AP Psychology Cram Packet Practice Flashcards

A set of 150 vocabulary-style flashcards based on the AP Psychology cram packet covering history, methods, biology, sensation, perception, consciousness, and cognitive processes.

Introspection

The act of looking inward to examine mental experience, utilized heavily in structuralism to determine the mind's structures.

Structuralism

An early approach in psychology that used introspection to explore the underlying structures of the human mind.

Functionalism

An early psychological approach that focuses on analyzing the purpose or function of behavior.

Psychoanalytic/dynamic

A psychological perspective that emphasizes the unconscious mind and childhood experiences as keys to understanding behavior.

Behavioral

A perspective that views behavior as something learned and reinforced through interactions with the environment.

Humanistic

An approach that emphasizes free will, personal choice, and the goal of reaching one's ideal self or actualization.

Cognitive

A psychological perspective focused on internal mental processes such as perceptions and thoughts.

Evolutionary

A perspective that examines behaviors and mental processes in terms of their adaptive value for survival and genes.

Biological

An approach that focuses on the brain, neurotransmitters ($NTs$), and physiological processes.

Sociocultural

A perspective that looks at how society and culture influence behavior and thinking.

Biopsychosocial

A holistic approach that combines biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors to explain behavior.

Mary Calkins

The first female president of the American Psychological Association ($APA$).

Charles Darwin

Proposed the theories of natural selection and evolution which influenced the evolutionary perspective.

Dorothea Dix

A reformer who advocated for the improvement of mental institutions in the United States.

Stanley Hall

The first president of the $APA$ and the creator of the first psychological journal.

William James

Known as the Father of American Psychology and a primary proponent of functionalism.

Wilhem Wundt

Known as the Father of Modern Psychology and a primary proponent of structuralism.

Margaret Floy Washburn

The first woman to officially receive a $PhD$ in psychology.

Christine Ladd Franklin

Noted in the history of psychology as the first female in early research contexts.

Basic research

Research conducted for the primary purpose of increasing the overall base of scientific knowledge.

Applied research

Research conducted with the specific goal of help people and solving practical problems.

Psychologist

A professional in the field of psychology who typically holds an $MS$ or $PhD$ and conducts research or counseling.

Psychiatrist

A medical doctor ($M.D.$) who can diagnose disorders and prescribe medications.

Experiment

A research method where the researcher controls variables to establish a cause and effect relationship.

Independent Variable

The variable that is purposefully altered or manipulated by the researcher to look for an effect.

Experimental Group

The group of participants in an experiment who receive the treatment or independent variable.

Control Group

The group in an experiment that receives a placebo or baseline treatment, used for comparison.

Placebo Effect

When participants in the control group show behaviors associated with the experimental group despite receiving an inert treatment.

Dependent Variable

The variable that is measured and responds to changes in the independent variable.

Double-Blind

An experimental procedure where neither the participant nor the experimenter knows who is in the experimental or control group.

Single-Blind

An experimental procedure where only the participant is unaware of their group assignment.

Operational Definition

A clear, precise, and typically quantifiable definition of variables that allows for the replication of a study.

Confound

An error or flaw in a study that may impact the results.

Random Assignment

The process of assigning participants to groups at random to minimize bias and increase the chance of equal representation.

Random Sample

A method for choosing participants where everyone in the population has an equal chance of being selected.

Positive Correlation

A relationship between two variables in which both variables either increase or decrease together.

Negative Correlation

A relationship between two variables in which one variable increases while the other decreases.

Illusory correlation

The belief that a relationship exists between two variables when no such relationship actually exists.

Naturalistic Observation

Observing subjects in their natural environment to gain real-world validity without manipulating variables.

Case Study

An in-depth study of a single person or small group to gather detailed information, though it cannot establish cause and effect.

Mean

The mathematical average of a data set, typically used in a normal distribution.

Median

The middle number in a distribution, preferred for use in skewed distributions.

Mode

The value or score that occurs most frequently in a distribution.

Normal Distribution

A bell-shaped curve where the mean, median, and mode are all equal and located at the center.

Inferential Statistics

Statistical methods used to establish the significance or meaningfulness of research results.

Statistical Significance

A statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance; results are significant if not due to chance.

Informed Consent

The ethical guideline that participants must agree to participate in a study after being told what to expect.

