2023
AP
®
Psychology
Sample Student Responses
and Scoring Commentary
Set 2
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Inside:
Free-Response Question 2
Scoring Guidelines
Student Samples
Scoring Commentary
© 2023 College Board
AP® Psychology 2023 Scoring Guidelines
General Considerations
1. Answers must be cogent enough for the meaning to come through. Spelling and grammatical
mistakes do not reduce a score, but spelling must be close enough so that the reader is convinced of
the word.
2. A response can earn points only if the student clearly conveys what part of the question is being
answered. It is possible to infer the part of the question being answered if it is consistent with the
order of the question.
3. The response must apply the concept to the prompt. A definition alone will not earn the point, but a
clear definition can support the application.
4. Examples provided in the Scoring Guidelines for each of the points are not to be considered
exhaustive.
5. Within a point, a response will not be penalized for incorrect information unless it directly
contradicts correct information that would have otherwise earned a point. For example, if
a response applies a concept in two contradictory ways (such as identifying both the
independent and dependent variables as the independent variable or describing proactive
interference as interference from both older and newer information), the point is not
earned.
NOTE: In certain cases, a response will not score if it includes a correct answer among
multiple incorrect answers related to the same general concept/theory (e.g., a response
that describes the Big Five trait of conscientiousness as being diligent, trusting, highly
emotional, outgoing, and intellectually curious).
6. Within a bulleted question part, if the response addresses details from a scenario other than the one
in the prompt, the point is not earned.
Part A
Mobile Gamer Central
(MGC) is preparing to launch a new game app. The advertisements
for this new game are brightly colored, have lively music, and feature celebrities playing the
game. To generate interest in the game, MGC pays to have these advertisements pop up
multiple times while people are using other apps on their pho
ne. The marketing director is
pleased with the advertising campaign and thinks the game is really fun to play.
Explain how each of the following concepts relate
s to the scenario.
Question 2: Research Design 7 points
© 2023 College Board
AP® Psychology 2023 Scoring Guidelines
Peripheral route to persuasion
Response must indicate that the
advertisements utilize factors other than the quality of the
game
(e.g., bright colors, lively music, or celebrities shown in the ads) to persuade
consumers.
OR
Response must indicate that t
he person exposed to the advertisement is persuaded by
factors other than quality of the game (e.g., bright colors, lively music, or celebrities
shown
in the ads)
.
Acceptable
explanations include:
•
The people liked the game because of who the celebrities were who were playing it in
the ads.
•
Because they included lots of bright colors and music in their commercials, it is clear
that MGC wanted to employ the peripheral route to persuasion in their advertising.
•
MGC tried to get people to buy the game for reasons other than that the game is well-
designed.
Unacceptable explanations include:
•
The customers like the game because it is easy to play.
1 point
False consensus effect
Response must indicate that, because an individual related to the scenario really likes the
game/advertising
, they overestimate the extent to which other people will like the
game/advertising.
Acceptable
explanations include:
•
The marketing director thinks everybody will like the game as much as he does.
•
The marketing director thinks more people will buy the game than actually do because
he enjoys it so much.
•
A consumer really likes the pop-up ads and believes that most other people will like
them as well.
Unacceptable
explanations include:
•
The marketing director’s opinion is so strong that the other people on the team keep
their opinions to themselves.
•
People see advertisements with celebrities enjoying the game and assume everyone
enjoys the game.
1 point
© 2023 College Board
AP® Psychology 2023 Scoring Guidelines
Mere
-exposure effect
Response
must indicate that repeated exposure(s) to the game/advertisement will increase
the liking/enjoyment of the game/advertisement
.
Acceptable
explanations include:
•
The more often people see the ads pop up on their phone, the more they will like the
game.
•
People liked the advertisement the second time they saw it more than the first time.
•
The more times people play the game, the more likely they are to buy it.
Unacceptable explanations include:
•
By playing the game, the people enjoy it and want to download it.
