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AP Psychology study materials
AP Psychology study resources

AP Psychology practice questions

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Question 1Biological Bases of Behavior

Which part of the neuron receives incoming signals from other neurons?

  1. Axon terminals
  2. Myelin sheath
  3. Dendrites Correct answer.
  4. Axon hillock

Explanation

Dendrites are the branching extensions that collect signals and carry them toward the cell body. Axon terminals release neurotransmitter rather than receive it, and myelin insulates the axon.

Question 2Biological Bases of Behavior

A person's heart races and pupils dilate during a sudden scare. Which division of the nervous system is most directly responsible?

  1. Sympathetic Correct answer.
  2. Somatic
  3. Parasympathetic
  4. Enteric

Explanation

The sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system mobilizes the body during arousal and threat. The parasympathetic division calms the body, while the somatic system controls voluntary skeletal muscle.

Question 3Biological Bases of Behavior

Which brain structure is most closely associated with regulating hunger, thirst, and body temperature?

  1. Thalamus
  2. Cerebellum
  3. Hypothalamus Correct answer.
  4. Hippocampus

Explanation

The hypothalamus maintains homeostasis by regulating drives such as hunger, thirst, and temperature. The hippocampus supports memory, and the cerebellum coordinates movement and balance.

Question 4Biological Bases of Behavior

Reuptake refers to which process at the synapse?

  1. The reabsorption of neurotransmitter by the sending neuron Correct answer.
  2. The enzyme breakdown of neurotransmitter in the cleft
  3. The binding of neurotransmitter to postsynaptic receptors
  4. The release of neurotransmitter from vesicles

Explanation

Reuptake is the presynaptic neuron's reabsorption of neurotransmitter from the synaptic cleft, ending its action. Enzymatic degradation is a separate clearing mechanism, and release and binding are distinct steps.

Question 5Biological Bases of Behavior

Damage to Broca's area would most likely produce which difficulty?

  1. Maintaining balance while walking
  2. Recognizing familiar faces
  3. Forming new long-term memories
  4. Producing fluent speech Correct answer.

Explanation

Broca's area in the frontal lobe supports speech production, so damage impairs fluent output. Face recognition and memory formation depend on other regions such as the fusiform gyrus and hippocampus.

Question 6Biological Bases of Behavior

Which neurotransmitter is most strongly associated with reward, motivation, and the brain's pleasure pathways?

  1. Serotonin
  2. Dopamine Correct answer.
  3. Glutamate
  4. GABA

Explanation

Dopamine is central to reward and motivational circuitry, including the mesolimbic pathway. GABA and glutamate are the main inhibitory and excitatory transmitters, and serotonin is more tied to mood and sleep regulation.

Question 7Biological Bases of Behavior

The endocrine system communicates through which of the following?

  1. Reflex arcs through the spinal cord
  2. Hormones released into the bloodstream Correct answer.
  3. Neurotransmitters across synaptic clefts
  4. Action potentials along axons

Explanation

Endocrine glands secrete hormones into the bloodstream, which travel to target tissues. The other options describe neural signaling, which is faster and more localized.

Question 8Biological Bases of Behavior

Which technique measures electrical activity of the brain using electrodes placed on the scalp?

  1. fMRI
  2. EEG Correct answer.
  3. MRI
  4. PET scan

Explanation

Electroencephalography records summed electrical activity via scalp electrodes with excellent temporal resolution. fMRI and MRI rely on magnetic fields, and PET uses radioactive tracers.

Question 9Biological Bases of Behavior

A split-brain patient is shown an object only in the left visual field. The information initially reaches which hemisphere, and can the patient typically name the object?

  1. Left hemisphere; yes, easily named
  2. Left hemisphere; typically cannot name it
  3. Right hemisphere; typically cannot name it Correct answer.
  4. Right hemisphere; yes, easily named

Explanation

The left visual field projects to the right hemisphere. Because the left hemisphere usually controls language and the hemispheres are disconnected, the patient cannot verbally name the object.

Question 10Biological Bases of Behavior

An action potential is generated when a neuron's membrane potential reaches threshold, primarily because of the rapid inflow of which ion?

  1. Calcium
  2. Potassium
  3. Chloride
  4. Sodium Correct answer.

Explanation

Depolarization to threshold opens voltage-gated sodium channels, and the influx of sodium drives the rising phase of the action potential. Potassium efflux later repolarizes the membrane.

