AP Exam Psychology Review

Sigmund Freud

founder of psychoanalysis, unconscious desires

Ivan Pavlov

developed concept of conditioned reflex, dog and bell experiment

B.F.Skinner

studied operant conditioning, reward and punishment

Charles Darwin

created theory of evolution and natural selection

Albert Bandura

developed social learning theory

Jean Piaget

developed cognitive theory of childhood development (4 stages)

Lawrence Kohlberg

studied of moral development in children

Erik Erikson

founded eight stage theory of development

Abraham Maslow

created hierarchy of needs, basic needs to self actualization (shape of the letter A)

Structuralism

studies the underlying components that affect human behavior

Functionalism

studies how behavior changes to adapt to our environment

Evolutionary

study of behavior and thought through the lens of evolution

Behaviorism

theory that the environment shapes human behavior

Humanism

concept that emphasizes looking at the entire individual; focus on free will and self actualization

Biological

effect of biology, hormones, genetics, and the nervous system, on behavior

Cognitive

study of how people think through interactions of thinking, emotions, and problem-solving

Socio-Cultural

study that believes understanding someone’s behavior comes from knowing the cultural context their interactions occur in

Psychoanalytic

study that believes our childhood experiences and unconscious desires influence our behavior

Causation Conclusions

the conclusion that differences in the response(first) variable is a result of the differences in the explanatory (first) variable

Single Blind

participants are blinded

Double Blind

participants and experimenters are blindedT

Theory

ideas that work to explain certain aspects of human thoughts, behaviors, and emotions

Hypothesis

a testable statement

Experimental Group

the group of participants that are exposed to the manipulation of the independent variable

Control Group

the constant group of participants that the experimental groups are compared to

Case Study

in depth study of one person, group, or event

Survey

a selected group’s data or opinions are collected and analyzed

Naturalistic Observation

research method where you observe and record information about subjects in their natural environment

Correlational Study Relationships

research design that looks at the natural relationship (correlation) between two or more variables

No Harm

steps to avoid harming participants

Voluntary

participants freely chose to participate with no coercion

Debriefing

counseling and providing information after the experiment to reduce trauma and given them knowledge

No Deception

researchers are not allowed to lie or wrongly inform participants about a situation

Informed Consent

researchers provide information and obtain fill consent of participation

Confidential

limit disclosure of a participant’s identity

Possible Risk

any risk that could happen during the experiment

Neurons

a specialized cell that transmits nerve impulses

Soma

also called the cell body; conditions genetic info, maintains structure, provides energy

Axon

transfers neurons signals away from the cell body to other cells and organs

Dendrite

receives neuron signals, processes and transfers to the cell body

Myelin Sheath

part of the neuron that is the insulation and protection layer, increases speed of signal transmission

Axon Terminals

end of the axon that contains neurotransmitters

Synapse

small gap between two neurons, neurotransmitter in the axon terminal of the sending neuron gets sent to the dendrite of the receiving neuron

Action Potential

shift or spike in electric activity in neurons

Sensory Neurons

afferent neurons, send sensory signals from sensory organs to central nervous system

Motor Neurons

efferent neurons, send motor commands from the central nervous system to the sensory organs to initiate actions

GABA

most common inhibitory neurotransmitter in the nervous system, has a calming effect and lessens the ability for nerve cells to receive and send chemical messages to other cells Gl

Glutamate

most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the nervous system, major role in learning and memory

Dopamine

affects memory, movement, motivation, mood, and attention

Serotonin

inhibitory mediator of the other excitatory transmitters, carries message from the brain (central nervous system) to the body (peripheral nervous system)

Acetylcholine

excitatory mediator, regulates heart contractions and blood pressure, influences synaptic transitions

Endorphins

inhibitory, blocks pain signals, endorsed by the hypothalamus

Oxytocin

inhibitory, regulation of our emotional responses

Epinephrine

excitatory, releases chemical in dangerous situations to stimulate fear and focus, most effect on heart

Nonepinephrine

excitatory, releases chemical in dangerous situations to stimulate fear and focus, most effect on blood vessels

Glial Cells

non-neuronic cells in the central nervous system that help neurons with communication and waste transport

Somatic Nervous System

voluntary control of the skeletal muscles

Autonomic Nervous System

control glands and internal organ muscles (heart, digestion)

Sympathetic Nervous System

arouses and expends energy (flight or flight)

Parasympathetic Nervous System

conserves energy (rest and digest)

Hindbrain

connects brain to spinal cord

Brainstem

oldest and innermost region of the brain (right where the spine enters the skull)

Cerebellum

‘little brain,’ processes sensory input and coordinates movement and balance

Medulla

below pons, controls heartbeat and breathing

Pons

above medulla, coordinates movement

Midbrain

top part of brainstem, processes visual and auditory information

Reticular Formation

between ears, controls arousal

Forebrain

processes sensory information and controls motor function at the front of the brain

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Limbic System

system that controls behavioral and emotional responses for survival

Amygdala

two small neural clusters, influence aggression and fear

Hippocampus

embedded in the temporal lobe, major role in learning and memory, variety of disorders due to damage vulnerability

Thalamus

top of brainstem, receives info from all senses except smell and moves it higher in the brain

Hypothalamus

directs maintaince, controles endocrine system through pituitary gland, emotion and reward

Wernicke’s Area

left temporal lobe, motor neurons related to speech comprehension

Broca’s Area

left frontal lobe, motor neurons related to speech production

Cerebral Cortex

thin surface later of neural cells, control and processing center

Frontal Lobe

lobe behind forehead, forefront of plans, speaking, and movements

Occipital Lobe

lobe that receives information from visual fields

Temporal Lobe

lobe roughly behind ears, auditory information

Parietal Lobe

lobe that controls touch and body position

Somatosensory Cortex

cortex that egisters and processes the body’s touch and movement sensations

Motor Cortex

conrtex that controls voluntary movements, stimulates one side to affect opposite side

Corpus Callosum

connects the brain hemispheres

Pituitary Gland

core of the brain, stimulates physical growth, contractions and milking in women, most influential gland

Thyroid Gland

regulates metabolism, growth, and development

Adrenal Gland

above the kidneys, releases hormones that arouses the body at times of stress

Pineal Gland

center of the brain, regulates circadian cycle of sleep

Pancreas

releases hormones that regulate blood sugar level, insulin, and glucagon

Ovaries

female reproductive organ

Testes

male reproductive organ

Absolute Threshold

minimum stimulus needed to detect it half of the time

Difference Threshold

minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection

Signal Detection Theory

predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimuli in background stimuli

Sensory Adaptation

diminished sensitivity to a stimulus due to constant stimulation

Perceptual Set

a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another

Inattentional Blindness

failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed somewhere else

Cocktail Party Effect

the ability to focus auditory attention on one stimulus while filtering out many surrounding noise

Cornea

bends light to help the eye focus

Pupil

opening in the center of the eye where light enters

Iris

ring of muscle that controls pupil’s dilation, color of the eye (goddess of the rainbow)