AP PSYCHOLOGY Scoring Guide

AP 2025 practice exam_DİLARAALTAN

1. Deandra creates a detailed mental image of the spatial layout of the biology lab where she will take her final exams.
The mental image of the spatial layout is called which of the following?
(A) Algorithm
(B) Mental set
(C) Cognitive map
(D) Insight

2. Which of the following examples best represents altruism?

(A) Booker stops to help someone even though it puts him in danger.
(B) Darby helps his boss in order to get some overtime pay.
(C) Josie forms a study group to hold herself accountable for studying.
(D) Sammy helps a friend move because the friend previously helped Sammy move.

Answer A

Correct. The action represents an unselfish regard for someone else.

3. Amanda experienced discomfort in class. She put on a sweater when she realized her discomfort was caused by the
cold. Her behavior was motivated by which of the following?
(A) Instincts
(B) Display rules
(C) A drive
(D) Cognitive dissonance

4. When Amy was seven years of age, she had a babysitter from France. During this time Amy learned to speak a little
French. Years later, when Amy got to college, she signed up for a beginning French class. Amy learned the material
in her French class much more quickly than her classmates did. Amy’s rapid learning was most likely due to

(A) implicit memory

(B) episodic memory
(C) spontaneous recovery
(D) fluid intelligence

5. Ana is instructed by her doctor to wear a patch over one eye while an infection heals. While wearing the patch, Ana
will lose her ability to use which of the following depth perception cues?

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(A) Relative size

(B) Interposition
(C) Linear perspective
(D) Retinal disparity

Answer D

Correct. Retinal disparity, the slight difference in images seen by the left and right eyes, is a binocular
cue.

6. Dr. Yankovic is interested in whether humans display more anger on their faces when they are alone or with others.
Subjects were told that the purpose of the experiment was to evaluate different personality traits using a personality
inventory. However, the true purpose of the study was to expose subjects to a frustrating situation in which the
personality inventory they are filling out keeps restarting and their information does not save. Subjects’ faces are
closely monitored in the alone condition and in the with others condition to see whether subjects display more anger
when alone or with others.

Which ethical guideline does Dr. Yankovic need to follow at the conclusion of the study?
(A) Informed consent
(B) Debriefing
(C) Reveal the names of the individual subjects
(D) Make sure the sample of the subjects is representative of the population.

Answer B

Correct. The researcher needs to explain the true purpose of the study, especially since deception
(believing it was a study about personality traits) was used.

7. Angry with his professor because of a difficult exam, Martin returns home and takes out his anger on his best friend.
Martin’s behavior illustrates
(A) projection
(B) reaction formation
(C) regression
(D) displacement

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8. Charlie believes anorexia nervosa is the direct result of the emphasis put on thinness in movies, television, and
advertisements. Which of the following approaches is most consistent with Charlie’s viewpoint?
(A) Psychoanalytical
(B) Sociocultural
(C) Biological
(D) Humanistic

Answer B

Correct. The sociocultural approach emphasizes the impact that larger cultural and social influences have
on individual behavior. Thus, a cultural emphasis on thinness would lead to this disorder.

9. While attending a concert, Anthony finds that he can clearly recognize the melody coming from the lead violin
above all the other instruments playing in the orchestra, even though the other instruments may be louder. Gestalt
psychologists would explain Anthony’s ability using the principle of

(A) figure-ground
(B) simplicity
(C) constancy
(D) proximity

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10. SUDS = Subjective Units of Distress Scale (0-100)

Item SUDS Score
Going to a concert 95
Taking public transportation 95
Giving presentation or speech to a small group 90
Going to a house party with some unknown people 80
Sitting in a classroom (being called on and not having homework) 80
Returning an item to a store 70
Going to a theater for a movie or play 65
Conversation with a person in line at convenience store 65
Conversation with small group of new people 60
Extended conversation with stranger 55
Sitting alone in a restaurant or cafeteria 55
Going to a restaurant with family 45
Job interview 45
Introducing self to women 40

Having a patient create a hierarchy like the one presented above is most consistent with which therapeutic
technique?
(A) Systematic desensitization
(B) Free association
(C) Person-centered therapy
(D) Token economy

Answer A

Correct. An anxiety hierarchy is created at the beginning of systematic desensitization.

