AP PSYCH EXAM 2025

Positive Psychology

the scientific study of human functioning

Psychological Disorders

Conditions characterized by abnormal thoughts

Psychoneuroimmunology

Study of the interaction between psychological processes and the nervous and immune systems.

Distress

Negative stress that can lead to physical or mental health issues.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Traumatic events occurring before the age of 18 that can impact health and well-being.

Stress

A response to perceived threats or challenges that can affect behavior and mental processes.

Hypertension

High blood pressure

Immune Suppression

Reduced effectiveness of the immune system

Eustress

Positive stress that can motivate and enhance performance.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

Selye's concept of the body's adaptive response to stress in three phases—alarm

Tend-and-Befriend Theory

A behavioral response to stress that involves seeking social support.

Catharsis

The process of releasing and thereby providing relief from strong or repressed emotions.

External Locus of Control

The belief that outcomes are determined by external factors.

Internal Locus of Control

The belief that outcomes are determined by one's own actions.

Problem-Focused Coping

Coping strategy aimed at addressing the problem causing stress.

Emotion-Focused Coping

Coping strategy aimed at managing emotional responses to stress.

Meditation

A practice to focus the mind and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm state.

Learned Helplessness

A condition resulting from the perception that one has no control over their situation.

Resilience

The ability to recover quickly from difficulties.

Subjective Well-Being

Personal assessment of overall happiness and life satisfaction.

Broaden-and-Build Theory

Theory suggesting that positive emotions broaden thought processes and build resources.

Posttraumatic Growth

Positive psychological change experienced as a result of adversity.

Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

A standardized classification of mental disorders used by mental health professionals.

World Health Organization

An international public health agency responsible for coordinating health-related efforts.

International Classification of Mental Disorders (ICD)

A system used to classify and diagnose mental disorders globally.

Stigma

Negative societal attitudes towards individuals with psychological disorders.

Eclectic Approach

A therapeutic approach that integrates multiple psychological perspectives.

Sociocultural Perspective

A viewpoint that examines how social and cultural factors influence psychological disorders.

Maladaptive Relationships

Interactions that are harmful or counterproductive to an individual's well-being.

Behavioral Perspective

A psychological approach that focuses on observable behaviors and their modification.

Psychodynamic Perspective

An approach that emphasizes unconscious processes and childhood experiences in understanding behavior.

Biological Perspective

A viewpoint that attributes psychological disorders to biological factors

Humanistic Perspective

An approach that emphasizes personal growth and the concept of self-actualization.

Cognitive Perspective

A psychological approach that focuses on mental processes such as thinking and memory.

Maladaptive Thoughts

Cognitive patterns that are harmful or counterproductive to an individual's mental health.

Medical Model

A framework that views psychological disorders as medical conditions that can be diagnosed and treated.

Biopsychosocial Model

An integrative model that considers biological

Diathesis-Stress Model

A psychological theory that explains the onset of disorders as the result of genetic predisposition and environmental stressors.

Epigenetics

The study of how environmental factors can influence gene expression and contribute to psychological disorders.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

A group of disorders that affect the development of the nervous system

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

A neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

A neurodevelopmental disorder that affects communication and behavior

Schizophrenic Spectrum Disorders

A range of disorders characterized by distortions in thinking

Delusions

False beliefs that are strongly held despite evidence to the contrary

Hallucinations

Sensory experiences that occur without an external stimulus

Bipolar Disorders

Mood disorders characterized by alternating periods of mania and depression.

Major Depressive Disorder

A mood disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest.

Culture-Bound Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety disorders that are specific to certain cultural contexts and may manifest differently across cultures.

Phobias

An excessive and irrational fear of a specific object

Agoraphobia

An anxiety disorder characterized by an intense fear of being in situations where escape might be difficult.

Ataque de Nervios

A culturally specific syndrome characterized by intense emotional distress

Social Anxiety Disorder

A chronic mental health condition characterized by an intense fear of social situations.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

A disorder characterized by excessive

Panic Disorder

An anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent and unexpected panic attacks.

Panic Attacks

Sudden periods of intense fear or discomfort that peak within minutes

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

A mental disorder characterized by persistent

Obsessions

Recurrent and persistent thoughts

Compulsions

Repetitive behaviors or mental acts that an individual feels driven to perform in response to an obsession.

Dissociative Amnesia

A disorder characterized by an inability to recall important personal information

Dissociative Disorders

A group of disorders characterized by a disruption in the normal integration of consciousness

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

A severe form of dissociation characterized by the presence of two or more distinct personality states.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

A mental health condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event.

Insomnia

A sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep

Emotional Detachment

A state where an individual feels disconnected from their emotions or the emotions of others.

Hostility

A psychological state characterized by feelings of anger

Hypervigilance

An enhanced state of sensory sensitivity accompanied by an exaggerated intensity of behaviors whose purpose is to detect threats.

Flashbacks

Involuntary re-experiencing of a past traumatic event

Feeding and Eating Disorders

A group of disorders characterized by persistent disturbances in eating behavior and related thoughts and emotions.

Anorexia Nervosa

An eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted body image.

Bulimia Nervosa

An eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by purging to prevent weight gain.

Personality Disorders

A group of mental disorders characterized by enduring maladaptive patterns of behavior

Therapeutic Alliance

The collaborative relationship between a therapist and a client

Biomedical Therapies

Treatments that focus on the biological aspects of mental disorders

Psychotherapy

A treatment method that involves talking with a trained mental health professional to address emotional and psychological issues.

Evidence-Based Interventions

Therapeutic practices that are supported by scientific research and proven to be effective.

Psychotropic Medication

Drugs that affect mood

Deinstitutionalization

The process of reducing the population of mental health hospitals by providing community-based care.

Ethical Principles

Guidelines that govern the conduct of professionals in the treatment of psychological disorders.

Systematic Desensitization

A behavioral therapy technique used to reduce anxiety by gradually exposing a person to the feared object or situation.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

A type of psychotherapy that helps individuals change unhelpful cognitive distortions and behaviors.

Hypnosis

A state of focused attention

Posthypnotic Suggestion

A suggestion made to a person under hypnosis that is intended to be acted upon after the hypnosis session.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

A medical treatment that involves sending small electric currents through the brain to treat severe depression.

actor/observer bias

The tendency to blame our actions on the situation and blame the actions of others on their personalities

altruism

Unselfish regard for the welfare of others

attributions

an inference regarding the cause of a person's behavior or an interpersonal event.

belief perseverance

Clinging to one's initial conceptions after the basis on which they were informed has been discredited

burnout

physical

bystander effect

The tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if others are present; research on this phenomenon indicates that both situational and attentional variables impact whether someone is likley to help (or not)

central route to persuasion

Attitude change path in which interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts

cognitive dissonance

We act to reduce discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are inconsistent

cognitive load

the relative demand imposed by a particular task

collectivism

a social or cultural tradition

confirmation bias

A tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence

conformity

Adjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard

deindividuation

The loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occuring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity

diffusion of responsibility

The tendency for individuals to feel diminished responsibility for their actions when they are surrounded by others who are acting the same way

discrimination

the unjust and differential treatment of the members of different age

dispositional attributions

A concept phrase in psychology that refers to the tendency to assign responsibility for others' behaviors due to their inherent characteristics

door-in-the-face technique

Asking for a large commitment and being refused and then asking for a smaller commitment