Pages

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Extra Credit Essays on the Test

I'm giving you these for two reasons:
  1. They are difficult, they are AP test questions from the past. The Free Response Section of the test is important and we can't just do well on the Multiple Choice and score a 5. So we'll start tackling these.
  2. You can not bring the answer into class with you... it must be written without your notes or rough copy. But, this will give you a chance to think about these concepts. It will also be a good review for the rest of the test.

Extra Credit Essays – Answer one question on a separate sheet of paper. Answer correctly and you can score up a possible 5% points added to the test score. It is not enough to answer a question by merely listing facts. You should present a cogent argument based on your critical analysis of the question posed, using appropriate psychology terminology.

Essay #1:
Many people are concerned with the seeming inability of the prison system to rehabilitate criminals.
  1. Based on your knowledge of learning, argue against the traditional prison system by explaining how each of the following could be used in a rehabilitation program:
  • Operant conditioning
  • Positive and negative reinforcement
  • Shaping
  1. Choose ONE of the above methods of learning and explain how it could be used to reform a convicted thief.
Essay #2:
Use one specific example for each of the concepts listed below to explain how the concept might relate to either the development of or the continuation of a smoking habit.
  • Positive reinforcement
  • Negative reinforcement
  • Incentive motivation
  • Schedules of reinforcement
Essay #3:
The Smiths 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.

  1. Summarize one main idea or finding of each of the following four researchers:
    • Skinner’s operant conditioning
    • Bandura’s social learning theory
  2. Provide a specific example of actions the Smiths 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