Question 11Biological Bases of Behavior

A drug that blocks the reuptake of serotonin would most likely produce which immediate effect at the synapse?

  1. Reduced serotonin release from the presynaptic neuron
  2. Increased serotonin in the synaptic cleft Correct answer.
  3. Increased degradation of serotonin by enzymes
  4. Decreased serotonin in the synaptic cleft

Explanation

Blocking reuptake leaves more serotonin in the synaptic cleft, prolonging its action on receptors. Reuptake inhibitors do not increase enzymatic breakdown or reduce release.

Question 12Biological Bases of Behavior

Phineas Gage's personality and social behavior changed markedly after damage to which region?

  1. Ventromedial prefrontal cortex Correct answer.
  2. Occipital lobe
  3. Wernicke's area
  4. Basal ganglia

Explanation

Gage's injury involved the frontal lobes, particularly ventromedial prefrontal regions tied to social judgment and impulse control. Wernicke's area governs language comprehension, and the occipital lobe handles vision.

Question 13Biological Bases of Behavior

A researcher wants to identify which brain regions are active while a participant solves a puzzle, with good spatial resolution. Which method is best suited?

  1. EEG
  2. fMRI Correct answer.
  3. Electroencephalography with high temporal resolution
  4. Lesion study in animals

Explanation

fMRI provides good spatial localization of activity by detecting blood-oxygen changes during a task. EEG has strong temporal but weaker spatial resolution, and lesion studies cannot show task-related activity.

Question 14Biological Bases of Behavior

Which structure relays sensory information (except smell) to the cerebral cortex?

  1. Thalamus Correct answer.
  2. Medulla
  3. Amygdala
  4. Pons

Explanation

The thalamus acts as the brain's sensory relay station, sending most sensory input to the cortex. The medulla and pons regulate vital autonomic functions.

Question 15Biological Bases of Behavior

A patient can understand speech but speaks in halting, effortful phrases. This pattern most strongly suggests damage to which area?

  1. Broca's area Correct answer.
  2. Wernicke's area
  3. Primary visual cortex
  4. Somatosensory cortex

Explanation

Effortful, nonfluent speech with preserved comprehension is characteristic of Broca's aphasia. Wernicke's aphasia instead produces fluent but meaningless speech with poor comprehension.

Question 16Biological Bases of Behavior

The refractory period of a neuron is best described as which of the following?

  1. The period of neurotransmitter synthesis in the axon
  2. The time it takes myelin to form around an axon
  3. A brief time during which the neuron cannot fire again Correct answer.
  4. The interval between two synaptic clefts

Explanation

After firing, the neuron briefly cannot generate another action potential, enforcing the one-way travel of signals. This refractory period follows the spike as ion channels reset.

Question 17Biological Bases of Behavior

Which gland is often called the 'master gland' because it directs the activity of other endocrine glands?

  1. Thyroid
  2. Adrenal
  3. Pancreas
  4. Pituitary Correct answer.

Explanation

The pituitary gland releases hormones that regulate other glands such as the thyroid and adrenals. The pancreas regulates blood sugar, and the adrenals produce stress hormones.

Question 18Biological Bases of Behavior

A person with damage to the cerebellum would most likely show which problem?

  1. Clumsy, uncoordinated movements Correct answer.
  2. Loss of fear responses
  3. Difficulty recognizing objects by touch
  4. Inability to form new memories

Explanation

The cerebellum coordinates smooth, balanced movement, so damage causes clumsiness and poor coordination. Memory, touch recognition, and fear each depend on other structures.

Question 19Biological Bases of Behavior

Which statement best captures the all-or-none principle of the action potential?

  1. Stronger stimuli produce larger action potentials
  2. Weaker stimuli produce faster action potentials
  3. Action potentials vary in size with distance traveled
  4. Once threshold is reached, the spike has a consistent size Correct answer.

Explanation

Once threshold is reached, an action potential fires at full amplitude regardless of stimulus strength. Stimulus intensity is instead coded by the rate of firing and the number of neurons recruited.

Question 20Biological Bases of Behavior

An inhibitory neurotransmitter typically produces which effect on the postsynaptic neuron?

