AP PSYCHOLOGY
AP Psychology Unit 5 Study Questions
1. When animal species are bred in captivity instead of the wild and subsequently reintroduced to the
wild, very seldom are these animals able to survive. What does this suggest about how both nature and
nurture allow animals to adapt to our environment?
-Nurture would be seen as the history of appropriate learning and their behaviors while nature would be
the genetic predispositions that allow animals for adapting to our environments.
2. Why did behaviorists choose to base their approach on observable behavior and ignore inner
thoughts, feelings, and motives?
-The Psychologists believed that studying it objectively would be a better way and believing that all kinds
of animals had the same basic learning laws and their inner thoughts should be ignored, and only be
based on their observable behaviors.
3. In classical conditioning, what role does timing play in whether or not acquisition will occur? What
would happen if the unconditioned stimulus was presented before the conditioned stimulus?
-Time plays a big role in classical conditioning for acquisition to occur. It has to be presented after half a
second of the stimulus otherwise it wouldn’t work. If the unconditioned stimulus was presented before
the conditioned stimulus, the conditioning will not likely to occur. Because it is supposed to prepare
them for good or bad events.
4. What role does biology play in why the conditioned stimulus must be presented before the
unconditioned stimulus in order for classical conditioning to occur?
-Classical conditioning is biologically adaptive because it helps humans and animals prepare for good or
bad events. Such as in Pavlov's experiment, the arrival of food was the significant biological event for the
dogs.
5. What is the main difference between higher order conditioning and first stage conditioning?
-In high order conditioning, a new neutral stimulus can become a new conditioned stimulus after
becoming associated with a previously conditioned stimulus. While in first stage conditioning is the initial
connecting of neutral and unconditioned stimulus.
6. The therapeutic technique called systematic desensitization is used to help people overcome their
fears. During therapy sessions, clients are gradually exposed to their fears, fears that usually result from
an association with a negative experience. Given what you know about how extinction occurs, why does
this technique work to help people eliminate their fears?
-It works by making new memories of this fear and the old negative ones are covered by the new ones so
you start remembering this idea or fear by the new harmless memories. It is similar to shaping in a way,
because you are modifying one’s behavior. This helps you not fear this object by changing the way you
look at it. So when the subjects are exposed to their fears gradually, little by little, they become less
AP Psychology Unit 5 Study Questions
1. When animal species are bred in captivity instead of the wild and subsequently reintroduced to the
wild, very seldom are these animals able to survive. What does this suggest about how both nature and
nurture allow animals to adapt to our environment?
-Nurture would be seen as the history of appropriate learning and their behaviors while nature would be
the genetic predispositions that allow animals for adapting to our environments.
2. Why did behaviorists choose to base their approach on observable behavior and ignore inner
thoughts, feelings, and motives?
-The Psychologists believed that studying it objectively would be a better way and believing that all kinds
of animals had the same basic learning laws and their inner thoughts should be ignored, and only be
based on their observable behaviors.
3. In classical conditioning, what role does timing play in whether or not acquisition will occur? What
would happen if the unconditioned stimulus was presented before the conditioned stimulus?
-Time plays a big role in classical conditioning for acquisition to occur. It has to be presented after half a
second of the stimulus otherwise it wouldn’t work. If the unconditioned stimulus was presented before
the conditioned stimulus, the conditioning will not likely to occur. Because it is supposed to prepare
them for good or bad events.
4. What role does biology play in why the conditioned stimulus must be presented before the
unconditioned stimulus in order for classical conditioning to occur?
-Classical conditioning is biologically adaptive because it helps humans and animals prepare for good or
bad events. Such as in Pavlov's experiment, the arrival of food was the significant biological event for the
dogs.
5. What is the main difference between higher order conditioning and first stage conditioning?
-In high order conditioning, a new neutral stimulus can become a new conditioned stimulus after
becoming associated with a previously conditioned stimulus. While in first stage conditioning is the initial
connecting of neutral and unconditioned stimulus.
6. The therapeutic technique called systematic desensitization is used to help people overcome their
fears. During therapy sessions, clients are gradually exposed to their fears, fears that usually result from
an association with a negative experience. Given what you know about how extinction occurs, why does
this technique work to help people eliminate their fears?
-It works by making new memories of this fear and the old negative ones are covered by the new ones so
you start remembering this idea or fear by the new harmless memories. It is similar to shaping in a way,
because you are modifying one’s behavior. This helps you not fear this object by changing the way you
look at it. So when the subjects are exposed to their fears gradually, little by little, they become less