1 point
Part B
After a few weeks with moderate success, MGC’s marketing director decides to test the
most effective ways to increase sales of the game. Marketing researchers recruit
100
people
to play the new game. They randomly assign half of the people to observe someone
demonstrating how the game is played and assign the other half of the people to play the
video game themselves. Participants rate how
likely they are to buy the game on a scale of
1 (not likely)
through 10 (very likely). Results are presented in the table.
Participants’ Rating Observed Game
Demonstration
(n = 50)
Personally Played Game
(n = 50)
p value
Mean 6.31 2.04 <0.001
Standard Deviation 1.25 0.80
Identify
the operational definition of the dependent variable in the study.
Response
must indicate that the operational definition of the dependent variable is the
rating
/score/number on the scale used in the study.
Acceptable
explanations include:
•
The rating of the game on a scale of 1–10 is the dependent variable.
•
The score of the survey indicating how likely the participant is to buy the game is the
operational definition of the dependent variable.
Unacceptable
explanations include:
•
The operational definition of the dependent variable is which group the people were in.
•
The operational definition of the DV is whether people will buy the game.
•
The operational definition is how much people like the game.
1 point
© 2023 College Board
AP® Psychology 2023 Scoring Guidelines
Explain
what the difference between the standard deviations in the study indicates.
Response
must indicate that the “personally played game” group ratings are more
similar/less varied
.
OR
Response must indicate that the “observed game demonstration” group
ratings differ
more
/varied more.
Acceptable
explanations include:
•
The personally played game group had responses that were more alike because their
standard deviation is closer to zero.
•
The ratings in the group who observed the game were more spread out than the group
who played the game.
Unacceptable
explanations include:
•
The observed game group had higher scores than the personally played game group.
1 point
Explain
why random assignment is necessary for determining cause and effect in the
study
.
Responses must indicate that random assignment is necessary because it would help
eliminate or reduce the impact
of confounding variables related to individual differences.
Acceptable
explanations include:
•
The researchers used random assignment to make sure individual differences are
controlled for.
•
The researchers used random assignment to make sure differences between participants
are more likely to be spread out evenly between the two groups.
•
The researchers used random assignment to make sure gender wasn’t the reason why
people wanted to buy the app.
Unacceptable
explanations include:
•
They must get a random group of people to participate in order to establish cause and
effect.
•
Random assignment is necessary for it to be an experiment.
•
Random assignment will allow the MGC researchers to eliminate bias and confounding
variables.
1 point
© 2023 College Board
AP® Psychology 2023 Scoring Guidelines
Explain what the
p value allows MGC to conclude about the study.
Response must indicate
that the p value allows MGC to conclude that the IV (observing vs.
playing the game)
caused a change in the DV (ratings).
OR
Response must indicate that the
p value allows MGC to conclude that the results of the
study or
difference between the groups’ ratings were significant.
OR
Response must indicate that the
p value allows MGC to conclude that the difference
between
the groups’ ratings was not (or not likely) due to chance.
Acceptable explanations include:
•
The p value allows them to conclude that the people who observed the game demo were
significantly more likely to say they would buy the app.
•
The p value says that the groups’ ratings were different enough to be statistically
significant.
•
The p value says that the difference in the group’s ratings about the game is not likely
due to chance.
•
The p value allows MGC researchers to reject the null hypothesis.
Unacceptable explanations include:
•
The p value shows that the results are accurate.
•
The p value shows that the people who played the game found the experience to be
significant.
1 point
Total for question 2 7 points
Q2 Sample A 1 of 2
Q2 Sample A 2 of 2
Q2 Sample B 1 of 2
Q2 Sample B 2 of 2
Q2 Sample C 1 of 1
AP
®
Psychology 2023 Scoring Commentary
© 2023 College Board.
Visit College Board on the web: collegeboard.org.
Question 2
Note: Student samples are quoted verbatim and may contain spelling and grammatical errors.
Overview
Responses were expected to demonstrate an understanding of the social psychological concepts of
attitude change from the elaboration likelihood model (peripheral route to persuasion), false
consensus effect, and mere-exposure effect.
