ap psychology final review

validity (accuracy)

• assumes that the test is measuring what it’s meant to test.

reliability

• assumes that test is consistent.

• example: scale is set to be 5 pounds more than you are. if you come back next time and you’re still the same weight as it is altered, it represents reliability.

sampling

taking a small group of people from a large population to draw inferences about the entire population.

population

studies psychological consequences of population, usually in regard to high population density. consequences may include:

• individual’s desires for smaller families

• impact of rapid growth on degradation of environment

stratified sampling

taking a random amount of people from different groups of people to test.

group match

participants in the experiment are separated into groups and each group is matched by important variables.

• 100 people studied for “diet”

• every subject paired with another

• diet or no diet

experimental group

gets the treatment

control group

• does not get the treatment

• needed for comparison sake

experimenter bias

unintentional influence of the experimenter’s expectations, beliefs, or preconceived notions on the outcome of a study or research experiment

single blind

only one person in the experiment (participant or experimenter) is blind to the experiment

double blind

BOTH experimenter and participant are blind to the experiment

Response bias/Participant bias

Participant acts in a way that they think the experimenter wants them to act.

scatter plot

• used to measure correlation

correlation

how onething predicts another thing

positive correlation (+1)

• as one goes up, so does the other

• ↑ = ↑

negative correlation (-1)

• as one goes up, the other goes down

• ↑ = ↓

control group

placebo, baseline (part of the IV)

operational definition:

clear, precise, typically quanitiable definition of your variables and allows replication

confound

error/flaw in study

ethical guidelines

• confidentiality

• informed consent

• debriefing

• deception

neuron

basic cell of the NS

dendrites

receive incoming signal to Soma

cell body (soma)

includes nucleus

axon

Action potential travels down this

myelin sheath

makes the signal down axon go faster.

terminal buttons

releases neurotransmitters

• sends signal onto next neuron

synapse

gap b/w neurons, releases NT

action potential

movement of sodium and potassium ions across a membrane sends an electrical charge down teh axon

all or none law

stimulus must trigger AP past its threshold but does not increase the intensity of the response (flush the toilet)

refractory period

neuron must rest and reset before it can send another AP (toilet resets)

sensory neuron

receive signals

motor neurons

send signals

central nervous system (NS)

brain and spinal cord

peripheral nervous system

rest of the nervous system

somatic nervous system

voluntary movement (nervous system)

autonomic nervous system

involuntary movement (nervous system)

neurotransmitters (NTS)

chemicals released in synaptic gap, received by neurons

GABA (inhibitory NT)

calms down

• yabadabadoo get him some GABA!

Glutamate (EXCITATORY)

• gluten = sugar = hyper

dopamine

reward and movement

serotonin

moods and emotion

acetylcholine (ACh)

Memory

epinephrine & noreprinephrine

sympathetic NS arousal o Endorphins:

• pain control, happiness

oxytocin

love and bonding

agonist

drug that mimics NT

Antagonist

drug that blocks a NT

reuptake

unused NTs are taken back up into a sending neuron

SSRI’s (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)

block reuptake

• treatment for depression

hindbrain

oldest part of the brain

• cerebellum - movement, balance

medulla

• heart and breathing (HR, BP)

• if something is wrong with your medulla, it’s a medical emergency

pons

• sleep

• arousal

• ponzzzzzzzzzzz

midbrain

reticular formation

• attention (if you don’t pay attention, You R F’d)

Forebrain

higher thought processess

limbic system

• amygdala (emotion/fear)

• hippocampus (memory)

• thalamus (relay center)

• hypothalamus (reward/please center + eating behaviors)

• broca’s area (inability to produce speech (Broca - Broken speech)

• Wernicke’s Area (inability to COMPREHEND speech)

  • “Wernicke’s what???”

dream theories

freud’s unconscious Wish Fulfillment

• dreaming is gratification of unconscious desires and needs

activation synthesis

brain produces random bursts of energy

• stimulating lodged memories. Dreams start random then develop meaning

psychoactive drugs

triggers dopamine release in the brain

depressants

• alcohol

• barbiturates

• transquilizers

• opiates (narcotics)

