Theories to know for AP Psych

Weber’s Law

Just noticeable difference in perception.

Young-Helmholtz Color Theory

Color determined by activity in red, blue, or green sensitive cones.

Opponent-Process Color Theory

Color information is organized into three antagonistic pairs.

Place Theory

Perceived pitch relates to the region of the cochlea stimulated.

Frequency Theory

Pitch relates to the frequency of sound waves and neuron firing.

Template-Matching Theory

Recognition based on stored copies of patterns.

Prototype-Matching Theory

Recognition involves comparison to the best example, or prototype.

Feature-Analysis Theory

Patterns are recognized by their distinctive features.

Facial Feedback Hypothesis

Sensations from the face help determine emotions.

Hull’s Drive-Reduction Model

Motivation arises out of needs.

Cognitive Consistency Theory

Cognitive inconsistencies create tension and motivate change.

Festinger’s Cognitive Dissonance Theory

Reconcile cognitive discrepancies.

Arousal Theories

We strive to maintain optimal levels of stimulation.

Yerkes-Dodson Law

Arousal increases performance up to a point, then impairs it.

Incentive Theory

Behavior is pulled by rewards rather than pushed by needs.

James-Lange Theory

Emotion is caused by bodily changes.

Cannon-Bard Thalamic Theory

Emotions are caused by simultaneous bodily changes and thoughts.

Schachter’s Cognitive-Physiological Theory

Emotion is a result of bodily changes, current stimuli, and memories.

Thorndike’s Law of Effect

Reward and punishment influence behavior.

Premack Principle

High-probability behavior can reward low-probability behavior.

Serial Position Phenomenon

The position of items in a sequence influences recall.

Primacy Effect

Enhanced memory for items presented earlier in a sequence.

Recency Effect

Enhanced memory for items presented last in a sequence.

Decay Theory

Forgetting is caused by learning similar materials.

Proactive Interference

Old memories interfere with the recall of new ones.

Retroactive Interference

New memories interfere with the recall of old ones.

Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis

Language determines and limits our experiences.

Continuity vs. Discontinuity

Debate about the nature versus nurture in development.

Restorative Theory

We sleep to replenish our physical and mental resources.

Adaptive Nonresponding Theory

Sleep provides survival value.

Activation-Synthesis Hypothesis

Dreams are products of spontaneous neural activity.

Attribution Theory

How people infer causes of behavior, including personal and situational attributions.

Deindividuation

Loss of self-restraint due to anonymity.

Contact Theory

Equal-status contact reduces intergroup tension.

Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome

Stress response consists of Alarm, Resistance, and Exhaustion stages.

Lazarus’s Cognitive-Psychological Model

Stress is determined by primary and secondary appraisal.

Statistical Significance

Results are considered significant if less than 5% chance (p < .05).

Twin Studies

Research method to test the influence of heredity vs. environment.

Personal Construct Theory

Individuals have a unique system of reality formed through experiences.

Deinstitutionalization

Result of policy change and the introduction of new drug therapies.

Ainsworth’s Strange Situation

Study of attachment in young children to their parents.