Unit 1: Scientific Foundations

All that you need to do well in Unit 1 of AP Psych!

William Wundt

Father of psychology, known for developing the theory of structuralism

William James

Published "The Principles of Psychology" and developed functionalism

Mary Whiton Calkins

First woman to become president of the American Psychological Association, studied with William James

Margaret Floy Washburn

First woman to earn a PhD in psychology, second woman president of the APA

Stanley G

First president of the APA, studied child development

Max Wertheimer

Gestalt psychologist against dividing human thought into discrete structures

Sigmund Freud

Developed psychoanalytic theory focusing on the unconscious mind

John B Watson

Founder of behaviorism, studying behavior and its causes

B. F. Skinner

Expanded behaviorism with reinforcement theory

Ivan Pavlov

Developed classical conditioning

Abraham Maslow

Founder of humanistic psychology emphasizing human choice in behavior

Carl Rogers

Humanistic psychologist advancing personality theory

Jean Piaget

Proposed theory of cognitive development in children

Structuralism

Examines consciousness through individual parts

Functionalism

Considers the whole picture, not just individual parts

Gestalt Psychology

Studies the whole consciousness

Eclectic

Approach that integrates insights from various perspectives

Psychoanalytic Perspective

Focuses on the unconscious mind and repressed memories

Biopsychology Perspective

Explains behavior through biological processes

Evolutionary Perspective

Examines behavior in terms of natural selection

Behavioral Perspective

Studies behavior in terms of conditioning

Cognitive Perspective

Focuses on interpreting, processing, and remembering events

Social-Cultural Perspective

Considers social and cultural influences on behavior

Biopsychosocial Perspective

Considers biological, social, and psychological factors in behavior

Hindsight Bias

Belief that events were predictable after they occurred

Confirmation Bias

Tendency to focus on information supporting existing beliefs

Applied Research

Practical research with real-world applications

Basic Research

Research for knowledge's sake, not immediate application

Theory

Proposed explanation for a phenomenon

Hypothesis

Testable prediction about the relationship between variables

Operational Definition

Defines how a variable will be measured

Validity vs Reliability

Validity ensures results answer the research question, reliability ensures consistent results

Population

Group being studied

Sample

Subset of the population

Random Sampling

Each person in the population has an equal chance of selection

Stratified Sampling

Divides the population into groups for random selection

Random Assignment

Assigning participants to groups randomly

Hawthorne Effect

Altered behavior due to awareness of being observed

Counterbalancing

Technique to eliminate outside variables' effects

Correlational Studies

Examines the relationship between variables

Survey Method

Research method using questionnaires or interviews

Naturalistic Observation

Observing behaviors in real-world settings

Case Studies

In-depth study of individuals or small groups

Longitudinal Studies

Observing participants over an extended period

Cross-Sectional Studies

Comparing different groups at the same time

Positively Skewed Data

Data with a tail to the right

Negatively Skewed Data

Data with a tail to the left

Single Blind Study

Participants unaware of their group

Double Blind Study

Both participants and researchers unaware of group assignments

Quasi-Experiments

Used when controlled experiments are impossible or unethical

Normal Curve

Bell-shaped curve showing data distribution

Z-score

Statistic indicating a score's position relative to the mean

Correlation Coefficient

Strength of a correlation between variables

Inferential Statistics

Applying sample findings to a larger population

p Value

Probability that sampling error is due to chance

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Ensures ethical research and participant protection

Informed Consent

Participants understand and agree to study objectives

Debriefing

Explaining study goals and procedures to participants