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AP English Literature and Composition Practice Quiz: Relationships, conflict, and motivation

Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026

Test your understanding with short quizzes. This quiz has 9 questions to check your progress.

Question 1 of 9

A college student begins to develop a preference for the person who sits next to them in a large lecture hall, even though they have never spoken. This preference is best explained by which of the following psychological concepts?

All Questions (9)

A college student begins to develop a preference for the person who sits next to them in a large lecture hall, even though they have never spoken. This preference is best explained by which of the following psychological concepts?

A) Similarity-attraction effect

B) Mere-exposure effect

C) Social exchange theory

D) Halo effect

Correct Answer: B

The mere-exposure effect is the phenomenon by which people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them. In this case, repeated exposure to the nearby student in the lecture hall, a neutral stimulus, increases the student's liking for them.

According to Robert Sternberg's triangular theory of love, a relationship that contains a high degree of intimacy and commitment but lacks passion is best described as which type of love?

A) Fatuous love

B) Romantic love

C) Companionate love

D) Consummate love

Correct Answer: C

Sternberg's theory identifies three components of love: intimacy, passion, and commitment. Companionate love is characterized by the presence of intimacy (closeness, connectedness) and commitment (decision to maintain the relationship) but an absence of passion (physical arousal). This is often seen in long-term friendships or marriages where the initial spark has faded.

In a crowded city square, a man collapses. Dozens of people see him fall but fail to offer assistance, each assuming someone else will intervene. This failure to act is a classic example of:

A) A social trap

B) The halo effect

C) Altruistic behavior

D) The bystander effect

Correct Answer: D

The bystander effect describes the tendency for individuals to be less likely to offer help to a victim when other people are present. The greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is that any one of them will help, due to a diffusion of responsibility where each person assumes others will take action.

Social exchange theory explains the formation and maintenance of relationships based on the principle of:

A) Unconditional positive regard for others

B) Shared attitudes and beliefs enhancing attraction

C) A cost-benefit analysis of the interaction

D) The unselfish desire to help others without expectation of reward

Correct Answer: C

Social exchange theory posits that social behavior is the result of an exchange process. The purpose of this exchange is to maximize benefits and minimize costs. According to this theory, people weigh the potential benefits and risks of social relationships. When the risks outweigh the rewards, people will terminate or abandon that relationship.

Research on interpersonal attraction has consistently found that which of the following factors is one of the strongest predictors of whether two people will become friends?

A) Complementary personality traits

B) Opposing political views

C) Proximity

D) Differences in socioeconomic status

Correct Answer: C

Proximity, or geographic nearness, is a major predictor of attraction. People are more likely to form relationships with those they see and interact with regularly. This is partly due to the mere-exposure effect, where familiarity breeds liking.

Two rival fishing companies operate in the same bay, which has a limited fish population. Both companies know that if they limit their catch, the fish will replenish and they can profit for years. However, each company fears the other will overfish, so they both increase their catch to maximize short-term profit, leading to the collapse of the fishery. This scenario illustrates:

A) The bystander effect

B) A social trap

C) The mere-exposure effect

D) Consummate love

Correct Answer: B

A social trap is a situation in which a group of people act to obtain short-term individual gains, which in the long run leads to a loss for the group as a whole. In this case, each company's rational self-interest (catching more fish) leads to a mutually destructive outcome (collapse of the fishery).

A hiring manager interviews several candidates for a job. She finds one candidate particularly physically attractive and, without realizing it, rates that candidate as more intelligent, competent, and sociable than the other candidates. This cognitive bias is known as:

A) The similarity-attraction effect

B) The bystander effect

C) The halo effect

D) The mere-exposure effect

Correct Answer: C

The halo effect is a type of cognitive bias in which our overall impression of a person influences how we feel and think about their character. In this case, the positive attribute of physical attractiveness leads the manager to assume other positive qualities, such as intelligence and competence.

Which of the following scenarios best demonstrates the concept of altruism?

A) A student helps a classmate with homework in exchange for help on an upcoming test.

B) A corporation donates to a charity to receive a tax deduction and positive publicity.

C) A person anonymously donates a kidney to a stranger without any expectation of reward.

D) A politician supports a popular bill to increase their chances of reelection.

Correct Answer: C

Altruism is the unselfish regard for the welfare of others. The key component is the lack of expectation for any personal gain, reward, or recognition. Anonymously donating a kidney to a stranger is a powerful example of this, as it involves a significant personal cost with no direct benefit to the donor.

A summer camp director wants to reduce hostility between two rival cabins. According to social psychology research, which of the following strategies would be most effective?

A) Encouraging the cabins to engage in a series of competitive sports against each other.

B) Having the camp counselors lecture the campers on the importance of friendship.

C) Creating a situation where the two cabins must cooperate to achieve a shared, desirable goal.

D) Separating the two cabins and preventing any interaction between them for the rest of the summer.

Correct Answer: C

This strategy involves the use of superordinate goals—shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation. Research, such as Muzafer Sherif's Robbers Cave experiment, has shown that forcing conflicting groups to work together to solve a common problem is one of the most effective ways to reduce intergroup hostility and prejudice.