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AP PSYCHOLOGY EXAM REVIEW: COMPLETE STUDY GUIDE EXAM
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST EDITION 2026
AP PSYCHOLOGY EXAM REVIEW: COMPLETE STUDY GUIDE — QUESTIONS
SECTION 1: RESEARCH METHODS & SCIENTIFIC FOUNDATIONS (Questions 1–30)
1. A researcher wants to study the relationship between sleep duration and academic
performance without manipulating variables. Which research method is most appropriate?
A) Experiment
B) Correlational study
C) Case study
D) Naturalistic observation
Answer: B
Rationale: Correlational studies examine relationships between variables without manipulation.
Experiments require manipulation of an independent variable.
2. Which of the following best describes an operational definition?
A) A general statement of what a study hopes to find
B) A carefully worded statement of the exact procedures used to measure a variable
C) A prediction about the outcome of a study
D) A summary of previous research on a topic
Answer: B
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Rationale: Operational definitions specify exactly how variables are measured or manipulated,
allowing replication .
3. In an experiment studying the effect of caffeine on reaction time, the amount of caffeine
administered is the:
A) Dependent variable
B) Confounding variable
C) Independent variable
D) Control variable
Answer: C
Rationale: The independent variable is the factor manipulated by the researcher .
4. A researcher finds that ice cream sales and drowning rates are positively correlated. What
is the best conclusion?
A) Eating ice cream causes drowning
B) Drowning causes people to eat ice cream
C) A third variable (e.g., temperature) may explain both
D) The correlation is spurious and meaningless
Answer: C
Rationale: Correlation does not imply causation. A third variable (temperature) likely explains
both increases.
5. Which of the following is an example of hindsight bias?
A) Predicting an outcome before it happens
B) Believing you knew the outcome all along after learning it
C) Overestimating the accuracy of your predictions
D) Underestimating the role of chance in events
Answer: B
Rationale: Hindsight bias is the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would
have foreseen it .
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6. A researcher studying aggression in children observes them on a playground without
interacting. This is an example of:
A) A case study
B) Naturalistic observation
C) A survey
D) An experiment
Answer: B
Rationale: Naturalistic observation involves observing behavior in natural settings without
manipulation.
7. In a double-blind procedure:
A) Participants know which condition they are in
B) Researchers know which condition participants are in
C) Neither participants nor researchers know condition assignments
D) Only participants are blind to conditions
Answer: C
Rationale: In double-blind procedures, both participants and research staff are ignorant about
condition assignments to prevent bias .
8. A random sample is important because it:
A) Ensures participants are randomly assigned to conditions
B) Fairly represents a population by giving each member an equal chance of inclusion
C) Guarantees the study will be replicable
D) Eliminates the need for a control group
Answer: B
Rationale: Random sampling ensures the sample represents the population, improving
generalizability .
9. A placebo effect occurs when:
A) Participants experience real effects of a treatment
B) Results are caused by expectations alone
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C) The control group shows no change
D) The experimental group shows no change
Answer: B
Rationale: The placebo effect is any effect on behavior caused by expectations, not the
treatment itself .
10. Which statistical measure describes the direction and strength of a relationship between
two variables?
A) Mean
B) Standard deviation
C) Correlation coefficient
D) Mode
Answer: C
Rationale: The correlation coefficient (r) ranges from -1.0 to +1.0 and indicates both direction
and strength.
11. A researcher tests a hypothesis that is falsifiable. This means:
A) The hypothesis has been proven true
B) The hypothesis can be shown to be incorrect
C) The hypothesis cannot be tested
D) The hypothesis is based on opinion
Answer: B
Rationale: Falsifiability means the hypothesis can be disproven through observation or
experiment .
