All Terms

Unit 0 - Science Practices


Confirmation Bias

Hindsight bias

Overconfidence

Independent vs. Dependent Variable

Random Assignment

Case Study

Correlation

Meta-Analysis

Naturalistic Observation

Hypothesis

Falsifiable Hypothesis

Operational Definitions

Confounding Variables / Third Variable Problem

Histogram

Scatterplot (Correlational Coefficient)

Central Tendency

Variation

Percentile Rank

Range

Standard Normal Curve (Percentages of distributions, Skewness, Bimodal Distribution)

Mean, Median, Mode, Range, Standard Deviation, and Percentile Rank in a set of data

Regression toward the mean occurs when more data is collected.

Population

Representative Sample, Random Sample, Convenience Sampling

Sampling Bias

Generalization

Experimental and Control Groups

Placebo

Single-Blind vs. Double-Blind

Experimenter Bias

Social Desirability Bias

Qualitative (Structured Interviews)

Quantitative Measures (Likert Scales)

Peer Review & Replication

Statistical Significance

Size of Sample and Statistical Significance

Correlation does NOT equal causation

Self-Report Bias

Social Desirability Bias

Institutional Review Board

Animal Research Ethical Standards

Human Ethical Research Standards: Informed Consent, Protection from Harm, Confidentiality, Deception/Confederates, Debriefing





Unit 1: Biological Bases of Behavior


1.1 - Interaction of Heredity and Environment

Heredity “Nature” versus Environmental factors “Nurture”

Evolutionary Perspective and Natural Selection (Eugenics)

Twin studies, family studies, and adoption studies


1.2 - Overview of Nervous System

Central Nervous System

Peripheral Nervous System

Autonomic and Somatic Nervous System

Somatic Nervous System


1.3 - The Neuron and Neural Firing

Neural Systems and Glial Cells

Spinal Cord Reflex / Reflex Arc:  Sensory Neurons, Motor Neurons, Interneurons

All or nothing principle, depolarization, refractory period, resting potential, reuptake and threshold

Multiple Sclerosis and Myasthenia Gravis


1.4 - The Brain

Brain Stem: Medulla, Reticular Activating System, Cerebellum

Cerebral Cortex: Hemispheres, Limbic System (Thalamus, Hypothalamus, Pituitary Gland, Hippocampus, Amygdala), Corpus Callosum, and Lobes of Cortex

Occipital Lobe

Temporal Lobe

Parietal Lobe (Somatosensory Cortex)

Frontal Lobe (Motor Cortex)

Split Brain Research (Corpus Callosum) 

Epilepsy

Broca’s Areas

Werenickes

Aphasia

Contralateral Hemispheric Organization

Brain Plasticity

EEG, fMRI, Lesioning

Neurotransmitters: Dopamine, Serotonin, Norepinephrine, Glutamate, GABA, Endorphins, Substance P and Acetylcholine

Excitatory / Inhibitory Messages

Hormones: Adrenaline, Leptin, Ghrelin, Melatonin and Oxytocin

Endocrine System: Pituitary Gland

Agonists and Antagonist

Stimulants:  Caffeine and Cocaine

Depressants: Alcohol

Hallucinogen:  Marijuana

Opioids:  Heroin

Psychoactive Drugs

Addiction

Withdrawal



1.5 - Sleep

Consciousness

Circadian Rhythm:  Jet Lag & Shift Work

EEG Waves Sleep Stages

NREM

Hyponogogic Sensation

REM:  Paradoxical Sleep, REM Deprivation & REM Rebound

Dream Theories:  Consolidation Theory, Activation-Synthesis

Effects of sleep deprivation

Sleep Disorders: Insomnia, narcolepsy, REM sleep behavior disorder, sleep apnea, and somnambulism


1.6 - Sensation

Sensation

Absolute Threshold

Just-Noticeable Difference (Weber’s Law)

Sensory Adaptation

Synesthesia

Sensory Interaction

Structures of Eye: Retina, Transduction, Blind Spot, Lens (Accommodation), Rods, Cones, Fovea, Ganglion Cells

Nearsightedness / Farsightedness

Trichromatic Theory

Opponent-Process Theory

Wavelength and Color

Afterimage Effect

Color Vision Deficiency

Prosopagnosia

Blindsight

Wavelengths vs Amplitude for vision and hearing

Theories of Hearing: place theory, volley theory, and frequency theory

Sound Localization

Conduction Hearing Loss

Sensorineural Deafness

Olfaction

Pheromones

Gustation & 6 Tastes:  Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter, Umami & Olegustus

Supertasters, Medium Tasters or Nontasters

Smell and Taste are connected, and both are chemical senses.

