AP Psychology Review: Comprehensive Cram Packet

A comprehensive set of practice flashcards covering all major pillars of psychology including research design, biological bases, cognition, development, learning, social psychology, and clinical disorders/treatment.

What is the requirement for a hypothesis to be valid in research design?

It must be a tentative explanation that is FALSIFIABLE (able to be supported or rejected).

What are operational definitions and why are they important?

They are clear, precise, quantifiable definitions of variables that allow for replication and the collection of reliable data.

Why is correlation not considered causation?

Because of the directionality problem (not knowing which variable causes the other) and the 3rd variable problem (where a different variable is responsible for the relationship).

Which group in an experiment receives the treatment or is part of the Independent Variable (IV)?

The Experimental Group.

What statistical value indicates statistical significance, meaning results are not due to chance?

p < .05 (the smaller the value, the better).

In a negatively skewed distribution, where are the mean and mode located?

The mean is to the left (negative side) and the mode is to the right.

What is the difference between a random sample and random assignment?

Random samples allow for generalizability to the population, while random assignment allows for the determination of cause and effect between groups.

Which branch of the Autonomic Nervous System is responsible for the 'fight or flight' response?

The Sympathetic Nervous System (which generally activates, except for digestion).

What is the charge of a neuron's resting potential?

$-70\,mv$.

What does the 'All-or-nothing principle' dictate regarding neural firing?

The stimulus must trigger the Action Potential (AP) past its threshold, but it does not increase the intensity or speed of the response.

Which neurotransmitter is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter?

GABA.

What are the specific functions and locations of Broca's Area and Wernicke's Area?

Broca's Area (Left Frontal Lobe) involves speech production; Wernicke's Area (Left Temporal Lobe) involves speech comprehension.

What is the function of the Cerebellum?

It handles movement, balance, coordination, and procedural memory.

Which hormone is known for inducing sleep?

Melatonin.

What is the difference between an agonist and an antagonist drug?

An agonist mimics a neurotransmitter, while an antagonist blocks a neurotransmitter.

What is the 'paradoxical' nature of REM sleep?

The heart rate and brain are active, but the body is relaxed/paralyzed.

What does Weber’s Law state about stimulus detection?

Two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum proportion for a person to tell the difference.

What is the Gate-control theory of pain?

It suggests we have a 'gate' that controls how much pain is experienced, involving both mental and physical factors.

What is the difference between the Availability Heuristic and the Representative Heuristic?

Availability is making a judgment based on the first thing that pops into your head; Representative is making a judgment based on experience or stereotypes.

What are the three levels of processing in memory encoding?

Structural (shallow, physical), Phonemic (intermediate, sound), and Semantic (deep, meaning).

What is the storage capacity and duration of Short Term Memory (STM)?

It lasts approximately $30\,\text{seconds}$ and can hold $7 \pm 2$ items.

What is Proactive Interference?

When OLD information blocks the retrieval of NEW information.

What formula was used in the first IQ tests to calculate the traditional IQ score?

$\frac{\text{Mental Age}}{\text{Chronological Age}} \times 100$ (where $100$ is average).

According to Jean Piaget, what characterizes the Pre-operational Stage ($2-7\,\text{years}$)?

Pretend play, egocentrism, and a lack of conservation and reversibility.

In Harry Harlow's 'Monkey experiments,' what was found to be more important for attachment than feeding?

Contact comfort.

What are the four components of Classical Conditioning?

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS), Unconditioned Response (UCR), Conditioned Stimulus (CS), and Conditioned Response (CR).

What is the difference between Negative Reinforcement and Positive Punishment?

Negative Reinforcement takes away something bad to increase a behavior; Positive Punishment adds something bad to decrease a behavior.

Which operant conditioning reinforcement schedule is the most resistant to extinction?

Variable schedules (Variable Ratio and Variable Interval).

What is the Fundamental Attribution Error?

The tendency to blame a person's internal disposition (personality) for their behavior while failing to consider the situation.

What are the 'Big Five' personality traits (OCEAN)?

Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.

What are the three phases of Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)?

Alarm (shock/fight/flight), Resistance (immune enhancement/coping), and Exhaustion (body gives up/sickness).

What are the positive and negative symptoms of Schizophrenia?

Positive (added): Hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized speech. Negative (taken away): Flat affect and catatonic stupor.

What is the primary side effect of long-term anti-psychotic medication use?

Tardive Dyskinesia (hand tremors due to lack of dopamine).

What is Cognitive Restructuring?

A treatment method where the client learns to identify disordered thinking and change it.