AP PSYCHOLOGY EXAM PRACTICE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
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? - Correct Answers -
Structuralism was based on the results of his introspection experiments, so it is, at least
in part, emperical.
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C. is outdated and has no relevance for modern psychology.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 consciously
aware of the memory. - Correct Answers -E. depends on the idea that humans can
remember events but not be consciously aware of the memory.
In what way might a behaviorist disagree with a cognitive psychologist about the cause
of aggression? - Correct Answers -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.
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? - Correct Answers -Cognitive.
The research methodology Wilhelm Wundt used is called what? - Correct Answers -
Introspection.
Which of the following psychologists wrote the first psychology textbook? - Correct
Answers -William James.
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 - Correct Answers -E. Max Wertheimer
Which of the following concepts is most integral to Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic
theory?
A. trephining
B. structuralism
C. the unconscious mind
D. the concept of Gestalt
E. behaviorism - Correct Answers -C. The unconscious mind
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. - Correct Answers -D. unscientific and
unverifiable
John Watson relied on the pioneering work of _ in establishing behaviorism as a
paradigm of psychology. - Correct Answers -Ivan Pavlov
B.F. Skinner introduced the idea of _ to the paradigm of behaviorism. - Correct Answers
-Reinforcement.
Which of the following psychologists might have described himself as a humanist?
A. B.F. Skinner
B. William James
C. Abraham Maslow
D. John Watson
E. Ivan Pavlov - Correct Answers -C. Abraham Maslow
Symbolic dream analysis might be an important research technique to a psychologist
from what kind of perspective? - Correct Answers -Psychoanalytic.
Behaviorists explain human thought and behavior as a result of what? - Correct
Answers -Past conditioning.
A therapist who says that she uses whatever psychological perspective "works best" for
each patient might be best describe as:
A. social-cultural
B. humanist
C. eclectic
D. psychoanalytic
E. functionalist - Correct Answers -C. Eclectic
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
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? - Correct Answers -
Structuralism was based on the results of his introspection experiments, so it is, at least
in part, emperical.
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 consciously
aware of the memory. - Correct Answers -E. depends on the idea that humans can
remember events but not be consciously aware of the memory.
In what way might a behaviorist disagree with a cognitive psychologist about the cause
of aggression? - Correct Answers -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.
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? - Correct Answers -Cognitive.
The research methodology Wilhelm Wundt used is called what? - Correct Answers -
Introspection.
Which of the following psychologists wrote the first psychology textbook? - Correct
Answers -William James.
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 - Correct Answers -E. Max Wertheimer
Which of the following concepts is most integral to Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic
theory?
A. trephining
B. structuralism
C. the unconscious mind
D. the concept of Gestalt
E. behaviorism - Correct Answers -C. The unconscious mind
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. - Correct Answers -D. unscientific and
unverifiable
John Watson relied on the pioneering work of _ in establishing behaviorism as a
paradigm of psychology. - Correct Answers -Ivan Pavlov
B.F. Skinner introduced the idea of _ to the paradigm of behaviorism. - Correct Answers
-Reinforcement.
Which of the following psychologists might have described himself as a humanist?
A. B.F. Skinner
B. William James
C. Abraham Maslow
D. John Watson
E. Ivan Pavlov - Correct Answers -C. Abraham Maslow
Symbolic dream analysis might be an important research technique to a psychologist
from what kind of perspective? - Correct Answers -Psychoanalytic.
Behaviorists explain human thought and behavior as a result of what? - Correct
Answers -Past conditioning.
A therapist who says that she uses whatever psychological perspective "works best" for
each patient might be best describe as:
A. social-cultural
B. humanist
C. eclectic
D. psychoanalytic
E. functionalist - Correct Answers -C. Eclectic
