AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

AP Psychology AP Review Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
13906087327psychologythe study of behavior and mental processes0
13906087328psychology's biggest questionWhich is more important in determining behavior, nature or nurture?1
13906087329psychology's three levels of analysisbiopsychosocial approach (looks at the biological, psychological, and social-cultural approaches together)2
13906087330biological approachgenetics, close-relatives, body functions3
13906087331evolutionary approachspecies - helped with survival (ancestors)4
13906087332psychodynamic approach(Freud) subconscious, repressed feelings, unfulfilled wishes5
13906087333behavioral approachlearning (classical and operant) observed6
13906087334cognitive approachthinking affects behavior7
13906087335humanistic approachbecoming a better human (behavior, acceptance)8
13906087336social-cultural approachcultural, family, environment9
13906087337two reasons of why experiments are importanthindsight bias + overconfidence10
13906087338types of research methodsdescriptive, correlational, and experimental11
13906087339descriptive methodscase study survey naturalistic observation (DON'T SHOW CAUSE/EFFECT)12
13906087340case studystudies one person in depth may not be typical of population13
13906087341surveystudies lots of people not in depth14
13906087342naturalistic observationobserve + write facts without interference15
13906087343correlational methodshows relation, but not cause/effect scatterplots show research16
13906087344correlation coefficient+ 1.0 (both increase) 0 (no correlation - 1.0 (one increases, other decreases)17
13906087345experimental methoddoes show cause and effect18
13906087346populationtype of people who are going to be used in experiment19
13906087347sampleactual people who will be used (randomness reduces bias)20
13906087348random assignmentchance selection between experimental and control groups21
13906087349control groupnot receiving experimental treatment receives placebo22
13906087350experimental groupreceiving treatment/drug23
13906087351independent variabledrug/procedure/treatment24
13906087352dependent variableoutcome of using the drug/treatment25
13906087353confounding variablecan affect dependent variable beyond experiment's control26
13906087354scientific methodtheory hypothesis operational definition revision27
13906087355theorygeneral idea being tested28
13906087356hypothesismeasurable/specific29
13906087357operational definitionprocedures that explain components30
13906087358modeappears the most31
13906087359meanaverage32
13906087360medianmiddle33
13906087361rangehighest - lowest34
13906087362standard deviationhow scores vary around the mean35
13906087363central tendencysingle score that represents the whole36
13906087364bell curve(natural curve)37
13906087365ethics of testing on animalsneed to be treated humanly basically similar to humans38
13906087366ethics of testing on humansconsent debriefing no unnecessary discomfort/pain confidentiality39
13906087367sensory neuronstravel from sensory receptors to brain40
13906087368motor neuronstravel from brain to "motor" workings41
13906087369interneurons(in brain and spinal cord) connecting motor and sensory neurons42
13906087563neuron43
13906087370dendritesreceive messages from other neurons44
13906087371myelin sheathprotects the axon45
13906087372axonwhere charges travel from cell body to axon terminal46
13906087373neurotransmitterschemical messengers47
13906087374reuptakeextra neurotransmitters are taken back48
13906087375excitatory charge"Let's do it!"49
13906087376inhibitory charge"Let's not do it!"50
13906087377central nervous systembrain and spinal cord51
13906087378peripheral nervous systemsomatic nervous system autonomic nervous system52
13906087379somatic nervous systemvoluntary movements53
13906087380autonomic nervous systeminvoluntary movements (sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems)54
13906087381sympathetic nervous systemarousing55
13906087382parasympathetic nervous systemcalming56
13906087383neural networksmore connections form with greater use others fall away if not used57
13906087384spinal cordexpressway of information bypasses brain when reflexes involved58
13906087385endocrine systemslow uses hormones in the blood system59
13906087386master glandpituitary gland60
13906087387brainstemextension of the spinal cord responsible for automatic survival61
13906087388reticular formation (if stimulated)sleeping subject wakes up62
13906087389reticular formation (if damaged)coma63
