AP Psychology Cram Packet Vocabulary

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering research design, biology, cognition, development, and clinical psychology based on the AP Psychology cram packet.

Hypothesis

A tentative explanation that must be falsifiable—able to be supported or rejected.

Operational Definition

A clear, precise, quantifiable definition of variables that allows for replication and collection of reliable data.

Population

The entire group of people that a research study could potentially apply to.

Sample

The specific person or people chosen from a population to participate in a study.

Correlation

A research design used to identify the relationship between two variables, though it does not equal causation.

Independent Variable

The variable purposefully altered by the researcher to look for an effect.

Dependent Variable

The measured variable that is dependent on the manipulation of the independent variable.

Placebo Effect

An observed effect on behavior that is caused by a placebo, used to show the effectiveness of an experimental treatment.

Double-Blind

An experimental procedure where neither the participant nor the experimenter knows which condition participants are assigned to.

Random Assignment

The process of assigning participants to control or experimental groups at random to increase the chance of equal representation and establish cause/effect.

Standard Deviation

The average amount that scores are spread from the mean; a bigger number indicates more spread.

Statistical Significance

A measurement indicating that results are not due to chance, typically defined as p < .05.

Informed Consent

The ethical requirement that a participant must agree to be part of a study.

Debriefing

The ethical requirement to tell participants the true purpose of a study after it has concluded, especially if deception was used.

Hindsight Bias

The cognitive bias known as the "I knew it all along" phenomenon.

Somatic Nervous System

The part of the peripheral nervous system responsible for voluntary movement, containing sensory and motor neurons.

Sympathetic Nervous System

The division of the autonomic nervous system that handles the "fight or flight" response by activating the body.

Action Potential

An electrical charge sent down the axon when ions move across the neuron's membrane.

Myelin Sheath

A layer that protects the axon and speeds up the action potential as it travels.

Resting Potential

The state in which a neuron maintains a $-70 ext{mv}$ charge when it is not firing.

GABA

The major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the nervous system.

Glutamate

The major excitatory neurotransmitter in the nervous system.

Acetylcholine (ACh)

A neurotransmitter associated with memory and movement located in the hippocampus; its destruction is linked to Alzheimer’s.

Endorphins

Neurotransmitters responsible for decreasing pain.

Agonist

A drug that mimics the action of a neurotransmitter.

Antagonist

A drug that blocks the action of a neurotransmitter.

Amygdala

A part of the limbic system responsible for emotions and fear.

Hippocampus

A part of the limbic system responsible for episodic and semantic memory.

Broca’s Area

An area in the left hemisphere responsible for speech production; damage results in the inability to produce speech.

Wernicke’s Area

An area in the left hemisphere responsible for speech comprehension; damage results in the inability to understand speech.

REM Rebound

The occurrence of more intense or frequent REM sleep following sleep disruption or lack of REM sleep.

Transduction

The process of converting stimulus energy from the environment into action potentials.

Absolute Threshold

The minimum detection of a signal $50 ext{\%}$ of the time.

Weber’s Law

The principle that two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum proportion to be perceived as different.

Fovea

The area of the retina with the best vision, containing only cones.

Opponent Process Theory

The theory that complementary colors (Red/Green, Blue/Yellow, Black/White) are processed in ganglion cells, explaining afterimages.

Gate-control Theory

The theory that the body contains a neurological "gate" that controls how much pain is experienced mentally and physically.

Top-Down Processing

Perception that progresses from the whole idea or prior expectations down to the smaller sensory parts.

Inattentional Blindness

The failure to notice something added to a scene because of intense focus on another task.

Algorithm

A step-by-step strategy, such as a formula, that guarantees a solution to a problem.

Availability Heuristic

A shortcut strategy where judgments are made based on the first thing that comes to mind.

Proactive Interference

A memory flaw where old information blocks the retrieval of new information.

Retroactive Interference

A memory flaw where new information blocks the retrieval of old information.

Object Permanence

The understanding that objects exist even when removed from the field of vision, gained during the sensorimotor stage.

Conservation

The recognition that substances remain the same despite changes in shape, length, or position.

Classical Conditioning

A type of learning that explains involuntary behaviors and emotions through the pairing of stimuli.

Law of Effect

The principle that behaviors followed by positive outcomes are strengthened, while those followed by negative outcomes are weakened.

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to blame a person's internal disposition for their behavior while failing to consider the situational context.

Cognitive Dissonance

The discomfort experienced when two opposing thoughts conflict, leading the individual to justify the situation.

Id

The psychodynamic concept representing hidden true wants and desires, acting as the "devil" on the shoulder.

Diathesis-Stress Model

The theory that an individual has a genetic predisposition for a disorder that must be "turned on" by environmental stimuli like stress.

Tardive Dyskinesia

A side effect of anti-psychotic medications characterized by hand tremors due to a lack of dopamine.