AP Psychology Prologue/Chapter 1 Flashcards

Questions and Answers

Who is considered the first man of psychology?

Wilhelm Wundt

What is structuralism?

Early school of psychology using introspection to explore the elements of the human mind.

What does functionalism study?

How mental and behavioral processes function and enable adaptation.

Who introduced structuralism?

Edward Bradford Titchener Signup and view all the answers

What is introspection?

Self-reflection or looking inward. Signup and view all the answers

Who is known for the theory of evolution?

Charles Darwin Signup and view all the answers

Who was the first female student in psychology?

Mary Calkins Signup and view all the answers

What did Ivan Pavlov pioneer?

The study of learning. Signup and view all the answers

What is the definition of psychology?

The science of behavior and mental processes. Signup and view all the answers

Define behaviorists.

Those who believe psychology should study behavior without reference to mental processes. Signup and view all the answers

What is humanistic psychology?

A perspective emphasizing personal growth and potential. Signup and view all the answers

Who developed Maslow's hierarchy of needs?

Abraham Maslow Signup and view all the answers

What does cognitive neuroscience study?

The brain activity linked with cognition. Signup and view all the answers

What is the nature-nurture issue?

The debate on the influence of genetics vs. environment on behavior. Signup and view all the answers

Define natural selection.

The principle that inherited traits contributing to survival are likely to be passed on. Signup and view all the answers

What are levels of analysis?

Different complementary views for analyzing phenomena. Signup and view all the answers

What is the biopsychosocial approach?

An integrated approach incorporating biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels. Signup and view all the answers

How does neuroscience relate to psychology?

It studies how the body and brain enable emotions, memories, and experiences. Signup and view all the answers

What is behavioral genetics?

The study of how genes and environment influence individual differences. Signup and view all the answers

What does psychodynamic psychology focus on?

How behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts. Signup and view all the answers

What is behavioral psychology?

The study of how we learn observable responses. Signup and view all the answers

What does cognitive psychology examine?

How we encode, process, store, and retrieve information. Signup and view all the answers

What does social-cultural psychology study?

How behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures. Signup and view all the answers

What is applied research?

Scientific study aimed at solving practical problems. Signup and view all the answers

What do counseling psychologists focus on?

Helping people with problems in living and achieving greater well-being. Signup and view all the answers

What do clinical psychologists do?

They study, assess, and treat people with psychological disorders. Signup and view all the answers

What is the definition of psychiatry?

A branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders. Signup and view all the answers

Define basic research.

Pure science aimed at increasing scientific knowledge. Signup and view all the answers

What is hindsight bias?

The tendency to believe one would have foreseen an outcome after learning it. Signup and view all the answers

What constitutes a scientific attitude?

Curiosity, skepticism, and humility. Signup and view all the answers

What is critical thinking?

Smart thinking that examines assumptions and evaluates evidence. Signup and view all the answers

What is a theory?

An integrated set of principles that organize observations. Signup and view all the answers

What is a hypothesis?

Testable predictions. Signup and view all the answers

Define operational definition.

A statement of procedures used to define research variables. Signup and view all the answers

What does it mean to replicate a study?

To repeat the essence of a research study with different participants. Signup and view all the answers

What is the scientific method?

A self-correcting process for asking questions and observing nature's answers. Signup and view all the answers

What is a case study?

An examination of one individual in depth. Signup and view all the answers

What is a survey in psychology?

An examination of many cases with less depth. Signup and view all the answers

Define random sampling.

Everyone in the entire group has an equal chance of participation. Signup and view all the answers

What is a population in psychology research?

All cases of a group being studied. Signup and view all the answers

What are naturalistic observations?

Observing behavior in the natural environment without manipulation. Signup and view all the answers

Define correlate.

A measure of the extent two factors vary with each other. Signup and view all the answers

What is a correlational coefficient?

A statistical measure of the relationship between two variables. Signup and view all the answers

What are scatterplots?

Clusters of dots representing values of two variables. Signup and view all the answers

What is an illusory correlation?

A perceived but non-existent correlation between two variables. Signup and view all the answers

What is an experiment in psychology?

A research method where the researcher manipulates variables to observe effects. Signup and view all the answers

Define random assignment.

Assigning participants to experimental/control groups by chance. Signup and view all the answers

What is a double-blind procedure?

An experimental procedure where both participants and staff are unaware of the treatment. Signup and view all the answers

What is the placebo effect?

An effect on behavior caused by inert substance assumed to be active. Signup and view all the answers

What is an experimental group?

