AP Psychology Vocab

introspection

a psychological technique where subjects are asked to record their cognitive reactions to stimuli. associated with Wilhelm Wundt.

psychology

the science of behavior and mental processes.

empiricism

the theory that all knowledge originates in experiences and that observation and experimentation are best for acquiring knowledge.

structuralism

early form of psychology; aims to break down conscious experience into basic elements like sensations, feelings, and images. associated with Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener.

functionalism

early form of psychology; focuses on and explores the purpose of mental and behavioral processes and how they function (adapt, survive, flourish). associated with William James and Charles Darwin

humanistic psychology

a perspective of psychology that focuses on individual potential, free will, and personal growth.

psychoanalysis

method of psychology focusing on how the unconscious mind, hidden conflicts, and early experiences shape behavior, personality, and mental health. associated with Sigmund Freud.

behaviorism

form of psychology that focuses on studying observable behavior without referencing mental processes. all actions are learned through interaction with the environment.

biopsychosocial approach

an approach to psychology that views mental and physical health as a result of biological, psychological, and social factors interacting.

basic research

scientific study aimed at expanding the base knowledge and understanding of human principles and mental processes.

applied research

scientific study that focuses on solving specific, real world problems.

counseling psychology

branch of professional psychology; focuses on assisting people in problems in living (related to school, work, marriage) and in achieving greater well-being.

clinical psychology

branch of professional psychology; focuses on evaluating, diagnosing, and treating people with psychological disorders.

psychiatry

branch of medicine; focuses on studying, diagnosing, and treating mental and psychological disorders. can prescribe medicine as treatment.

hindsight bias

the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it (knew it all along).

theory

an evidence-based explanation for why something is; an evidence-based framework that describes, explains, and predicts how and why humans think, feel, and behave.

hypothesis

a proposed, testable explanation for an observed phenomenon or a relationship between variables that has not yet been proven.

operational definition

a clear specific explanation of how a variable is measured in a study.

replication

repeating the essence of a study with different participants in different situations to see if the basic findings apply to other participants and circumstances.

case study

an in-depth, detailed study of an individual, group, or event.

false consensus effect

a cognitive bias where people think others share the same beliefs, values, and habits more than they actually do.

population

all individuals that are being studied in a group.

random sample

a method of sampling where every individual has an equal chance of being chosen.

naturalistic observation

a research method where behavior is watched and recorded in naturally occurring environments without researchers interfering to manipulate or control the situation.

correlation

describes the relationship or association between two or more varibales.

illusory co

the perception of a relationship where none really exists.

experiment

a controlled study used to find a cause and effect relationship between two or more variables.

double-blind procedure.

an experiment method where both the research participants and the researchers do not know which participants have received a treatment or a placebo.

placebo effect

an effect in an experiment where results are caused by expectations alone and not due to a manipulated variable.

experimental condition

where the participants that are exposed to a “manipulated independent variable” to observe its effect on a measured dependent variable.

control condition

a setup where participants don’t receive a specific treatment, intervention, or manipulation. serves as a basis of comparison for the experimental conditions.

random assignment

placing participants into experimental or control groups by pure chance to ensure fairness and limit potential bias.

independent variable

the experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is studied.

dependent variable

the outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable.

mean

the average of a group of data

median

the middle of a data set.

mode

the number or variable that shows up most in a data set.

range

the difference between the smallest and largest values of a data set.

standard deviation

the measure of how much individual values spread out from the group mean. low __ = close to mean, high __ = far from mean (varied).

hawthorne effect

when people change their behavior because they know they are being watched or studies, rather than because of changes in environment.

statistical significance

what tells if an observed pattern is real or a random fluke.