11. Researchers at a local university conduct research to find the biological bases for Alzheimer's disease. According to
the ethical guidelines set by the American Psychological Association (APA), which of the following is true of
psychological research in which animals are used as subjects?

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(A) It must not involve the use of surgical procedures.

(B) It is no longer permitted by the APA without special authorization.
(C) It should conform to all APA ethical guidelines for animal research.
(D) It may not be conducted by psychologists who do not have a license.

12. Some studies conducted in the mid-20th century in social psychology on obedience and social roles have been
criticized for not treating participants well. Which of the following best describes the response of members of the
American Psychological Association to these types of ethical issues in research?
(A) They disclaim ethical concerns regarding research.
(B) They have developed codes of ethics for research with human participants only.
(C) They have developed codes of ethics for research with animal subjects only.
(D) They have developed codes of ethics for research with both human participants and animal subjects.

13. Ten-month-old Jacqueline is seated on a couch. A researcher takes a toy from her hands and hides it under a
blanket. Jacqueline reaches for the toy under the blanket. Which of the following concepts is being tested in this
study?
(A) Conservation
(B) Egocentrism
(C) Animism
(D) Object permanence

Answer D

Correct. Object permanence refers to the ability to understand that things continue to exist even when not
sensed.

14.
Autonomic Nervous Part A Autonomic Nervous Part B
Pupils are dilated Pupils contract
Heartbeat Accelerates Heartbeat slows
Digestion Stops Digestion continues
Relaxes bladder Bladder Contracts

Which branch of the autonomic nervous system is described by the functions listed in Part B of the table?

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(A) Parasympathetic nervous system

(B) Sympathetic nervous system
(C) Central nervous system
(D) Somatic nervous system

Answer A

Correct. The actions listed are typical of rest and digest, functions of the parasympathetic nervous
system.

15. Alicia has started a new and very different job but believes in her skills and ability to carry out the tasks required of
her. A social-cognitive psychologist would refer to Alicia’s sense of confidence as which of the following?
(A) Reciprocal determinism
(B) Self-determination
(C) Psychic determinism
(D) Self-efficacy

16. A basic assumption underlying the definition of groupthink is that

(A) more reasonable decisions are made by groups than by individuals
(B) group members desire peace and harmony within the group
(C) group members are primarily interested in their own advancement within the group
(D) decisions made by groups of people tend to be more extreme than those made by individuals

17. The notion that human behavior is greatly influenced by unconscious thoughts and desires is most consistent with
which of the following psychological approaches?
(A) Cognitive
(B) Biological
(C) Behavioral
(D) Psychodynamic

18. Behavior therapists emphasize which of the following in their treatment of clients?
(A) Freedom of choice about the future
(B) The uncovering of unconscious defense mechanisms
(C) Responses that have been reinforced in the past
(D) Early childhood conflicts

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19. Which of the following examples best represents a behavioral approach to treatment?
(A) Marco’s psychologist helps him focus on identifying unhelpful patterns of thinking.
Annaleise’s psychologist has her identify a fear hierarchy of spider-related experiences to work through
(B)
systematically as she practices relaxation techniques.
(C) Dina’s psychologist has her think about what her ideal life would be like.
Lucy’s psychologist helps her relive past childhood experiences to uncover the hidden source of her
(D)
anxiety.

Answer B

Correct. The behavioral approach uses principles of classical and operant conditioning to overcome one’s
fears.

20. Benito’s father says that if Benito finishes his homework, they can go out for pizza. Benito, who hates doing
homework, finishes quickly because he is excited to get pizza. The scenario can be best explained through which of
the following?
(A) Homeostasis
(B) Arousal theory
(C) Incentive theory
(D) Self-fulfilling prophecy

Answer C

Correct. The pizza acts as an incentive, an external reward, for Benito to get his homework completed.

21. The defense mechanism of projection is best illustrated by which of the following examples?
(A) When scolded by his parents, a college student reverts to childlike behavior to gain sympathy.
(B) A soccer player who does not have much athletic skill constantly criticizes other athletes’ performances.
After exams were graded and returned, a college student looked at his low grade and decided that the
(C)
test was unfair and difficult.
(D) After a fight with her boyfriend, a woman yells at her roommate for sitting in her favorite chair.

