psych ap test terms

• factor analysis


  statistical method used to evaluate relationships among a set of observed variables; used to come up with the theory that 5 main personality traits exist
• REM sleep is also known as

  paradoxical sleep
• right hemisphere brain functions


  •imagination• holistic thinking• intuition• arts• rhythm• nonverbal cues• feelings visualization• daydreaming
• continuous reinforcement

  the repeated reinforcement of a behavior every time it happens; positive or negative reinforcement with the goal of encouraging certain actions
• test validity

  measures/predicts what it's supposed to; content (samples a hands-on behavior, predictive (predicts future behavior)
• test standardization


  pre-testing a large group in order to make a test uniform, or set it to a specific standard
• test reliability 


  yields consistent results
• CT scan


  X-Rays
• MRI scan


  computer-generated images; better than CT
• synaptic cleft


  a junction or small gap at which neurons communicate with each other; contains non-epinephrine which binds post-synaptic receptors, undergoes reuptake by the presynaptic neuron, or undergoes degradation
• depressants


  alcohol, barbituates, opiates
• stimulants


  caffeine, nicotine, methamphetamine, cocaine
• hallucinogens


  LSD, marijuana
• top-down processing


   perceiving things based on your prior experiences and knowledge
• bottom-up processing


  occurs as our sensory receptors receive new sensory information and do not require prior knowledge or experiences
• stroboscopic motion


  perceptual phenomenon in which an appearance of motion (or lack of motion) occurs when the stimulus is not viewed continuously but in distinct separate stages; film reels/motion pictures
• psychogenic amnesia


  an impairment of learning and memory out of all proportion to other cognitive functions, cannot be related to identifiable brain damage; dissociative disorder
• Kohlberg's stages of moral development


  -Pre-conventional morality: children; morality based on rewards and punishments; selfish

  -Conventional morality: adolescents; morality based on how others see you

  -Post-conventional morality: some adults; based on your own personal set of ethics
• random sampling


  each person is equally likely to be selected
• overgeneralization (in speech)


  extending something beyond the circumstances to which it actually applies; common linguistic tendency of young children to generalize standard grammatical rules to apply to irregular words (ex. "goed" instead of "went")
• antisocial personality disorder

  sociopath/psychopath; exhibits a lack of remorse for wrongdoing or harm; lack of empathy
• Han Seyle's general adaptation syndrome

  model that explains the biological processes involved in chronic stress;

  -Alarm: when you experience the stressor

  -Resistance: you're stressed everyday and your body tries to keep up; sympathetic nervous system goes up

  -Exhaustion: the body's ability to cope with the physiological demand decreases; can result in more life threatening illnesses
• photoreceptors

  special cells in the eye’s retina that are responsible for converting light into signals that are sent to the brain; rods and cones
• bipolar cells

  exist between photoreceptors and ganglion cells; act, directly or indirectly, to transmit signals from the photoreceptors to the ganglion cells
• the hidden observer (hypnosis)


  Ernest Hilgard; theory that states that a separate consciousness is formed in an individuals mind during hypnosis which is capable of observing the individual
• Piaget's theory of cognitive development 


  -sensorimotor: object permanence

  -preoperational: egocentrism, theory of mind, artificialism

  -concrete operational: conservation

  -formal operational: abstract logic, moral reasoning
• artificialism

  Jean Piaget; religiously-oriented perspective that all things were created by an intelligent entity that has complete control over their qualities, movements, and behaviors; preoperational stage
• standard deviation


  a measure of the variability of a set of scores or values within a group, indicating how narrowly or broadly they deviate from the mean
• eclectic therapy

  form of psychotherapy that adapts to the unique needs of each patient, depending on the problem, the treatment goals, and the person’s expectations and motivation
• what sense bypasses the thalamus?

  smell (olfaction)
• Hubel and Wiesel

  studied feature detectors in the visual cortex
• sociobiology


  some behaviors (social and individual) are at least partly inherited and can be affected by natural selection; people are motivation to ensure the survival of their genes
• aphagia

  the inability or refusal to swallow; can occur after continually stimulating the ventromedial hypothalamus
• DSM axis 1


  primary mental disorder
• DMS axis 2


  personality disorders
• DSM axis 3


  general medical condition
• DSM axis 4


  info about patient's life circumstances
• DSM axis 5


  Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (rating)
• rational-emotive behavior therapy 


  type of cognitive-behavioral therapy; action-oriented approach that’s focused on helping people deal with irrational beliefs and learn how to manage their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in a healthier, more realistic way
• social desirability bias


   type of response bias that is the tendency of survey respondents to answer questions in a manner that will be viewed favorably by others; respondents to surveys often report that they are happier, healthier, and less prejudiced than would be expected based on the findings of other types of research