AP Psychology

All units flashcards

Behavioral Perspective

Unit 0 (7 Perspectives)

Focuses on observable behaviors. Does not deal with thoughts or unobservable influences.

Biological Perspective

Unit 0 (7 Perspectives)

Focuses on the biological underpinnings of behavior, such as genetics, brain structures, and neurochemical processes.

Cognitive Perspective

Unit 0 (7 Perspectives)

Focuses on mental processes such as perception, memory, and problem-solving, examining how people think and process information.

Socio-cultural Perspective

Unit 0 (7 Perspectives)
Focuses on how social and cultural factors influence behavior and mental processes, including norms, values, and interactions with others.

Evolutionary Perspective

Unit 0 (7 Perspectives)

Focuses on how natural selection and adaptation influence behavior, highlighting the role of evolution in shaping psychological traits.

Psychodynamic Perspective

Unit 0 (7 Perspectives)

Focuses on how unconscious drives and conflicts shape behavior and personality, emphasizing the influence of early childhood experiences. Sigmund Freud. Weird, not what happens at all.

Humanistic Perspective

Unit 0 (7 Perspectives)

Emphasizes the growth potential of healthy people. All about good, positive.

Handsight Bias

Unit 0 (Research Methods - cognitive errors)

Thinking you predicted an outcome AFTER it happens.

Overconfidence

Unit 0 (Research Methods - cognitive errors)

People overestimate their knowledge and abilities.

Barnum Effect

Unit 0

People accept very general or vague characterizations of themselves as accurate. Ex: Fortune Telling

Theory

Unit 0 (The Scientific Method)

Big organized idea/framework. Ex: Big Bang, Evolution.

Hypothesis

Unit 0 (The Scientific Method)

Testable prediction, usually from theory. Must be able to prove false, testable.

Operational Definition

Unit 0

Definition of procedures in a study. Defines/explains how variables will be measured. Ex: Numbers, time.

Replication

Unit 0

Repeating a previous research study. Helps confirm results.

The Case Study

Unit 0

Atypical individuals.

Naturalistic Observation

Unit 0

Observing in nature w/o interfering.

The Survey

Unit 0

Tool of research for correlational studies. Ex: Self-report, population, sample.

Random Sampling

Unit 0

Random to avoid bias.

Convenience Sampling

Unit 0

Easy but biased.

Representative Sample

Unit 0

Sample must represent the whole population you study.

Wording Effects

Unit 0

The wording can change answers.

Correlation

Unit 0

A measure of how much 2 factors change together, does not predict causation.

Correlation Coefficient: Tells us how strong the relationship is

Illusory Correlation

Unit 0

Illusion, fake correlation.

Experiment

Unit 0

Determines cause and effect by manipulating 1 factor and controlling all other influences.

Independent Variable

Unit 0

What is manipulated (changed).

Dependent Variable

Unit 0

What is measured (depends).

Cofounding Variable

Unit 0

Variable other than IV that may affect results

Experimental Group

Unit 0

Receives the treatment.

Control Group

Unit 0

Does not receive the treatment. (May get a placebo)

Random Assignment

Unit 0

Randomly choose experiment and control groups. Eliminates alternative explanations. Reduces the influence of cofounding variables. Different from random sample.

Single-blind Procedure

Unit 0

Participants don’t know if they have treatment.

Double-blind Procedure

Unit 0

Neither researchers or participants know who has treatment. Reduces experimenter bias. (Cofounding variable)

Placebo Effect

Unit 0

Results caused by expectation. Expecting it makes it happen. (DB controls placebo effect)

Quantitative Research

Unit 0

Data based, uses numbers, data, objective scales.

Qualitative Research

Unit 0

Narrative based. Relies on observations, descriptions, interviews, etc. (No numbers)

Histogram

Unit 0

A bar graph with %.

Mean

Unit 0

Arithmetic average. Commonly used for data analysis.

Median

Unit 0

Middle score.

Mode

Unit 0

Occurs the most.

Skewed Distribution

Unit 0

Uneven. Heavy on one end.

Range

Unit 0

Subtract lowest data point from highest.

Standard Deviation

Unit 0

Tells you how much variety of scores there are around mean. Are they together or clustered? More clustered together = more reliable.

Normal Distribution

Unit 0

The mean, median, and mode are all the same.

Distributions; Positive & Negative

Unit 0

Outliers skew distributions.
If group has one high score, the curve has a positive skew (contains more low scores).
If a group has a low outlier, the curve has a negative skew (contains more high scores).

Inferential Statistics

Unit 0

Where we can use data gathered from descriptive statistic studies and apply it to the whole population.

Statistical Significance: <5% odds that results are due to change. It means our results were good.

Meta-Analysis

Unit 0

Research method that analyzes the results of many previous studies on the same variables. Crunch data to see if there’s a trend.

Bias

Unit 0

Showing an unfair favorable attitude.

