AP Psych Unit 1

Psychology

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes, combining philosophy and physiology.

Empirical Evidence

Information acquired through observation or experimentation using the senses.

Perspectives in Psychology

Various approaches to explain human behavior, including evolutionary, psychodynamic, behavioral, humanistic, cognitive, sociocultural, biological, and biopsychosocial perspectives.

Research Methods in Psychology

Techniques like case studies, surveys, natural and laboratory observations, correlation studies, and experiments to study behavior.

Variable

Anything that can vary or change, including independent, dependent, and confounding variables.

Population

All individuals in a group to which a study applies, with representative and random samples used for research.

Validity

Ensuring that an experiment tests what it is supposed to test accurately.

Statistics

Descriptive statistics like mean, median, mode, range, standard deviation, Z scores, and percentages around the mean.

Skewed Data

Outliers affecting the mean, causing a tail in the data distribution.

Statistical Significance

Likelihood that differences between groups are real rather than due to chance, often determined by a p-value of 0.05.

Null Hypothesis

Predicts no significant relationship, aimed to be disproved in research.

Meta Analysis

Technique combining results of individual studies to draw overall conclusions.

Ethics

Rules of conduct and moral principles in research, including informed consent, discontinuing participation, deception, confederates, debriefing, and animal testing regulations.