Impressions from Recent

Warren Students on the

AP Psychology Test
Feedback from the last 4 years: 2011-2014
These were the topics our students were
NOT sure of.

Impressions from 2011

Test
Afferent and Efferent neurons
Tabula Rasa (Nurture topic-John Locke-we are

all born as a blank slate

Lev Vygotsky (development-culture and social
interaction, childs play. All affect
development of skills and language. ZPD)
Hormone that affects sleep patterns is
melatonin (linked to serotonin)
Wundts research-Father of Psychology, first
psych lab,

2011 test, contd

Structuralism, functionalism, introspection
Divergent thinking-confusing question. How

different from convergent?

Human Factors Psychology-psych. Linked to
design elements and engineering. How to
make products easily usable-intuitive for
people to use.

Impressions from 2012

Test
Approach/Approach and Approach-Avoidance

for Conflict resolution

GAS-which stage is someone most likely to
become ill?
Triarchic Intelligence theory Sternberg
INTRApersonal vs. INTERpersonal intelligence
Gardner
Gestalt Therapy-History-2 questions-treat the
whole person-sounded most like humanistic
(part to whole)
Stroop effect

2012 Test, contd

Type A personality linked with Heart disease
Melatonin makes you go to sleep, linked with

heart disease
Easy graphic on brain
Social Learning is observational learning
What leads to creativity? (5 factors)

Impressions from 2013

test:
Genotyping vs. Phenotyping (Genotyping = internal

trait that you carry on your DNA; Phenotyping =

visible trait we can see such as hair color)
Change blindness question confusing
Self-Efficacy (Bandura, social psych link. How much
confidence we have in ourselves to deal with
different situations.)
Stroop effect
Strange definitions for piaget
At least 5 questions on neurotransmitters and
reuptake

Impressions from 2013 test, contd

Latent learning
Culture fair intelligence test (No culture or

language-all diagrams. No bias.)

Animism (piaget- A cloud is crying
Dissociative amnesia
Only 3 or 4 names this time, still helped on essay
Wolfgang Kohler (insight not just in humanschimps)
Facial Feedback hypothesis (the emotion that you
show, such as forcing yourself to smile, affects the
way you experience an emotion)

2013 test, contd

Flash cards hugely helpful as I hadnt studied

much
Sunday review session helped too-I remember
at least 5 questions covered on Sunday.
Terminal buttons=axon terminals
Signal detection theory/thresholds
Diagram of the endocrine system
Interdependent self linked to culture
GAS 3 stages
Procedural memory

2013 test, contd

Strange question about gender identity
Lots of disorders and therapy
Diseases linked whenever neurotransmitters

were asked about

Multiple questions heuristics vs. algorithms
Multiple questions about perspectives

Impressions from 2014

Test
Elaborative Rehearsal WTH
Piaget Stages- multiple Piaget questions
Continuity vs. Stages (development theme)
IQ Which percent of the population 130 or higher (2%)
Cognitive Dissonance confusing question
What cell only has 23 chromosomes (answer = sperm)
Multiple sclerosis affects which neuron part
Low ball effect (negotiating-start low and get

commitment first and people will not like changing

their minds)

I got a lot more right because of

Sunday review session

2014 Test, contd

Benzodiazepines (Category of Antianxiety drugs acting

on GABA including Valium and Librium

Alzheimers deficient acetylcholine (other choices
phenyl, dopamine, substance p)
PKU as a choice
Forgot reciprocal determinism
Lots of perspectives (5 ish questions total; tell next
year to review this)
Purkinje effect (At very low light levels, blue and green
objects appear brighter than red ones compared with
their relative brightness in stronger illumination)
NOBODY KNEW THIS and they shouldnt have
Lots of therapy for disorders
Lots of plain defs

Your teachers have been watching to

see if you are studying!!! Dont give
up!!!