12. In an experiment, a confounding variable is:
A) The variable being measured
B) The variable being manipulated
C) A factor other than the IV that might affect the DV
D) A variable that is held constant
Answer: C
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AP PSYCHOLOGY EXAM REVIEW: COMPLETE STUDY GUIDE EXAM
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST EDITION 2026
AP PSYCHOLOGY EXAM REVIEW: COMPLETE STUDY GUIDE — QUESTIONS
SECTION 1: RESEARCH METHODS & SCIENTIFIC FOUNDATIONS (Questions 1–30)
1. A researcher wants to study the relationship between sleep duration and academic
performance without manipulating variables. Which research method is most appropriate?
A) Experiment
B) Correlational study
C) Case study
D) Naturalistic observation
Answer: B
Rationale: Correlational studies examine relationships between variables without manipulation.
Experiments require manipulation of an independent variable.
2. Which of the following best describes an operational definition?
A) A general statement of what a study hopes to find
B) A carefully worded statement of the exact procedures used to measure a variable
C) A prediction about the outcome of a study
D) A summary of previous research on a topic
Answer: B
1|Page
,Page 2 of 70
Rationale: Operational definitions specify exactly how variables are measured or manipulated,
allowing replication .
3. In an experiment studying the effect of caffeine on reaction time, the amount of caffeine
administered is the:
A) Dependent variable
B) Confounding variable
C) Independent variable
D) Control variable
Answer: C
Rationale: The independent variable is the factor manipulated by the researcher .
4. A researcher finds that ice cream sales and drowning rates are positively correlated. What
is the best conclusion?
A) Eating ice cream causes drowning
B) Drowning causes people to eat ice cream
C) A third variable (e.g., temperature) may explain both
D) The correlation is spurious and meaningless
Answer: C
Rationale: Correlation does not imply causation. A third variable (temperature) likely explains
both increases.
5. Which of the following is an example of hindsight bias?
A) Predicting an outcome before it happens
B) Believing you knew the outcome all along after learning it
C) Overestimating the accuracy of your predictions
D) Underestimating the role of chance in events
Answer: B
Rationale: Hindsight bias is the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would
have foreseen it .
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,Page 3 of 70
6. A researcher studying aggression in children observes them on a playground without
interacting. This is an example of:
A) A case study
B) Naturalistic observation
C) A survey
D) An experiment
Answer: B
Rationale: Naturalistic observation involves observing behavior in natural settings without
manipulation.
7. In a double-blind procedure:
A) Participants know which condition they are in
B) Researchers know which condition participants are in
C) Neither participants nor researchers know condition assignments
D) Only participants are blind to conditions
Answer: C
Rationale: In double-blind procedures, both participants and research staff are ignorant about
condition assignments to prevent bias .
8. A random sample is important because it:
A) Ensures participants are randomly assigned to conditions
B) Fairly represents a population by giving each member an equal chance of inclusion
C) Guarantees the study will be replicable
D) Eliminates the need for a control group
Answer: B
Rationale: Random sampling ensures the sample represents the population, improving
generalizability .
9. A placebo effect occurs when:
A) Participants experience real effects of a treatment
B) Results are caused by expectations alone
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C) The control group shows no change
D) The experimental group shows no change
Answer: B
Rationale: The placebo effect is any effect on behavior caused by expectations, not the
treatment itself .
10. Which statistical measure describes the direction and strength of a relationship between
two variables?
A) Mean
B) Standard deviation
C) Correlation coefficient
D) Mode
Answer: C
Rationale: The correlation coefficient (r) ranges from -1.0 to +1.0 and indicates both direction
and strength.
11. A researcher tests a hypothesis that is falsifiable. This means:
A) The hypothesis has been proven true
B) The hypothesis can be shown to be incorrect
C) The hypothesis cannot be tested
D) The hypothesis is based on opinion
Answer: B
Rationale: Falsifiability means the hypothesis can be disproven through observation or
experiment .
12. In an experiment, a confounding variable is:
A) The variable being measured
B) The variable being manipulated
C) A factor other than the IV that might affect the DV
D) A variable that is held constant
Answer: C
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