Ap Psychology Units 1, 2, And 3

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Applied Research

Back 1

Scientific study that aims to solve practical problems

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Basic Research

Back 2

Pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base

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Behavioral Psychology

Back 3

The scientific study of observable behavior, and its explanation by principles of learning. As a theoretical orientation, behaviorism is based on the premise that scientific psychology should study only observable behavior.

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Behaviorism

Back 4

The view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most psychologists today agree with (1) but not with (2) founded by B.F. Skinner, dismissed introspection.

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Biological Psychology

Back 5

A branch of psychology that studies the links between biological (including neuroscience and behavior genetics) and psychological processes

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Biopsychosocial Approach

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An integrated perspective that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis.

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Clinical Psychology

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A branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders

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Cognitive Neuroscience

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The interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language). Supported early psychological theories.

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Cognitive Psychology

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The scientific study of all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.

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Counseling Psychology

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A branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, or marriage) and in achieving greater well-being.

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Development Psychology

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The branch of psychology that explores physical, emotional, cognitive, and social aspects of development

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Educational Psychology

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The study of how psychological processes affect and enhance teaching and learning. Examines curriculum design, teacher training, achievement testing, student motivation, classroom diversity, and other aspects of the educational process.

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Empericism

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The view that knowledge originates in experience and that science should, therefore, rely on observation and experimentation. with Francis Bacon's help, John Locke wrote an essay concerning human understanding (20 years) and founded it.

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Evolutionary Psychology

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The study of the roots of behavior and mental processes using the principles of natural selection.

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Experimental Pschology

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The study of behavior and thinking using the experimental method. Encompasses topics that have traditionally been of interest to psychology such as sensation, perception, learning, conditioning, motivation, and emotion.

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Functionalism

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A school of psychology that focused on how mental and behavioral processes function--how they enable the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish. Founded by William James, influenced by Darwin's theory of natural selection, study of stream of consciousness

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Human Factors Psychology

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The study of how people and machines interact and the design of safe and easily used machines and environments.

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Humanistic Psychology

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Historically significant perspective that emphasized the growth potential of healthy people and the individual's potential for personal growth. Rebelled against Freudian psychology.

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Industrial-Organizational Psychology

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The application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces.

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Levels of Analysis

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The differing complementary views, from biological to psychological to social-cultural, for analyzing any given phenomenon.

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Natural Selection

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The principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those that lead to increased reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations.

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Nature-Nurture Issue

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The longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors.

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Personality Psychology

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The study of an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting.

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Psychiatry

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A branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders; practiced by physicians who sometimes provide medical treatments (for example, drugs) as well as psychological therapy

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Psychodynamic Psychology

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A branch of psychology that studies how unconscious drives and conflicts influence behavior, and uses that information to treat people with psychological disorders

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Psycology

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The science of behavior and mental processes

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Psychometrics

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The scientific study of the measurement of human abilities, attitudes, and traits

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Social Psychology

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The scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another

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Social-Cultural Psychology

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The study of how situations and cultures affect our behavior and thinking

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Structuralism

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An early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the elemental structure of the human mind, founded by Edward Titchener after joining Cornell.

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Case Study

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An observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in hope of revealing universal prinicples

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Confounding Variable

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A factor other than the independent vaiable that might produce an effect on an experiment

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Control Group

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In an experiment, the group that is not exposed to the treatment. Contrasts with the experimental groups and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of treatment

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Correlation

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A measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other

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Correlation Coefficient

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A statistical index of the relationship between two things

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Critical Thinking

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Thinkign that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.

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Culture

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The enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next

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Debriefing

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The post-experimental explanation of a study, including its purpose and any deceptions, to its participants

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Dependent Variable

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The outcome factor; the variable that may chance in response to manipulations of the independent variable

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Double Blind Procedure

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An experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are ignorant about whether the research participants have received the treatment of a placebo

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Experiment

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A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process

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Experimental Group

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In an experiment, the group that is exposed to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable

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Hindsight Bias

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The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it

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Hypothesis

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A testable prediction, often implied by a theory

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Illusory Correlation

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The perception of a relationship where none exists

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Independent Variable

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The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied

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Informed Consent

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An ethical principle that research participants be told enough to enable them to choose wehter they wish to participate

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Mean

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The arithmetic average of a distribution, obtained by adding the scores and then dividing by the number of scores

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Median

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The middle score in distribution; half the scores are above it and half are below it

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Mode

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The most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution

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Naturalistic Observation

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Observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation

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Normal Curve

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A symmetrical, bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many types of data. Most scores fall near the mean and fewer and fewer near the extremes

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Operational Definition

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A statement of the procedures (operations) used to define research variables

