AP Psych 2.7 Reading Questions, 2025-26

Using the reading, analyze how the three main causes of forgetting might affect a student's performance differently across various academic subjects.

a. Define encoding failure, storage decay, and retrieval failure based on the reading.

b. Choose two different school subjects (like foreign language vs. mathematics) and explain how each type of forgetting would specifically impact performance in those subjects.

c. Explain which type of forgetting would be most problematic for long-term academic success and justify your reasoning.

Compare the experiences of Henry Molaison (H.M.) and Solomon Shereshevsky to evaluate whether perfect memory is always advantageous.

a. Define anterograde amnesia and highly superior autobiographical memory using specific details from the reading.

b. Analyze the challenges each individual faced due to their memory conditions, identifying at least two specific problems for each person.

c. Argue whether moderate forgetting serves an adaptive function in human cognition, supporting your position with evidence from both cases.

Imagine you are tutoring a classmate who believes that interference only happens when studying similar subjects back-to-back.

a. Use the reading's definitions of proactive and retroactive interference to correct this misconception.

b. Provide two examples from your own life or school experience that demonstrate each type of interference occurring in non-academic situations.

c. Design a study schedule for your classmate that minimizes both types of interference, explaining the psychological principles behind your recommendations.

Evaluate Freud's concept of repression using the evidence presented in the reading about trauma survivors and their memories.

a. Define repression according to Freudian theory as described in the reading.

b. Analyze the Flight AT236 study and other evidence that challenges repression, explaining why trauma survivors typically have vivid rather than repressed memories.

c. Conclude whether the concept of motivated forgetting has merit in modern psychology, distinguishing between repression and other forms of motivated forgetting mentioned in the text.

Consider Elizabeth Loftus's research on the misinformation effect and imagination inflation. Explain how these phenomena could impact two different real-world situations where accurate memory is crucial.

a. Define misinformation effect and imagination inflation based on the reading's examples.

b. Describe how each phenomenon could specifically affect eyewitness testimony in a criminal trial and a patient's recall of medical symptoms during diagnosis.

c. Analyze why these memory construction errors pose serious challenges for the justice system and healthcare, connecting to the broader implications discussed in the reading.

The reading discusses both anterograde and retrograde amnesia. Why is understanding the difference between these conditions crucial for developing effective rehabilitation strategies?

a. Define both types of amnesia using the reading and provide the brain structures typically involved.

b. Explain how treatment approaches would differ for someone with anterograde amnesia versus retrograde amnesia, considering what each person can and cannot do.

c. Evaluate why H.M. could still learn new procedural skills despite his amnesia, and predict what this suggests about the organization of memory systems in the brain.

Imagine a future technology that could prevent reconsolidation from occurring during memory retrieval. Based on the reading's discussion of memory construction, predict how this might affect human memory and behavior.

a. Define reconsolidation and explain its normal function in memory according to the reading.

b. Predict three specific consequences—both positive and negative—that might occur if memories could no longer be altered during retrieval.

c. Argue whether preventing reconsolidation would ultimately benefit or harm human psychological well-being, supporting your position with evidence about false memories and memory construction from the text.

The reading concludes with research-based strategies for improving memory. Evaluate these strategies by analyzing which would be most effective for different types of learners and learning situations.

a. Identify and explain four memory improvement strategies mentioned in the reading's final section.

b. Analyze how factors like age, learning style, and subject matter might influence the effectiveness of different strategies, providing specific examples.

c. Reflect on your own study habits and design a personalized memory improvement plan based on the research findings, explaining why you selected specific strategies and how you would implement them to address your individual learning challenges.