AP Psych Final Essay 2011

Age and language acquisition

-age might hinder her language acquisition while preparing for the test -older students are less successful in acquiring a language -critical period for language acquisition has passed

Random assignment

-allows cause-effect conclusion to be drawn -reduces possibility that subject characteristics (gender, skill, knowledge) may bias results

Modeling

-demonstrate imitation, copying, repetition of a model EX: imitates how her teacher says Japanese words

Encoding failure

-failure to process info into memory -shallow processing leads to more forgetting EX: never put words into memory in the first place

Feature detectors

-helping participants identify the geometric figures by recognizing their parts

confirmation bias

-influenced her positive opinion of her test performance -minimizing contradictory evidence EX: may only remember the questions she did well on

Chunking

-learning or recall of language by grouping/ combining material (acronym) EX: to remember Japanese words better, she grouped all the words that start with the same sound together

Self-efficacy

-may have influenced her positive opinion of her test performance -expectancy about her ability

Foveal vision

-part of the eye -central visual field -allows participants to see figures more clearly and more accurately

Gestalt principle of closure

-participants tend to fill in features of incomplete figures

Use of phonemes

-production or recall of Japanese sounds -combining sounds to create Japanese words

Broca's area

-speech production -speech/ language comprehension -mirror neurons

Statistical significance

-way of determining that the results are not likely to have occurred by chance (not random)

Question 1

A researcher designs a study to investigate the effect of feedback on perception of incomplete visual figures. Each participant stares at the center of a screen while the researcher briefly projects incomplete geometric figures one at a time at random positions on the screen. The participant's task is to identify each incomplete figure. One group of participants receives feedback on the accuracy of their responses. A second group does not. The researcher compares the mean number of figures correctly identified by the two groups. A. Identify the independent and dependent variables in the study. B. Identify the role of each of the following psychological terms in the context of the research. • Foveal vision • Feature detectors • Gestalt principle of closure C. Describe how each of the following terms relates to the conclusions that can be drawn based on the research. • Random assignment • Statistical significance

independent and dependent variables in the study

Independent: The feedback or participants being told whether their responses are accurate Dependent: Number of figures identified OR accuracy of participants' responses OR perception of visual figures

Question 2

Savannah is a junior in high school and is preparing for an exam in her beginning Japanese course. The exam will consist of both written and spoken portions. Although it is her first course in Japanese, Savannah is confident that she will do very well on the exam. A. Describe how each of the following relates to Savannah's successful learning and performance. • Broca's area • Use of phonemes • Modeling • Chunking B. Describe how each of the following may hinder Savannah as she prepares for and takes the exam. • Encoding failure • Age and language acquisition C. After the exam, Savannah tells her family and friends that she believes that she spoke fluently and did extremely well on the exam. Describe how each of the following concepts may have influenced her opinion. • Self-efficacy • Confirmation bias