AP Psych Unit 0

Flashcards for reviewing key vocabulary and concepts in psychology, including approaches, research methods, and statistical concepts.

Psychology

Study of the human mind.

Psychologist

Specialist in psychology (human mind).

Psychiatrist

Diagnoses and treats mental illnesses.

Biological Approach

Examines the brain by focusing on genetics and chemistry.

Cognitive Approach

Studies thinking, perception, and how it influences behaviors.

Behavioral Approach

Focuses on observations and learning within the environment.

Evolutionary Approach

Explores how human behavior and mind have evolved over the years.

Social-cultural Approach

Examines how social and cultural factors influence a person’s behavior.

Psychoanalytic Approach

Focuses on unconscious minds and how they influence personality or behavior.

Humanistic Approach

Emphasizes a person’s potential growth and development.

Developmental Realm

Studies the process through stages or milestones.

Social Realm

Focuses on learning to interact with others and adapt to the environment.

Biopsychosocial Realm

Explores how biological factors influence development and behavior.

Case Study

Specific study of a certain group or people.

Naturalistic Observation

Observing without interfering with the natural state.

Surveys

A research tool that allows for participants to answer questions about their feelings.

Correlational Research

Observes the relationship between 2 variables occurring naturally.

Experimental Research

Researches manipulating 1 or more independent variables to see the effect on the dependent variable.

Independent Variable

The variable that is manipulated by the researcher.

Dependent Variable

The result/measure influenced by the independent variable.

Experimental Group

The group that receives the treatment being tested.

Control Group

The group that does not receive the treatment being tested.

Random Sampling

Each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected.

Random Assignment

Participants being placed randomly in groups.

Double-blind Study

Neither participants nor researchers know who's in which group until the study is complete.

Placebo Effect

Experiencing an effect because of expectations, not the treatment itself.

Hindsight Bias

Tendency to believe, after an event, that one could have predicted it.

Overconfidence

Overestimating one's abilities, leading to errors.

Normal Distribution

Mean, median, and mode equally falling in the middle of a bell-shaped model.

Correlation Coefficient

A statistic that shows the strength and direction (positive or negative) of a relationship between two variables (+1.00/-1.00).

Standard Deviation

Measures how spread out the points are from the average.

Statistical Significance

Indicates whether the difference between groups is likely due to chance or the experimental manipulation.

Mean

Average.

Mode

Most frequently occurring score.

Ethics

Principles that guide psychologists to prevent participants from being harmed in the any way.