AP Psychology Units 1-6

Structuralism

Looks at the mind's different structures of consciousness through individual parts.

Gestalt

Believes we cannot simply separate our consciousness and perception into different parts

Functionalism

Seeks to understand how mental and behavioral processes operate.

Psychodynamic

Focuses on unconsciousness.

Free association

When a word or image triggers another idea

Behaviorism

Believes that psychology should be objective science

William James

First psych textbook

Mary Whiton Calkins

Made a significant contribution to memory research and became first woman president of APA.

Margret Floy Washburn

First female psychology PhD and second female president of APA.

Stanley Hall

First person to earn PhD in psych

Sigmund Freud

Developed the psychodynamic approach.

Representative Sample

A sample group in a study that represents all the different people in a population.

Surveys

Self reported data from questions. Can be skewed.

Correlation studies

Allow researchers to predict the relationship between 2 variables.

Naturalistic observation

Allow researchers to observe behaviors in the real world.

Case Studies

Allow researchers to analyze different perspectives of a topic or subject.

Longitudinal studies

Studies that follow one particular group over a long period of time.

Cross sectional studies

Compare different groups at the same time

Confounding Variables

Other variables other than the IV that impact the DV.

Third Variable Problem

When there are other variables impacting an experiment or study

Random Assignment

When each participant of a study has an equal chance of being put into the control group or experiment group.

Random sample

When each person in the population has an equal chance of being chosen for the study.

Single Blind Study

When participants in an experiment are unaware of which group they are in.

Double blind study

When the participants and the researcher conducting the experiment are unaware which group the participants are in.

Placebo effect

When participants may act differently in a study or experiment because they expect a certain outcome from a study

Control Group

Group in an experiment that receives the placebo.

Placebo

A substance that is as close to the IV as possible but missing a key component of the IV.

Experimental Group

Group that receives the IV.

Quasi Experiments

Used in situations where controlled experiments would be impossible or unethical to do

Hindsight Bias

The tendency to think that one could have anticipated the outcome of an event or experiment after it already occurred.

False Consensus Effect

When individuals overestimate how many others share their opinions or ideas.

Confirmation Bias

When individuals focus on only specific information that aligns with their viewpoint and ignore conflicting information.

Experimenter Bias

When researchers unknowingly influences the outcome of the research.

Social Desirability Bias

When participants in a study skew their answers to create a more favorable impression of themselves.

Hawthorne Effect

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

Quantitative Data

Number or facts that are not up for interpretation.

Qualitative Data

Often in word form and is up for interpretation.

Descriptive Statistics

Used to organize and describe data that is collected.

Inferential Statistics

Used to make predictions about data to better determine if the data from a sample can be applied to the population.

Standard Deviation

Allows researchers to indicate the average distance from the mean for a data set.

Institutional Review Board

Ensures that studies and experiments in colleges and universities are set up in a way to protect everyone involved.

IACUC

Oversees protection of animals in studies.

Heredity

The passing on of physical and mental traits from one generation to another.

Natural Selection

Survival of the fittest.

Heritability

Mathematical measure to estimate how much variation there is in a population related to genes.

Glands

Endocrine system glands produce hormones that help regulate different biological processes.

Homeostasis

Body's ability to maintain stability.

Hypothalamus

Controls Pituitary gland

Pituitary gland

Releases growth hormones oxytocin and vasopressin. Known as the master gland.

Pineal gland

Located near brain stem

Thyroid and parathyroid gland

Located in throat

Adrenal Gland

Pair of glands above kidneys

Pancreas

Located near stomach

Gonads

Reproductive organs that produce testosterone

Central Nervous System

Made of brain and spinal cord

Peripheral Nervous System

Made of nerves that branch off the brain and spine

Sensory Division

Known as afferent division (to brain)

Motor Division

Known as efferent division (from brain)

Somatic NS

Includes 5 senses and skeletal movements.

Autonomic NS

Controls involuntary movements.

Sympathetic division

Mobilizes body

Parasympathetic division

Slows body

Glial Cells

Supply neurons with nutrition and protect them by providing structural support.

Neuron

Basic functional units of the NS

Neural Firing

Action potential when a neuron sends an impulse down the axon to other neurons.

Permeability

The ability for certain ions to cross the cell membrane.

Refractory Period

A short time when no other action potentials can occur until the axon is back in its resting state

Chemical Synapse

Junctions between two neurons that use neurotransmitters to send neural signals

Electrical Synapse

Used for messages that need to be sent quickly and immediately

Reuptake

When the sending neuron reabsorbs the extra neurotransmitters

Excitatory Neurotransmitters

Increase the likelihood that neuron will fire an action potential

Inhibitory

Decrease the likelihood that neuron will fire an action potential

Acetylcholine

Enables muscle action

Dopamine

Helps with movement

Serotonin

Impacts an individual's hunger

Endorphins

Help with pain control and impacts individual pain tolerance

Norepinephrine

Increases blood pressure

Glutamate

Involved with long term memory and learning

GABA

Helps with sleep

Agonist

Increase the effectiveness of a neurotransmitter

Antagonist

Decrease effectiveness

Broca's Area

Area in the left frontal lobe associated with ability to speak

Wernicke's Area

Left Temporal lobe associated with interpreting and creating language

Medulla Oblongata

Right above spinal cord and below pons

Pons

Bridge between the medulla and cerebellum

Cerebellum

Located at the base of the brain in the back

Brainstem

Base of brain

Spinal Cord

Connects brain to body

Midbrain

Helps with sending visual and auditory info to the appropriate structures of brain

Reticular Formation

Structure in brain that tunnels down brainstem

Cerebrum

Where brain processes complex thoughts

Corpus Callosum

Made up of nerve fibers that connect the two hemispheres

Frontal Lobe

Behind forehead

Parietal Lobe

On top of head behind frontal lobe

Occipital Lobe

Back of the head

Temporal Lobe

Helps recognize faces

Thalamus

Takes sensory info and sends to forebrain to be interpreted

Limbic System

Involved in emotion

Hippocampus

Helps create memory and learn

Amygdala

Involved in emotional reaction