Experimenter Bias

Unit 0

Experimenter treats groups differently to confirm hypothesis.

Self-report Bias

Unit 0

When participants have to report their own thoughts, feelings, etc.

Social Desirability Bias

Unit 0

Answering questions in a way to be viewed favorably.

Hawthorne Effect

Unit 0

Just the fact that you know you are in an experiment can cause change.

Validity

Unit 0

Does the study measure what it’s supposed to?

Ethics in Animal Research

Unit 0

Minimize harm - infection, illness, pain. Only harm when there’s no alternative.

Ethics in Human Research

Unit 0

• Informed Consent: Must tell participants enough so they can choose if they want to participate

• Protect from harm and discomfort

• Maintain confidentiality

• Debriefing: After experiment, must explain purpose and any deceptions used

Internal Review Board

Unit 0

Made of panel. Oversees studies and approves them. Makes sure they are ethical.

Directionality Problem

Unit 0

Which direction does the correlation go?

3rd Variable Problem

Unit 0

Different variable is responsible for relationship

Positive Correlation

Unit 0

Variables increase & decrease together.

Negative Correlation

Unit 0

As one variable increases the other decreases.

Bimodal

Unit 0

Has two modes - usually indicates good bad scores.

NT

Unit 1

Neurotransmitter

AP

Unit 1

Action Potential

NS

Unit 1

Nervous System

Evolutionary Psych

Unit 1

Study how natural selection influences behavior.

Heredity (Nature)

Unit 1

How genes influence your behavior

Environment (Nurture)

Unit 1

How outside situations influence your behavior (school).

NATURE VS. NURTURE: ANSWER IS BOTH

Unit 1

• Twin/Adoption Studies:

• Genetics: Identical twin will have a higher percentage of also developing a disease

• Environment: Identical twins raised in different environments show differences

Central Nervous System

Unit 1

Brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral Nervous System

Unit 1

Rest of the NS - relays to Central NS.

Somatic Nervous System

Unit 1

Voluntary movement, has sensory and motor neurons.

Autonomic Nervous System

Unit 1

Involuntary organs (heart, lungs, etc) - contains sympathetic NS, parasympathetic NS.

Sympathetic Nervous System

Unit 1

Fight/flight (generally activates - exception digestion)

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Unit 1

Rest/digest (generally inhibits - exception digestion)

Neuron

Unit 1

Basic cell of the NS.

Dendrites

Unit 1

Receive incoming NTs (spamming phone).

Axon

Unit 1

Carry signals away from the cell body.

Myelin Sheath

Unit 1

Speeds up AP down axon, protects axon.

Synapse

Unit 1

Gap between neurons.

Sensory Neurons

Unit 1

Receive sense signals from environment - signals to move - send signals from brain.

Motor Neurons

Unit 1

Cells in spinal cord/brain responsible for reflex arc

• Reflex arc - important stimuli skips the brain and routes through the spinal cord for immediate reactions (hand on a hot flame).

GLIA

Unit 1

Support cells - give nutrients and clean up around neurons.

Neurons Fire with an Action Potential

Unit 1

Ions move across membrane sends an electrical charge down the axon.

Resting Potential

Unit 1

Neuron maintains a -70mv charge when not doing anything.

Depolarization

Unit 1

Charge of neuron briefly switches from negative to positive - triggers the AP.

Threshold of Depolarization

Unit 1

Stimulus strength must reach this point to start the AP.

All or nothing principle

Unit 1

Stimulus must trigger the AP past its threshold, but does not increase the intensity or speed of the response (flush the toilet).

Refractory Period

Unit 1

Neuron must rest and reset before it can send another AP (toilet resets).

Neurotransmitters (NT)

Unit 1

Chemicals released in synaptic gap, received by neurons. Classified as excitatory (increase APs in other neurons) or inhibitory (decrease APs).

GABA

Unit 1

(NT) Major inhibitory NT - helps manage stress, anxiety, and fear by preventing nervous system overactivity, while also playing key roles in regulating sleep, focus, and motor control.

Glutamate

Unit 1

(NT) Major excitatory NT (glutes excite you!) Stimulates neurons to send signals.

Dopamine

Unit 1

(NT) Reward (short term) & fine movement - in hypothalamus, associated with addiction.

Serotonin

Unit 1

(NT) Moods (long-term) emotion, sleep, in amygdala, too little associated with depression.

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Unit 1

(NT) Memory and movement - in hippocampus, associated with Alzheimer’s.

Norepinephrine

Unit 1

(NT) Sympathetic NS - too little associated with depression.

Endorphins

Unit 1

(NT) Decrease pain.

Substance P

Unit 1

(NT) Pain regulation (abnormality increases pain and inflammation).

Hormones

Unit 1

If not in the nervous system, it’s a hormone.

Oxytocin

Unit 1

Love, bonding, childbirth, lactation.

Adrenaline

Unit 1

Fight/flight

Leptin

Unit 1

Makes you full (stops hunger).