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

AP pysch Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
13869405994cerebral cortexouterlayer of cerebrum contains the dendrites0
13869405995glial cellscells in the brain which support nourishment and protection for neurons1
13869405996pons"bridge" between brain stem and cerebellum, helps with sleep2
13869405997sympathetic nervous system"fight or flight" response3
13869405998Thalamus"relay station" for sensory information, for smell,taste, etc4
13869405999Amygdalainsticts, emotional, survival5
13869406000cerebrumcontains two hemispheres everything but brainstem and cerebellum and limabic system6
13869406001pituitary gland"master gland" controls all other glands, communicates with nervous system7
13869406002autonomic nervous systemautomatic, unconscious, involuntary ex. heartbeat, breathing8
13869406003serotoninregulates mood, hunger, sleep undersupply=depression9
13869406004action potentiala neural impulse, brief charge that travels down terminal10
13869406005synapsethe gap between the axon terminal and the dendrite or cell body of receiving neuron11
13869406006dendritesreceives neural messages12
13869406007cell body/somahub of cell, contains the nucleus and metabolic process "post office"13
13869406008axontransmits a message14
13869406009myelinspeeds up the message sent15
13869406010interneuronstransmits neural stimulus between sensory and motor neurons sensory->interneurons->motos16
13869406011reticular formation"on switch" for attention, alertness17
13869406012cerebellumbalance, unconscious, coordination18
13869406013parasympathetic nervous system"rest and digest"19
13869406014plasticitythe brain can mold and adapt to circumstances20
13869406015CT scanseries of x-rays taken from different angles good to see structure21
13869406016neurogenesisgrowth and regeneration of neurons22
13869406017frontal lobevoluntary movement, problem-solving, decision-making, emotional regulation23
13869406018nucleus accumbenswhen you statisfy a drive locates at the center of brain24
13869406019Dopaminesatisfaction of desire,25
13869406020Acetylcholineexcites enables muscle action, learning, and memory26
13869406021neurotransmittersit triggers chemical messengers27
13869406022PET scanvisual display of brain activity that detects a form of glucose for function28
13869406023MRImagnetic fields and radio waves produce computer images of tissues for structure29
13869406024Norepinephrinehelps control alertness and arousal(fight or flight)30
13869406025GABAmajor inhibitory slows everything down31
13869406026Medullaunconscious vital functions heartbeat/breathing etc32
13869406027endorphins"good feelings" natural pain killer33
13869406028EEGamplified recording of the waves of electrical activity34
13869406029motor neuronsrelays messages from brain to muscles sensory->interneurons-> motor35
13869406030resting potentialpositive outside - inside (charge when not firing)36
13869406031depolarizationwhen a neuron fires more + go into cell and axon gates open37
13869406032sensory neuronssends messages from sensory receptors to the spinal cord sensory-> interneurons-> motor38
13869406033axon terminal buttonsreleases molecules to other neurons "mail man"39
13869406034glutamatemajor excitatory neurotransmitter involved in memory40
13869406035fMRIreveals blood flow for both structure and function41
13869406036peripheral nervous systemnot brain and spinal cord42
13869406037adrendal glandsecrets adrenaline43
13869406038motor cortexback of frontal lobe initiates voluntary movements44
13869406039sensory cortexfront of parietal lobe receives sensory info45
13869406040parietal lobesensory processes, attention, language, awareness, touch46
13869406041wernicke's arealanguage input, ability to understand wern=learn47
13869406042occipital lobevisual information, shapes, colors48
13869406043temporal lobesound information, short-term memory49
13869406044right hemispherevisual-spatial "bigger picture"50
13869406045broca's arealanguage output51
13869406046corpus callosumallows two hemispheres to interact together52
13869406047left hemispherelanguage, attention to detail, rational, logic53
13869406048somatic nervous systemvoluntary, conscious activity54
13869406049central nervous systembrain and spinal cord55
13869406050hypothalamusregulating temperature, hunger, thirst56
13869406051hippocampusprocess and formation of memory57
13869406052vestibular sensesense of equilibrium/balance58
13869406053retinal displayby comparing images from the retinas in the two eyes the brain computes the distance59
13869406054kinesthesissenses the position and movement of individual body parts60
13869406055frequencyhow we perceive pitch61
13869406056amplitudehow we perceive loudness62
13869406057wave formhow we perceive quality of sound63
13869406058feature detectorsneurons in the brain that respond to specific features of stimulus (shape, angle movement, etc)64
13869406059cochleasound energy is converted into neural impulses65
13869406060place theorydifferent pitches activate different places on the cochlea's membrane66
13869406061conduction deafnesshearing loss due to sound waves not reaching the mechanism within ear, damage to ear canal67
13869406062sensorineural deafnesshearing loss caused by damage of the inner ear or nerve from ear to the brain68