Hot = Warm & Cold skin receptor activation.

Gate Control Theory

Phantom Limb Sensations

Vestibular sense & Semicircular Canals

Kinesthesis







Unit 2: Cognition


2.1 - Perception

Perception

Bottom-Up Processing & Top-Down Processing

Schemas:  Assimilation & Accommodation

Perceptual Sets

Context, Experience, and Cultural Experiences on Perception

Gestalt Principles: Closure, Figure and Ground, Proximity and Similarity

Attention’s impact on internal and external processes.

Cocktail Party Effect

Inattentional Blindness

Change Blindness

Binocular Cues: Retinal Disparity & Convergence

Monocular Cues:  Relative Clarity, Relative Size, Texture Gradient, Linear Perspective, and Interposition

Perceptual Constancies:  Shape & Size 

Relative Motion


2.2 - Thinking, Problem-Solving, Judgments, and Decision Making

Concepts

Prototypes

Schemas:  Assimilation & Accommodation

Algorithms

Heuristics

Representative Heuristic

Availability Heuristic

Mental Set

Priming

Framing

Gambler’s Fallacy

Sunk-Cost Fallacy

Executive Functions

Creativity

Divergent vs. Convergent Thinking

Functional Fixedness


2.3 - Introduction to Memory

Explicit Memory: Episodic & Semantic

Implicit Memory: Procedural memory

Prospective Memory

Long-Term Potentiation

Working Memory Model: Central Executive, Phonological Loop and Visuospatial Sketchpad

Multi-store Model of Memory

Sensory: Iconic & Echoic Memory

Short Term Memory

Long-Term Memory

Automatic vs. Effortful Processing

Encoding, Storage & Retrieval

Level of Processing Model:  Structural, Phonemic & Semantic Encoding

2.4 - Encoding Memories

Encoding

Mnemonic Devices: Method of Loci

Chunking

Spacing Effect

Mass Practice vs. Distributed Practice

Serial Position Effect: Primacy Effect vs. Recency Effect


2.5 - Storing Memories

Memory: Sensory, Short-Term, Working and Long-Term 

Rehearsal & Elaborative Rehearsal help Retention

Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory

Amnesia: Retrograde, Anterograde & Infantile

Alzheimer’s Disease


2.6 - Retrieving memories

Retrieval Process

Recall vs. Recognition

Context-Dependent Memory

Mood-Congruent Memory

State-Dependent Memory

Testing-Effect

Meta-cognition


2.7 - Forgetting and Other Memory Challenges

Forgetting Curve

Encoding Failure

Interference:  Proactive & Retroactive

Inadequate Retrieval:  Tip of the Tongue

Repression 

Misinformation Effect

Source Amnesia

Constructive Memory:  Memory Consolidation & Imagination Inflation


2.8 - Intelligence and Achievement

IQ, IQ Testing & Bias

General Intelligence (G Factor) vs. Multiple Intelligences

Original Calculation:    Mental Age            x100

                                    Chronological Age

Psychometrics

Standardization vs. Factor Analysis

Validity

Reliability: Test-Retest & Split-Half

Stereotype Threat vs. Stereotyple Lift

Flynn Effect

Socio-cultural Bias, Poverty Discrimination, Educational Inequalities

Achievement Test vs. Aptitude Tests

Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset

Unit 3: Development & Learning


3.1 - Themes and Methods in Developmental Psychology

Developmental Psychology

Stability vs. Change

Nature vs. Nurture

Continuous vs. Discontinuous Stages of Development

Longitudinal vs. Cross-Sectional Study


3.2 - Physical Development Across the Lifespan

Teratogens

Rooting Reflex

Visual Cliff & Depth Perception

Critical / Sensitive Periods

Imprinting

Primary vs. Secondary Sex Characteristics

Menarche vs. Spermarche


3.3 - Gender & Sexual Orientation


3.4 - Cognitive Development Across the Lifespan

Jean Piaget

Schemas:  Assimilation & Accommodation

  1. Sensorimotor Stage: Mental Symbols, Pretend Play & Object Permanence

  2. Preoperational Stage: Conservation, Reversibility, Animism, Egocentrism, Theory of Mind

  3. Concrete Operational Stage: Logical, however, struggle with systematic thinking

  4. Formal Operational Stage: Hypothetical & Abstract Thinking

Lev Vygotsky & Zone of Proximal Development

Crystalized vs. Fluid Intelligence

Dementia


3.5 - Communication & Language Development

Language

Phonemes

Morphemes

Semantics

Grammar 

Syntax

Productive Language

Receptive Language

Language Development Stages: Cooing, Babbling, One-Word, Two-Word (Telegraphic Speech) 

