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AP Psychology > AP Psychology Exam Terms PART 1 > Flashcards

AP Psychology Exam Terms PART 1 Flashcards

All the vocab needed for the 2024 AP Psychology Exam on May 9.

1
Q

Structuralism

A

WILHELM WUNDT

Used INTROSPECTION (act of looking inward to examine mental experience) to determine the underlying STRUCTURES of the mind.

How does this structure of the brain cause this?

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2
Q

Functionalism

A

WILLIAM JAMES

Need to analyze the PURPOSE of the behavior.

Why is this part of the brain functioning that way?

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3
Q

Evolutionary

A

CHARLES DARWIN

Genes - anything passed down from generation to generation.

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4
Q

Humanistic

A

CARL ROGERS AND ABRAHAM MASLOW

Free will, choice, ideal, actualization.

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5
Q

Biological

A

CHARLES DARWIN

The Brian, Neurotransmitters.

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6
Q

Cognitive

A

JEAN PIAGET

Perceptions and thoughts.

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7
Q

Behavioral

A

JOHN B. WATSON, BF SKINNER, AND IVAN PAVLOV

Learned and reinforced.

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8
Q

Psychoanalytic/dynamic

A

SIGMUND FREUD

Unconscious, childhood.

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9
Q

Sociocultural

A

LEV VYGOTSKY

Society.

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9
Q

Experiment

A

An advantage is that the researcher controls variables to establish cause and effect.

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10
Q

Biopsychosocial

A

Combo of sociocultural and Psychoanalytic.

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11
Q

Independent Variable (IV)

A

Manipulated by the researcher

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12
Q

Experimental Group

A

Received the treatment (part of the IV)

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13
Q

Control Group

A

Placebo, baseline (part of the IV)

Control = Constant

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14
Q

Placebo Effect

A

Shows behaviors associated with the exp. group when having received placebo.

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15
Q

Double-Blind

A

Exp. where neither the participants or the experimenter are aware of which condition people are assigned to.

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16
Q

Dependent Variable

A

Measured variable (is DEPENDENT on the independent variable).

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17
Q

Operational Definition

A

Clear, precise, typically quantifiable definition of your variables - allows replication.

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18
Q

Confound

A

Error/flaw in study.

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19
Q

Random Assignment

A

Assigns participants to either control of experimental group at random - minimizes bias, increase chance of equal representation.

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20
Q

Random Sample

A

Method for choosing participants - minimizes bias

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21
Q

Reliability

A

Same results every time.

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22
Q

Naturalistic Observation

A

Observing people in their own setting. A disadvantage is NO CAUSE AND EFFECT.

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23
Q

Correlation

A

Advantage: identify the relationship between two variables.
Disadvantage: No Cause and Effect.

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24
Q

Inferential Statistics

A

Establishes significance (meaningfulness).

Significant Results = NOT due to chance.

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25
Q

Ethical Guidelines (APA)

A

Confidentiality, Informed Consent, Debriefing, Deception must be warranted.

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26
Q

Neuron

A

Basic cell of the NS.

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27
Q

Dendrites

A

Receive incoming signals from other cells.

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28
Q

Soma

A

The Cell Body (includes nucleus).

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29
Q

Axon

A

Passes messages away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands.

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30
Q

Myelin Sheath

A

Speeds up signal down axon

DISEASE IS MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

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31
Q

Terminals

A

Release Neurotransmitters - send signal onto the next neuron.

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32
Q

Synapse

A

The gap between neurons and also releases Neurotransmitters.

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33
Q

Action Potential

A

Movement of sodium and potassium ions across a membrane that sends an electrical charge down the axon.

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34
Q

All or none response/law

A

Stimulus must trigger the AP (action Potential) past its threshold, but does not increase the intensity of the response (flush the toilet).

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35
Q

Refractory Period

A

Neuron must rest and reset before it can send another AP (like a toilet resetting).

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36
Q

Sensory Neurons

A

Receive signals.

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37
Q

Motor Neurons

A

Send the signals.

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38
Q

Efferent Neurons

A

Signal exits.

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39
Q

Central Nervous System

A

Central Brain and Spinal Cord.

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40
Q

Peripheral Nervous System

A

The rest of the Nervous System.

41
Q

Somatic Nervous System

A

Voluntary Movement.

42
Q

Autonomic Nervous System

A

Involuntary Movement (heart, lungs, etc.).

43
Q

Neurotransmitters

A

Chemicals released in synaptic gap, received by neurons.

44
Q

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)

A

Major inhibitory Neurotransmitter. Slows down your brain by blocking specific signals in your central nervous system

45
Q

Glutamate

A

Major Excitatory Neurotransmitter.

Important to memory, cognition, and mood regulation.

46
Q

Dopamine

A

Reward and Movement. Lack = parkinson’s disease. Overabundance = schizophrenia.

47
Q

Serotonin

A

Moods and Emotion.

48
Q

Acetylcholine (ACh)

A

Memory. Lack leads to Alzheimer’s disease.

49
Q

Epinephrine & Norepinephrine

A

Sympathetic NS arousal.

