9/7/25, 6:15 PM 2025 AP Psychology AP Exam Review
AP Psychology COMPREHENSIVE EXAM REVIEW
QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED AND 100 % ANSWERS
(DETAILED AND ELABORATED) A+ GRADED LATEST
UPDATE 2025-2026
a form of psychotherapy that focuses on identifying and
changing dysfunctional
cognitive therapy thought patterns, beliefs, and cognitive distortions that
contribute to psychological distress and maladaptive
behaviors, through cognitive restructuring and
behavioral interventions.
a widely used form of psychotherapy that combines
cognitive-behavioral therapy cognitive restructuring (changing negative thought
(CBT)
patterns) with behavioral interventions (changing
maladaptive behaviors), to treat a variety of mental
health conditions.
A group of individuals who share a common
cohort
characteristic or experience, such as age or
generation, and are studied over time in longitudinal
research.
a cultural orientation that prioritizes the interests,
collectivism values, and goals of the group or community over those
of the individual, emphasizing cooperation,
interdependence, and social harmony.
The perceptual phenomenon where the perceived color
color constancy
of an object remains relatively constant under
different lighting conditions.
Repetitive, rule-based behaviors that a person feels
Compulsion
compelled to perform to reduce anxiety.
A scanning technique using multiple X-rays to construct
computed tomography (CT)
a 3D image of the brain's structure.
A mental category or representation of objects, events,
concept
or ideas that share common features or
1/83
,9/7/25, 6:15 PM 2025 AP Psychology AP Exam Review
characteristics.
In Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, the third stage,
concrete operational stage occurring from
about 7 to 11 years old, characterized by the ability to
think logically about concrete events and grasp
concrete analogies.
a previously neutral stimulus that becomes reinforcing
conditioned reinforcer
through its association with a primary reinforcer.
a learned response to a previously neutral stimulus,
conditioned response
acquired through classical conditioning
a previously neutral stimulus that, after being paired
conditioned stimulus
with an unconditioned stimulus, elicits a conditioned
response.
The process of learning associations between
Conditioning
environmental events and behavioral responses.
Hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical
conduction hearing loss
system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea.
cones Photoreceptor cells in the retina that are responsible for color
vision and fine detail.
tendency to search for, interpret, and remember
confirmation bias information that confirms one's preexisting beliefs
or hypotheses while ignoring or discounting
contradictory evidence.
a perceived incompatibility of goals, interests, or values
conflict
between individuals or groups, leading to
disagreement, tension, or competition.
the tendency to adjust one's attitudes, beliefs, or
conformity behaviors to match those of a majority group or social
norms, often in response to real or perceived pressure
to fit in or be accepted.
A variable other than the independent variable that
confounding variable
could potentially influence the dependent variable,
leading to inaccurate interpretations of the results.
Conscientiousness A personality trait characterized by organization, dependability,
and discipline.
consciousness Our awareness of ourselves and our environment.
2/83
,9/7/25, 6:15 PM 2025 AP Psychology AP Exam Review
the understanding that certain properties of objects,
conservation
such as quantity, volume, or number, remain
constant despite changes in their physical
appearance.
The theory that sleep helps strengthen the neural
Consolidation Theory
connections that form our memories.
The extent to which a test or measure accurately
construct validity
assesses the theoretical construct or concept it is
intended to measure.
The process of constructing a memory by integrating
Constructive Memory
new information with existing knowledge.
The extent to which a test or measure adequately
content validity
samples the domain of interest and includes all
relevant aspects of the construct being assessed.
The improved recall of information when the context
Context-Dependent Memory
present at encoding and retrieval are the same.
a reinforcement schedule in which every occurrence of
continuous reinforcement
schedule the desired behavior is reinforced
The principle that each hemisphere of the brain controls
Contralateral Control
the opposite side of the body.
The group in an experiment that does not receive the
control group
treatment or intervention, used for comparison with
the experimental group.
A binocular depth cue where the eyes turn inward or
convergence
converge to focus on nearby objects.
A type of thinking characterized by narrowing down
convergent thinking
possible solutions to find a single correct answer, often
associated with traditional problem-solving tasks.
the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral efforts to
coping manage, reduce, or tolerate stressors, challenges,
or adverse circumstances, in order to adapt and
maintain psychological well-being.
The transparent outer layer of the eye that covers the
cornea
pupil and iris and helps focus incoming light.
3/83
, 9/7/25, 6:15 PM 2025 AP Psychology AP Exam Review
The large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain
corpus callosum
hemispheres and carrying messages between them.
A statistical measure of the relationship between two
correlation
variables, indicating how they change together.
However, correlation does not imply causation.
A numerical value between -1 and +1 that represents the
correlation coefficient
strength and direction of the relationship between two
variables.
a behavior therapy technique used to replace or
counterconditioning counteract maladaptive responses (such as fear or
anxiety) with adaptive ones, by pairing the feared or
aversive
stimulus with a positive or neutral stimulus to change the
emotional response.