13906087390brainstem (if severed)still move (without purpose)64
13906087391thalamussensory switchboard (does not process smell)65
13906087392hypothalamusbasic behaviors (hunger, thirst, sex, blood chemistry)66
13906087393cerebellumnonverbal memory, judge time, balance emotions, coordinate movements67
13906087394cerebellum (if damaged)difficulty walking and coordinating68
13906087395amygdalaaggression, fear, and memory associated with these emotions69
13906087396amygdala (if lesioned)subject is mellow70
13906087397amygdala (if stimulated)aggressive71
13906087398hippocampusprocess new memory72
13906087399cerebrumtwo large hemispheres perceiving, thinking, and processing73
13906087400cerebral cortexonly in higher life forms74
13906087401association areasintegrate and interpret information75
13906087402glial cellsprovide nutrients to myelin sheath marks intelligence higher proportion of glial cells to neurons76
13906087403frontal lobejudgement, personality, processing (Phineas Gage accident)77
13906087404parietal lobemath and spatial reasoning78
13906087405temporal lobeaudition and recognizing faces79
13906087406occipital lobevision80
13906087407corpus callosumsplit in the brain to stop hyper-communication (eliminate epileptic seizures)81
13906087408Wernicke's areainterprets auditory and hearing82
13906087409Broca's areaspeaking words83
13906087410plasticityability to adapt if damaged84
13906087411sensationwhat our senses tell us85
13906087412bottom-up processingsenses to brain86
13906087413perceptionwhat our brain tells us to do with that information87
13906087414top-down processingbrain to senses88
13906087415inattentional blindnessfail to "gorilla" because attention is elsewhere89
13906087416cocktail party effecteven with tons of stimuli, we are able to pick out our name, etc.90
13906087417change blindnessgiving directions and person is changed and we don't notice91
13906087418choice blindnesswhen defending the choice we make, we fail to notice choice was changed92
13906087419absolute thresholdminimum stimulation needed in order to notice 50% of the time93
13906087420signal detection theorywe notice what is more important to us (rather hear a baby crying)94
13906087421JND (just noticeable difference)(Weber's law) difference between different stimuli noticed in proportion95
13906087422sensory adaptationtired of noticing (Brain says, "Been there, done that. Next?"96
13906087423rodsnight time97
13906087424conescolor98
13906087425parallel processingnotice color, form, depth, movement, etc.99
13906087426Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory3 corresponding color receptors (RGB)100
13906087427Hering's opponent-process theoryafter image in opposite colors (RG, YB, WB)101
13906087428trichromatic + opponent-processYoung-Helmholtz -> color stimuli Hering -> en route to cortex102
13906087429frequency we hear mosthuman voice103
13906087430Helmoltz (hearing)we hear different pitches in different places in basilar membrane (high pitches)104
13906087431frequency theoryimpulse frequency (low pitches)105
13906087432Helmholtz + frequency theorymiddle pitches106
13906087433Skin feels what?warmth, cold, pressure, pain107
13906087434gate-control theorysmall fibers - pain large fibers - other senses108
13906087435memory of painpeaks and ends109
13906087436smellclose to memory section (not in thalamus)110
13906087437groupingGestalt make sense of pieces create a whole111
13906087438grouping groupsproximity similarity continuity connectedness closure112
13906087439make assumptions of placementhigher - farther smaller - farther blocking - closer, in front113
13906087440perception =mood + motivation114
13906087441consciousnessawareness of ourselves and the environment115
13906087442circadian rhythmdaily biological clock and regular cycle (sleep and awake)116
13906087443circadian rhythm pattern- activated by light - light sensitive retinal proteins signal brains SCN (suprachiasmatic nucleus) - pineal gland decreases melatonin117
13906087444What messes with circadian rhythm?artificial light118
13906087445The whole sleep cycle lasts how long?90 minutes119
13906087446sleep stagesrelaxed stage (alpha waves) stage 1 (early sleep) (hallucinations) stage 2 (sleep spindles - bursts of activity) (sleep talk) stage 3 (transition phase) (delta waves) stage 4 (delta waves) (sleepwalk/talk + wet the bed) stage 5 (REM) (sensory-rich dreams) (paradoxical sleep)120
13906087447purpose of sleep1. recuperation - repair neurons and allow unused neural connections to wither 2. making memories 3. body growth (children sleep more)121
13906087448insomniacan't sleep122
