AP Psych (MID TERM REVIEW) Flashcards
Psychology
the scientific study of behaviors and cognitive activities and the application of that knowledge to real or practical situations
Behavior
(easilt observable, measurable)
cognitive activity
(internal, not easilt observable or measurable)
Goals of psychologists
- Observe behavior
- Describe behavior
- Understand behavior
- Predict behavior
- Control behavior
clinical psychologist
most severe, esp. hospitalized/institutionalized
counseling psychologist
less severe, usually temporary or more easily managed
consumer
buying, selling, etc
school
issues as they impact the educational experience of individuals or small groups
educational
policies and programs as they are implemented system-wide, state-wide, etc
industrial/organizationa
worker productivity, morale, workplace efficiency, etc
health
physical and mental well-being of an individual
developmental
progress through various stages of development (not just childhood)
forensic
esp. issues of a criminal nature, witness sanity/testimony, etc
sport
in particular with professional sports; how issues such as stress, performance anxiety, etc impact, performance, self image, etc
biological
genes, heredity, hormones, etc
cognitive
mental processes, perceptions, interpretations, etc; mind as a computer model
humanistic
individual experiences
social learning
what we see in our families, peer groups, society, etc
sociocultural
values, behaviors, traditions of family, religion, gender, socioeconomic group, etc
psychoanalytic
hidden urges or desires (IE, Freud, sex and aggression); importance of unconscious, dream analysis, etc
Pre-research
-make observation(s)
-form a research question
Research
-choose and carry out procedure
-calculate and interpret results
-draw conclusions
hypothesis
(= educated guess, your anticipated answer to research question)
gather data
(= raw numbers)
Post-research
-revise (if necessary)
-replicate (= do it over again)
observations
Naturalistic: Takes place in the natural environment where the behavior normally occurs.
Laboratory Observation: Takes place in a controlled and artificial environment (laboratory).
interview
Formal Interview: typically takes place in a structured and organized environment.
Informal Interview: Can occur in a casual and relaxed environment.
Advantages: Provides a comfortable atmosphere for open conversation.
survey
Gathers information through questionnaires or interviews.
longitudinal study
Observes and collects data from the same subjects over an extended period.
case study
Examines a specific individual, group, or situation in-depth
cross-sectional study
Collects data from participants at a single point in time.
correlational study
Investigates relationships between variables.
experiment
Manipulates variables to establish cause-and-effect relationships.
Confounding (extraneous) variables
Variables other than the independent variable that may influence the dependent variable, leading to inaccurate results.
Dependent
The variable that is observed and measured; its changes depend on the independent variable.
independent variables
The variable that is manipulated in an experiment to observe its effects on the dependent variable.
Experimental
Experimental group receives the experimental treatment.
Control group does not receive the experimental treatment, serving as a baseline for comparison.
confidentiality
Protecting participants’ privacy by keeping their information confidential.
informed consent
Participants must be informed about the study’s purpose and agree to participate voluntarily.
deception
Should be justified and include debriefing afterward.
Conditions for ethical deception: necessity, importance, no alternative.
placebos
Placebos are inactive substances used as a control in experiments.
placebo effect
Placebo effect is a psychological response to the belief that one is receiving treatment.
frequency distribution
A summary of how often different scores or values occur.
frequency polygon
a line graph of class frequency plotted against class midpoint.
histogram
a graph that shows the frequency of numerical data using rectangles/bars
scatterplot
shows the relationship between two quantitative variables measured for the same individuals.
mean
Average
median
Middle score
mode
Most frequently occurring score.
range
Difference between greatest and lowest
standard deviation
Average distance of scores from the mean.
correlation
Measures the strength and direction of a relationship between two variables
central nervous system
the brain and spinal cord
peripheral nervous system
consists of the nerves that branch out from the brain and spinal cord.
somatic NS
a subdivision of your peripheral nervous system, which is all of your nervous system except your brain and spinal cord.
autonomic NS
a component of the peripheral nervous system that regulates involuntary physiologic processes including heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, digestion, and sexual arousal.
sympathetic NS
( flight or fight response)
parasympathetic NS
(”cool down” system)
Single Blind
Participants are unaware of the treatment they receive.