Debriefing

The process of explaining the true purpose of a study to participants after the experiment is over.

Dendrites

The branching extensions of a neuron that receive incoming signals from other neurons.

Soma

The cell body of the neuron which contains the nucleus and maintains the life of the cell.

Axon

The long extension of a neuron through which the action potential travels.

Myelin Sheath

A fatty layer that protects the axon and speeds up the transmission of the action potential.

Terminals

The end of the axon where neurotransmitters are released to send signals to the next neuron.

Vesicles

Small sacs inside the terminal buttons that contain neurotransmitters ($NTs$).

Synapse

The microscopic gap between the terminal of one neuron and the dendrite of another.

Action Potential

The movement of $Na$ and $K$ ions across the membrane that sends an electrical charge down the axon.

All or none law

The principle that a stimulus must trigger the action potential past its threshold or it will not fire at all.

Refractory period

The brief resting period after a neuron has fired during which it resets before it can fire again.

Afferent neurons

Sensory neurons that accept signals and carry them toward the central nervous system.

Efferent neurons

Motor neurons that carry signals away from the central nervous system to the rest of the body.

Interneurons

Cells found in the spinal cord that are responsible for processing information in the reflex loop.

Central NS

The portion of the nervous system consisting of the brain and the spinal cord.

Peripheral NS

The part of the nervous system that connects the central nervous system to the rest of the body.

Somatic NS

The division of the peripheral nervous system that controls voluntary muscle movements.

Autonomic NS

The division of the peripheral nervous system that controls involuntary functions like heart rate and digestion.

Sympathetic NS

The part of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body for fight or flight responses.

Parasympathetic NS

The part of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body and establishes homeostasis.

GABA

The major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain.

Glutamate

The major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain.

Dopamine

A neurotransmitter associated with reward, pleasure, and movement.

Serotonin

A neurotransmitter involved in regulating moods and emotions.

Acetylcholine ($ACh$)

A neurotransmitter that plays a critical role in memory and muscle contraction.

Endorphins

Neurotransmitters that act as natural painkillers within the body.

Agonist

A drug or chemical that mimics the action of a neurotransmitter.

Antagonist

A drug or chemical that blocks the action of a neurotransmitter.

Reuptake

The process by which unused neurotransmitters are taken back up into the sending neuron.

Cerebellum

A structure in the hindbrain responsible for coordinating movement and balance.

Medulla

A part of the hindbrain that controls vital life functions such as heart rate and blood pressure.

Pons

A hindbrain structure involved in regulating sleep and arousal.

Reticular formation

A nerve network in the midbrain that plays an important role in controlling alertness.

Amygdala

A limbic system structure involved in processing emotions, particularly fear.

Hippocampus

A limbic system structure that is essential for the formation of new memories.

Hypothalamus

The brain's reward and pleasure center that also regulates eating and links to the endocrine system.

Thalamus

The brain's sensory relay center for all senses except for the sense of smell.

Cerebral Cortex

The outer layer of the brain responsible for higher-order thought processes.

Occipital Lobe

The lobe of the cerebral cortex located at the back of the head that is responsible for vision.

Frontal Lobe

The lobe responsible for decision making, planning, judgment, movement, and personality.

Parietal Lobe

The lobe of the cerebral cortex responsible for processing physical sensations.

Temporal Lobe

The lobe responsible for hearing and face recognition.

Somatosensory Cortex

A strip in the parietal lobe that contains a map of the body's sensory receptors.

Motor Cortex

A strip in the frontal lobe that contains a map of the body's motor receptors.

Broca's Area

An area in the left frontal lobe that, if damaged, results in the inability to produce speech.

Wernicke's Area

An area in the left temporal lobe that, if damaged, results in the inability to comprehend speech.

Corpus Callosum

The bundle of nerves that connects the two hemispheres of the brain.

Brain Plasticity

The brain's ability to reorganize itself or 'heal' because it is malleable.

Monozygotic ($MZ$)

Identical twins who develop from a single fertilized egg.

Dizigotic ($DZ$)

Fraternal twins who develop from two separate fertilized eggs.

Pituitary Gland

The 'master gland' of the endocrine system, controlled by the hypothalamus, which releases growth hormones.

Adrenal Glands

Glands related to the sympathetic nervous system that release adrenaline.

EEG

A brain imaging technique that records general electrical activity in the brain.