Ap psych
1. Microsystem:
Your closest relationships—like your family, friends, and school. You interact directly with this group every day.
2. Mesosystem:
How the parts of your microsystem connect. Example: how your parents talk to your teachers.
3. Exosystem:
Places that affect you but you’re not directly in. Example: your parent’s job or the local government.
4. Macrosystem:
The big-picture stuff like culture, values, laws, and traditions that shape your life.
5. Chronosystem:
Time-based changes—like growing up during a pandemic or going through a family move.
6. Priming:
When something you see or experience gets your brain ready to think a certain way, even if you don’t notice it.
7. Sensorimotor Stage (0–2 years):
Babies learn by touching and moving. No object permanence yet (if a toy is hidden, it’s "gone"). Also, stranger anxiety begins.
8. Preoperational Stage (2–6/7 years):
Kids start using words/images but can’t yet do mental operations. They play pretend, are egocentric (can't see others' points of view), and don’t yet understand conservation (e.g., water volume stays the same in different glasses).
9. Concrete Operational Stage (7–12 years):
Start understanding logic, conservation, and math. Can mentally reverse things like 3 + 1 = 4, so 4 - 1 = 3.
10. Formal Operational Stage (12+ years):
Begin abstract thinking, moral reasoning, and thinking about hypothetical situations.
11. Theory of Mind:
Understanding that others have their own thoughts and feelings.
12. Scaffold:
Temporary support from adults to help kids reach higher thinking (like helping a kid climb a learning ladder).
13. Imprinting:
A strong, early bond—like baby ducks following the first thing they see.
14. Trust vs. Mistrust (0–1 yr):
If care is reliable, baby learns to trust.
15. Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt (1–3 yrs):
Kids want to do things by themselves. Encouragement builds confidence.
16. Initiative vs. Guilt (3–6 yrs):
Kids plan activities. If scolded, they feel guilty for trying.
17. Competence vs. Inferiority (6–puberty):
Kids learn skills or feel like they can’t succeed.
18. Identity vs. Role Confusion (teen–20s):
Figuring out who you are.
19. Intimacy vs. Isolation (20s–40s):
Finding close relationships or feeling alone.
20. Generativity vs. Stagnation (40s–60s):
Making a difference (family/work) or feeling stuck.
21. Integrity vs. Despair (60s+):
Looking back with pride or regret.
22. Unconditioned Stimulus (US):
Naturally causes a reaction (e.g., food makes a dog drool).
23. Neutral Stimulus (NS):
Doesn’t cause a reaction on its own (like a bell before training).
24. Unconditioned Response (UR):
The natural reaction (like drooling to food).
25. Conditioned Stimulus (CS):
The neutral stimulus after it's been paired (bell now makes dog drool).
26. Conditioned Response (CR):
The learned reaction (drooling to bell).
27. Fixed Ratio:
Reinforcement after a set number of responses (e.g., every 5th time).
28. Fixed Interval:
Reinforcement after a set amount of time (e.g., every 5 minutes).
29. Variable Ratio:
Reinforcement after an unpredictable number of responses (e.g., slot machines).
30. Variable Interval:
Reinforcement after an unpredictable amount of time.
31. Insight Learning:
A sudden "aha!" moment when solving a problem.
32. Repression:
Hiding painful memories.
33. Denial:
Refusing to believe reality.
34. Projection:
Blaming others for your feelings.
35. Displacement:
Taking out feelings on someone less threatening.
36. Rationalization:
Making excuses for bad behavior.
37. Sublimation:
Turning bad feelings into good actions (like art or exercise).
38. Reaction Formation:
Doing the opposite of what you feel.
40. Regression:
Acting like a younger child when stressed.
42. Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE):
We blame others’ behavior on who they are (personality) and ignore the situation.
Example: “They’re late because they’re lazy,” not “Maybe traffic was bad.”
43. Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon:
If someone agrees to a small request, they’re more likely to agree to a bigger one later.
44. Cognitive Dissonance:
Feeling uncomfortable when your actions don’t match your beliefs—so you change one to fix it.
Example: “I smoke, but I know it’s bad... maybe the science is wrong.”
45. Role:
A set of expectations (norms) about how people should behave in a social position.
46. Conformity:
Changing behavior to match the group, even if you don’t agree.
47. Obedience:
Following orders from an authority figure.
48. Social Facilitation:
You perform better at easy tasks when others are watching.
49. Social Loafing:
You put in less effort when you're in a group than when alone.
50. Deindividuation:
Losing your sense of self in a group—can lead to acting out of character.
Example: Rioting or cyberbullying anonymously.
51. Group Polarization:
Group discussions make people’s views more extreme.
52. Groupthink:
Group members try to maintain harmony, so they ignore alternatives or critical thinking.
53. Prejudice:
Unjustified attitude toward a group.
54. Discrimination:
Unjustified action toward a group.
55. Just-World Phenomenon:
Believing the world is fair, so people “get what they deserve.”
56. Ingroup Bias:
Favoring your own group over others.
57. Scapegoat Theory:
Blaming others (usually weaker groups) when things go wrong.
58. Mere Exposure Effect:
We tend to like things more the more we see them.
59. Bystander Effect:
People are less likely to help when others are around.
60. Diffusion of Responsibility:
More people around → less personal responsibility felt to act.
61. Social Exchange Theory:
We help others if the rewards outweigh the costs.
62. Reciprocity Norm:
We feel we should help someone if they’ve helped us.
63. Social-Responsibility Norm:
We should help people who need help, even if there's no benefit for us.