AP PSYCHOLOGY – TIPS FOR SUCCESSFULLY WRITING AN FRQ







JUST THE FACTS
o The writing portion of the AP Psych exam: Consists of two free response questions
o Must be completed in 50 minutes and counts 1/3 of your overall score
GETTING STARTED
o The first five minutes…Read the question carefully
o Develop a quick outline or graphic organizer
o Read the question again
o Write for 20 minutes…Write as much as possible
o Pace yourself to answer both questions
DON’T
o Don’t write a thesis statement.
o Don’t write an introduction
o Don’t write a conclusion.
o Don’t write lists or bullet points (unless they’re in your outline).
o Don’t cross anything out, unless you are sure it is wrong.
o Don’t write fluff (no time to get fancy).
USE T.D.A.
o Term…Use the term to answer the question.
o Define…Define the term so the reader knows that you know it.
o Answer the Question…Explain with enough detail for someone to understand. This helps the
reader follow your thought process and generally makes it easier to grade. Use paragraphs to
separate your points (again, easier to grade)
OTHER TIPS
o Write for Points…No one is perfect; get as many points as you can!
o Guess the Rubric…Generally, the number of bullet points equates to the number of points (most
questions have 7-10 points).
o Write to Explain…Pretend your reader doesn’t know anything! But remember, she is probably a
college professor!
o Be Specific and give examples whenever possible.
EXAMPLE QUESTION 1.
o Define each of the following concepts and explain how each contributes to the phenomenon of
prejudice.
 a. Stereotyping b. Self-fulfilling prophecy c. Fundamental attribution error d. Projection
e. Schema
ANALYSIS
o 1. Define each of the following concepts and explain how each contributes to the phenomenon of
prejudice.
 a. Stereotyping b. Self-fulfilling prophecy c. Fundamental attribution error d. Projection
e. Schema
 How many points is this question worth?
 How would you start your answer?
 How long would you spend writing an answer?
over

SAMPLE ANSWER
o Stereotypes are overgeneralization about a person or group. Stereotypes can contribute to
prejudice in that a person may oversimplify a concept such as all Asians are intelligent. This is
an oversimplification resulting in undo prejudice, as it has been shown that Asians show a
similar bell curve in intelligence as the rest of the population. A self-fulfilling prophecy can lead
to prejudice by predicting how people behave in a given situation. If a guy believes that women
are bad drivers, he will tend to only see accidents where women are at fault, resulting in
prejudice. Sometimes people attribute a person’s behavior to their personality and not to the
situation in which a person is currently in. This is known as the fundamental attribution error.
Someone could be prejudiced against a homeless person thinking they are lazy (internal cause),
when in actuality the person is homeless because they lost their job and home when their
company went bankrupt because of the failing stock market (external cause). Schemas, or
cognitive structures that simplify ideas into categories, can lead to prejudice, too. For example, a
person might have a schema that trash collectors are uneducated because they deal with garbage
all day. But until that person meets a trash collector who has a college degree, they cannot
accommodate the new information into a new schema, hence breaking the prejudice against trash
collectors. Total Points: ____ / 10
The following is taken from the College Board:
Section II: Free Response — 2 questions; 50 minutes
The free-response section of the AP Psychology exam consists of two questions worth 33% of the total exam score. The
questions may require students to interrelate different content areas and analyze and evaluate psychological concepts
and/or theoretical perspectives. Students are expected to use their analytical and organizational skills to formulate cogent
answers in writing their essays.
To demonstrate an understanding of psychological concepts, perspectives, and research methodology, students must
answer the questions clearly, in complete sentences, and within the context of the prompt. Outlines and lists alone are not
acceptable responses. Providing definitions of the psychological terms alone may not score points but may help students
better apply the concepts. Responses that contradict themselves, involve circular definitions, or simply restate the
question are unacceptable.
The following are common directives used in the AP Psychology Free-Response Questions (FRQs).

Identify requires that students name or point out psychological concepts as they pertain to the question.

Show or describe requires students to detail the essential characteristics and/or examples of a particular concept,

theory, or phenomenon.
Explain, discuss, and relate require that students make logical and coherent connections among the prompt (or
premise), question, and psychological concepts.
******************************************************************************************
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT: Using these two pages of, “Tips for Success” information, your
assignment is to respond to your textbook, “Free Response Question,” number 2 (page 74). This
assignment is due, Friday, October 24. Please note the late work policy for this class. As per your
syllabus, late work is not accepted. If you have extenuating circumstances, you should personally speak to
me or correspond via email.