AP Psychology: Positive Psychology — Drill 26

About This Drill

AP Psychology: Positive Psychology — Drill 26 is a Multiple Choice practice drill covering Unit 5: Mental and Physical Health. It contains 5 original questions created by Brian Stewart, a Barron's test prep author with over 20 years of tutoring experience.

AP Psychology practice questions on positive psychology, including subjective well-being, signature strengths, gratitude, and posttraumatic growth. Five scenario-based AP exam prep items covering Seligman's PERMA framework, flow, the hedonic treadmill, and research methods for measuring well-being.

Questions in This Drill

1. Luis coaches youth soccer on weekends. When he is coaching, he loses track of time, feels deeply absorbed in the moment, and is working at a level that pushes his skills without overwhelming him. Afterward he describes the experience as effortless and energizing. Which psychological construct best describes what Luis is experiencing?
2. After winning a large cash prize, Ana feels intensely happy for several weeks. Six months later, however, her day-to-day happiness has returned to roughly the same level it was before she won. Which positive psychology concept best explains this pattern?
3. A researcher randomly assigns 120 adults to one of three groups for four weeks. Group 1 writes nightly about three good things that happened that day. Group 2 writes nightly about daily hassles. Group 3 writes nightly about neutral events. All participants complete the same validated life-satisfaction questionnaire before and after the four weeks. Which of the following is the strongest reason this design allows the researcher to make a causal claim about gratitude journaling?
4. A researcher surveys 500 adults, asking each to rate life satisfaction on a 1–10 scale and to report how often per week they perform acts of kindness for others. The results are summarized below.

   Acts of kindness per week	Mean life-satisfaction rating
   0–1	5.8
   2–4	6.7
   5–7	7.5
   8+	7.6

   Which statement is most strongly supported by the data?
5. Dr. Chen studies employees who survived a serious workplace accident. One year later, some report nightmares, intrusive memories, and avoidance of the work site. Others, however, report increased appreciation for life, deeper relationships, and a stronger sense of personal meaning since the accident. Which of the following most accurately describes what Dr. Chen is observing in the second group?