AP Psychology Unit 1 & 2 AP Topic/ MC Questions

What is the operational definition of neural activity in the rats? (A) The color presented in the MRI images. (B) Random selection of the rats from a large population to be part of the stimulant group. (C) The amount of stimulant given to each rat. (D) The size of the rats' frontal lobes.

(A) The color presented in the MRI images.

Dr. Fredericks is interested in studying how quickly people forget what they learn in class. He teaches a class on biological psychology on a Monday. On Tuesday, he gives the class a quiz asking the students about details from the previous class. Which of the following procedures should Dr. Fredericks have followed to avoid the confounding variable of experimenter bias? (A) Informed consent (B) Double-blind (C) Meta-analysis (D) Random assignment

(B) Double-blind

Much of the research regarding the function of brain areas has been gathered from case studies of individuals with brain injury or disease. Which of the following identifies a reason for this? A. Quantitative research studies cannot demonstrate cause and effect between variables. B. The independent variable in an experiment would inflict brain injury, which is unethical. C. There would be no relationship between an injured area of the brain and the functioning of that respective area. D. It is not possible to find enough participants to conduct a proper qualitative research study.

(B) The independent variable in an experiment would inflict brain injury, which is unethical.

Which of the following statements can be made about a normal distribution without knowing specific information about the data set? A. Eighty-four percent of the population will score at or below a +1 standard B. Ninety-five percent of the population will score within one standard deviation of the mean

A. Eighty-four percent of the population will score at or below a +1 standard

What type of correlation do you expect exists between playing football and concussions? A. positive correlation B. negative correlation C. no correlation

A. positive correlation

According to John Watson, introspection was: A. unscientific B. the cornerstone of behaviorism C. a valid method of research D. the study of the mind in use

A. unscientific

A student plays the role of "class clown" in one class and the role of "brain" in another class. This approach explains it by examining a student's interpretations of how well the student assesses his/her own abilities in each subject.

Cognitive

The biggest influence on personality is a person's friend group.

Social-cultural

Which of the following is used only in correlation studies? a. Double blind b. Random sample c. Random assignment d. Scatterplot

d. Scatterplot

As children, we need nurturing, unconditional positive regard (acceptance without anything in return) in order to grow up and become healthy, self-actualized adults.

Humanistic

Which of the following is most important when conducting survey research? a. Choosing a representative sample b. Choosing a large sample c. Choosing a sample that includes every member of the population

a. Choosing a representative sample

Why is an operational definition necessary when reporting research findings? a. An operational definition is easier to translate into multiple languages than a dictionary definition b. An operational definition allows others to replicate the procedure c. An operational definition provides specific examples of the concept

b. An operational definition allows others to replicate the procedure

Dr. Felder is studying whether the color of a drink impacts how a person experiences the taste of the drink. She has an orange-flavored liquid that she dyes either orange, purple, or blue, and gives it to participants to drink. She then asks them to describe the taste. Which of the following would best help her evaluate the impact of vision on taste? (A) Create an additional control condition in which participants wear blindfolds while they taste the drink. (B) Obscure the purpose of the experiment until after participants have completed the study. (C) Have participants taste it as a group and take turns describing the taste out loud. (D) Use participants who have the same gender identity.

(A) Create an additional control condition in which participants wear blindfolds while they taste the drink.

Researchers measured changes in neural firing in the frontal lobes for ten rats that were exposed to stimulants. The researchers used an MRI that indicates brain activity with colors. Normal brain activity is indicated by greens and yellows. High brain activity is indicated by reds and oranges. Low brain activity is indicated by grays and blues. All the rat's brains showed normal activity prior to being exposed to the stimulant. What type of study was being conducted by the researcher? (A) Correlational (B) Experiment (C) Case (D) Longitudinal

(B) Experiment

Dr. Wilson, who teaches engineering classes, is interested in learning about how lack of sleep affects performance. What would be the best way to ensure that her findings are generalizable to all the students at her university? (A) Randomly assigning half the students in one of her classes she teaches at into a condition where they are told to sleep four hours a night and other half a condition in which they are told to sleep eight hours a night (B) Surveying every tenth student listed in the university directory about their sleep habits (C) Surveying all students in the classes she teaches (D) Studying 40 students over time, from their freshman year through their senior year, to see differences as the students mature.

