mind, which is a central tenet of psychoanalytic theory.

Question 9: What kinds of disorders have lithium salts been used to treat?

Bipolar disorders (Correct answer)
Sleeping disorders
Dissociative disorders
Eating disorders

Correct answer: Bipolar disorders

Lithium salts are a mood stabilizer primarily used to treat bipolar disorders. They help to regulate mood swings, reducing the severity and frequency of both manic and depressive episodes. Lithium is thought to work by affecting neurotransmitter activity in the brain, stabilizing mood over time.

Question 10: What is the abbreviation for CBT?

Chronic Brain Trauma
Cranial Brain Trauma
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (Correct answer)
Child Bereavement Therapy

Correct answer: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

CBT stands for Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. This is a widely used psychotherapeutic approach that combines cognitive therapy (addressing thought patterns) and behavioral therapy (addressing behaviors). It helps individuals identify and change unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors that contribute to their psychological problems.

Question 11: Which of the following has been most closely associated with an emphasis on the importance of humanistic psychology?

Positive self-concept (Correct answer)
External locus of control
Projective tests
Reciprocal determinism

Correct answer: Positive self-concept

Humanistic psychology, championed by figures like Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow, emphasizes the inherent goodness of people and their potential for growth. A core concept in humanistic psychology, particularly Rogers' person-centered therapy, is the importance of developing a positive self-concept. This involves congruence between one's ideal self and real self, fostered by unconditional positive regard from others.

Question 12: What exactly is the act of reverting to childish behavior?

Regression (Correct answer)
Rationalization
Compensation
Compensation

Correct answer: Regression

Regression is a defense mechanism identified by Sigmund Freud, where an individual reverts to an earlier, more immature stage of development in response to stress or anxiety. This can manifest as childish behaviors, thoughts, or feelings. It's an unconscious attempt to cope with difficult situations by retreating to a time when they felt more secure.

Question 13: Which personality theory emphasizes the value and significance of unconditional positive regard in relationships?

Cognitive
Humanistic (Correct answer)
Behavioral
Developmental

Correct answer: Humanistic

Unconditional positive regard is a central concept in humanistic psychology, particularly in Carl Rogers' person-centered therapy. It refers to accepting and respecting another person's feelings and thoughts without judgment, regardless of their actions or beliefs. This creates a supportive environment that fosters self-acceptance, personal growth, and a healthy self-concept.

Question 14: What type of psychologist is most likely to describe depression as the result of an unconscious process in which anger is turned inward, most likely as a result of repression?

Sociocultural
Behavioral
Psychoanalytic (Correct answer)
Cognitive

Correct answer: Psychoanalytic

A psychoanalytic psychologist would most likely describe depression in this way. Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory posits that psychological disorders, including depression, stem from unresolved unconscious conflicts and repressed emotions. The idea of anger being turned inward is a classic psychoanalytic explanation for depression, where hostility towards others is unconsciously directed at oneself.

Question 15: Antisocial personality disorder is most commonly characterized by:

delusions of grandeur.
episodes of intense autonomic nervous system arousal.
a persistent, irrational fear of people.
a lack of feelings of guilt. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: a lack of feelings of guilt.

Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is primarily characterized by a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others. A key feature of this disorder is a profound lack of empathy, remorse, or guilt for their actions, even when they cause harm to others. Individuals with ASPD often manipulate, deceive, and exploit others without experiencing regret.

Question 16: Emotional responses, according to the Schacter two-factor theory, are produced by

anatomy and sensation
biology and cognition (Correct answer)
physiology and heredity
internal beliefs and moral codes

Correct answer: biology and cognition

The Schachter-Singer two-factor theory of emotion proposes that emotional experiences arise from a combination of physiological arousal and a cognitive label. First, an individual experiences a physiological response (biology), and then they interpret or label that arousal based on the context (cognition). This cognitive appraisal determines the specific emotion felt.

Question 17: According to which school of thought, individual development is influenced by both heredity and upbringing?

Interactionism (Correct answer)
Conventionalism
Maturationism
Operationalism

Correct answer: Interactionism

Interactionism is the school of thought that emphasizes the interplay between nature (heredity/genetics) and nurture (upbringing/environment) in shaping individual development. It posits that neither factor alone is sufficient to explain development, but rather their continuous interaction throughout life. This perspective acknowledges the complex reciprocal influence of both biological predispositions and environmental experiences.

