AP Psychology Premium Notes
2025 AP Psychology Premium - Barron's Test Prep
New 2025 AP Psychology exam preparation.
Includes 3 full-length practice tests and online practice.
Comprehensive review for all exam topics with expert tips.
Authors: Allyson J. Weseley, Ed.D., and Robert McEntarffer, Ph.D.
Start Here - Access Prep Online
Access included practice by scanning or visiting online.barronsbooks.com.
About the Authors
Rob McEntarffer:
Taught AP Psychology (13 years) and Psychology at Nebraska Wesleyan University (7 years).
Extensive experience scoring AP Psychology free-response questions (Reader, Table Leader, Question Leader).
Past chair of Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPS).
Involved in writing assessment materials for psychology textbooks.
Assessment specialist for his school district.
Allyson Weseley:
Taught AP Psychology and ran a Behavioral Science Research Program at Roslyn High School (25+ years).
High AP exam success rate; 100% passing, and 80+% earning 5s.
Served as Reader and Table Leader for the AP Psychology exam.
Published psychology-related activities and led teacher workshops.
Served on the board of Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools.
Table of Contents Overview
UNIT 0: SCIENCE PRACTICES
History of Psychology
Psychological Perspectives Summary
Research Methods Overview
Hypotheses and Variables
Validity and Reliability
Experimental Method
Correlational Method
Naturalistic Observation
Qualitative Methods
Statistics Overview
Descriptive Statistics
Correlations
Inferential Statistics
APA Ethical Guidelines
UNIT 1: BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOR
Biological Bases of Behavior Overview
Genetics
Neuroanatomy
Nervous System
Endocrine System
The Brain
States of Consciousness Overview
Levels of Consciousness
Drugs
Sleep
Dreams
Sensation Overview
Energy Senses
Chemical Senses
Body Position Senses
Unit 1 Multiple-Choice Questions
Answer Explantions
UNIT 2: COGNITION
Perception Overview
Thresholds
Perceptual Theories
Principles of Visual Perception
Effects of Culture on Perception
Extrasensory Perception
Thinking and Creativity Overview
Describing Thought
Problem-Solving
Creativity
Memory Overview
Three-Box/Information-Processing Model
Sensory Memory
Short-Term and Working Memory
Long-Term Memory
Levels of Processing Model
Encoding Memories
Storing Memories
Retrieval
Constructive Memory
Forgetting
Testing and Individual Differences
Overview
Standardization and Norms
Reliability and Validity
Types of Tests
Theories of Intelligence
Intelligence Tests
Nature vs. Nurture: Intelligence
Unit 2 Multiple-Choice Questions
Answer Explanations
UNIT 3: DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING
Developmental Psychology
Overview
Developmental Psychology Research Methods
Prenatal Influences
Motor/Sensory Development
Gender and Development
Stage Theories
Cognitive Development
Language
Parenting
Learning Overview
Classical Conditioning
Operant Conditioning
Cognitive Learning
Unit 3 Multiple-Choice Questions
Answer Explanations
UNIT 4: SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, PERSONALITY, MOTIVATION, AND EMOTION
Social Psychology Overview
Attribution Theory
Attitude Formation and Change
Compliance Strategies
Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Aggression and Antisocial Behavior
Prosocial Behavior
Attraction
The Psychology of Social Situations
Group Dynamics
Personality Overview
Psychodynamic Theories of Personality
Humanistic Theories of Personality
Trait Theories
Social Cognitive Theories
Motivation and Emotion Overview
Theories of Motivation
Hunger Motivation
Sexual Motivation
Social Motivation
Theories About Emotion
Nonverbal Expressions of Emotion
Unit 4 Multiple-Choice Questions
Answer Explanations
UNIT 5: MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH
Health Psychology Overview
Stress
Positive Psychology
Psychological Disorders Overview
Defining Psychological Disorders
Categories of Disorders
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Diagnostic Labels
Treatment of Psychological Disorders
Overview
Types of Therapy
Kinds of Therapists
Unit 5 Multiple-Choice Questions
Answer Explanations
Multiple-Choice Test-Taking Tips
Overview
Test-Taking Strategies
Skills
Answering Free-Response Questions
Overview
Article Analysis Question (AAQ)
Evidence-Based Question (EBQ)
PRACTICE TESTS
Practice Test 1: Answer Explanations
Practice Test 2: Answer Explanations
How to Use This Book
Aligned with the 2024 AP Psychology curriculum changes.
