AP Psychology — Practice Exam 1

Total: 55 points · ~1 hour 30 min. Section I: 15 multiple-choice (1 pt each). Section II: 1 application/research free-response (40 pts, condensed). Representative practice set.

Section I — Multiple Choice

1. The basic unit of the nervous system is the (A) synapse (B) neuron (C) glia (D) nephron
2. Neurotransmitters cross the gap between neurons known as the (A) synapse (B) axon (C) myelin sheath (D) dendrite
3. The myelin sheath functions to (A) speed neural transmission (B) produce neurotransmitters (C) receive signals (D) store memories
4. Dopamine is most associated with (A) blood sugar (B) reward and movement (C) bone growth (D) digestion
5. The brain region most responsible for forming new explicit memories is the (A) cerebellum (B) hippocampus (C) medulla (D) amygdala
6. The fight-or-flight response is driven by the (A) central nervous system (B) sympathetic nervous system (C) somatic nervous system (D) parasympathetic nervous system
7. In classical conditioning, a previously neutral stimulus that comes to trigger a response is the (A) unconditioned response (B) reinforcer (C) unconditioned stimulus (D) conditioned stimulus
8. Positive reinforcement (A) decreases a behavior (B) removes a pleasant stimulus (C) adds a pleasant stimulus to increase a behavior (D) adds an aversive stimulus
9. Information held briefly while being used is in (A) long-term memory (B) implicit memory (C) working/short-term memory (D) sensory memory
10. The tendency to attribute others' behavior to their personality rather than the situation is the (A) hindsight bias (B) self-serving bias (C) fundamental attribution error (D) framing effect
11. A measure that yields consistent results on repeated use is (A) standardized (B) normed (C) valid (D) reliable
12. In an experiment, the variable the researcher manipulates is the (A) confounding variable (B) dependent variable (C) control variable (D) independent variable
13. Random assignment is used primarily to (A) create equivalent groups and reduce confounds (B) ensure a representative sample (C) increase the sample size (D) introduce bias
14. According to Piaget, object permanence develops during the (A) preoperational stage (B) concrete operational stage (C) formal operational stage (D) sensorimotor stage
15. A drug that blocks a neurotransmitter's action at the receptor is a(n) (A) antagonist (B) agonist (C) reuptake enhancer (D) precursor

Section II — Free Response (condensed)

Q1 (Application & research, ~40 pts). A psychologist studies whether a 10-minute mindfulness session before a test reduces students' anxiety. Students are randomly assigned to a mindfulness group or a control group; anxiety is rated 0–10 afterward.

• (a) Identify the independent and dependent variables. (6)
• (b) Explain the purpose of random assignment in this study. (6)
• (c) State a possible operational definition of "anxiety" here. (6)
• (d) Explain how the sympathetic nervous system relates to test anxiety. (6)
• (e) Apply the concept of reinforcement to explain how a student might keep using mindfulness. (8)
• (f) Identify one ethical safeguard the researcher should include. (8)

Answer Key (Section I)

FRQ scoring notes (abbreviated)

• (a) IV = mindfulness vs control; DV = anxiety rating. (b) random assignment creates equivalent groups, controlling confounds so differences can be attributed to the IV. (c) e.g. "score on a 0–10 self-report anxiety scale." (d) the sympathetic system produces arousal (racing heart, sweating) experienced as anxiety. (e) if mindfulness reduces unpleasant anxiety, that relief negatively reinforces using it again. (f) e.g. informed consent, right to withdraw, debriefing, confidentiality.

AP score guide (approx.)

Section I (15) + Section II (40) = 55 points. Map: 5 ≈ 68%+, 4 ≈ 55–67%, 3 ≈ 40–54%, 2 ≈ 28–39%, 1 ≈ below. Official cut scores vary.