13906087449narcolepsyfall asleep anywhere at anytime123
13906087450sleep apneastop breathing in sleep124
13906087451night terrorsprevalent in children125
13906087452sleepwalking/sleeptalkinghereditary - prevalent in children126
13906087453dreaming (3)1. vivid bizarre intense sensory experiences 2. carry fear/survival issues - vestiges of ancestors' survival ideas 2. replay previous day's experiences/worries127
13906087454purpose of dreaming (5 THEORIES)1. physiological function - develop/preserve neural pathways 2. Freud's wish-fulfillment (manifest/latent content) 3. activation synthesis - make sense of stimulation originating in brain 4. information processing 5. cognitive development - reflective of intelligence128
139060874551. Can hypnosis bring you back in time? 2. Can hypnosis make you do things you wouldn't normally do? 3. Can it alleviate pain? 4. What state are you in during hypnosis? 5. Who is more susceptible?1. cannot take you back in time 2. cannot make you do things you won't do 3. can alleviate pain 4. fully conscious ((IMAGINATIVE PEOPLE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE))129
13906087456depressantsslows neural pathways130
13906087457alcohol((depressant)) disrupts memory formation (REM) lowers inhibition expectancy effect131
13906087458barbituates (tranquilizers)((depressant)) reduce anxiety132
13906087459opiates((depressant)) pleasure reduce anxiety/pain133
13906087460stimulantshypes neural processing134
13906087461methamphetamine((stimulant)) heightens energy euphoria affects dopamine135
13906087462caffeine((stimulant))136
13906087463nicotine((stimulant)) CNS releases neurotransmitters calm anxiety reduce pain affects (nor)epinephrine and dopamine137
13906087464cocaine((stimulant)) euphoria affects dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine138
13906087465hallucinogenexcites neural activity139
13906087466ecstasy((hallucinogen)) reuptake is blocked affects dopamine and serotonin140
13906087467LSD((hallucinogen)) affects sensory/emotional "trip" (+/-) affects serotonin141
13906087468marijuana((hallucinogen)) amplify sensory experience disrupts memory formation142
13906087469learningorganism changing behavior due to experience (association of events)143
13906087470types of learningclassical operant observational144
13906087471famous classical psychologistsPavlov and Watson145
13906087472famous operant psychologistSkinner146
13906087473famous observational psychologistsBandura147
13906087474classical conditioningoutside stimulus148
13906087475Pavlov's experimentStep 1: US (food) -> UR (salivation) Step 2: NS (bell) -> US (food) -> UR (salivation) Later... CS (bell) -> CR (salivation)149
13906087476Watson's experimentwhite rat was given to Little Albert Step 1: US (noise) -> UR (cry) Step 2: NS (rat) -> US (noise) -> UR (cry) Later... CS (rat) -> CR (cry)150
13906087477generalizationany small, white fluffy creature will make Albert cry now151
13906087478discriminateany large, white fluffy creature won't make Albert cry152
13906087479extinctionstop "treating" with conditioned response153
13906087480spontaneous recoverybring stimulus back after a while154
13906087481operant conditioningcontrol by organism155
13906087482Skinner's experimentoperant chamber / Skinner box (lead to shaping)156
13906087483shapingget animal closer to doing what you want them to do157
13906087484reinforcerswant to continue behavior (positive reinforcement: give money to do laundry) (negative reinforcement: do to avoid nagging)158
13906087485punishmentswant to stop behavior (positive reinforcement: smack) (negative reinforcement: take away phone)159
13906087486fixed ratiohappens a certain number of times (Starbucks punch card)160
13906087487variable ratiohappens an unpredictable number of times (winning the lottery)161
13906087488organism must do these (2 times)fixed ratio and variable ratio162
13906087489fixed intervalhappens at a certain time (mailman comes to the house at 10:00 AM)163
13906087490variable intervalhappens at any time (receive texts from friends)164
13906087491these things happen regardless (2 times)fixed interval and variable interval165
13906087492Which (fixed/variable) conditions better?variable166
13906087493criticisms of Skinnerdoesn't take into account intrinsic motivation167
13906087494intrinsic motivationdoing something for yourself, not the reward168
13906087495extrinsic motivationdoing something for reward169
13906087496Skinner's legacyuse it personally, at school, and at work170
13906087497famous observational experimentBandura's Bobo doll171
13906087498famous observational psychologistBandura172
