AP Psych Flashcards

Operational definition

A precise description of how a variable is measured or manipulated in a study; The researcher defined happiness as scoring above 7 on a survey

Case study

An in-depth analysis of one individual or group; The psychologist studied a patient with rare memory loss

Naturalistic observation

Observing behavior in a natural environment without interference; Scientists observed animals in the wild

Sampling bias

When a sample does not represent the population; The survey only included college students

Random sample

A sample where everyone has an equal chance of being selected; The study used random selection

Correlation

A relationship between two variables; Study time and test scores were correlated

Correlation coefficient

A number from -1 to +1 showing strength and direction of correlation; +0.8 shows strong positive correlation

Illusory correlation

Perceiving a relationship where none exists; Believing full moons cause strange behavior

Control group

The group that does not receive the treatment; The control group received a placebo

Random assignment

Assigning participants to groups by chance; Participants were randomly placed into groups

Single-blind procedure

Participants do not know their group; Subjects didn’t know if they got the real drug

Double-blind procedure

Neither participants nor researchers know group assignments; Prevented bias in results

Placebo effect

Improvement due to belief in treatment; The patient felt better after a fake pill

Independent variable

The variable manipulated by the researcher; Amount of sleep given

Confounding variable

A factor that unintentionally affects results; Stress affected the outcome

Dependent variable

The variable that is measured; Test scores were recorded

Experimenter bias

When researchers unintentionally influence results; Expectations affected outcomes

Quantitative research

Research using numerical data; Used statistics and data analysis

Qualitative research

Research using descriptive data; Used interviews and observations

Informed consent

Participants are informed before agreeing; Students signed consent forms

Debriefing

Explaining the study after completion; Participants were told the purpose after

Standard deviation

A measure of how spread out data is; Small SD means scores are close together

Meta-analysis

Combining results from multiple studies; Used to find overall trends

Mean

The average of a set of numbers; Average score was 85

Median

The middle value in a set; Middle score was 82

Mode

The most frequent value; Most common score was 90

27. Autonomic nervous system (ANS)

Controls involuntary functions like heart rate; The ANS increased his heart rate during stress

28. Peripheral nervous system

All nerves outside the brain/spinal cord; It connects the CNS to the body

29. Central Nervous System (CNS)

Brain and spinal cord; The CNS processes information

30. Parasympathetic nervous system

Calms the body; It slowed his heart after stress

31. Sympathetic nervous system

Activates fight-or-flight; It increased adrenaline

32. Glial cells

Support and protect neurons; Glial cells provide nutrients

33. Neuron

Nerve cell that transmits signals; Neurons send messages in the brain

34. Myelin

Fatty layer that speeds signals; Myelin helps impulses travel faster

35. Neurotransmitter

Chemical messenger between neurons; Dopamine is a neurotransmitter

36. Sensory neuron

Carries info to CNS; It sends signals from skin

37. Synapse

Gap between neurons; Neurotransmitters cross the synapse

38. Interneuron

Connects neurons in CNS; It processes information

39. Motor neuron

Carries signals to muscles; It controls movement

40. Acetylcholine (ACh)

Enables muscle action; ACh helps muscles contract

41. Action potential

Electrical signal down neuron; The neuron fired an action potential

42. Adrenaline

Hormone for arousal; Adrenaline increased heart rate

43. Norepinephrine

Controls alertness; It increased focus

44. Dopamine

Influences reward; Dopamine made him feel pleasure

45. Endorphin

Reduces pain; Exercise releases endorphins

46. Serotonin

Affects mood; Low serotonin is linked to depression

47. Melatonin

Regulates sleep; Melatonin helps you sleep

48. GABA

Inhibitory neurotransmitter; GABA calms activity

49. Ghrelin

Stimulates hunger; Ghrelin made him feel hungry

50. Glutamate

Excitatory neurotransmitter; Too much glutamate overstimulates brain

51. Hormone

Chemical messenger in bloodstream; Hormones regulate body functions

52. Hypothalamus

Maintains homeostasis; It regulates hunger and temperature

53. Inhibitory neurotransmitter

Reduces neuron activity; GABA is inhibitory

54. Long-term potentiation (LTP)

Long-lasting increase in synapse strength; LTP supports memory

55. Oxytocin

Bonding hormone; It increases trust

56. Pituitary gland

Master gland controlling hormones; It releases growth hormone

57. Refractory period

Time before neuron can fire again; The neuron reset

58. Resting potential

Neuron’s charge at rest; It is negative

59. Reuptake

Reabsorbing neurotransmitters; It stops signaling

60. Psychoactive drugs

Chemicals altering perception; Caffeine increases alertness

61. Tolerance/Withdrawal

Reduced effect & symptoms after stopping; Addiction causes withdrawal

62. Amygdala

Processes emotion; It detects fear

63. Aphasia

Language impairment; Stroke caused aphasia

64. Brain stem

Controls basic functions; It regulates breathing

65. Broca’s Area

Speech production; Damage affects speaking

66. Cerebellum

Coordinates movement; It controls balance

67. Cerebral cortex

Outer brain layer; It handles thinking

68. Corpus callosum

Connects brain hemispheres; It transfers info

69. Hippocampus

Forms memory; It stores new memories

70. Frontal lobe

Decision-making; It controls personality

71. Limbic system

Emotion system; It includes amygdala

72. Medulla

Controls heartbeat; It regulates breathing

73. Motor cortex

Controls movement; It moves muscles

74. Occipital lobe

Vision processing; It interprets sight

75. Parietal lobe

Processes touch; It senses pressure

76. Plasticity

Brain’s ability to change; Learning changes brain

77. Prefrontal cortex

Planning & reasoning; It helps decision-making

78. Reticular formation

Controls arousal; It keeps you awake

79. Somatosensory cortex

Processes touch; It detects pain

80. Split brain

Severed corpus callosum; It affects coordination

81. Temporal lobe

Hearing & memory; It processes sound

82. Thalamus

Sensory relay station; It routes signals

83. Wernicke’s area

Language comprehension; Damage affects understanding

84. PET scan

Shows brain activity; It tracks glucose use

85. EEG

Records brain waves; It measures electrical activity

86. Neuroplasticity

Brain’s ability to reorganize; Learning changes pathways

87. MRI

Brain imaging; It shows structure

88. Neurogenesis

New neuron growth; Occurs in hippocampus

89. Circadian rhythm

24-hour body clock; It controls sleep cycles

90. REM sleep

Dreaming sleep; Brain is active

91. NREM sleep

Deep sleep stages; Body repairs

92. Delta waves

Slow brain waves; Occur in deep sleep

93. Insomnia

Trouble sleeping; He couldn’t fall asleep

94. Narcolepsy

Sudden sleep attacks; He fell asleep randomly

95. Sleep apnea

Breathing stops during sleep; It disrupts rest

96. Bottom-up processing

Starts with sensory input; Data builds perception

97. Top-down processing

Uses prior knowledge; Expectations shape perception

98. Signal detection theory

Detecting stimuli under conditions; Attention matters

99. Difference threshold

Smallest detectable change; Just noticeable difference

100. Priming

Exposure influences response; Words affected behavior