AP Psychology : Individual Psychology and Behavior

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Psychology

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Example Questions

Example Question #14 : Motivation And Emotion

For which motivational theory is Abraham Maslow known?

Possible Answers:

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Maslow's homeostasis

Maslow's terror management theory

Maslow's unconscious conflict

Maslow's hedonic principle

Correct answer:

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Explanation:

Abraham Maslow is most famous for his theory about the hierarchy of needs, which states that people are motivated to fulfill a number of needs and once they fill one, they move to the next higher level need. The needs, in order are: physical needs, security needs, belongingness, self-esteem, and self-actualization.

Homeostasis is the state of balance in the body. The hedonic principle is that people are motivated to seek pleasure and avoid/resist pain. Terror management theory describes the conflict between the desire to continue living and the knowledge that death is inevitable. Unconscious conflict is associated with Freud, not Maslow.

 

Example Question #13 : Theories Of Motivation

Which of the following puts the stages of the sexual response cycle in the correct order?

Possible Answers:

Excitement, orgasm, refractory, plateau

Excitement, refractory, orgasm, plateau

Excitement, orgasm, plateau, refractory

Refractory, excitement, plateau, orgasm

Excitement, plateau, orgasm, refractory

Correct answer:

Excitement, plateau, orgasm, refractory

Explanation:

The stages of the sexual response cycle are as follows: excitement, plateau, orgasm, and refractory. The excitement phase involves erection, blood rushing to the genitals, and increases in heart rate. The plateau phase involves the secretion of genital fluid and maintained increased heart rate. Orgasm involves ejaculation, feelings of ecstasy, and vaginal contractions. The refractory phase involves normal heart rate and a time period in which orgasm cannot occur.

Example Question #15 : Motivation And Emotion

What is the difference between approach motivation and avoidance motivation?

Possible Answers:

An individual usually has either entirely approach or entirely avoidance motivation.

Approach motivation is usually stronger.

Avoidance motivation involves seeking positive events whereas approach motivation involves staying clear of negative events.

Avoidance motivation is usually better to have.

Approach motivation involves seeking positive events whereas avoidance motivation involves staying clear of negative events.

Correct answer:

Approach motivation involves seeking positive events whereas avoidance motivation involves staying clear of negative events.

Explanation:

This question is mostly definitional- approach motivation involves seeking (approaching) positive events whereas avoidance motivation involves staying clear of (avoiding) negative events. Avoidance motivation is usually stronger in humans, but not necessarily better. Although people tend to have more of one type of motivation than the other, every person has some of both.

Example Question #16 : Motivation And Emotion

According to __________, one can only achieve self-actualization when physiological needs, safety needs, belonging needs, and esteem needs are satisfied.

Possible Answers:

Abraham Maslow

Albert Bandura

Jean Piaget

Wilhelm Wundt

B.F. Skinner

Correct answer:

Abraham Maslow

Explanation:

Maslow's hierarchy of needs states that there are various levels of motivation that drive people. As a result, physiological needs must be satisfied before someone can pursue higher motivations. According to Maslow, self-actualization is the highest motivation that one can achieve.

Example Question #17 : Motivation And Emotion

Justin is a starting left fielder for his baseball team and looks forward to every game and practice, as he genuinely loves playing the sport. Which of the following is the term that best describes what Justin is experiencing?

Possible Answers:

None of these

Positive punishment

Positive reinforcement

Extrinsic motivation

Intrinsic motivation

Correct answer:

Intrinsic motivation

Explanation:

Justin enjoys playing baseball so much because of his genuine love and appreciation for the sport. He does not seem motivated by any external means such as money or the appraisal of his family and friends; therefore, Justin is experiencing intrinsic motivation—he is fueled by his desire to play baseball for the mere sake of playing baseball.