22. Studies of the Big Five personality traits have revealed that

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(A) most of the traits show little validity across cultures

(B) people show fairly high levels of stability in the traits from year to year
(C) measurement of the traits is highly reliable when psychologists use projective tests
(D) scores on all five traits are highly intercorrelated

Answer B

Correct. By definition, personality traits are stable characteristics of behavior.

23. Dr. Sybert is trying to determine how the Big Five personality traits of agreeableness and extraversion are related to
one another. Dr. Sybert had a group of participants complete a survey in which they rated their levels of
agreeableness and extraversion on a scale of 1 to 6, and the resulting data were graphed into a scatterplot.

Big Five Traits

Based on the data presented in the graph, which of the following describes the type of correlation between the two
variables?
(A) Normally distributed
(B) Positive
(C) Negative
(D) Statistically significant

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Answer B

Correct. The scatterplot indicates a positive correlation in the data. As scores for agreeableness rise, so
do scores for extraversion.

24.

According to the broaden-and-build theory of emotion, which of the following is the foundation for well-being
missing from the diagram?
(A) Experiencing positive emotions
(B) Experiencing a low level of the Big Five trait of agreeableness
(C) A low level of the Big Five trait of emotional stability
(D) Having an external locus of control

Answer A

Correct. This is what leads to broadened thinking, resource building, and improved well-being.

25. If Carmelita stares at a red spot for one minute and then shifts her gaze to a white piece of paper, she is likely to
experience an afterimage that is

(A) green
(B) red
(C) blue
(D) black

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26.

Which of the following identifies the part of the nervous system the arrows are pointing toward?
(A) Limbic
(B) Sympathetic
(C) Parasympathetic
(D) Central

Answer D

Correct. The arrow is pointing at the Central nervous system structures of the brain and spinal cord.

27. A researcher has a hypothesis that men are more likely to be influenced by the central route to persuasion when
buying a car than women are. The researcher randomly selects thirty men and thirty women to observe while they
buy a car, and the researcher finds that women pay attention to information about the reliability of the car, whereas
men pay attention to available colors that the car comes in. Which conclusion can the researcher draw?

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The hypothesis is supported, because the results indicate that men are influenced more by the central
(A)
route to persuasion than women are.
The hypothesis is not supported, because the results indicate that women are influenced more by the
(B)
central route to persuasion than men are.
The researcher has proved that men are more influenced by the central route to persuasion than women
(C)
are.
The researcher has proved that women are more influenced by the central route to persuasion than men
(D)
are.

Answer B

Correct. The data supports the hypothesis that women were more interested in a central aspect of the car
(how the car functions) than a peripheral aspect (the color), but did not prove the hypothesis because a
researcher can never prove a hypothesis, it can only be supported by collected observations.

28. Bobby is seventeen and has been engaging in risky behaviors, such as reckless driving, skipping class, and breaking
curfew. Which of the following is an explanation for Bobby's actions that most psychologists support?
(A) Bobby is still developing new neural connections in his brain.
(B) Bobby is rebelling against his peers because he feels left out.
(C) Bobby’s temperament makes him prone to risk-taking behavior.
(D) Bobby’s parents have an authoritative parenting style.

Answer A

Correct. Adolescents are still developing neural pathways in the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain
primarily responsible for planning and reasoning, which may lead to more risky behavior.

29. The change in the curvature of the lens that enables the eye to focus on objects at various distances is called

(A) accommodation
(B) adaptation
(C) conduction
(D) convergence

30. Crystal has three children she loves and cares for very much. Denise has two children that she neglects. Crystal’s
children are very friendly and talk to people more often than Denise’s children. Which of the following is the likely
result of the children’s attachment to their mothers?

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(A) Crystal used rewards and punishments more often than Denise.
(B) Crystal’s children will have better socialization skills.
(C) Denise’s children's schemas regarding parent-child relationships are quite strong.
(D) Crystal’s children will have resolved the Oedipal complex, and Denise’s children will not have.

Answer B

Correct. Research indicates that there is some relationship between early attachment and the quality of
later socialization skills.

