AP Psychology Study Guide1

AP Psychology Study Guide 2011-2012The Science of Psychology

1. Define Psychology

2. Describe the approaches to psychology:

A. Biological

B. Behaviorism

C. Cognitive

D. Humanistic

E. Psychodynamic

F. Gestalt

3. Differentiate between these types of psychologists:

A. Personality

B. Developmental

C. Experimental

D. Social

E. Counseling

F. Clinical

G. Psychiatrists

4. Discuss the birth of psychology and history of psychology through the 3 stages.

5. Describe types of research studies

A. Naturalistic Observations

B. Case Studies, Surveys

C. Correlational Research

D. Experimental Research

6. Discuss the components of an experiment.

A. Participants

B. Independent Variable

C. Dependent Variable

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D. Experimental Group

E. Control Group

F. Experimenter Bias

G. Sample

i. Random

ii. Representative

The Biological Basis of Behavior

1. Neurons

a. Soma

b. Dendrite

c. Axon

a. Terminal buttons

b. Myelin sheath

1. Glial cell

2. Information Exchange through nerve impulses

a. Synapse

b. Synaptic vesicles

c. Neurotransmitters

1. Excitatory

2. Inhibitory

d. Excitation Threshold

e. Action potential vs Resting potential (Ions negative vs positive charge)

f. Depolarization vs Polarization

g. All or none Law

3. Describe the major neurotransmitters and their effects (link to diseases)

a. Acetylcholine (ACH)

b. Dopamine

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c. Serotonin

d. Epinephrine/ Norepinephrine

e. Endorphins

f. GABA

4. Be familiar with the different systems and parts of the brain:

Nervous system

a. Central nervous system: Composed of what 2 parts?

a. Central Core

1. medulla

2. pons

3. reticular formation

4. cerebellum

5. Thalamus:

6. Hypothalamus

b. Limbic System

1. Hippocampus

2. Amygdala

c. Central Cortex

1. Occipital Lobe

2. Temporal Lobe

3. Parietal Lobe

4. Frontal Lobe

d. Right vs Left Hemisphere

1. Corpus Collosum

b. The Peripheral nervous system

a. Somatic Division

1. Afferent Neurons

2. Efferent Neurons

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3. Interneurons

b. Autonomic Division

1. Sympathetic nervous system

2. Parasympathetic nervous system

5. Neuroimaging Techniques

a. Structural Imaging

a. CAT scan

b. MRI

b. Functional Imaging

a. EEG

b. PET

c. fMRI

5. Endocrine System

a Hormones

b. Glands

a. Thyroid

b. Adrenal

c. Pituitary

d. Pineal

c. Hormones vs Neurotransmitters

Sensation and Perception

Senses

Doctrine of specific nerve energies:

Parts of the Eye

A. Cornea

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B. Pupil

C. Iris

D. Lens

E. Retina

a. Rods

b. Cones

c. Fovea

F. Optic Nerve

a. Bipolar Cells

b. Ganglian Cells

c. Blind Spot

Vision

A. Light waves

a. Intensity

b. Wavelength

c. Adaptation (light and dark)

B. 2 Theories of color vision

1. Trichromatic Theory

2. Opponent-process theory

1. negative afterimage

Parts of the Ear

H. Outer ear (pinno)

I. Tympanic membrane (eardrum)

J. Middle Ear

i. Hammer

ii. Anvil

iii. Stirrup

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d. Inner Ear

i. Oval Window

ii. Cochlea

iii. Basilar Membrane

iv. Organ of Corti

Audition (The sense of hearing)

A. Sound Waves

a. Amplitude

b. Frequency

i. Place theory

ii. Frequency theory

B. Echolocation

Chemical Senses

A. Smell (olfactory): primitive nature; processed where?

a. Olfactory epithelium

b. Olfactory bulb

c. Olfactory receptor cells

B. Taste

Mechanical Senses

A. Skin senses

B. Vestibular senses

C. Kinesthetic senses

Perception

Measuring Perception

A. Absolute Threshold

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B. Difference Threshold

C. Weber’s Law

Perceptual Cues

A. Perceptual constancy

B. Visual depth perception

a. Monocular cues

i. Interposition

ii. Size

iii. Linear Perspective

iv. Texture Gradients

b. Binocular cues

i. Binocular or retina disparity

c. .Motion Cues

i. Motion Parallax

d. Gestalt rules

i. Figure/Ground

ii. Proximity

iii. Similarity

iv. Continuity

v. Closure

Types of processing

1. Bottom-up

2. Top-down

Attention

A. Cocktail Party Effect

B. Stroop Effect

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States of Consciousness

1. Define Consciousness

a. Waking

b. Altered

2. Sleep Cycle (Four Stages, REM, and link to sleep waves) and Sleep Disorders

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

REM

3. Describe Circadian rhythms and hormones linked to it

4. Types of Drugs

a. Stimulants

b. Depressants

c. Hallucinogens

5. Relationship between drug abuse and mental illness?

5. What is meditation and hypnosis?

a. Benefits?

b. Application?

