ap psychology multiple choice exam questions
Mastering the Mind: A Student's Guide to Learning,
Consciousness, Sensation, and Perception
This guide breaks down key concepts in learning, consciousness, and how we experience the world
around us. Study smart and ace your exams!
I. The Marvel of Learning
Learning is how we adapt and grow! Let's explore the different ways we acquire new behaviors and
knowledge.
1. Which of the following is best defined as a relatively permanent change in behavior due to
experience? A) acquisition B) stimulus C) learning D) habituation E) response
2. Lynn is teaching learning. Every time she claps her hands, Charlie turns off the light. When
Randy claps in approval of Lynn's presentation, Charlie does not turn the light off. What concept
has Charlie demonstrated? A) habituation B) discrimination C) spontaneous recovery D)
extinction E) habituation
3. Classical conditioning is the type of learning in which a person links two or more stimuli and A)
forgets about them B) lays them out in sequence C) shuts down D) anticipates events E) receives
a reward
4. In classical conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus A) naturally triggers a response B) is a
naturally occurring response C) is initially irrelevant, and then comes to trigger a response D)
objectively studies psychology E) is Pavlovian
5. Students are accustomed to a bell ringing to indicate the end of a class period. The principal
decides to substitute popular music for the bell to indicate the end of each class period. Students
, quickly respond to the music in the same way they did to the bell. What principle does this
illustrate? A) acquisition B) habituation C) generalization D) functional fixedness E) stimulus
6. The work of Ivan Pavlov and John Watson fits best into which of psychology's perspectives? A)
humanism B) gestalt psychology C) trait theory D) behaviorism E) neuropsychology
7. What do we call the kind of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a
reinforcer? A) operant condition B) respondent behavior C) classical condition D) shaping E)
punishment
8. Which of the following best describes a discriminative stimulus? A) something that elicits a
response after association with a reinforcer B) innately reinforcing stimulus C) something that
when removed increases the likelihood of the behavior D) an event that decreases the behavior it
follows E) an amplified stimulus feeding back information to responses
9. Thorndike's principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely is
known as what? A) law of effect B) operant condition C) shaping D) respondent behavior E)
discrimination
10.All of the following are examples of primary reinforces except a A) rat's food reward in Skinner
box B) cold drink on hot day C) high score on exam for which student studied diligently D)
hug from loved one E) large meal following fast
11.What do we call it when the CR decreases as the CS is repeatedly presented alone? A)
generalization B) discrimination C) spontaneous recovery D) extinction E) acquisition
12.The basic idea behind classical condition is that the organism A) associates events B) associates
behavior and resulting events C) voluntarily operates on the environment D) associates response
with a consequence E) quits responding when reward stops
13.What do we call the reappearance, after a rest period, of an extinguished response? a. acquisition
b. spontaneous recovery c. discrimination d. operant conditioning e. classical conditioning
14.What do we call behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus? A) respondent
behavior B) operant behavior C) extinguished behavior D) biofeedback condition E) skinnerian
conditioning
,15.Superstitious behavior can be produced by A) careful manipulation of a classical conditioning
experiment B) the accidental timing of rewards C) possession of a large number of traditionally
lucky items D) cognitive awareness of superstitious behavior in others E) the change in a
reinforcement schedule from ratio to interval
16.What do we call a desire to perform a behavior in order to receive promised rewards or to avoid
threatened punishment? A) latent learning B) extrinsic motivation C) intrinsic motivation D)
insight learning E) emotion-focused coping
17.Which ability is a good predictor of good adjustment, better grades, and social success? A) self-
control B) locus of control C) problem-focused coping D) learned helplessness E) emotion-
focused coping
18.Elephants appear to have the capacity to remember large-scale spaces over long periods. Which
of the following best identifies this capacity? A) latent learning B) insight C) cognitive maps D)
intrinsic motivation E) extrinsic motivation
19.The perception that we control our fate is also called what? A) self-control B) learned
helplessness C) internal locus of control D) external locus of control E) emotion-focused coping
20.A woman had been pondering a problem for days and was about to give up when, suddenly, the
solution came to her. Her experience can be described as what? A) cognitive mapping B) insight
C) operant condition D) classical condition E) unconscious associative-learning
21.Bandura's famous Bobo doll experiment is most closely associated with which? A) latent learning
B) classical conditioning C) operant conditioning D) cognitive maps E) observational learning
22.Which of the following processes is the best term for explaining how we learn languages? A)
biofeedback B) discrimination C) modeling D) insight E) creativity
23.Which of the following is the most likely consequence of the brain's tendency to vicariously
experience something we observe? A) actual physical injury B) risk of misremembering our
own actions C) interference with associative learning D) elimination of classical conditioned
responses to stimuli E) a confusion between reinforces and rewards in operant conditioning set-
ting
, 24.When is prosocial modeling most effective? A) when the model acts in a way consistent with
the prosocial lesson B) when the model verbally emphasizes the prosocial lesson but acts as she
chooses C) when the model is predisposed to the prosocial conduct D) when the observer has a
close personal relationship with the model E) when the model is well-known
25.Which of the following is the best synonym for social learning? A) observational learning B)
modeling C) mirror neuron imitation D) prosocial model E) imitation
II. Exploring the Realm of Consciousness
Consciousness is our awareness of ourselves and our environment. It's a fascinating and complex topic!