Double Blind
Both participants and experimenters are unaware of who is in the experimental or control group.
Dendrites
Receive signals (chemical messages) from other neurons or sensory receptors.
Soma (Cell Body)
Contains the nucleus and maintains the cell’s basic functions.
Axon
Conducts electrical impulses away from the cell body toward other neurons or muscles
Myelin Sheath
Insulates and speeds up the transmission of nerve impulses along the axon.
Axon Terminals
Release neurotransmitters to transmit signals to other neurons or muscles
Neurotransmitters
Chemical messengers that transmit signals between neurons at synapses.
Frontal Lobe
Responsible for motor function, problem-solving, spontaneity, memory, language, initiation, judgment, impulse control, and social and sexual behavior.
Parietal Lobe
Processes sensory information it receives from the outside world, mainly relating to spatial sense and navigation.
Temporal Lobe
Involved in processing auditory information and is also important for the processing of semantics in both speech and vision.
Occipital Lobe
Primarily responsible for vision.
Corpus Callosum
Connects the two hemispheres of the brain, allowing communication between them
Cerebellum
Coordinates voluntary movements, balance, and posture
Hypothalamus
Regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, and other homeostatic mechanisms, as well as controls the pituitary gland
Thalamus
Acts as a relay station for sensory information, directing signals to the appropriate areas in the brain for further processing
Amygdala
Involved in the processing of emotions such as fear, anger, and pleasure.
Hippocampus
Plays a crucial role in the formation of new memories and is also associated with learning and emotions
Medulla
Regulates involuntary functions such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure.
Pituitary Gland
Often referred to as the “master gland,” controls other endocrine glands and regulates growth, metabolism, and reproduction.
Pineal Gland
Produces melatonin, influencing sleep-wake cycles and seasonal functions.
Thyroid Gland
Produces hormones that regulate metabolism, energy, and growth.
Ovaries (in females)
Produce estrogen and progesterone, regulating the menstrual cycle and influencing reproductive processes.
Testes (in males)
Produce testosterone, influencing male reproductive development and characteristics.
Absolute Threshold
the smallest level of energy required by an external stimulus to be detectable by the human senses, including vision, hearing, taste, smell and touch
aphasia (Broca’s, Wernicke’s)
difficulty understanding speech. People with Broca’s aphasia have damage that primarily affects the frontal lobe of the brain.
reticular activating system
mediate behavior
Facial agnosia
a condition where you have difficulty recognising people’s faces.
Left Hemisphere
The left hemisphere is often associated with logical reasoning and analytical thinking. It plays a key role in problem-solving and decision-making based on facts and details. Language processing, including speech production and comprehension, is typically localized in the left hemisphere. It is crucial for linguistic skills, such as speaking, reading, and writing.
Right Hemisphere
The right hemisphere is often linked to creativity and artistic expression. It plays a role in visual arts, imagination, and the ability to think outside the box.The right hemisphere is important for processing visual information and recognizing spatial relationships. It contributes to skills like spatial awareness and facial recognition.Spatial orientation, understanding spatial relationships, and navigating in three-dimensional space are functions associated with the right hemisphere.Mathematical reasoning and numerical processing are functions associated with the left hemisphere. It contributes to skills like arithmetic and problem-solving involving numbers.
Selective Attention
The ability to focus on specific stimuli while ignoring others.
Sensory Adaptation
The tendency of sensory receptors to become less responsive to a constant stimulus
Cornea
Focuses light entering the eye.
Iris
Regulates the size of the pupil, controlling the amount of light that enters the eye.
Pupil
Adjusts to regulate the amount of light entering the eye.
Lens
Adjusts its shape to focus images on the retina
Retina
Contains photoreceptor cells (rods and cones) that detect light and send signals to the brain
Optic Nerve
Transmits visual information from the retina to the brain.
Blind Spot
Area on the retina without photoreceptor cells where the optic nerve exits the eye.
