AP Psychology – Common Psychology Terms

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• Which theory links pitch to the location along the basilar membrane that is stimulated?
• Which term describes removing a stimulus to decrease the probability of a behavior's recurrence?
• Interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas
• What term describes the tendency to overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judgments?
• Which phenomenon occurs when awareness of positive expectations improves performance on a task?
• In development, the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem all influence development. What is this framework called?
• An operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior.
• Which term describes compulsive fretting and repetitive negative thoughts about problems and their causes?
• Which term describes learning in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer approximations of the desired behavior?
• What is General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) described by Selye?
• A natural, opiate-like neurotransmitter linked to pain control and to pleasure.
• What term describes the extent to which a test predicts the behavior it is designed to predict, as measured by the correlation with criterion behavior?
• Which theory states the eye has three receptors sensitive to red, green, and blue?
• The phenomenon describing our tendency to judge stimuli relative to a neutral reference point based on prior experience
• Which neural system is located below the cerebral hemispheres and is associated with emotions and drives?
• Which term describes a belief common to some adolescents that they are uniquely special and invulnerable?
• In an experiment, the variable that the researcher actively changes to observe its effect is the what?
• Which principle states performance improves with arousal up to a point, then declines?
• Faulty memory for how, when, or where information was learned or imagined.
• The measured outcome in a study, representing the responses of participants, is known as what?
• Which term best describes the stage where a child uses two-word phrases to express a complete idea, such as 'mom milk'?
• Which term describes removing an aversive stimulus to increase a response?
• A systematic, logical procedure guaranteed to solve a problem; slower but more accurate than relying on intuition
• What is the extent to which a test yields consistent results across halves, alternate forms, or retesting?
• The brief sensory memory for visual information is known as which memory system?
• Which neurotransmitter is linked to pain control and to pleasure and is naturally produced in the brain?
• Drugs that slow the activity of the central nervous system, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgment. Example: Alcohol (which affect GABA)
• Which color vision deficiency involves absence of a color mechanism, commonly red-green blindness?
• Which term refers to agents that can harm a developing embryo or fetus?
• Which concept refers to a newer understanding of short-term memory that emphasizes conscious, active processing of incoming information and retrieval from long-term memory?
• Agents such as chemicals and viruses that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm are called?
• What term describes the diminished effect with regular use of the same drug dose, leading to larger doses required for the same effect?
• Interpreting new experiences in terms of existing schemas
• The perception of a relationship where none exists (for example, correlating hyperactivity with sugar) is called what?
• What ethical principle requires researchers to tell participants enough about a study to decide whether to participate?
• Which concept describes the awareness that others have mental states that may differ from one’s own?
• The base of the brainstem that controls heartbeat and breathing is the:
• Which term describes simultaneous processing of information through conscious and unconscious pathways?
• Which phenomenon suggests that facial expressions can influence emotional experience?
• Which term describes overestimating the extent to which others notice our appearance, performance, and blunders?
• A testable prediction implied by a theory, often stated in an if/then form is called what?
• Latent learning challenges the idea that learning must be reinforced immediately; which term describes this phenomenon?
• Which brain structure is a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal?
• Which system involves indirect influences on development from external settings the person does not directly participate in?
• What term describes the tendency to believe that the world is just and that people get what they deserve?
• Which concept describes decisions to continue a project due to prior investments, even when it is likely to fail?
• The belief that you control your own fate refers to which concept?
• A sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion; allows for generalization.
• Assigning participants to experimental and control conditions by chance minimizes preexisting differences.
• Estimating the likelihood of events based on how quickly they come to our working memory; if instances come readily to mind, we presume such events are common
• What is the term for the increase in a synapse's firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation, believed to be a neural basis for learning and memory?
• Which color vision theory describes opposing color channels rather than three separate cones?
• Which process uses feedback to regulate physiological functions such as blood pressure and muscle tension?
• Which term describes increasing a behavior by stopping or reducing a bad stimulus, such as shock?
• Which concept tests whether a test measures what it intends to measure?
• A fear or avoidance of situations such as crowds or wide open places where one has felt loss of control and panic
• Which term describes learning that leads to better long-term retention when study sessions are spaced apart rather than massed?
