EBQ Term List - AP Psychology

Hippocampus

Vital for long-term memory formation, particularly declarative (explicit) memories, or memories that can be purposely recalled like facts and events

Dopamine

A neurotransmitter that plays a key role in the brain's reward system, influencing motivation, pleasure, and reinforcement of behaviors. It's involved in various functions, including motor control, mood regulation, and cognitive processes.

Serotonin

A neurotransmitter, often called the "happy chemical," that plays a crucial role in mood regulation, particularly in the brain. It's also involved in sleep, appetite, and other functions.

Neurotransmitters

A chemical messenger inside the body that carries messages between neurons.

Neurons

A nerve cell that is the basic building block of the nervous system

Central Nervous System

The brain and spinal cord, the body's primary processing center for receiving, processing, and responding to sensory information. It's the body's control center for all voluntary and involuntary functions, from conscious thought to reflexes.

Plasticity

The brain's ability to modify, change, and adapt its structure and function in response to experience and learning. It's the brain's capacity to reorganize and rewire itself, creating new connections and strengthening existing ones.

Horomones

Chemical messengers produced by the endocrine system that regulate various bodily functions. These chemicals travel through the bloodstream to influence the nervous system and affect behaviors.

Endorphins

Natural neurotransmitters and hormones produced by the body that function as natural painkillers and mood elevators

Brain Scans (EEG)

Measures the brain's electrical activity by recording the waves of electrical signals that sweep across the brain's surface.

Brain Scans (fMRIs)

A neuroimaging technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of the brain's structure. It

Frontal Lobe

The part of the brain responsible for higher cognitive functions including reasoning, problem-solving, judgment, and motor function.

Sleep

naturally recurring state of unconsciousness characterized by reduced muscle activity, altered consciousness, and relatively inhibited sensory activity. It involves cycling through non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

Circadian Rhythm

Our internal clock, controlling our temperature and wakefulness in 24-hour cycles

Consciousness

Our awareness of ourselves and our environment.

Transduction

The translation of incoming stimuli into neural signals.

Retina

The innermost layer of the eye that contains specialized cells called photoreceptors, which detect light and convert it into electrical signals to be sent to the brain for visual processing.

Semicircular canals (cochlea)

Fluid-filled tubes in the inner ear that help maintain balance by detecting head rotations. They are part of the vestibular system, a structure crucial for balance and spatial orientation. The cochlea, on the other hand, is a snail-shaped structure also in the inner ear, responsible for converting sound vibrations into neural signals, enabling hearing.

Kinesthesis

Awareness of how parts of the body are moving.

Vestibular sense

The sensory system responsible for providing the brain with information about an individual's movement, head position, and spatial orientation.

Twin studies

Research designs used in psychology to measure the influence of genetic factors on human behavior by comparing identical (monozygotic) twins with fraternal (dizygotic) twins.

Long-term potentiation

The strengthening of connections between neurons that fire together, leading to a long-lasting increase in synaptic strength.

Encoding

The process of converting information into a form that can be stored and retrieved later on

Chunking

The cognitive process of organizing information into smaller, more manageable units (chunks) to improve memory and recall.

Retrieval (recall)

A type of memory retrieval where one must search for information without cues, essentially 'filling in the blanks.'

Retrieval (recognition)

A type of memory retrieval in which one must identify present information as having been previously presented.

Top-down processing

How our brains make use of information that has already been brought into the brain by one or more of the sensory systems

Bottom-up processing

When the brain processes sensory information and uses clues to understand stimuli

Schema

The cognitive framework that allows a person to interpret a new situation based on their experience in similar, prior experiences.

Heuristics

A mental shortcut or rule of thumb that helps us make decisions and solve problems quickly, often relying on limited information.

Cognitive bias

Systematic errors in thinking and decision-making that occur as a result of simplified mental shortcuts or faulty reasoning.

Growth mindset

The belief that intelligence, abilities, and talents are not fixed traits but can be developed through dedication, effort, and a willingness to learn.

Meta-cognition

'thinking about thinking,' or the purposeful recognition, awareness, and even control of one's personal thought processes.

Intelligence

The ability to learn and the capacity for knowledge

IQ

The ratio of mental age (ma) to chronological age (ca) multiplied by 100; A test designed to predict a person's future performance.

Forgetting

The inability to retrieve information from memory either partially or completely.

Alzheimers

A progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory, reasoning, and other cognitive abilities. It's also the leading cause of dementia in the elderly.

Nature-Nurture

It explores whether our traits and actions are primarily determined by our inherited characteristics or shaped by our experiences and surroundings.

Teratogens

Any substance or condition that can negatively affect the development of an embryo or fetus inside a pregnant woman.

Longitudinal study?

Is an observational research method in which data is gathered for the same subjects repeatedly over a period of time. Longitudinal research projects can extend over years or even decades. In a longitudinal cohort study, the same individuals are observed over the study period.