Example Question #18 : Motivation And Emotion

Cody is a starting shortstop for his minor league baseball team who leads his league in homeruns and RBIs. Cody’s teammates overheard him telling his girlfriend that he does not truly love playing the sport; he only plays for the money that he earns and for the approval of his strict, critical father. Which of the following terms best describes what Cody is experiencing?

Possible Answers:

Positive punishment

Intrinsic motivation

Negative reinforcement

None of these

Extrinsic motivation

Correct answer:

Extrinsic motivation

Explanation:

Although Cody is a very talented and skilled baseball player, he does not play baseball because he truly loves playing baseball—he plays to make money and to gain the approval of his father. Cody is not motivated to play baseball for the mere sake of playing baseball, he is experiencing extrinsic motivation—the desire to perform and behave in certain ways to obtain external rewards or avoid a threatened punishment.

Example Question #19 : Motivation And Emotion

In Freudian psychoanalytic thought, what is the name given to the “death drive” that predisposes humans toward self-destruction, opposing and keeping in check humans’ will to live and prosper?

Possible Answers:

Eros

Exodus

Thanatos

Libido

Correct answer:

Thanatos

Explanation:

Though it is not believed that Freud himself ever personally used this term, he did propose the concept of a “death drive,” which later psychologists deemed thanatos. Psychoanalytic psychologists believe "thanatos" is a person’s drive to suffer, in direct opposition to his or her desire to live ("eros"—termed libido when directed at creating life via sex). According to Freudian psychology, this tension and interaction between death instincts and life instincts drives human behavior.

Example Question #101 : Individual Psychology And Behavior

Jacob currently lives in a very unsafe neighborhood with lots of violent burglaries. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which of the following would Jacob be most motivated to achieve?

Possible Answers:

Write an award-winning memoir on living in poverty

Work towards becoming a doctor, which is his dream job

Seek out a romantic partner

Fix the lock on his front door, which is clearly broken

Correct answer:

Fix the lock on his front door, which is clearly broken

Explanation:

Abraham Maslow believed that people are driven to fulfill their needs in a certain order. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is the progression through which needs are fulfilled—often represented by a pyramid. The hierarchy, from most basic onwards, is: physiological; safety; belongingness (love / companionship); esteem; and self-actualization. Since Jacob’s neighborhood is already unsafe, his safety is threatened by his front door’s broken lock—he has not fulfilled his need for safety. According to Maslow, this need will feel more urgent than belongingness (e.g. finding a partner), esteem (e.g. being praised for a memoir), and self-actualization (e.g. finding purpose via getting dream job).

Example Question #102 : Individual Psychology And Behavior

Researchers suspect that creative people are more motivated by which of the following?

Possible Answers:

Intrinsic reward

Visual stimuli

Extrinsic reward

Ego

None of these

Correct answer:

Intrinsic reward

Explanation:

Research has consistently found that highly creative people are motivated by the intrinsic reward of the process itself. Those who are more motivated by external success and status are those who also tend to be invested in the existing order of things. Highly creative people are attracted to what is different and derive pleasure from their own creative endeavors as opposed to what they may have to gain. In short, they are "intrinsically motivated" as opposed to "extrinsically motivated.” Although creative people may enjoy "visual stimuli," there are other forms of art that involve different forms of stimulus.

Example Question #103 : Individual Psychology And Behavior

Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist, is well known for creating the Maslow's hierarchy of needs. In his hierarchy, he writes that the bottom stage is __________ and that each stage needs to be completed before one can progress to the last stage, or __________. What are the bottom and top stages of Maslow's hierarchy, respectively?

Possible Answers:

esteem. . . safety

physiological. . . self-actualization

self-actualization. . . physiological

safety. . . self-actualization

belonging. . . safety

Correct answer:

physiological. . . self-actualization

Explanation:

Maslow establishes his heirarchy as follows: physiological needs, safety, belonging, esteem, and self actualization. In this case, physiological needs are at the bottom, and one needs to proceed through each stage before reaching the top: self-actualization. 

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