About this Flash Card Set
24 Cards
by noah_fisher
Essential vocabulary for Intro Psychology and AP Psych: perspectives, research methods, memory, conditioning, and more. Clear definitions with examples.
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Psychology
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The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
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Nature vs. nurture
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The debate over how much genetics (nature) versus environment/experience (nurture) shapes who we are. Most traits involve both.
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Independent vs. dependent variable
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The independent variable is what the researcher manipulates; the dependent variable is the outcome that's measured.
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Hypothesis
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A testable prediction about the relationship between variables.
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Correlation vs. causation
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Correlation means two things are related; causation means one causes the other. Correlation does NOT prove causation.
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Placebo effect
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Improvement caused by the expectation of treatment rather than the treatment itself.
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Neuron
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A nerve cell that transmits information via electrical and chemical signals.
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Neurotransmitter
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A chemical messenger (like dopamine or serotonin) that carries signals across the synapse between neurons.
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Classical conditioning
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Learning by association — a neutral stimulus becomes linked to a response (Pavlov's dogs salivating at a bell).
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Operant conditioning
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Learning through consequences — behavior is shaped by reinforcement (rewards) and punishment (Skinner).
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Positive vs. negative reinforcement
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Positive adds something pleasant to increase a behavior; negative removes something unpleasant to increase it. Both increase behavior.
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Short-term vs. long-term memory
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Short-term holds a little information briefly (~seconds); long-term stores large amounts for extended periods.
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Sensory memory
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A very brief (under a second) snapshot of sensory information before it fades or moves to short-term memory.
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Cognitive dissonance
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The mental discomfort of holding two conflicting beliefs or acting against one's beliefs.
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Conformity
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Adjusting one's behavior or thinking to match a group standard (studied by Asch).
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Reinforcement schedule
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A rule for how often a behavior is rewarded (e.g., fixed vs. variable ratio), which affects how strongly it's learned.
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The 'Big Five' personality traits
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Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism (OCEAN).
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Amygdala
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A brain structure central to processing emotions, especially fear.
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Hippocampus
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A brain structure essential for forming new long-term memories.
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Fight-or-flight response
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The body's automatic reaction to threat, driven by the sympathetic nervous system and adrenaline.
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Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation
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Intrinsic comes from internal satisfaction; extrinsic comes from external rewards like money or grades.
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Confirmation bias
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The tendency to seek and favor information that confirms what we already believe.
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Standardized test / norm
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A test given under consistent conditions and compared to a representative sample (the norm group).
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Psychology's major perspectives
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Biological, cognitive, behavioral, psychodynamic, humanistic, and sociocultural — different lenses for explaining behavior.
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