AP Psych Summer Assignment Part II - Reading Comprehension Questions

In the first week of school, you will have a 30-40 point quiz (15-20 multiple choice questions) on the summer assignment readings. (For comparison, exams in our course are 100 points). The following is your “review guide” for the quiz. We strongly recommend that you have this document open and accessible while you read so you can either annotate the document or take relevant notes.

The rider

represents the conscious mind - the rational, controlled, and deliberate part of the brain responsible for planning, setting goals, and making decisions.acts faster, is more easily accesible, brain formulates decisions and actions based on this most of the time.

The elephant

represents the unconscious mind - the automatic, emotional, and instinctive part of the brain that drives immediate reactions, impulses, and behaviors.itś slower, more diffcult to make actions based on it, therefore used much less often.

split brain studies

show that the brain's hemispheres can generate behaviors without conscious awareness, and the conscious mind later rationalizes (confabulates) these actions

limbic system

controls basic instincts like aggression and hunger and can override rational thoughts when stimulated.

frontal cortex damage

leads to increased impulsivity and a lack of control over automatic urges

ironic process theory

demonstrates that trying to suppress automatic thoughts often make them stronger ("don't think of a white bear" makes you think of it more).

confabulation

when the brain invents reasons for behaviors it doesn't understand, revealing that many actions are driven by unconscious processes.

retrieval practice

the act of trying to actively recall information from memory without having the text or notes in front of you

spaced practice

Spreading out your study sessions over an extended period of time instead of trying to cram all at once. Additionally, it uses scientifically backed intervals to improve recall and memorization of topics.

interleaving

Alternating or mixing up the study of two or more different topics or problem types within a single study sequence

issue with rereading

creates a false "illusion of mastery" because the growing familiarity with the text makes the student feel like they know it when they are actually just recognizing it.

the most effective study strategy

Retrieval practice is ____ because forcing the brain to work hard to reconstruct a memory physically anchors and strengthens the neural pathways required for long-term retention.

availability heuristic

a mental shortcut where you judge the likelihood of an event based on how easily examples of it come to mind

affect heuristic

a cognitive shortcut where people let their emotional likes and dislikes determine their beliefs about the world's risks and benefits

system 1 thinking

the brain's fast, automatic, and default operational mode that relies on instincts and shortcuts to make immediate decisions

effect of vivid or recent events

heavily influence us because system 1 automatically measures frequency by memory ease, making highly memorable events feel much more common than they actually are.

affect heuristic causes

leads people to miscalculate actual risks by substituting objective data with emotional reactions, leading to systematic errors, unnecessary panic, or distorted safety choices.

External rewards myth (disproved)

challenges the widespread business assumption that external motivators like higher pay or bonuses always make people work harder.

Flawed controls

stop a researcher from proving that the independent variable caused the change in the dependent variable. for example showing that external forces ("carrots and sticks") actually lead to worse performance on conceptual or creative tasks.

The Sawyer Effect

Extrinsic rewards turn play into work and transform interesting tasks into a dreary chore.

affect of conditional incentives

conditional incentives stifle creative thinking and problem-solving by forcing the brain to fixate narrowly on getting the reward.

Loss of inner drive

seeing money as an external reward destroys a person's natural, long-term interest in doing the activity for its own sake.

Intrinsic rewards

Doing a task because the work itself is interesting, challenging, and absorbing.

Natural curiosity

The deep-seated human drive to solve puzzles, learn, and find personal gratification in the activity.

Meaningful engagement (related to rewards)

Focusing on mastery and self-directed purpose rather than external bribes or punishments.

milgrams guiding question

Wanted to know why citizens followed orders during WWII atrocities. Asked if regular people would inflict pain on a stranger simply because an authority figure commanded it.

65% obedience rate

Two-thirds of participants delivered the maximum 450-volt level despite hearing distress during the Milgram Experiment.

35% defiance rate

One-third stopped the experiment and refused to continue further during the Milgram Experiment.

results of Milgram experiment: Severe emotional strain

Obedient subjects sweated, squirmed, and suffered nervous laughter while obeying.

Ethical concerns of Milgram expiriment

High psychological stress and trauma inflicted on naive participants without proper screening.

Methodological debate of Milgram experiment

Critics like Bernie Mixon argued the results measured trust in the scientist rather than obedience.

Ecological validity of Milgram experiment

Doubts over whether a lab setting reflects real-world behavior and moral choices.

Temperament vs. Destiny

investigating whether inborn biological traits completely dictate who people become or if life experiences can alter that path.

