AP Psychology Essay Prompts and Scoring Rubrics

The enclosed document includes an essay prompt for each unit in AP Psychology and a corresponding scoring rubric. The purpose of this activity is to increase the students awareness of how AP exam readers grade from a rubric. Emphasis is placed on the definition of terms and the application of those terms. Units include: Introduction to Psychology Psychobiology Sensation and Perception Memory Learning Nature and Nurture of Behavior eveloping Person !hin"ing# Language# and Intelligence States of $onsciousness Motivation and Emotion Personality Stress and %ealth Psychological isorders !herapy Social Psychology

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Unit: Introduction to Psychology escribe the different perspectives from ,hich psychologists e-amine behavior and mental processes# and e-plain their complementarity. &our ans,er should include/ Neuroscience Evolutionary Behavior 0enetics Psychodynamic Behavioral $ognitive Social1cultural Rubrics ote: The application portion on the rubrics may include a variety of answers. This is simply an example of possible answers. The perspectives have more than one complement.
!erm Neuroscience efinition !he study of ho, the neurological system affects such things as emotions# memories# and sensory e-periences. !he study of the natural selection of some traits that promotes genetic survival. !he study of ho, much our psychological traits are attributed to our genetic ma"e1up or as a result of environmental influences. !he study of ho, unconscious drives and conflicts may influence our lives !he study of ho, ,e learn from the environment around us. !he study of ho, ,e encode# process# and store information. !he study of ho, behavior and thin"ing can vary across socio1cultural situations. Application It is complementary to evolutionary because the structures and functions of the brain that promote survival are the most li"ely to develop. It is complementary to the behavioral perspective because some behaviors may enhance the chance to survival. It is complementary to the cognitive process because our thin"ing# language# and intelligence may be the result of our ability to adapt to our environment. It is complementary to the behavioral perspective in the investigation of ho, much of our behavior is belo, our a,areness level. It is complementary to the social1 cultural perspectives in the investigation of ho, differing situations can influence our behavior. It is complementary to the neuroscience perspective because our cognitive ability is dependent on our brain function. It is complementary to the behavior genetics perspective because pro1 social behaviors may influence the genetics of one culture as opposed to another.

Evolutionary Behavior 0enetics

Psychodynamic

Behavioral

$ognitive

Sociocultural

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Unit: Psychobiology Identify the four lobes of the cerebral corte-# and describe the sensory and motor functions of the corte-. &our ans,er should include the description and function of the follo,ing/ 2rontal lobe Parietal lobe 3ccipital lobe !emporal lobe Rubrics Lobes 2rontal escription Located behind the forehead and is "no,n especially for the arch1shaped region at the bac" of the frontal lobe "no,n as the motor corte-. Located on the top of the head and is "no,n especially for the sensory corte- ,hich is parallel to the motor corte- and located at the front of the parietal lobe. Located at the bac" of the head and includes the visual corte-. Located roughly above the ears and includes the auditory areas. 2unction !he fontal lobe is responsible for higher order thin"ing and the motor corte- controls voluntary movements. !he sensory corte- in the parietal lobe is responsible for registering and processing body sensations. !he visual corte- receives and begins processing visual information. !he auditory areas receives and begins the processing of auditory information.

Parietal

3ccipital !emporal

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Unit: Sensation and Perception iscuss the different levels of visual information processing and the value of parallel processing. &our ans,er should include/ 2eature detection $olor constancy Parallel processing Rubrics !erm 2eature detection efinition Neurons that receive information to specific features such as edges# angles# movements# etc. Application 2eature detection neurons pass the information on to more comple- neuron systems ,hich integrate the information into a visual ,hole. !he e-perience of color not only depends on the ,avelength information but the surrounding conte-t. It demonstrates that our e-perience of color comes not 5ust from the ob5ect but from everything around it as ,ell. !he brain divides a visual scene into subdimensions but ,or"s on each aspect simultaneously to produce an integrated perception.

