AP Psych

Attribution Theory

Explanation for how people explain the causes of behavior, either by attributing it to internal factors (personality, ability) or external factors (situation, luck).

Fundamental Attribution Theory

Tendency to overestimate the impact of a person’s disposition and underestimate impact of situation

Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon

Tendency to apply w/ larger requests after responding to a smaller request

Zimbardo

Stanford Prison Experiment- Roleplaying: People taking on the role of what they feel are proper for the situation

Cognitive Disonance

People change their behavior to avoid looking bad, ie person against gay rights becomes gay

Asch’s Conformity

Tendency to go along with the views and actions of others, even if you know they’re wrong- Line Test

Milgram Obedience

People tend to obey to authority figures; 60% of participants thought they delivered the max possible level of shock

Social Facilitation

Improved performance in presence of others; easy tasks get easier as hard tasks get harder

Social Loafing

In the presence of others, people tend to do less, partly because they believe others will do it

Deindividualization

Loss of self-awareness and self-restraint, typically in a sense of anomie

Group Polarization

If a group is like-minded, discussion strengthens prevailing options and attitudes

Just-World Phenomenon

Tendency of people to believe that the world is just and people get what they deserve and deserve what they get

Social Traps

A situation where individuals pursue their self-interest, but it leads to a negative outcome for everyone. It creates a cycle of behavior that is difficult to break.

In Group

People with whom one shares a common identity with

Out Group

Those perceived as different from themselves

Prejudice

Unjustifiable attitude towards a group and it’s members

Mere exposure effect

The mere exposure to a stimuli will increase the liking of it

Altruism

Unselfish regard for the welfare of others

Bystander effect

Tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present

Reciprocity Norms

The expectation that we should return help, not harm those who have helped us

Biological Psychology

Explore the links between brain and mind

Cognitive Psychology

Study how we percive, think, and solve problems

Humanistic Psychology

Study that says humans are basically good and possess a free-will

Behavioral Psychology

Study that says all behavior is observable and measurable

Psychoanalytic Psychology

Study of the unconscious, includes childhood and aggression issues

Sociocultural Psychology

Study of how cultural and political experiences affect our life

Evolutionary Psychology

Study of the evolution of humans over time (from apes)

Developmental Psychology

The study of our changing abilities from womb to tomb

Wilhelm Wundt

Father of Psychology

Introspection

Looking inward at one’s own mental process

Structuralism

Analyze sensations, images, and feelings into their most basic elements

William James

The brain and mind are constantly changing

Functionalism

Underlying causes of practical consequences of certain behaviors and mental strategies- “steam of conciousness”

John Locke

Tabula Rosa. The mind is a blank slate written on by experiences

Sigmund Freud

Founder of Psychonalysis

Applied Research

Aims to solve practical problems

Basic Research

Pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base

Hypothesis

Testable prediction, often induced by a thy, enabling us to accept, rejct, or revice the thy (Educational Guess)

IV

Independent Variable, The variable manipulated

DV

Dependent Variable, changes in response to the IV

Theory

An explanation that integrates principles, organizes, and predicts behavior or event

Operational Definition

A clear statement of what one is looking for in an experiment

Validity

Measures what you want it to measure

Reliability

It is replicable and is consistent

Sampling

A process by which participants are selected

Population

The amount of participants that can be selected for the sample

Representative Sample

Take the results from a smaller group and apply that to a larger group of people

Random Sample

Everyone has an equal chance of being selected for the experiment because the participants are chosen at random

Control Group

Group that doesn’t take part in the critical part of the experimentation process, used as a comparrison group

Psychoanalytic Theory

All behavior is meaningful and driven by unconscious forces

Experimenter Bias

The experimenter, unconsciously or consciously, affects the outcome of the experiment

Single-blind Procedure

The subjects don’t know what group they belong to

Double-blind Procedure

Neither the experimenter nor the sunject knows what group the subjects are in

Hawthorne Effect

If you know you’re being studied, you will act different than you normally would

Placebo

Something administered that has no real effect on the person other than what they think mentally

Positive Correlation

As one goes up, the other goes up

Negative Correlation

As one goes up, the other goes down

Survey

A technique for ascerting the self-reported attitudes, opinions, or behavior of people ina questionaire, or similar way of ascertaining information

Naturalistic Observation

Observing and recording behavior in the wild environment

Case study

Get a full, detailed picture of one participant or a small group of participants

Mean

Average of scores

Median

Middle of scores

Mode

Most frequently occuring score

Range

Higher Score - Lower Score

Standard Deviation

Average distance of scores around the mean

Z-Score

A type of standard score that tells us how many standard deviation units a given score is above or below the mean for that group

Myelin Sheath

A fatty tissue covering around the axon of some neurons that speeds the neural impulse

Axon

Wire-like structure ending in the terminal that extends from the cell body

Neurons

A nerve cell; Basic building block of the nervous system

Sensory Neurons (Afferent)

Neurons that carry incoming information from the sen receptors (nose, ears, hands) to the central nervous system

Interneuron

Central Nervous system neurons that internally communicate and intervene between the sensory inputs and the moto outputs

Motor Neurons (Efferent)

Neurons that carry incoming information from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands

Neurotransmitters

Chemical contained in terminal buttons that enable neurons to communicate; they fit into the receptor site of neurons like a key fits into a lock

Agonist

Excite, by causeing neurotransmitters to hit site multiple times

Antagonists

Inhibits, by blocking neurotransmitters

CNS

The brain and spinal cord

PNS

Peripheral Nervous System, sensory and motor neurons that connect the CNS to the rest of the body

Somatic NS

The division of the PNS that controls the body’s skeletall muscles

Autonomic NS

The part of the PNS that controls the glands and muscles of the internal organs, like the heart

Sympathetic NS

Arouses the body

Parasympathetic NS

Calms the body

Pituitary Gland

The endocrine system’s most influential gland, under influence of hypothalamus, regulating growth and controls other endocrine glands

EEG

An amplified recording of waves of electrical activity that sweeps across the brain’s surface, these waves are measured by electrodes placed on the skull

PET

A visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a certain task

MRI

A technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce a computer generated image that distinguishes between the types of soft tissue in the brain

Medulla

Connected to the base of the brain stem, controls blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing

Reticular Formation

Screens incoming info, and filters out irrelevant info, controls arousal and attention

Thalamus

The brains sensory switchboard

Pons

Aboce medulla, makes chemicals involved with sleep & facial experssions

Cerebellum

The little brain attached to the rear of the brain stem, controls coordination, fire muscles movements and balance

Limbic System

Associated with emotions like aggression and fear and drives such as hunger and thirst and sex (Hippocampus, Hypothalamus, and Amygdala)

Amygdala

Part of the limbic system that is involved in emotions, aggression and fear

Hypothalamus

Controls the metabolic functions of body temp, sexual arousal, hunger, thirst, motivation/emotions, and the endocrine system

Hippocampus

Part of the limbinc system involved in learning and memory

Temperal Lobe

At the side of the brain above the ears, involved with memory, perception, hearing

Occipital Lobe

Lower back part of the brain involved with processing visual info

Peripheral Lobe

The top of the brain, discriminates between textures and shapes

Frontal Lobe

Under forehead, involved with complex cognitive functions

William Penfield

Studied the ffects of stimulation on the moto cortex

Phineas Gage

First lobotomy after a arod goes through his head, gives psych info on part of brain involved w/ emotions and reasoning