AP Psych Cram Sheet Unit 1

Structuralism

an early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the elemental structure of the human mind

Functionalism

A school of psychology that focused on how our mental and behavioral processes function - how they enable us to adapt, survive, and flourish.

Evolutionary psychology

the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection (SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST)

Behaviorism

the science of behavior that focuses on learned, observable behavior only (classical and operant conditioning, Skinner, Watson, Pavlov, Bandura)

Humanistic psychology

an approach to understanding human nature that emphasizes the positive potential of human beings (Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers)

Biological psychology

a branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior

Cognitive Psychology

the scientific study of all the mental processes associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

Socio-cultural Perspective

how behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures

Psychoanalytic/dynamic perspective

searches for the causes of behavior within the inner workings of our personality, emphasizing the role of unconscious mind and unresolved conflicts (Freud, Jung, Adler)

Scientific Method

a method of procedure that has characterized natural science since the 17th century, consisting in systematic observation, measurement, and experiment, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses.

Experiment

A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors (IV) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (DV)

Single-blind study

study in which the subjects do not know if they are in the experimental or the control group

Double-blind procedure

an experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are ignorant (blind) about whether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo. Commonly used in drug-evaluation studies.

Theory

A hypothesis that has been tested with a significant amount of data

Hypothesis

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory

Experimental vs. Control Group

Experimental is the group that has the variable being tested. The control group doesn't received the variable (is compared to the experimental group)

Case study vs. survey

case study: study a small number of cases in great depth. provides a lot of information about these cases, but makes it difficult to generalize the results to a large population

survey: study many cases briefly, as by a questionnaire

Naturalistic observation

observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation

Correlational study

a descriptive study that looks for a consistent relationship between two phenomena

Ethical Guidelines for Research

- informed consent

- benefit-to-risk ratio

- confidentiality

- protection from harm

-debriefing (telling subjects exactly what happened)

Dorothea Dix

A reformer and pioneer in the movement to treat the insane as mentally ill, beginning in the 1820's, she was responsible for improving conditions in jails, poorhouses and insane asylums throughout the U.S. and Canada. She succeeded in persuading many states to assume responsibility for the care of the mentally ill. She served as the Superintendant of Nurses for the Union Army during the Civil War.

mean, median, mode

3 measures of central tendency

predictive validity

The success with which a test predicts the behavior it is designed to predict; it is assessed by computing the correlation between test scores and the criterion behavior.

biomedical model

A perspective that explains illness solely in terms of biological factors (brain chemistry and genes).

Reliability vs. Validity

reliability (consistency) and validity (accuracy)

illusory correlation

standard deviation

a computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score