Question 18: Which of the following processes is most directly responsible for withdrawal symptoms?

role theory
antagonists
tolerance (Correct answer)
dissociation

Correct answer: tolerance

Tolerance is the process where the body adapts to a drug, requiring larger doses to achieve the same effect. When a person develops tolerance and then stops using the drug, their body, having adapted to its presence, reacts adversely to its absence, leading to withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms are the body's attempt to re-establish equilibrium without the drug.

Question 19: Using terminology from his cognitive development theory, how would Piaget describe the process of learning something new?

As we age, our ability to think about moral choices grows, as does our ability to think about the rights of others.
The interaction of nature and nurture determines that genetic influences are a major cause of learning speed and difficulty.
When we are unable to assimilate new information, we change our schemas by accommodating. (Correct answer)
As we encounter new social situations, we develop either healthy or unhealthy personality traits to cope with social demands.

Correct answer: When we are unable to assimilate new information, we change our schemas by accommodating.

Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development describes learning through the processes of assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation involves fitting new information into existing mental frameworks (schemas). When new information doesn't fit existing schemas, a person must modify or create new schemas through accommodation, which is how true learning and cognitive development occur.

Question 20: What conclusion would a psychometrician draw from a personality test that tells a person she is an extreme extrovert the first time she takes it and an extreme introvert the second time she takes it?

The test has a high level of construct validity but is not very predictive.
The results show that the test has poor test-retest reliability. (Correct answer)
Although this personality test has a low reliability, it has a high validity.
These test norms and standardization are most likely in need of improvement.

Correct answer: The results show that the test has poor test-retest reliability.

Test-retest reliability refers to the consistency of a measure over time. If a personality test yields drastically different results for the same individual on two separate occasions, it indicates poor test-retest reliability. A reliable test should produce similar scores when administered multiple times to the same person, assuming the underlying trait has not changed.

Question 21: Which of the following would help you detect a gas leak in your car quickly?

basilar membrane
pacinian corpuscles
gustatory receptors
olfactory receptors (Correct answer)

Correct answer: olfactory receptors

Olfactory receptors are specialized sensory neurons located in the nasal cavity responsible for detecting odors. A gas leak would release a distinct smell, and these receptors would quickly detect the chemical molecules in the air, sending signals to the brain for interpretation. This allows for the rapid identification of the gas leak through the sense of smell.

Question 22: A population that is frequently studied in order to determine the relative effects of nature vs. nurture is

couples who have been married for a long time
twins who are identical (Correct answer)
quadruplets who are identical
families affected by genetic diseases

Correct answer: twins who are identical

Identical (monozygotic) twins are frequently studied in nature vs. nurture research because they share nearly 100% of their genetic material. By comparing identical twins raised together versus those raised apart, researchers can isolate the relative contributions of genetics (nature) and environment (nurture) to various traits and behaviors. This allows for powerful insights into genetic and environmental influences.

Question 23: Nursery school students exhibit more aggressive behavior after watching cartoons in which characters hit, punch, and kick other characters than after watching Barney. This observation most strongly supports

humanistic theory
social learning theory (Correct answer)
psychoanalytic theory
psychodynamic theory

Correct answer: social learning theory

This observation strongly supports social learning theory, primarily associated with Albert Bandura. Social learning theory posits that individuals, especially children, learn behaviors by observing and imitating others, particularly models they perceive as similar or admirable. Watching aggressive cartoons provides models for aggressive behavior, which children may then imitate.

Question 24: Nick's therapist tells him to relax, close his eyes, and breathe slowly whenever he feels fearful of being in an enclosed space. The therapist is employing a technique that is fundamental to

systematic desensitization (Correct answer)
Gestalt therapy
psychoanalysis
person-centered therapy

Correct answer: systematic desensitization

This technique is fundamental to systematic desensitization, a behavioral therapy developed by Joseph Wolpe. It involves teaching relaxation techniques and then gradually exposing the individual to increasingly anxiety-provoking situations (like enclosed spaces) while maintaining a relaxed state. The goal is to replace the fear response with a relaxation response through classical conditioning.

Question 25: More than half of the human brain's volume is made up of

cerebellum, medulla, and pons
thalamus and hypothalamus
cerebral cortex (Correct answer)
hippocampus, cingulate cortex, septum and amygdala

Correct answer: cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex is the outermost layer of the cerebrum and is indeed the largest part of the human brain, accounting for more than half of its total volume. It is responsible for higher-level functions such as thought, language, memory, perception, and voluntary movement. Its extensive folds and grooves increase its surface area, allowing for a vast number of neurons.

AP Practice Test Psychology 1

Milgram's famous shock experiment required participants' obedience and demonstrated the existence of what psychological phenomenon?