Learning

2 types of learning:

1. Classical Conditioning

A) Pavlov: Dogs salivating

B) Watson: Little Albert Experiment

C) Desensitization Therapy

Components:

a) Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)

b) Unconditioned response (UCR)

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c) Conditioned stimulus (CS)

d) Conditioned response (CR)

Principles of classical conditioning

a. Extinction

b. Spontaneous recovery

c. Generalization

d. Discrimination

2. Operant Conditioning/ Instrumental Conditioning (Skinner)

A) Reinforcer

i. Positive reinforcement

ii. Negative reinforcement

B) Punisher

i. Learned Helplessness

Principles of operant conditioning

a. Shaping

b. Extinction

Schedules of Reinforcement

A) Continuous

B) Partial

a. Fixed Interval

b. Variable Interval

c. Fixed Ratio

d. Variable Ratio

Social Learning Theory

1. Bandura: Bobo Doll Experiment

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Memory

Ebbinghaus Studies on Memory (historical significance)

1. Encoding

a. Levels of Processing

i. Shallow

ii. Deep

2. Storage

3. Retrieval

a. Serial Position Effect

b. Recall

c. Recognition

3 Memory Systems:

1. Sensory Register: capacity?

2. Short-Term Memory: capacity?

A) Chunking

B) Mnemonics

3. Long-term memory: capacity?

A) Schemas

Types of Long-term memories: Implicit vs Explicit

1. Semantic

2. Episodica

3. Procedural

4. Emotional

Forgetting:

1. Retrograde Amnesia

2. Antegrade Amnesia

3. Retroactive Interference

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4. Proactive Interference

Special Topics in Memory

5. Childhood Amnesia

6. Eidetic Memory

7. Flashbulb

8. Eyewitness Testimony: Accuracy of Memory?

Cognition and Language

Cognition: 3 Building blocks of thought:

1.____________________ 2. .____________________ 3. .____________________

2. Define Language:

Discuss 3 criteria for language:

Chomsky vs Skinner:

3. Elements of Language:

i. Phoneme

ii. Morpheme

iii. Grammar

i. Syntax

1. Deep structure

2. Surface structure

ii. Semantics

4. Language Acquisition

1. Linguistic Determinism

2. LAD

3. LASS

4. Nature vs Nurture debate

5. Telegraphic Speech

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4. Language Disorders (aphasia’s)

1. Broca’s Aphasia

2. Wernicke’s Aphasia

Thinking

b. Mental Representations (Images)

c. Concepts

i. Prototypes

Problem Solving:

1. Algorithms

2. Heuristics

i. Hill Climbing

ii. Subgoals

iii. Means-end Analysis

iv. Working Backwards

v. Availability Heuristic

vi. Representativeness Heuristic

3. Obstacles:

i. Mental Set

ii. Functional Fixedness

Decision Making

1. Logical Decision Making

b. Compensatory Model:

2. Framing

3. Bias

1. Confirmation Bias

2. Hindsight Bias

4. Counterfactual Thinking

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Intelligence

Theories of Intelligence

1. Spearman:

2. Cattell:

3. Sternberg:

4. Goleman:

5. Gardner:

Ways of measuring intelligence:

1. Intelligence Quotient (IQ Test)

2. Standford-Binet Scale

3. Weshler Adult Scale

4. Performance Tests

5. Culture-fair Tests

Test making guidelines

1. Standardized

2. Norms

3. Reliability

a) Split-half reliability

1. Practice effect

b) Correlation Coefficients

4. Validity

a) Content Validity

b) Criterion-related Validity

Motivation and Emotion

1. Define motivation:

A) Biological reasons for motivation

1. Homeostasis

2. Physiological Drives

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3. Hypothalamus

a) Lateral Hypothalamus

b) Ventromedial Hypothalamus c) Paraventricular Nucleus

B) Social reasons for motivation

1. Intrinsic:

2. Extrinsic:

C) Theories of Motivation

1. Instinct Theory

2. Drive-reduction

2. Arousal Theory

A)Yerkes-Dodson law

D) Eating Disorders

1. Anorexia Nervosa

2. Bulimia Nervosa

Other Motives

1. Stimulus Motives

2. Aggression

3. Affiliation

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Theories of Emotion

1. James-Lange Theory

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2. Cannon-Bard Theory

3. Cognitive Theory

A) Schachter and Singer’s Two –Factor

Development

Methods for studying developmental psychology:

Describe “Critical Periods” of development:

Define teratogens:

PRENATAL:

1. Define Neonates:

2. Reflexes:

i. Rooting:

ii. Sucking:

iii. Swallowing:

iv. Grasping:

v. Stepping:

Contrast Developmental Norms Vs. Maturation:

Be familiar with the order of Erikson’s 8 stages of Psychosocial Development

Theories of Attachment:

Ainsworth: Strange Situation Experiment

Types of Attachment

Bowlby

Parenting Styles:

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COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT:

Describe each of Piaget’s four stages of cognitive development1. Sensorimotor:a. Object Permanenceb. Mental Representations