Overgeneralization of Words & Grammar


3.6 - Social-Emotional Development Across the Lifespan

Ecological systems Theory:  Microsystems, Mesosystem, Exosystem, Macrosystem, Chronosystem

Parenting Styles: Authoritative, Authoritarian and Permissive

Attachment Styles: Secure vs. Insecure (Avoidant, Anxious, Disorganized)

Attachment Styles & Future Relationships

Temperament

Separation Anxiety

Harlow’s Monkey Experiment & Contact Comfort

Parallel Play and Pretend Play

Adolescent Egocentrism

Social Clock & Culture

Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory of Development:  Trust & Mistrust, Autonomy & Shame / Doubt, Initiative and Guilt, Industry and Inferiority, Identity and Role Confusion, Intimacy vs. Isolation, Generativity vs. Stagnation, Integrity & Despair

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Adolescent Sence of Identity:  Achievement, Diffusion, Foreclosure, and Moratorium


3.7 - Classical Conditioning

Behavioral Perspective of Learning

Acquisition

Associative Learning

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)

Unconditioned Response (UCR)

Conditioned Response (CR)

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

Neutral Stimulus (NS)

Proper Order of Conditioning

Extinction

Spontaneous Recovery

Stimulus Generalization vs. Stimulus Discrimination

Higher Order Conditioning

Emotions & Classical Conditioning

Counterconditioning & Therapy

Taste Aversions

Habituation vs. Sensory Adaptation


3.8 - Operant Conditioning

Reinforcement

Punishment

Law of Effect

Positive Reinforcement vs. Negative Reinforcement

Positive Punishment vs. Negative Reinforcement

Primary vs. Secondary Reinforcers

Reinforcement Discrimination and Reinforcement Generalization

Shaping

Instinctive Drift

Superstitious Behavior

Learned Helplessness

Schedules of Reinforcement: Partial vs. Continuous

Fixed Ratio vs. Fixed Interval

Variable Ratio vs. Variable Interval





3.9 - Social, Cognitive & Neurological Factors in Learning

Social Learning Theory

Vicarious Conditioning

Insight Learning

Latent Learning

Cognitive Maps


Unit 4: Social Psychology & Personality


4.1 - Attribution Theory and Person Perception

Attributions:  Dispositional Attributions vs. Situational Attributions

Explanatory Style: Optimistic vs. Pessimistic

Bias in Attributions: Actor/Observer Bias, Fundamental Attribution Error, Self-Serving Bias

Mere Exposure Effect

Self-fulfilling Prophecy

Social-Comparison (upward / downward)

Relative-Deprivation


4.2 - Attitude Formation and Attitude Change

Stereotype

Attitudes

Prejudice

Discrimination

Implicit Attitudes vs. Explicit Attitudes

Just World Phenomenon

Out-Group Homogeneity Bias

In-Group Bias

Ethnocentrism

Belief Perseverance

Confirmation Bias

Cognitive Dissonance vs. Cognitive Consistency


4.3 - Psychology of Social Situations

Social Norms

Social Influence Theory:  Normative or Informational

Persuasion Techniques:  Central vs. Peripheral Route to Persuasion 

Halo Effect (Type of Peripheral Route)

Foot-in-the-Door Technique

Door-in-the Face Technique

Conformity

Obedience & Authority

Individualism vs. Collectivism vs. Multiculturalism

Group Polarization vs. Group Think

Diffusion of Responsibility vs. Social Loafing

Deindividualism

Social Facilitation

False Consensus Effect

Superordinate Goals vs. Social Trap

Industrial Organizational (I/O) Psychologists

Altruism

Social Responsibility Norm vs. Social Reciprocity Norm

Bystander Effect vs. Diffusion of Responsibility vs. Social Loafing