• decrease sympathetic NS activation, highly addictive

stimulants

• amphetamines

• cocaine

• MDMA (ecstacy)

• caffeine

• nicotine

• increase sympathetic NS activation, highly addictive

hallucinogens

• LSD

• Marijuana

• causes hallucinations, not very addictive

tolerance

needing more of a drug to acheive the same effects

dependence

become addicted to the drug

• must have it to avoid withdrawal symptoms

withdrawal

psychological and physiological symptoms associated with sudden stoppage

neural response (NS)

stimulus that normally doesn’t evoke a response (bell)

contiguity

timing of the pairing, NS/CS must be presented immediately BEFORE teh US

acquisition

process of learning the response pairing

extinction

previously conditioned response dies out over time

spontaneous recover

after a period of time the CR comes back out of nowhere

Generalization

CR to like stimuli (similar sounding bell)

OPERANT CONDITIONING

researcher:

• SKINNER

LAW OF EFFECT (Thorndike)

• positive outcomes strengthen a behavior

• negative outcomes weaken a behavior

PRINCIPLES OF OPERANT CONDITIONING

• positive reinforcement ADDS something NICE to INCREASE a behavior

  • (gold star for turning in homework)

• neg outcomes weaken a behavior

token reinforcer

type of secondary reinforcer

• can be exchanged for other stuff (game tokens or money)

overjustification effect

reinforcing behaviors that are intrinsically motivating causes you to stop doing them

• giving a kid $5 for reading even though they already like to read. they wont like to read anymore

shaping

using excessive approximations to train behavior

fixed, variable, ratio, interval

fixed: same amount

variable: random

ratio: number

interval: time

method of loci

• using locations to remember a list of items in order

• one is bun two is shoe three is tree four is door five is hive

sensory memory

stores all incoming stimuli that you receive (first you have to pay attention)

Iconic memory

visual memory lasts 0.3 seconds

-echoic memory (hearing) lasts 2-3 seconds

short term memory

• info passes from sensory memory to stm lasts 30 seconds and cant remember 7 + 2 items

HARRY HARLOW

• MONKEY FEEDING

• CLOTH MONKEY VS WIRE MONKEY

• COMOFRT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN FEEDING

MARY AINSWORTH

ATTACHMENT STYLE

SECURE ATTACHMENT (60%)

when mom leaves = upset

when mom returns = calm

• tend to be more stable adults

avoidant attachment (20%)

actively avoids mom, doesnt care when she leaves

ambivalent attachment (10)

actively avoids mom, freaks out when she leaves

disorganized attachment (5%)

confused, fearful, daed, result of abuse

authoritarian

• rules and obedience

• “my way or the highway”

• kids lack initiative in college

permissive

• kids can do whatever

• no rules

• kids lack initiative in college

authoritative

• give and take with kids

• kids become socially competent and reliable

KOHLBERG’S MORAL DEVELOPMENT

• preconventional:

  • childern - they follow rules to avoid punishment

• conventional morality

  • adolescents - follow rules b/c rules exist to keeo order

• postconventional morality

  • adults - they do what they believe is right

ERICKSON’S SOCIOEMTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Trust vs. mistrust

(birth - 18 months)

• if needs are dependably met infants develop basic trust

autonomy vs. shame & doubt

(1-3 years)

• toddlers learn to exercise their will and think for themselves

initiative vs guilt

(3-6 years)

• learn to initiate tasks and carry out plans

industry vs. inferiority

(6 years - puberty)

• learn the pleasure of applying themselves to tasks

identity vs. role confusion

(adolescence thru 20s)

• refine a sense of self by testing roles and forming an identity

intimacy vs. isolation

(20s-40s)

• form close relationships and gain capacity for love

generativity vs. information

(40s-60s)

• discover sense of contributing to the world, through family and work

integrity vs. dispair

(60s and up)

• reflects on life

• feel satisfaction or failure

puberty

rapid skeletal and sexual maturation