• Which term best describes the ability to think creatively and generate multiple potential solutions to a problem?
• Which type of tests include Rorschach inkblots and the TAT and are known for often lower reliability and validity?
• Which bias is the tendency to search for information that confirms our preconceptions and to ignore contradictory evidence?
• What type of thinking focuses on narrowing down to a single best solution?
• Which type of memory stores learned skills and conditioned responses without requiring conscious recall, also called procedural or non-declarative memory?
• What imaging method tracks brain activity by using a radioactive glucose analog to map metabolic activity?
• Which phenomenon refers to improvements in behavior due to expectations from receiving a treatment?
• The idea that we explain someone's behavior by crediting either the situation or the person's disposition
• A sleep disorder characterized by sudden sleep attacks and brief periods of REM sleep during the day is:
• The tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when working toward a common goal.
• Judging the likelihood of events by how well they match a prototype describes which heuristic?
• The phenomenon of incorporating misleading information into one's memory of an event is known as the:
• Which cognitive function includes planning, reasoning, and decision-making and is associated with the frontal lobe?
• An amplified recording of the brain waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.
• The focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus, as in the cocktail party phenomenon.
• Which process converts sensory energy into neural impulses?
• Which category of long-term memory stores personal events and experiences?
• Which cells in the retina are concentrated in the fovea and detect color and fine detail in daylight?
• Which phenomenon occurs in group settings that leads to reduced self-awareness and impulsive behavior?
• The principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks.
• In operant conditioning, what system rewards desired behavior with tokens exchangeable for privileges?
• Which type of brain cells primarily provide support and nourishment to neurons?
• Which term describes the tendency for extreme scores to move toward the average on repeated measurements?
• The idea that we act to reduce discomfort from inconsistent thoughts by changing our attitudes is known as?
• General knowledge and facts.
• The inner ear structure that is a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube where sound waves trigger nerve impulses is the?
• An individual who has an exceptional specific skill despite overall limited mental ability.
• Which statistical procedure identifies clusters of related items on a test and reveals underlying dimensions of performance?
• Clinging to initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited is best described as?
• Which variable is the one that is measured to assess the effect of manipulation in an experiment?
• Which persuasion route relies on incidental cues such as attractiveness or emotion rather than the actual argument?
• Which term means sense of smell?
• What is the process by which sensory input such as sights, sounds, and smells is transformed into neural impulses?
• In Freudian dream analysis, the surface, or remembered, story line that masks the dream's latent content is called what?
• Which therapy was developed by Albert Ellis and emphasizes disputing irrational beliefs through direct confrontation and homework?
• Which concept describes evaluating a persuasive message based on its arguments and evidence rather than superficial cues?
• Which brain structure lies below the thalamus and directs basic maintenance activities such as hunger, thirst, and body temperature, and also influences emotion and reward?
• The phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them; the more you hear or see something, the more you tend to like it.
• Which form of conformity results from one's willingness to accept others' opinions because they think others are correct?
• Which form of conformity is driven by the belief that others' opinions are correct?
• Which analytic method is used to identify clusters of related test items to reveal underlying dimensions of performance?
• An expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them is known as the?
• A study in which people of different ages are compared at the same point in time.
• The brain's 'little brain' at the rear of the brainstem that coordinates movement and balance is the?
• Which therapy uses repeated pulses of magnetic energy to the brain and is used to stimulate or suppress brain activity for depression and anxiety?
• What term refers to people's ideas about their own and others' mental states—about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict?
• In Freudian dream analysis, the hidden, true meaning of a dream is called:
• Older designed personality measurements such as the Rorschach inkblots or TAT; typically yield poor reliability and validity.
• Which therapy uses direct questioning and homework to dispute irrational beliefs?
• A strategy of grouping items into meaningful units to expand short-term memory beyond 7 +/- 2 items is called?
• A system for recording and feeding back information about a physiological state, such as blood pressure, is called?
• Which phenomenon occurs when REM sleep increases after REM sleep deprivation?
• Which term describes language impairment due to left hemisphere damage?
