AP Psychology Final Terms

Belief Perseverance

The tendency to hold onto one's beliefs even when faced with contrary evidence or information, often leading to a resistance to change one's mind.

Group Polarization

The phenomenon where group discussions enhance members' preexisting attitudes, leading to more extreme positions.

Predictive Validity

The extent to which a test accurately predicts outcomes or behaviors associated with the construct it measures. It assesses how well a test forecasts future performance based on the measured trait.

Groupthink

A phenomenon where individuals in a group prioritize harmony over critical thinking and going against the group. This can lead to a lack of critical thinking.

Extrinsic Motivation

Motivation driven by external rewards or outcomes, such as money, praise, or recognition, rather than by intrinsic satisfaction or enjoyment of the task itself.

Modeling

Behaviors are learned by looking at others.

Subject selection

The process of determining which participants will be included in a research study, ensuring they represent the target population.

Independent Variable

What is changed in an experiment

Dependent Variable

What is affected by the independent variable

Experimental Group

A group of participants in an experiment that receives the treatment or manipulation, allowing researchers to observe the effects of the independent variable.

A method of reducing researcher bias

Double-Blind procedures, Random Assortment

Repression

A defense mechanism where an individual unconsciously blocks thoughts or feelings that may be distressing.

Conformity

An individual changing their behavior/thoughts to match social norms.

Imprinting

When an animal bonds to an individual soon after birth. Does not occur in humans.

Circadian Rhythm

The cycle of sleep that coencides with a 24-hour cycle.

Loss of information from short term memory.

Occurs when information is not rehearsed or encoded properly, leading to forgetting

Yerkes-Dodson Theory of Arousal

The theory that there is a certain level of optimal arousal that leads to a task being completed more successfully.

Automatic Nervous System

The part of the nervous system that regulates involuntary bodily functions such as heart rate, digestion, and respiratory rate.

Lack of REM sleep

Can lead to the lack of memory consolidation and affect emotional regulation and weaken the immune system.

Distributed practice

Studying over an extended period of time, as opposed to cramming. Is more effective for storing information long-term.

Conscientiousness

A Big 5 characteristic marked by being organized, responsible, and dependable.

Prefrontal Cortex

Region of the brain associated with decision making, working memory, and personality.

Antisocial personality disorder

Breaks rules and laws, takes advantage of others, feels little remorse, appears friendly

Evolutionary Psychology

The perspective that our behaviors are driven by and innate need to survive.

Cognitive Dissonance

When our thoughts and actions clash, we change our thoughts to avoid discomfort.

Incentive Theory

Motivation is derived from the expectation of gaining positive incentives or avoiding negative incentives.

Set Point

Our body has a natural weight range it tries to return to.

Perception

How we make sense of what our senses pick up. Includes both bottom-up and top-down processing.

Substance Use Disorder

A pattern of repeated substance use over the course of 12 months or more.

Extraversion

A personality trait characterized by being outgoing, social, and being high energy.

Schizophrenia

A mental illness that can contain positive or negative symptoms. There is chronic and acute schizophrenia.

Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic

The perspective that deals with the unconscious mind and how your childhood affects you.

Behavioral

The perspective where behavior is influenced by external stimuli.

Biological

The perspective where behavior is influenced by genetics and hormones.

Memory

The process of encoding information to store it long-term.

Depression

Characterized by persistent sadness. There is Persistent Depressive Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder. Low serotonin leads to depression.

Experiment v.s Correlation

An experiment uses random assortment to ensure there isn’t a confounding variable and proves causation. A correlational study makes a connection between two variables but you can´t confirm an effect.

Statistical Significance

Disproves the null hypothesis

Illusory correlation

A cognitive bias where there seems like there is a connection between two variables but there aren’t

Positive Reinforcement

Encouraging behavior by adding something desirable.

External Locus of Control

The belief that external factors, like fate, are responsible for someone´s outcome in life.