AP Psychology ALL FLASHCARDS

Missing Unit #9 Abnormality

Psychology

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Psychology Technician

2 yr. certificate; Can work UNDER a licensed physician

Psychology Bachelor’s of Arts (B.A)

4 year degree; Major in Psychology; Work as a school counselor, nurse, or in regional centers

Psychologist Master’s of Arts (M.A.)

6 Year Certificate; Work as a social worker, psychiatric nurse, teacher, research

Psychologist Doctorate (Ph,D)

8-10 Year Certificate; Work in clinical centers, research, or college-level teaching

Psychiatrist (M.D.)

10 Year Certification, Can perform medical procedures and prescribe medicine

Psychoanalyst

2+ Years after M.A. or Ph.D. - Specialty in Freudian Training

Clinical Psychology (Clinician)

Subsection in which majority are involved in diagnosing and treating ABNORMAL problems (“psychological disorders”)

Counseling (Counselor)

Subsection in which most are involved in diagnosing and treating NORMAL problems, like grief. Mainly private practice.

Experimental Psychology

Subsection in which many are involved in conducting basic psychological research, often at the university level as faculty.

Educational Psychology

Subsection in which many are involved with studying students and diagnosing educational-related issues. Create standardized testing, focus on relationship between learning and environments

Social Psychology

Subsection in which behaviors, feelings, beliefs, and our interactions with others are explored. (ex. attraction)

Developmental Psychology

Subsection in which the lives/lifespan/biological changes of humans between womb and death (growing up) are researched and applied.

Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Subsection that studies and advises on spacial harmony, consumer behavior, and workplace behavior. Selects and trains employees,

Forensic Psychologists

Subsection that solves and advises on legal issues by working with the law and psychology. Solves cases by finding bio. evidence and can analyze crime scenes

Sports Psychology

Subsection that studies how psychological factors affect performance by combining together fields such as biochemistry, physiology, and psychology.

American Psychological Organization (APA)

The citation company that represents psychologists in the US.

Wilhelm Wundt

The father of modern psychology, who opened the first psychology laboratory and used introspection to study patients.

Introspection

Theory of research that involves looking inwards and examining one’s own experiences.

Edward Titchener

Founder of structuralism, who analyzed the intensity, clarity, and quantity of the various parts of the conscious experience.

Structualism

Theory that the structure of conscious experience could be understood by breaking down thoughts and sensation into it’s smallest parts.

William James

The 1st American psychologist, author of the 1st psychology textbook. Founder of functionalism.

Functionalism

Theory that emphasizes what mental processes do and how they help people adapt to their environment

Max Wertheriner

Inventor of Gestalt psychology.

Gestalt Psychology

Psychological perspective that emphasizes our tendency to integrate pieces of information together into meaningful wholes

(The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, in response to structualism)

Sigmund Freud

Founder of the controversial psychoanalysis, theories about the unconsious mind.

Psychoanalysis

Theory of personality, a therapeutic technique that attempts to provide insights about thoughts/actions by analyzing the unconscious mind.

John Watson

Founder of behavioralism.

Behavioralism

Theory that psychology should only study observable behaviors, and not mental processes.

B.F. Skinner

An American behavioral psychologist who is most famous for developing operant conditioning

Operant Conditioning

Theory that behaviors are learned and ingrained through a system of reward and punishment.

Abraham Maslov

Co-leader of Humanistic Psychology. Proposed the theory of hierarchy of needs

Carl Rogers

Co-leader of Humanistic Psychology. Developed client-centered therapy and and stressed that acceptance and genuine empathy are imperative to growth.

Humanistic Psychology

A school of thought (modern) which explains that behavior is motivated solely by the hierarchy of needs in order to reach “self-actualization” → one’s full potential and life calling

Jean Praget

Famous developmental psychologist who introduced the stage theory of cognitive development, which led to a greater understanding of children’s thought processes.

Biological Perspective

A school of thought that focuses on physical structures and substances underlying behaviors, thoughts or emotions. Believes that behaviors can be explained by brain chemistry, science, genetics, etc.

Behavioral Perspective

A school of thought (modern) that emphasizes how environment, reinforcement, and punishment shape behavior

Cognitive Perspective

A school of thought that focuses on how we think and act, process. store and retrieve information

Psychodynamic Perspective

A school of thought (modern) that discusses how behavior is affected by unconscious drives, in addition to unresolved conflicts from childhood. Evolved from psychoanalysis

Humanistic Perspective

The particular modern viewpoint which emphasizes that all behavior is motivated by the need to satisfy ones urges, before journeying towards self-actualization and becoming one’s best self.

Social-Cultural Perspective

A school of thought that focuses on how thinking or behavior may change depending on differing situations, as a result of cultural influences

Evolutionary Psychology

A school of thought that focuses on the principles of natural selection to study behavior and mental processes. Analyzes how behaviors may been beneficial in encouraging ancestors to reproduce.

Research and Research Methodology

The method of asking questions then drawing logical, supported conclusions

Basic Research

Pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base
→ Research with the sole purpose of finding new information

Applied Research

Research with the purpose of using psychology to better the world

Case Study

A research technique in which one particular individual is studied in the hopes of revealing universal principles

Longitudinal Study

A research that follows the same group of individuals over a long period.