Responses to this question were expected to demonstrate an ability to analyze an experimental
design and interpret basic statistical results, specifically standard deviations. Responses were also
expected to demonstrate an understanding of statistical significance. In addition, responses were
expected to demonstrate a student’s conceptual understanding of operational definitions in the
context of an experimental research design.
Sample: 2A
Score: 7
The peripheral route to persuasion point was earned because the response indicates that factors
other than the quality of the game are used in the ad: “The Ads use of celebrities, bright colors, &
music will create posotive assocriations with the game.” The false consensus effect point was earned
because the response indicates that an individual likes the game and overestimates the extent to
which others like the game: “The marketing manager believes the campaign will be successful since
he loves the game, so he assumes others will.” The mere-exposure effect point was earned because
the response indicates that repeated exposure to ads leads to increased liking: “Seeing ads many
times creates interest & favorable views simply because it is familiar.” The operational definition of
the dependent variable point was earned because the response states that the operational definition
is “the self-reported rating, on a scale of 1–10, how likely the participant is to purchase the game.”
The standard deviation point was earned because the response states, “The people who personally
played scores vary less than those who watched.” The random assignment point was earned
because the response indicates that random assignment reduces the impact of confounding variables
related to individual differences. Random assignment “ensures both types of measuring have equally
enthusiastic particpants.” The p-value point was earned because the response states that “the P
value is so close to 0, the study (at least the mean portion) has good stastical signifigance.”
Sample: 2B
Score: 4
The peripheral route to persuasion point was earned because the response states that “the celebrities
they invited playing the game is a peripheral route to persuasion since people may be persuaded to
play this game simply because of this celebrities.” The false consensus effect point was not earned
because the response does not indicate that, because an individual likes the game/advertising, they
overestimate the extent to which other people will like the game/advertising. The mere-exposure effect
point was earned because the response states, “People see the advertisments of MGC multiple times
on their phone” leading them “to choose play this game,” indicating increased liking/enjoyment.
AP
®
Psychology 2023 Scoring Commentary
© 2023 College Board.
Visit College Board on the web: collegeboard.org.
Question 2 (continued)
The operational definition of the dependent variable point was not earned because, while the response
correctly identifies the dependent variable as “how likely the participants are to buy the game,” the
response does not indicate that the dependent variable is measured with a rating/score/number on
the scale. The standard deviation point was earned because the response states that “each rating is
deviated from the mean more in observed game demonstration group.” The random assignment
point was not earned; although the response indicates that random assignment eliminates
“confounding variables,” the response does not indicate that the confounding variables are related to
individual differences. The p-value point was earned because the response concludes that the
independent variable caused a change in the dependent variable and that the differences were
significant. “MGC can conclude the study that people who observed game demonstration are more
likely to buy the game than the people who personally played the game. Since the study is
significant.”
Sample: 2C
Score: 1
The peripheral route to persuasion point was not earned because “describing irrelevant aspects of the
game, instead of the main one” does not indicate a factor other than the quality of the game used to
persuade the consumer such as color, music, or celebrities. The false consensus effect point was not
earned because the response does not indicate that an individual likes the game/advertising and
overestimates the extent to which others will like the game/advertising. The mere-exposure effect point
was not earned because the response states that the ad is “exposed to many,” which does not indicate
repeated exposure to the game/advertisement leading to increased liking/enjoyment. The operational
definition of the dependent variable point was not earned because, while the response correctly
identifies the dependent variable as “how much people enjoy the game,” the response does not
indicate that the dependent variable is measured with a rating/score/number on the scale. The
standard deviation point was earned because the response correctly states that the difference between
the standard deviations “shows that the observers had more variance in people who did and didn’t
enjoy it versus the players who mainly didn’t like playing.” The random assignment point was not
earned. The response indicates that “groups cannot be biased in one answer”; however, the response
does not indicate that random assignment eliminates bias that results from confounding variables
related to individual differences. The p-value point was not earned because the response does not
indicate that the p value allows MGC to conclude that the difference between the ratings is significant
or not likely due to chance.