$olor $onstancy

Perceiving familiar ob5ects as having consistent color even in situations ,here the ,avelengths reflected by the ob5ect are altered.

Parallel processing

!he processing of several pieces of information by integrating the ,or" of different perceptual systems# ,hich ,or" in parallel.

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Unit: Memory escribe the capacity and duration of long1term memory# and discuss the biological changes that may underlie memory formation and storage. &our ans,er should include/ !he definition of long1term memory !he capacity and duration of long1term memory %ippocampus Long1term potentiation Activity of the amygdale Rubrics !erm Long1term memory %ippocampus efinition Relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system. Part of the brain ,here e-plicit memories for facts and episodes are processed and fed to other brain regions for storage. An increase in a synapse7s firing potential after brief# rapid stimulation. Believed to be a neural basis for leaning and memory. Structure of the brain ,hich processes emotion and boosts the activity in the brain7s memory1forming areas. Application Necessary for the storage of information for future use. E-plicit memories of names# images# and events are laid do,n via a this structure in the limbic system. Prolonged strengthening of neural firing provides a neural basis for learning and remembering associations. Emotionally arousing events ,ill help ma"e stronger and more reliable memories. %o,ever# prolonged stress can corrode neural connections.

Long1term potentiation

Activity of the amygdala

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Unit: Learning E-plain the importance of Pavlov7s ,or"# and describe ho, it might apply to an understanding of human health and ,ell1being. &our ans,er should include/ !he concept of associative learning !he importance of classical conditioning in adaptation !he importance of classical conditioning in ob5ective study of behavior Rubrics !erm Associative learning escription Learning that happens ,hen certain events occur together. Learning based on prior e-periences. Application Staying a,ay from settings or things associated ,ith a certain un,anted behaviors may increase a person7s ,ell1being. Associative learning can assist an individual in adaptation to their environment as ,ell as identifying elements of behavior to master their environment. $lassical conditioning terminology provided the elementary building bloc"s in understanding more comple- behaviors.

Adaptation

3b5ective study of behavior

Scientific model ,hich included no sub5ective 5udgments for e-plaining behavior

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Unit: Nature and Nurture of Behavior E-plain ho, the peer group and culture influence child development. &our ans,er should include/ :selection effect; Parent vs. Peer Influence $ultural Norms Rubrics !erm :selection effect; efinition See"ing out peers ,ith similar attitudes and interests. Application Because children tend to select peers ,ith similar attitudes and interests initially# there may be a greater opportunity for peer influence once the commonality has been established. Parents are important in the formation of basic values and standards of conduct. Peers are important because the child learns ho, to cooperate and interact ,ith follo, peers. <no,ing the appropriate behaviors in a particular culture free people of that culture from fear of embarrassment or insult and precludes a,",ard moments.

Parent vs. peer influence

Parents have more input ,hen it comes to education# responsibility# religion# etc. Peers have more influence in cooperative and social activities. Rules for accepted and e-pected behavior# that is shared by a large group of people.

$ultural Norms

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Unit:

eveloping Person

escribe the early development of a self1concept and discuss possible effects of different parenting styles on children. &our ans,er should include/ Self1concept Authoritarian parenting style Permissive parenting style Authoritative parenting style Rubrics !erm Self1concept Authoritarian Parenting efinition Application

Permissive Parenting

Authoritative Parenting

!he sense of one7s o,n identity A child7s ma5or social and personal ,orth. achievement is a positive sense of self. Parenting style that imposes $hildren ,ith authoritarian rules and e-pects parents tend to be more un=uestioning obedience. rigid in self1acceptance and the acceptance of others. Parenting style in ,hich the $hildren ,ith permissive parents submit to their parents tend to be more children7s desires# ma"e fe, immature ,ith little impulse demands# and use little control. punishment. Parenting style that is both $hildren ,ith the highest demanding and yet responsive. self1esteem# self1reliance# !he parents set and enforce and social competence tend rules but encourage open to have authoritative discussion and allo, parents. e-ceptions ,hen ma"ing the rules.

