AP PSYCHOLOGY EXAM PRACTICE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. Psychologists generally prefer the experimental method to there research
methods because
A. experiments are more likely to support psychologists' hypothesis.
B. experiments can show cause-effect relationships
C. it is easier to obtain a random sample for an experiment.
D. double blind designs are unnecessary in an experiment.
E. experiments are more likely to result in statistically significant findings.
ANS B. experiments can show cause-effect relationships.
2. Theoretically, random assignment should eliminate
A. sampling error
B. the need to use statistics
C. concerns over validity
D. many confounding variables
E. the need for a representative sample
ANS A. sampling error
3. Charlotte and Tamar are lab partners assigned to research who is
friendlier, girls or boys. After conversing with their first ten participants,
they find that their friendliness ratings often differ. With which of the
,following should they be most concerned?
A. reliability
B. confounding variables
C. ethics
D. validity
4.assignment
ANS A. reliability
5.You are at a lecture about the history of psychology and the speaker
states that Wilhelm Wundt's theory of structuralism was the first scientific
psychological theory. On what historical fact might the speaker be basing
her or his argument?
ANS Structuralism was based on the results of his introspection
experiments, so it is, at least in part, emperical.
6.Sigmund Freud's theory of the unconscious mind
A. was revolutionary because it was the first comprehensive explanation
of human thought and behavior.
B. resulted from discoveries about the human brain obtained by
cadaver dissection.
C. is outdated and has no relevance for modern psychology.
D. focused entirely on human males' sex drive.
E. depends on the idea that humans can remember events but not be con-
sciously aware of the memory.
ANS E. depends on the idea that humans can remem- ber events but
,not be consciously aware of the memory.
7.In what way might a behaviorist disagree with a cognitive psychologist
about the cause of aggression?
ANS A behaviorist might state that aggression is caused by past
rewards aggressive behavior, while a cognitive psychologist might
believe aggression is caused by memories or ways we think about
aggressive behavior.
8.Dr. Marco explains to a client that his feeling of hostillity toward a
coworker are most likely caused by the way the client interpretes the
coworker's actions and the way he think that people should behave at work.
Dr. Marco is most likely working from what perspective?
ANS Cognitive.
9.The research methodology Wilhelm Wundt used is called what?
ANS Introspec- tion.
10. Which of the following psychologists wrote the first psychology
textbook?-
ANS William James.
11. Which of the following psychologists was part of the Gestalt
group of psychologists?
, A. Carl Rogers
B. Wilhelm Wundt
C. B.F. Skinner
D. John Watson
E. Max Wertheimer
ANS E. Max Wertheimer
12. Which of the following concepts is most integral to Sigmund
Freud's psy- choanalytic theory?
A. trephining
B. structuralism
C. the unconscious mind
D. the concept of Gestalt
E. behaviorism
ANS C. The unconscious mind
13. Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory has been criticized for being
A. appropriate for female patients, but not male patients.
B. only applicable to research settings, not therapy settings.
C. based on large groups, but not individual cases.
D. unscientific and unverifiable
E. too closely toed to behavioristic thought.
ANS D. unscientific and unverifiable
14.John Watson relied on the pioneering work of _ in establishing
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. Psychologists generally prefer the experimental method to there research
methods because
A. experiments are more likely to support psychologists' hypothesis.
B. experiments can show cause-effect relationships
C. it is easier to obtain a random sample for an experiment.
D. double blind designs are unnecessary in an experiment.
E. experiments are more likely to result in statistically significant findings.
ANS B. experiments can show cause-effect relationships.
2. Theoretically, random assignment should eliminate
A. sampling error
B. the need to use statistics
C. concerns over validity
D. many confounding variables
E. the need for a representative sample
ANS A. sampling error
3. Charlotte and Tamar are lab partners assigned to research who is
friendlier, girls or boys. After conversing with their first ten participants,
they find that their friendliness ratings often differ. With which of the
,following should they be most concerned?
A. reliability
B. confounding variables
C. ethics
D. validity
4.assignment
ANS A. reliability
5.You are at a lecture about the history of psychology and the speaker
states that Wilhelm Wundt's theory of structuralism was the first scientific
psychological theory. On what historical fact might the speaker be basing
her or his argument?
ANS Structuralism was based on the results of his introspection
experiments, so it is, at least in part, emperical.
6.Sigmund Freud's theory of the unconscious mind
A. was revolutionary because it was the first comprehensive explanation
of human thought and behavior.
B. resulted from discoveries about the human brain obtained by
cadaver dissection.
C. is outdated and has no relevance for modern psychology.
D. focused entirely on human males' sex drive.
E. depends on the idea that humans can remember events but not be con-
sciously aware of the memory.
ANS E. depends on the idea that humans can remem- ber events but
,not be consciously aware of the memory.
7.In what way might a behaviorist disagree with a cognitive psychologist
about the cause of aggression?
ANS A behaviorist might state that aggression is caused by past
rewards aggressive behavior, while a cognitive psychologist might
believe aggression is caused by memories or ways we think about
aggressive behavior.
8.Dr. Marco explains to a client that his feeling of hostillity toward a
coworker are most likely caused by the way the client interpretes the
coworker's actions and the way he think that people should behave at work.
Dr. Marco is most likely working from what perspective?
ANS Cognitive.
9.The research methodology Wilhelm Wundt used is called what?
ANS Introspec- tion.
10. Which of the following psychologists wrote the first psychology
textbook?-
ANS William James.
11. Which of the following psychologists was part of the Gestalt
group of psychologists?
, A. Carl Rogers
B. Wilhelm Wundt
C. B.F. Skinner
D. John Watson
E. Max Wertheimer
ANS E. Max Wertheimer
12. Which of the following concepts is most integral to Sigmund
Freud's psy- choanalytic theory?
A. trephining
B. structuralism
C. the unconscious mind
D. the concept of Gestalt
E. behaviorism
ANS C. The unconscious mind
13. Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory has been criticized for being
A. appropriate for female patients, but not male patients.
B. only applicable to research settings, not therapy settings.
C. based on large groups, but not individual cases.
D. unscientific and unverifiable
E. too closely toed to behavioristic thought.
ANS D. unscientific and unverifiable
14.John Watson relied on the pioneering work of _ in establishing
