AP Psychology Study Guide –
The format of the midterm will be similar to the AP exam. You will have 70 multiple choice questions and 2 essay
questions. You will have two hours to complete the exam. This review guide lists the topics and terms we covered in this
semester. I recommend starting by reviewing the terms, then moving on to the concepts.
Introduction to Psychology
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Describe hindsight bias and explain how it often leads us to perceive psychological research as merely common
sense.
Discuss how overconfidence contaminates our everyday judgments.
Compare and contrast case studies, surveys, naturalistic observation, and the experimental method.
Explain the importance of proper sampling.
Describe both positive and negative correlations and explain how correlational measures aid the process of
prediction.
Explain why correlational research fails to provide evidence of cause-and-effect relationships.
Discuss how people form illusory correlations and perceive order in random sequence.
Describe the three measures of central tendency (mean, median, and mode) and the two measures of variation
(range and standard deviation)
Explain the difference between random sampling and random assortment and discuss why each is important.
Be able to determine the independent and dependent variables in an experiment
Explain why psychologists study animals.
Discuss the ethics of experimentation with both animals and people.
Terms:
Hindsight bias
Overconfidence
Independent variable
Dependent variable
Random sample
Random assignment
Illusory correlation
Hypothesis
False-consensus effect
Control treatment
Operational definition
Case study
Naturalistic observation
Correlation
Placebo effect
Survey
Double blind
Single blind
Standard deviation
Mean
Median
Mode
Scatterplot
Normal distribution
Skewed distribution
Range
Neurobiology
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Describe the structure of a neuron and explain how nerve impulses are generated
Describe how nerve cells communicate, and discuss the impact of neurotransmitters and drugs on human
behavior.
Identify the major divisions of the nervous system and describe their functions.
Contrast the three types of neurons that transmit information through the nervous system.
Identify and describe techniques for studying the brain (lesions, EEG, PET, CAT, MRI)
Describe the functions of the brainstem (medulla and reticular formation), thalamus, cerebellum, and limbic
system (hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus)
Identify the four lobes of the cerebral cortex, and describe the sensory and motor functions of the cortex.
Discuss the importance of association areas, and describe how damage to several different cortical areas can
impair language functioning.
Discuss the capacity of the brain to reorganize following injury or illness.
Describe research on the split brain, and discuss what is reveals about normal brain processing.
Describe the nature and functions of the endocrine system and its interaction with the nervous system.
Terms
Neurotransmitters
Hormones
Dendrites
Endorphins
Neurons
Glial cells
Endocrine glands
Axons
Synapse
Reuptake
Threshold
Action potential
Myelin sheath
Cell body
Synaptic vesicle
Refractory period
Lesion
Interneuron
Affector neuron (sensory neuron)
Effector neuron (motor neuron)
PET scan
MRI
Association area
Depolarization
Repolarization
Reflex
All-or-non
Acetylcholine
Dopamine
Seratonin
Norepinephrine
GABA
Agonist
Antagonist
Curare
Parkinson’s disease
Alzheimer’s
Schizophrenia
Depression
Autonomic NS
Somatic NS
Parasympathetic NS
Sympathetic NS
Central NS
Peripheral NS
Limbic system
Amygdala
Hypothalamus
Cerebellum
Thalamus
Reticular formation
Medulla
Frontal lobe
Parietal lobe
Temporal lobe
Occipital lobe
Sensory cortex
Motor cortex
Wernicke’s area
Broca’s area
Corpus callosum
Hippocampus
Auditory cortex
Visual cortex
Aphasia
Plasticity
Social Psychology
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Describe the importance of attribution in social behavior and the dangers of the fundamental attribution error.
Identify conditions under which attitudes have a strong impact on actions.
Explain the effect of role-playing on attitudes in terms of the cognitive dissonance theory.
Discuss the results of experiments on conformity and list factors that increase the likelihood of conformity.
Describe Milgram’s controversial experiments on obedience and discuss their implications for understanding our
susceptibility to social influence.
