question

psychology

answer

the study of human behavior and mental processes

question

biological psychology

answer

a branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior

question

independent variable

answer

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

question

experimental group

answer

subjects in an experiment to whom the independent variable is administered

question

longitudinal study

answer

research in which the same people are restudied and retested over a long period

question

representative sample

answer

selection of a part of the population which mirrors the current demographics

question

positive correlation

answer

a correlation where both variables move in the same direction

question

negative correlation

answer

a correlation where one two variables tend to move in the opposite direction

question

DNA

answer

deoxyribonucleic acid; a complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes

question

neural impulse process

answer

dendrites pick up the signal; goes into the cell body; travels through the axon; travel through the terminal buttons; exits through the synapse

question

interneuron

answer

carries messages to and from brain

question

behaviorism

answer

an approach to psychology that emphasizes observable measurable behavior

question

psychodynamic psychology

answer

a specialty area of psychology that focuses on the unconscious thoughts that guide our behavior

question

evolutionary psychology

answer

the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection

question

psychiatrist

answer

medical doctor who has specialized in treating psychological disorders

question

psychologist vs. psychiatrist

answer

Psychologist (PHD- psychotherapy, no meds), Psychiatrist(MD-prescribes meds)

question

hypothesis

answer

a proposal intended to explain certain facts or observations

question

empirical

answer

derived from experiment and observation rather than theory

question

dependent variable

answer

the outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable.

question

extraneous variable

answer

something unwanted or unexpected that might affect the dependent variable.

question

control group

answer

the group that does not receive the experimental treatment

question

case study

answer

an observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles

question

natural observation

answer

Observation of a subject in a natural environment, without interference

question

double-blind study

answer

neither the participant or the experimenter know what's going on (to avoid experimenter bias)

question

experimenter bias

answer

experimenter influences outcome by their own experience

question

random sample

answer

a sample in which every element in the population has an equal chance of being selected

question

correlation coefficient

answer

statistical measure of the strength of association between two variables

question

standard deviation

answer

a measure of variability that describes an average distance of every score from the mean

question

polygenic inheritance

answer

process by which several genes interact to produce a certain trait; responsible for most important traits

question

chromosomes

answer

threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes

question

neurotransmitters

answer

chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic gaps between neurons

question

afferent neurons

answer

Neurons that transmit messages from sense organs to the central nervous system; sensory neurons

question

efferent neurons

answer

Neurons that carry information from the brain to other parts of the body; motor neurons

question

evolutionary brain development

answer

reptilian brain-lymbic brain-neocortex

question

plasticity

answer

the brain's capacity for modification, as evident in brain reorganization following damage (especially in children) and in experiments on the effects of experience on brain development

question

thalamus

answer

relays sensory messages to the cortex

question

cerebellum

answer

responsible for smooth movement, balance, and aspects of perception and cognition

question

hippocampus

answer

a neural center located in the limbic system that helps process explicit memories for storage

question

frontal lobe

answer

motor control. speech production, and high functions (thinking, personality, emotions, and memory)

question

parietal lobe

answer

sensory processing (pressure, pain, cold, heat)

question

temporal lobe

answer

audition, language comprehension, memory, and some emotional control

question

occipital lobe

answer

vision and visual perception

question

pons

answer

controls breathing, sleeping, waking, dreaming, etc.

question

amygdala

answer

part of the limbic system; influences emotions such as aggression, fear, and self-protective behaviors

question

Broca's area

answer

controls language expression- if damaged, you can't speak properly

question

Wernicke's area

answer

controls language comprehension

question

hemispheric specialization

answer

term used to describe the fact the two hemispheres of the brain are designed to handle specific tasks (Left - logic, language; Right - creativity, spatial reasoning, art, emotion)

question

Milgram

answer

measured the willingness of study participants to obey an authority figure who instructed them to perform acts that conflicted with their personal conscience; Social psychologist

question

Watson

answer

Called the father of behaviorism, he claimed that a psychologist's only interest should be in observable behavior; "Little Albert" (conditioned emotional responses)

question

Freud

answer

founder of psychoanalysis

question

psychoanalysis

answer

Freud's theory of personality that attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts

question

Skinner

answer

behavioral psychologist; advocate of operant conditioning

question

Thorndike

answer

founder of operant conditioning; shaping

question

Jung

answer

neo-Freudian, psychodamic psychologist, developed theory of the "collective unconscious."; archetypes

question

Pavlov

answer

classical conditiong; "Pavlov's Dog"

question

Turnbull

answer

perception is also altered by learning; size constancy/"Kenge" study

question

Gilligan

answer

Kohlberg's student; focused on gender differences: during decision making, males focus on justice, whereas women focus on compassion

question

order of neonatal development

answer

zygote-embryo--fetus-neonate

question

temperament

answer

an infant/person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

question

egocentrism

answer

in Piaget's theory, the preoperational child's difficulty taking another's point of view

question

order of Piaget's four stages of intellectual development

answer

sensorimotor-preoperational-concrete-formal

question

Kohlberg's stages of moral development

answer

preconventional-conventional-law and order-postconventional

question

maturation

answer

biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience

question

personal fable

answer

type of thought common to adolescents in which young people believe themselves to be unique and protected from harm

question

attachment

answer

an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation

question

imaginary audience

answer

a cognitive distortion experienced by adolescents, in which they see themselves as always "on stage" with an audience watching

question

storm and stress

answer

G. Stanley Hall, "adolescence is a time of ..."

question

childhood amnesia

answer

a phenomenon that no one can accurately recall events from the first three years of life.

question

Alzheimer's disease

answer

an irreversible, progressive brain disorder, characterized by the deterioration of memory, language, and eventually, physical functioning

question

visual cliff

answer

a laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals

question

empty nest syndrome

answer

feelings of emptiness and loss felt sometimes by mothers and fathers when children leave home

question

teratogens

answer

agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm

question

fluid intelligence

answer

one's ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease during late adulthood

question

crystallized intelligence

answer

one's accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; tends to increase with age

question

midlife crisis

answer

feelings of boredom and stagnation in middle adulthood; time when adults discover they no longer feel fulfilled in their jobs or personal lives and attempt to make a decisive shift in career or lifestyle

question

reactive attachment disorder

answer

Pt's social relatedness is markedly disturbed and developmentally inappropriate shown by either inhibitions (child doesn't interact) or disinhibitions (child to easily forms inappropriate attachments); seen with foster care children

AP Psychology Semester 1 Exam Review – Flashcards

Unlock all answers in this set

Haven't found what you were looking for?

Search for samples, answers to your questions and flashcards