All AP Psychology Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Social Psychology
The reduction of a sense of responsibility when individuals are in a group is called __________.
the bystander effect
psychodynamic
diffusion of responsibility
selective attention
displacement
diffusion of responsibility
Members of a group will often feel less inclined to do something about a situation; the larger the group, the less an individual will feel a sense of responsibility to take charge. This is called a "diffusion of responsibility" and is thought to be responsible for the "bystander effect", which describes the unwillingness to offer help if others are present and are also not offering help. The distinction is small, but important.
Example Question #1 : Ap Psychology
Milgram's famous shock experiment demanded obedience from its participants and demonstrated the existence of what psychological phenomena?
The power of peer pressure
The power of reinforcement
The power of authority
The power of motivation
The power of social learning
The power of authority
Even though many participants felt that they were causing a great deal of pain to the person that they were shocking, they continued to use higher voltage simply because the test administrater told them to. This experiment demonstrated the power that presumed authority has over people's actions and decisions.
Example Question #2 : Ap Psychology
Which two factors are most closely related to the bystander effect?
In-group bias and social influence
Diffusion of responsibility and social influence
Persuasion and obedience
Diffusion of responsibility and in-group bias
Conformity and obedience
Diffusion of responsibility and social influence
The bystander effect suggests that the more people who witness someone in distress, the less likely someone is to intervene. Diffusion of responsibility refers to the phenomenon such that when there are multiple people present, each individual feels less of a responsibility for the situation. Social influence refers to the effect that seeing other people not acting causes you to be less likely to act.
Example Question #2 : Ap Psychology
Which term describes the tendency for groups to make more extreme decisions than individuals?
Conformity
Group harmonization
Prejudice
Group polarization
Groupthink
Group polarization
Group polarization occurs when a group makes a more extreme decision than its individual members would have made if acting on their own.
Example Question #2 : Behavioral Phenomena In A Group
Which of the following traits is NOT typical of people attracted to cults?
Loneliness
Belief in human perfection
Frustration with their current lives
Fear of change
Romantic ideas of utopia
Fear of change
Because joining a cult often requires a dramatic shift in one's behavior and philosophies, people who are reluctant to disrupt their own status quo are less likely to join a cult, no matter how enticing their recruiters' promises may be.
Example Question #3 : Ap Psychology
Which of the following factors will inhibit a person's desire to act altruistically?
Apathy
Fear of exposing self to potential injury
All of these will inhibit altruistic behavior.
Ambiguity in a situation
Fear of exposing self to humiliation
All of these will inhibit altruistic behavior.
Each factor listed introduces the possibility of harm to a potential actor, be it a minor inconvenience or a greater physical threat, making them more reluctant to aid someone else.
Example Question #3 : Social Psychology
An act of aggression that is designed to meet some end goal is an example of which phenomenon?
Confirmation bias
Hostile aggression
Instrumental aggression
Selfishness
Self-serving bias
Instrumental aggression
Instrumental aggression is an act of aggression that is designed to meet a particular goal. This act could be made at the individual or societal level. A good example would be particular wars in which countries fought over food, water, or other resources needed or wanted to maintain their society. This is different from hostile aggression, which could be random with no specific cause or end goal.
Example Question #2 : Social Psychology
Which of the following factors is most likely to cause an individual to conform their opinion to match that of a group?
The individual has not yet voiced their opinions, though others have been given a chance to speak
The topic in discussion bears personal meaning to the individual
The presence of an authority figure, even if the authority figure does not give a personal opinion
None of these
The group's view contradicts to the religious beliefs of the individual
The individual has not yet voiced their opinions, though others have been given a chance to speak
Solomon Asch is most well-known for his social psychology studies on conformity. Individuals are most likely to conform when they are in a group. Social normative refers to the influence other people have on an individual that leads to conformity, driven by a desire to fit in. If an individual has not yet voiced their opinions, they are also more likely to conform to a group's view. Outside influences such as these have a major impact on conformity.
Example Question #1 : Social Psychology
Which of the following does not increase deindividuation?
Having personal ties to the victimized party
Large group size
Being provided with identical uniforms
Anonymity
Diffused responsibility
Having personal ties to the victimized party
Deindividuation is the process whereby individuals show a loss of restraint and individuality due to their being in a group. Having personal ties to a victimized party would decrease deindividuation, while all of the other answer choices facilitate "losing" oneself to a larger group identity.
Example Question #4 : Behavioral Phenomena In A Group
Which of the following examples describes social loafing?
Judy tries very hard to impress her colleagues.
Johnny tries harder on an individual project than he does on a group project.
After meeting with NRA executives, Jaymes decides to support every person's right to bear arms.
Joey refuses to engage in social activities that seem elementary to him.
Jacquie refuses to change her mind to conform to group ideals.
Johnny tries harder on an individual project than he does on a group project.
Social loafing is a phenomenon whereby some people exert less effort when working in groups as opposed to when they are working individually. Obviously, the option describing Johnny doing exactly that is the best answer.