26.What do we call awareness of our environment and ourselves? A) Selective attention B)
Hypnotism C) Posthypnotic suggestion D) Dissociation E) Consciousness
27.Which of the following is true about daydreaming? A) It occurs spontaneously. B) It is
physiologically induced. C) It is psychologically induced. D) It is considered the same as waking
awareness. E) It is more like meditation than it is like dreaming.
28.Which of the following states of consciousness occurs when one person suggests to another that
certain thoughts or behaviors will spontaneously occur? A) Dreaming B) Hypnosis C)
Daydreaming D) Hallucination E) Waking awareness
29.Which of the following is the term most closely associated with the split in consciousness that
allows some thoughts and behaviors to occur simultaneously with others? A) Consciousness B)
Hypnosis C) Hallucination D) Dissociation E) Meditation
30.Which of the following represents a circadian rhythm? A) A burst of growth occurs during
puberty. B) A full Moon occurs about once a month. C) Body temperature rises each day as
morning approaches. D) When it is summer in the northern hemisphere, it is winter in the
southern hemisphere. E) Pulse rate increases when we exercise.
31.In which stage of sleep are you likely to experience hypnagogic sensations of falling? A) Alpha
sleep B) NREM-1 C) NREM-2 D) NREM-3 E) REM
Mastering the Mind: A Student's Guide to Learning,
Consciousness, Sensation, and Perception
This guide breaks down key concepts in learning, consciousness, and how we experience the world
around us. Study smart and ace your exams!
I. The Marvel of Learning
Learning is how we adapt and grow! Let's explore the different ways we acquire new behaviors and
knowledge.
1. Which of the following is best defined as a relatively permanent change in behavior due to
experience? A) acquisition B) stimulus C) learning D) habituation E) response
2. Lynn is teaching learning. Every time she claps her hands, Charlie turns off the light. When
Randy claps in approval of Lynn's presentation, Charlie does not turn the light off. What concept
has Charlie demonstrated? A) habituation B) discrimination C) spontaneous recovery D)
extinction E) habituation
3. Classical conditioning is the type of learning in which a person links two or more stimuli and A)
forgets about them B) lays them out in sequence C) shuts down D) anticipates events E) receives
a reward
4. In classical conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus A) naturally triggers a response B) is a
naturally occurring response C) is initially irrelevant, and then comes to trigger a response D)
objectively studies psychology E) is Pavlovian
5. Students are accustomed to a bell ringing to indicate the end of a class period. The principal
decides to substitute popular music for the bell to indicate the end of each class period. Students
, quickly respond to the music in the same way they did to the bell. What principle does this
illustrate? A) acquisition B) habituation C) generalization D) functional fixedness E) stimulus
6. The work of Ivan Pavlov and John Watson fits best into which of psychology's perspectives? A)
humanism B) gestalt psychology C) trait theory D) behaviorism E) neuropsychology
7. What do we call the kind of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a
reinforcer? A) operant condition B) respondent behavior C) classical condition D) shaping E)
punishment
8. Which of the following best describes a discriminative stimulus? A) something that elicits a
response after association with a reinforcer B) innately reinforcing stimulus C) something that
when removed increases the likelihood of the behavior D) an event that decreases the behavior it
follows E) an amplified stimulus feeding back information to responses
9. Thorndike's principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely is
known as what? A) law of effect B) operant condition C) shaping D) respondent behavior E)
discrimination
10.All of the following are examples of primary reinforces except a A) rat's food reward in Skinner
box B) cold drink on hot day C) high score on exam for which student studied diligently D)
hug from loved one E) large meal following fast
11.What do we call it when the CR decreases as the CS is repeatedly presented alone? A)
generalization B) discrimination C) spontaneous recovery D) extinction E) acquisition
12.The basic idea behind classical condition is that the organism A) associates events B) associates
behavior and resulting events C) voluntarily operates on the environment D) associates response
with a consequence E) quits responding when reward stops
