The Article Analysis Question (AAQ) is one of two free-response questions on the 2025-redesign AP Psychology exam. You read a short description of a single research study and answer parts A through F about its methods, results, ethics, and conclusions. The whole question rewards applying research-methods concepts to the study in front of you — not defining terms in the abstract. Write any prompt below and grade it free on AimFive to see exactly which points you earned.
What each part asks
- A — Research method: name the method (experiment, correlational, etc.) and the feature of the study that makes it that method.
- B — Operational definition: state how a specific variable was actually measured or manipulated.
- C — Interpret a result: say what the reported finding means — not just restate the number.
- D — Ethics: identify one ethical guideline and describe how the researchers applied (or should have applied) it.
- E — Generalizability: explain how the sample/design limits who the results apply to.
- F — Defensible claim: make a claim about whether the evidence supports the hypothesis, tied to the data.
The #1 mistake
Students define the concept instead of applying it to the study. "Operational definition means how you measure something" earns nothing; "reaction time was operationally defined as milliseconds to press the key" earns the point. Every part is scored on the connection to this study.
AAQ Practice #1 — Exercise and Memory
Study: 90 adults were randomly assigned to either a 20-minute walk or 20 minutes of quiet sitting, then took a word-recall test. Walkers recalled 14 of 20 words on average; sitters recalled 10. All participants consented and were debriefed.
Answer A–F: (A) method + why; (B) operational definition of memory here; (C) interpret 14 vs 10; (D) one ethical guideline applied; (E) a generalizability limit; (F) an evidence-based claim about exercise and memory.
AAQ Practice #2 — Background Music and Spending
Study: In a store, researchers alternated slow and fast background music across days and recorded average purchase totals. Shoppers spent more on slow-music days (mean $42 vs $31). Behavior was logged without names; the study was board-approved.
Answer A–F: (A) method + why; (B) operational definition of the outcome; (C) interpret $42 vs $31; (D) the ethics of observing without consent in public; (E) generalizability; (F) a claim about music tempo and spending.
AAQ Practice #3 — Sleep Loss and Emotional Reactivity
Study: Participants rated how negative a set of images felt after either a normal night of sleep or a night restricted to four hours. The sleep-restricted group rated neutral images as more negative. Participants gave informed consent and could withdraw anytime.
Answer A–F: (A) method + why; (B) operational definition of emotional reactivity; (C) interpret the result; (D) one ethical guideline applied; (E) a generalizability limit; (F) a defensible claim about sleep loss and emotion.
Grade your AAQ instantly
Write a full A–F response, then run it through AimFive's grader — it scores each part on the official-style criteria and shows you which points landed and what to fix, with published accuracy data. The write → grade → revise loop is the fastest way to raise your free-response score.
Practice & grade on AimFive · AAQ walkthrough · EBQ Practice · AAQ vs EBQ · AP Psych Study Guide
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