50
Q

Endorphins

A

Pain control and happiness.

51
Q

Oxytocin

A

Love and bonding.

52
Q

Agonist

A

Drug that mimics a NT.

53
Q

Antagonist

A

Drug that blocks a NT.

54
Q

Reuptake

A

Unused NT’s are taken back up into the sending neuron.

55
Q

SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors)

A

Block Reuptake - treatment for depression.

56
Q

Hindbrain

A

Oldest part of the brain. Controls basic biological structures.

It is on top of our spinal cord.

57
Q

Cerebellum

A

Movement and balance.

58
Q

Medulla

A

Vital Organs (heart rate and breathing rate).

Just above the spinal cord.

59
Q

Pons

A

Located above the Medulla and connects hindbrain with the midbrain and forebrain.

It is involved with facial expressions and sleep/arousal (ponzzzzzzz).

60
Q

Midbrain

A

Coordinates simple movements with sensory information.
Most important structure.
Reticular formation: attention.

61
Q

Forebrain

A

What makes us human.
It is the largest part of the brain.
Made up of the Thalamus, Limbic System and Cerebral Cortex. Higher thought processes.

62
Q

Cerebellum

A

Bottom rear of the brain.
- means “little brain”
- coordinates fine muscle movements

63
Q

Limbic System

A

Processes and regulates emotion and memory while also dealing with sexual stimulation and learning.

64
Q

Amygdala

A

Emotions, fear.

65
Q

Hippocampus

A

Memory.

66
Q

Thalamus

A

“Relay Center”
- received signals from the spinal cord and sends them to other parts of the forebrain.

67
Q

Hypothalamus

A

Reward/pleasure center, eating behaviors.
MOST POWERFUL.
LINKED WITH ENDOCRINE SYSTEM.

68
Q

Broca’s Area and Broca’s Aphasia

A

Area: Responsible for controlling muscles that produce speech.

Aphasia: Inability to produce speech (Broca = Broken speech).

69
Q

Wernicke’s Area and Wernicke’s Aphasia

A

Area: Interprets written and spoken speech.

Aphasia: Inability to comprehend speech (Wernicke’s = “what?”).

70
Q

Cerebral Cortex

A

Outer portion of the brain - higher order thought processes.

71
Q

Occipital Lobe

A

Located in the back of the head - vision.

72
Q

Frontal Lobe

A

Decision making, planning, judgment, movement, and personality.

73
Q

Parietal Lobe

A

Located on the top of the head - sensations.

74
Q

Temporal Lobe

A

Located on the sides of the head (temples) - hearing and face recognition.

75
Q

Somatosensory Cortex

A

Map of our sensory receptors - in parietal lobe.

76
Q

Motor Cortex

A

Map of our motor receptors - located in the frontal lobe.

77
Q

Corpus Callosum

A

Bundle of nerves that connect the 2 hemispheres - sometimes severed in patients with severe seizures - leads to “split-brain patients.”

Brain Lateralization can “fill in” the severed part unconsciously.

78
Q

ENDOCRINE System

A

Sends hormones throughout the body.

79
Q

Pituitary Gland

A

Controlled by the hypothalamus, releases growth hormones.

80
Q

Adrenal Glands

A

Related to sympathetic NS: release adrenaline.

81
Q

Absolute Threshold

A

Detection of a signal 50% of time.

82
Q

Difference Threshold

A

(Also called a Just Noticeable Difference: JND and follows WEBER’s LAW) two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum proportion.

83
Q

Sensory Adaptation

A

Diminished sensitivity as a result of constant stimulation.

84
Q

Perceptual Set

A

Tendency to see something as part of a group - speeds up signal processing.

85
Q

Inattentional Blindness

A

Failure to notice something because you’re so focused on another task.

86
Q

Cocktail party effect

A

Noticing your name across the room when it’s spoken, when you weren’t previously paying attention.

SELECTIVE ATTENTION

87
Q

Cornea

A

Protects the eye.

88
Q

Pupil/Iris

A

Controls the amount of light entering eye.

89
Q

Lens

A

Focuses light on retina.

90
Q

Fovea

A

Ear of best vision (cones here).

91
Q

Rods

A

Black/white, dim light.

92
Q

Cones

A

Color, bright light.

93
Q

Bipolar Cells

A

Connects rods/cones and Ganglion cells.

94
Q

Ganglion cells

A

Opponent-processing occurs here.

95
Q

Blind spot

A

Occurs where the optic nerve leaves the eye.

96
Q

Feature Detectors

A

Specialized cells that see motion, shapes, lines, etc. (experiments by Hubel & Wiesel).

97
Q

Trichromatic

A

Three cones for receiving color (blue, red, green).

Explains color blindness - they are missing a cone type.

98
Q

Opponent Process

A

Complementary colors are processed in ganglion cells.

Explains why we see an after image.

99
Q

Visual Capture

A

The visual system overwhelms all others.

100
Q

Constancies

A

Recognize that objects do not physically change despite changes in sensory input.

101
Q

Phi Phenomenon

A

Adjacent lights blink on/off in succession - looks like movement.

AP Psychology (13 decks)

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