AP Psychology 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The tendency to recall items at the beginning and end of a list better than those in the middle is called the:
- Spacing effect
- Serial position effect (Correct answer)
- Misinformation effect
- Encoding specificity
Correct answer: Serial position effect
The serial position effect combines primacy and recency in recall.
Question 2: Which division of the autonomic nervous system calms the body after a stressful event?
- Sympathetic
- Parasympathetic (Correct answer)
- Somatic
- Central
Correct answer: Parasympathetic
The parasympathetic division restores the body to rest after arousal.
Question 3: A teacher praises a student every third correct answer. This is which reinforcement schedule?
- Fixed-ratio (Correct answer)
- Variable-ratio
- Fixed-interval
- Variable-interval
Correct answer: Fixed-ratio
Reinforcement after a set number of responses is a fixed-ratio schedule.
Question 4: Maslow placed which need at the very top of his hierarchy?
- Safety needs
- Esteem needs
- Self-actualization (Correct answer)
- Physiological needs
Correct answer: Self-actualization
Self-actualization, realizing one's potential, sits atop Maslow's hierarchy.
Question 5: Wavelength of light is to color as ____ of sound is to pitch.
- Amplitude
- Frequency (Correct answer)
- Timbre
- Loudness
Correct answer: Frequency
The frequency of a sound wave determines its perceived pitch.
Question 6: A study finds a correlation of -0.85 between hours of TV watched and grades. This indicates:
- No relationship
- A weak positive relationship
- A strong negative relationship (Correct answer)
- Causation that TV lowers grades
Correct answer: A strong negative relationship
A coefficient near -1 indicates a strong inverse relationship, though not causation.
Question 7: Which perspective explains behavior primarily in terms of unconscious conflicts and early childhood experiences?
- Behavioral
- Psychodynamic (Correct answer)
- Cognitive
- Humanistic
Correct answer: Psychodynamic
The psychodynamic perspective emphasizes unconscious drives and childhood.
AP Psychology 3
The tendency to recall items at the beginning and end of a list better than those in the middle is called the: