AP Psychology Vocabulary Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards derived from AP Psychology lecture notes.

Psychology

The scientific study of how we think, feel, and act.

Neuroscience perspective

Behavior comes from your brain and body (chemicals, nervous system).

Evolutionary perspective

Behavior is based on what helped our ancestors survive and reproduce.

Behavior genetics perspective

Looks at how genes and environment work together to shape us.

Psychodynamic perspective

Behavior comes from unconscious drives and childhood.

Behavioral perspective

We learn through rewards, punishment, and observation.

Cognitive perspective

Focuses on how we think, remember, and problem-solve.

Social-cultural perspective

Behavior is influenced by culture and social environment.

Introspection

Looking inward and reporting what you’re thinking or feeling.

Gestalt psychology

We see the whole picture, not just parts.

Positive psychology

Focuses on what makes people happy and thrive, not just fixing problems.

Hindsight bias

The tendency to believe you would have predicted an outcome after knowing it.

Overconfidence

The tendency to overestimate your own knowledge or abilities.

False consensus effect

The belief that more people agree with your opinion than actually do.

Hypothesis

A testable guess or prediction.

Operational definition

A clear definition of what you mean or are measuring.

Replication

Repeating a study to see if the results are the same.

Case study

In-depth study of one person or small group.

Survey

A method to collect data by asking many people questions.

Wording effects

How the phrasing of a question can affect responses.

Population

The entire group you want to study.

Random sample

Everyone in the population has an equal chance of being selected.

Naturalistic observation

Watching people or animals in their natural setting without interference.

Correlation coefficient

A number showing how two things are related (from -1 to +1).

Correlation does NOT equal causation

The idea that correlation between two variables does not imply one causes the other.

Illusory correlation

Believing two things are connected when they are not.

Double-blind procedure

A study design where neither the participants nor the researchers know who receives the treatment.

Placebo effect

Improvement that occurs when someone believes they are receiving treatment.

Experimental condition

The group in an experiment that receives the real treatment.

Control condition

The group in an experiment that does not receive the treatment.

Random assignment

Randomly sorting participants into experimental or control groups.

Cross-sectional study

A study that compares different groups of people at the same time.

Longitudinal study

A study that follows the same group of people over time.

Meta-analysis

Combining results from many studies.

Debriefing

Explaining the study to participants after it has been finished.

Confederate

An actor who is part of the experiment.

Self-serving bias

The tendency to attribute successes to oneself and failures to others.

Confirmation bias

The tendency to notice information that confirms existing beliefs.

Ingroup-outgroup bias

Favoring one's own group and disliking those outside it.

Confounding variable

A variable that can mess up your results because it wasn't controlled.

Social desirability bias

The tendency to give socially acceptable responses instead of true answers.

Informed consent

The process of obtaining permission from participants before they participate in a study.

Positive skew

When a few high scores stretch the data towards higher values.

Negative skew

When a few low scores stretch the data towards lower values.

Bimodal distributions

A distribution with two modes or peak values.

Regression to the mean

The phenomenon where extreme scores tend to moderate over time.

Convenience sampling

Using participants who are readily available, rather than a random sample.

Qualitative research

Descriptive research based on interviews and observations.

Structured interviews

Interviews that use the same questions for all participants.

Quantitative research

Research that collects and analyzes numerical data.

Likert scale

A rating scale used to measure attitudes or opinions.

Freud/Psychoanalysis

Freud's theory that unconscious thoughts drive our actions.

Free association

A method of talking that aims to reveal the unconscious.

Unconscious

Hidden thoughts and desires that affect behavior.

Id

The selfish, pleasure-seeking part of the mind.

Ego

The realistic part of the mind that balances the id and the superego.

Superego

The moral compass or conscience of the mind.

Defense Mechanisms

Mental tricks to reduce stress from conflict or anxiety.

Repression

Pushing disturbing thoughts into the unconscious.

Regression

Acting like a child in response to stress.

Reaction Formation

Acting contrary to one's actual feelings.

Projection

Attributing one's own issues to others.

Rationalization

Making excuses to justify one's behavior.

Displacement

Redirecting anger to a safer target.

Denial

Refusing to accept painful truths.

Sublimation

Channeling bad impulses into socially acceptable activities.

Projective test

Tests that use vague stimuli to reveal unconscious thoughts.

TAT

Thematic Apperception Test, where subjects create stories about pictures.

Rorschach inkblot test

A projective test using inkblots to analyze personality.

Modern Freud view

Freud's ideas are partially outdated but the influence of the unconscious is accepted.

Self-actualization

The process of reaching one's full potential.

Unconditional positive regard

Accepting someone without conditions.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

A model of human motivation through five levels: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, self-actualization.

Criticism of humanistic perspective

Too focused on personal growth and difficult to test scientifically.

Trait

A stable personality characteristic.

Factor Analysis

A statistical method that groups similar traits together.

Personality inventory

A test measuring different traits.

Big Five (OCEAN)

Personality traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism.

Criticism for trait perspective

Does not explain why traits exist.

Social cognitive perspective

Behavior is shaped by thoughts and environmental influences.

Reciprocal determinism

Behavior, thoughts, and environment all influence each other.

External locus of control

The belief that outside forces control one's life.

Internal locus of control

The belief that one controls their own life.

Learned helplessness

The condition of feeling unable to control events after repeated failures.

Criticisms of social-cognitive perspective

Too focused on situations and not enough on traits.

Self-serving bias

Taking credit for successes and blaming failures on others.

High self-efficacy

Belief in the ability to succeed.

Low self-efficacy

Doubt in one's ability to succeed.

ACEs

Adverse Childhood Experiences that can impact adult mental health.

Authoritarian Parenting Style

Strict style with low warmth, characterized by high demands.

Permissive Parenting Style

High warmth, low demands; let children do what they want.

Authoritative Parenting Style

Firm yet caring; associated with the best outcomes for children.

Role

Expected behavior in a social position.

Gender role

Society’s expectations for behavior based on gender.

Gender identity

How a person identifies their gender (male, female, both, neither).

Gender typing

The process of learning gender roles.

Social learning theory

Learning through observation and imitation.

Gender schema theory

Children develop mental categories for gender.

Sexual Orientation

The pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction to others.

Attribution theory

The theory explaining how individuals attribute causes to behavior.