AP Psychology Vocab - PT 1

Thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, appraises the source, discerns hidden biases, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.

Thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, appraises the source, discerns hidden biases, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.

Critical Thinking

The idea that knowledge comes from experience, and that observation and experimentation enable scientific knowledge.

Empiricism

An early school of thought promoted by Wilhelm Wundt and Edward B. Titchener; used introspection to reveal the structure of the human mind.

Structuralism

The process of looking inward in an attempt to directly observe ones own psychological process.

Introspection

An early school of thought promoted by William James and influenced by Charles Darwin; explored how mental and behavioral processes function - how they enable the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish.

Functionalism

The view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental process. Most psychologists today agree with (1) but not (2).

Behaviorism

A historically significant perspective that emphasized human growth potential.

Humanistic Psychology

The study of mental processes such as occur when we perceive, learn, remember, think, communicate, and solve problems.

Cognitive Psychology

The interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognitive (Including perception, thinking, memory, and language.)

Cognitive Neuroscience

The longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors. Todays science sees traits and behaviors arising from the interaction of nature and nurture.

Nature-Nurture Issue

The principle that inherited traits better enable an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment will (in competition with other trait variations) most likely be passed on to succeeding generations.

Natural Selection

The science of behavior and mental processes.

Psychology

The study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection.

Evolutionary Psychology

The study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences of behavior.

Behavior Genetics

The enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next.

Culture

The scientific study of human flourishing, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive.

Positive Psychology

An integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural viewpoints.

Biopsychosocial Approach

The scientific study of the observable behavior, and its explanation by principles of learning.

Behavioral Psychology

The scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, hormonal) and psychological processes. (Some biological psychologists call themselves behavioral neuroscientists, neuropsychologists, behavior geneticists, physiological psychologists, or biopsychologists.)

Biological Psychology

A branch of psychology that studies how unconscious drives and conflicts influences behavior and uses that information to treat people with psychological disorders.

Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic Psychology

The study of how situations and cultures affect our behavior and thinking.

Social-Cultural Psychology

Enhanced memory after retrieving, rather than simply re-reading information. Also referred to as retrieval practice effect or test-enhanced learning.

Testing Effect

A study method incorporating 5 steps

1. Survey

2. Question

3. Read

4. Retrieve

5. Review

SQ3R

The scientific study of the measurement of human abilities attitude, and traits.

Psychometrics

Pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base.

Basic Research

A branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the lifespan.

Developmental Psychology

The study of how psychological processes affect and can enhance teaching and learning.

Educational Psychology

The study of individuals’ characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting.

Personality Psychology

The scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another.

Social Psychology

Scientific study that aims to solve practical patterns.

Applied Research

The application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces.

Industrial-Organizational (I/O) Psychology

A field of psychology allied with I/O psychology that explores how people and machines interact and how machines and physical environments can be made safe and easy to use.

Human Factors Psychology

A branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, or marriage) and in achieving greater wellbeing.

Counseling Psychology

A branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders

Clinical Psychology

A branch of psychology that studies how people interact with their social environment and how social institutes affect individuals and groups.

Community Psychology

A branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders practiced by physicians who are licensed to provide medical (drug) treatments as well as psychological therapy.

Psychiatry

Cognitive psychologists may advise businesses on how to operate more effectively by understanding the human factors involved.

Cognitive Consulting

the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one could have foreseen it. (Also known as the I-Knew-It-All-Along phenomenon)

Hindsight Bias

An explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observation and predicts behaviors or events.

Theory

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory.

Hypothesis

A carefully worded statement of the exact procedures (operations) used in a research study. For example, human intelligence may be operationally defined as what an intelligence test measures.

Operational Definition

Repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding can be reproduced.

Replication

A description technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles.

Case Study

A descriptive technique of observing and recording behavior in natural occurring situations without trying to manipulate or control the situation.

Naturalistic Observation

A descriptive technique for obtaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the group.

Survey

A flawed sampling process that produces an unrepresentative sample.

Sampling Bias

All of those in a group being studied, from which samples may be drawn. (Except National studies, this does not refer to a country’s whole population)

Population

A sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion.

Random Sample

The measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other.

Correlation (r)

A statistical index of the relationship between two things. (From -1.00 to +1.00)

Correlation Coefficient

Anything that can vary and is feasible and ethical to measure.

Variable

A graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the value of two variables. The slope of the points suggests the direction of the relationship between the two variables. The amount of scatter suggests the strength of correlation. (Little scatter indicates high correlation)

Scatterplot

Perceiving a relationship where none exists, or perceiving a stronger-than-actual relationship.

Illusory Correlation

The tendency for extreme or unusual events to fall back, or regress, toward the average.

Regression Toward The Mean

A research method in which an investigation manipulates one or more factors (independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (dependent variable). By random assignment of participants, the experiment aims to control other relevant factors.

Experiment

In an experiment, the group exposed to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable.

Experimental Group

In an experiment, the group NOT exposed to the treatment; contrasts with the experimental group and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment.

Control Group

Assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between the different groups.

Random Assignment

An experimental procedure in which both he research participants and the research staff are ignorant (blind) about whether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo. Commonly used in drug-evaluation studied.

Double-Blind Procedure

Experimental results caused by the expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which the recipient assumes is an active agent.

Placebo Effect

In an experiment, the factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied.

Independent Variable

A factor other than the factor being studied that might influence a study’s results.

Confounding Variable

In an experiment, the outcome that is measured; the variable that may change when the independent variable is manipulated.

Dependent Variable

The extent to which a test or experiment measures or predicts what it is supposed to.

Validity

Giving potential participants enough information about a study to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate.

Informed Consent

The post-experimental explanation of a study, including its purpose and any deceptions to its participants.

Debriefing

Numerical data used to measure and describe characteristics of groups. Includes measures of central tendency and measures of variations.

Descriptive Statistics

A bar graph depicting a frequency distribution.

Histogram

The most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution.

Mode

The arithmetic average (average) of a distribution, obtained by adding the scores then dividing by the number of scores.

Mean

The middle score in a distribution; half the scores are above it and half are below it.

Median

A representation of scores that lack symmetry around their average value.

Skewed Distribution

The difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution.

Range

A computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score.

Standard Deviation

A symmetrical, bell shaped curve that describes the distribution of many types of data; most scores fall near the mean (about 68% fall within one standard deviation of it) and fewer and fewer near the extremes.

Normal Curve

Numerical data that allow one to generalize—to infer from sample data the probability of something being true of a population.

Inferential Statistics

A statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance.

Statistical Significance