AP AP Psychology & Human Behavior 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Who established the first experimental psychology laboratory in 1879, marking the formal beginning of psychology as a science?
- Sigmund Freud
- Wilhelm Wundt (Correct answer)
- William James
- John Watson
Correct answer: Wilhelm Wundt
Wilhelm Wundt opened the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany in 1879, earning him the title 'father of experimental psychology.'
Question 2: Which psychological perspective emphasizes unconscious motivations, repressed memories, and the influence of early childhood experiences on adult behavior?
- Behaviorism
- Humanistic psychology
- Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic (Correct answer)
- Cognitive psychology
Correct answer: Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic
The psychoanalytic perspective, founded by Freud, focuses on unconscious drives and early experiences as shapers of personality and behavior.
Question 3: According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which need sits at the very top of the pyramid?
- Safety needs
- Esteem needs
- Love and belonging
- Self-actualization (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Self-actualization
Self-actualization — the realization of one's full potential — is the highest level in Maslow's hierarchy, reached only after all lower needs are met.
Question 4: A researcher observes children on a playground without interacting with them in order to record their natural play behaviors. This is an example of:
- A controlled experiment
- A case study
- Naturalistic observation (Correct answer)
- A longitudinal survey
Correct answer: Naturalistic observation
Naturalistic observation involves studying behavior in its natural environment without manipulation or intervention by the researcher.
Question 5: Which research method is the ONLY one that allows researchers to establish cause-and-effect relationships?
- Case study
- Survey
- Naturalistic observation
- Controlled experiment (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Controlled experiment
Only a controlled experiment manipulates an independent variable while controlling other factors, enabling researchers to infer causation.
Question 6: A school psychologist studying one student's learning disability in great depth over many months is conducting a:
- Double-blind study
- Case study (Correct answer)
- Cross-sectional survey
- Meta-analysis
Correct answer: Case study
A case study is an in-depth investigation of a single individual, group, or event, often used when a phenomenon is rare or requires detailed analysis.
Question 7: The concept of 'tabula rasa' (blank slate), suggesting that the mind is shaped entirely by experience, is most associated with which philosophical position?
- Nativism
- Empiricism (Correct answer)
- Evolutionary psychology
- Biological determinism
Correct answer: Empiricism
Empiricism, championed by John Locke, holds that all knowledge and behavior come from experience rather than innate qualities.
AP AP Psychology & Human Behavior 1
Who established the first experimental psychology laboratory in 1879, marking the formal beginning of psychology as a science?