AP Psychology: Semester 1 Study Guide
Unit 1: History and Perspectives
Understand the approaches (what characterizes them, what methods they use, words to associate
with them, criticisms of them): Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic, Behavioral, Cognitive, Evolutionary,
Biological, Humanistic, and Socio-cultural.
Understand the APA’s ethical guidelines.
Terms/Concepts to Know:
Psychology
Wilhelm Wundt
William James
Tabula Rasa
The Mind-Body Problem
Unit 2: Research Methods
Understand the different methods of study (what are they, how do they work, and when do you use
them): Case Study, Naturalistic Observation, Survey, Cross-Sectional, Longitudinal, Correlation, and
Experiment
Understand experimenter bias (and how to eliminate it).
Terms/Concepts to Know:
Random Selection
Random Sample
Representative Sample
Hypothesis
Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
Confounding Variable
Placebo
Mean
Median
Mode
Range
Negative/Positive Correlations
Correlation Coefficient
Standardization
Statistically Significant Difference
Inferential versus Descriptive Statistics
Standard Deviation
Central Tendency
Unit 3: Biological Bases of Behavior
Understand how the following neurotransmitters work: epinephrine, GABA, dopamine, acetylcholine,
serotonin.
Understand how the following hormones work: estrogen, testosterone, adrenaline, and melatonin.
Understand how neurons fire (including the parts of a neuron).
Terms/Concepts to Know:
Reticular Formation
Corpus Callosum
Hypothalamus
Amygdala
Hippocampus
Thalamus
Occipital Lobe
Parietal Lobe
Frontal Lobe
Left Temporal Lobe
Cerebral Cortex
Pituitary Gland
Natural Selection
Electroencephalography (EEG)
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT)
Electromyography (EMG)
Parasympathetic versus Sympathetic Nervous System
Adrenal Glands
Transduction
Nature versus Nurture
Broca’s Area
Wernicke’s area
Unit 4: Sensation and Perception
Understand the difference between sensation and perception.
Know the route from sensation to perception for audition and vision.
Know what makes the sense of smell different from the other senses.
Know which area of the body has the largest number of sensory neurons.
Know which senses are primarily chemical (as opposed to electrical).
Terms/Concepts to Know:
Depth Perception
Gustatory Receptors
Gestalt Principles
Phi Phenomenon
Just Noticeable Difference (JND)
Difference Threshold
Absolute Threshold
Sensory Adaptation
Shape and Size Constancy
Visual Cliff Experiment
Gate-Control Theory
Opponent-Process Theory
Place Theory
Unit 5: States of Consciousness
Know the theories of why we sleep.
Understand how psychoactive drugs (especially cocaine, caffeine, Benzedrine, amphetamines, and
barbiturates, narcotics) affect your brain chemistry.
Understand how alcohol affects your brain (generally and specifically how it affects memory
formation).
Terms/Concepts to Know:
Sigmund Freud
Hypnosis
Circadian Rhythm
Paradoxical Sleep
Narcolepsy
Insomnia
Sleep Apnea
Activation-Synthesis Theory
Unit 6: Learning
Understand how classical conditioning works (conditioned/unconditioned stimuli and response).
Understand how operant conditioning works (positive/negative, reinforcement/punishment).
Terms/Concepts to Know:
John Watson
Modeling
Shaping
Neutral Stimulus
Learned Helplessness
Latent Learning
Extinction
Unit 7A: Memory
Understand causes of both encoding and retrieval failure.
Terms/Concepts to Know:
Long-term Potentiation
Spacing Effect
Serial Position Effect
Unit 7B: Thinking, Decision Making, and Language Acquisition
Understand the effectiveness (or not) of multitasking.
Understand Chomsky’s theory and the evidence that supports it.
Terms/Concepts to Know:
Algorithm
Representativeness Heuristic
Availability Heuristic
Divergent versus Convergent Thinking
Cognitive Map
Prototype
Deductive versus Inductive Reasoning
Functional Fixedness
Confirmation Bias
Phonemes
Morphemes
Syntax
Semantics
Telegraphic Speech
Unit 8A: Motivation
Know how people who are intrinsically motivated differ from people who are extrinsically motivated.
Understand how hunger and sexual motivation are influenced.
Terms/Concepts to Know:
Foot-in-the-Door Technique
Lateral Hypothalamus
Ventromedial Hypothalamus
Drive-Reduction Theory
Arousal Theory
Incentive Theory
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Cognitive Dissonance
Unit 8B: Emotion
Terms/Concepts to Know:
Polygraph Machine
General Adaptation Syndrome