13869406063volley principleneurons alternate firing to process highest pitch sounds69
13869406064gate- control theorythere is a gate in the spinal cord and when it is opened nerves are sent to the brain70
13869406065gustatory sensetaste, chemical sense71
13869406066olfactionsmell, chemical sense72
13869406067young-helmholtz trichromatic theorythree different cones on eyes red, blue, green73
13869406068McGurk effecthearing and vision are linked74
13869406069perceptual constancyperceiving objects as unchanging even as illumation and retinal images change75
13869406070synaesthesiawhen one sensation produces/stimulates another76
13869406071after-imagewhen one gets exhausted the other opposing one takes over ex. staring at a blue image for a lone time and then seeing yellow77
13869406072stroboscopic motionour brain perceives continuous movement78
13869406073top-down processinglooking at situation overall ex. overlooking typos in a paper because you assume they are right79
13869406074bottom-up processinglooking at each detail ex. looking at each detail of a painting80
13869406075lenshelps focus shapes on retina81
13869406076irisdilates or constricts in response to light intensity and inner emotion82
13869406077foveacentral focal point in the retina, cones cluster in and around83
13869406078retinaconverts light energy into neural impulses very responsive to light and pressure84
13869406079weber's lawmore intense stimuli need to change more to notice a difference85
13869406080convergenceeyes turn inward to see things near you86
13869406081signal detection theoryno single absolute threshold ex. experience, expectations, motivations87
13869406082Gestaltour tendency to integrate pieces into a meaningful whole88
13869406083frequency theorybasilar membrane vibrates at frequency of the sound89
13869406084phi phenomenonan illusion of movement created when lights blink on and off in succession90
13869406085blind spotwhere the optic nerve leaves the eye91
13869406086rods and conescones- near fovea, low dim light sensitivity, and color sensitive rods- located at periphery, high dim light sensitivity, not color sensitive92
13869406087parallel processingfeature detectors fire simultaneously ex. when we see an object we don't just see color93
13869406088transductioncoverts sensory energy into neural impulses94
13869406089absolute thresholdweakest amount of stimulus that a person can detect 50% of the time95
13869406090subliminal stimulationperception below one's absolute threshold for conscious awareness96
13869406091sensory adaptationdecreased sensation due to constant stimulation97
13869406092optic nervenerve that carries neural impulses from eye to brain98
13869406093corneaprotects the eye and bends light to provide focus99
13869406094opponent-process theoryopposing retinal processes enable color vision100
13869406095pupilwhere light enters the eye101
13869406096habituationsimplest form of learning-less responsive to a repeated stimulus102
13869406097retrograde amnesiainability to remember before the trauma103
13869406098retroactive interferencenew information disrupts memory of old information P.O.R.N.104
13869406099proactive interferenceold information disrupts memory of new information P.O.R.N.105
13869406100Engramsmemory stored as biochemicals and synaptic changes how scientists trace memories106
13869406101procedural memoryskills- motor ans cognitive ex. playing the piano107
13869406102implicit memorywithout conscious recall ex. riding a bike108
13869406103self-reference effectapplying to your own experiences ex. to learn a word you think of examples that apply to your life109
13869406104semantic encodingthe encoding of meanings ex. understanding words not just memorizing110
13869406105serial positionitems in the beginning and at the end are more likely to be recalled111
13869406106mirror neuronsfrontal lobe, fire when performing certain actions or when seeing them be performed112
13869406107negative punishmentdecrease behavior by removing good stimulus113
13869406108positive punishmentdecrease a behavior by presenting a bad stimulus114
13869406109shapingreinforce each step toward desired behavior, useful for complex behaviors115
13869406110primary reinforcersunlearned, natural, biological ex. eating when hungry116
13869406111negative reinforcementincreases response by removing unpleasant stimulus ex. letting seniors exempt from finals117
13869406112positive reinforcementincreases response by presenting pleasant stimulus ex. giving students candy when they raise their hand118
13869406113high-order conditioningadding 2nd CS to produce a 2nd CR119
13869406114conditioned responsephysical reflexes response to a conditioned stimulus tuning fork->salvation120
13869406115conditioned stimuluslearned stimulus that causes response tuning fork->salvation121
13869406116unconditioned responsereflexive response to unconditioned stimulus food->salvation122
13869406117unconditioned stimulusnatural stimulus causing reflexive response food->salvation123
13869406118behaviorisma theory that human and animal behavior can be explained in terms of conditioning124
13869406119classical conditioningassociate two stimuli together to anticipate events ex. a dog salivates to bell anticipating food125
13869406120associative learninglearn that certain events occur together126
13869406121instinctive driftoccurs when animals revert to their biologically predisposed patterns127
