AP Psych - Unit 1

Experimental Study

• Researchers test wether one thing causes another thing to happen

• Done by changing one factor and seeing how it affects something else

What are the key parts of an experimental study?

• Independent variable

• Dependent variable

• Control group

• Experimental group

Correlation Study

• Researching if change in one variable is connected to change in another variable

• Without proving that change in one variable causes change in the other

Positive Correlation

Both variables increase and decrease together

Negative Correlation

One variable increases, other one decreases

Case Study

• Study of one person (or a small group) in detail

• Done to better understand their mental problems

• Can’t be generalized to larger population

Naturalistic Observation Study

• Behavior is watched and recorded without interfering or changing anything

• Can’t prove cause and effect

Independent Variable

What the researcher changes

Dependent Variable

What the researcher measures (test scores)

Placebo Effect

• Person given fake treatment

• Person has change in symptoms bc they believe treatment works

Single-Blind Study

Participants don’t know what group they are in but researchers know

Double-Blind Study

Participants and researchers don’t know who’s in which group

Control Group

Group that doesn’t receive treatment

Random Assignment

• Participants are put into different groups randomly

• Easier to determine cause and effect

Experimental Group

Group that receives treatment

Soma

Cell body that contains nucleus

Dendrites

• Receive messages from other neurons

• Branches connected to soma

Axon

Wire that sends messages away from Soma

Axon Terminals

Bottom branches that release neurotransmitters

Neural Impulse

Electric signal traveling through neuron

Reuptake

Sending neuron reabsorbs neurotransmitter after it has delivered a message

Refractory Period

Brief recovery time after neuron fires an action potential

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers that help send info from neuron to neuron

Acton Potential

Brief electrical change creating Neural Impulse

How do signals travel?

• Electrically in neuron

• Chemically between neurons

Acetylcholine (ACH)

Helps nerve cells communicate

• learning, memory, and muscle action

• Can cause Alzheimers

Dopamine

Influences

• Movement

• Learning

• Attention

• Emotion

Seretonin

Affects

• Mood

• Hunger

• Sleep

• Arousal

Norepinephrine

Controls

• Alertness

• Arousal

Glutamate

-Excitatory neurotransmitter: Makes neurons more likely to fire

-Helps with

• Memory

• Learning

Substance P

Helps transmit pain signals

GABA

-Inhibitory neurotransmitter: Makes neurons less likely to fire

-Helps make person

• Calm

• Relaxed

• And sleep

Agonist

Chemical or drug that tricks and activates receptor

• Activates or increases neurotransmitters effect

Antagonist

Chemical or drug that blocks receptor

• Blocks or reduces neurotransmitters effects

Wernicke’s Area

-Comprehending spoken and written language (in left hem)

-If damaged

• You may speak well but say things that make no sense

• You may struggle to understand what others are saying

Broca’s Area

-Producing speech (in left hem)

-If damaged

• You may understand what others are saying

• You may struggle to form sentences or speak clearly

REM sleep

Vivid Dreaming

• Rapid eye movement

• Temp muscle paralysis

NREM (Stage) 1

Lightest sleep

• Muscles relax

• Sudden muscle twitches (Hypnic Jerks)

NREM (Stage) 2

light sleep

NREM (Stage)3

Deep sleep

• Sleep walking

• Night terrors

What is the order of sleep stages?

NREM 1, NREM 2, NREM 3, NREM 2, REM

Sensory Adaption

Sensory receptors become less sensitive to constant stimulus

Habituation

Brain learns to ignore repeated stimulus

Absolute Threshold

Smallest amount of stimulation you can detect (50% of the time)

Difference Threshold

Smallest difference between two stimuli you can detect (50% of the time)

Webber’s Law

The bigger the og stimulus is, the bigger the change needs to be to notice the difference

Rod

Cells in Retina that

• Detect black, white, and grey

• Are predominantly in Retina outer regions

• Are sensitive to dim light

• Twilight Vision

Cones

Cells in Retina that

• Are concentrated near Retina center

• Function in well-lit conditions

• 3 cones that sense red, green, and blue

• Detect fine detail

Fovea

• Tiny area in center of Retina

• Has high concentration of Cones

• Has no Rods

• Provides clearest and sharpest vision

• Works best in bright light

Peripheral Vision

See things outside direct line of sight

• Helps detect movement and objects around you

• Relies heavily on Rods

• More Rods in PV = Better night vision