Cross-Sectional Study

A research technique that compares individuals from different age GROUPS at one time, then compares the results.

Naturalistic Observation

Observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations w/out manipulating or controlling the situations
→ Participants do not know that they are being observed.

Laboratory Observation

Observing and recording behavior in a laboratory environment, where a researcher is allowed to manipulate or control the situation

Correlational Study

A research project strategy that investigates the degree to which two VARIABLES are related to each other

Survey Method

A research technique that questions a sample of people to collect information about their attitudes or behaviors
→ Relies on self-reporting information

Scientific Method

Method of learning about the world through the application of critical thinking and tools such as observation, experimentation, and statistical analysis

→ Process by which psychology is a science.

Experiment

A research method in which the researcher manipulates and controls certain variables to observe the effects upon other variables.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction of the outcome of an experiment of search

→ A general expectation

Population

The entire group of people about whom you would like to know something

→ Total group being studied from which a sample is drawn

Random Sample

A sample that FAIRLY represents a population. Indiscriminate choice of # of people from a population.

→ Every member has an equal chance of being selected

Random Assignment

A procedure for creating groups in a study that allows for the researcher to control differences (ex. who is experiment vs. control?)

Control Group

The group of a study who is not being exposed to the independent variable

Experimental Group

The group of a study who is being exposed to the independent variable

Operational Definition

An specific and measurable explanation of the exact concept or variable being tested in a study

→ Specification of the exact procedures used to make a variable measurable

Independent Variable (IV)

The variable that the researcher will actively manipulate and potentially, will cause a change in the DV

Dependent Variable (DV)

The variable that should show the effect of the IV

Confounding Variable (CV)

Any variable in an experiment (OTHER than the IV) that could potentially produce a change in the DV

→ Need to be controlled in order to fully est. a cause/effect relationship between variables

→ Can be specifically environmental: lights, temp, etc.

Single Blind Procedure

An experimental procedure where the research participants are ignorant (blind) to the expected outcome of an experiment

Double Blind Procedure

An experimental procedure where the research participants AND the researchers are ignorant (blind) to the expected outcome of an experiment

→ Should be used when researchers are expecting a certain result; eliminated research/participant bias

Placebo

An inactive substance or condition adminstered for control over confounding variables

→ helps to eliminate participant bias, given to control group

→ often a sugar pill with no effect

Replication

Repeating the procedure of a research study to see whether the results can be reliably reproduced.

REG: Informed Consent

The right of the participants to be aware of the nature of a study, and decline/withdraw participation at any time

REG: Protection from Harm/Discomfort

The right of the participants to participate in studies involving harm/discomfort only under certain conditions, and only with informed consent

REG: Confidentiality

The right of the participants to have their identifiable data/results never discussed or released.

REG: Debriefing

The right of the participants to recieve a complete explanation of the study at its end, especially if the study involved deception

Statistics

A means of organizing information so as that it has greater meaning/can be interpreted with ease.

Mean

The arithmetic average of a distribution (sum of values/number of values)

Mode

The most frequently occurring score/scores in a distribution

→ Most useful when data can be grouped

Median

The middle score in a ranked distribution of low-high scored

→ ½ above, ½ below

Range

The difference between the highest and lowest score in a distribution

Normal Distribution (Bell Curve)

A frequency distribution that is shaped like a symmetrical bell, where most values lie at the mean

Skewed

A distorted distribution not evenly distributed about the mean.

Correlation Coefficient

A statistical value that shows the strength and direction of the relationship between two variables. (-1→+1)

Positive Correlation

A correlation in which, as one variable moves farther along the x-axis, the other variable increases. (+/+)

→ Perfect correlation = +1

Negative Correlation

A correlation in which, as one variable moves farther along the x-axis, the other variable decreases. (+/-)

Zero Correlation

A correlation without a defined pattern → Random relationship between two variables

Inferential Statistics

Statistics that can be used to make a decision or reach a conclusion about data.

Statistically Significant

The possibility that the difference in the results of a study (between experimental and control), could have occurred due to random chance

→ P > 0.05 (5%) to be considered S.S.

Biased Sample

A sample that does not fairly represent the entire population of a study

Descriptive Statistics

Statistics that describe the main characteristics of the data

Inferential Statistics

Statistical techniques used to determine whether the data from 2+ groups are same/different

Learning

Relatively permanent, consistent change in behavior or mental process that is based on experience. 

Maturation

Behavioral changes that require biological development as well as experience

Instinctive Behavior

Behavior that we are born with, and therefore does not need to be learned. Is present is all members of a species

Imprinting

A phase-sensitive learning occuring at a particular age or life stage. The organism learns the characteristics of stimulus

Habituation

Learning to respond to a stimulus that is repeated. Responsiveness decreases with repeated siualtion. A non-associative learning type.

Ivan Pavlov

Russian Psychologist and learning theorists famous for discoving classical conditionin. 

Classical Conditioning

A type of learning in which a involuntary stimulus gains the power to cause a response by association.

Stimulus

Anything in an environment that can alert or arouse an organism

Neutral Stimulus

Anything in an environment that does not elicit any particular response

Response

Any behavior or action

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)

A stimlus that triggers a response reflexively and automatically

Unconditioned Response (UCR)

An automatic response to the unconditiioned stimulus