Important Psychologist to Know for AP Psychology (2025) (AP)

Sigmund Freud

The founder of psychoanalysis, emphasizing the influence of the unconscious mind on behavior and introducing the structural model of the psyche (id, ego, superego).

Psychoanalysis

A therapeutic approach founded by Sigmund Freud that delves into the unconscious mind to influence behavior and personality.

Id

The primal part of the psyche that seeks immediate gratification and operates on the pleasure principle.

Ego

The rational part that mediates between the id and the external world, operating on the reality principle.

Superego

The moral conscience shaped by societal norms.

Defense Mechanisms

Strategies the ego uses to protect itself from anxiety, including repression, projection, and denial.

Repression

A defense mechanism involving pushing thoughts or memories out of conscious awareness.

Projection

A defense mechanism where one attributes their own feelings or traits to others.

Denial

A defense mechanism where one refuses to accept reality or facts.

Psychosexual Stages

Freud's theory outlining five stages of personality development: oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital.

Fixation

Unresolved conflicts at any psychosexual stage that influence adult personality.

Carl Jung

The founder of analytical psychology, who expanded on Freud's work and focused on the collective unconscious and archetypes.

Collective Unconscious

A layer of the unconscious shared among all people that contains universal symbols and themes.

Individuation

The process of integrating various aspects of the self to achieve personal growth.

Introversion

A personality trait characterized by focusing on internal thoughts and feelings rather than external stimuli.

Extraversion

A personality trait emphasizing engagement with the external world and social interactions.

B.F. Skinner

A leading figure in behaviorism known for developing operant conditioning.

Operant Conditioning

A learning process where behavior is shaped by reinforcement and punishment.

Skinner Box

An apparatus developed by Skinner to study animal behavior under controlled conditions.

Schedules of Reinforcement

Fixed and variable reinforcement schedules that affect the rate and strength of learning.

Ivan Pavlov

A physiologist known for discovering classical conditioning through experiments with dogs.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response.

Stimulus Generalization

The ability to respond to similar stimuli after conditioning.

Stimulus Discrimination

The ability to distinguish between different stimuli.

Jean Piaget

A psychologist known for his theory of cognitive development through four stages.

Cognitive Development Stages

Piaget's stages: Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational, and Formal Operational.

Schema

A framework for organizing knowledge that changes through assimilation and accommodation.

Assimilation

The process of incorporating new information into existing schemas.

Accommodation

The adjustment of schemas to incorporate new information.

Erik Erikson

The developer of psychosocial development theory describing eight stages of growth.

Psychosocial Stages

Stages defined by conflicts such as Trust vs. Mistrust and Identity vs. Role Confusion crucial for personality development.

Identity Development

The process during adolescence where individuals explore roles to form a cohesive sense of self.

Abraham Maslow

The creator of the hierarchy of needs, illustrating human motivation from survival needs to self-actualization.

Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow's pyramid of human needs ranging from physiological to self-actualization.

Self-Actualization

The realization or fulfillment of one's talents and potential, considered the peak of psychological health.

William James

The father of American psychology known for promoting functionalism.

Functionalism

The approach that studies mental processes for their purpose and utility.

Pragmatism

James's focus on the practical application of psychological concepts.

Carl Rogers

A key figure in humanistic psychology who developed client-centered therapy.

Client-Centered Therapy

A therapeutic approach emphasizing empathy, genuineness, and unconditional positive regard.

Core Conditions

Essential elements in therapy, including empathy, acceptance, and authenticity.

Elizabeth Loftus

A cognitive psychologist who studied the malleability of memory, especially regarding eyewitness testimony.

Memory Reconstruction

The process of altering memories through suggestion or misinformation.

Albert Bandura

A psychologist known for developing social learning theory and the concept of self-efficacy.

Observational Learning

Learning behaviors through observation and imitation of others.

Self-Efficacy

The belief in one's own abilities which is essential for motivation.

Aaron Beck

Developed cognitive therapy aimed at altering negative thought patterns.

Cognitive Triad

The concept linking negative views about oneself, the world, and the future to depression.

Stanley Milgram

Conducted obedience experiments highlighting the influence of authority on behavior.

Obedience to Authority

The phenomenon where individuals comply with commands from authority figures, even against their morals.

Philip Zimbardo

Known for the Stanford prison experiment examining the impact of power dynamics on behavior.

Situational Influence

The effect that situational factors have on behavior and decisions.

Daniel Kahneman

A Nobel Prize-winning psychologist recognized for his work in decision-making and cognitive biases.

Cognitive Biases and Heuristics

Mental shortcuts used in decision-making that often lead to errors in judgment.