13869406122episodic memorypersonally experienced events ex. memories form a vacation128
13869406123operant conditioningassociate a behavior with a good or bad result129
13869406124anterograde amnesiainability to remember information after trauma not making new memories130
13869406125biological perspectivehow your hormones and nuerotransmitters affect your brain131
13869406126psychodynamicunconscious mind and how your childhood affects your behavior132
13869406127behavioral perspectiveour behaviors are influenced by our observations and consequences133
13869406128cognitive perspectivehow our behaviors are influenced by how we interpret the world134
13869406129humanistic perspectiveour behaviors are influenced by our conscious choices and finding our true identity to reach self-fulfillment135
13869406130social loafingthe tendency for people in a group to exert less effort136
13869406131social facilitationimproved performance in presence of others for simple tasks or something you are good at137
13869406132asch's line studyparticipants had to identify the line closest in length to other lines. The whole group said the same wrong answer. The one subject conformed with the group138
13869406133deindividuationlosing self-awareness or self restraint, occurs when group participation makes people aroused139
13869406134group thinkoccurs when desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides alternatives140
13869406135conciliationgraduated and reciprocated initiative in tension-reduction ex. giving someone a small positive gesture to reduce tension141
13869406136cognitive dissonance theorywhen we become aware that our attitudes and actions do not coincide so we feel uncomfy142
13869406137self-serving biaswe are sensitive to how our behavior changes with the situation, we see our own behaviors as positive143
13869406138normative social influenceinfluence resulting from a person's desire to gain approval and avoid disapproval ex. pretending to like a band your friends do144
13869406139information social influenceinfluence resulting from one's willingness to accept other's opinions ex. when you don't know the answer so you go along with what others say145
13869406140group polarizationbeliefs that grow stronger as we discuss with like-minded people146
13869406141frustration-aggression principlethe blocking of a goal that creates aggression147
13869406142social exchange theorymaximize benefits and minimize costs ex. stopping to help because you are not running late148
13869406143bystander effectpeople are less likely to help when in a group of people149
13869406144altruismunselfish regard for the welfare of others150
13869406145mirror- image perceptionsmutual views held by conflicting people ex. USA calling Russia "evil" and Russia calling USA"evil"151
13869406146self-filling propheciesa belief that leads to one fulfilling the role expected ex. a teacher expecting you to fail so you do152
13869406147reciprocity normpeople help me if I help them153
13869406148social responsibility normduty as a human to help others154
13869406149confounding variablesother variables that could effect the results of an experiment155
13869406150illusory correlationthe perception of a relationship where none exists156
13869406151naturalistic oberservationobserve people's actions, does not explain behaviors but describes it157
13869406152operational definitionspecifies how a variable will be defined and measured so the experiment can be replicated158
13869406153case studyone or a small group of people being analyzed and asked questions159
13869406154social-cultural perspectivesocial environment influences our behavior160
13869406155evolutionary perspectiveyour behavior is influenced by your survival needs and genetics161
13869406156social trapa situation where each party is rationally pursuing their self-interest rather than good of the group become caught in a mutually destructive behavior162
13869406157fundamental attributionwe overestimate the influence of personality and underestimate the influence of situation163
13869406158situational attributionsomeone's "bad day" or "bad mood"164
13869406159dispositional attributionsomeone's enduring traits165
13869406160null hypothesisno relationships between variables166
13869406161within-subjects designcomparing results within one subject167
13869406162between-subject designcomparing results between two subjects168
13869406163cross-sectional studydifferent groups compared at one time169
13869406164longitudinal studyone group compared to a different times170
13869406165receptive languageability to comprehend speech171
13869406166productive languageability to produce words172
13869406167linguistic determinismlanguage determines the way we think, culturally influenced173
13869406168universal languageinnately wired to have a complicated language, common structure174
13869406169algorithmsstep by step procedure that guarantees the right solution to a problem175
13869406170heuristicsmental shortcut or rule of thumb that helps us solve problems176
13869406171prototypesbest example of a concept/mental image177
13869406172availability heuristicjudging a situation based on how similar the aspects are to the prototypes in our mind178
13869406173representative heuristicjudging a situation on how easily examples come to mind179