Cross-sectional Study

Is a type of observational study that analyzes data collected from a population, or a representative subset, at a specific point in time

Cognitive development (4 stages)

In Piaget's theory of cognitive development, the four stages are: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Each stage represents a unique way of thinking and interacting with the world, progressing from simple reflexes to abstract reasoning.

Language development

The process through which children acquire the ability to process speech and communicate.

Classical/Operant

Classical conditioning is learning through associating different stimuli, while operant conditioning is learning through associating voluntary behaviors with their consequences.

Parenting Styles

The overall approach or strategy that parents use to raise and interact with their children (Authoritative, Authoritarian, Permissive)

Temperament

An individual's characteristic level of emotional excitability or intensity.

Social learning theory/Models

Explains how individuals learn by observing others, a process known as modeling. It emphasizes that learning can occur through watching and imitating the behaviors and consequences of others, rather than solely through direct experience or trial and error.

Locus of control

To the extent to which individuals believe they have control over the events and outcomes in their lives.

Social loafing

The tendency of individuals to exert less effort when working in a group compared to when they work alone.

Attribution

The process by which individuals attempt to explain the causes of their own and others' behaviors. It involves figuring out whether a behavior is due to internal factors (dispositions, personality) or external factors (situations).

Norms

The rules about what is acceptable to do and say in certain situations.

Conformity

The tendency for individuals to adjust their thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors to align with those of a group.

Social trap

A situation in which a group intentionally works for short-term gains at the expense of long-term, widespread negative consequences.

Intrinsic Motivation

Engaging in an activity because it's personally rewarding and enjoyable, driven by internal satisfaction rather than external rewards or consequences.

Extrinsic Motivation

The drive to perform a behavior or activity to receive external rewards or to avoid negative consequences.

Arousal

A state of physiological and psychological activation, encompassing alertness, wakefulness, and heightened sensitivity

Self-efficacy

An individual's belief in their capacity to successfully execute the actions necessary to achieve specific goals. It's about confidence in one's ability to exert control over their motivation, behavior, and environment

Self-esteem

An individual's overall sense of self-worth or personal value. It's the emotional evaluation of one's own worth, encompassing beliefs and feelings about oneself.

Self-actualizing tendency

Is the innate drive towards fulfilling one's full potential and becoming the best version of oneself. It represents the highest level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, where individuals strive for personal growth, creativity, and self-fulfillment.

Emotion

A multifaceted experience involving physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, conscious experience, and cognitive appraisal.

Emotional Stability

Describes a personality trait characterized by calmness, security, and consistency in emotional reactions.

Theories of Motivation

Drive-reduction theory, Arousal theory, Maslow's hierarchy of needs

DSM

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is a book that provides a common language and standard criteria for classifying and diagnosing mental disorders.

Positive psychology

The scientific study of human flourishing, focusing on positive emotions, traits, and strengths that lead to well-being and a fulfilling life.

Stress

The physical and mental strain a person experiences in association with demands to adapt to a challenging situation

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

Describes the process your body goes through when you are exposed to any kind of stress, positive or negative.

Resilience

The process of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, often through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility.

Stigma

The process in which individuals are socially labeled and devalued based on a particular characteristic, attribute, or condition.

3 Ds (dysfunction, distress, deviance)

Criteria used to help define a mental disorder. A behavior is considered a disorder if it deviates significantly from cultural norms, causes distress to the individual, and significantly impairs their daily functioning.

Depression (MDD)

A mood disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, loss of interest or pleasure in activities.

Anxiety

An emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure.

Disorders

A condition characterized by persistent, distressing, and/or dysfunctional thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that significantly impair a person's functioning or create distress in others.

Therapy

The treatment of psychological disorders or the promotion of mental well-being through psychological techniques, typically involving interactions between a trained therapist and an individual.

Distress/Eustress

Distress- the effect of unpleasant and undesirable stressors; negative events

Eustress-the effect of positive events, or the optimal amount of stress that people need to promote health and well-being; positive events

Fight, Flight, Freeze response

The body's natural reaction to perceived threats or stressful situations. It involves three distinct behavioral responses: facing the threat aggressively (fight), escaping the threat (flight), or becoming immobile and unable to act (freeze).

Psychodynamic Perspective

A perspective in psychology that asserts our behaviors are largely influenced by unconscious drives and experiences from our past.

Humanistic Perspective

Considers the basic human needs of an individual and how important they really are to the overall happiness of that person

Cognitive Perspective

Focuses on how internal thoughts and feelings influence one's behavior

Evolutionary Perspective

Views human thoughts and behaviors as shaped by natural selection, where traits that enhance survival and reproduction are passed down through generations.

Biological Perspective

Relates to the way that people act in terms of how they came to be.

Behavioral Perspective

A psychological approach that focuses on how observable behaviors are learned and influenced by the environment.

Sociocultural Perspective

Considers the way that different individuals interact with their social groups and how these social groups influence different individuals and how they develop throughout their lives.