AP Psych 3.1 Reading Questions, 2025-26

Using the reading's discussion of nature and nurture, analyze how your own development demonstrates the interaction between genetic inheritance and environmental experiences.

a. Define "nature" and "nurture" as presented in the reading and identify one example of each from your own life.

b. Explain how these two factors have interacted to shape a specific aspect of your personality, abilities, or behavior patterns.

c. Evaluate whether your example supports the reading's claim that "we are not formed by either nature or nurture, but by the interaction between them."

The author describes experiencing both "continuous self" and change throughout development. Create an argument for whether stability or change is more influential in human development.

a. Using the reading, explain what researchers mean by the "stability and change" theme in developmental psychology.

b. Provide two specific research findings from the text that support your chosen position (stability OR change as more influential).

c. Anticipate a counterargument and explain how you would respond to someone who disagrees with your position using evidence from the reading.

Compare the advantages and limitations of cross-sectional versus longitudinal research methods for studying human development.

a. Define both research methods using the reading and explain their fundamental difference in approach.

b. Analyze why a researcher studying the "end of history illusion" mentioned in the text would need to use one method over the other.

c. Predict what type of developmental question would be impossible to answer accurately without using longitudinal research, and justify your reasoning.

Imagine you are counseling parents who are worried that their "out-of-control" 5-year-old will become a troubled adult. Using the reading's discussion of stability and change, provide a balanced response.

a. Identify what the research says about behavioral stability from childhood to adulthood, including specific examples from the text.

b. Explain what evidence from the reading offers hope for positive change in development.

c. Synthesize this information to advise these parents on realistic expectations while addressing both their concerns and their hopes.

The reading presents stage theories alongside evidence that challenges clear-cut developmental stages. Evaluate whether human development is better understood as continuous or stage-based.

a. Explain the difference between continuous development and stage-based development using the metaphors provided in the reading.

b. Analyze why both Piaget's and Erikson's theories remain useful despite research that "casts doubt on the idea that life proceeds through neatly defined age-linked stages."

c. Argue which perspective (continuous or stages) better explains the author's personal developmental story, supporting your position with specific examples from his narrative.

Design a study to investigate one of the three major themes in developmental psychology, explaining your methodological choices.

a. Choose one theme (nature/nurture, continuity/stages, or stability/change) and formulate a specific research question related to it.

b. Determine whether you would use cross-sectional or longitudinal methods and explain why this choice is essential for answering your question.

c. Predict one challenge you might face in conducting this research and propose how developmental psychologists typically address such challenges based on the reading.

The reading suggests that understanding developmental psychology helps us comprehend "how we've become our current selves." Assess the practical value of studying human development.

a. Identify three specific insights about development from the reading that could influence how someone approaches parenting, education, or self-improvement.

b. Evaluate which of the three major themes (nature/nurture, continuity/stages, stability/change) would be most important for a high school student to understand and why.

c. Reflect on how this knowledge might change your expectations for your own future development, referencing the concept of "end of history illusion."

The author states that "between-group differences are small" compared to "person-to-person differences within groups" when discussing human development across cultures.

a. Explain what this statement means in the context of developmental psychology and why it's significant for the nature/nurture theme.

b. Analyze how this finding challenges common assumptions people might make about cultural or ethnic differences in development.

c. Evaluate the implications of this research for educational practices or social policies, considering how developmental psychology research should inform real-world decisions.