AP Psychology | Multiple Choice Exam Questions & Verified
Answers | Latest Update 2025/2026
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 correct answers C) learning
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 correct answers B) discrimination
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 correct answers D) anticipates events
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 correct answers A) naturally triggers a response
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 correct answers C) generalization
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 correct answers D) behaviorism
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 correct answers A) operant condition
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 correct answers A)
something that elicits a response after association with a reinforcer
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 correct answers A) law of effect
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 correct answers C) high scores on exam for which student
studied diligently
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 correct answers D) extinction
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 correct answers A) associates events
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 correct answers B) spontaneous recovery
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 correct answers A) respondent behavior
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 correct answers B) the
accidental timing of rewards
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 correct answers B) extrinsic motivation
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 correct answers A) self-control
, 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 correct answers C) cognitive maps
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 correct answers C) internal locus of control
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 correct answers B) insight
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 correct answers E) observational learning
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 correct answers C) modeling
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
Answers | Latest Update 2025/2026
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 correct answers C) learning
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 correct answers B) discrimination
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 correct answers D) anticipates events
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 correct answers A) naturally triggers a response
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 correct answers C) generalization
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 correct answers D) behaviorism
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 correct answers A) operant condition
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 correct answers A)
something that elicits a response after association with a reinforcer
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 correct answers A) law of effect
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 correct answers C) high scores on exam for which student
studied diligently
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 correct answers D) extinction
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 correct answers A) associates events
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 correct answers B) spontaneous recovery
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 correct answers A) respondent behavior
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 correct answers B) the
accidental timing of rewards
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 correct answers B) extrinsic motivation
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 correct answers A) self-control
, 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 correct answers C) cognitive maps
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 correct answers C) internal locus of control
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 correct answers B) insight
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 correct answers E) observational learning
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 correct answers C) modeling
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
