AP Psych Unit 3 Vocabulary

Accommodation

The process of modifying existing cognitive schemas or creating new ones to incorporate new information or experiences.

Acquisition

The initial stage of learning when a response is first established and gradually strengthened through reinforcement.

Adolescence

The transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the teenage years, marked by puberty and identity exploration.

Adulthood

The stage of life after adolescence, characterized by full development and maturity, typically defined by milestones such as career establishment.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood, such as abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction.

Aggression

Behavior that is intended to cause harm or injury to another person or object.

Albert Bandura

A psychologist known for his contributions to social learning theory and the concept of self-efficacy, including the Bobo doll experiment.

Alfred Kinsey

A biologist and sexologist known for his pioneering research on human sexuality and sexual behavior.

Alice Eagly

A psychologist known for her research on gender roles and the impact of socialization on behavior.

Animism

The belief that inanimate objects have lifelike qualities and are capable of action, common in young children.

Androgyny

The combination of masculine and feminine characteristics in an individual, challenging traditional gender roles.

Antisocial Behavior

Actions that violate social norms and disregard the rights of others, often involving aggression.

Aphasia

A language disorder caused by damage to the brain, resulting in difficulty with language production or comprehension.

Asexual

A lack of sexual attraction to others or lack of interest in sexual activity.

Assimilation

The process of incorporating new information into existing cognitive schemas.

Associative Learning

A type of learning that involves forming associations between stimuli and responses.

Attachment

The emotional bond that forms between an infant and their primary caregiver.

Authoritarian Parenting

A strict parenting style characterized by high demands and low responsiveness.

Authoritative Parenting

A parenting style characterized by high demands and high responsiveness.

B.F. Skinner

A psychologist known for his work in behaviorism and operant conditioning.

Babbling Stage

A developmental milestone in infancy when infants produce repetitive, nonsensical sounds.

Basic Trust

The sense of security and confidence in the world that develops during infancy.

Behaviorism

A psychological approach emphasizing the study of observable behavior and the role of environmental stimuli.

Benjamin Lee Whorf

A linguist known for his hypothesis of linguistic relativity.

Biological Preparedness

The idea that people and animals are inclined to form associations between certain stimuli and responses.

Broca's Area

A region of the brain responsible for speech production and language processing.

Carl Wernicke

A neurologist known for identifying Wernicke's area, important for language comprehension.

Carol Gilligan

A psychologist known for her work on gender and moral development.

Chronosystem

The pattern of environmental events and transitions over the life course.

Classical Conditioning

A type of learning where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus.

Conditioning

The process of learning associations between environmental events and behavioral responses.

Cognition

Mental processes such as perception, thinking, memory, and problem-solving.

Cognitive Map

A mental representation of one's spatial environment.

Cognitive Learning

Learning involving mental processes rather than purely behavioral responses.

Concrete Operational Stage

Piaget's third stage of cognitive development, characterized by logical thinking about concrete events.

Conditioned Reinforcer

A previously neutral stimulus that becomes reinforcing through association with a primary reinforcer.

Conditioned Response

A learned response to a previously neutral stimulus acquired through classical conditioning.

Conditioned Stimulus

A previously neutral stimulus that elicits a conditioned response after association with an unconditioned stimulus.

Conservation

The understanding that certain properties of objects remain constant despite changes in appearance.

Continuous Reinforcement Schedule

A reinforcement schedule where every occurrence of the desired behavior is reinforced.

Critical Period

A developmental stage when an organism is particularly sensitive to environmental influences.

Cross-Sectional Study

A research method comparing individuals of different ages at a single time point.

Crystallized Intelligence

The ability to use learned knowledge and experience.

Dementia

A group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking, and social abilities.

Developmental Psychology

The branch of psychology studying changes across the lifespan.

Diana Baumrind

A psychologist known for her research on parenting styles.

Discrimination

The ability to respond differently to similar stimuli.

