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

AP Psychology AP Review Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
13663378012psychologythe study of behavior and mental processes0
13663378013psychology's biggest questionWhich is more important in determining behavior, nature or nurture?1
13663378014psychology's three levels of analysisbiopsychosocial approach (looks at the biological, psychological, and social-cultural approaches together)2
13663378015biological approachgenetics, close-relatives, body functions3
13663378016evolutionary approachspecies - helped with survival (ancestors)4
13663378017psychodynamic approach(Freud) subconscious, repressed feelings, unfulfilled wishes5
13663378018behavioral approachlearning (classical and operant) observed6
13663378019cognitive approachthinking affects behavior7
13663378020humanistic approachbecoming a better human (behavior, acceptance)8
13663378021social-cultural approachcultural, family, environment9
13663378022two reasons of why experiments are importanthindsight bias + overconfidence10
13663378023types of research methodsdescriptive, correlational, and experimental11
13663378024descriptive methodscase study survey naturalistic observation (DON'T SHOW CAUSE/EFFECT)12
13663378025case studystudies one person in depth may not be typical of population13
13663378026surveystudies lots of people not in depth14
13663378027naturalistic observationobserve + write facts without interference15
13663378028correlational methodshows relation, but not cause/effect scatterplots show research16
13663378029correlation coefficient+ 1.0 (both increase) 0 (no correlation - 1.0 (one increases, other decreases)17
13663378030experimental methoddoes show cause and effect18
13663378031populationtype of people who are going to be used in experiment19
13663378032sampleactual people who will be used (randomness reduces bias)20
13663378033random assignmentchance selection between experimental and control groups21
13663378034control groupnot receiving experimental treatment receives placebo22
13663378035experimental groupreceiving treatment/drug23
13663378036independent variabledrug/procedure/treatment24
13663378037dependent variableoutcome of using the drug/treatment25
13663378038confounding variablecan affect dependent variable beyond experiment's control26
13663378039scientific methodtheory hypothesis operational definition revision27
13663378040theorygeneral idea being tested28
13663378041hypothesismeasurable/specific29
13663378042operational definitionprocedures that explain components30
13663378043modeappears the most31
13663378044meanaverage32
13663378045medianmiddle33
13663378046rangehighest - lowest34
13663378047standard deviationhow scores vary around the mean35
13663378048central tendencysingle score that represents the whole36
13663378049bell curve(natural curve)37
13663378050ethics of testing on animalsneed to be treated humanly basically similar to humans38
13663378051ethics of testing on humansconsent debriefing no unnecessary discomfort/pain confidentiality39
13663378052sensory neuronstravel from sensory receptors to brain40
13663378053motor neuronstravel from brain to "motor" workings41
13663378054interneurons(in brain and spinal cord) connecting motor and sensory neurons42
13663378251neuron43
13663378055dendritesreceive messages from other neurons44
13663378056myelin sheathprotects the axon45
13663378057axonwhere charges travel from cell body to axon terminal46
13663378058neurotransmitterschemical messengers47
13663378059reuptakeextra neurotransmitters are taken back48
13663378060excitatory charge"Let's do it!"49
13663378061inhibitory charge"Let's not do it!"50
13663378062central nervous systembrain and spinal cord51
13663378063peripheral nervous systemsomatic nervous system autonomic nervous system52
13663378064somatic nervous systemvoluntary movements53
13663378065autonomic nervous systeminvoluntary movements (sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems)54
13663378066sympathetic nervous systemarousing55
13663378067parasympathetic nervous systemcalming56
13663378068neural networksmore connections form with greater use others fall away if not used57
13663378069spinal cordexpressway of information bypasses brain when reflexes involved58
13663378070endocrine systemslow uses hormones in the blood system59
13663378071master glandpituitary gland60
13663378072brainstemextension of the spinal cord responsible for automatic survival61
13663378073reticular formation (if stimulated)sleeping subject wakes up62
13663378074reticular formation (if damaged)coma63
13663378075brainstem (if severed)still move (without purpose)64
13663378076thalamussensory switchboard (does not process smell)65
13663378077hypothalamusbasic behaviors (hunger, thirst, sex, blood chemistry)66
13663378078cerebellumnonverbal memory, judge time, balance emotions, coordinate movements67
13663378079cerebellum (if damaged)difficulty walking and coordinating68
13663378080amygdalaaggression, fear, and memory associated with these emotions69
13663378081amygdala (if lesioned)subject is mellow70
13663378082amygdala (if stimulated)aggressive71
13663378083hippocampusprocess new memory72
13663378084cerebrumtwo large hemispheres perceiving, thinking, and processing73
13663378085cerebral cortexonly in higher life forms74
13663378086association areasintegrate and interpret information75
13663378087glial cellsprovide nutrients to myelin sheath marks intelligence higher proportion of glial cells to neurons76
13663378088frontal lobejudgement, personality, processing (Phineas Gage accident)77
13663378089parietal lobemath and spatial reasoning78
13663378090temporal lobeaudition and recognizing faces79
13663378091occipital lobevision80
13663378092corpus callosumsplit in the brain to stop hyper-communication (eliminate epileptic seizures)81
