AP Psychology Unit One Part 1 - Vocabulary Review

These flashcards cover the key vocabulary from AP Psychology Unit One Modules 1, 2, and 3, focusing on historical figures, theoretical perspectives, and professional subfields.

Psychology

A science that seeks to answer questions about how and why we think, feel, and act as we do.

Curiosity

One of the $3$ key elements of the “Scientific Attitude” which involves seeking answers to questions.

Skepticism

One of the $3$ key elements of the “Scientific Attitude” which involves questioning facts.

Humility

One of the $3$ key elements of the “Scientific Attitude” which involves accepting that ideas might be wrong.

Critical Thinking

The process of evaluating information; it faces $3$ major roadblocks: hindsight bias, overconfidence, and perceiving patterns in random events.

Socrates and Plato

Philosophers who argued that knowledge is innate.

Aristotle

Philosopher who argued that knowledge is not preexisting but grows from experiences stored in memories.

Renee Descartes

Contributed to psychology with the idea of the separation of mind and body and nerve pathways, presenting ideas on behavioral psychology.

Empiricism

The idea that knowledge comes from experience, and that observation and experimentation enable scientific knowledge.

Wilhelm Wundt

Established the first psychology lab.

G. Stanley Hall

Established the first psychology lab in the U.S.

Edward Titchener

Introduced structuralism using introspection to reveal the structure of the human mind.

William James

A functionalist psychologist who built off Charles Darwin’s ideas.

Charles Darwin

Created the theory of evolution by natural selection.

Mary Whiton Calkins

A student of William James, distinguished memory researcher, and the first female president of the APA.

Margaret Floy Washburn

The first female PhD in psychology and the second female APA president.

John B. Watson

Followed Pavlov and solidified the study of classical conditioning within behaviorism.

BF Skinner

Psychologist who built on the ideas of John B. Watson regarding behaviorism.

Sigmund Freud

Explored psychodynamic psychology and the unconscious mind.

Carl Rogers

One of the founders of humanistic psychology.

Abraham Maslow

Associated with humanistic psychology and the Hierarchy of needs.

Structuralism

An early school of thought promoted by Wundt and Titchener, using introspection to reveal the structure of the human mind.

Introspection

The process of looking inward in an attempt to directly observe one’s own psychological process.

Functionalism

An early psychological perspective focusing on how mental and behavioral processes function.

Behaviorism

The view that psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental processes.

Humanistic Psychology

A historically significant perspective that emphasized human growth potential.

Psychoanalytic Psychology

Emphasizes the ways our unconscious mind and childhood experiences affect our behavior.

Cognitive Psychology

The study of mental processes and behavior by measuring outward behavior.

Cognitive Neuroscience

The study of mental processes and behavior by measuring inner biology, such as brain waves and blood flow.

Ivan Pavlov

Russian physiologist whose famous dog experiments pioneered studies in learning.

Jean Piaget

Swiss psychologist who established that children think through $4$ distinct, universal stages of cognitive development.

Nature

The biological and genetic blueprint inherited from parents.

Nurture

Every external and non-genetic influence on development.

Evolutionary Psychology

The study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection.

Behavior Genetics

The study of why people are different from one another.

evolutionary genetics

asks why people are similar.

Positive Psychology

The scientific study of human flourishing, with goals of improving virtues that help communities thrive.

Biopsychosocial approach

The analysis of human behavior and mental process through a framework including biology, psychology, and social-cultural influences.

Behavioral psychology

A perspective focusing on observable behaviors, such as being praised for a specific action and repeating it.

Biological psychology

A perspective focusing on brain anatomy, genetics, and hormones, such as anger triggered by high testosterone.

Cognitive psychology (perspective)

Focuses on internal mental processes like thinking or memories; for example, interpreting a situation as a sign of hatred.

Evolutionary psychology (perspective)

Focuses on how natural selection shaped behavior to aid survival, such as anger as a defense mechanism.

Humanistic psychology (perspective)

Focuses on individual potential, free will, and personal growth; views anger as a result of blocked fulfillment.

Psychodynamic psychology

Focuses on unconscious drive, childhood trauma, and defense mechanisms.

Social-Cultural psychology

Focuses on how situations and cultural contexts influence behavior and thought, such as expressions of anger taught by family.

Testing Effect

Enhanced memory after retrieving, rather than simply rereading, information.

SQ3R Method

A study method involving Survey, Question, Read, Retrieve, and Review.

Cognitive Psychologist

Categorized under Basic Research; studies human perception, thinking, memory, language, and problem-solving.

Developmental Psychologist

Categorized under Basic Research; investigates psychological growth and age-related changes.

Educational Psychologist

Categorized under Basic Research; researches how people learn and the psychological processes involved in education.

Experimental Psychologist

Categorized under Basic Research; conducts research on basic processes like sensation, perception, and motivation.

Psychometric Psychologist

Categorized under Basic Research; focuses on the math and statistics behind psychological tests and measurements.

Social Psychologist

Categorized under Basic Research; examines how individual thoughts and behaviors are influenced by social environments.

Forensic Psychologist

Categorized under Applied Research; applies psychology to legal issues.

Environmental Psychologist

Categorized under Applied Research; studies interactions between individuals and their environment.

Health Psychologist

Categorized under Applied Research; examines how biological, social, and psychological factors influence health.

Industrial-Organizational Psychologist

Categorized under Applied Research; studies behavior in workplaces to optimize productivity.

Neuropsychologist

Categorized under Applied Research; investigates relationships between brain processes and human behavior, such as neurological disorders.

Rehabilitation Psychologist

Categorized under Applied Research; assists individuals with chronic illness or physical disabilities to adapt.

School Psychologist

Categorized under Applied Research; supports students’ learning, health, and academic success.

Sport Psychologist

Categorized under Applied Research; enhances athletic performance, motivation, and teamwork.

Clinical Psychologist

Categorized under Helping Professions; diagnoses and treats mental disorders.

Community Psychologist

Categorized under Helping Professions; designs programs to improve community well-being and prevent social problems.

Counseling Psychologist

Categorized under Helping Professions; helps others cope with personal and social life changes.