Discriminative Stimulus

A cue indicating the presence of reinforcement for a particular behavior.

Ecological Systems Theory

A theory emphasizing the influence of various environmental systems on individual development.

Edward C. Tolman

A psychologist known for his research on cognitive maps and latent learning.

Edward L. Thorndike

A psychologist known for his work on animal learning and the law of effect.

Egocentrism

The inability to take another person's perspective.

Emerging Adulthood

A developmental stage characterized by identity exploration and instability.

Erik Erikson

A psychologist known for his theory of psychosocial development.

Estrogen

A hormone associated with female secondary sexual characteristics.

Exosystem

A larger social system affecting an individual's immediate environment.

Extinction

The gradual weakening and disappearance of a conditioned response.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

A group of physical and mental birth defects resulting from alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Fixed-Interval Schedule

A reinforcement schedule that rewards the first response after a specified time interval.

Fixed-Ratio Schedule

A reinforcement schedule that rewards after a fixed number of responses.

Fixed Schedule

A schedule of reinforcement based on a fixed number of responses or time.

Fluid Intelligence

The capacity to think logically and solve problems in novel situations.

Formal Operational Stage

Piaget's fourth stage of cognitive development, characterized by abstract reasoning.

Gender

The socially constructed roles and behaviors associated with being male or female.

Gender Identity

An individual's personal sense of their own gender.

Gender Role

Societal expectations and behaviors typically associated with being male or female.

Gender Typing

The process of acquiring behaviors and roles typically associated with one's gender.

Generalization

The tendency to respond to stimuli similar to a conditioned stimulus.

Grammar

The set of rules governing the structure of language.

Habituation

A decrease in response to a stimulus after repeated exposure.

Harry Harlow

A psychologist known for his research on attachment in rhesus monkeys.

Higher-Order Conditioning

Classical conditioning where a conditioned stimulus is paired with a new neutral stimulus.

Identity

The characteristics and experiences defining an individual's sense of self.

Identity Achievement

The status of individuals who have explored various identities and made a commitment.

Identity Diffusion

The status of individuals who have neither explored nor made a commitment to any identity.

Identity Foreclosure

The status of individuals who have made a commitment without exploration.

Identity Moratorium

The status of individuals currently exploring various identities without commitment.

Imaginary Audience

The belief that one is the focus of everyone else's attention.

Imprinting

A form of rapid learning occurring during a critical period, forming strong attachments.

Insight

Sudden realization of a problem's solution.

Insecure Attachment

A pattern of attachment characterized by anxiety or avoidance.

Instinctive Drift

The tendency of animals to revert to innate behaviors that conflict with conditioning.

Intersex

Individuals born with variations in sex characteristics that do not fit typical definitions of male or female.

Interval Schedule

A reinforcement schedule rewarding responses after a certain time has passed.

Intimacy

A close, interpersonal connection characterized by emotional closeness.

Ivan Pavlov

A physiologist known for his research on classical conditioning with dogs.

Jean Piaget

A Swiss psychologist known for his theory of cognitive development.

John B. Watson

The founder of behaviorism, known for the Little Albert experiment.

John Garcia

A psychologist known for research on taste aversion learning.

Konrad Lorenz

An ethologist known for his research on imprinting.

Language

A system of communication using symbols to convey meaning.

Latent Learning

Learning that occurs without reinforcement and becomes apparent with motivation.

Law of Effect

Behaviors followed by satisfying consequences are more likely to be repeated.

Learned Helplessness

A condition of powerlessness resulting from traumatic events.

Learning

The process of acquiring new knowledge, skills, behaviors, or attitudes.

Lev Vygotsky

A psychologist known for his sociocultural theory of cognitive development.

Linguistic Determinism

The hypothesis that language structure influences perception and thought.

Linguistic Relativism

The idea that language differences can lead to differences in thought.

Longitudinal Study

A research method following the same group of individuals over time.

Margaret Harlow

A psychologist known for research on attachment and maternal deprivation.