AP®PsychologyCollege BoardExam QuestionsSocial Psychology & PersonalityMotivation

Motivation (College Board AP® Psychology): Exam Questions

2 mins2 questions
1
1 mark

A competitive swimmer performs best during regional meets, where the pressure is moderate, but struggles at national championships, where high anxiety causes her to make technical errors she never makes in practice. A psychologist explains that this pattern reflects a predictable relationship between arousal and performance.

Which of the following concepts best explains why the swimmer's performance declines when arousal becomes too high?

  • Drive-reduction theory

  • Self-determination theory

  • Arousal theory

  • Sensation-seeking theory

Choose your answer

2
1 mark

A child who loves drawing begins receiving gold stars from her teacher for every picture she produces. After several weeks, the teacher stops giving stars. The child's drawing decreases dramatically to levels below those observed before the reward program began.

Which of the following concepts best explains this outcome?

  • Extinction of a classically conditioned response

  • The overjustification effect

  • Negative reinforcement

  • Observational learning

Choose your answer