Describe conditions in which the presence of others is likely to result in social facilitation, social loafing, or
deindividuation.
Describe how self-fulfilling prophecies illustrate the power of the individual.
Describe the social, emotional, and cognitive factors that contribute to the persistence of prejudice.
Discuss the impact of biological factors, aversive events, and learning on aggressive behavior.
Describe the influence of proximity, physical attractiveness, and similarity on interpersonal attraction.
Explain the bystander effect and describe factors that are likely to increase altruistic behavior.
Terms
Fundamental attribution error
Foot-in-the-door
Cognitive dissonance
Central vs. peripheral routes to persuasion
Approach-approach conflict
Avoidance-avoidance conflict
Approach-avoidance conflict
Normative social influence
Informational social influence
Social facilitation
Social loafing
Deindividuation
Group polarization
Groupthink
Stereotype
Ingroup
Scapegoat theory
Just-world phenomenon
Frustration-aggression principle
Conflict
Mere exposure effect
Social exchange theory
GRIT
Superordinate goals
Nature vs. Nurture
Discuss the perspective of evolutionary psychology.
Identify gender differences in sexual behavior and describe and evaluate evolutionary explanations for those differences.
Describe how twin and adoption studies help us differentiate heredity and environmental influences on human traits.
Discuss how differences in infant temperament illustrate the effect of heredity on development
Discuss the interaction of genetic and environmental influences on behavior.
Explain how twins may experience different prenatal environmental and describe the effect of experience on brain
development.
Describe how an individual’s peer group and culture influence development.
Explain how biological sex is determined and describe the role of sex hormones in biological development and gender
differences.
Discuss the importance of gender roles and explain how social and cognitive factors contribute to gender identity and
gender-typing
Terms
Genes
Chromosomes
DNA
Nucleotide
Gender schema
Social learning theory
Gender
Sex
Gender-typing
Culture
Gender role
Evolutionary psychology
Temperament
Cultural norms
Fraternal twins
Identical twins
Adoption studies
Natural selection
Development
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Discuss the course of prenatal development and the destructive impact of teratogens.
Describe the capacities of newborns and the use of habituation for assessing infant cognition.
Describe Piaget’s view of how the mind develops and discuss his stage theory of cognitive development, noting
current thinking regarding cognitive stages.
Discuss the effect of body contact, familiarity, and responsive parenting on social attachments.
Describe the benefits of a secure attachment and the impact of parental neglect and separation, as well as day
care on childhood development.
Describe the early development of a self-concept.
Discuss the possible effects of different parenting styles on children.
Define adolescence and identify major physical changes that occur during this period of life.
Describe the adolescent’s growing reasoning power and Kohlberg’s theory of moral development.
Discuss the search for identity and the development of intimate social relationships during the adolescent years.
Describe Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development.
Identify the major physical changes that occur in middle and older adulthood.
Describe the impact of aging on adult memory and intelligence.
Terms
Cognitive
Embryo
Zygote
Fetus
Placenta
Teratogen
Fetal alcohol syndrome
Rooting reflex
Conservation
Attachment
Imprinting
Accommodation
Assimilation
Schema
Fluid intelligence
Crystallized intelligence
Object permanence
Stranger anxiety
Egocentrism
Sensorimotor stage
Preoperational stage
Concrete operational stage
Formal operarational stage
Preconventional
Conventional
Postconventional
Secure vs. insecure attachment
Authoritarian
Authoritative
Permissive
Theory of mind
Sensation and Perception
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Contrast sensation and perception.
Distinguish between absolute and difference thresholds.
Discuss research finding on subliminal stimulation.
Describe the phenomenon of sensory adaptation and explain its functional value.
Explain the visual process, including the stimulus input, the structure of the eye, and the transduction of light
energy.
Explain the opponent-process theory of color vision.
Explain the auditory process, including the stimulus input and the structure of the ear.
Explain place and frequency theories of pitch perception and describe how we locate sounds.
Describe the sense of touch and explain the basis of pain.
Describe the senses of taste and smell and comment on the nature of sensory interaction.
