AP Psychology Vocabulary

Unit 1- Research and History

  1. Structuralism
  2. Functionalism
  3. Gestalt Psychology
  4. Behaviorism
  5. Biological View
  6. Evolutionary Psychology
  7. Developmental View
  8. Cognitive View
  9. Clinical View
  10. Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic
  11. Humanistic Psychology
  12. Behavioral View
  13. Trait View
  14. Evolutionary/Socio-biological View
  15. Operational Definition
  16. Confounding/Extraneous Variables
  17. Correlational Study
  18. Naturalistic Observation
  19. Longitudinal Study
  20. Cross-sectional Study
  21. Cohort-Sequential Study
  22. Expectancy bias
  23. Frequency Distribution
  24. Significant Difference
  25. Standard Deviation

Unit 2- Neuro-biology

  1. Genotype
  2. Phenotype
  3. Neuron
  4. Sensory Neuron
  5. Motor Neuron
  6. Resting Potential
  7. Action Potential
  8. All-or-none Principle
  9. Synaptic Transmission
  10. Neurotransmitters
  11. Plasticity
  12. Glial Cells
  13. Nervous System
  14. Motor Cortex
  15. Somatosensory Cortex
  16. Endocrine System
  17. Pituitary Gland
  18. Agonist
  19. Antagonist
  20. EEG; Electroencephalograph
  21. CT; Computerized Tomography Scan
  22. PET; Positron Emission Tomography
  23. MRI; Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  24. fMRI; Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  25. Association Cortex

Parts of the Brain

  1. Brain Stem
  2. Cerebellum
  3. Thalamus
  4. Limbic System
  5. Amygdala
  6. Hypothalamus
  7. Hippocampus
  8. Pons
  9. Reticular Formation
  10. Medulla
  11. Frontal Lobe
  12. Parietal Lobe
  13. Occipital Lobe
  14. Temporal Lobe
  15. Corpus Callosum
  16. Werrnicke’s Area
  17. Brocca’s Area

Unit 3- Sensation and Perception

  1. Sensation
  2. Perception
  3. Transduction
  4. Sensory Adaptation
  5. Absolute Threshold
  6. Just Noticeable Difference (JND)
  7. Retina
  8. Fovea
  9. Opponent-Process Theory
  10. Cochlea
  11. Basilar Membrane
  12. Vestibular Sense
  13. Kinesthetic Sense
  14. Gate-Control Theory
  15. Placebo Effect
  16. Percept
  17. Feature Detectors
  18. Bottom-Up Processing
  19. Top-Down Processing
  20. Law of Perceptual Grouping
  21. Law of Similarity
  22. Law of Proximity
  23. Law of Continuity
  24. Law of Common Fate
  25. Law of Pragnanz
  26. Perceptual Set

Unit 4- States of Consciousness

  1. Consciousness
  2. Cognitive Neuroscience
  3. Circadian Rhythms
  4. REM Sleep
  5. NREM Sleep
  6. REM Rebound
  7. Manifest Content
  8. Latent Content
  9. Activation-Synthesis
  10. Theory
  11. Narcolepsy
  12. Cataplexy
  13. Hypnosis
  14. Mediation
  15. Hallucinogens
  16. Depressants
  17. Stimulants
  18. Tolerance
  19. Physical Dependence
  20. Psychological Dependence

Unit 5- Learning

  1. Learning
  2. Habituation
  3. Mere Exposure Effect
  4. Behavioral Learning
  5. Classical Conditioning
  6. Neutral Stimulus
  7. Unconditioned Response (UCR)
  8. Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)
  9. Acquisition
  10. Conditioned Stimulus (CS)
  11. Conditioned Response (CR)
  12. Extinction
  13. Spontaneous Recovery
  14. Stimulus Generalization
  15. Operant Conditioning
  16. Continuous Reinforcement
  17. Shaping
  18. Intermittent Reinforcement
  19. Fixed Ratio Schedules (FR)
  20. Variable Ratio Schedules (VR)
  21. Fixed Interval Schedules (FI)
  22. Variable Interval Schedules (VI)
  23. Premack Principle
  24. Punishment
  25. Omission Training (Negative Punishment)
  26. Long-Term Potentiation