• Which of the following is an example of a secondary reinforcer?
• Which sense provides information about body position and movement of body parts relative to each other?
• Which sense is responsible for balance and spatial orientation, primarily processed by the inner ear?
• What term describes how the way a question is framed can influence decisions and judgments?
• Which cells in the nervous system provide support, nourishment, and protection for neurons?
• What term describes the large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep?
• The term describing learning by observing and then reproducing others' behavior is:
• Which term describes sleep disturbance characterized by sleepwalking during deep sleep?
• The minimum stimulus energy needed to detect a stimulus 50% of the time is called what?
• What concept describes shared goals that override differences among people and require cooperation?
• Which term describes an unreasonable need to behave in a certain way to prevent a feared outcome?
• Which reinforcement schedule yields reinforcement after a variable number of responses?
• Which sense provides information about head movement and balance, largely from the inner ear?
• Which term describes the belief that the world is just and that people get what they deserve?
• Learning by imitating others is known as:
• Which term refers to a thought, idea, feeling, or impulse that a person cannot escape?
• In operant conditioning, what term describes reinforcing a behavior by presenting a favorable stimulus after the behavior?
• Which retina region is densely populated with cones and supports high-acuity vision?
• Primary sex characteristics are the body structures that make sexual reproduction possible. Which term refers to these?
• What is the conditioning process that introduces a second conditioned stimulus by pairing the first CS with a new neutral stimulus?
• Which concept describes increasing a behavior by presenting a desirable stimulus after it occurs?
• Which brain region is primarily associated with executive functioning such as planning and decision-making?
• The smallest units of meaning in a language are called:
• What is the term for the extent to which a test predicts the intended criterion?
• Which term is defined as the procedures used to define research variables, usually for replication purposes?
• What term describes patterns that determine when a behavior will be reinforced, including fixed- and variable- intervals and ratios?
• Discomfort after discontinuing an addictive drug is called what?
• The process of informing participants about the study and any deception after participation is called what?
• Which term refers to the formation or creation of new neurons?
• A momentary sensory memory of a visual stimulus that lasts only a fraction of a second is known as which type of memory?
• Which term describes the adolescent belief that one is uniquely special and protected from harm?
• The post-experimental explanation of a study to its participants, including its purpose and any deception.
• Which term describes memory for the source of a memory or event?
• The regular bodily rhythms that regulate sleep-wake cycles are called?
• Frontal lobe neurons that fire when performing actions or observing another doing so are called:
• Which term describes a minor's agreement to participate in a study, acknowledging the study's purpose and the right to withdraw?
• Learning that occurs without reinforcement and is revealed later.
• What is the smallest unit of sound in language that can change the meaning of a word?
• The minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time is called what?
• Which term describes presenting a stimulus to decrease the probability of a behavior's recurrence?
• What term describes the tendency to fail to act to escape from a situation after repeated failures?
• Which term describes the two-word stage of language where a child expresses a whole thought, such as 'mom milk' to mean 'I want milk now'?
• Which term refers to the memory system that stores general knowledge and facts not tied to personal experience?
• A situation in which conflicting parties pursuing self-interest become caught in mutually destructive behavior is described as?
• Which perspective emphasizes unconscious inner forces driving behavior?
• Which imaging technique maps metabolic activity by using a radioactive tracer to measure brain function?
• Which term describes a quick, rule-of-thumb problem-solving strategy?
• What term refers to the fear that one will confirm negative stereotypes about one’s group, which can impair performance?
• Which term describes a system where tokens earned for good behavior can be exchanged for privileges?
• Which neural system includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus and is associated with emotions and drives?
• Which form of persuasion involves focusing on the arguments and evidence rather than superficial cues?
• Which of the following is an example of a primary reinforcer?
• Impairment of language due to left hemisphere damage affecting speaking or understanding
• Which retinal receptors detect black, white, and gray and are necessary for peripheral and low-light vision when cones don’t respond?
• The loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.
• What is the term for a neurotransmitter’s reabsorption back to the sending neuron's axon terminal?
• The tendency to be less likely to help when others are present due to diffusion of responsibility is known as?