Distinguish between kinesthesis and the vestibular sense.
Describe how the process of perception is directed and limited by selective attention
Discuss Gestalt psychology’s contribution to our understanding of psychology.
Explain the figure-ground relationship, and identify the principles of grouping in form perception.
Discuss research of depth perception involving the use of the visual cliff, and describe the binocular and
monocular cues in depth perception.
Describe stroboscopic movement and the phi phenomenon.
Describe the perceptual constancies, and show how the perceived size-distance relationship operates in visual
illusions.
Describe the debate over the role of nature and nurture in perception, and discuss what research findings on
sensory deprivation and restored vision have contributed to this debate.
Discuss the effects that experiences, assumptions, expectations, and context have on our perceptions.
State the claims of ESP, and explain why most research psychologists remain skeptical.
Terms
Signal detection theory
Sensory interaction
Subliminal
Sensation
Perception
Difference threshold
Absolute threshold
Weber’s law
Transduction
Sensory adaptation
Optic nerve
Frequency theory
Place theory
Opponent-process theory
Gate control theory
Parallel processing
Pupil
Lens
Retina
Fovea
Blind spot
Rods
Cones
Bipolar cells
Ganglion cells
Iris
Olfactory
Gustatory
Kinesthesis
Vestibular sense
Proprioceptors
Semicircular canals
Cochlea
Hair cells
Hammer, anvil, stirrup
Ear drum
Pinna
Afterimage
Substance P
Oval window
Basilar membrane
Selective attention
Retinal disparity
Size constancy
Phi phenomenon
Interposition
Visual capture
Perceptual set
Stroboscopic movement
Convergence
Gestalt
Texture gradient
Depth perception
Linear perspective
Relative height
Relative size
Relative clarity
Perceptual set
Context effects
Learning
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Describe how behavioralism approached the study of learning.
Describe the general process of classical conditioning as demonstrated by Pavlov’s experiments.
Explain the processes of acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, and discrimination.
Discuss the importance of cognitive processes and biological predispositions in classical and operant
conditioning.
Describe the process of operant conditioning, including the procedure of shaping, as demonstrated by Skinner’s
experiments.
Identify the different types of reinforcers and describe the major schedules of partial reinforcement.
Discuss the effects of punishment on behavior.
Describe the process of observational learning as demonstrated by Bandura’s experiments, and discuss the
impact of antisocial and prosocial models.
Terms
Learning
Overjustification effect
Latent learning
Generalization
Shaping
Classical conditioning
Operant conditioning
Observational learning
Primary vs. secondary reinforcers
Acquisition
Extinction
Spontaneous recovery
Discrimination
Punishment
Fixed vs. variable reinforcers
Ratio vs. interval reinforcers.
UCS, CS, UCR, CR
Positive vs. negative reinforcers
Continuous
Cognitive map
Memory
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Describe memory in terms of encoding, storage, and retrieval.
Distinguish among sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.
Distinguish between automatic and effortful processing and discuss the importance of rehearsal.
Explain the importance of meaning, imagery, and organization in the encoding process.
Describe the capacity and duration of long-term memory, and discuss the biological changes that may underlie
memory formation and storage.
Distinguish between implicit and explicit memory, and identify different brain structures associated with each.
Explain why the capacity to forget can be beneficial and discuss the role of encoding failure and storage decay in
the process of forgetting.
Explain what is meant by retrieval failure and discuss the effects of interference and motivated forgetting on
retrieval.
Describe the evidence for the constructive nature of memory and the impact of imagination and leading
questions on eyewitness recall
Describe the difficulties in discerning true memories from false memories and the reliability of children’s
eyewitness recall.
Terms
Encoding
Storage
Priming
Automatic processing
Effortful processing
Overlearning
Semantic encoding
Priming
State-dependent memory
repression
Rehearsal
Implicit memory
Explicit memory
Iconicmemory
Flashbulb memory
Serial position effects
Spacing effects
Chunking
Imagery
Retrieval
Retroactive interference
Proactive interference
Semantic encoding
Echoic memory
Amnesia