AP Psychology Exam Prep

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771 Terms

1

psychology

the scientific study of behavior and mental processes

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behavior

an observable action

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monism

seeing mind and body as different aspects of the same thing

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dualism

seeing mind and body as two different things that interact

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eclectic

use of techniques and ideas from a variety of approaches

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empiricism

the view that knowledge should be acquired through observation and often an experiment

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science

way of getting knowledge about the world based on observation

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theory

a collection of interrelated ideas and facts put forward to describe, explain, and predict behavior and mental processes

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9

scientific method

in psychology, the techniques used to discover knowledge about human behavior and mental processes

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10

hypothesis

a tentative statement or idea expressing a causal relationship between two events or variables that is to be evaluated in a research study

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experiment

a procedure in which a researcher systematically manipulates and observes elements of a situation in order to test a hypothesis and make a cause-and-effect statement

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12

independent variable

the variable in a controlled experiment that the experimenter directly and purposefully manipulates to see how the other variables under study will be affected

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dependent variable

the variable in a controlled experiment that is expected to change due to the manipulation of the independent variable

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experimental group

in an experiment, the group of participants to whom a treatment is given

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15

control group

subjects and not exposed to a changing variable in an experiment

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variable

a condition or characteristic of a situation or a person that is subject to change (it varies) within or across situations or individuals

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sample

a group of participants who are assumed to be representative of the population about which an inference is being made

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random sample

selection of a part of the population without reason; participation is by chance

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19

operational definition

a definition of a variable in terms of the set of methods or procedures used to measure or study that variable

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20

participant

an individual who takes part in an experiment and whose behavior is observed as part of the data collection process

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21

double-blind procedure

technique in which neither the persons involved for those conducting the experiment know in what group to participate is involved

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debriefing

a procedure to inform participants about the true nature of an experiment after its completion

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23

ethics

rules of proper and acceptable conduct that investigators use to guide psychological research

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24

ethnocentrism

tendency to believe that one's own group is the standard, the reference point by which other people and groups should be judged

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25

case study

a highly detailed description of a single individual or a vent

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26

ex post facto study

describes differences between groups of participants that differ naturally on a variable such as race or gender

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naturalistic observation

observing and recording behavior naturally without trying to manipulate and control the situation

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28

correlational research

establish the relationship between two variables

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29

survey research

the measurement of public opinion through the use of sampling and questioning

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30

experimenter bias

expectation of the person conducting an experiment which may be affect the outcome

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observer bias

expectations of an observer which may distort an authentic observation

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response bias

preconceived notions of a person answering [a survey] which may alter the experiments purpose

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informed consent

the agreement of participants to take part in an experiment and their acknowledgement that they understand the nature of their participation in the research, and have been fully informed about the general nature of the research, its goals, and methods

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normal distribution

approximate distribution of scores expected when a sample is taken from a large population, drawn as a frequency polygon that often takes the form of a bell-shaped curve, called the normal curve

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35

placebo

typically a pill that is used as a control in the experiment; a sugar pill

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36

pseudoscience

an unscientific system which pretends to discover psychological information that his means are unscientific or deliberately fraudulent

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representative sample

selection of a part of the population which mirrors the current demographics

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significant difference

in an experiment, a difference that is unlikely to have occurred because of chance alone and is inferred to be most likely due to the systematic manipulations of variables by the researcher

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self-fulfilling prophecy

when a researcher's expectations unknowingly create a situation that affects the results

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40

statistics

branch of mathematics that deals with collecting, classifying, and analyzing data

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41

descriptive statistics

general set of procedures used to summarize, condense, and describe sets of data

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42

frequency distribution

a chart or array of scores, usually arranged from highest to lowest, showing the number of instances for each score

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frequency polygon

graph of a frequency distribution that shows the number of instances of obtained scores, usually with the data points connect by straight lines

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44

measure of central tendency

a descriptive statistic that tells which result or score best represents an entire set of scores

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45

mean

the arithmetic average of a set of scores

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46

median

the measure of central tendency that is the data point with 50% of the scores above it and 50% below it

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47

mode

the most frequently occurring score in a set of data

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48

range

the spread between the highest and the lowest scores in a distribution

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49

correlation coefficient

a number that expresses the degree and direction of the relationship between 2 variables, ranging from -1 to +1

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50

inferential statistics

procedures used to draw conclusions about larger populations from small samples of data

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51

normal distribution

approximate distribution of scores expected when a sample is taken from a large population, drawn as a frequency polygon that often takes the form of a bell-shaped curve, called the normal curve

