AP Psychology Unit Final Exam Flashcards

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers that carry signals between neurons and other target cells.

Synapse

Gap between neurons

Parts of the nervous system

brain, spinal cord (CNS) nerves (PNS)

Reflex arc

the nerve pathway involved in a reflex action

brain imaging examples

MRI,EEG,PET,CT

Rods

Black/white vision, low light, peripheral vision

Sensory localization

The brain knows where the stimulus is on the body

Just Noticeable Difference

Smallest detectable difference between stimuli.

Peripheral Vision

Vision outside the direct line of sight.

Bottom up processing

Building up from basic details to a complex whole.

top-down processing

Using prior knowledge to understand new sensory information

Transduction

conversion of one form of energy into another.

Absolute threshold

the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus.

naturalistic observation

Observing behavior in a natural setting

Observer effect

People behave differently if they know they're being watched

Correlational study

Studies relationships not cause and effect

Independent variable

A variable that the researcher can manipulate

Dependent Variable

A variable that is measured

Experimental Group

Group that receives the treatment

Control Group

Group without treatment

Confounding Variable

Outside factor that affects results

Hawthorne effect

People change behavior when watched.

correlation coefficient

Number from -1 to +1 showing strength of the relationship

Mean

Average

Median

Middle number

Mode

most frequent number

Placebo effect

Results caused by expectations

Single blind study

Participants do not know who gets treatment

Double blind study

Neither the participants nor the researchers know who gets treatment

cones

Color vision, detail, bright light

Difference Threshold

Smallest change detected

Trichromatic Theory

Color vision from red, green, and blue cones

opponent process theory

Color pairs (red/green, blue/yellow)

Color blindness

Missing or malfunctioning cones

Place Theory

Pitch depends on where the sound hits the cochlea

Frequency Theory

Pitch depends on nerve firing rate

Pain

Body's response to tissue damage

Depth perception

the ability to see objects in three dimensions

Retinal Disparity

the differences between the images stimulating each eye

Gestalt Principles

Organizing sensory info into meaningful patterns

Perceptual constancy

Objects stay the same despite changes

Sensory Gating

The brain filters unnecessary information

Selective Attention

Focus on one thing

Divided Attention

multitasking

Habituation

Decreased response after repeated exposure

Adaptation

Senses adjust to constant stimuli

Somesthetic Senses

touch, pressure, temperature, pain

Kinesthetic Sense

Body position and movement

Vestibular Sense

Balance and head movement

Classical Conditioning

Learning by association

UCS

unconditioned stimulus

UCR

unconditioned response

CR

conditioned response

Operant Conditioning

Learning through rewards and punishments

Positive reinforcement

add something to increase behavior

Negative reinforcement

Remove something to increase behavior

Positive Punishment

Add something to decrease behavior

Negative punishment

Remove something to decrease behavior

Schedules of reinforcement

How often is behavior rewarded

Little albert

fear conditioning

Thorndike

Law of effect

Pavlov

classical conditioning with dogs

Skinner

Operant conditioning with rats

Latent Learning

Learning that occurs but cannot be expressed until later

Sleep deprivation

Reduced alertness, memory, mood

Alpha waves

Awake, relaxed

Beta waves

Awake, Alert

Theta waves

light sleep

Delta waves

Deep sleep

REM sleep

Dreaming; rapid eye movement

NREM sleep

non-rem sleep stages

Insomnia

Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep

Sleep apnea

Breathing interruptions during sleep.

Dreams

mental activity during sleep

Stimulants

increase CNS activity

Depressants

Decrease CNS activity

Hallucinogens

Alter perception

Barbiturates

Depressants used for anxiety/sleep