AP Psychology

Structuralism

Focuses on breaking down mental processes into their most basic components using introspection.

Functionalism

Emphasizes the purpose of mental processes and behavior, influenced by Darwin's theory of evolution.

Psychoanalytic theory

Founded by Sigmund Freud, emphasizes the influence of the unconscious mind and childhood experiences on behavior.

Humanistic psychology

Focuses on individual potential and stresses the importance of growth and self-actualization.

Biopsychosocial approach

Integrates biological, psychological, and social factors in understanding health and illness.

Correlation Study

Used to identify relationships between variables without implying causation.

Operational definition

Specific explanation of abstract concepts that a researcher intends to study.

Mean

The average value of a dataset.

Median

The middle value when data is ordered from least to greatest.

Mode

The most frequently occurring value in a dataset.

Standard Deviation

Quantifies the amount of variation or dispersion in a set of values.

Causal relationship

Identifying cause-and-effect relationships in research.

Endocrine system

System of glands that secrete hormones to regulate bodily functions.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

The part of the nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

The part of the nervous system outside the CNS, including the somatic and autonomic nervous systems.

Agonists

Substances that enhance neurotransmitter action.

Antagonists

Substances that inhibit neurotransmitter action.

Split Brain Theory

Explains the distinct functions of the brain's left and right hemispheres.

Dream manifest content

The explicit storyline of a dream as described by Freud.

Dream latent content

The hidden psychological meaning of a dream.

Bottom-up processing

Initiating perception from sensory input.

Top-down processing

Using pre-existing knowledge to interpret sensory information.

Selective attention

Focusing on a specific stimulus while ignoring others.

Classical conditioning

Learning process wherein a previously neutral stimulus elicits a conditioned response after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus.

Operant conditioning

Learning process that involves reinforcement or punishment to modify behavior.

Reinforcement

A consequence that strengthens behavior.

Punishment

A consequence that weakens behavior.

Memory Encoding

The process of transforming information into a format suitable for storage.

Cognitive development

Stages of cognitive growth described by Jean Piaget.

Intrinsic motivation

Motivation driven by internal satisfaction.

Extrinsic motivation

Motivation driven by external rewards.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

A pyramid-shaped model that prioritizes needs, with physiological needs at the base and self-actualization at the peak.

Bowlby’s attachment theory

Focuses on the importance of maternal bonds in development.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Therapy focusing on modifying dysfunctional emotions, behaviors, and thoughts.

Elaboration Likelihood Model

Model explaining the different ways people process persuasive information.

Fundamental attribution error

Tendency to overemphasize personality traits while downplaying situational factors in explaining behavior.

Self-serving bias

Attributing successes to oneself and failures to external factors.