The ability to generate novel and valuable ideas,
creativity
solutions, or products that are meaningful or useful in
a particular context.
a developmental stage during which an organism is
critical period particularly sensitive to environmental influences and
experiences, which are necessary for the normal
development of certain abilities or behaviors
The objective analysis and evaluation of an issue to form
critical thinking a judgment. It involves questioning assumptions,
examining evidence, and considering alternative
perspectives.
a research method that compares individuals of
cross-sectional study
different ages or developmental stages at a single
point in time to examine age-related differences
4/83
AP Psychology COMPREHENSIVE EXAM REVIEW
QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED AND 100 % ANSWERS
(DETAILED AND ELABORATED) A+ GRADED LATEST
UPDATE 2025-2026
a form of psychotherapy that focuses on identifying and
changing dysfunctional
cognitive therapy thought patterns, beliefs, and cognitive distortions that
contribute to psychological distress and maladaptive
behaviors, through cognitive restructuring and
behavioral interventions.
a widely used form of psychotherapy that combines
cognitive-behavioral therapy cognitive restructuring (changing negative thought
(CBT)
patterns) with behavioral interventions (changing
maladaptive behaviors), to treat a variety of mental
health conditions.
A group of individuals who share a common
cohort
characteristic or experience, such as age or
generation, and are studied over time in longitudinal
research.
a cultural orientation that prioritizes the interests,
collectivism values, and goals of the group or community over those
of the individual, emphasizing cooperation,
interdependence, and social harmony.
The perceptual phenomenon where the perceived color
color constancy
of an object remains relatively constant under
different lighting conditions.
Repetitive, rule-based behaviors that a person feels
Compulsion
compelled to perform to reduce anxiety.
A scanning technique using multiple X-rays to construct
computed tomography (CT)
a 3D image of the brain's structure.
A mental category or representation of objects, events,
concept
or ideas that share common features or
1/83
,9/7/25, 6:15 PM 2025 AP Psychology AP Exam Review
characteristics.
In Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, the third stage,
concrete operational stage occurring from
about 7 to 11 years old, characterized by the ability to
think logically about concrete events and grasp
concrete analogies.
a previously neutral stimulus that becomes reinforcing
conditioned reinforcer
through its association with a primary reinforcer.
a learned response to a previously neutral stimulus,
conditioned response
acquired through classical conditioning
a previously neutral stimulus that, after being paired
conditioned stimulus
with an unconditioned stimulus, elicits a conditioned
response.
The process of learning associations between
Conditioning
environmental events and behavioral responses.
Hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical
conduction hearing loss
system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea.
cones Photoreceptor cells in the retina that are responsible for color
vision and fine detail.
tendency to search for, interpret, and remember
confirmation bias information that confirms one's preexisting beliefs
or hypotheses while ignoring or discounting
contradictory evidence.
a perceived incompatibility of goals, interests, or values
conflict
between individuals or groups, leading to
disagreement, tension, or competition.
the tendency to adjust one's attitudes, beliefs, or
conformity behaviors to match those of a majority group or social
norms, often in response to real or perceived pressure
to fit in or be accepted.
A variable other than the independent variable that
confounding variable
could potentially influence the dependent variable,
leading to inaccurate interpretations of the results.
Conscientiousness A personality trait characterized by organization, dependability,
and discipline.
consciousness Our awareness of ourselves and our environment.
2/83
,9/7/25, 6:15 PM 2025 AP Psychology AP Exam Review
the understanding that certain properties of objects,
conservation
such as quantity, volume, or number, remain
constant despite changes in their physical
appearance.
The theory that sleep helps strengthen the neural
Consolidation Theory
connections that form our memories.
The extent to which a test or measure accurately
construct validity
assesses the theoretical construct or concept it is
intended to measure.
The process of constructing a memory by integrating
Constructive Memory
new information with existing knowledge.
The extent to which a test or measure adequately
content validity
samples the domain of interest and includes all
relevant aspects of the construct being assessed.
The improved recall of information when the context
Context-Dependent Memory
present at encoding and retrieval are the same.
a reinforcement schedule in which every occurrence of
continuous reinforcement
schedule the desired behavior is reinforced
The principle that each hemisphere of the brain controls
Contralateral Control
the opposite side of the body.
The group in an experiment that does not receive the
control group
treatment or intervention, used for comparison with
the experimental group.
A binocular depth cue where the eyes turn inward or
convergence
converge to focus on nearby objects.
A type of thinking characterized by narrowing down
convergent thinking
possible solutions to find a single correct answer, often
associated with traditional problem-solving tasks.
the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral efforts to
coping manage, reduce, or tolerate stressors, challenges,
or adverse circumstances, in order to adapt and
maintain psychological well-being.
The transparent outer layer of the eye that covers the
cornea
pupil and iris and helps focus incoming light.
3/83
, 9/7/25, 6:15 PM 2025 AP Psychology AP Exam Review
The large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain
corpus callosum
hemispheres and carrying messages between them.
A statistical measure of the relationship between two
correlation
variables, indicating how they change together.
However, correlation does not imply causation.
A numerical value between -1 and +1 that represents the
correlation coefficient
strength and direction of the relationship between two
variables.
a behavior therapy technique used to replace or
counterconditioning counteract maladaptive responses (such as fear or
anxiety) with adaptive ones, by pairing the feared or
aversive
stimulus with a positive or neutral stimulus to change the
emotional response.
The ability to generate novel and valuable ideas,
creativity
solutions, or products that are meaningful or useful in
a particular context.
a developmental stage during which an organism is
critical period particularly sensitive to environmental influences and
experiences, which are necessary for the normal
development of certain abilities or behaviors
The objective analysis and evaluation of an issue to form
critical thinking a judgment. It involves questioning assumptions,
examining evidence, and considering alternative
perspectives.
a research method that compares individuals of
cross-sectional study
different ages or developmental stages at a single
point in time to examine age-related differences
4/83
