AP Psych Unit 1

Psychology

The science of behavior and mental processes.

Monism

The belief in seeing mind and body as different aspects of the same thing.

Dualism

The concept of seeing mind and body as two different things that interact.

Nature-Nurture Controversy

The debate over the extent to which behavior results from heredity or experience.

Contributors to Nature

Plato and Descartes, who believed that behavior is inborn.

Contributors to Nurture

Aristotle, Locke, Watson, and Skinner, who believed that behavior results from experience.

School of Structuralism

An early psychological perspective focusing on units of consciousness and elements of thought through introspection.

Wilhelm Wundt

The founder of scientific psychology in Leipzig, Germany, known for studying consciousness via introspection.

G. Stanley Hall

Introduced introspection to his lab at Johns Hopkins University; first president of the American Psychological Association.

Edward Titchener

Studied elements of consciousness at Cornell University.

Margaret Floy Washburn

The first woman to complete her PhD in psychology.

School of Functionalism

An early psychological perspective focused on how organisms use perceptual abilities to adapt to their environments.

William James

Wrote 'Principles of Psychology' and is associated with the School of Functionalism.

Mary Whiton Calkins

The first woman president of the American Psychological Association.

Behavioral approach

A psychological perspective focused on behavioral reactions to stimuli and learning as a result of experience.

Ivan Pavlov

Known for classical conditioning experiments with dogs.

John Watson

Known for experiments in classical aversive conditioning.

B. F. Skinner

Known for his work in operant conditioning.

Psychoanalytic/psychodynamic approach

A psychological perspective focused on how unconscious instincts and conflicts influence behavior.

Sigmund Freud

Known as the 'Father of psychoanalysis.'

Humanistic approach

A psychological perspective focused on individual potential for growth and unique perceptions.

Carl Rogers

A major figure in humanistic psychology.

Abraham Maslow

A major figure in humanistic psychology known for his hierarchy of needs.

Biological approach

A psychological perspective concerned with physiological and biochemical factors affecting behavior.

Cognitive approach

A psychological perspective focused on how we receive, store, and process information.

Jean Piaget

Studied cognitive development in children.

Evolutionary approach

A psychological perspective examining behaviors favored by natural selection.

Sociocultural approach

A psychological perspective focused on how cultural differences affect behavior.

Biopsychosocial model

An overarching psychological perspective integrating biological, psychological, and social factors.

Eclectic approach

Using techniques and ideas from various psychological approaches.

Clinical psychologists

Specialize in evaluating and treating mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders.

Counseling psychologists

Help individuals adapt to changes or lifestyle modifications.

Developmental psychologists

Study psychological development across the lifespan.

Educational psychologists

Focus on effective teaching and learning processes.

Experimental psychologists

Conduct research to expand knowledge in psychology.

Forensic psychologists

Apply psychological principles to legal issues.

Health psychologists

Examine biological, psychological, and social factors in health and illness.

Industrial/organizational psychologists

Aim to improve productivity and work life quality in organizations.

Neuropsychologists

Explore the relationship between brain/nervous systems and behavior.

Personality psychologists

Focus on individual traits, attitudes, and goals.

Psychometricians

Specialize in methods for acquiring and analyzing psychological data.

Social psychologists

Study how a person’s behavior is influenced by social interactions.

Theories

Organized sets of concepts that explain phenomena.

Hypothesis

A prediction regarding the relationship between two or more factors.

Replication

Repeating methods used in a previous experiment to verify results.

Independent variable (IV)

The factor manipulated by the researcher in an experiment.

Dependent variable (DV)

The behavior or mental process measured in an experiment.

Population

The entire group to which a study applies.

Sample

A subgroup of the population that is part of a study.

Random selection

Choosing individuals from a population so everyone has an equal chance of being chosen.

Experimental group

The subgroup of the sample that receives the independent variable treatment.

Control group

The comparison group that does not receive the independent variable treatment.

Random assignment

Assigning participants to groups randomly to eliminate bias.

Confounding variables

Factors that may cause differences between groups other than the independent variable.

Operational definition

Description of the specific procedure used to measure a variable.

Experimenter bias

When a researcher’s expectations influence the study's results.

Demand characteristics

Clues that suggest to participants how they should respond in a study.

Single-blind procedure

Participants are unaware of whether they are in the experimental or control group.

Double-blind procedure

Both the experimenter and participants are unaware of group assignments.

Placebo

A treatment resembling the actual treatment but containing no active ingredients.

Placebo effect

A response based on the belief that a treatment will have an effect.

Reliability

The consistency or repeatability of results.

Validity

The degree to which an instrument accurately measures what it claims to.

Statistics

The field focused on analyzing numerical data from representative samples.

Descriptive statistics

Statistics that summarize research data from a sample.

Frequency distribution

An arrangement of scores indicating the frequency of each score or group.

Central tendency

The average or most typical scores of a dataset.

Mode

The most frequently occurring score in a dataset.

Median

The middle score in an ordered set of data.

Mean

The arithmetic average of scores in a dataset.

Variability

The spread or dispersion of scores in a dataset.

Range

The difference between the highest and lowest scores.

Standard deviation (SD)

A measure of the average distance of scores from the mean.

Normal distribution

A bell-shaped curve representing how scores are dispersed in a population.

Percentile score

The percentage of scores at or below a specific score.

Correlation coefficient (r)

A measure of the degree of relationship between two sets of data.

Inferential statistics

Statistics used to interpret data and draw conclusions.

Statistical significance (p)

The likelihood that observed findings are not due to chance.

Ethical guidelines

Suggested rules for responsible conduct in research and clinical practice.