• What is the phenomenon of overestimating how much others notice and judge us called?
• Which term refers to memory for general world knowledge and facts not tied to personal experience?
• Which form of conformity results from a person's desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval?
• A desire to perform a behavior to receive promised rewards or avoid threatened punishment.
• The tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one's current mood is called:
• What term describes a minor's agreement to participate in a study, including knowledge of the study's purpose and the right to withdraw?
• Which gland is considered the endocrine system's most influential and is regulated by the hypothalamus?
• The phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking is called the:
• Which theory posits that pitch is coded by the location on the basilar membrane that vibrates most?
• Which term describes the ability to reason quickly and abstractly, an aspect of intelligence that tends to decline with age?
• A molecule that inhibits or blocks the actions of a neurotransmitter
• Estimating likelihood based on vivid examples; a common cognitive bias is known as what?
• In language, what is the smallest unit of sound that can distinguish meaning?
• Which neural mechanism involves strengthening of synaptic connections after brief, rapid stimulation, believed to be a neural basis for learning and memory?
• Which principle states that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely and those followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely?
• An individual's belief that he or she is capable and competent of performing a task.
• What research design studies the same individuals over a long period, restudying and retesting them?
• Which system in Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory encompasses cultural norms and societal values?
• Which of the following is an example of a secondary reinforcer?
• Which term describes a testable prediction that follows from a theory and can be tested via experimentation?
• The process of interpreting new experiences in terms of existing schemas is called
• Which term describes the phenomenon where positive expectations about a group’s abilities lead to improved performance?
• Which illusion is created by a sequence of lights blinking to produce the perception of motion?
• What term describes the tendency to favor one’s own group and view it as superior?
• A category of long-term memory that involves the recollection of specific events, situations and experiences.
• Which brain structure serves as a key arousal network in the brainstem?
• The tendency for distributed guided study or practice to yield better long-term retention than is achieved through massed study or practice.
• Frontal lobe neurons that fire when performing an action and when observing someone else perform the same action are known as:
• Which phenomenon states that facial expressions themselves can influence emotional experience?
• The 24-hour biological clock governing sleep and alertness is called the?
• Which theory explains that pitch is encoded by the rate of nerve impulses matching the frequency of a sound?
• According to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream is called what?
• Which term refers to the tendency to perceive a whole rather than just parts?
• Which term refers to a mental representation of the layout of one's environment, such as after navigating a maze?
• Which term describes the preference for one’s own group and the belief that it is superior?
• Usually results from damage to inner ear or auditory nerve.
• An optimal period when exposure to stimuli yields proper development.
• The coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear that triggers nerve impulses for hearing is the?
• Which illusion occurs when adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession, creating a sense of movement?
• A sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks and abrupt transitions into REM sleep is:
• Which division of the autonomic nervous system arouses the body and mobilizes energy during stress (fight or flight)?
• Which reinforcement schedule provides reinforcement after a fixed number of responses?
• Which term describes a molecule that slows CNS activity and reduces anxiety?
• Which concept is the awareness that objects continue to exist even when not perceived?
• Which concept refers to the awareness that objects exist independent of perception?
• During which GAS phase does the body adapt and cope with ongoing stress, resisting the effects of stress?
• The diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs in classical conditioning when an unconditioned stimulus (US) does not follow a conditioned stimulus (CS); occurs in operant conditioning when a response is no longer reinforced.
• The extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to is called?
• Which term refers to a precise statement of how researchers plan to measure a variable to enable replication?
• Which sampling method ensures every member of the population has an equal chance of being included?
• Which term describes the stability of test results across multiple measurements or test forms?
• What is the term for the mode of thinking in groups where the desire for harmony leads to poor decisions?
• Which term describes sleepwalking that occurs during deep sleep (NREM3)?
• What term refers to a rare condition where a person has near-perfect recall of episodic memories?
• The belief that one’s own behavior and circumstances are governed by internal factors rather than external forces?
• Expands the number of possible problem solutions (creative thinking that goes in different directions).
• What type of study involves following the same people over time to observe changes?
• Which term describes a tendency for group members to prioritize consensus over critical evaluation?