A group exposed to treatment in an experiment. Signup and view all the answers

What is a control group?

A group not exposed to treatment for comparison in experiments. Signup and view all the answers

Define independent variable.

The variable being manipulated in an experiment. Signup and view all the answers

What is a dependent variable?

The outcome variable that may change due to manipulation. Signup and view all the answers

What does it mean to be skeptical in psychology?

To think critically and question assumptions. Signup and view all the answers

What is mode in statistics?

The most frequently occurring score. Signup and view all the answers

What does median signify?

The midpoint, 50th percentile of a data set. Signup and view all the answers

Define mean.

Arithmetic average of a data set. Signup and view all the answers

What is range in statistics?

The gap between the lowest and highest score. Signup and view all the answers

What does standard deviation measure?

How scores vary around the mean. Signup and view all the answers

What is the normal curve?

A symmetrical bell-shaped curve representing data distribution. Signup and view all the answers

What ensures reliable observed differences?

<ol> <li>Representative samples 2. Less-variable observations 3. More cases.</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

What is statistical significance?

The likelihood that a result occurred by chance. Signup and view all the answers

What is culture?

Shared ideas and behaviors passed from one generation to another. Signup and view all the answers

What does SQ3R stand for?

Survey, Question, Read, Rehearse, Review. Signup and view all the answers

What do ethics in psychology entail?

Rules of conduct to protect participants' wellbeing in research. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Foundational Figures in Psychology

Wilhelm Wundt established psychology as a distinct field in 1879 with his focus on empirical experiments regarding awareness.
Edward Bradford Titchener introduced structuralism, utilizing introspection to analyze the components of the human mind.
William James, a Harvard professor and proponent of functionalism, stressed the purpose of mental processes in adapting and surviving.
Mary Calkins became the first female student in psychology, later earning the first female PhD in the discipline.

Key Psychological Concepts

Structuralism emphasizes introspection and the analysis of the mind's elements.
Functionalism focuses on mental and behavioral functions in promoting adaptation and growth.
Introspection involves self-reflection and internal examination of thoughts and feelings.
Behaviorism advocates an objective study of behavior, excluding mental processes.

Influential Theorists

Sigmund Freud proposed a groundbreaking theory of personality rooted in unconscious drives.
Ivan Pavlov is recognized for pioneering studies on learning and classical conditioning.
Jean Piaget contributed significantly to developmental psychology, particularly with child observation.

Major Psychological Approaches

Humanistic psychology emphasizes personal growth and the potential of healthy individuals.
The biopsychosocial approach integrates biological, psychological, and social-cultural perspectives for a comprehensive understanding of behavior.
Cognitive neuroscience examines brain activity in relation to cognitive processes like memory and language.

Research Methodologies

Operational definitions clarify research variables through specific procedures.
The scientific method serves as a self-correcting framework for exploring questions and observing outcomes.
Case studies provide in-depth analyses of individual cases, while surveys gather data across broader populations.
Random sampling ensures each group member has an equal chance of being included in research.

Statistical Concepts

Measures of central tendency include mean (average), median (middle value), and mode (most frequent score).
Standard deviation indicates how scores vary around the mean, whereas range identifies the gap between the lowest and highest scores.
Statistical significance evaluates the likelihood that results are due to chance, guiding the interpretation of findings.

Ethical Guidelines in Psychology

Ethical principles in psychology safeguard participant well-being and ensure responsible research practices.

Learning Strategies

SQ3R framework (Survey, Question, Read, Rehearse, Review) optimizes learning and retention of information.

Evolutionary Conceptualizations

Evolutionary psychology examines how natural selection affects psychological traits and behaviors as they relate to survival and reproduction.

Important Definitions

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
Nature-nurture issue explores the interplay of genetics and environmental factors in shaping behavior.
Cognitive, behavioral, psychodynamic, and social-cultural perspectives offer different lenses through which to analyze human behavior.

Research Techniques

Experiments manipulate variables to observe effects, while double-blind procedures reduce bias from both participants and researchers.
The placebo effect highlights changes in behavior resulting from expectations rather than the intervention itself.

Understanding these core concepts and their interconnections is crucial for mastering the field of psychology as outlined in foundational prologue and chapter one materials.

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Description

Test your knowledge on key concepts from the Prologue and Chapter 1 of AP Psychology. This quiz covers foundational figures such as Wilhelm Wundt and important schools of thought like Structuralism and Functionalism. Prepare for an engaging learning experience in psychology!