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Unit: !hin"ing# Language# and Intelligence iscuss ho, ,e use trial and error# algorithms# heuristics# and insight to solve problems and ho, confirmation bias and fi-ation can interfere ,ith effective problem solving. Rubrics !erm !rial and error efinition ?illingness to try a variety of possibilities in problem solving until success is achieved. Application

Algorithms

%euristics

Insight

$onfirmation Bias

2i-ation

!he trial and error method may be used to solve a problem ,hen no clear1cut solution is favored or several possibilities are tried until the very best solution is chosen. A step by step procedure use to solve Although all the steps may problems. be labor intensive# this problem solving method guarantees a solution. Simple strategy used to solve %euristics are more error1 problems prone than algorithms# but can be used ,ith trail ' error to hit upon the ans,er. Sudden flashes of inspiration. Sometimes the problem1 solving strategy is not obvious to us# but the suddenly all the pieces come together and a solution develops. !he search for information to !he reluctance to see" and confirms our individual ideas. consider information that might disprove one7s beliefs could interfere ,ith effective problem solving !he inability to see a problem from a !he reluctance to see a fresh perspective. problem from a different perspective ,ill also interfere ,ith effective problem solving.

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Unit: States of $onsciousness escribe the physiological and psychological effects of depressants# stimulants# and hallucinogens and drug dependence. Rubrics
!erm epressants efinition rugs that calm neural activity and slo, body functions. Physiological Effects Slo,s the sympathetic nervous system activity including slurred speech# and performance deterioration. Psychological Effects Slo,s the brain activity that controls 5udgment and inhibitions. Alcohol ma"es us more aggressive or helpful or self1disclosing if the tendencies are already present. isrupts memory processing. Energy and self1 confidence rise# ,hich accounts for ,hy people use it as a mood enhancer or to improve athletic performance. %o,ever ,hen the drug stimulation ends# fatigue# headaches# irritability# and depression may occur. As the hallucinogenic e-perience pea"s# people fre=uently feel separated from their bodies and e-perience dreamli"e scenes as though they ,ere real A so real that users may become panic1stric"en or harm themselves. ?hen the drugs become an important part of the user7s life as a ,ay of relieving negative emotions or as other coping mechanisms.

Stimulants

rugs that e-cite neural activity and arouse body functions.

Speeds up the body functions such as heart rate and breathing.

%allucinogens

rugs that distort perceptions and evo"e sensory images in the absence of sensory input.

Amplifies the body7s sensitivity to colors# sounds# tastes# and smells.

rug dependence

$ontinued use of a psychoactive drugs ,hich produces neuroadaptation

In the drug7s absence the user may feel physical pain and intense cravings.

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Unit: Motivation and %motion iscuss the importance of various motives for ,or"ing# and identify the aims of industrial1organiBation psychology. &our ans,er should include/ pay# relationships# or identity. Rubrics !erm Pay efinition 2inancial compensation for ,or" done. Application Many individuals are simply motivated because they need an income to support themselves. In general# the amount of pay increases as the amount of responsibility increases. People7s =uality of life increases ,hen they are purposefully engaged in a meaningful activity. !he sense of self1 esteem# competence# ,ell1being# and sense of identity increase ,ith 5ob satisfaction. !his branch of psychology applies psychology7s methods and principles to selecting and evaluating ,or"ers# considers ho, ,or" environments and management types influence ,or"er motivation# satisfaction# and productivity.

Relationships Identity

3ne7s sense of self solidified by testing and integrating various roles.

Industrial1organiBational Psychology

!he application of psychology7s principles to the ,or"place.