13869406174anchoring heuristichuman tendency to accept and rely on, the first piece of information received before making a decision180
13869406175inductive reasoningmaking generalizations from observations181
13869406176deductive reasoningtakes general rule and applies it to specific cases182
13869406177confirmation biasseeking information that supports our preconceptions183
13869406178Mental Settendency to stick to problem solving strategies that have worked in the past184
13869406179functional fixednesstendency to think of things only for usual functions185
13869406180overconfidencetendency to overestimate the accuracy of our knowledge186
13869406181general intelligence (g)the existence of a broad mental capacity that influences our cognitive ability187
13869406182Gardner's multiple intelligence theoryintelligence is not just one dominant ability, outlines 8 different intelligence188
13869406183Savant Syndromewhen a person with a mental disability demonstrates abilities far in excess of what is considered normal189
13869406184Sternberg's three intelligencespractical, creative, and analytical intelligence190
13869406185emotional intelligencethe capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships empathetically191
13869406186aptitude testthe ability to learn or develop in an area192
13869406187achievement testto measure to the extent a person has acquired certain information193
13869406188Flynn effectthe phenomenon in which there is a marked increase in intelligence test score averages over time194
13869406189content validityRefers to how accurately an assessment or measurement tool taps into the various aspects of the specific construct in question195
13869406190predictive validityis the extent to which performance on a test is related to later performance that the test was designed to predict196
13869406191securely attacheddistressed when the mom left nut greeted her positively when she returned197
13869406192avoidant-insecurelittle interest when mom left or returned198
13869406193resistant-insecureintense distress when mom left and rejected the mother when she returned199
13869406194schemamental structure which helps to organize knowledge200
13869406195assimilationplacing new information on pre-existing schema201
13869406196accommodationmodifying schema to fit new information202
13869406197sensorimotorages=0-2 senses and actions, reflexes, basics of language, object permanence203
13869406198preoperationalages 2-6 egocentrism: one-dimensional thinking lacks conservation- does not recognize that basic properties of substances such as weight and mass remain the same while other features change theory of mind- realize people have different mental state204
13869406199concrete operationalages 7-12 logic-tangible objects rather than abstract ideas concept of reversibility205
13869406200formal operational12+ cognitive maturity abstract thought206
13869406201authoritarianstrict demands rely on force and communicate poorly207
13869406202permissivelow/no parental control, warmth, easy going, warm and supportive208
13869406203authoritativehigh parental control and high warmth gives the children the best outcomes209
13869406204pruning process"use it or lose it" with neural pathways210
13869406205preconventional moralityright and wrong determined by rewards211
13869406206conventional moralityviews of others matter, avoidance of blame seeking social approval212
13869406207postconventional moralityjudgements are based on abstract, more personal principles that aren't necessarily defined by society's laws213
13869406208crystallized intelligencetends to increase with age concrete intelligence214
13869406209fluid intelligencetends to decrease with age one's ability to reason215
13869406210Idpleasure, principle, the need to fulfill needs right now216
13869406211Egoreality principle and defense mechanisms decision making component of personality217
13869406212superegomorality principle, guilt218
13869406213fixationpreoccupation for satisfying pleasure-seeking energies ex. if you don't release everything through the oral stage you will be a nail bitter219
13869406214defense mechanismscoping mechanisms->how we deal with stress220
13869406215regressionreturning to earlier, more comforting form of behavior221
13869406216repressionpushing thoughts out of conscious awareness222
13869406217rationalizationunconsciously generate self-justifying explanations instead of real reasons for action or event223
13869406218reaction formationexpressing the opposite of how one truly feels224
13869406219displacementredirecting one's impulses toward another person or object225
13869406220projectiondisguising threatening impulses toward another person or object226
13869406221sublimationchanneling one's impulses toward a different, more positive and acceptable goal or behavior227
13869406222denialrejecting the ego-threatening truth228
13869406223inferiority complexall children go through a period where you feel inferior and how you cope with it processes your personality229
13869406224collective unconsciousshared pool of memories and ideas we all have230
13869406225archetypessimilar roles in collective unconscious231
13869406226projective testsgiven ambiguous picture, make up story a and one's conscious may be woven into the story232
13869406227terror-management theoryproposes a basic psychological conflict that results from having a desire to live, but realizing that death is inevitable233