Unit 6- Memory

  1. Sensory Memory
  2. Working Memory
  3. Long-Term Memory (LTM)
  4. Maintenance Rehearsal
  5. Elaborative Rehearsal
  6. Levels of Processing Theory
  7. Anterograde Amnesia
  8. Consolidation
  9. Retrograde Amnesia
  10. Implicit Memory
  11. Explicit Memory
  12. Mood-Congruent Memory
  13. Transience
  14. Blocking
  15. Proactive Interference
  16. Retroactive Interference
  17. Serial Position Effect
  18. Misattribution
  19. Self-Consistency Bias
  20. Language Acquisition Device (LAD)
  21. Morphemes
  22. Overregularization
  23. Prototype
  24. Schemas
  25. Script
  26. Algorithms
  27. Heuristics
  28. Mental Set
  29. Functional Fixedness
  30. Overlearning

Unit 7- MESH

  1. Lateralization of Emotion
  2. James-Lange Theory
  3. Cannon-Bard Theory
  4. Two-factor Theory
  5. Cognitive Appraisal Theory
  6. Opponent-process Theory
  7. Emotional Intelligence
  8. Motivation
  9. Drive
  10. Instinct Theory
  11. Fixed-action Patterns
  12. Homeostasis
  13. Locus of Control
  14. Overjustification
  15. Need for Achievement
  16. Approach-approach Conflict
  17. Approach-avoidance Conflict
  18. Avoidance-avoidance Conflict
  19. Multiple Approach-avoidance Conflict
  20. Learned Helplessness

Unit 8- Lifespan Development

  1. Continuity View
  2. Discontinuity View
  3. Zygote
  4. Embryo
  5. Fetus
  6. Teratogens
  7. Attachment
  8. Imprinting
  9. Schemas
  10. Assimilation
  11. Accomodation
  12. Each of Piaget’s 4 stages
  13. Animistic Thinking
  14. Centration
  15. Irreversibility
  16. Conservation
  17. Zone of Proximal Development
  18. 5 stages of Death and Dying
  19. Erikson’s 8 stages of Development

Unit 9- Personality

  1. Personality
  2. Psychoanalytic Theory
  3. Unconscious
  4. Id
  5. Ego
  6. Superego
  7. Psychosexual Stages
  8. Penis Envy
  9. Ego Defense Mechanism
  10. Projective Tests
  11. Neo-Freudian
  12. Archetypes
  13. Introversion
  14. Extraversion
  15. Neurotic Needs

Unit 10- IQ

  1. Validity
  2. Reliability
  3. Face Validity
  4. Content Validity
  5. Criterion Validity
  6. Test-Retest Validity
  7. Split-half Reliability
  8. Objective Test
  9. Subjective Test
  10. Inter-rater Reliability
  11. IQ
  12. Chronological vs. Mental Age
  13. Mental Retardation
  14. Giftedness
  15. Savantism
  16. G Factor
  17. Crystallized Intelligence
  18. Fluid Intelligence
  19. Triarchic Theory
  20. Multiple Intelligence
  21. Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
  22. Eugenics

Unit 11- Abnormal Psychology

  1. Psychopathology
  2. Hallucinations
  3. Delusions
  4. Affect
  5. DSM-IV
  6. Insanity
  7. Mood Disorders
  8. Major Depression
  9. Seasonal Affective Disorder
  10. Bipolar
  11. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
  12. Panic Disorder
  13. Agoraphobia
  14. Preparedness Hypothesis
  15. OCD
  16. Somatoform Disorder
  17. Conversion Disorder
  18. Hypochondriasis
  19. Dissociative Amnesia
  20. Dissociative Fugue
  21. DID
  22. Anorexia
  23. Bulimia
  24. Schizophrenia
  25. Borderline Personality Disorder
  26. Autism
  27. Dyslexia
  28. ADHD

Unit 12- Therapies

  1. Psychological Therapy
  2. Biomedical Therapies
  3. Insight Therapy
  4. Talk Therapy
  5. Psychoanalysis
  6. Transference
  7. Neo-Freudian Psychodynamic Therapy
  8. Humanist Therapy
  9. Client-Centered Therapy
  10. Cognitive Therapy
  11. Behavior Therapy
  12. Systematic Desensitization
  13. Aversion Therapy
  14. Exposure Therapy
  15. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  16. Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
  17. Tardive Dyskinesia
  18. Electroconvulsive Therapy
  19. Pre-Frontal Cortex Lobotomy

Unit 13- Social Psychology

  1. Social Context
  2. Situationism
  3. Dispositionism
  4. Social Role
  5. Script
  6. Norms
  7. Asch Effect
  8. Conformity
  9. Reward Theory of Attraction
  10. Expectancy Value Theory
  11. Cognitive Dissonance
  12. Fundamental Attritbution Error
  13. Self-Serving Bias
  14. Prejudice
  15. Discrimination
  16. Social Loafing
  17. Groupthink
  18. Group Polarization
  19. Bystander Effect