AP Psychology-Final Exam Study Guide

Behavioral Perspective

Focuses on observable behavior and how it’s learned through conditioning.

Biological Perspective

Explains behavior in terms of genes, hormones, neurotransmitters, and brain structures.

Cognitive Perspective

Focuses on thinking, perception, memory, and problem-solving.

Evolutionary Perspective

Examines how natural selection favors behaviors that enhance survival and reproduction.

Humanistic Perspective

Emphasizes free will, personal growth, and self-actualization.

Psychodynamic Perspective

Suggests behavior is influenced by unconscious drives and childhood conflicts.

Social-Cultural Perspective

Explores how behavior varies across cultures and social situations.

Correlation Coefficient (r)

Measures the strength and direction of a relationship, ranging from -1 to +1.

Independent Variable (IV)

The variable that is manipulated by the researcher.

Dependent Variable (DV)

The variable that is measured in an experiment.

Illusory Correlation

The belief in a relationship where none exists.

Reliability

The consistency of results across multiple tests or trials.

Validity

The accuracy of a test; does it measure what it claims to measure?

Episodic Memory

A type of memory that involves personal experiences and events.

Agonists

Substances that mimic neurotransmitters.

Antagonists

Substances that block neurotransmitters.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers that transmit signals across synapses.

Sympathetic Nervous System

The part of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body for fight-or-flight response.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

The division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body and conserves energy.

Depth Perception

The ability to perceive the world in three dimensions and judge distance.

Afterimages

Visual illusions that occur after looking at a visual stimulus.

Selective Attention

Focusing on a specific stimulus while ignoring others.

Availability Heuristic

Estimating the likelihood of events based on how easily examples come to mind.

Crystallized Intelligence

Accumulated knowledge and verbal skills that tend to remain stable or increase with age.

Fluid Intelligence

Problem-solving ability that tends to decline with age.

Piaget's Stages of Development

Framework outlining cognitive development from sensorimotor to formal operational stages.

Attachment Styles

Patterns of attachment behavior observed in relationships, including secure, avoidant, ambivalent, and disorganized.