AP Psychology Chapter 1 Key Terms Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms across Modules 1, 2, and 3 of Chapter 1 in AP Psychology.

Empirical approach

An evidence-based method that draws on observation and experimentation.

Critical thinking

Thinking that does not automatically accept arguments and conclusions; examines assumptions, appraises sources, discerns biases, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.

Behaviorism

The view that psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to inner mental processes.

Humanistic psychology

An earlier perspective emphasizing human growth potential.

Cognitive psychology

The study of mental processes involved in perceiving, learning, remembering, thinking, communicating, and solving problems.

Cognitive neuroscience

The interdisciplinary study of brain activity linked with cognition.

Psychology

The science of behavior and mental processes.

Nature–nurture issue

The controversy over the relative contributions of genes and experience to psychological traits and behaviors.

Natural selection

The principle that inherited traits enabling survival/reproduction are more likely passed to future generations.

Evolutionary psychology

The study of how behavior and mind have changed adaptively over time due to natural selection.

Behavior genetics

The study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior.

Culture

The enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group and passed to the next generation.

Positive psychology

The scientific study of human flourishing, aiming to discover and promote strengths and virtues.

Biopsychosocial approach

An integrated approach incorporating biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis.

Levels of analysis

Differing complementary views (biological to social-cultural) for analyzing a phenomenon.

Basic research

Pure science aiming to increase the scientific knowledge base.

Applied research

Scientific study aiming to solve practical problems.

Counseling psychology

Assists people with problems in living (school, work, relationships) and well-being.

Clinical psychology

Studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders.

Psychiatry

A branch of medicine treating psychological disorders, including medical treatments.

Community psychology

Studies how people interact with social environments and institutions.

Testing effect

Enhanced memory after retrieving vs. rereading information.

Hindsight bias

The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it.

Peer reviewers

Experts who evaluate a research article's theory, originality, and accuracy.

Theory

An explanation using integrated principles that organizes observations and predicts behavior.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory.

Operational definition

A precise statement of the exact procedures used to measure a variable.

Replication

Repeating a study, often with different participants/situations, to confirm findings.

Preregistration

Publicly communicating planned study design, hypotheses, and analyses in advance.

Meta-analysis

A statistical procedure combining results of multiple studies to reach an overall conclusion.

Case study

In-depth study of one individual/group to reveal universal principles.

Naturalistic observation

Observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without control.

Survey

Obtaining self-reported attitudes/behaviors from a representative, random sample.

Random sample

A sample where each member of the population has an equal chance of inclusion.

Population

All those in a group being studied, from which samples are drawn.

Correlation

A measure of how two factors vary together and predict each other.

Correlation coefficient

A statistical index ($r = -1.00$ to $+1.00$) of direction and strength of a relationship.

Variable

Anything that can vary and is practical/ethical to measure.

Scatterplot

A graph of dots representing values of two variables, showing relationship direction/strength.

Illusory correlation

Perceiving a relationship where none exists or a stronger one than actual.

Regression toward the mean

The tendency for extreme scores/events to fall back toward the average.

Experiment

A method where variables are manipulated to observe effects on behavior/mental processes.

Experimental group

The group exposed to the treatment in an experiment.

Control group

The group not exposed to the treatment; a comparison baseline.

Random assignment

Assigning participants to groups by chance to minimize preexisting differences.

Double-blind procedure

Neither participants nor staff know who received treatment vs. placebo.

Placebo effect

Experimental results caused by expectations alone, not the treatment itself.

Independent variable

The variable that is manipulated in an experiment.

Confounding variable

An extraneous variable that might influence a study's results.

Dependent variable

The variable that is measured; may change with the independent variable.

Informed consent

Giving participants enough info about a study to choose whether to participate.

Debriefing

Postexperimental explanation of a study's purpose and any deceptions.

Statistics

Mathematical methods for understanding numerical data.

Descriptive statistics

Statistical methods providing a simple summary of data.

Mode

The most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution.

Mean

The arithmetic average of a distribution.

Median

The middle score in a distribution.

Range

The difference between the highest and lowest scores.

Standard deviation

A computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean.

Normal curve

A symmetrical, bell-shaped distribution; $\sim 68\%$ of scores fall within one SD of the mean.

Inferential statistics

Statistical methods used to generalize from a sample to a population.

Statistical significance

A statement of how likely a result occurred by chance, assuming no true difference.