2.Preoperational:a. egocentric

3. Concrete-Operational:a. Principles of Conservation

4. Formal-Operational:

Schema Theory:

Assimilation

Accommodation

Describe three stages of Kohlberg’s Moral Development:

Personality

APPROACHES1.Psychodynamic

A) Sigmund Freuda) Unconscious

Pleasure Principle:Reality Principle:Superego:Ego Ideal:

Defense Mechanisms:

Fixation:

Psychosexual Stages of Development:1. Oral:

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2. Anal:3. Phallic:4. Latency:5. Genital

vi. Oedipus/ Electra Complex:

Neo-Freudians:

Carl Jung:Collective Unconscious:Archetypes:Persona:Anima vs AnimusExtraverts vs IntrovertsRational vs Irrational Inviduals

Alfred AdlerCompensationInferiority Complex

Karen HorneyAnxiety Neurotic Trends

Erik Erikson8 Stages of Psychosocial Development:

2.Humanistic

Carl RogersUnconditional Positive RegardActualizing Tendency

3.TraitFactor AnalysisThe Big Five

4.Cognitive-SocialSocial Learning Theory (Bandura)ExpectanciesPerformance StandardsSelf-EfficacyLocus of Control

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PERSONALITY ASSESSMENTS:

1.Personal Interview2. Observation3. Objective Tests

Sixteen Personality Factor QuestionnaireNEO-PI-RMinnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

4. Projective TestsRorschach TestThematic Apperception Test (TAT)

Stress

Define stress and stressor:

General Adaptation Syndrome (Seyle): 3 Stages

Describe the 3 Types of Conflict: A) Approach/ Approach ConflictB) Avoidance/ Avoidance ConflictC) Approach/ Avoidance Conflict

Discuss PTSD:

Psychological Disorders

Define abnormal:

Define insanity:

What is the DSM?

TYPES OF DISORDERS2. Anxiety Disorders

a. Specific Phobiab. Social Phobiac. Agoraphobiad. Panic Disordere. Generalized Anxiety Disorder

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f. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder3. Mood Disorders

a. Depressionb. Maniac. Bipolar

4. Dissociative Disordersa. Dissociative Amnesiab. Dissociative Fuguec. Dissociative Identity Disorderd. Depersonalization Disorder

5. Pyschosomatic and Somatoform Disordersa. Somatization Disordersb. Conversion Disordersc. Hypochondriasisd. Body Dysmorphic Disorders

6. Schizophreniaa. Disorganizedb. Catatonicc. Paranoid d. Undifferentiated Schizophrenia

7. Personality Disordersa. Antisocialb. Narcissisticc. Borderlined. Obsessive-Compulsive Personalitye. Paranoidf. Schizoid g. Avoidanth. Dependent Personality Disorder

Therapies

1. Psychoanalysisa. Free associationb. Transferencec. Resistanced. Dream Analysis

2. Gestalt Therapy (Fritz Perls) 3. Humanistic

a. Client-centered/ Person-centered Therapy (Carl Rogers):

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i. Unconditional Positive Regardii. Empathy

4. Behavioral Therapiesa. Systematic Desensitizationb. Extinctionc. Aversion Therapyd. Operant Conditioning

i. Token Economyii. Contingency Schedule

5. Cognitive Therapiesa. Stress-inoculation therapyb. Rational Emotive Therapy (aka REBT by Ellis)c. Cognitive therapy (Beck) link to depression

6. Family Therapy/Couple Therapy

7. Biological a. Drug Therapy

i. Antidepressants1. SSRI’s2. MAO Inhibitors

ii. Antianxiety 1. Benzodiazepines: Tranquilizers (ie: Valium)

iii. Antipsychotic1. Used to treat symptoms of schizophrenia (such as delusions/

hallucinations (ie: clozapine)

b. Electroconvulsive Shock Therapy (ECT)c. Surgery

i. Lobotomy

Deinstitutionalization:

Preventions1. Primary2. Secondary3. Tertiary

Social Psychology

Define Social Psychology:

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Social Cognition:1. Impression Formation

a. Primacy Effect

Social Comparison:

Attitudes:1. Cognitive Dissonance:2. Self-Monitoring

Interpersonal Attraction1. Proximity2. Exchanges3. Intimacy

Stereotypes:1. Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

a. Bloomer’s Study

Prejudice:

Discrimination:1. Frustration-aggression theory2. Authoritarian Personality3. Racism

Attribution:1. Fundamental Attribution Error:2. Defensive Attribution:

a. Self-serving Bias3. Just-World Hypothesis

Social Influence1. Norms2. Cultural Truisms

Social Action:1. Deindivudation2. Altruistic behavior3. Bystander Effect

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Group Dynamics:1. Group Polarization2. Risky Shift3. Social Loafing4. Social Facilitation Effect (related to Hawthorne Effect)5. Conformity6. Compliance7. Obedience

a. Milgram’s Study

Industrial/ Organizational Psychology1. Hawthorne Effect

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