13.What do we call the reappearance, after a rest period, of an extinguished response? a. acquisition
b. spontaneous recovery c. discrimination d. operant conditioning e. classical conditioning
14.What do we call behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus? A) respondent
behavior B) operant behavior C) extinguished behavior D) biofeedback condition E) skinnerian
conditioning
,15.Superstitious behavior can be produced by A) careful manipulation of a classical conditioning
experiment B) the accidental timing of rewards C) possession of a large number of traditionally
lucky items D) cognitive awareness of superstitious behavior in others E) the change in a
reinforcement schedule from ratio to interval
16.What do we call a desire to perform a behavior in order to receive promised rewards or to avoid
threatened punishment? A) latent learning B) extrinsic motivation C) intrinsic motivation D)
insight learning E) emotion-focused coping
17.Which ability is a good predictor of good adjustment, better grades, and social success? A) self-
control B) locus of control C) problem-focused coping D) learned helplessness E) emotion-
focused coping
18.Elephants appear to have the capacity to remember large-scale spaces over long periods. Which
of the following best identifies this capacity? A) latent learning B) insight C) cognitive maps D)
intrinsic motivation E) extrinsic motivation
19.The perception that we control our fate is also called what? A) self-control B) learned
helplessness C) internal locus of control D) external locus of control E) emotion-focused coping
20.A woman had been pondering a problem for days and was about to give up when, suddenly, the
solution came to her. Her experience can be described as what? A) cognitive mapping B) insight
C) operant condition D) classical condition E) unconscious associative-learning
21.Bandura's famous Bobo doll experiment is most closely associated with which? A) latent learning
B) classical conditioning C) operant conditioning D) cognitive maps E) observational learning
22.Which of the following processes is the best term for explaining how we learn languages? A)
biofeedback B) discrimination C) modeling D) insight E) creativity
23.Which of the following is the most likely consequence of the brain's tendency to vicariously
experience something we observe? A) actual physical injury B) risk of misremembering our
own actions C) interference with associative learning D) elimination of classical conditioned
responses to stimuli E) a confusion between reinforces and rewards in operant conditioning set-
ting
, 24.When is prosocial modeling most effective? A) when the model acts in a way consistent with
the prosocial lesson B) when the model verbally emphasizes the prosocial lesson but acts as she
chooses C) when the model is predisposed to the prosocial conduct D) when the observer has a
close personal relationship with the model E) when the model is well-known
25.Which of the following is the best synonym for social learning? A) observational learning B)
modeling C) mirror neuron imitation D) prosocial model E) imitation
II. Exploring the Realm of Consciousness
Consciousness is our awareness of ourselves and our environment. It's a fascinating and complex topic!
26.What do we call awareness of our environment and ourselves? A) Selective attention B)
Hypnotism C) Posthypnotic suggestion D) Dissociation E) Consciousness
27.Which of the following is true about daydreaming? A) It occurs spontaneously. B) It is
physiologically induced. C) It is psychologically induced. D) It is considered the same as waking
awareness. E) It is more like meditation than it is like dreaming.
28.Which of the following states of consciousness occurs when one person suggests to another that
certain thoughts or behaviors will spontaneously occur? A) Dreaming B) Hypnosis C)
Daydreaming D) Hallucination E) Waking awareness
29.Which of the following is the term most closely associated with the split in consciousness that
allows some thoughts and behaviors to occur simultaneously with others? A) Consciousness B)
Hypnosis C) Hallucination D) Dissociation E) Meditation
30.Which of the following represents a circadian rhythm? A) A burst of growth occurs during
puberty. B) A full Moon occurs about once a month. C) Body temperature rises each day as
morning approaches. D) When it is summer in the northern hemisphere, it is winter in the
southern hemisphere. E) Pulse rate increases when we exercise.
31.In which stage of sleep are you likely to experience hypnagogic sensations of falling? A) Alpha
sleep B) NREM-1 C) NREM-2 D) NREM-3 E) REM
