Unit 0 AP Psych

Psychodynamic Perspective

Behavior driven by unconscious conflicts and early childhood experiences.

Behavioral Perspective

Behavior learned through conditioning and environment.

Humanistic Perspective

Focus on free will, personal growth, and self-actualization.

Cognitive Perspective

Studies mental processes like thinking, memory, and problem-solving.

Biological Perspective

Behavior explained by brain, genes, and physiology.

Evolutionary Perspective

Behavior shaped by natural selection for survival.

Sociocultural Perspective

Behavior influenced by culture and social context.

Biopsychosocial Perspective

Behavior from biological, psychological, and social factors.

Psychology

Scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Mental Processes

Internal experiences like thoughts, feelings, perceptions.

Behavior

Observable actions.

Confirmation Bias

Favoring info that supports beliefs.

Hindsight Bias

'I knew it all along' thinking.

Overconfidence

Overestimating accuracy of beliefs.

Empirical Evidence

Data from observation or experiment.

Scientific Method

Systematic process for research.

Hypothesis

Testable prediction.

Falsifiable

Can be proven wrong.

Peer Review

Experts evaluate research.

Replication

Repeating study to confirm results.

Reliability

Consistency of results.

Validity

Measures what it’s supposed to.

APA

Organization that sets psychology standards.

Research Design

Overall plan of a study.

Methodology

Specific procedures used.

Quantitative Data

Numerical data.

Qualitative Data

Descriptive, non-numerical data.

Likert Scales

Rating scale (e.g., strongly agree → strongly disagree).

Structured Interviews

Standardized questions asked to all participants.

Survey Technique

Collecting data via questionnaires.

Wording Effect

Question phrasing influences answers.

Social Desirability Bias

Answering to look good.

Naturalistic Observation

Observing behavior in natural setting.

Case Study

In-depth study of one person/group.

Correlational Research

Examines relationships between variables.

Third Variable Problem

Hidden variable affects results.

Scatterplot

Graph showing correlation.

Correlation Coefficient

Strength/direction of relationship (-1 to +1).

Positive Correlation

Variables move together.

Negative Correlation

Variables move opposite.

Experimental Method

Tests cause and effect.

Independent Variable

Variable manipulated.

Dependent Variable

Measured outcome.

Confounding Variable

Uncontrolled factor affecting results.

Operational Definitions

Clear, measurable definitions.

Experimental Group

Receives treatment.

Control Group

No treatment/placebo.

Random Assignment

Participants randomly placed in groups.

Placebo Effect

Improvement due to belief, not treatment.

Experimenter Bias

Researcher expectations influence results.

Single-Blind Study

Participants unaware of condition.

Double-Blind Study

Both participants and researchers unaware.

Placebo Condition

Fake treatment group.

Sample

Group studied.

Representative Sample

Reflects population.

Random Sample

Everyone has equal chance.

Sample Bias

Sample not representative.

Generalizability

Apply findings to larger population.

Statistics

Analyzing data.

Descriptive Statistics

Summarize data.

Inferential Statistics

Draw conclusions about population.

Measure of Central Tendency

Mean, median, mode.

Mean

Average.

Median

Middle value.

Mode

Most frequent value.

Range

Difference between high and low.

Normal Curve

Bell-shaped distribution.

Regression to the Mean

Extreme scores move toward average.

Positive Skew

Tail on right (high outliers).

Negative Skew

Tail on left (low outliers).

Standard Deviation

Spread of data.

Percentile Rank

% of scores below.

Bimodal Distribution

Two peaks.

Statistical Significance

Results unlikely due to chance.

Effect Size

Strength of relationship/difference.

Meta-Analysis

Combines multiple studies.

IRB

Reviews ethics of research.

Informed Consent

Participants agree after being informed.

Informed Assent

Minor agrees to participate.

Confidentiality

Keep participant info private.

Deception

Misleading participants (must be justified).

Confederates

Actors in study.

Debriefing

Explain study after participation.

AAQ

Analyze and apply research findings.

EBQ

Use evidence to support answers.

Defensible Claim

Argument supported with evidence.