AP Psychology Unit 0 Vocab

Vocabulary flashcards covering AP Psychology exam structure, major psychological perspectives, research methodologies, statistical concepts, and ethical guidelines.

Psychodynamic Perspective

hidden thoughts shape how you act tody

Cognitive Perspective

How the mind works to change what we do.

Biological Perspective

How our body and brain chemistry control our actions.

Sociocultural Perspective

How our world and culture shape how we think and act.

Behavioral Perspective

How rewards and punishments from our environment shape our actions.

Humanistic Perspective

free will

Biopsychosocial Perspective

How nature and nurture work together to shape who we are.

Practice 1: Concept Application

Using what we know about the mind to solve real problems.

Practice 2: Research Methods & Design

Judging how well different types of studies and data gather facts.

Practice 3: Data Interpretation

EXPLAING NUMEBRS

Practice 4: Argumentation

Using facts to build and defend smart arguments about the mind.

Psychology

The science of behavior and mental processes.

Empirical Evidence

Real facts found by watching or testing things yourself.

Scientific Method

A step-by-step way to test ideas and find facts through science.

Confirmation Bias

Only noticing facts that agree with what you already think.

Hindsight Bias

Believing you knew an event would happen only after it already occurred.

Overconfidence

Being more confident in your choices and knowledge than you are actually correct.

Hypothesis

A smart guess you can test.

Falsifiable

The ability to be proven wrong.

Peer Review

Experts checking each other's work.

Replication

Doing a study again to check its results.

Reliability

Getting the same result every time you measure.

Validity

Measuring exactly what you mean to measure.

The American Psychological Association (APA)

The main group that sets the rules for US psychology.

Quantitative Data

Facts that you can count and analyze with math.

Qualitative Data

Facts told through words, descriptions, and stories instead of numbers.

Likert Scales

A rating scale used to show how much you agree or disagree with an idea.

Structured Interviews

An interview where every question follows a strict script.

Survey Technique

askign people quesions to gert datA

Wording Effect

How wording tweaks alter people's answers.

Social Desirability Bias

Answering questions in a way that makes you look good to others.

Naturalistic Observation

Watching subjects in their real-world environment without interfering.

Case Study

An in-depth study of just one person or small group.

Correlational Research

Measuring how two things connect and change together.

Third Variable Problem

A hidden factor that ruins study results.

Correlation Coefficient

A number showing how strongly two things link together.

Positive Correlation

When two things rise or fall together. [1]

Negative Correlation

When one thing goes up as another goes down. [1]

Experimental Method

An experiment where you change one thing to see its effect on another.

Independent Variable

The variable in an experiment that is manipulated; representing the 'Cause'.

Dependent Variable

EFFECT

Confounding Variable

A hidden factor that accidentally ruins an experiment's results.

Operational Definitions

A precise recipe for how to measure a variable in a study.

Experimental Group

The group that gets the real treatment being tested.

Control Group

The baseline group that does not get the treatment being tested. [

Random Assignment

Picking groups purely by luck for a fair test.

Placebo Effect

Feeling better just because you expect to feel better.

Experimenter Bias

When a researcher's own expectations accidentally ruin the study results.

Measure of Central Tendency

A single number that shows the middle of a data set. [1]

Mean

The average of a data set.

Median

The middle value in a data set.

Mode

The most frequently occurring value in a data set.

Range

The distance between the highest and lowest numbers in a data set.

Normal Curve

A symmetrical, bell-shaped curve showing how data naturally clusters. [1, 2]

Regression to the Mean

EXTREAM OR UNUSUALL SCORES THAT FINNALY SNAP BACK TO NROAML

Positive Skew

A chart with a long tail stretching to the right. [1]

Negative Skew

A chart with a long tail stretching to the left. [1,

Standard Deviation

A number showing how data is from the average. [1

Percentile Rank

The percentage of scores that fall at or below yours.

Single-Blind Study

A study where participants do not know which group they are in.

Double-Blind Study

A study where participants do not know if they got the real treatment or a fake one.

Sample

A portion of the population chosen fora study; a 'Mini population'.

Representative Sample

A small group that matches the traits of the whole crowd.

Random Sample

Picking study members purely by luck.

Sample Bias

Mistakes in picking study members that ruin your sample.

Generalizability

How well study results apply to the real world.

Statistics

The math branch used to gather, analyze, and show data.

Descriptive Statistics

Numbers that summarize data from a small study group. [1,

Inferential Statistics

Using small group data to guess how a large crowd behaves. [1]

Bimodal Distribution

A chart with two clear peaks or popular scores. [1]

Statistical Significance

How likely a result is real and not just a lucky guess.

Effect Sizes

A number showing exactly how big your experiment's result is.

Meta Analysis

Blends many studies into one giant score.

Institutional Review Boards (IRB)

A committee that reviews research plans to protect human subjects.

Informed Consent

Knowing the risks and benefits before agreeing to join a study.

Informed Assent

A child's or dependent's agreement to join a study.

Confidentiality

Keeping participant information secret.

Deception

Tricking participants to get honest reactions.

Debriefing

Revealing the study’s true goals after it ends. [1]

Protect from Harm

esearchers must never cause participants permanent physical or psychological damage.

Confidentiality

researchers to keep all participant information and data secret and private.

Deception

eans misleading participants about a study's true purpose, which is only allowed if necessary and followed by a full explanation afterward.

Debriefing

explaining the true purpose and any deception of a study to participants immediately after the experiment ends.