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Unit: Personality escribe the social1cognitive perspective# and discuss the important conse=uences of personal control CinternalDe-ternal locus of controlE# self1control# learned helplessness# and optimism.
!erm Social1cognitive Perspective escription Fie,s behavior as influenced by the interaction bet,een person Cand their thin"ingE and their social conte-t. Application ?e learn behaviors through conditioning# by observing# and modeling behaviors. %o,ever ho, ,e thin! about and interpret those situations also influences our behavior. Individuals ,ith and e-ternal locus of control perceive that chance or outside forces determine their fate. Individuals ,ith and internal locus of control believe that they control their o,n destiny. Internals achieve more in school# act more independently# en5oy better health# and feel less depressed than do :e-ternals; In the social1cognitive perspective it is preferable to have a greater internal locus of control. 2rom the social1cognitive perspective# self1control is a predictor of good ad5ustment# better grades# and social success. 2rom the social1cognitive perspective people repeatedly faced ,ith traumatic events come to feel helpless# hopeless# and depressed# and perceive control as e-ternal. 3ptimists are able to put a positive spin on events in the face of adversity. According to the social1 cognitive perspective success re=uires enough optimism to provide hope and enough pessimism to prevent complacency. E-cessive optimism can blind us to real ris"s.

Personal $ontrol

?hether ,e learn to see ourselves as controlling# or as controlled by# our environment.

Self1$ontrol

!he ability to control impulses and delay gratification. !he hopelessness and passive resignation a person learns ,hen unable to avoid repeated aversive events. Fie,ing events in a positive ,ay.

Learned %elplessness

3ptimism

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Unit: Stress and &ealth escribe ho, stress increases the ris" of disease by inhibiting the activities of the body7s immune system. &our ans,er should include/ B and ! lymphocytes# macrophage# epinephrine and norepinephrine# and the fight1or1flight response.
!erm Stress escription !he process by ,hich ,e perceive and physiologically respond to certain events# called stressors# that ,e appraise as threatening or challenging. ?hile blood cells that defend the body by isolating and destroying foreign substances. Application !he nervous and endocrine systems are activated during the stress response# ,hich has an influence on the immune system. B lymphocytes are formed in the bone marro, and fights bacterial inflections. ! lymphocytes are formed in the thymus and attac"s cancer cells# viruses# and foreign substances. %o,ever# if these lymphocytes react too strongly they may attac" the body7s o,n tissues causing such things as arthritis or an allergic reaction. 3r it could under1react and a dormant virus could erupt or cancer cells could multiply. !he B and ! lymphocytes use the process of macrophage to destroy invading cells. !he greater the stress response# the more hormones are released into the bloodstream. !he stress hormones in turn suppress the disease1fighting lymphocytes. Stress leads to an aroused# fight1 or1flight response and diverts enerby to mobilie the body for action. !herefore energy needed by the immune system is no, diverted ma"ing us more vulnerable to foreign invaders.

B and ! lymphocytes

Macrophage Epinephrine and Norepinephrine

2ight or flight

Process by ,hich invading cells are identified# pursued# and ingested. ?hen the brain perceives a stressor# it triggers an outpouring of epinephrine and norepinephrine ,hich enter the bloodstream from adrenal glands Adaptive response in ,hich the sympathetic nervous system increases heart rate and respiration# diverts blood from digestion and s"eletal muscles# and releases stored sugar and fat in preparation for the organism to stand its ground and fight or flee a threatening situation.

