FRQ AP EXAM 2025 questions and
answers rated
behavioral psychology - ANS ✔the scientific study of observable behavior, and its explanation by
principles of learning
biological psychology - ANS ✔the scientific study of the links between biological and
psychological processes
Cognitive Psychology - ANS ✔the scientific study of all the mental activities associated with
thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating
evolutionary psychology - ANS ✔the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using
principles of natural selection
psychodynamic psychology - ANS ✔a branch of psychology that studies how unconscious drives
and conflicts influence behavior, and uses that information to treat people with psychological
disorders
social-cultural psychology - ANS ✔the study of how situations and cultures affect our behavior
and thinking
Psychometrics - ANS ✔the scientific study of the measurement of human abilities, attitudes,
and traits
developmental psychology - ANS ✔a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and
social change throughout the life span
,educational psychology - ANS ✔the study of how psychological processes affect and can
enhance teaching and learning
personality psychology - ANS ✔the study of an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking,
feeling, and acting
social psychology - ANS ✔the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to
one another
industrial-organizational psychology - ANS ✔the application of psychological concepts and
methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces
human factors psychology - ANS ✔a branch of psychology that explores how people and
machines interact and how machines and physical environments can be made safe and easy to
use
basic research - ANS ✔pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base
hindsight bias - ANS ✔the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have
foreseen it
critical thinking - ANS ✔thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions.
Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses
conclusions.
operational definition - ANS ✔a carefully worded statement of the exact procedures used in a
research study
,Replication - ANS ✔repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants
in different situations, to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and
circumstances
case study - ANS ✔a descriptive technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth
in the hope of revealing universal principles
survey - ANS ✔a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a
particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the group
random sample - ANS ✔a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has
an equal chance of inclusion
naturalistic observation - ANS ✔observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring
situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation
illusory correlation - ANS ✔the perception of a relationship where none exists
experiment - ANS ✔A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more
factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process
random assignment - ANS ✔assigning participants to experimental and control conditions by
chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups
double-blind procedure - ANS ✔an experimental procedure in which both the research
participants and the research staff are ignorant (blind) about whether the research participants
have received the treatment or a placebo. Commonly used in drug-evaluation studies.
, placebo effect - ANS ✔experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on
behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which the recipient
assumes is an active agent.
experimental group - ANS ✔the group in an experiment that receives the variable being tested
control group - ANS ✔the group that does not receive the experimental treatment.
independent variable - ANS ✔The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose
effect is being studied.
dependent variable - ANS ✔The outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to
manipulations of the independent variable.
mode - ANS ✔the most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution
mean - ANS ✔average
range - ANS ✔the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution
normal curve - ANS ✔the symmetrical bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many
physical and psychological attributes. Most scores fall near the average, and fewer and fewer
scores lie near the extremes.
statistical significance - ANS ✔a statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result
occurred by chance
Motivation - ANS ✔a need or desire that energizes and directs behavior
answers rated
behavioral psychology - ANS ✔the scientific study of observable behavior, and its explanation by
principles of learning
biological psychology - ANS ✔the scientific study of the links between biological and
psychological processes
Cognitive Psychology - ANS ✔the scientific study of all the mental activities associated with
thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating
evolutionary psychology - ANS ✔the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using
principles of natural selection
psychodynamic psychology - ANS ✔a branch of psychology that studies how unconscious drives
and conflicts influence behavior, and uses that information to treat people with psychological
disorders
social-cultural psychology - ANS ✔the study of how situations and cultures affect our behavior
and thinking
Psychometrics - ANS ✔the scientific study of the measurement of human abilities, attitudes,
and traits
developmental psychology - ANS ✔a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and
social change throughout the life span
,educational psychology - ANS ✔the study of how psychological processes affect and can
enhance teaching and learning
personality psychology - ANS ✔the study of an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking,
feeling, and acting
social psychology - ANS ✔the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to
one another
industrial-organizational psychology - ANS ✔the application of psychological concepts and
methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces
human factors psychology - ANS ✔a branch of psychology that explores how people and
machines interact and how machines and physical environments can be made safe and easy to
use
basic research - ANS ✔pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base
hindsight bias - ANS ✔the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have
foreseen it
critical thinking - ANS ✔thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions.
Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses
conclusions.
operational definition - ANS ✔a carefully worded statement of the exact procedures used in a
research study
,Replication - ANS ✔repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants
in different situations, to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and
circumstances
case study - ANS ✔a descriptive technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth
in the hope of revealing universal principles
survey - ANS ✔a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a
particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the group
random sample - ANS ✔a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has
an equal chance of inclusion
naturalistic observation - ANS ✔observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring
situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation
illusory correlation - ANS ✔the perception of a relationship where none exists
experiment - ANS ✔A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more
factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process
random assignment - ANS ✔assigning participants to experimental and control conditions by
chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups
double-blind procedure - ANS ✔an experimental procedure in which both the research
participants and the research staff are ignorant (blind) about whether the research participants
have received the treatment or a placebo. Commonly used in drug-evaluation studies.
, placebo effect - ANS ✔experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on
behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which the recipient
assumes is an active agent.
experimental group - ANS ✔the group in an experiment that receives the variable being tested
control group - ANS ✔the group that does not receive the experimental treatment.
independent variable - ANS ✔The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose
effect is being studied.
dependent variable - ANS ✔The outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to
manipulations of the independent variable.
mode - ANS ✔the most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution
mean - ANS ✔average
range - ANS ✔the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution
normal curve - ANS ✔the symmetrical bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many
physical and psychological attributes. Most scores fall near the average, and fewer and fewer
scores lie near the extremes.
statistical significance - ANS ✔a statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result
occurred by chance
Motivation - ANS ✔a need or desire that energizes and directs behavior
