AP Psychology Exam Review Sheet
“Confusing Pairs”
Independent Variable (what is
V Dependent Variable (what is
tested – “the cause”)
S measured – “the effect”)
Experimental Group (group that is
tested)
V Control Group (compared to the
S experimental, receives the placebo in
a drug experiment).
Left brain (language and logic)
V Right brain (creative and spatial).
S
Corpus Callosum (divides the brain)
V Cerebral Cortex (covers the brain)
S
Sympathetic Nervous System (“fight V Parasympathetic (calming –
or flight”)
S parachute)
Neurotransmitters (in the nervous
system)
V Hormones (in the endocrine system)
S
Lateral Hypothalamus (stimulates
hunger)
V Ventromedial Hypothalamus
S (suppresses hunger)
Broca’s Area (speech – “Babbling
Broca”)
V Wernicke’s Area (comprehension of
S words)
Identical Twins (same fertilized egg) V Fraternal Twins (two separate eggs)
S
Afferent neurons (sensory, body to
brain)
V Efferent neurons (motor, brain to
S body)
Assimilation (all four-legged animals V Accommodation (“doggies” different
are “doggies”)
S than “kitties”)
Sensation (bottom-up processing)
V Perception (top-down processing)
S
Rods (night vision)
V Cones (color vision)
S
Classical conditioning (involuntary)
V operant conditioning (voluntary)
S
Primacy effect (first items
remembered)
V Recency effect (last items
S remembered)
Proactive interference (new info is
blocked)
V retroactive (old info is blocked)
S
Implicit memory (non-declarative;
skills)
V Explicit memory (declarative, facts)
S
Recall memory (no cues)
V Recognition memory (some hints)
S
Algorithms (step-by-step – e.g. math V Heuristics (rule-of-thumb –e.g. trial
formulas)
S and error)
Representative heuristics
(stereotypes)
V Availability heuristics (based on
S available info)
Phonemes (basic sound units)
V Morphemes (basic units of meaning)
S
Fluid Intelligence (processing
speed)
V Crystallized Intelligence (acquired
S knowledge)
Validity (test measures what it
should)
V Reliability (same scores on a retest)
S
Achievement test (what you’ve
learned)
V Aptitude test (potential)
S
Intrinsic motivation (for personal
satisfaction)
V Extrinsic motivation (for rewards)
S
Internal locus (you control the
environment)
Agontist (chemicals that mimic the
actions of neurotransmitter)
V
S
V
S
External locus (environment controls
you)
Antagonist (chemicals that opposes
the action of a neurotransmitter)
Foot-in-the-door (start small then go V Door-in-the-face (start big to get smallbig- $5 get $100)
S want skateboard ask for car)
Random Assignment (each
participant has equal chance of
being placed into any group)
V Random Sample (is the process of
S choosing the research participants
from the population & happens before
assignment)
Quantitative data (deals with
numbers- height, weight, time)
V Qualitative data (deals with
S descriptions- color, smell, taste)
Self-Serving Bias (tendency to
V Self-Fulfilling Prophecies (explains
overstate one’s role in a positive
S how people’s ideas about others can
venture & underestimate in a failure)
shape the behavior of those others)
Collectivist cultures (Japan- family,
company stressed)
V Individualistic cultures (USAS uniqueness of individual stressed)
Structuralism (school of thought that V Functionalism (school of thought that
thought the structure (parts of brain) S tried to understand how& why the
and elements of immediate,
mind functions and is related to
conscious experience to be proper
consciousness- James)
subject matter of psychologyWundt, Titchener (USA)
Descriptive Statistics (describe as
V Inferential Statistics (is to determine
set of data- central tendency: mean, S whether or not findings can be applied
mode, median)
to the larger population from which the
sample was selected: cause and
effect)
Syntax (grammar)
V Semantics (meaning)
S
Anterograde amnesia (can’t
remember new stuff after head
injury)
V Retrograde Amnesia (can’t remember
S old stuff before head injury)
Systematic Desensitization
(behavior therapy use to reduce
client’s anxiety responses- bad
paired with good)
V Aversion Conditioning (therapy) S (behavior therapy in which an aversive
stimulus is paired to elicit an
undesirable response- bad w/bad)
Absolute Threshold (level needed to V Just-noticeable-difference (JND)perceive it 50% of time)
S (perceive change in stimulus levelmusic level)
Construct Validity (test measures a
particular hypothetical conceptcreativity, IQ, extraversion)
V Content Validity (content of a test is
S representative of the domain it is
supposed to cover – e.g. info on test
from that chapter)
Lithium (treats bi-polar)
V Librium (treats anxiety)
S
Type A (high stress)
V Type B (low stress)
S