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Placebo Effect

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Experimental results caused by the expectation alone; any effect on the behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which the recipient assumes is an active agent

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Population

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All the cases in a group being studied, from which samples may be drawn

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Random Assignment

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Assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance, this minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups

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Random Sample

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A sample that fairly represents a population because each member has equal chance of inclusion

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Range

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The difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution

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Replication

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Repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and circumstances

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Scatterplot

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A graphed cluster of dots, each of which represent the values of two variables. The slop of the points suggest the direction of the relationship between the two variables. The amount of the scatter suggest the strength of the correlation

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Standard Deviation

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A computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score

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Statistical Significance

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A statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance

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Survey

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A technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the group

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Theory

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An explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events

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Interneurons

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The largest number of neurons within the brain and spinal cord are responsible for the central nervous system's complex internal communications and intervene between inputs and outputs

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Dendrite

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Bushy, branching extension of a neuron receives messages and conducts impulses toward the cell body

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Botulin

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Can be formed by improperly canned food

Front 68

Exhibit a knee-jerk reflex response without feeling the tap

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If the top of the spinal cord is severed

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Sensory Neurons

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Carry messages from the body's tissues and spinal cord

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Motor Neurons

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Instructions from the brain sent out to the body's tissues via this

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Axon

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Passes information along the other neurons or to muscles or glands

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Myelin Sheath

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insulates the axons of some neurons and helps speed their impulses

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Action Potential

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A brief electrical charge that travels down its axon

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Neurotransmitters

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Chemical Messengers

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Acetylcholine (ACh)

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enables muscle action, learning, and memory. With Alzheimer's disease, the neurons that produce this deteriorate

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Dopamine

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Influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion. Excess amounts is linked to schizophrenia. Starved amounts cause the brain to produce the tremors and decreases mobility of Parkinson's disease

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Serotonin

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Affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal. Under-supply is linked to depression. Prozac and other antidepressant drugs raise levels of this.

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Norepinephrine

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Helps control alertness and arousal. Under-supply can depress mood

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GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)

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A major inhibitory neurotransmitter. Under-supply is linked to seizures, tremors, and insomnia

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Glutamate

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A major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory

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Endorphins

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Produce feelings of happiness and goodness (ex: runner's high)

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Somatic Nervous System

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Enables voluntary control of our skeletal muscles

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Autonomic Nervous System

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Controls our glands and the muscles of our internal organs, influencing such functions as glandular activity, heartbeat, and digestion

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Sympathetic Nervous System

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Arouses and expends energy. If something is alarms, enrages, or challenges you, this accelerates your heartbeat, raises your blood pressure, slows your digestion, raises your blood sugar, and cools you with perspiration, making you alert and ready for action.

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Parasympathetic Nervous System

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Conserves energy as it calms you by decreasing your heartbeat, lowering your blood sugar, and so forth.

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Norepinephrine

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Chemical messenger that is both a neurotransmitter and a hormone

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Titchener

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Founder of contemporary psychology

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Freud

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Founder of personality theory

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Experience

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Empiricism is the view that knowledge is predominantly derived from this

Front 90

Isolate the underlying components of what they were studying

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The school of psychology known as structuralism was analogous to attempts by physicists and chemists to do what?

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Functionalism

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This school of psychology stressed the adaptive value of consciousness

Front 92

Psychoanalysis and behaviorism

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Humanistic psychology, which emphasizes human growth potential, was a reaction against what?

Front 93

Structuralism and the Cognitive Perspective

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Emphasize the examination or study of mental processes

Front 94

Prescribe drugs

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The majority of clinical psychologists are unlikely to do what?

Front 95

Aristotle's view that knowledge derives from experiences stored in memory

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Modern scientists would more likely agree with which view?

Front 96

Perceiving meaningful patterns in random events

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Francis Bacon and John Locke helped form modern science by stressing the importance of what?

Front 97

Philosophy and Biology

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Psychology initially developed from which fields?

Front 98

A methodology that emphasizes explanation and evaluation

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The scientific aspect of psychology is most concerned with what?

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Innate Tendencies :: Social Experience

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Nature :: Nurture

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Piaget

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The last century's most influential observer of children (Swiss biologist)

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Pavlov

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Pioneered the study of learning (Russian physiologist)

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Freud

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Developed influential psychoanalytical theory of personality (Austrian physician)

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Wundt

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Focused on inner sensations, images, and feelings

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Plato/Socrates

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Mind separate from body and continues after body dies. Knowledge = innate

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Aristotle

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Knowledge is not preexisting--grows from experiences stored in our memories

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Bacon

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One of founders of modern science

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Locke

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Blank slate--empericism (knowledge from experience)