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52

standard deviation

a descriptive statistic that measures the variability of data from the mean of the sample

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variability

the extent to which scores differ from one another

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54

structuralism

school of psychological thought that considered the structure and elements of conscious experience to be the proper subject matter of psychology

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55

introspection

a person's description and analysis of what he or she is thinking and feeling or what he or she has just thought about

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56

functionalism

school of psychological thought that was concerned with how and why the conscious mind works

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psychoanalytic

perspective developed by freud, which assumes that psychological problems are the result of anxiety resulting from unresolved conflicts and forces of which a person might be unaware

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Gestalt psychology

school of psychological thought that argued that behavior cannot be studied in parts but must be viewed a s whole

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behaviorism

perspective that defines psychology as the study of behavior that is directly observable or through assessment instruments

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60

cognitive psychology

perspective that focuses on the mental processes involved in perception, learning, memory, and thinking

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61

humanistic psychology

perspective that emphasizes the uniqueness of the individual and the idea that humans have free will

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self-actualization

the human need to fulfill one's potential

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63

sociocultural psychology

perspective concerned with how cultural differences affect behavior

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64

evolutionary psychology

perspective that seeks to explain and predict behaviors by analyzing how the human brain developed over time, how it functions, and how input from the environment affects human behaviors

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positive psychology

in emerging Theo psychology that focuses on positive experiences; includes subjective well-being, self-determination, the relationship between positive emotions and physical health, and the factors that allow individuals, communities, and societies to boorish

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psychologist

professional who studies behavior and uses behavioral principles in scientific research or in applied settings

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clinical psychologist

psychologist who treats people serious psychological problems or conducts research into the causes of behavior

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counseling psychologist

psychologist who treats people with adjustment problems

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psychiatrist

a medical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders

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70

psychoanalyst

one who uses psychoanalysis to treat psychological problems

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71

developmental psychologist

studies psychological development across the lifespan

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educational psychologist

focuses on how effective teaching and learning take place

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engineering psychologist

does research on how people function best with machines

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forensic psychologist

applies psychological concepts to legal issues

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health psychologist

focuses on psychological factors in illness

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industrial/organizational psychologist

applies psychological principles to the workplace to improve productivity and the quality of work life

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neuropsychologist

concerned with the relationship between brain/nervous system and behavior

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psychometrician

focuses on methods of acquiring and analyzing data

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school psychologist

assesses and counsels students, consults with educators and parents, and performs behavioral intervention when necessary

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social psychologist

focuses on how the individual's behavior and mental processes are affected by interactions with other people

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sports psychologist

helps athletes improve their focus, increase motivation, and deal with anxiety and fear of failure

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82

confounding variable

anything that causes a difference between the IV and the DV other than the independent variable

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83

demand characteristics

clues participants discover about the purpose of a study that suggest how they should respond

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84

placebo effect

response to the belief that the IV will have an effect, rather than the IV's actual effect, which can be a confounding variable

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85

percentile score

the percentage of scores at or below a certain score

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86

refractory period

after firing when a neuron will not fire again no matter how strong the incoming message may be

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87

acetylcholine (ACh)

neurotransmitter that causes contraction of skeletal muscles; lack of Ach linked with Alzheimer's disease;

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88

action potential

an electrical current sent down the axon of a neuron and is initiated by the rapid reversal of the polarization of the cell membrane

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89

ACTH (arenocorticotropic hormone)

released by adrenal glands; triggered by norepinephrine to prolong the response to stress (used in the sympathetic nervous system)

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adrenal glands

endocrine glands located above the kidney and secretes epinephrine and norepinephrine, which prepare the body for "fight or flight"

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91

afferent neuron

nerve cell that sends messages to brain or spinal cord from other parts of the body; also called sensory neurons

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92

all-or-none principle

the law that the neuron either fires at 100% or not at all

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93

amygdala

part of the limbic system; influences emotions such as aggression, fear, and self-protective behaviors

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94

aphasia

inability to understand or use language

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95

association areas

areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions, rather, they are involved in higher mental processes such as thinking, planning, and communicating

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96

autonomic nervous system

a division of the peripheral nervous system that regulates involuntary functions; made up of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems

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97

axon terminal

terminal button, synaptic knob; the structure at the end of an excellent terminal branch; houses the synaptic vesicles and neurotransmitters

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axon

a single long, fiber that carries outgoing messages to other neurons, muscles, or glands

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99

behavioral genetics

study of hereditary influences and how it influences behavior and thinking

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brain

portion of the CNS above the spinal cord; consists of hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain

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