31. As a child, George often skipped school and engaged in repeated acts of vandalism and petty theft. As an adult, he
has been arrested for running a dishonest investment company. The most likely diagnosis for George’s current
behavior is
(A) narcissistic personality disorder
(B) antisocial personality disorder
(C) borderline personality disorder
(D) oppositional defiant disorder

32. Children of authoritative parents tend to be

(A) indecisive
(B) independent
(C) withdrawn
(D) aggressive

33. Jane often walked with her baby, Chloe, past a construction site. Near the site, a bright light followed by a loud
sound would occur that would frighten Chloe, and she would cry. Soon Chloe would cry even if the light was not
followed by the loud noise. Eventually Chloe began to cry when she saw flashing lights at the supermarket as well.
This pattern of behavior reflects
(A) stimulus generalization
(B) negative reinforcement
(C) secondary reinforcement
(D) shaping of behavior

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Answer A

Correct. Stimulus generalization describes the tendency of a conditioned response to occur in the
presence of stimuli that are similar but not identical to the original conditioned stimulus, such as the
light.

34. Chuck asked Jane out on a date and he offered her two possible options—to see a movie or to go ice skating. Jane
felt a bit stressed about making the decision because she liked both activities. Which of the following conflicts was
Jane experiencing?
(A) Avoidance-avoidance
(B) Approach-avoidance
(C) Approach-approach
(D) Interpersonal

35. Chuck recalls the day last summer when he fell off his bicycle and scraped his knee. This is an example of
(A) iconic memory
(B) procedural memory
(C) semantic memory
(D) episodic memory

36. A psychologist who classifies an individual’s personality according to the person’s manifestations of traits such as
emotional stability, openness, and extraversion probably believes in which theory of personality?
(A) Behavioral
(B) Psychodynamic
(C) Psychosocial
(D) Five-factor

37. The therapeutic technique that stresses that the patient should determine the course of therapy is known as
(A) flooding
(B) rational-emotive behavior therapy
(C) logotherapy
(D) person-centered therapy

38. A client whose improvement during therapy is the result of his or her expectation of improvement rather than the
result of the therapy itself is showing

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(A) a placebo effect

(B) a disorder in remission
(C) negative transference
(D) catharsis

39. Benjamin is five years old. While his mother is making his lunch, he explains to her that he is very hungry and
would like a lot to eat. His mother cuts his sandwich into four pieces, and he is very pleased. Benjamin’s pleasure at
having four small pieces instead of one large piece is due to the fact that he lacks
(A) conservation
(B) object permanence
(C) theory of mind
(D) assimilation

Answer A

Correct. Conservation is the ability to recognize that quantity (volume, size, etc.) is consistent regardless
of the shape it takes.

40. Anthony thinks he will fail his math test because he believes he is terrible at math, even though he has passed his
previous math tests. Which of the following explanations would the cognitive approach use to explain Anthony’s
behavior?
His irrational thoughts are causing him to doubt his abilities, even though he has evidence to show
(A)
otherwise.
(B) He has not fully achieved self-actualization, even though he has evidence to show otherwise.
(C) He has a conflict between his id and his superego, so it keeps him from studying appropriately.
(D) He is using a defense mechanism, so it keeps him from studying appropriately.

Answer A

Correct. The cognitive approach focuses on how irrational thinking affects people’s behavior.

41. Cognitive theorists emphasize the

(A) powerful unconscious impulses that motivate behavior
(B) formation and modification of schemas
(C) impact of rewards and punishments
(D) individual’s desire to become self-actualized

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42. If a patient is diagnosed with depression, a cognitive psychologist would likely emphasize which of the following in
the patient’s course of treatment?
(A) Restructuring the patient’s maladaptive and self-defeating thought processes
Uncovering early childhood events that may have been repressed and are now contributing to the
(B)
depression
(C) Using exposure therapy to gradually direct the patient to more positive behaviors
(D) Using reflective listening techniques to ensure that the patient feels they are being heard

Answer A

Correct. Cognitive therapy would support the development of healthier thought processes.

Signs & Symptoms

NOTE: Anhedonia is the inability to enjoy oneself. Avolition is lack of motivation.

