AP Psychology
Unlock the Mind

A researcher wants to test whether listening to Mozart improves math scores. (a) Write a testable hypothesis. (b) Identify the IV, DV, and one potential confounding variable. (c) Explain how random assignment would help control confounding. (d) A correlational study finds r = 0.65 between Mozart listening and math scores. Can we conclude Mozart causes better math performance? Explain using research methodology.

Carlos is in a car accident and suffers damage to his hippocampus. Predict TWO specific effects on his behavior. Then: his amygdala is also affected. Predict how this might change his emotional responses. Finally, explain what brain imaging technique a doctor might use to assess which areas are still active, and why that method is appropriate.

Maya is driving in fog and suddenly sees the outline of a deer. (a) Explain how top-down processing vs. bottom-up processing contributed to what she perceived. (b) A highway engineer is designing warning signs. They want to know the minimum brightness needed for drivers to detect signs 50% of the time at night. What psychological concept is this? (c) Describe TWO monocular cues Maya might use to judge the deer's distance.

A student stays up for 48 hours before a final exam. (a) Describe what happens to their REM sleep patterns during this extended wakefulness. (b) After the exam, they 'crash' and sleep 12 hours. Explain 'REM rebound' and predict what their first sleep cycle would look like. (c) They drink 3 energy drinks during the study session. Name the drug class, the primary neurotransmitter affected, and TWO short-term effects.

Scenario: A dog named Rex was bitten by a bee while playing fetch. Now Rex refuses to go near the backyard where this happened, even though the bee is long gone. (a) Identify the US, UR, CS, and CR in this scenario. (b) Rex's owner slowly desensitizes Rex by approaching the backyard gradually with treats. What conditioning process is occurring? (c) Rex also refuses to go near ANY outdoor space, even parks. What classical conditioning concept explains this? (d) How could negative reinforcement (not punishment) be used to encourage Rex to re-enter the backyard?

Concept Application: A student (Priya) studied French for 3 years and is now learning Spanish. She keeps saying French words when trying to speak Spanish. (a) What type of interference is Priya experiencing? (b) She also struggles to remember French vocabulary she knew before. What type of interference is this? (c) Priya uses a mnemonic device to remember Spanish verb conjugations. Explain what mnemonic device she might use and how it works based on encoding principles. (d) Priya's Spanish teacher asks her to recall the word for 'butterfly.' She can't recall it, but recognizes it immediately when shown a list. Distinguish between recall and recognition memory.

A 4-year-old child (Mia) watches her mother pour juice from a tall thin glass into a short wide glass. Mia insists the tall glass has more juice. (a) Which Piagetian stage is Mia in? (b) What concept has Mia not yet mastered? (c) How would Vygotsky explain how a parent could help Mia understand conservation, using the ZPD? (d) Mia believes the stuffed animal on her bed feels sad when she leaves — what Piagetian concept describes this?

Alex is experiencing persistent sadness, loss of interest, sleep disruption, and difficulty concentrating for 3 months. (a) Identify the disorder and explain TWO biological and TWO cognitive factors that may contribute. (b) Describe how a cognitive-behavioral therapist would treat Alex — include both the cognitive and behavioral components. (c) A psychiatrist recommends an antidepressant. Explain the mechanism by which SSRIs would address Alex's symptoms at the neural level. (d) According to Maslow, what level of the hierarchy is Alex struggling to meet?

A collapse occurs at a busy train station. Of the 200 people present, no one calls 911 for 4 minutes. (a) Explain the bystander effect and diffusion of responsibility as they apply here. (b) After the event, bystanders explain their inaction by saying 'I assumed someone else had already called.' Is this an example of situational or dispositional attribution? (c) A news reporter later interviews a bystander who says 'I just froze — I'm not a good person in emergencies.' What error is the reporter making if they agree with this self-assessment? (d) Design an anti-bystander intervention using what you know about social psychology.