AP Psych ALL VOCAB

critical thinking

thinking that does not blindly accept arguments/conclusions; it reveals biases, sketchy sources and checks evidence

structuralism (Wundt and Titchener)

used introspection to reveal the structure of the human mind

humanistic psychology

historically significant perspective that emphasized the growth potential of humans

Cognitive Psychology

the study of mental processes that occur when we perceive, learn, remember, think and communicate

Psychology

the science of behavior and mental processes

Nature

Nurture Issue

evolutionary psychology

study of evolution of behavior and the mind, using natural selection

biopsychosocial approach

approach that includes biological, psychological and social cultural view points

behavioral psychology

study of observable behavior, and its explanation by principles of learning

Functionalism

mental life and behavior in terms of adaptation to environmental challenges and opportunities

biological psychology

study of the links between biological and psychological processes

Psychoanalytic

early school of psych that emphasizes importance of unconscious causes for behavior

Sociocultural Psychology

examines the ways in which social and cultural environments influence behaviors

clinical psychology

branch that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders

psychaitrist

physician who specializes in diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders and can prescribe medication/therapy

hindsight bias

tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it, "I knew it all along"

theory

explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events

Hypothesis

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory

operational definition

carefully worded statement of the exact procedures used in a research study

replication

repeating the main idea of a research study with different situations to see if the original finding can be reproduced

case study

technique in which one person is studied in great detail to hopefully reveal universal priciples

naturalistic observation

observing natural situations without manipulation

survey

obtaining attitudes/behaviors of a particular group by a questioning representative

sampling bias

a flawed sampling process that produces an unrepresentative sample

Population

the people who are the focus of research

random sample

a sample that fairly represents a population because all are equally included

correlation

A measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other

correlation coefficient

a statistical index of the relationship between two things (from

Scatterplot

a graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the values of two variables; slope = relationship, scatter = strength

illusory correlation

the perception of a relationship where none exists

experiment

research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe the effect on some behavior/mental process

experimental group

the group exposed to the treatment

control group

the group that does not receive the treatment

random assignment

assigning participants to experimental and control conditions by chance, minimizing differences between groups

double

blind procedure

placebo effect

experimental results caused by expectations alone

indepent variable

The experimental factor that is manipulated; whose effect is being studied

confounding variable

a factor other than the factor being studied that might influence a study's results

dependent variable

the outcome that is measured / variable that may change when independent variable is manipulated

informed consent

giving participants enough info about a study to enable to choose if they want to participate

debriefing

the post

mean

the average of a distribution

median

The middle number in a set that are listed in order

mode

most frequently occurring score

hereditary

the genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring

enviroment

every non

identical (monozygotic) twins

develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms

fraternal (dizygotic) twins

develop from separate fertilized eggs. They are genetically no closer than ordinary brothers and sisters, but they share a prenatal environment

nervous system

the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems

central nervous system

(CNS)

the brain and spinal cord

peripheral nervous system

(PNS)

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the CNS to the rest of the body

nerves

bundled axons that form neural "cables" connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs

sensory (afferent) nerves

neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord

motor (efferent) neurons

neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands

interneurons

neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs

somatic nervous system

the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles

(skeletal nervous system)

autonomic nervous system

the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). branches off into two divisions: sympathetic and parasympathetic

sympathetic nervous system

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy

parasympathetic nervous system

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy

reflex

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

endocrine system

the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream

hormones

chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues

adrenal glands

a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) that help arouse the body in times of stress

pituitary glands

The endocrine system's most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, it regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands

neuron

a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system

dendrites

a neuron's often bushy, branching extensions that receive and integrate messages, conducting impulses toward the cell body

axon

the neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands

myelin sheath

a fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one node to the next

glial cells

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; also play a role in learning, thinking and memory

action potential

a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

threshold

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

all

or

refractory period

in neural processing, a brief resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired; subsequent action potentials cannot occur until the axon returns to its resting state

synapse

the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron

neurotransmitter

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons

reuptake

a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron

endorphins

"morphine within"

agonist

a molecule that increases a neurotransmitter's action

antagonist

a molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter's action

psychoactive drug

a chemical substance that alters perceptions and moods

substance use disorder

disorder characterized by continued substance craving and use despite significant life disruption and/or physical risk

tolerance

the diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug's effect

depressants

drugs (such as alcohol, barbiturates, and opiates) that reduce neural activity and slow body functions

opiates

opium and its derivatives, such as morphine and heroin; they depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety

cocaine

a powerful and addictive stimulant derived from the coca plant, produces temporarily increased alertness and euphoria

hallucinogens

psychedelic ("mind

THC

the major active ingredient in marijuana; triggers a variety of effects, including mild hallucinations

lesion

tissue destruction

a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue

EEG

electroencephalogram

an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp

CT

computed tomography scan

a series of x

ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice through the body

PET

positron emission tomography scan

a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task

MRI

Magnetic resonance imaging

a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer

generated images of soft