AP Psychology : Learning

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Psychology

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Example Questions

Example Question #121 : Learning

Which stage of memory processing has the shortest duration?

Possible Answers:

Sensory store

Working memory

Rehearsal

Short-term memory

Long-term memory

Correct answer:

Sensory store

Explanation:

The sensory store is the first step of perception. It gathers all of the sensory information that is coming in through the five senses. Attention towards particular stimuli brings them out of the sensory store and into working memory/short-term memory. The rest of the sensory infomation decays very rapidly.

Example Question #122 : Learning

Which statement(s) is true?

I. Crystallized intelligence is a measure of achievement/IQ

II. Crystallized intelligence is a measure of how quickly one is able to learn 

III. Fluid intelligence is a measure of achievement/IQ

IV. Fluid intelligence is a measure of how quickly one is able to learn

V. There is no difference between crystallized and fluid intelligence

Possible Answers:

III only

V only 

I only

I and IV 

II and III

Correct answer:

I and IV 

Explanation:

Crystallized intelligence is a measure of achievement, which can be tested by an IQ test. It includes facts and knowledge.

Fluid intelligence is a measure of how quickly an individual is able to learn. This cannot be tested on an IQ test. Fluid intelligence is often used as an indicator of future performance or academic potential.  

Example Question #123 : Learning

What is the average IQ of an 9-year-old child?

Possible Answers:

130

50

100

90

Greater than 130

Correct answer:

100

Explanation:

The formula for IQ is:

This allows for a score of 100 to be the average regardless of age. A 9-year-old who has a mental age of 9 has an IQ of 100. A 9-year-old who has the mental age of an 8-year-old has an IQ of 89. Thanks to this formula, it can be assumed that the average citizen has an IQ of 100, regardless of age.

Example Question #4 : Biological And Cognitive Factors

What is the expression for calculating IQ?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The formula for IQ is:

This allows for a score of 100 to be the average regardless of age. A 9-year-old who has a mental age of 9 has an IQ of 100. A 9-year-old who has the mental age of an 8-year-old has an IQ of 89. Thanks to this formula, it can be assumed that the average citizen has an IQ of 100.  

Example Question #124 : Learning

Which of the following is an example of a respondent behavior?

Possible Answers:

The "knee-jerk" reflex when a doctor hits your knee

Choosing "C" on a multiple choice exam as a guess

Asking a friend for help

Discussing your personal finances with a bank teller

Sneezing after coughing

Correct answer:

The "knee-jerk" reflex when a doctor hits your knee

Explanation:

Respondent behaviors occur as automatic responsees to stimuli. For example, dogs salivate in response to food, so the salivation is a respondent behavior. Additionally, the knee-jerk reflex is a popular example of a respondent behavior in humans.

Example Question #7 : Biological And Cognitive Factors

In Albert Bandura's "Bobo doll" experiment, in which children watched the interactions between adults and a clown doll, the children who watched adults behave aggressively toward Bobo were more likely to __________.

Possible Answers:

avoid Bobo completely out of fear.

act aggressively toward Bobo themselves.

ask questions about why the adults behaved that way.

play gently with Bobo and feel sympathetic toward him.

Correct answer:

act aggressively toward Bobo themselves.

Explanation:

In accordance with Bandura's social-learning theory, children who witnessed the aggressive behavior also acted aggressively toward the doll. The experiment also included an element of having the children watch the adults being rewarded, punished, or not experience any consequence whatsoever.

Example Question #7 : Biological And Cognitive Factors

Which of the following statements is/are true of the differences between fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence?

I. Fluid intelligence tends to decrease as we age, while crystallized intelligence tends to hold steady or even increase

II. Fluid intelligence tends to increase as we age, while crystallized intelligence tends to hold steady or even decrease

III. Fluid intelligence concerns the ability to acquire new information and skills, while crystallized intelligence deals with knowledge previously acquired

Possible Answers:

I and III

III only

I only

II only

II and III

Correct answer:

I and III

Explanation:

Fluid intelligence concerns the ability to solve abstract problems and to use new information effectively, and tends to decrease as we age. Crystallized intelligence involves the use of information recalled from previous education and experience, and does not decrease with age (and may even get better as we get older). Statements I and III are both true.

Example Question #8 : Biological And Cognitive Factors

An important distinction regarding the behavioral approach to studying learning is that it emphasizes which of the following?

Possible Answers:

The underlying biological basis for learning and memory

Information-processing procedures of the mind

All of these

Observable behaviors, antecedent stimuli, and consequences

Correct answer:

Observable behaviors, antecedent stimuli, and consequences

Explanation:

The definition of a behavioral approach is that all of the components can be observed, and no subjective inquiry is required. In this methodology, something happens to provoke learning (antecedent stimuli), an observable behavior occurs, and a consequence follows. An example of this process could be a toddler touching a hot stove, recoiling its hand, and never touching the stove again. The process of learning can be clearly explained through observation alone, without delving into how the information was processed in the toddler’s mind, or searching for the underlying biological basis for the learned behavior.

Example Question #125 : Learning

Which of the following explains why children with learning disabilities experience difficulties associated with education?

Possible Answers:

They are not capable of engaging in cognitive mapping or visual-spatial information processing

They have a general intellectual deficit, such as a low IQ

They perform poorly in all areas of learning

They have difficulty at some stage of information processing

Correct answer:

They have difficulty at some stage of information processing

Explanation:

Learning-disabled children are not lower in general intellect. The definition of a learning disability is adequate performance in some areas (e.g. mathematics or language) along with poor performance in another area (e.g. reading). Deficits in cognitive mapping and visual-spatial information processing are more likely attributable to a developmental disability due to a genetic disorder such as Down’s syndrome. Learning-disabled children, as compared to children without learning disabilities, may struggle at any stage of information processing from attention disorders to information encoding or retrieval.

Example Question #126 : Learning

An example of an experimental approach to studying individual differences in learning and memory during spaced practice would involve which of the following?

Possible Answers:

Comparing the effects of individuals’ genes and environments on spacing ability

Actively manipulating the spacing of repetitions 

Measuring differences between gender groups in spacing ability

Gathering anecdotal evidence

Correct answer:

Actively manipulating the spacing of repetitions 

Explanation:

Experiments always involve the active manipulation of variables. If we are only measuring differences between groups (e.g. gender) or variables (e.g. genetics or environmental factors), that would be considered a correlational study, not an experiment. The term "anecdotal evidence" implies a small set of personal observations, and does not meet the criteria for a scientific inquiry such as an experiment. 

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