AP Psych Exam Review Packet 2026

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering Psychology Research, Statistics, Ethics, Biological Bases of Behavior, Sensation/Perception, Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Learning, Social Psychology, and Clinical Psychology/Treatments.

Reliability

The extent to which a study or survey yields consistent results when given to participants multiple times.

Validity

The extent to which a test is actually measuring what it is intended to measure (e.g., stress levels).

Population

The entire group that a researcher wants to study, such as all U.S. college students.

Sample

The specific group of participants (e.g., 500 college students) who are actually in the study.

Generalizability

The degree to which the results of a study sampled from one area (like California) can be applied to a larger population (like the whole U.S.).

Correlational study

A research method that examines the relationship between two variables, such as social media use and anxiety levels.

Meta-analysis

A method where a psychologist collects and statistically analyzes results from many different studies (e.g., 50 studies on CBT) to find overall effectiveness.

Case study

A detailed study of a single individual, such as "H.M.," who had brain surgery and could no longer form long-term memories.

Naturalistic Observation

A method of gathering information by observing subjects in their natural environment without intervention, such as watching children at a public playground.

Experiment

A research method where variables are manipulated through random assignment to test cause and effect, such as assigning participants to different amounts of sleep.

Independent variable

The factor that is manipulated in a study; in Harry Harlow’s rhesus monkey study, this was the type of surrogate mother (wire vs. cloth).

Dependent variable

The factor measured for change; in Harlow's study, this was the amount of time the baby monkeys spent clinging to each mother.

Random sampling (RS)

A process where every member of a population has an equal chance of being selected for a survey or study.

Random assignment (RA)

A process where participants are randomly told to enter specific groups (e.g., 4 hours vs. 8 hours of sleep) within an experiment.

Double-blind study

A study where neither the patients nor the researchers know who is receiving the real drug or a placebo, often used to prevent bias.

Mean

The average value of a data set, calculated by summing all scores and dividing by the number of scores.

Percentile

A measure indicating the value below which a given percentage of observations in a group falls; for example, the $82^{nd}$ percentile means scoring higher than $82\%$ of others.

Standard deviation

A measure of how spread out the data is; Data Set B has a higher standard deviation if the data is more spread out than Data Set A.

p-value

A statistical value where a result of $< 0.05$ means the data is statistically significant and the difference is unlikely due to chance.

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

The ethics committee at a university or institution that must approve a study before it can be conducted.

Confederates

Actors who participate in a psychological study (e.g., a conformity study) but are actually part of the research team.

Debriefing

The process at the end of a study where the researcher must reveal the true purpose and any deception used to the participant.

Sympathetic Nervous System

Part of the autonomic nervous system that spikes heart rate and dilates pupils to prepare the body for "fight or flee" responses.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Part of the autonomic nervous system that slows heart rate and relaxes the body after a stressful event.

Somatic Nervous System

The branch of the nervous system responsible for conscious, voluntary muscle movements, like throwing a baseball.

Nature

The influence of genetics on traits, such as an incredible ability to solve math problems inherited from a father.

Nurture

The influence of the environment and practice on development, such as becoming an exceptional pianist due to years of practice despite a lack of natural gift.

Melatonin

A hormone that increases in the evening when it gets dark to help signal sleep.

Ghrelin

A hormone that increases to signal extreme hunger to the brain.

All-or-Nothing Principle

The principle that neurons only fire once they reach a certain level of stimulation, otherwise they will not fire at all.

Action Potential

The electrical impulse that travels down a neuron's axon.

Refractory Period

The brief moment after a neuron fires during which it cannot fire again.

Myelin Sheath

The protective covering of the axon; damage to this structure can result in muscle weakness common in Multiple Sclerosis.

Agonist

A chemical that mimics the action of a neurotransmitter, such as morphine mimicking endorphins or caffeine functioning for the brain.

Antagonist

A chemical that blocks the action of a neurotransmitter, such as naloxone blocking opioids during an overdose.

Corpus Callosum

The structure connecting the left and right hemispheres of the brain; it may be severed to manage seizure disorders.

Broca’s Area

The brain region in the frontal lobe responsible for the muscle movements required for clear speech.

Wernicke’s Area

The brain region responsible for language comprehension; damage here can lead to fluent but nonsensical speech.

Brain Plasticity

The brain's ability to reorganize itself after damage, such as compensating for partial vision loss.

Circadian Rhythm

The body’s internal natural clock that regulates waking and sleeping at the same time each day.

Transduction

The process by which sensory receptors convert physical energy (like sound waves) into neural signals.

Absolute threshold

The minimum level of stimulation (e.g., volume) a person can detect half the time.

Weber’s law

The principle that the difference between two stimuli is detectable based on a constant percentage rather than a constant amount.

Change Blindness

Failing to notice changes in the environment, such as a waiter being replaced by someone else during a meal.

Algorithm

A step-by-step math formula or logical procedure that guarantees a solution to a problem.

Representativeness Heuristic

Judging the likelihood of things based on how well they match a particular prototype, such as assuming a quiet person is a librarian.

Availability Heuristic

Estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory, such as fearing plane crashes more than car accidents due to media coverage.

Belief Perseverance

Refusing to change one's belief even when presented with contradicting evidence.

Retrograde Amnesia

The loss of memories that were formed before a traumatic event or brain injury.

Anterograde Amnesia

The inability to form new memories after a brain injury.

Achievement Tests

Tests designed to assess what a person has already learned, such as an end-of-year history exam.

Aptitude Tests

Tests designed to predict a person’s future performance or potential to succeed, such as the SAT.

Stereotype Threat

A self-confirming concern that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype, which can cause performance to suffer.

Teratogens

Harmful substances (like alcohol) that can reach the embryo or fetus during pregnancy and cause developmental issues.

Conservation

The understanding that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape, such as realizing water in a tall glass is the same as in a wide glass.

Secure Attachment

An attachment style where a child is upset when a caregiver leaves but is happy and easily comforted upon their return.

Authoritative Parenting

A parenting style characterized by enforcing rules while also listening to opinions and supporting the child.

Authoritarian Parenting

A parenting style that demands obedience without negotiation or explanation.

Cognitive Dissonance

The tension experienced when behaviors and beliefs conflict, such as buying an expensive item despite believing in financial responsibility.

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to overestimate dispositional factors and underestimate situational factors when judging others' behavior.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

The body’s three-stage response to stress: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.

Diathesis-Stress Model

The theory that disorders result from a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental stressors.

Systematic Desensitization

A type of behavior therapy used to treat phobias by pairing a relaxed state with gradual exposure to the feared object.