Ap Psych Study guide

Hindsight bias

Where one claims they know something would happen when they didn’t state it would before the something happened

Conformation Bias

Where one only looks at information proving their bias while ignoring all others.

Hypothesis

A prediction or educated guess from the relationship between variables or the outcome

Operational definition

Specifies how a researcher will measure and manipulate in a study. It helps others to be able to replicate the study.

Case study

Research method using in-depth examination of a single individual, group, or phenomenon

Survey

Research method used to collect data from a sample of individuals through self report measures

Naturalistic Observation

Research method where researchers observe and record behavior in the real world without getting involved or manipulating the situation

Experiment

Scientific procedure used to make a discovery, test a hypothesis, or demonstrate a known fact

Single blind Experiment

The person being studied doesn’t know what group they belong in.

Double blind Experiment

Nor the researcher or the person being studied knows what group they belong in.

Correlation coefficient

Shows research that quantifies the strength and direction of the relationship between two variables.

Negative correlation

When one goes up the other goes down and vice versa

Positive correlation

When goes up the other one goes up and vice versa

Correlation is weaker when

It’s closer to zero

Correlation is stronger when

It’s closer to 1 or -1

Random sampling

Ensures generalization of findings in a bigger population

Random Assignment

Assigns participants to different groups in an experiment randomly.

Mean

Add up every number in the data set then times by the total of numbers in the data set

Median

Put the numbers in order then find the number in the middle

Mode

Find what numbers show up the most

Range

Subtract the smallest value from the biggest value

Standard deviation

A way to measure how spread out or close together numbers are

Statistical significance

States whether research is due to chance or not

Action potential

A brief electrical impulse that travels along the atom of a neuron.

All or nothing principle

A action potential will fire with the right amount of stimulation

Neurotransmitters

Neural communication throughout the nervous system

Hippocampus

Responsible for forming and coordinating new memories

-Curved structure in the temporal lobe

Thalamus

The relay station that processes and relays sensory information besides smell

Reticular formation

Plays a role in regulating arousal, attention, and consciousness

• In the brain stem

Cerebellum

Responsible for coordinating movement, balance, and posture

• Occipital lobe

Hypothalamus

Responsible for regulating hunger, thirst, body temp, and the sleep wake cycle

Sensation

The process of receiving and representing stimulus energies by the nervous system.

Absolute threshold

The minimum amount of stimulation a person needs to detect a stimulus 50% of the time.

Sensory Adaptation

Where sensory receptors become less responsive to constant stimuli over time.

If you stare at a red square then a white surface you would see

A green square

Place theory

The discovery that high frequency sounds trigger large vibration near the beginning of the basilar membrane

Frequency theory

The frequency of a sound wave directly corresponds to the rate which auditory nerve fibers fire

-Higher frequency sounds lend to faster firing rates, resulting in higher perceived pitches.

Conduction hearing loss

Caused by structural damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea.

Sensorineural hearing loss

Happens when the inner ear, cochlea, or auditory nerve itself is not working properly.

Consciousness

The state of being aware and being able to perceived one’s thoughts, feelings, sensations, and surroundings.

Circadian Rhythm

The natural process that regulates the sleep- wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours.

NREM Stage 3

The deepest stage of non-rapid eye movement sleep

REM

Rapid eye movement with vivid dreams and muscle paralysis.

Psychoactive Drugs

Substance that alter brain function, leading to changes in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, or behavior

Stimulants

Drugs that increase neural activity and arousal which leads to heightened alertness, attention, and energy levels

Depressants

Drugs that slow down neural activity and bodily functions. They induce relaxation, sedation, and can lower inhibitions.

Hallucinogens

Drugs that alter perception, mood, and cognitive processes causing hallucinations or changes in consciousness

Opioids

Psychoactive drugs that act on opioid receptors in the brain and body, producing pain relief , euphoria, and sedation.

After losing his left hand in an accident, Jack continued to experience pain in his nonexistent hand. His experience illustrates

Phantom limb

Heuristic

A mental shortcut that simplifies decision-making processes, making it easier.

Prototype

The best example of a category that first comes to mind when thinking of it. It helps categorize objects of concepts

Cognition

All the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

Functional fixedness

The tendency to think objects only in terms of their normal use

Spearmans g factor

The mental ability that influences performance on different cognitive tasks

Aptitude tests

Assess a persons abilities in the future and innate abilities.

Achievement tests

Asses persons knowledge or skills in an area

Flynn Effect

Suggest a rise in general intelligence due to environmental and cultural factors

• IQ increasing over time

Stereotype threat

Where on under-performs in situations due to feeling that they will express negative stereotypes in their social group

Growth Mindset

Abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and effort

Fixed mindset

Intelligence is predetermined and can’t be changed

Validity

The extent to which is test accurately measures what it intends to.

Reliability

Consistent test results.