(B) Surveying every tenth student listed in the university directory about their sleep habits

A survey shows that children who have encyclopedias in their homes earn better grades in school than children whose homes lack encyclopedias. The researcher concludes that having encyclopedias at home improves grades. This conclusion is flawed because A. the researcher has incorrectly identified the independent variable B. the researcher has incorrectly identified the dependent variable C. the researcher has incorrectly inferred causation from correlation D. the researcher has incorrectly inferred correlation from causation

C. the researcher has incorrectly inferred causation from correlation

When asked, "Do you think the United States should allow public speeches against democracy?" 62% said no. However, when asked, "Do you think the United States should forbid public speeches against democracy? 46% said yes. This is an example of: A. hindsight bias B. operational definition C. wording effect D. Overconfidence

C. wording effect

By seeking to measure the "atoms of the mind", who established the first psychology laboratory? a. Sigmund Freud b. John B. Watson c. William James D. Wilhelm Wundt

D. William Wundt

Aggression is influenced by genetic predisposition. It was an advantageous trait that helped our ancestors acquire food and mates.

Evolutionary

Depression is the result of early childhood trauma and unresolved, unconscious conflicts.

Psychodynamic

If I survey students and ask them whether or not they got at least 6 hours of sleep last night (a yes/no question), is this quantitative data or qualitative?

Quantitative. Yes/no questions can be encoded as 0 for no and 1 for yes.

Who coined the term "tabula rasa" to help explain the impact that experience has on shaping an individual? a. Rene Descartes b. John Locke c. John B. Watson d. Sigmund Freud

B. John Locke

"Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select—doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief.." A. Sigmund Freud B. John Watson C. Carl Rogers D. Wilhelm Wundt

B. John Watson

The purpose of random assignment is to a. Eliminate illusory correlations. b. Ensure that every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected to participate in the research. c. Reduce potential confounding variables. d. Allow participants in both the experimental and control group to be exposed to the independent variable.

c. Reduce potential confounding variables.

Teachers will often get some students to study more by offering extra credit.

Behavioral

A group of researchers are investigating how different studying strategies impact how much participants remember on a test. They recruit 50 participants and have half of the participants study by just reading a passage over and over for 10 minutes. The other half of the participants spend five minutes reading the passage one time and then answering a series of multiple-choice questions on the material for another five minutes. Finally, the participants write down as many facts from the reading passage as they can in three minutes. Which of the following is the dependent variable of the study? (A) Whether they re-read the passage or tested themselves on the material (B) The number of facts the participants remember during the test phase (C) The number of participants in the study (D) The content of the reading passage

(B) The number of facts the participants remember during the test phase

A group of 25 American college students who were taking introductory psychology during the spring semester participated in a study about cognition. Participants were first asked to read a story about a Russian battle from the 19th century. Later, participants were asked to write down as many details as they could remember from the story. Twenty-two out of 25 of the students changed some of the details of the story, such as referring to a "house" instead of using the Russian word "dacha" that was used in the story. Which of the following best describes the type of sample used in this study? (A) It was a study that involved a sample from a case study. (B) It was a study that involved random assignment. (C) It was a study that involved convenience sampling. (D) It was a study that involved random sampling.

(C) It was a study that involved convenience sampling.

A researcher evaluated over 300 studies where algorithms were used to predict the future of the stock market. This study determined that Algorithms accurately predicted the stock market within three percentage points on average. These findings were later provided to individuals who follow the market to inform them about when to sell or buy stocks. Which of the following research techniques best represents the research described? (A) Experiment (B) Case Study (C) Meta-analysis (D) Correlational Study

(C) Meta-analysis

Researchers randomly assigned 50 elementary school children to place a plug on their nose to limit their sense of smell. The children were then presented with a series of different foods and asked to rate the taste, texture, and intensity on a scale from 1 to 5. Another 50 children were randomly placed in a group with no nose plug and asked to rate the same food using the same scale. Using random assignment in this study can help with which of the following? (A) Random assignment can eliminate the need for a control group. (B) Random assignment allows researchers to generalize the findings to the target population. (C) Random assignment to groups would allow researchers to understand if the differences between groups was due to the independent variable (the nose plug). (D) Random assignment will allow researchers to determine if the results are statistically significant.

