Download Preparing for the AP Psychology Exam 2011

Preparing for the AP Psychology Exam
The AP Psychology Test has 2 parts: a multiple-choice section and an essay section. You will
have 2 hours in which to complete the test. The multiple-choice portion contains 100 five-choice
(A-E) questions. You will have 70 minutes to complete this. This test does have a guessing
penalty. You lose points (1/4 of a point each) for wrong answers. However, whenever you can
eliminate one or more of the answer choices, you should guess.
The essay section contains 2 questions, and you must answer them both. You will have 50
minutes to complete this portion of the exam. It is imperative that you budget your time wisely.
The free-response questions evaluate mastery of scientific research principles and your ability to
make connections among constructs from different psychological domains. You may be asked to
analyze a general problem in psychology (e.g., depression, adaptation) using concepts from
different theoretical frameworks or sub-domains in the field, or you may be asked to design,
analyze, or critique a research study.
Your score (ranging from 1 to 5) on this exam will take into account your performance on both
the multiple-choice and essay sections, with the multiple-choice constituting 2/3 of your overall
score and the essay counting as 1/3.
Below are the major content areas covered by the AP Psychology exam, as well as approximate
percentages of the multiple-choice section that are devoted to each area.
I.
II.
III.
IV.
History and Approaches (2-4%)
a. Logic, Philosophy, and History of Science
b. Approaches
i. Biological
ii. Behavioral
iii. Cognitive
iv. Humanistic
v. Psychodynamic
vi. Sociocultural
Methods (6-8%)
a. Experimental, Correlational, and Clinical Research
i. Correlational (e.g. observational, survey, clinical)
ii. Experimental
b. Statistics
i. Descriptive
ii. Inferential
c. Ethics in Research
Biological Bases of Behavior (8-10%)
a. Physiological Techniques (e.g. imaging, surgical)
b. Neuroanatomy
c. Functional Organization of Nervous System
d. Neural Transmission
e. Endocrine System
f. Genetics
Sensation and Perception (7-9%)
a. Thresholds
b. Sensory Mechanisms
c. Sensory Adaptation
d. Attention
e. Perceptual Processes
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.
States of Consciousness (2-4%)
a. Sleep and Dreaming
b. Hypnosis
c. Psychoactive Drug Effects
Learning (7-9%)
a. Biological Factors
b. Classical Conditioning
c. Operant Conditioning
d. Social Learning
e. Cognitive Processes in Learning
Cognition (8-10%)
a. Memory
b. Language
c. Thinking
d. Problem Solving and Creativity
Motivation and Emotion (7-9%)
a. Biological Bases
b. Theories of Motivation
c. Hunger, Thirst, Sex, and Pain
d. Social Motives
e. Theories of Emotion
f. Stress
Developmental Psychology (7-9%)
a. Life-Span Approach
b. Research Methods (e.g. longitudinal, cross-sectional)
c. Heredity-Environment Issues
d. Developmental Theories
e. Dimensions of Development
i. Physical
ii. Cognitive
iii. Social
iv. Moral
f. Sex Roles, Sex Differences
Personality (6-8%)
a. Personality Theories and Approaches
b. Idiographic and Nomothetic Research
i. Idiographic – investigating individuals in personal, in-depth detail to
achieve a unique understanding of them
ii. Nomothetic – investigating large groups of people in order to find general
laws of behavior that apply to everyone
c. Assessment Techniques
d. Self-concept, Self-esteem
e. Growth and Adjustment
Testing and Individual Differences (5-7%)
a. Standardization and Norms
b. Reliability and Validity
c. Types of Tests
d. Ethics and Standards in Testing
e. Intelligence
f. Heredity/Environment and Intelligence
g. Human Diversity
XII.
