AP Psychology Top exam questions with completely verified
answers graded A+. 2025/2026
Acetylcholine -correct answer a neurotransmitter that, among its functions,
triggers muscle contraction
Endorphins -correct answer "morphine within" - natural, opiatelike
neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure.
Nervous system -correct answer the body's speedy, electrochemical
communication system, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and
central nervous systems.
Central nervous system (CNS) -correct answer the brain and spinal cord
Peripheral nervous system (PNS) -correct answer The sensory and motor
neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body
Nerves -correct answer Neural "cables" containing many axons. These
bundled axons, which are part of the peripheral nervous system, connect the
central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs
Sensory neurons -correct answer neurons that carry incoming information
from the sense receptors to the central nervous system
Interneurons -correct answer central nervous system neurons that
intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
,Motor neurons -correct answer The neurons that carry outgoing information
from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands
Somatic nervous system -correct answer the division of the peripheral
nervous sytem that controls the body's skeletal muscles.
Autonomic nervous system -correct answer the part of the peripheral
nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal
organs (such as the heart). Its sympathetic division arouses; its
parasympathetic division calms.
Sympathetic nervous system -correct answer The division of the autonomic
nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful
situations
Parasympathetic nervous system -correct answer The division of the
autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy
Reflex -correct answer a simple, automatic, inborn response to a sensory
stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response
Neural networks -correct answer interconnected neural cells. With
experience, networks can learn, as feedback strengthens or inhibits
connections that produce certain results. Computer stimulations of neural
networks show analogous learning.
Phrenology -correct answer an ill-fated theory that claimed bumps on the
skull could reveal our mental abilities and our character traits.
Lesion -correct answer tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or
experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue
,EEG (electroencephalogram) -correct answer an amplified recording of the
waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. These
waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp
CT (computed tomography) -correct answer a series of x-ray photographs
taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite
representation of a slice through the body
PET (positron emission tomography) -correct answer a visual display of
brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the
brain performs a given task
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) -correct answer a technique that uses
magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that
distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structures
within the brain
Brainstem -correct answer the oldest part and central core of the brain,
beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is
responsible for automatic survival functions
Medulla -correct answer the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and
breathing
Reticular formation -correct answer a nerve network in the brainstem that
plays an important role in controlling arousal
Thalamus -correct answer the brain's sensory switchboard, located on top
of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the
cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla
, Cerebellum -correct answer the "little brain" attached to the rear of the
brainstem; it helps coordinate voluntary movement and balance
Limbic system -correct answer a doughnut-shaped system of neural
structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebral hemispheres;
associated with emotions such as fear and aggression and drives such as
those for food and sex. Includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and
hypothalamus
Amygdala -correct answer two almond-shaped neural clusters that are
components of the limbic system and are linked to emotion
Hypothalamus -correct answer a neural structure lying below the thalamus;
it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature),
helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to
emotion
Cerebral cortex -correct answer the intricate fabric of interconnected neural
cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and
information-processing center
Glial cells -correct answer cells in the nervous system that are not neurons
but that support, nourish, and protect neurons
Frontal lobes -correct answer the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just
behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in
making plans and judgement
Parietal lobes -correct answer the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the
top of the head and toward the rear; includes the sensory cortex
answers graded A+. 2025/2026
Acetylcholine -correct answer a neurotransmitter that, among its functions,
triggers muscle contraction
Endorphins -correct answer "morphine within" - natural, opiatelike
neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure.
Nervous system -correct answer the body's speedy, electrochemical
communication system, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and
central nervous systems.
Central nervous system (CNS) -correct answer the brain and spinal cord
Peripheral nervous system (PNS) -correct answer The sensory and motor
neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body
Nerves -correct answer Neural "cables" containing many axons. These
bundled axons, which are part of the peripheral nervous system, connect the
central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs
Sensory neurons -correct answer neurons that carry incoming information
from the sense receptors to the central nervous system
Interneurons -correct answer central nervous system neurons that
intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
,Motor neurons -correct answer The neurons that carry outgoing information
from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands
Somatic nervous system -correct answer the division of the peripheral
nervous sytem that controls the body's skeletal muscles.
Autonomic nervous system -correct answer the part of the peripheral
nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal
organs (such as the heart). Its sympathetic division arouses; its
parasympathetic division calms.
Sympathetic nervous system -correct answer The division of the autonomic
nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful
situations
Parasympathetic nervous system -correct answer The division of the
autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy
Reflex -correct answer a simple, automatic, inborn response to a sensory
stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response
Neural networks -correct answer interconnected neural cells. With
experience, networks can learn, as feedback strengthens or inhibits
connections that produce certain results. Computer stimulations of neural
networks show analogous learning.
Phrenology -correct answer an ill-fated theory that claimed bumps on the
skull could reveal our mental abilities and our character traits.
Lesion -correct answer tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or
experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue
,EEG (electroencephalogram) -correct answer an amplified recording of the
waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. These
waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp
CT (computed tomography) -correct answer a series of x-ray photographs
taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite
representation of a slice through the body
PET (positron emission tomography) -correct answer a visual display of
brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the
brain performs a given task
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) -correct answer a technique that uses
magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that
distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structures
within the brain
Brainstem -correct answer the oldest part and central core of the brain,
beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is
responsible for automatic survival functions
Medulla -correct answer the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and
breathing
Reticular formation -correct answer a nerve network in the brainstem that
plays an important role in controlling arousal
Thalamus -correct answer the brain's sensory switchboard, located on top
of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the
cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla
, Cerebellum -correct answer the "little brain" attached to the rear of the
brainstem; it helps coordinate voluntary movement and balance
Limbic system -correct answer a doughnut-shaped system of neural
structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebral hemispheres;
associated with emotions such as fear and aggression and drives such as
those for food and sex. Includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and
hypothalamus
Amygdala -correct answer two almond-shaped neural clusters that are
components of the limbic system and are linked to emotion
Hypothalamus -correct answer a neural structure lying below the thalamus;
it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature),
helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to
emotion
Cerebral cortex -correct answer the intricate fabric of interconnected neural
cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and
information-processing center
Glial cells -correct answer cells in the nervous system that are not neurons
but that support, nourish, and protect neurons
Frontal lobes -correct answer the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just
behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in
making plans and judgement
Parietal lobes -correct answer the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the
top of the head and toward the rear; includes the sensory cortex