(C) Random assignment to groups would allow researchers to understand if the differences between groups was due to the independent variable (the nose plug).

Ms. Harrison asks students in her psychology class to record how many hours of sleep they get every night and what they eat for breakfast. When the class looks at the data, they find that the fewer hours of sleep they get, the more they eat for breakfast. Which of the following is a limitation of self-report research? (A) Self-report results are generalizable to a large group (B) Careful control of the self-report variables means the data are unusable (C) Self-report data is subject to the social desirability bias (D) The artificial constraints of self-report mean the data aren't meaningful.

(C) Self-report data is subject to the social desirability bias

Researchers conducted a correlational study during the winter season, which has shorter days and longer nights. The researcher asked about people's experiences with depression-like symptoms, including feelings of tiredness and reduction in energy output. The researcher found that there was a positive correlation between the amount of daylight and depression-like symptoms. Which of the following statements best reflects how to interpret this correlational finding? (A) There is a cause-and-effect relationship between the length of daytime and depression-like symptoms. (B) The variables used in correlational research such as daylight and depressive symptoms are not measurable. (C) The relationship between daylight and depressive symptoms may also be linked to a third variable. (D) Correlation studies about mental health offer little in the way of scientific knowledge.

(C) The relationship between daylight and depressive symptoms may also be linked to a third variable.

A researcher is studying the accuracy of people's memories when they use mnemonic devices. After studying the first 10 people, the data showed that memories using mnemonic devices were more accurate than the average's person's memories. Which of the following explains why the researcher should not draw any conclusions about the accuracy of memories using mnemonic devices yet? (A) The data is positively skewed, which means the data was not collected correctly. (B) The research method is an experiment, meaning she can draw cause-and-effect conclusions regardless of the sample size. (C) The researcher should expect that the more data she collects, the more likely the results will regress to the mean. (D) The research method is a correlation, so she cannot infer causation from the results.

(C) The researcher should expect that the more data she collects, the more likely the results will regress to the mean.

A researcher discovered a chemical compound that seems to slow down the heart rate of monkeys by targeting an area of the medulla. The researcher believes that the compound could help reduce the symptoms associated with panic disorder. Which of the following is the appropriate next step for the researcher to take after developing the compound into a new drug? (A) Immediately begin giving the drug to humans to test its effects. (B) Publish the findings in an appropriate journal and see if the results can be replicated. (C) Report the findings to a reputable pharmaceutical company to apply for a patent. (D) Apply to an institutional review board (IRB) to begin animal trials for the drug.

(D) Apply to an institutional review board (IRB) to begin animal trials for the drug.

Dr. Adele is trying to measure the capacity of her students' short-term memories. She shows them a long series of numbers on a display for several seconds, and then has them write down as many numbers as they can remember in order. Dr. Adele has the students complete a survey in which she asks them "On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being highly effective, how well did you remember the numbers?" She concludes that her students have exceptionally good memories, as most of her students rated themselves as "highly effective." Which of the following best explains Dr. Adele's inaccurate conclusion? (A) Dr. Adele is exhibiting confirmation bias. (B) Dr. Adele designed her study with qualitative data. (C) Dr. Adele designed her study with quantitative data. (D) Dr. Adele's survey led to self-report bias.

(D) Dr. Adele's survey led to self-report bias.

In a research study, participants were randomly assigned to two conditions. One group of participants received a drug once per day for four weeks. The drug increases the speed of communication between neurons. Other participants did not receive the drug. Researchers found that those who took the drug demonstrated an increased memory recall. What type of research design was conducted in this scenario? (A) Naturalistic Observation (B) Case Study (C) Correlational Study (D) Experiment

(D) Experiment

If this study were to run as an experiment, which of the following would be necessary? (A) The study must examine at least 200 participants to be valid. (B) There must be a predictable relationship between the variables examined in the study. (C) The results of the study must be significant. (D) The participants must be randomly assigned to a control or experimental condition.

(D) The participants must be randomly assigned to a control or experimental condition.

When parents use punishment to change their child's behavior, they are using a technique from this perspective

Behavioral

When looking at why a person chooses to behave a particular way, I will examine the brain chemistry and hormonal issues of the person.

Biological