AP Psychology
Test Review
Research Methods and
Neuroscience
Name the five research methods.
Advantages?Disadvantages?
Case Study
 Naturalistic Observations
 Survey
 Correlational Research
 Experimentation

Two Methods of Developmental
Research
Longitudinal
 Cross-sectional

Ethical Considerations
Informed Consent
 Coercion/Withdrawal
 Anonymity/Confidentiality
 Risk
 Debrief
 Animal Training
 Animal Humane Treatment

Three Measures of Central
Tendency
Mean
 Median
 Mode

Two Measures of Variation
Range
 Standard Deviation

Hypotheses are:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Integrated sets of principles
that help to organize
observations
Testable predictions, often
derived from theories
Hunches about mental
processes
Measures of relationships
between two factors
Always derived from the
independent variable
Psychologists use experimental research in
order to reveal or to understand:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Correlational
Relationships
Dependent variables
Hypotheses
Theories
Cause-and-effect
relationships
The procedure designed to ensure that the experimental
and control groups do not differ in any way that might affect
the experiment’s results is called:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Variable controlling
Random assignment
Representative
sampling
Stratification
Double-blind
procedure
In order to determine the effects of a new drug on memory,
one group of subjects is given a pill that contains the drug.
A second group is given a sugar pill that does not contain
the drug. This second group constitutes the:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Random sample
Quantifying variable
Experimental group
Control Group
Test Group
In an experiment to determine the effects of
exercise on motivation, exercise is the:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Confounding
variable
Intervening variable
Independent
variable
Super-ordinate
variable
Dependent variable
Which of the following research strategies would be best
for determining whether alcohol impairs memory?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Experiment
Naturalistic
Observation
Survey
Case Study
Questionnaire
A psychologist studies the play behavior of third grade children by
watching groups during recess at school. Which research strategy is
being used?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Correlational
Single-blind
procedure
Case Study
Experimental
Naturalistic
Observation
Well done surveys measure attitudes in a representative subset,
or _________, of an entire group, or _________.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Population; Random Sample
Sample group; Population
Control Group; Experimental
Group
Experimental Group; Control
Group
Random Sample; Population
After detailed study of a gunshot wound victim, a psychologist
concludes that the brain region destroyed is likely to be important for
memory functions. Which research method did the psychologist use to
deduce this?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Case Study
Survey
Correlational
Experiment
Controlled
Experiment
Naturalistic
Observation
Which of the following research methods does NOT
belong with the others?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Case Study
Survey
Naturalistic
Observation
Controlled
Experiment
Both 1 and 2
The method that removes the principal investigator
from knowing who is in the experimental and
control groups is called the:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Single-blind
procedure
Double-blind
procedure
Experimenter
expectancy effect
Counterbalancing
Countermanding
Calculate the mode for the following set of
numbers: 4,5,6,45,1,2,5,6,7,6,8,6,45,6
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
6
4
45
1
5
Calculate the Median of the following set of
numbers: 3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
6
6.5
7
5
10
Calculate the Mean of the following
numbers: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
3
4
6
3.14
12
What is the range for the following set of numbers?
5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,11,15
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
8
15
5
10
9
Which of the following numbers indicates a
stronger statistical correlation?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
+.97
-.98
+.05
-.03
-.14
Which of these values would be considered
more statistically significant?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
p < .14
p < .24
p < .02
p < .03
P < .11
Organized sets of concepts that
explain phenomenon are:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Independents
variables
Dependent variables
Hypothesis
Theories
Statistics
Of the following, which research method is most
effective for studying unusually complex or rare
phenomenon?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Controlled
experiment
Quasi-experiment
Test
Survey
Case study
Of the following, the effect of adrenaline on
the body is most similar to the effect of the:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Cerebellum
Thyroid gland
Somatic nervous
system
Parasympathetic
nervous system
Sympathetic
nervous system
Jeremy was born with several brain abnormalities. One
of these, decreased his ability to coordinate his
movements. Which of the following parts of the brain
may be damaged?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Hypothalamus
Thalamus
Pons
Medulla
Cerebellum
A research study looking at severely overweight
rats would most likely be interested in studying
this part of the brain:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Hippocampus
Thalamus
Hypothalamus
Amygdala
Pineal Gland
Scientists are able to see changes in
the brain as it processes information
by means of:
A. Lesioning
B. Autopsy
C. CT
D. MRI
E. PET
This is a brain cell that receives and transmits
electrical signals throughout the nervous
system.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Axon
Dendrite
Neuron
Neurotransmitter
Axon Terminal
When the dendrites tell the neuron to
generate an electrical impulse, it is called:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Inhibitory
Ancillary
Excitatory
Action Potential
None of the above
What disease does degeneration of
the myelin sheath contribute to?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Parkinson’s
Tay Sachs
Schizophrenia
Lupus
Multiple Sclerosis
These electrically charged particles enter the
neuron through the cell membrane and create
an action potential:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Neurotransmitters
Dendrites
Hormones
Somas
Ions
Your brain is involved in every perception, thought, and
emotion, as are its neurons and their neurotransmitters.
Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Carry information primarily in
the endocrine system
Fuel the endocrine system
Travel from the axon terminals
along the axon and create an
action potential
Assist neurons by providing
physical support, nutrition, and
waste removal
Travel across the synapse and
affect adjoining neurons
A neuron without terminal
buttons would be unable to:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Receive information from
neighboring neurons
Generate action potential
Secrete neurotransmitters to
other neurons
Transport ions across the cell
membrane
Fire the appropriate inhibitory
transmitters
Gabrielle has just finished a local 5k race and seems to be very
happy and elated. One cause of her feelings may be due to
abnormally high levels of chemical substances in her brain
called:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Acetylcholine
Serotonin
Endorphins
Dopamine
GABA
The internal charge of a resting
neuron is:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Primarily a negative
charge
Primarily a positive
charge
Neither a negative or
positive charge
Primarily effected by
neurotransmitters
Primarily effected by
hormones
A four year old boy was involved in a terrible accident that damaged his brain.
Though most of his left hemisphere was removed, three years later he was
nearly normal. What term best explains the ability of the brain to recover from
injury by rewiring itself?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Plasticity
Reflexology
Reuptake
Expandability
Refraction
This is an example of a
sympathetic function:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Promoting your sexual
development
Monitoring the operation of
the body’s routing functioning
Picking up a dime off the
floor
Preparing yourself to fight an
oncoming attacker
Figuring out the answer to a
difficult test question
This part of the brain is responsible for trafficking
almost all of the brain’s incoming sensory sensory
information:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Hypothalamus
Reticular
formation
Pons
Thalamus
Hippocampus
Roger has just had some medical tests conducted. One of
the tests recorded Roger’s brain waves on a moving sheet
of paper. Roger was probably given the:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
EEG
CT scan
MRI scan
PET scan
FMRI
Which of the following neurotransmitters is most closely
linked to pleasurable sensations generated in the
hypothalamic centers of the limbic system?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Acetylcholine
Dopamine
GABA
Norepinephrine
Adrenaline
The Phineas Gage study was the
first time that scientists studied:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
The role of the occipital lobe
on the behavior of individuals
The ease of damage to the
brain
The role of the frontal lobe in
the behavior of individuals
The safety of working
conditions in America
How behavior can affect
relationships
Name the four lobes of the
cerebral cortex.
Frontal
 Parietal
 Occipital
 Temporal

