Once a week you will be required to write on ONE of the Free Response Questions from past Psychology AP exams.  You will post once a week (Due every FRIDAY).  It is important that you keep up and that you are not late on these posts.  You should give yourself 25 minutes to write.  Please see AP Psychology exam guidelines as to how long you will get on the actual exam for the FRQ.  I will pick only ONE to mark at the end of term.  However, it is your responsibility to ensure all of the other posts are complete.  This will prepare you for the exam.  I have attached the link below that has past FRQ questions.

The first BLOG POST for FRQ is on learning (the chapter we are working on now).  However, once this first post is complete you can pick from any question you like.  You may want to pick questions where we have already covered content.  Not a bad idea to challenge yourself and read ahead.

When we have our tutorial days (in April) I will ask you to share some of those FRQ’s to the group.

Free Response Questions (College Board)

FRQ #1 (week of January 9-13)  Time for this response is 25 minutes.

Question #1 – Learning & Development

The Smith-Garcias are planning for their first baby. Both parents-to-be have had a psychology course and are looking forward to applying the principles they learned from theories and research that address child development.

A. Summarize one main idea or finding of each of the following four researchers.

Skinner’s operant conditioning

Bandura’s social learning theory

Ainsworth’s attachment research

Baumrind’s research on parenting styles

B. Provide a specific example of actions the Smith-Garcias might take to raise their child to produce positive outcomes using each of the theories below to address the corresponding psychological concept.

Skinner’s operant conditioning: tantrum management

Bandura’s social learning theory: sharing behavior

Ainsworth’s attachment research: self-reliance

Baumrind’s research on parenting styles: self-esteem

AP Psychology Free-Response Question Writing Expectations The free-response section of the AP Psychology exam consists of two questions worth 33% of the total exam score. The questions may require students to interrelate different content areas and analyze and evaluate psychological concepts and/or theoretical perspectives. Students are expected to use their analytical and organizational skills to formulate cogent answers in writing their essays.

To demonstrate an understanding of psychological concepts, perspectives, and research methodology, students must answer the questions clearly, in complete sentences, and within the context of the prompt. Outlines and lists alone are not acceptable responses. Providing definitions of the psychological terms alone may not score points but may help students better apply the concepts.

Responses that contradict themselves, involve circular definitions, or simply restate the question are unacceptable. The following are common directives used in the AP Psychology Free-Response Questions (FRQs)

• Identify requires that students name or point out psychological concepts as they pertain to the question. • Show or describe requires students to detail the essential characteristics and/or examples of a particular concept, theory, or phenomenon. • Explain, discuss, and relate require that students make logical and coherent connections among the prompt (or premise), question, and psychological concepts. The above examples are not all inclusive. To gain a better understanding of the FRQ, it will be helpful to study previously released FRQs and their rubrics on the College Board website.