All AP Psychology Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Social Development
Which famous psychological theorist said that a person's adolescence is a stage of identity vs. role confusion?
Sigmund Freud
Erik Erikson
Jean Piaget
Abraham Maslow
Lawrence Kohlberg
Erik Erikson
Erik Erikson developed the idea behind identity vs. role confusion, which comes from his theory of psychosocial development.
Erikson's theory proposed eight stages: trust vs. mistrust, autonomy vs. shame, initiative vs. guilt, competence vs. inferiority, identity vs. role confusion, intimacy vs. isolation, generativity vs. stagnation, and integrity vs. despair.
Example Question #1 : Social Development
Which one of these is not one of Erik Erikson's stages in his theory of psychosocial development?
Intimacy vs. isolation
Generativity vs. despair
Identity vs. role confusion
Autonomy vs. shame and doubt
Trust vs. mistrust
Generativity vs. despair
Generativity vs. despair is not one of the stages of psychosocial development. Generativity vs. stagnation and integrity vs. despair are two stages of Erikson's theory.
Example Question #1 : Social Development
A 23-year-old female is contemplating taking a job after college graduation on the other side of the country. She is torn because this is an amazing opportunity, but she would be leaving her family and boyfriend of two years behind. Which stage of psychosocial development would Erikson say this young woman is experiencing?
Initiative vs. guilt
Trust vs. mistrust
Identity vs. role confusion
Integrity vs. despair
Intimacy vs. isolation
Intimacy vs. isolation
The stage known as "intimacy vs. isolation" takes place during the period of young adulthood, roughly encompassing ages 18-35. The young woman in the question falls firmly within this range.
Example Question #2 : Social Development
A 2-year-old boy is in the process of being potty trained. His mother frequently makes trips to the bathroom with him, but he frequently still goes in his diaper. Which stage of psychosocial development would Erikson say this toddler is facing?
Integrity vs. despair
Initiative vs. guilt
Autonomy vs. shame and doubt
Trust vs. mistrust
Industry vs. inferiority
Autonomy vs. shame and doubt
Erikson would say that this boy is at the developmental stage during which he is grappling with his own autonomy. This stage is known as "autonomy vs. shame and doubt," and typically takes place during ages 1-3 years.
Example Question #3 : Social Development
Alexia decides to spread a rumor about Lindsay to all of their mutual friends. Once their friends hear about the rumor, they begin to ignore and isolate Linsday. This is an example of __________ aggression.
reactive
relational
physical
nonverbal
relational
Relational aggression typically involves more covert behavior, such as spreading rumors or gossiping about others in an attempt to manipulate one's friendships and faciltation exclusion. This type of aggression is represented in the given question.
Physical aggression involves physical harm to another person, such as hitting, punching, kicking, or even vandalizing or damaging one's property.
There is no such thing as nonverbal aggression.
Reactive aggression is typically an angry, defensive response to provocation, particularly when one is blocked from reaching a goal or is harmed first.
Example Question #6 : Social Development
Landon is a junior in high school and is beginning to think about what he wants to do in the future. He has participated in a law internship, has shadowed a principal for a day, and currently volunteers at a children's clinic. He in interested in law, education, and medicine, but has not decided which field he would like to pursue in the future. According to James Marcia's Identity Statuses, which identity status best describes Landon?
Moratorium
Diffusion
Achievement
Foreclosure
Moratorium
Marcia's theory pertaining to identity development and statuses involves two dimensions: exploration and committment.
Individuals who are actively exploring their options before making a final decision, such as the young man described in this question, are classified in the moratorium identity status.
Individuals who have made a decision after active exploration as classified in the achievement identity status.
Individuals who make a decision without doing any exploration are classified in the foreclosure identity status.
Individuals who do not know what they want to do and who are indifferent to exploring are classiged in the diffusion identity status.
Example Question #1 : Social Development
Which stage of Erikson's Psychosocial Theory characterizes adolescence?
Intimacy vs. isolation
Identity vs. role confusion
Industry vs. inferiority
Initiative vs. guilt
Identity vs. role confusion
Since adolescence is characterized by various biological, social, emotional and cognitive changes, Erikson would argue that adolescents are attempting to solidify their identity in terms of who they are, what they value, and what their goals are. If adolescents do not resolve their identity crises, they could have role confusion, which has negative psychological implications.
Intimacy vs. isolation characterizes early adulthood.
Industry vs. inferiority characterizes middle childhood.
Initiative vs. guilt characterizes early childhood.
Example Question #5 : Social Development
Stereotypes related to gender and women's capabilities could cause __________ in their career advancement.
a stereotype threat
an increase in self-confidence
a self-fulfilling prophecy
a glass ceiling effect
a glass ceiling effect
The glass ceiling effect is the phenomenon that occurs when women can no longer advance in their careers for higher-level positions that are typically held by men.
A self-fulfilling prophecy and stereotype threat are very similar in that they typically are the result of stereotypes that negatively impact one's academic performance.
Increase in self-confidence is a distractor item, and does not directly relate to the question.
Example Question #2 : Social Development
Which of the following traits are men most likely to value when selecting a long-term mate?
Family stability
Physical attractiveness
Intelligence
Income level
Physical attractiveness
Men are more likely than women to select mates based on physical attractiveness. According to evolutionary theory, men focus on whether a woman is physically healthy and fit to carry children.
Income level and intelligence are traits that women actually value. Family stability was a distractor item, and does not directly relate to the question.
Example Question #5 : Social Development
Ten-year-old Eric knows that he is a great athlete compared to his peers, but he is not as good in math class. Eric is focusing on which of the following?
Social identity
Self-control
Gender typing
Social comparisons
Social comparisons
Social comparisons are chracteristic of middle childhood when children begin to notice their relative strengths and weaknesses in comparison to their friends and classmates.
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