Unit 2 Tutoring AP Psych

A student observes a door from two different angles as shown above. Despite View B showing a different projected shape on their retina, they still perceive it as a rectangular door. Which perceptual principle explains this phenomenon?

• Shape constancy

• Size constancy

• Depth perception

• Figure-ground relationship

Researchers investigated state-dependent memory in college students studying for exams. They recruited 200 participants and randomly assigned them to four conditions: Group 1 studied and took tests while drinking coffee, Group 2 studied with coffee but took tests without it, Group 3 studied without coffee but took tests with it, and Group 4 had no coffee for either activity. The researchers provided standardized coffee doses but didn't control for participants' regular caffeine consumption, sleep patterns, or typical study environments. When analyzing the data, they concluded that "caffeine state-dependency significantly impacts test performance." Which research methods concern most limits the validity of their conclusion?

• Confounding variables were not controlled for, such as caffeine tolerance and sleep patterns

• The sample lacked generalizability beyond college students

• The study needed a larger sample size for statistical power

• There was no placebo control condition included

• The research lacked a proper double-blind procedure

At a crowded school dance, Taylor scrolls through TikTok while her favorite songs play in the background. Though absorbed in her phone, she immediately looks up when she hears her name mentioned in a conversation several feet away. Her friend notices this happens again when someone discusses the upcoming basketball game where Taylor's starting. Which attention process best explains this phenomenon?

• Selective attention

• Inattentional blindness

• Cocktail party effect

• Change blindness

A school district administered the WISC intelligence test to 2000 students. The graph shows the normal distribution of IQ scores, with percentages indicating the proportion of students falling within each section of the curve. A student scores 130 on this test. Which of the following is true about this score?

• It falls in the average range

• It is more than one standard deviation above the mean

• It is exactly two standard deviations above the mean

• It represents the top 5% of scores

A psychology teacher conducted a study on the effectiveness of spaced repetition versus cramming by examining students' retention of vocabulary terms. Two groups of students were given 20 psychology terms to learn. Group A studied the terms for one hour on a single day, while Group B studied the same terms for 15 minutes per day over four days. Both groups were tested on the terms one week later. The results are shown in the table below. Which of the following best explains why Group B demonstrated better retention of the vocabulary terms?

• The total time spent studying was greater for Group B

• The spacing effect allows for better memory consolidation between study sessions

• Group B students were more motivated to learn the material

• The testing effect improved Group B's performance

After watching viral videos about three plane incidents, high school senior Jason decides to drive 8 hours to his college tour instead of taking a 1-hour flight. His parents point out that he's driven with them past multiple car accidents this year, but Jason insists flying is riskier. During his college tour, other prospective students share similar travel choices after seeing recent news coverage of air travel. Which cognitive shortcut best explains these students' risk assessments?

• A) Representativeness heuristic

• B) Availability heuristic

• C) Anchoring bias

• D) Confirmation bias

Abby bought expensive tickets to a three-day music festival months ago. On the first day, she realizes she's not enjoying herself - the crowds are overwhelming, she dislikes the performances, and her favorite bands aren't playing until the final day. Despite having a major test to study for, Abby decides to attend all three days, telling her friends "I already spent $300 on these tickets, so I have to go." Her roommate suggests selling the remaining tickets online. Which cognitive bias best explains Abby’s decision to continue attending?

• A) Confirmation bias

• B) Sunk-cost fallacy

• C) Availability heuristic

• D) Framing effect

During her morning commute, Sarah's train passes by scenic mountains. While listening to music through her headphones, she suddenly remembers she needs to pick up her daughter's birthday cake after work. Throughout the day, Sarah efficiently completes her work tasks and attends meetings, but at 5 PM she drives straight home, completely forgetting about the cake. Her coworker mentions that this isn't the first time Sarah has forgotten to complete personal tasks she thought about during the day. Sarah's memory failure is most likely due to a deficit in her

• Prospective Memory

• Implicit Memory

• Echoic Memory

• Flashbulb Memory

A cognitive psychologist was interested in whether working memory capacity remains stable throughout the day. Rather than bringing participants into a lab, she followed 5 emergency room physicians through their 12-hour shifts, recording their ability to maintain and manipulate multiple pieces of patient information simultaneously. The researcher shadowed each doctor during three different shifts (morning, evening, and overnight), taking detailed notes about memory errors, successful handling of multiple cases, and information management strategies. She documented specific instances where doctors needed to hold multiple pieces of information in mind (like medication dosages, vital signs, and patient histories) while making quick decisions. She also recorded their strategies for managing cognitive load during high-stress periods. From her detailed observations of these five doctors, she developed a new theory about how medical professionals maintain high working memory performance under pressure. Which research method is exemplified in this study?

• Case study

• Correlational research

• Survey research

• Experimental design

• Cross-sectional research

At the start of senior year, Ethan gets a new phone number and tries memorizing it. Despite repeating the new number multiple times, he keeps reciting his old number of three years when friends ask for his contact. During a group project, he accidentally writes his old number on team documents, causing confusion. His frustration grows when he also enters his old number while creating social media accounts. Which memory phenomenon best explains Ethan's persistent recall of his old phone number?

• A) Retroactive interference

• B) Proactive interference

• C) Serial position effect

• D) State-dependent memory