13869406228person-situation controversyrefers to the controversy concerning whether the person or the situation is more influential in determining a person's behavio234
13869406229unconditional positive regardwe feel love and accepted despite our flaws235
13869406230instinct theorymotivated by our inborn automated behavior236
13869406231drive-reduction theorydrives arise from motivated state and the aim is homeostasis237
13869406232optimum arousal theorymotivated to seek ways of increasing arousal when stimulation drops238
13869406233maslow's hierarchy of needswe strive to meet self-actualization239
13869406234intrinsic motivationmotivated for internal pleasure and self-enjoyment240
13869406235extrinsic motivationmotivated for external rewards241
13869406236over-justificationless likely that a task will be done intrinsically when extrinsic reward is no longer given242
13869406237achievement motivationmaster tasks and take great pride in doing so243
13869406238approach-approach conflictstwo desirable but conflicting choices244
13869406239avoidance-avoidance conflictschoosing between two undesirable choices245
13869406240approach-avoidance conflictsone choice has both attractive and unattractive features246
13869406241multiple approach-avoidance conflictschoosing between one option that has both positive and negative features and another that has both positive and negative features247
13869406242lateral hypothalamustells us we are hungry, causes secretion of ghrelin248
13869406243ventromedical hypothalamustells us we are full, causes secretion of PYY249
13869406244set point theorystable weight to which your body wants to return250
13869406245unit biassize of food portion will determine how much you eat251
13869406246james-lange theorystimulus->physiological arousal->emotion, fear252
13869406247cannon-bard theorystimulus->physiological arousal ->emotion, fear253
13869406248Schachter two-factorstimulus->physiological arousal ->cognitive interpretation-> emotion, fear254
13869406249spillover effectwhen one experience of one emotion affects our perceptions and our reactions255
13869406250lazarus and cognitive appraisalstimulus->cognitive appraisal(thought)->physiological ->emotion256
13869406251relative deprivationIt refers to the discontent people feel when they compare their positions to others and realize that they have less of what they believe themselves to be entitled than those around them257
13869406252facial feedback hypothesisyour facial expression intensifies your emotions258
13869406253general adaptation syndrometerm used to describe the body's short-term and long-term reactions to stress. Alarm->resistance->exhaustion259
13869406254adaptation-level phenomenondescribes the human tendency to judge various stimuli and situations relative to those we have previously experienced260
13869406255Bipolar cellsspecialized sensory neurons for the transmission of special senses. As such, they are part of the sensory pathways for smell, sight, taste, hearing and vestibular functions.261
13869406256thorndike's law of effectresponses that produce a satisfying effect in a particular situation become more likely to occur again in that situation, and responses that produce a discomforting effect become less likely to occur again in that situation262
13869406257circadian rhythmsOften referred to as the "body clock", the circadian rhythm is a cycle that tells our bodies when to sleep, rise, eat--regulating many physiological processes263
13869406258latent learningform of learning that is not immediately expressed in an overt response; it occurs without any obvious reinforcement of the behavior or associations that are learned264
13869406259Elaborative rehearsala memory technique that involves thinking about the meaning of the term to be remembered, as opposed to simply repeating the word to yourself over and over265
13869406279ebbinghaus forgetting curve266
13869406260Miller's lawin working memory we can remember 7+-2 chunks267
13869406261misinformation effectmemory bias that occurs when misinformation affects people's reports of their own memory268
13869406262whorf theory of languagewhere your language affects your world view269
13869406263Carl JungHe proposed and developed the concepts of the extroverted and introverted personality, archetypes, and the collective unconscious270
13869406264Iconic memoryThe encoding of visual images271
13869406265Echoic memorymemory of auditory stimuli272
13869406266retrospective memorymemory for the past273
13869406267prospective memoryis memory for the future274
13869406268insight learningThe sudden realization of a problem's solution275
13869406269problem-focused copingattempting to alleviate stress directly by changing stressor276
13869406270emotion-focused copingattempting to alleviate stress by ignoring stressor and attending to emotional needs277
13869406271spotlight effectphenomenon in which people tend to believe they are noticed more than they really are278
13869406272heriability% liklihood that the variation among members of a group is due to genetics279
13869406273chameleon effectwhen we mimic others around us280
13869406274effort-justificationif you have to put alot of effort into something you justify you must have enjoyed that task281

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!