Identical Twins

Separated studies of these reveal shared traits like introversion due to identical genes.

The Amygdala

Acts as the brain's emotional switchboard to trigger fight-or-flight responses to threats. Emotional learning and responding.

SERT Gene

The short allele variation correlates with high reactivity, introversion, and mood processing differences.

right side of brain

controls actions

left side of brain

controls processing and language

hindbrain

needed for vital functions and motor controlm, connected to spinal column

midbrain

plays a key role in processing visual and auditory information, involved in functions such as movement control.

forebrain

responsible for higher cognitive functions and complex behaviors, including emotions and reasoning.

hypothalmus

A brain structure that regulates basic biological drives (hunger, thirst, body temperature) and homeostatic functions; in the context of the Happiness Hypothesis, it represents a core part of the automatic, primal brain (the Elephant) driving

neocortex

available to make new associations and to engage in new thought processes

frontal cortex

needed in processing consequences of an action so you won´t make bad decisions and plays essential role in emotional reactions

id

The hungry, lustful, and disobedient horse that craves immediate pleasure and instinctual gratification.

ego

The conscious, rational self frantically struggling to pull the reins and steer the vehicle.

superego

The judgmental parent sitting in the back, constantly lecturing the driver on what they are doing wrong according to societal rules and morals

how to create lasting change

can´t be done through pure willpower. You need to train the gut behaviors and desires through things like meditation and therapy

carrots and sticks

The Carrot: This represents the reward. It is the good thing you get if you do what the other person wants. The Stick: This represents the punishment or penalty. It is the bad consequence you face if you refuse or fail to comply.

obedience

form of social influence when a person changes their behavior in response to a direct order or command from an authority figure

social influence

enviornmental forces, authority figures, and group dynamics overpower an individual´s independent choice and shape human behavior

deception

intentional misleading of participants or the withholding of full information about the true nature of an experiment

confederate

the person in on the experiment, pretending not to be

cognitive dissonance

your behavior doesn´t match what your actions or choices suggest, such as in Milgram´s experiment

automatic processing

Automatic processing is handled by the older, evolutionary parts of the brain (like the limbic system). It evolved to keep us alive by making split-second reactions to threats and rewards. is inexhaustible and manages thousands of background tasks simultaneously. handles our gut feelings, emotional reactions, and intuitive moral judgments.

controlled processing

conscious, effortful, and rational thinking. It is the mental system that requires language, words, and deliberate focus to operate, allowing humans to plan ahead, weigh pros and cons, and analyze complex situations

introversion

Introversion is about how your nervous system handles external inputs like noise, crowds, and social interaction, rather than being a dislike for people. Shyness is the fear of social judgment and negative evaluation, whereas introversion is simply a choice for lower stimulation. Deep thinking, innovation, and creativity—seen in historical figures like Charles Darwin and Steve Wozniak—flourish best in quiet, solitary space.

extroversion

individuals who crave high levels of stimulation to feel at their best and most energized. They actively seek out social interaction, noise, bright lights, and bustling environments. They tend to process thoughts by speaking and are comfortable acting on their feet or multi-tasking.

Temperament

how individuals biologically respond to social and environmental stimulation

Nature vs. Nurture

Babies born with a "high-reactive" nervous system react strongly to new sights, sounds, and smells. These infants are more likely to grow into cautious, thoughtful, and introverted adults. "Low-reactive" babies are calmer in stressful or novel situations and tend to seek out high stimulation, often developing into outgoing extroverts.Introverts tend to be less responsive to dopamine (the reward chemical) and rely more on the neocortex for deep, careful thought.

Cain´s guiding question

where temperament comes from and whether traits like introversion and extroversion are innate or shaped by our environment

Autonomy

the deep-seated desire to direct our own lives and have control over what we do, when we do it, how we do it, and who we do it with

task

Having control over what you work on, such as Google’s famous "20% time" where engineers pursue their own projects.

Time

Having control over when you do the work, moving away from rigid hours toward results-oriented environments.

Technique

Having control over how you complete the work, rather than being micromanaged along a strict path.

Team

Having control over who you collaborate and work alongside on projects.

“if-then” rewards

reduce creativity by narrowing our focus and crushing our inner drive. make it harder to see everyday objects or concepts in new ways. the brain shifts from doing it for pleasure or meaning to doing it just for the payoff.

elements that promote stronger motivation

Autonomy: The desire to direct our own lives, control our work, and choose how and when we tackle tasks. Mastery: The urge to get better, improve our skills, and achieve a sense of competence and personal growth. Purpose: The yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves, connecting daily work to a meaningful goal