  1. Increased release of vesicles
  2. Hyperpolarization, making firing less likely Correct answer.
  3. Depolarization, making firing more likely
  4. Faster conduction along the axon

Explanation

Inhibitory transmitters open channels that hyperpolarize the postsynaptic membrane, moving it farther from threshold. Excitatory transmitters instead depolarize and bring the cell closer to firing.

Question 21Biological Bases of Behavior

A study finds that identical twins raised apart are more similar in a trait than fraternal twins raised apart. This finding most directly supports which conclusion?

  1. The environment fully determines the trait
  2. The trait is unrelated to heredity
  3. The trait is learned through imitation
  4. Genetic factors contribute to the trait Correct answer.

Explanation

Greater similarity among identical twins, who share more genes, points to a genetic contribution to the trait. Because environments differ, the resemblance is attributed to heredity.

Question 22Biological Bases of Behavior

A neuron is at rest with a membrane potential of about -70 mV. Which change would most directly move the cell closer to threshold?

  1. Opening sodium channels to let Na+ enter Correct answer.
  2. Closing all ion channels
  3. Opening potassium channels to let K+ exit
  4. Opening chloride channels to let Cl- enter

Explanation

Sodium influx adds positive charge, depolarizing the membrane toward threshold. Potassium efflux and chloride influx both hyperpolarize the cell, moving it away from threshold.

Question 23Biological Bases of Behavior

A drug is an agonist at a given receptor. Which outcome is most consistent with that classification?

  1. It blocks the receptor and prevents activation
  2. It prevents the neurotransmitter from being synthesized
  3. It mimics the neurotransmitter and activates the receptor Correct answer.
  4. It destroys the neurotransmitter in the cleft

Explanation

An agonist binds and activates a receptor, mimicking the natural transmitter's effect. Antagonists instead block the receptor without activating it.

Question 24Biological Bases of Behavior

A person suffers a stroke affecting the right motor cortex. Which deficit is most likely?

  1. Loss of vision in the right eye only
  2. Weakness on the right side of the body
  3. Loss of hearing in the left ear
  4. Weakness on the left side of the body Correct answer.

Explanation

Motor pathways cross the midline, so the right motor cortex controls the left side of the body. This contralateral organization means right-hemisphere damage produces left-sided weakness.

Question 25Biological Bases of Behavior

A drug that increases GABA activity in the brain would most likely produce which effect?

  1. Heightened arousal and alertness
  2. Increased dopamine release in reward circuits
  3. Reduced neural excitability and sedation Correct answer.
  4. Faster conduction along myelinated axons

Explanation

GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter, so increasing its activity dampens neural firing and can produce sedation. Drugs that boost excitation would instead raise arousal.

Question 26Biological Bases of Behavior

Which part of the neuron is primarily responsible for receiving incoming signals from other neurons?

  1. The axon terminals
  2. The axon hillock
  3. The dendrites Correct answer.
  4. The myelin sheath

Explanation

Dendrites are the branched extensions that carry receptor sites for neurotransmitters and bring information toward the cell body. The other listed structures are involved in conducting or transmitting signals rather than receiving them.

Question 27Biological Bases of Behavior

Which brain structure is most closely associated with the formation of new declarative memories?

  1. The medulla oblongata
  2. The thalamus
  3. The hippocampus Correct answer.
  4. The amygdala

Explanation

The hippocampus is critical for consolidating new explicit memories, as shown by patients who cannot form new declarative memories after hippocampal damage. The other structures serve different primary functions.

Question 28Biological Bases of Behavior

Which division of the nervous system is responsible for returning the body to a calm state after a stressful event?

  1. The central nervous system
  2. The parasympathetic nervous system Correct answer.
  3. The somatic nervous system
  4. The sympathetic nervous system

Explanation

The parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system promotes rest, digestion, and recovery after arousal. The sympathetic branch does the opposite, mobilizing the body during stress.

Question 29Biological Bases of Behavior

Damage to the occipital lobe would most directly impair which function?

  1. Voluntary movement
  2. Vision Correct answer.
  3. Hearing
  4. Language production

Explanation

The occipital lobe houses the primary visual cortex, so damage there disrupts visual processing. Hearing, movement, and language production depend mainly on other lobes.

Question 30Biological Bases of Behavior

A neuron's resting membrane potential is maintained largely by which mechanism?