Revised review content structure based on the new 5-unit organization.
Features include:
Revised "AP Psychology Course and Exam Description" and "Overview of the AP Psychology Exam"
Unit 0 addressing Science Practices.
Vocabulary terms in bold aligned with the College Board's Course Exam Description (CED).
Science Practice Skill 2 (Research Methods) and Science Practice Skill 3 (Data Analysis) multiple-choice items with each chapter.
Multiple-Choice Questions:
Includes 75 multiple-choice items reflecting the new exam format focusing on application and data analysis.
Multiple-Choice Test-Taking Tips chapter revised.
Free-Response Questions (FRQs):
A chapter explaining the new FRQs format with examples.
Practice Exam:
Contains a complete practice test approximating future exams.
Barron's Essential 5
5 Key Concepts for AP Psychology Success:
Psychology is a science: Researchers use the scientific method for data and hypothesis testing, not intuition.
Unit 0 details data gathering and hypothesis testing.
Know psychological perspectives: Different perspectives employ unique research methods, concepts, and vocabulary.
Introduced in Unit 0, covers personality, disorders, and treatments.
Know terms: Psychological terms have specific meanings.
Example: Antisocial personality disorder is not shyness.
Learning includes classical and operant conditioning (Unit 3).
Application is key: Apply concepts to scenarios; connect different ideas.
Focus is on knowledge and application, not creative writing.
Improve study habits: Use cognition knowledge (Unit 2).
Memory research: Distributed practice is better than cramming.
Use chunking, mnemonic devices, and context cues.
Information-processing model: Focus on meaning, context, and application.
Testing effect (retrieval practice): Interrupt studying with tests.
AP Psychology Course and Exam Description Changes
Unit 0: Science Practices (research methods, data interpretation, scientific argumentation).
Unit 1: Biological Bases of Behavior (heredity/environment, nervous system, neurons, brain, sleep, sensation) - 15–25% of the exam.
Unit 2: Cognition (perception, thinking/problem solving, memory, intelligence) - 15–25% of the exam.
Unit 3: Development and Learning (themes, methods, physical/cognitive/social-emotional development, conditioning) - 15–25% of the exam.
Unit 4: Social Psychology and Personality (attribution theory, person perception, personality theories, motivation, emotion) - 15–25% of the exam.
Unit 5: Mental and Physical Health (health, positive psychology, categorization and treatment of disorders) - 15–25% of the exam.
Emphasis: Information for exam success, important foundational concepts, and highlighted tips.
Terms: Definitions included in the College Board’s AP Psychology Course and Exam Description are set in bold in the text, with all terms also appearing in the index.
Science Practices Skills
Science Practices Starting with the 2025 AP Psychology test, the College Board began keying multiple-choice items to one of three science practices in addition to the content area appropriate for that question.
Science Practice 1: Concept Application
USE the concepts, theories, terms, perspectives, and other ideas in the AP Psychology curriculum. All multiple-choice and free-response questions on the exam will require you to USE your knowledge rather than just recall it.
About 65% of the multiple-choice items on the test (about 49 of the 75 items) will be keyed as concept application items in addition to being keyed to one of the five content units.
Science Practice 2: Research Methods and Design
understanding of how psychological researchers design research studies. In this book, we call this content Unit 0, “Science Practices.”
About 25% of the multiple-choice items on the test (about 18 of the 75 items) will be keyed as research methods items in addition to being keyed to one of the five content units.
Science Practice 3: Data Interpretation
ability to analyze quantitative data. basic statistical techniques researchers use in psychology
About 10% of the multiple-choice items on the test (7 or 8 of the 75 items) will be keyed as data interpretation items, in addition to.