AP PSYCHOLOGY MULTIPLE
CHOICE EXAM 2025 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
Which of the following is best defined as a relatively permanent change in behavior due to
experience?
A) acquisition
B) stimulus
C) learning
D) habituation
E) response - ANS C) learning
Lynn is teaching learning. Every time she claps her hands, Charlie turns off the light. When
Randy claps in approval of Lynn's presentation, Charlie does not turn the light off. What
concept has Charlie demonstrated?
A) habituation
B) discrimination
C) spontaneous recovery
D) extinction
E) habituation - ANS B) discrimination
Classical conditioning is the type of learning in which a person links two or more stimuli and
A) forgets about them
B) lays them out in sequence
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,C) shuts down
D) anticipates events
E) receives a reward - ANS D) anticipates events
In classical conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus
A) naturally triggers a response
B) is a naturally occurring response
C) is initially irrelevant, and then comes to trigger a response
D) objectively studies psychology
E) is Pavlovian - ANS A) naturally triggers a response
Students are accustomed to a bell ringing to indicate the end of a class period. The principal
decides to substitute popular music for the bell to indicate the end of each class period.
Students quickly respond to the music in the same way they did to the bell. What principle does
this illustrate?
A) acquisition
B) habituation
C) generalization
D) functional fixedness
E) stimulus - ANS C) generalization
The work of Ivan Pavlov and John Watson fits best into which of psychology's perspectives?
A) humanism
B) gestalt psychology
C) trait theory
D) behaviorism
E) neuropsychology - ANS D) behaviorism
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,What do we call the kind of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a
reinforcer?
A) operant condition
B) respondent behavior
C) classical condition
D) shaping
E) punishment - ANS A) operant condition
Which of the following best describes a discriminative stimulus?
A) something that elicits a response after association with a reinforcer
B) innately reinforcing stimulus
C) something that when removed increases the likelihood of the behavior
D) an event that decreases the behavior it follows
E) an amplified stimulus feeding back information to responses - ANS A) something that
elicits a response after association with a reinforcer
Thorndike's principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely is
known as what?
A) law of effect
B) operant condition
C) shaping
D) respondent behavior
E) discrimination - ANS A) law of effect
All of the following are examples of primary reinforces except a
A) rat's food reward in Skinner box
B) cold drink on hot day
C) high score on exam for which student studied diligently
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, D) hug from loved one
E) large meal following fast - ANS C) high scores on exam for which student studied diligently
What do we call it when the CR decreases as the CS is repeatedly presented alone?
A) generalization
B) discrimination
C) spontaneous recovery
D) extinction
E) acquisition - ANS D) extinction
The basic idea behind classical condition is that the organism
A) associates events
B) associates behavior and resulting events
C) voluntarily operates on the environment
D) associates response with a consequence
E) quits responding when reward stops - ANS A) associates events
What do we call the reappearance, after a rest period, of an extinguished response?
a. acquisition
b. spontaneous recovery
c. discrimination
d. operant conditioning
e. classical conditioning - ANS B) spontaneous recovery
What do we call behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus?
A) respondent behavior
B) operant behavior
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CHOICE EXAM 2025 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
Which of the following is best defined as a relatively permanent change in behavior due to
experience?
A) acquisition
B) stimulus
C) learning
D) habituation
E) response - ANS C) learning
Lynn is teaching learning. Every time she claps her hands, Charlie turns off the light. When
Randy claps in approval of Lynn's presentation, Charlie does not turn the light off. What
concept has Charlie demonstrated?
A) habituation
B) discrimination
C) spontaneous recovery
D) extinction
E) habituation - ANS B) discrimination
Classical conditioning is the type of learning in which a person links two or more stimuli and
A) forgets about them
B) lays them out in sequence
Copyright ©2025 THEBRIGHT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,C) shuts down
D) anticipates events
E) receives a reward - ANS D) anticipates events
In classical conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus
A) naturally triggers a response
B) is a naturally occurring response
C) is initially irrelevant, and then comes to trigger a response
D) objectively studies psychology
E) is Pavlovian - ANS A) naturally triggers a response
Students are accustomed to a bell ringing to indicate the end of a class period. The principal
decides to substitute popular music for the bell to indicate the end of each class period.
Students quickly respond to the music in the same way they did to the bell. What principle does
this illustrate?
A) acquisition
B) habituation
C) generalization
D) functional fixedness
E) stimulus - ANS C) generalization
The work of Ivan Pavlov and John Watson fits best into which of psychology's perspectives?
A) humanism
B) gestalt psychology
C) trait theory
D) behaviorism
E) neuropsychology - ANS D) behaviorism
Copyright ©2025 THEBRIGHT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
,What do we call the kind of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a
reinforcer?
A) operant condition
B) respondent behavior
C) classical condition
D) shaping
E) punishment - ANS A) operant condition
Which of the following best describes a discriminative stimulus?
A) something that elicits a response after association with a reinforcer
B) innately reinforcing stimulus
C) something that when removed increases the likelihood of the behavior
D) an event that decreases the behavior it follows
E) an amplified stimulus feeding back information to responses - ANS A) something that
elicits a response after association with a reinforcer
Thorndike's principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely is
known as what?
A) law of effect
B) operant condition
C) shaping
D) respondent behavior
E) discrimination - ANS A) law of effect
All of the following are examples of primary reinforces except a
A) rat's food reward in Skinner box
B) cold drink on hot day
C) high score on exam for which student studied diligently
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, D) hug from loved one
E) large meal following fast - ANS C) high scores on exam for which student studied diligently
What do we call it when the CR decreases as the CS is repeatedly presented alone?
A) generalization
B) discrimination
C) spontaneous recovery
D) extinction
E) acquisition - ANS D) extinction
The basic idea behind classical condition is that the organism
A) associates events
B) associates behavior and resulting events
C) voluntarily operates on the environment
D) associates response with a consequence
E) quits responding when reward stops - ANS A) associates events
What do we call the reappearance, after a rest period, of an extinguished response?
a. acquisition
b. spontaneous recovery
c. discrimination
d. operant conditioning
e. classical conditioning - ANS B) spontaneous recovery
What do we call behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus?
A) respondent behavior
B) operant behavior
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