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Unit: Psychological isorders escribe the various symptoms and subtypes of schiBophrenia# and discuss research on its causes. &our ans,er should include/ paranoid# disorganiBed# catatonic# undifferentiated# and residual schiBophrenia.
!erm SchiBophrenia efinition Split from reality in ,hich the person displays disorganiBed thin"ing# disturbed perception# and inappropriate emotions and actions. Preoccupation ,ith delusion or hallucination# often ,ith themes of persecution or gra ndiosity. Application Actions profoundly disrupt social relationships and during the most severe periods# people ,ith schiBophrenia live in a private inner ,orld# preoccupied ,ith illogical ideas and unreal images. Person holds on to the false belief that they ,ill be persecuted li"e $hrist or Martin Luther <ing or they have the false belief that they are e-tremely important and po,erful. 3ften a person cannot filter out competing sensory stimuli and 5ump from one idea to another resulting in :,ord salad.; 3r their emotions fluctuate bet,een e-tremes. !he person may perform senseless# compulsive acts# such as continually roc"ing or subbing an arm. !hose ,ho e-hibit catatonia may remain motionless for hours on end and then become agitated. Person can e-hibit symptoms from all the different subtypes.

Paranoid schiBophrenia

isorganiBed schiBophrenia

isorganiBed speech or behavior# or flat or inappropriate emotion.

$atatonic schiBophrenia

Immobility Cor e-cessive# purposeless movementE# e-treme negativism# andDor parrot1li"e repeating of another7s speech or movements. Many and varied symptoms ?ithdra,al# after hallucinations and delusions have disappeared.

Gndifferentiated schiBophrenia Residual schiBophrenia

$auses

Physiological opamine over1activity due to an e-cess of receptors !halamus is smaller1than1normal 2lu A mother suffers from the flu during the middle of the child7s fetal development. 0enetics or inheriting a predisposition

Psychological Mother ,hose schiBophrenia ,as severe and long1lasting Separation from parents Short attention span and poor muscle coordination isruptive or ,ithdra,n behavior

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Emotional unpredictability Poor peer relations and solo play

Unit: !herapy Identify the basic characteristics of humanistic therapy# behavior therapy# and cognitive therapy. !erm %umanistic !herapy escription !he aim is to boost self1 fulfillment by helping people gro, in self1 a,areness and self1 acceptance Gses learning principles to eliminate the un,anted behavior. Application !he most ,idely used is client1centered therapy ,hich focuses on a person7s conscious self1perception and uses the techni=ue of active listening. $ounterconditioning pairs the trigger stimulus ,ith a ne, response that is incompatible ,ith fear. Systematic desensitiBation associates a pleasant rela-ed state ,ith gradually increasing an-iety1 triggering stimuli. E-posure therapies treat an-ieties by e-posing people to the things they fear. Aversive conditioning associates an unpleasant state ,ith an un,anted behavior. !o"en economy re,ards desired behavior 2aulty cognitive processes could include/ 3vergeneraliBation iminishing the positive EmphasiBing the negative All1or1nothing thin"ing

Behavior !herapy

$ognitive !herapy

!eaching people ne,# more constructive ,ays of thin"ing.

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Unit: Social Psychology escribe Milgram7s controversial e-periments on obedience# and discuss their implications for understand our susceptibility to social influence. !he participants ,ere told that the study concerned the effect of punishment on learning. Participants dre, slips form a hat to see ,ho ,ould be the :teacher; and ,ho ,ould be the :student.; !he :learner; ,as strapped into a chair :,ired; to an electric shoc" machine. !he :teacher; sat in front of the machine ,ith s,itches labeled ,ith voltages. !he :teacher; ,as given the tas" to teach and then test the learner on a list of ,ord pairs. !he :teacher; punished the :learner; for ,rong ans,er by delivering brief electric shoc". After each :learner7s; error# the :teacher; move up to the ne-t higher voltage. After the eighth s,itch is activated the :learner; shouts that the shoc"s are painful. !he e-perimenter prods the :teacher; to go on saying it is essential to continue# and the e-periment re=uires that the :teacher; must continue. Milgram7s finding ,ere that 94H complied fully A right up to the last s,itch. 3bedience ,as highest ,hen/ !he person giving the orders ,as close at hand and ,as perceived to be a legitimate authority figure. !he authority figure ,as supported by a prestigious institution. !he victim ,as depersonaliBed# or at a distance. !here ,ere no role models for defiance.

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