AP Psychology Final Vocabulary

Experiment

Manipulation of an independent variable, measurement of a dependent variable, random assignment, allows cause-and-effect

Naturalistic observation

Observing behavior in a real-world setting without manipulation (ex: watching people shoot BB guns)

Correlational study

Measures relationship between variables without manipulation; no causation

Survey

Self-report method using questionnaires or interviews

Case study

In-depth study of one individual or small group

Independent variable (IV)

Variable manipulated by the researcher

Dependent variable (DV)

Variable measured; outcome

Operational definition

Exact description of how variables are measured

Mean

Average; affected by outliers

Median

Middle score; best with skewed data

Mode

Most frequent score

Gender

Biological differences based on chromosomes and hormones

Culture

Learned beliefs, values, and behaviors

Dendrites

Receive incoming neural signals

Axon

Sends electrical impulses

Myelin sheath

Speeds neural transmission

Neurotransmitter

Chemical messenger crossing the synapse

Agonist

Increases or mimics a neurotransmitter

Antagonist

Blocks or reduces a neurotransmitter

Dopamine

Movement, reward, motivation

Serotonin

Mood and sleep

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Muscle movement and memory

GABA

Inhibitory; calming

Endorphins

Pain relief and pleasure

Caffeine

Stimulant that blocks adenosine, increasing alertness

Nicotine

Stimulant; acetylcholine agonist that increases dopamine

Cocaine

Stimulant that blocks dopamine reuptake, increasing dopamine in the synapse

Alcohol

Depressant that increases GABA and decreases glutamate

Heroin

Opioid agonist that mimics endorphins

LSD

Hallucinogen that affects serotonin, causing hallucinations

Central nervous system (CNS)

Brain and spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Connects CNS to body

Somatic nervous system

Controls voluntary movements

Autonomic nervous system

Controls involuntary functions

Sympathetic nervous system

Fight-or-flight

Parasympathetic nervous system

Rest-and-digest

Endocrine system

System of glands that secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream; effects are slow but long-lasting

Pituitary gland

"Master gland" that controls other endocrine glands and regulates growth

Hypothalamus

Links the nervous system to the endocrine system and controls the pituitary gland

Thyroid gland

Regulates metabolism and energy use

Adrenal glands

Release stress hormones; involved in fight-or-flight response

Pancreas

Regulates blood sugar levels

Pineal gland

Regulates sleep-wake cycles

Gonads

Sex glands that release reproductive hormones (testes and ovaries)

Frontal lobe

Decision making and impulse control

Parietal lobe

Touch and spatial processing

Temporal lobe

Hearing and language

Occipital lobe

Vision

Fusiform face area (FFA)

Facial recognition (temporal lobe)

Prosopagnosia

Inability to recognize faces

EEG

Measures electrical activity (sleep, seizures)

MRI

Detailed brain structure

fMRI

Brain activity via blood flow

PET scan

Shows active brain areas using glucose

Cornea

Protects the eye and bends light

Pupil

Controls the amount of light entering

Iris

Colored part of the eye; controls pupil size

Lens

Focuses light onto the retina

Retina

Light-sensitive layer containing rods and cones

Rods

Detect black-and-white and movement; function best in low light

Cones

Detect color and fine detail; function best in bright light

Fovea

Area of sharpest vision in the retina

Optic nerve

Sends visual information from retina to brain

Blind spot

Area where optic nerve leaves the eye; no photoreceptors

Outer ear

Collects sound

Auditory canal

Directs sound waves to eardrum

Eardrum (tympanic membrane)

Vibrates with sound waves

Middle ear

Contains ossicles (hammer, anvil, stirrup) that amplify sound

Cochlea

Converts sound vibrations into neural signals

Semicircular canals

Detect balance and head movement

Auditory nerve

Sends auditory info from cochlea to brain

Absolute threshold

Minimum stimulus detected 50% of the time

Difference threshold (JND)

Smallest detectable difference

Gate-control theory

Brain can block pain signals

REM sleep

Dreams and memory consolidation

Insomnia

Difficulty sleeping

Narcolepsy

Sudden REM sleep

Genotype

Genetic makeup

Phenotype

Observable traits

Natural selection

Traits aiding survival are passed on

Food aversion

Learned avoidance that protects survival

Classical conditioning

Learning by association (involuntary)

Unconditioned stimulus (US)

Naturally triggers response

Conditioned stimulus (CS)

Learned trigger

Operant conditioning

Learning through consequences

Positive reinforcement

Add stimulus to increase behavior

Negative reinforcement

Remove stimulus to increase behavior

Punishment

Decreases behavior

Fixed-ratio schedule

Reinforcement after set number of responses

Variable-ratio schedule

Unpredictable reinforcement (strongest)

Observational learning

Learning by watching others

What drug blocks dopamine reuptake?

Cocaine

What drug blocks adenosine?

Caffeine

What drug increases GABA?

Alcohol

What drug mimics endorphins?

Heroin

What drug alters serotonin?

LSD

What drug acts on acetylcholine?

Nicotine

What are the two main subtypes of the nervous system?

Somatic nervous system and Autonomic nervous system

What is the difference between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems?

The sympathetic nervous system prepares the body for 'fight or flight' responses, while the parasympathetic nervous system promotes 'rest and digest' activities.

What is the difference between the nervous system and the endocrine system?

The nervous system uses electrical signals for rapid communication, while the endocrine system uses hormones for slower, longer-lasting effects.