Name each of the six branches
of the nervous system.
Central
(brain and spinal
cord)


Peripheral
 Somatic
 Autonomic
Sympathetic
 Parasympathetic

Name the three structures of the
limbic system.
Hypothalamus
 Hippocampus
 Amygdala

Name the three language
centers of the brain and the
hemisphere each is located in.
Broca’s Area
 Angular Gyrus
 Wernicke’s Area
 All LEFT

Kicker Term Review
•
•
Very likely to show up on
FRQ.
Could not just guess the
definition.
Kicker Terms
*Show up a lot on FRQ’s
*Wouldn’t know the definition by guessing.
A tendency to use your own culture as the standard by which to
judge and evaluate other cultures. In other words, using your
understanding of your own culture to gauge what is "normal."
ETHNOCENTRISM
 Memory for something you intend to do in the future. “I remember I
have a dentist appointment in three days.”
PROSPECTIVE MEMORY
 A field of psychology that works to apply principles of psychology to
designing products and creating work environments that boost
productivity while minimizing safety issues. (engineering meets
psychological theory)
HUMAN FACTORS PSYCHOLOGY

Kicker Terms
Proactive/Retroactive Interference
What is the interference?
POld INTERFERES
RNew INTERFERES

Kicker Terms
What persuades you? facts, detail,
research
Central Route to Persuasion
 What persuades you? color,
attractiveness, anything OTHER than the
facts/research
Peripheral Route to Persuasion

Kicker Terms
Physical, mental and behavioral changes that follow a roughly 24hour cycle, responding primarily to light and darkness in an
organism’s environment
Circadian Rhythm
 The portion of difference between individuals in a group/groups that
is due to genetics.
Heritability
 The likelihood that the results in your study occurred by chance. P
Score < .05 (5%). You want this to BE LOW
Statistical Significance

Kicker Terms
The extent or strength of one's belief in one's own
ability to complete tasks and reach goals.
Self-Efficacy
 The theory set forth by psychologist Albert Bandura
that a person's behavior both influences and is
influenced by personal factors and the social
environment.
Reciprocal Determinism

Kicker Terms
The tension one feels when their actions
and belief system (attitudes) don’t match.
Cognitive Dissonance
A characteristic of creativity that involves
generating many possible solutions to
problems.
Divergent Thinking
Kicker Terms
Describes what the variables in your study
are AND how you intend to measure them.
Operational Definition

Sleep deprivation on driving performance.
Extrinsically reinforcing somebody for
something they are intrinsically motivated
to do. This undermines all motivation.
Overjustification Effect

Kicker Terms
Judging the likelihood of something based on how
quickly an example comes to mind.
“School shootings are very likely because Sandy Hook
and Columbine come to mind quickly.”
Availability Heuristic
 Judging the likelihood of something based on how well
the current example matches your prototype.
“A vegetarian sandwich matches my prototype for a low
calorie, low fat food more than a turkey sandwich does.”
Representative Heuristic
