AP®︎ Psychology: Topic 3.7 Practice Test
Prepare for your quiz, test, or the AP exam with focused practice questions on Topic 3.7 of AP Psychology – Classical Conditioning.
Questions List
Topic 3.7
Question 1 Easy
This question tests the following: 3.7.A.2
What is classical conditioning primarily concerned with?
What You’re Being Tested On:
Explore the learning objectives taken directly from the College Board’s AP® Psychology Curriculum. Ensure you’re prepared for the exact topics covered on the AP® exam, in-class tests, and quizzes, and gain confidence in your mastery of the material.
Topic 3.7: Classical Conditioning
Learning Objective: 3.7.A
Explain how classical conditioning applies to behavior and mental processes.
Essential Knowledge: 3.7.A.1
The behavioral perspective evolved from theories about learning via conditioning. Behaviorists have traditionally focused on observable behavior to the exclusion of mental processes.
Essential Knowledge: 3.7.A.2
Classical conditioning focuses on the association of one stimulus with another stimulus to elicit a response. Learning the association (also known as acquisition) involves a series of steps that demonstrate principles of associative learning.
Essential Knowledge: 3.7.A.2.i
The unconditioned stimulus (UCS) elicits an unconditioned response (UCR). This response becomes the conditioned response (CR) when it is performed in response to the conditioned stimulus (CS).
Essential Knowledge: 3.7.A.2.ii
The order of presentation of the CS with the UCS is important to successful acquisition.
Essential Knowledge: 3.7.A.2.iii
A CR can become extinct when the CS is no longer paired with the UCS. A formerly extinct CR can be spontaneously recovered when the CS is again presented after extinction.
Essential Knowledge: 3.7.A.2.iv
Stimulus discrimination and generalization have been demonstrated in studies of classical conditioning.
Essential Knowledge: 3.7.A.2.v
A CS can be used as a UCS in higher-order conditioning. Exclusion Statement: Delayed conditioning, trace conditioning, simultaneous conditioning, and backward conditioning are outside the scope of the AP Psychology Exam.
Essential Knowledge: 3.7.A.3
Research has demonstrated that emotional responses can be classically conditioned. These findings form the basis of therapeutic interventions for many mental disorders, such as counterconditioning. Exclusion Statement: The expectancy theory is outside the scope of the AP Psychology Exam.
Essential Knowledge: 3.7.A.4
Research on taste aversions, which are acquired through classical conditioning, demonstrates one-trial conditioning and biological preparedness. One-trial learning occurs when the association is acquired through one pairing of the stimulus and response and is not strengthened by further pairings. Biological preparedness refers to how animals are biologically predisposed to learning certain stimulus-response pairings more quickly than others.
Essential Knowledge: 3.7.A.5
Habituation occurs when organisms grow accustomed to and exhibit a diminished response to a repeated or enduring stimulus.
