AP psych

Major perspectives in psychology

Biological, Behavioral, Cognitive, Humanistic, Psychoanalytic, Evolutionary, Sociocultural, Biopsychosocial.

Research methods in psychology

Experiments, case studies, surveys, naturalistic observation.

Purpose of experimental design

To test hypotheses using variables and control to determine cause and effect.

Ethics in psychological research

Informed consent, right to withdraw, no harm, confidentiality, debriefing.

Interpreting data in psychology

Use graphs, statistics (mean, median, mode), and significance tests.

Parts of a neuron

Dendrites, soma, axon, myelin sheath, terminal buttons.

Function of the nervous system

Sends messages between the brain and body (central and peripheral systems).

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers like dopamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine.

Effects of drugs on the brain

They affect neurotransmitters (agonists boost, antagonists block).

Main brain structures

Brainstem, limbic system, cerebral cortex.

Brain plasticity

The brain's ability to change and adapt.

Sensory processes

How we take in information (sight, sound, touch, etc.).

Visual processing

How the brain interprets what the eyes see.

Stages of sleep

NREM 1, 2, 3, and REM sleep (dreaming happens in REM).

Sleep disorders

Insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep apnea, night terrors.

Types of memory

Sensory, short-term (working), and long-term memory.

Causes of memory challenges

Decay, interference, retrieval failure.

Primacy vs. recency effect

Remembering the first (primacy) and last (recency) items best.

Intelligence testing

IQ tests like the WAIS and Stanford-Binet.

Problem solving techniques

Algorithms (step-by-step), heuristics (shortcuts), and insight (aha!).

Gestalt principle

We perceive things as whole rather than parts.

Convergent vs. divergent thinking

Convergent = one solution, Divergent = many solutions.

Top-down vs. bottom-up processing

Top-down = using background knowledge, Bottom-up = using sensory input first.

Language development stages

Through stages: babbling, one-word, two-word, full sentences.

Piaget's theory of cognitive development

Sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational.

Assimilation vs. accommodation

Assimilation is integrating new experiences into existing schemas, while accommodation is altering schemas to fit new experiences.

Assimilation

Fit new info into old ideas.

Accommodation

Change ideas for new info.

Erikson's stages of psychosocial development

8 stages from trust vs. mistrust (infancy) to integrity vs. despair (old age).

Parenting styles

Authoritative (best), authoritarian, permissive, neglectful.

Reinforcement

Increases behavior.

Punishment

Decreases behavior.

Positive reinforcement

Add something good.

Negative reinforcement

Remove something bad.

Shaping

Gradually training behavior using reinforcement.

Learned helplessness

Giving up after repeated failure.

Crystallized intelligence

Facts.

Fluid intelligence

Problem-solving and flexibility.

Attribution theory

Explains how we judge others' behavior—due to their traits or situation.

Fundamental attribution error

Overestimating personal traits and underestimating situations in others.

Mere exposure effect

Liking something more the more you see it.

Just world hypothesis

The belief that people get what they deserve.

Social facilitation

Performing better on easy tasks in front of others.

Social inhibition

Performing worse on hard tasks in front of others.

Internal locus of control

You control your life.

External locus of control

Life controls you.

Central persuasion

Logic and facts.

Peripheral persuasion

Looks, celebrity, emotion.

Freud's theory of personality

Id (wants), Ego (reality), Superego (morals).

Freud's defense mechanisms

Repression, denial, projection, displacement, etc.

Bystander effect

People help less when others are around.

Big 5 personality traits (OCEAN)

Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism.

Intrinsic motivation

Internal desire.

Extrinsic motivation

Rewards or pressure.

Social conflicts

Approach-approach, avoidance-avoidance, approach-avoidance conflicts.

Symptoms of common mental illnesses

Depression = sadness, loss of interest. Anxiety = worry, panic. Schizophrenia = delusions, hallucinations.

Effects of stress on the body and brain

Can weaken immune system, increase illness, affect mood.

Types of therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Psychoanalysis, Humanistic therapy, Biomedical therapy.

Research on therapy methods

CBT is the most effective for many disorders, especially anxiety and depression.