  1. The sodium-potassium pump moving three sodium ions out for every two potassium ions in Correct answer.
  2. The continuous release of neurotransmitter from the axon terminal
  3. The rapid inflow of calcium ions through voltage-gated channels
  4. The unrestricted diffusion of large negatively charged proteins across the membrane

Explanation

The sodium-potassium pump actively transports three Na+ out and two K+ in, contributing to the negative interior of a resting neuron. This unequal exchange, along with selective membrane permeability, sustains the resting potential.

Question 31Biological Bases of Behavior

A patient who has difficulty producing coherent speech but shows relatively preserved comprehension most likely has damage to which area?

  1. The substantia nigra
  2. Wernicke's area
  3. Broca's area Correct answer.
  4. The primary somatosensory cortex

Explanation

Broca's area, in the frontal lobe, supports speech production; damage yields effortful, nonfluent speech with comprehension largely intact. Wernicke's area is linked to comprehension rather than production.

Question 32Biological Bases of Behavior

Which neurotransmitter is most directly involved in muscle contraction at the neuromuscular junction?

  1. Acetylcholine Correct answer.
  2. GABA
  3. Dopamine
  4. Endorphin

Explanation

Acetylcholine released at the neuromuscular junction binds to receptors on skeletal muscle and triggers contraction. The other neurotransmitters listed serve different roles in the nervous system.

Question 33Biological Bases of Behavior

A drug that mimics a neurotransmitter by binding to its receptor and activating it is best classified as which of the following?

  1. An antagonist
  2. An agonist Correct answer.
  3. An enzyme blocker
  4. A reuptake inhibitor

Explanation

An agonist binds to a receptor and activates it, producing effects similar to the endogenous neurotransmitter. Antagonists block the receptor, while reuptake inhibitors and enzyme blockers act by other means.

Question 34Biological Bases of Behavior

Which brain imaging technique uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed structural images of the brain?

  1. MRI Correct answer.
  2. EEG
  3. CT
  4. PET

Explanation

Magnetic resonance imaging uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to generate high-resolution structural images. PET and EEG measure metabolic or electrical activity, and CT uses X-rays.

Question 35Biological Bases of Behavior

A person who has suffered damage to the hypothalamus would most likely experience difficulty with which of the following?

  1. Recognizing familiar faces
  2. Coordinating smooth voluntary movements
  3. Regulating body temperature and hunger Correct answer.
  4. Storing new long-term memories

Explanation

The hypothalamus regulates homeostasis, including temperature, hunger, thirst, and endocrine function. The other functions listed depend on different brain regions.

Question 36Biological Bases of Behavior

During an action potential, depolarization is caused primarily by the inward flow of which ion?

  1. Magnesium
  2. Chloride
  3. Sodium Correct answer.
  4. Potassium

Explanation

When threshold is reached, voltage-gated sodium channels open and Na+ rushes in, causing the membrane to depolarize. Potassium efflux later contributes to repolarization.

Question 37Biological Bases of Behavior

Which of the following best describes the role of the corpus callosum?

  1. It stores procedural memories
  2. It carries messages between the left and right cerebral hemispheres Correct answer.
  3. It regulates breathing and heart rate
  4. It produces cerebrospinal fluid

Explanation

The corpus callosum is a large bundle of fibers connecting the two hemispheres, enabling them to share information. The other functions belong to different structures.

Question 38Biological Bases of Behavior

A researcher finds that a drug reduces anxiety by enhancing the activity of the brain's main inhibitory neurotransmitter. Which neurotransmitter is the drug most likely affecting?

  1. Glutamate
  2. Dopamine
  3. Norepinephrine
  4. GABA Correct answer.

Explanation

GABA is the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter, so enhancing its activity tends to calm neural activity and reduce anxiety. Glutamate is excitatory, and the other options are not the main inhibitory transmitter.

Question 39Biological Bases of Behavior

A person is startled by a loud noise, and their heart races and breathing quickens. Which nervous system response is primarily responsible for these changes?

  1. Inhibition of the somatic nervous system
  2. Activation of the sympathetic nervous system Correct answer.
  3. Suppression of the endocrine system
  4. Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system

Explanation

The sympathetic nervous system triggers the fight-or-flight response, increasing heart rate and respiration during stress. The parasympathetic system would slow these functions instead.

Question 40Biological Bases of Behavior

A split-brain patient is asked to name an object that is briefly presented only in the left visual field. Which outcome is most likely, and why?

