AP Psychology - Scientific Foundations of Psychology

• personality psychology


  the study of an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting
• educational psychology


  the study of how psychological processes affect and can enhance teaching and learning
• developmental psychology


  a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span
• social-cultural psychology


  the study of how situations and cultures affect our behavior and thinking
• psychodynamic psychology


  a branch of psychology that studies how unconscious drives and conflicts influence behavior, and uses that information to treat people with psychological disorders (also known as psychoanalytic psychology)
• biological psychology


  the scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal) and psychological processes
• biopsychosocial approach

  an integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural viewpoints.
• positive psychology


  scientific study of the factors that help individuals and communities thrive and grow.
• Culture


  the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and passed down from one generation to the next
• behavior genetics


  the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior
• critical thinking


  thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions; it examines assumptions, appraises the source, discerns hidden biases, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.
• Psychology


  the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
• evolutionary psychology


  Explores how certain psychological traits and behaviors have evolved over time due to their adaptive value in helping our ancestors survive.
• cognative neuroscience


  the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language)
• Cognitive Psychology


  the study of mental processes, such as occur when we perceive, learn, remember, think, communicate, and solve problems.
• humanistic psychology


  historically significant perspective that emphasized the growth potential
• behavioral psychology


  the scientific study of observable behavior, and its explanation by principles of learning
• social psychology


  the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another
• Dorthea Dix


  Early pioneer in therapy for psychological disorders

  
• Margaret Floy Washburn


  first woman to earn a Ph.D. in psychology

  
• Mary Whiton Calkins


  First female president of the APA

  
• Charles Darwin


  developed the theory of evolution (basis of nature vs. nurture argument)

  
• statistical significance


  a statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred randomly

  
• inferential statistics


  numerical data that allow one to generalize- to infer from sample data the probability of something being true of a population

  
• normal curve


  Also called a normal distribution; a symmetrical, bell-shaped curve that describes distribution of many types of data; most scores fall near the mean (68% within 1 standard deviation) and fewer near the extremes.

  
• standard deviation


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

  
• range


  the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution

  
• skewed distribution


  a representation of scores that is lopsided due to outliers (way-out scores)

  
• Median


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

  
• mean


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

  
• Mode


  the most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution

  
• Histogram


  a bar graph depicting a frequency distribution

  
• descriptive statistics


  numerical data used to measure and describe characteristics of groups. Includes measures of central tendency and measures of variation.

  
• Debriefing


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

  
• informed consent


  giving potential participants enough information about a study to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate

  
• Validity


  the extent to which a test or experiment measures or predicts what it is supposed to

  
• dependent variable


  in an experiment, the outcome that is measured; the variable that may change when the independent variable is manipulated

  
• confounding variable


  a factor other than the factor being studied that might influence a study's results; random assignment controls for confounding variables

  
• independent variable


  in an experiment, the factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied

  
• placebo effect


  experimental results caused by expectations alone;