13663378093Wernicke's areainterprets auditory and hearing82
13663378094Broca's areaspeaking words83
13663378095plasticityability to adapt if damaged84
13663378096sensationwhat our senses tell us85
13663378097bottom-up processingsenses to brain86
13663378098perceptionwhat our brain tells us to do with that information87
13663378099top-down processingbrain to senses88
13663378100inattentional blindnessfail to "gorilla" because attention is elsewhere89
13663378101cocktail party effecteven with tons of stimuli, we are able to pick out our name, etc.90
13663378102change blindnessgiving directions and person is changed and we don't notice91
13663378103choice blindnesswhen defending the choice we make, we fail to notice choice was changed92
13663378104absolute thresholdminimum stimulation needed in order to notice 50% of the time93
13663378105signal detection theorywe notice what is more important to us (rather hear a baby crying)94
13663378106JND (just noticeable difference)(Weber's law) difference between different stimuli noticed in proportion95
13663378107sensory adaptationtired of noticing (Brain says, "Been there, done that. Next?"96
13663378108rodsnight time97
13663378109conescolor98
13663378110parallel processingnotice color, form, depth, movement, etc.99
13663378111Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory3 corresponding color receptors (RGB)100
13663378112Hering's opponent-process theoryafter image in opposite colors (RG, YB, WB)101
13663378113trichromatic + opponent-processYoung-Helmholtz -> color stimuli Hering -> en route to cortex102
13663378114frequency we hear mosthuman voice103
13663378115Helmoltz (hearing)we hear different pitches in different places in basilar membrane (high pitches)104
13663378116frequency theoryimpulse frequency (low pitches)105
13663378117Helmholtz + frequency theorymiddle pitches106
13663378118Skin feels what?warmth, cold, pressure, pain107
13663378119gate-control theorysmall fibers - pain large fibers - other senses108
13663378120memory of painpeaks and ends109
13663378121smellclose to memory section (not in thalamus)110
13663378122groupingGestalt make sense of pieces create a whole111
13663378123grouping groupsproximity similarity continuity connectedness closure112
13663378124make assumptions of placementhigher - farther smaller - farther blocking - closer, in front113
13663378125perception =mood + motivation114
13663378126consciousnessawareness of ourselves and the environment115
13663378127circadian rhythmdaily biological clock and regular cycle (sleep and awake)116
13663378128circadian rhythm pattern- activated by light - light sensitive retinal proteins signal brains SCN (suprachiasmatic nucleus) - pineal gland decreases melatonin117
13663378129What messes with circadian rhythm?artificial light118
13663378130The whole sleep cycle lasts how long?90 minutes119
13663378131sleep 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
13663378132purpose of sleep1. recuperation - repair neurons and allow unused neural connections to wither 2. making memories 3. body growth (children sleep more)121
13663378133insomniacan't sleep122
13663378134narcolepsyfall asleep anywhere at anytime123
13663378135sleep apneastop breathing in sleep124
13663378136night terrorsprevalent in children125
13663378137sleepwalking/sleeptalkinghereditary - prevalent in children126
13663378138dreaming (3)1. vivid bizarre intense sensory experiences 2. carry fear/survival issues - vestiges of ancestors' survival ideas 2. replay previous day's experiences/worries127
13663378139purpose 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
136633781401. 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
13663378141depressantsslows neural pathways130
13663378142alcohol((depressant)) disrupts memory formation (REM) lowers inhibition expectancy effect131
13663378143barbituates (tranquilizers)((depressant)) reduce anxiety132
13663378144opiates((depressant)) pleasure reduce anxiety/pain133
13663378145stimulantshypes neural processing134
13663378146methamphetamine((stimulant)) heightens energy euphoria affects dopamine135
13663378147caffeine((stimulant))136
13663378148nicotine((stimulant)) CNS releases neurotransmitters calm anxiety reduce pain affects (nor)epinephrine and dopamine137
13663378149cocaine((stimulant)) euphoria affects dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine138
13663378150hallucinogenexcites neural activity139
13663378151ecstasy((hallucinogen)) reuptake is blocked affects dopamine and serotonin140
13663378152LSD((hallucinogen)) affects sensory/emotional "trip" (+/-) affects serotonin141
13663378153marijuana((hallucinogen)) amplify sensory experience disrupts memory formation142
13663378154learningorganism changing behavior due to experience (association of events)143
13663378155types of learningclassical operant observational144
13663378156famous classical psychologistsPavlov and Watson145
13663378157famous operant psychologistSkinner146
13663378158famous observational psychologistsBandura147
13663378159classical conditioningoutside stimulus148
13663378160Pavlov's experimentStep 1: US (food) -> UR (salivation) Step 2: NS (bell) -> US (food) -> UR (salivation) Later... CS (bell) -> CR (salivation)149
13663378161Watson'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
13663378162generalizationany small, white fluffy creature will make Albert cry now151
13663378163discriminateany large, white fluffy creature won't make Albert cry152
13663378164extinctionstop "treating" with conditioned response153
13663378165spontaneous recoverybring stimulus back after a while154
13663378166operant conditioningcontrol by organism155
13663378167Skinner's experimentoperant chamber / Skinner box (lead to shaping)156
13663378168shapingget animal closer to doing what you want them to do157
