2025 AP Psychology Exam Study Guide Notes

2025 AP Psychology Exam Study Guide

Course Overview

  • The AP Psychology exam has been revised for the 2024-25 academic year.
  • It now features five core content units aligned with the APA's recommendations for introductory psychology:
    1. Biological Bases of Behavior
    2. Cognition
    3. Development and Learning
    4. Social Psychology and Personality
    5. Mental and Physical Health

Science Practices

The exam assesses four science practices:

  1. Concept Application: Apply psychological theories and concepts to scenarios.
  2. Research Methods and Design: Evaluate and use appropriate methodologies.
  3. Data Interpretation: Analyze research data and graphical representations.
  4. Argumentation: Construct logical arguments using psychological evidence.

Exam Format

Section I - Multiple Choice:

  • 75 questions
  • 90 minutes
  • 66.7% of score

Section II - Free Response:

  • 2 questions
  • 70 minutes
  • 33.3% of score

Includes:

  • Article Analysis Question (AAQ)
  • Evidence-Based Question (EBQ)

Major Theorists and Perspectives

Key Figures:

  • Wilhelm Wundt
    • Structuralism
  • William James
    • Functionalism
  • John Watson & B.F. Skinner
    • Behaviorism
  • Sigmund Freud
    • Psychoanalysis
  • Carl Rogers & Abraham Maslow
    • Humanism

Perspectives:

  • Biological
    • Brain structures, neurotransmitters
  • Cognitive
    • Thinking, memory
  • Behavioral
    • Learning, reinforcement
  • Humanistic
    • Growth, self-actualization
  • Psychodynamic
    • Unconscious, childhood
  • Sociocultural
    • Culture, norms
  • Evolutionary
    • Survival, adaptation

Research Methods

  • Empirical Method
    • Based on observation/experimentation
  • Independent Variable
    • Manipulated
  • Dependent Variable
    • Measured
  • Experimental Group
    • Receives treatment
  • Control Group
    • Baseline comparison
  • Random Assignment
    • Minimizes bias

Cultural Psychology

  • Individualist Cultures
    • Prioritize self, autonomy
  • Collectivist Cultures
    • Emphasize group and social harmony

Study Strategies

  • Focus on understanding over memorization
  • Practice application of concepts
  • Review regularly with spaced repetition
  • Use FRQ practice to prepare for written sections