43. How might a psychologist using the sociocultural perspective differ from a psychologist of the biological
perspective in explaining the causes of the symptoms listed in the infographic above?

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A sociocultural psychologist would look to environmental factors while a biological psychologist would
(A)
consider genetics and chemical imbalances in the brain.
A sociocultural psychologist would look to unconscious thoughts and experiences developed during
(B) childhood while a biological psychologist would look to physical characteristics such as eye color,
height and weight.
A sociocultural psychologist would investigate where individuals showing symptoms fall on the
(C)
introversion/extroversion scale, while a biological psychologist would use projective tests.
A sociocultural psychologist would evaluate which maladaptive thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, or emotions
(D) are present in the individual and the biological psychologist would focus on maladaptive learned
associations between stimuli.

Answer A

Correct. The two psychologists are pursuing perspective-appropriate avenues.

44. Which of the following disorders is the infographic describing?

(A) Depressive disorders
(B) Schizophrenia spectrum disorders
(C) Anxiety disorders
(D) Dissociative disorders

Answer B

Correct. The symptoms listed on the infographic correspond to those of schizophrenia spectrum
disorders.

45. If a researcher wanted to do an experiment to examine if a biological treatment was successful for addressing the
positive symptoms, which of the following might be an important ethical consideration?
(A) The control group would lead the debriefing after the study.
(B) Individuals in the study would be randomly assigned to the control group.
(C) The control group would receive the biological treatment.
(D) The participants might not be able to give consent.

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Answer D

Correct. The participants might be experiencing symptoms of their disorder which may lead them to
misunderstand their role in the study.

46. Male birds from a species called bird of paradise use a complex set of behaviors to convince the female members of
the species that they are suitable mates. This type of behavior is a complex pattern of organized, unlearned behavior
that is species-specific. Which of the following best identifies this type of behavior?
(A) a drive
(B) a motive
(C) an emotion
(D) an instinct

47. Which of the following scenarios best demonstrates context-dependent memory?

(A) Carol performs better in her recital when she practices in short sessions, several times a day.
(B) Edgar solves his jigsaw puzzles faster when he completes the edges first.
(C) Rosemarie shoots more accurately at her archery competition when other people are around.
(D) Jeannette does better on her exam when she takes it in the same room where she studies.

Answer D

Correct. Recall is best when encoding and retrieval occur in the same context.

48. Corey has a list of things he needs from the grocery store but forgets his list at home. At the store, Corey struggles
to remember the items on his list, but when he sees a display of oranges, he remembers that oranges were on his list.
This is an example of
(A) recall
(B) recognition
(C) working memory
(D) sensory memory

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Answer B

Correct. Corey matched visual information with a mental representation to remember the oranges on the
list.

49. Dr. Walsh gathers data on the number of teratogens pregnant women were exposed to in a large city and the number
of weeks at which their babies were delivered. The correlation between the two measures obtained in this study
would be graphically represented as which of the following?
(A) bar graph
(B) normal distribution
(C) histogram
(D) scatterplot

50. When Cory is given a logic problem to solve, he systematically tries every possible solution until he finds the
correct answer. Cory’s strategy is to use

(A) an algorithm
(B) a heuristic
(C) cognitive restructuring
(D) insight

51. Jean Piaget formulated his theory of cognitive development by observing his own children at play. What is a valid
criticism of the case study approach that Jean Piaget used to collect research data to originate his cognitive
development theory?
(A) He failed to get permission from the parents of the children he studied.
He limited his observations to groups of children with mixed ages because he believed that group efforts
(B)
would enhance learning.
He interviewed many children to achieve breadth when it would have been better to focus on a few
(C)
children to achieve depth.
(D) His observations may have been biased due to his relationship with the participants.

Answer D

Correct. Case studies are vulnerable to biases held by the interviewer or researcher that can influence the
outcome of the research.