  1. The patient names it easily because the left visual field projects to the left hemisphere
  2. The patient names it easily because both hemispheres receive the input directly
  3. The patient cannot perceive the object at all because the left visual field is blind
  4. The patient cannot name it because the information reaches the right hemisphere, which typically lacks speech production Correct answer.

Explanation

Visual input from the left visual field crosses to the right hemisphere, which in most people has limited language production. Because the hemispheres cannot communicate after callosal surgery, the patient may recognize but not verbally name the object.

Question 41Cognition

According to the Atkinson-Shiffrin model, which memory store holds information for roughly 15 to 30 seconds without rehearsal?

  1. Long-term memory
  2. Short-term memory Correct answer.
  3. Sensory memory
  4. Procedural memory

Explanation

The Atkinson-Shiffrin model proposes three stores: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. Short-term memory is the limited-capacity store that retains unrehearsed information for about 15 to 30 seconds.

Question 42Cognition

A student repeats a new vocabulary word aloud several times to keep it in mind. This best illustrates:

  1. Maintenance rehearsal Correct answer.
  2. Elaborative rehearsal
  3. Retroactive interference
  4. Chunking

Explanation

Maintenance rehearsal is simple repetition that keeps information active in short-term memory. Elaborative rehearsal, by contrast, links new material to existing knowledge for deeper encoding.

Question 43Cognition

The tendency to recall items at the beginning and end of a list better than items in the middle is called:

  1. Levels-of-processing effect
  2. Misinformation effect
  3. Spacing effect
  4. Serial position effect Correct answer.

Explanation

The serial position effect describes superior recall for early items (primacy) and late items (recency) relative to middle items. Primacy reflects long-term memory transfer, while recency reflects short-term memory.

Question 44Cognition

Which type of long-term memory is demonstrated by remembering how to ride a bicycle?

  1. Flashbulb memory
  2. Episodic memory
  3. Procedural memory Correct answer.
  4. Semantic memory

Explanation

Procedural memory is a form of implicit memory for motor and cognitive skills. Knowing how to perform a skill such as riding a bicycle is the classic example.

Question 45Cognition

An algorithm differs from a heuristic primarily because an algorithm:

  1. is always faster to apply
  2. requires insight
  3. relies on mental shortcuts
  4. guarantees a solution if one exists Correct answer.

Explanation

An algorithm is a step-by-step procedure that, if followed correctly, guarantees a solution. Heuristics are fast mental shortcuts that increase efficiency but do not guarantee correctness.

Question 46Cognition

A person judges that a rare disease is more common than it is because news reports about it are memorable. This error reflects:

  1. Confirmation bias
  2. The framing effect
  3. Belief perseverance
  4. The availability heuristic Correct answer.

Explanation

The availability heuristic estimates frequency or probability based on how easily examples come to mind. Vivid, memorable news coverage makes rare events feel more common.

Question 47Cognition

A child who calls every four-legged animal a "doggie" is demonstrating:

  1. Conservation
  2. Accommodation
  3. Assimilation Correct answer.
  4. Object permanence

Explanation

In Piaget's theory, assimilation is interpreting new experiences using existing schemas. Calling all four-legged animals "doggie" applies an existing schema to new objects.

Question 48Cognition

In the context of language development, the stage at which infants produce vowel-like sounds such as "oooh" and "aaah" is called:

  1. Telegraphic speech
  2. Cooing Correct answer.
  3. Holophrastic speech
  4. Babbling

Explanation

Cooing refers to early vowel-like vocalizations produced around two months of age. Babbling, which follows, adds consonant-vowel combinations.

Question 49Cognition

A mental image or best example of a category, used to judge category membership, is called a:

  1. Prototype Correct answer.
  2. Schema
  3. Heuristic
  4. Concept hierarchy

Explanation

A prototype is the most typical representative of a category. People judge new instances as category members partly by how closely they resemble the prototype.

Question 50Cognition

According to the working memory model, the component that coordinates attention and integrates information from the other subsystems is the:

  1. Visuospatial sketchpad
  2. Phonological loop
  3. Episodic buffer
  4. Central executive Correct answer.

Explanation

Baddeley's working memory model includes a central executive that directs attention and allocates resources among the subsystems. The phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad store modality-specific information.