MHS AP Psych Psychology Confusing Pairs

Correlation

Apparent connection in data

Causation

Proven connection in data

Independent Variable

What is manipulated (tested)

Dependent Variable

What is measured

Experimental Group

Group that gets IV

Control Group

Comparison (placebo in drug study) group

Left Brain

Language and logic

Right Brain

Creative and spatial

Corpus Callosum

Connects hemispheres

Cerebral Cortex

Covers the brain

Autonomic

Unconscious (automatic) processes

Somatic

Voluntary processes

Afferent Neurons

Sensory Functions

Efferent Neurons

Motor functions

Sympathetic Nervous System

Arousing (fight or flight)

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Calming

Neurotransmitters

Chemicals in nervous system

Hormones

Chemicals in endocrine system

Hypothalamus

Controls endocrine system

Thalamus

Routes information to parts of brain

Lateral Hypothalamus

Stimulates hunger

Ventromedial Hypothalamus

Suppresses hunger

Broca's Area

Speech production

Wernicke's Area

Speech comprehension

Identical Twins

Same fertilized egg

Fraternal Twins

Separate eggs

Axon

Sending end of neuron

Dendrite

Receiving end of neuron

Sensory (Afferent) Neurons

Body to brain

Motor (Efferent) Neurons

Brain to body

Agonist Drugs

Increase neural firing

Antagonist Drugs

Decrease neural firing

Nature

Genetics, biology

Nurture

Environment, experience

Assimilation

All large four legged animals are 'cows'

Accommodation

Horses are different than cows

Sensorimotor

Literal thinking, object permanence

Pre-Operational

Symbolic thinking, conservation tasks

Concrete Operations

Logical thinking

Formal Operations

Philosophical thinking

Sensation

Bottom-up processing

Perception

Top-down processing

Rods

Light processing

Cones

Color processing

Opponent Process Theory

Colors have opposites (black/white, Green/Red, Blue/yellow)

Trichromatic Theory

Cones see either Red, Blue, or Green

Primacy Effect

First thing remembered

Recency Effect

Last thing remembered

Proactive Interference

Old memory interferes with new

Retroactive Interference

New memory interferes with old

Implicit Memory

Skills

Explicit Memory

Facts

Recall

Without cues

Recognition

From cues/hints

Algorithms

Formulas; step-by-step

Heuristics

Rules of thumb

Representative Heuristics

Stereotypes

Availability Heuristics

Based on information

Phonemes

Basic sound units

Morphemes

Basic units of meaning

Fluid Intelligence

Brain power (analytical)

Crystallized Intelligence

Acquired knowledge (factual)

Validity

Test measures what it should

Reliability

Test returns consistent results

Achievement Test

What you've learned

Aptitude Test

What you can do

Intrinsic Motivation

For personal satisfaction

Extrinsic Motivation

For rewards or avoiding punishment

Classical Conditioning

Natural response to stimulus

Operant Conditioning

Learned response to stimulus

Reinforcement

Always good

Punishment

Always bad

Positive (+) Reinforcement

Adding pleasant stimulus

Negative (-) Reinforcement

Subtracting aversive stimulus

Positive (+) Punishment

Adding aversive stimulus

Negative (-) Punishment

Subtracting pleasant stimulus

Internal Locus of Control

You control the environment

External Locus of Control

Environment controls you

Authoritative

Child autonomy within defined limits

Authoritarian

Total parental control

Normative Social Influence

Conforming to gain approval of others

Informational Social Influence

Accepting others' opinions about reality

Prejudice

Attitude

Discrimination

Action

Fundamental Attribution Error

Overestimating the disposition of others

Self-Serving Bias

Overestimating your own disposition

Foot in the Door

Start with small ask

Door in the Face

Start with big ask

Central Route Persuasion

Facts and evidence

Peripheral Route Persuasion

Imagery and symbolism

Id

Primal instincts

Superego

Conscience, moral compass

Displacement

Taking out your frustration on others

Projection

Seeing your negative traits in others