52. Curare blocks action at acetylcholine synapses and causes paralysis. This drug is an example of an

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(A) antagonist
(B) agonist
(C) inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP)
(D) excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP)

53. An individual who drinks alcohol daily finds it necessary to drink increasing amounts to achieve the state of well-
being attained in the past. This individual is showing
(A) withdrawal symptoms
(B) alcohol-induced psychosis
(C) state-dependent learning
(D) alcohol tolerance

54. Damage to the occipital lobe would most likely affect a person’s
(A) balance
(B) vision
(C) fine motor movements
(D) language processing

55. An individual with damage to Wernicke’s area is most likely to have difficulty
(A) identifying an object held in the hand but not seen
(B) remembering the name of a person in a photograph
(C) comprehending a spoken request for information
(D) distinguishing between red and green

56. A group of researchers conduct a study where they tell the participants that they will be doing a memory study, but
the researchers were actually measuring levels of anxiety about doing well on a task. The group of researchers
should be sure to do which of the following at the conclusion of this study?
(A) Use deception so the participants won't know the true nature of the study.
(B) Identify the confounding variables to improve the statistical accuracy of the study.
(C) Explain the purpose of a study before the study begins.
(D) Explain the true purpose of a study immediately after the study is complete.

Answer D

Correct. Debriefing is when the researcher tells the true nature of the experiment after the study is
complete.

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57. Mrs. Downing is 80 years old and lives in an assisted living facility. She often stops speaking in the middle of
sentences because she can't remember the topic being discussed. She also tries on most days to leave the facility so
she can get home to cook dinner for her family. The depletion of which of the following neurotransmitters is most
closely associated with the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease that Mrs. Downing is likely experiencing?
(A) Dopamine
(B) Acetylcholine
(C) Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
(D) Norepinephrine

58. According to the diathesis-stress model of schizophrenia, which of the following is true of a person with a genetic
predisposition for developing schizophrenia?
(A) The person has a mother who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia.
(B) The person will develop symptoms of the disorder during young adulthood.
(C) The person has a high level of dopamine activity.
(D) The person has an increased likelihood of developing the disorder during a period of major life changes.

59. A teacher has to learn 170 new student names every year and finds it difficult to remember the names of former
students. The teacher’s memory problem most likely results from
(A) proactive interference
(B) retroactive interference
(C) retroactive amnesia
(D) anterograde amnesia

Answer B

Correct. Retroactive interference occurs when new information impedes the ability to remember old
information.

60. Dr. Lee is interested in the effect of lighting on people’s ability to concentrate. Dr. Lee studies this by manipulating
the amount of lighting while participants read and then measuring their scores on a reading comprehension test.
Group 1 receives dim light, and group 2 receives bright light. Which of the following research methods is Dr. Lee
using?
(A) A case study
(B) A correlational study
(C) An experiment
(D) A simulation

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61. Electroconvulsive therapy has been most successful in the treatment of

(A) schizophrenia
(B) psychogenic amnesia
(C) multiple personality
(D) clinical depression

62. Emiko’s cat often meows for food. Emiko decides to eliminate the behavior by feeding the cat only when it does not
meow. Over the next few weeks, she sometimes ignores the cat when it meows. Other times, she feeds the cat when
it meows. Which of the following is the most reasonable prediction to make about the cat’s meowing for food?
(A) It will disappear due to extinction.
(B) It will decrease overall but not extinguish.
(C) It will remain unchanged due to a continuous schedule of reinforcement.
(D) It will increase due to a variable schedule of reinforcement.

63. Which of the following is most useful in under-standing an employer's interpretation of an employee's poor
performance?
(A) Cannon's theory
(B) Reinforcement theory
(C) Attribution theory
(D) Cognitive dissonance

64. A test author most interested in ensuring that individuals receive similar scores on a personality test every time they
take it is attempting to increase which of the following?
(A) Validity
(B) Reliability
(C) Experimenter-expectancy effects
(D) Standardization

Answer B

Correct. Reliability refers to the consistency or stability of an assessment.

65. People often have expectations about another person that influence how they act toward that person. Such
expectations in turn cause that person to behave consistently with the original expectations. The phenomenon is
known as

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(A) a self-fulfilling prophecy

(B) mental set
(C) hindsight bias
(D) social facilitation

66. A professor conducts an experiment in which she asks college students to watch an hour-long educational video.
The professor randomly assigns half of the students to receive ten points of extra credit for watching the video,
while the other half of the students receive only one point. After watching the video, each student rates how
interesting the video was on a scale of 1 to 100. The professor finds that the students who received one point rate the
video as more interesting than those who received ten points. Which theory best explains these results?
(A) Drive-reduction
(B) Arousal
(C) Incentive
(D) Cognitive dissonance

Answer D

Correct. Adjusting one’s thinking to justify rating the hour-long video as interesting after receiving only
one point explains these results.

