How to Write for the AP Exam AP Psychology How to Write for the AP Exam

Just the facts… The writing portion of the AP Psych exam… Consists of 2 Free Response Questions (FRQ) Has a 50 minute time frame Counts for 1/3 of your overall score

Getting Started The first 5 minutes… Write for 20 minutes… Choose the question you are more comfortable with Read the question carefully Develop a quick outline Write for 20 minutes… Write as much as possible Remember to pace yourself for the next question

DON’T… write a thesis write an introduction write a conclusion write lists or bullet points cross anything out, unless you KNOW it’s wrong write fluff (there’s no time to get fancy)

Think… T.D.A Term Define Answer the question Use the term to answer the question Define Define the term so that the reader knows you know it Answer the question Explain with enough detail for someone to understand Use paragraphs to separate points

Other tips Guess the rubric Write to explain Write for points! Generally the number of bullet points equates to the number of points on the rubric (7-10) Write to explain Your reader is an idiot… that’s probably a college professor Be Specific (B.S.) and give examples Write for points!

Example Question Define each of the following concepts and explain how each contributes to the phenomenon of prejudice. Stereotyping Self-fulfilling prophecy Fundamental attribution error Projection Schema

Analysis How many points is this question worth? 10 How might you start your answer? “Stereotypes are…” How long should you spend writing this answer? 20 minutes

Sample Answer Stereotypes are overgeneralizations about a person or group. They can contribute to prejudice in that a person may oversimplify a concept such as all Asian are intelligent. This is an oversimplification resulting in undo prejudice, as it has been shown that Asians show a similar bell curve in intelligence as the rest of the population. A self-fulfilling prophecy can lead to prejudice by predicting how people behave in a given situation. If a guy believes that women are bad drivers, he will tend to only see accidents where women are at fault, resulting in prejudice.

How many points? 3 Stereotypes are overgeneralizations about a person or group. They can contribute to prejudice in that a person may oversimplify a concept such as all Asian are intelligent. This is an oversimplification resulting in undo prejudice, as it has been shown that Asians show a similar bell curve in intelligence as the rest of the population. A self-fulfilling prophecy can lead to prejudice by predicting how people behave in a given situation. If a guy believes that women are bad drivers, he will tend to only see accidents where women are at fault, resulting in prejudice.

Remember… This is NOT English! Put the answer in Black and White, don’t make the reader search for it. Write in the order of the question. Use the words given to you.

Discuss one advantage of each research method listed above. Psychologists use a variety of research methods to study behavior. Three of the main research methods used are Case study Correlational study Experiment Discuss one advantage of each research method listed above. Discuss one disadvantage of each research method listed above. Pretend you are a psychologist who will used each of the three research methods— case study, correlational study, and experiment—to determine the effect of taking vitamin J on improving memory. For each methods listed above, explain a key characteristic of the basic approach you could use to reach a scientific conclusion about the relationship between taking vitamin J and improving memory. You need not design a complete study.