AP Psychology Terms

Vocab to study for AP Psych exam

Natural Selection

Charles Darwin’s principle stating that inherited trait variations that contribute to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed to continuing generations

neuroscience

perspective of psychological science that deals with how the body and brain create emotions, memories and sensory experiences

behavior genetics

perspective of psychological science that deals with how much our genes, environment, influence individual differences

psychodynamic

psychological science perspective dealing with how behavior comes from unconscious drives/conflicts

cognitive

how we encode, process, store, and retrieve information

social-cultural

perspective of how behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures

basic research

pure science that aims to increase scientific knowledge base

applied research

scientific study aiming to solve practical problems

clinical psychology

branch of psychology studying, assessing, and treating people with psychological disorders

psychiatry

medicinal branch concerning psychological disorders, practiced by physicians who sometimes provide medical treatments as well as psychological therapy

hindsight bias

tendency to believe that one already knew after knowing the outcome

operational definition

statement of procedures (operations) used to define research variables.

Ex: Intelligence (operationally defined) - as what an intelligence test measures

repetition

repeating research study’s essence, usually different participants in different situations, to see if basic finding generalizes to other participants and circumstances

case study

observation technique - one person studies in depth in hope of revealing universal principles

false consensus effect

tendency to overestimate extent resulting in others sharing those beliefs and behaviors

naturalistic observation

observing/recording behavior in naturally occurring situations w/o trying to manipulate and control situation

correlation coefficient

statistical measure of extent to when two factors vary together —> how well either factor predicts other

illusory correlation

perception of a relationship where none exists

double-blind procedure

experimental procedure = both participants and research staff are ignorant (blind) about receiving placebo

-used in drug evals

experimental condition

exposes participants to treatment (one version of independent variable)

control

experiment condition = comparison for eval on treatment’s effects

(opposite of experimental)

independent variable

experimental factor being manipulated = variable whose effect is studied

dependent variable

experimental factor = measured, changes in response to indeendent variable

(behavior/mental process)

standard deviation

computed measure of how much scores vary around mean score

statistical significance

statistical criterion for rejecting assumption of no difference in a particular study

biological psychology

enduring study of links between biology and psychology

neuron

nerve cells = building blocks of nervous system

dendrite

neuron’s branch extensions that receive, deliver, and transport information

axon

transports messages to different muscles/glands in body

action potential

neural impulse + brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

• generated by movement of positively charged atoms moving in and out of channels in axon’s membrane

myelin sheath

layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing fibers of many neurons

enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hopes from one node to the next

threshold

stimulation level required to trigger neural impulse

synapse

junction between axon tip of sending neuron and dendrite (cell body of receiving neurons)

synaptic gap

space between two neurons where neurotransmitters are released to allow communication between the neurons

• plays a crucial role in transmitting signals in the nervous system.

neurotransmitters

chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic gaps between neurons

released by sending neuron, travels across synapse and binds to receptor sites on receiving neuron —> generating impulse

acetylcholine

neurotransmitter that triggers muscle contraction

endorphins

“morphine with”

neurotransmitter releasing pain control and pleasure

nervous system

body’s speedy electrochemical communication system, consisting of all nerve cells of peripheral and central ________.

central nervous system

brain and spinal cord

• processing center that manages everything that your body does, from your thoughts and feelings to your movements

peripheral nervous system

sensory and motor neurons connecting to CNS and rest of body

nerves

neural “cables” containing many axons = bundled axons, which are part of the peripheral nervous system connecting to CNS, triggers muscles, glands, and sense organs

sensory neurons

carry incoming info from sense receptors to CNS

interneurons

intervene between sensory inputs and motor outputs (connection between the two)

motorneurons

carry outgoing infro from CNS to muscles and glands

somatic nervous system

division of peripheral nervous system that controls body’s skeletal muscles

autonomic nervous system

division of peripheral nervous system that controlling glands and muscles of internal organs

• sympathetic division = arousal

• parasympathetic division = calms

sympathetic nervous system

division of autonomic nervous system that arouses body, mobilizing energy in stressful situations

parasympathetic nervous system

division of autonomic nervous system and calming body, conserves energy

reflex

simple, automatic inborn response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response

neural networks

interconnected nodes that process information

• learn as feedback strengthens/inhibits connections producing certain results

phrenology

ill-fated theory claiming bumps on skull could reveal mental abilities and character traits

lesion-tissue destruction

process of damaging or harming tissues due to injury, disease, or other factors, leading to structural changes and functional impairment.