13906087499mirror neurons"feel" what is observed happens in higher order animals173
13906087500Bobo doll experiment legacyviolent video games/movies desensitize us see good: do good see evil: do evil174
13906087501observational learningbiological behaviors work best175
13906087502habituationget used to it -> stop reacting176
13906087503examples for observational learninglectures and reading177
13906087504serotonin involved with memoryspeeds the connection between neurons178
13906087505LTP((long-term potentiation)) strengthens potential neural forming (associated with speed)179
13906087506CREBprotein that can switch genes on/off with memory and connection of memories180
13906087507glutamate involved with memoryneurotransmitter that enhances LTP181
13906087508glucose involved with memoryreleased during strong emotions ((signaling important event to be remembered))182
13906087509flashbulb memorytype of memory remembered because it was an important/quick moment183
13906087510amygdala (memory)boosts activity of proteins in memory-forming areas to fight/flight184
13906087511cerebellum (memory)forms and stores implicit memories ((classical conditioning))185
13906087512hippocampus (memory)active during sleep (forming memories) ((information "moves" after 48 hours))186
13906087513memorylearning over time contains information that can be retrieved187
13906087514processing stagesencoding -> storage -> retrieval188
13906087515encodinginformation going in189
13906087516storagekeeping information in190
13906087517retrievaltaking information out191
13906087518How long is sensory memory stored?seconds192
13906087519How long is short-term memory stored?less than a minute193
13906087520How many bits of information is stored in short-term memory?7194
13906087521How many chunks of information is stored in short-term memory?4195
13906087522How many seconds of words is stored in short-term memory?2196
13906087523short term memory goes to ______________working memory197
13906087524working memorymake a connection and process information to mean something198
13906087525working memory goes to _________________long-term memory199
13906087526How much is stored in long-term memory?LIMITLESS200
13906087527implicit memorynaturally do201
13906087528explicit memoryneed to explain202
13906087529automatic processingspace, time, frequency, well-learned information203
13906087530effortful processingprocessing that requires effort204
13906087531spacing effectspread out learning over time205
13906087532serial position effectprimary/recency effect206
13906087533primary effectremember the first things in a list207
13906087534recency effectremember the last things in a list208
13906087535effortful processing (4 things)1. recency effect 2. spacing effect 3. testing effect 4. serial position effect209
13906087536semantic encoding (1) meaning (2) how tomake meaning out of something --- chunk, hierarchy, or connect to you210
13906087537if we can't remember a memory...1. change memory to suit us 2. fill in the blanks with logical story211
13906087538misinformation effectnot correct information212
13906087539imagination inflationimagine or visualize something that isn't real213
13906087540source amnesiawhat is the truth? (is it a dream, story, memory, etc.?)214
13906087541primingassociation (setting you up)215
13906087542contextenvironment helps with memory216
13906087543state-dependencyyou may remember something if you go back to the state you were in (go back to high)217
13906087544mood-congruencyemotion will bring back similar emotional memories218
13906087545forgetting curveforget after 5 days forget after 5 years219
13906087546the forgetting curve was created byEbbinghaus220
13906087547proactive interferenceold information interferes with the new221
13906087548retroactive interferencenew information interferes with the old222
13906087549children can't remember before age __3223
13906087550Loftusconnected to abuse cases/childhood224
13906087551prototypesgeneralize225
13906087552problem-solving (4)trial + error algorithms heuristic (representative + availability) insight - "AHA!"226
13906087553against problem-solvingfixation227
13906087554mental setwhat has worked in the past228
13906087555functional fixednessonly way to do this is with this229
13906087556Chomsky (nature or nurture?)"born with language" (nature)230
13906087557Skinner (nature or nurture?)language is learned (nurture)231
13906087558grammar is _________universal232
13906087559phonemessmallest sound unit233
13906087560morphemessmallest meaning unit234

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!