67. , 3, 0, 3,

Researchers collect data from five participants about their explanatory style. The data are presented in the number
set. What is the standard deviation of the numbers in the set?
(A)
(B) 0
(C) 3
(D) 6

Answer C

Correct. On average, the numbers differ from the mean (0) by 3.

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68. The raw scores presented are the results of a fitness test for first year college students:

20, 42, 37, 46, 24, 42, 34, 26, 42, 27

What is the mean of the distribution of the raw scores presented?

(A) 35.5
(B) 34
(C) 26
(D) 42

Answer B

Correct. The average of the scores is 34.

Professor Whitmore conducted research to examine changes in cognitive development across the life span. He recruited
400 participants and then grouped them by age. The study included 20-year-olds, 40-year-olds, 60-year-olds, and 80-year-
olds (100 in each group). Each group in the study took several different tests. Some of the tests were fact-based and drew
upon knowledge from several different areas. Other tests required participants to solve new problems as quickly as they
could.

69. Based upon research on fluid intelligence, which of the following is a likely hypothesis for Dr. Whitmore’s study?
(A) The 80-year-old cohort will likely outperform the 20-year-old cohort on all cognitive measures.
The 40-year-old cohort will likely perform the lowest on the section of the test where participants are
(B)
solving new problems quickly.
(C) The 60-year-old cohort will likely perform better than all other groups on tests of factual knowledge.
The 20-year-old cohort will likely outperform all other groups on the tests that involve solving new
(D)
problems quickly.

Answer D

Correct. Research on fluid intelligence indicates the younger groups outperform older cohorts on solving
novel problems.

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AP 2025 practice exam_DİLARAALTAN

70. For extinction to occur, which of the following must be true of the conditioned response (CR), the conditioned
stimulus (CS), and the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) ?
(A) The CR occurs after the CS but does not occur after other stimuli.
(B) The CS and the UCS are repeatedly paired, and the CR gains strength.
(C) The CS is repeatedly presented in the absence of the UCS, and the CR loses strength.
(D) When the CR loses strength, a rest period is given, after which the CS again elicits the CR.

71. Leila saw a man treat a passerby rudely. Shortly after that, she saw him slip and fall to the ground. She immediately
thought, “What a clumsy man,” without acknowledging that he had walked onto a patch of ice. Leila is
demonstrating the fundamental attribution error because
(A) the thought was immediate
(B) she projected her own clumsiness onto the man
(C) she blamed his fall on his being clumsy
(D) she thought he got what he deserved

Answer C

Correct. Leila is overattributing the fall to the person’s personal characteristics.

72. A researcher wants to explore whether a new treatment for muscular sclerosis is effective. What is the best way to
ensure that results of a study are generalizable to a population?
(A) By making sure to use as many participants as possible
(B) By making sure the results are significant
(C) By using random assignment
(D) By using a random selection of people in that population

Answer D

Correct. Random selection is the best way to accurately represent a population.

73. Genie was a girl who endured abusive and neglectful conditions and was deprived of language exposure until she
was rescued at age 13. Despite remediation, Genie was unable to learn to speak fluently. Historically, this case
study was used to demonstrate the effects of

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AP 2025 practice exam_DİLARAALTAN

(A) sensitive periods

(B) overgeneralization of language
(C) self-fulfilling prophecies
(D) cognitive dissonance

74. George sat next to Kiki in biology class every day. They often worked together on assignments. By the end of the
semester, George became quite fond of Kiki. Which social psychological term best explains George’s attraction to
Kiki?
(A) Social trap
(B) Mere-exposure effect
(C) Bystander effect
(D) Altruism

75. After having a stroke resulting from a blockage of blood to the medial temporal lobe, Gerald could not remember
new information, such as the books he had just read, new songs he had just heard, or the faces of new people he had
just met. Gerald was experiencing
(A) dissociative fugue
(B) dissociative amnesia
(C) retrograde amnesia
(D) anterograde amnesia

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