(brain tissue naturally/experimentally being destructed)

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

amplified recording of waves if electrical activity sweeping across brain’s surface

• measured by electrodes on scalp

Computed tomography (CT)

series of x-ray photographs taken from different angles and continued by computer into a composite representation of a slice through the body

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

visual display of brain activity detecting where radioactive form of glucose goes while brain performs given task

Magnetic Resonance

technique using magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structures within brain

Brain stem

oldest part and central core of brain, beginning where spinal cord swells as it enters skull

• responsible for automatic survival functions

Medulla

base of brain stem

• controls heartbeat and breathing

reticular formation

nerve network in brain stem that plays an important rule in controlling arousal

thalamus

brain’s sensory switchboard, located on top of brain stem

• directs messages to sensory receiving areas in cortex, transmitting replies in cerebellum and medulla

cerebellum

“little brain” attached to rear of brain stem; helps coordinate voluntary movement and balance

limbic system

doughnut-shaped system of neural structures at border of brainstem and cerebral hemispheres

• associated with emotions such as fear, aggression, drives for food and sex

(includes hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus)

amygdala

two almond-shaped neural clusters in the limbic system linked to emotion

hypothalamus

neural structure lying below thalamus

• directs several maintenance activities

  • helps govern endocrine system via pituitary gland (linked to emotion)

cerebral cortex

intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering cerebral hemispheres

(body’s ultimate control and information processing center)

glial cells

cells in nervous system

• supporting, nourishing, and protecting neurons

frontal lobes

portion of cerebral cortex lying just behind forehead

• speaking/muscle movements/planning/judgement

parietal lobes

portion of cerebral cortex lying at the top of head and toward rear

(includes sensory cortex)

occipital lobes

portion of cerebral cortex lying at back of head

(includes visual areas)

• receives visual info from opposite visual field

Wilhem Wudnt

“father of psychology”

• created the first lab that was dedicated exclusively to psychology research

Willaim James

• Taught the first psychology course at Harvard University

• Created functionalism

  • Wrote the first psychology textbook

Stanley Hall

First person to earn a PhD in psychology

• opened first psychology lab in US

• first president of the American Psychological Association

Mary Whiton Calkins

First female president of the APA (American Psychology Association)

• Made significant contributions in memory research

Marget Floy Washburn

First woman to earn Psychology degree

2nd female president of APA

• Made significant contributions to animal research

Charles Darwin

Proposed idea of natural selection turning into evolutionary psychology

Dorothea Dix

Reshaped medical field by shedding light to mistreatment of medically illpeople

• reformed insane asylums

Sigmund Freud

Created Psycho-Analytic Theory/Psycho-Dynamic Approach

Believed people’s personality’s are shaped by unconscious motives

Ivan Pavlov

Created classical conditioning

Most known for dog experiment

Jean Piaget

First psychologist to conduct a systematic study of cognitive development

Carl Rogers

One founder of humanistic psychology —> understanding of people’s personalities

B.F> Skinner

Expanded on theoretical approach of behavioralism Knwon for operant conditioning

John B. Watson

One founder of behaviorism

Believed psychology should be a scientific study and focued on observable things

Structuralism

focuses on different structures of consciousness through individual parts

Introspection

process of looking inward to observe yourself

Functionalism

Understand our mental and behavioral process

(Opposite of structuralism)

Gestalt Psychology

whole consciousness, includes study of perception, sensation, learning and problem solving

focuses on organization process, instead of just content of behavior

Psychoanalytic

Looks at behaviors and mental process and how they are influenced by ego and conflict with the id and superego

Free associtaion

when a word/image triggers another idea, word, or picture

Early Behaviorism

Behaviors are learned through experiences and are observable

Humanistic Psychology

Humans are naturally good and seek to reach their potential through free will

Goal to life is to reach self-actualization

Hawthorne Effect

When a participant alters their behavior because they know they are being observed