13663378169reinforcerswant to continue behavior (positive reinforcement: give money to do laundry) (negative reinforcement: do to avoid nagging)158
13663378170punishmentswant to stop behavior (positive reinforcement: smack) (negative reinforcement: take away phone)159
13663378171fixed ratiohappens a certain number of times (Starbucks punch card)160
13663378172variable ratiohappens an unpredictable number of times (winning the lottery)161
13663378173organism must do these (2 times)fixed ratio and variable ratio162
13663378174fixed intervalhappens at a certain time (mailman comes to the house at 10:00 AM)163
13663378175variable intervalhappens at any time (receive texts from friends)164
13663378176these things happen regardless (2 times)fixed interval and variable interval165
13663378177Which (fixed/variable) conditions better?variable166
13663378178criticisms of Skinnerdoesn't take into account intrinsic motivation167
13663378179intrinsic motivationdoing something for yourself, not the reward168
13663378180extrinsic motivationdoing something for reward169
13663378181Skinner's legacyuse it personally, at school, and at work170
13663378182famous observational experimentBandura's Bobo doll171
13663378183famous observational psychologistBandura172
13663378184mirror neurons"feel" what is observed happens in higher order animals173
13663378185Bobo doll experiment legacyviolent video games/movies desensitize us see good: do good see evil: do evil174
13663378186observational learningbiological behaviors work best175
13663378187habituationget used to it -> stop reacting176
13663378188examples for observational learninglectures and reading177
13663378189serotonin involved with memoryspeeds the connection between neurons178
13663378190LTP((long-term potentiation)) strengthens potential neural forming (associated with speed)179
13663378191CREBprotein that can switch genes on/off with memory and connection of memories180
13663378192glutamate involved with memoryneurotransmitter that enhances LTP181
13663378193glucose involved with memoryreleased during strong emotions ((signaling important event to be remembered))182
13663378194flashbulb memorytype of memory remembered because it was an important/quick moment183
13663378195amygdala (memory)boosts activity of proteins in memory-forming areas to fight/flight184
13663378196cerebellum (memory)forms and stores implicit memories ((classical conditioning))185
13663378197hippocampus (memory)active during sleep (forming memories) ((information "moves" after 48 hours))186
13663378198memorylearning over time contains information that can be retrieved187
13663378199processing stagesencoding -> storage -> retrieval188
13663378200encodinginformation going in189
13663378201storagekeeping information in190
13663378202retrievaltaking information out191
13663378203How long is sensory memory stored?seconds192
13663378204How long is short-term memory stored?less than a minute193
13663378205How many bits of information is stored in short-term memory?7194
13663378206How many chunks of information is stored in short-term memory?4195
13663378207How many seconds of words is stored in short-term memory?2196
13663378208short term memory goes to ______________working memory197
13663378209working memorymake a connection and process information to mean something198
13663378210working memory goes to _________________long-term memory199
13663378211How much is stored in long-term memory?LIMITLESS200
13663378212implicit memorynaturally do201
13663378213explicit memoryneed to explain202
13663378214automatic processingspace, time, frequency, well-learned information203
13663378215effortful processingprocessing that requires effort204
13663378216spacing effectspread out learning over time205
13663378217serial position effectprimary/recency effect206
13663378218primary effectremember the first things in a list207
13663378219recency effectremember the last things in a list208
13663378220effortful processing (4 things)1. recency effect 2. spacing effect 3. testing effect 4. serial position effect209
13663378221semantic encoding (1) meaning (2) how tomake meaning out of something --- chunk, hierarchy, or connect to you210
13663378222if we can't remember a memory...1. change memory to suit us 2. fill in the blanks with logical story211
13663378223misinformation effectnot correct information212
13663378224imagination inflationimagine or visualize something that isn't real213
13663378225source amnesiawhat is the truth? (is it a dream, story, memory, etc.?)214
13663378226primingassociation (setting you up)215
13663378227contextenvironment helps with memory216
13663378228state-dependencyyou may remember something if you go back to the state you were in (go back to high)217
13663378229mood-congruencyemotion will bring back similar emotional memories218
13663378230forgetting curveforget after 5 days forget after 5 years219
13663378231the forgetting curve was created byEbbinghaus220
13663378232proactive interferenceold information interferes with the new221
13663378233retroactive interferencenew information interferes with the old222
13663378234children can't remember before age __3223
13663378235Loftusconnected to abuse cases/childhood224
13663378236prototypesgeneralize225
13663378237problem-solving (4)trial + error algorithms heuristic (representative + availability) insight - "AHA!"226
13663378238against problem-solvingfixation227
13663378239mental setwhat has worked in the past228
13663378240functional fixednessonly way to do this is with this229
13663378241Chomsky (nature or nurture?)"born with language" (nature)230
13663378242Skinner (nature or nurture?)language is learned (nurture)231
13663378243grammar is _________universal232
13663378244phonemessmallest sound unit233
13663378245morphemessmallest 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!