Abnormal Psychology (7-9%)
a. Definitions of Abnormal
b. Theories of Psychopathology
c. Diagnosis of Psychopathology
d. Anxiety Disorders
e. Somatoform Disorders
f. Mood Disorders
g. Schizophrenic Disorders
h. Organic Disorders
i. Personality Disorders
j. Dissociative Disorders
XIII. Treatment of Psychological Disorders (5-7%)
a. Treatment Approaches
i. Insight Therapies: Psychodynamic/Phenomenological Approaches
ii. Behavioral Approaches
iii. Cognitive Approaches
b. Modes of Therapy (e.g. individual, group)
c. Community and Preventive Approaches
XIV. Social Psychology (7-9%)
a. Group Dynamics
b. Interpersonal Perception
c. Conformity, Compliance, Obedience
d. Attitudes and Attitude Change
e. Organizational Behavior
f. Aggression/Antisocial Behavior
Multiple Choice Test-Taking Tips
1. Try to answer the questions before you look at the choices.
2. Read all of the answer choices.
3. Narrow down the possible answer.
4. If you are unsure of an answer, guess if you can eliminate at least one of the answer
choices.
5. Guess smart
a. Use common sense.
b. Use your knowledge of the psychological perspectives (sometimes language used
can give you a clue about the right answer; each perspective uses certain terms).
Example: behaviorist terminology (reinforcement and punishment)
c. Avoid extreme answer choices. Choices that contain words like all or never or
everyone are rarely correct.
d. Be wary of answer choices that are very similar to one another. Remember,
you’re looking for the best answer. If some of the choices are so similar that one
cannot be better than the other, neither can be the correct answer.
6. Budget your time. You have roughly 2/3 of a minute for each question. If you find
yourself confused, skip the question and come back to it once you have completed the
section. If you are debating among several answer choices, choose one temporarily, but
mark the question so that you will remember to review it once you have finished the other
questions.
Assuming your essays are average, you need to earn approximately 60 points on the multiplechoice section to earn a “3,” 70 points to earn a “4,” and 80 points to earn a “5.”
Essay Writing Tips
1. Remember to think before you start writing and feel free to jot down a few notes. Use 23 minutes to organize your thoughts about each essay, but be careful not to spend so
much time that you feel rushed later.
2. Do not write your answer in outline form. While readers do not give points for the use of
full sentences, proper paragraph form, and so on, they are not allowed to give any points
for an essay written as an outline. Write your essay in sentences and paragraphs. Do not
label parts of your essay with letters; use paragraphs to show where you move from one
point to the next.
3. Make sure you cover everything the question asks in the order that it asks. Picture the
likely rubric in your mind and answer each part of the question in a clear, organized way.
4. Structure your essay so that it clearly shows you answered all parts of the question. Each
paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that indicates which part of the question
you are answering.
5. Do not create a lengthy introduction and conclusion. Don’t waste time repeating the
question. The reader knows it well enough by now.
6. Try to write as clearly as you can in the time you have. Undecipherable handwriting will
not help you get a better score. If you need to add text in the middle of your response,
clearly indicate where the additional text should go.
7. Use all your time. If you have extra time, use it to go back and make sure you said what
you wanted to, add more examples for clarification, and rewrite any confusing sections.
8. Keep it simple.
9. Use psychological terms. Readers are looking for psychological knowledge, not what
these terms mean in other contexts. In all cases, use the term, define it clearly, and give
an example if possible.
10. Make sure your context is clear.
11. If you feel clueless about a part of an essay, do not despair. Do your best – write
something, if at all possible. You might hit on what the rubric asks for. If not, you will
not be penalized for trying. Do not worry – missing one part of the essay question will
not doom your score.
Remember to apply some of what you learned about psychology:
 It’s better to space out your studying over many days than to cram for the same amount
of time at the end.
 Studying is important, but so is sleep.
 According to the Yerkes-Dodson Law, a moderate level of arousal will help you perform
well on the test. Although you don’t want to be so anxious that you can’t focus, you will
want to “psych” yourself up for the test.