AP PSYCHOLOGY ALL TERMS EXAM
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
psychology - Correct Answers -the science of behavior and mental processes
nature-nurture issue - Correct Answers -the long-standing controversy over the relative
contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological
traits and behaviors
natural selection - Correct Answers -the principle that, among the range of inherited trait
variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on
to succeeding generations
neuroscience - Correct Answers -the perspective of psychological science that deals
with how the body and brain create emotions, memories, and sensory experiences
evolutionary - Correct Answers -the perspective of psychological science that deals with
how nature selects traits that promote the perpetuation of one's genes
behavior genetics - Correct Answers -the perspective of psychological science that
deals with how much our genes, and our environment, influence our individual
differences
psychodynamic - Correct Answers -the perspective of psychological science that deals
with how behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts
behavioral - Correct Answers -the perspective of psychological science that deals with
how we learn observable responses
cognitive - Correct Answers -the perspective of psychological science that deals with
how we encode, process, store, and retrieve information
social-cultural - Correct Answers -the perspective of psychological science that deals
with how behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures
basic research - Correct Answers -pure science that aims to increase the scientific
knowledge base
applied research - Correct Answers -scientific study that aims to solve practical
problems
,clinical psychology - Correct Answers -a branch of psychology that studies, assesses,
and treats people with psychological disorders
psychiatry - Correct Answers -a branch of medicine dealing with psychological
disorders, practiced by physicians who sometimes provide medical (for example, drug)
treatments as well as psychological therapy
hindsight bias (I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon) - Correct Answers -the tendency to
believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it
critical thinking - Correct Answers -thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and
conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates
evidence, and assesses conclusions
theory - Correct Answers -an explanation using an integrated set of principles that
organizes and predicts observations
hypothesis - Correct Answers -a testable prediction, often implied by a theory
operational definition - Correct Answers -a statement of the procedures (operations)
used to define research variables. For example, intelligence may be operationally
defined as what an intelligence test measures
replication - Correct Answers -repeating the essence of a research study, usually with
different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding generalizes
to other participants and circumstances
case study - Correct Answers -an observation technique in which one person is studied
in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles
survey - Correct Answers -a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or
behaviors of people, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of them
false consensus effect - Correct Answers -the tendency to overestimate the extent to
which others share our beliefs and behaviors
population - Correct Answers -all the cases in a group, from which samples may be
drawn for a study
random sample - Correct Answers -a sample that fairly represents a population because
each member has an equal chance of inclusion
naturalistic observation - Correct Answers -observing and recording behavior in
naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation
,correlation coefficient - Correct Answers -a statistical measure of the extent to which
two factors vary together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other
scatterplot - Correct Answers -a graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the
values of two variables. The slope of the points suggests the direction of the relationship
between the two variables. The amount of scatter suggests the strength of correlation
(little scatter indicates high correlation).
illusory correlation - Correct Answers -the perception of a relationship where none exists
experiment - Correct Answers -a research method in which an investigator manipulates
one or more factors (independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or
mental process (the dependent variable). By random assignment of participants the
experimenter controls other relevant factors)
placebo - Correct Answers -an inert substance or condition that may be administered
instead of a presumed active agent, such as a drug, to see if it triggers the effects
believed to characterize the active agent
double-blind procedure - Correct Answers -an experimental procedure in which both the
research participants and the research staff are ignorant (blind) about whether the
research participants have received the treatment or a placebo. Commonly used in
drug-evaluation studies.
placebo effect - Correct Answers -any effect on behavior caused by a placebo
experimental condition - Correct Answers -the condition of an experiment that exposes
participants to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable
control condition - Correct Answers -the condition of an experiment that contrasts with
the experimental condition and serves as a comparison for evaluation the effect of the
treatment
random assignment - Correct Answers -assigning participants to experimental and
control conditions by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those
assigned to the different groups
independent variable - Correct Answers -the experimental factor that is manipulated; the
variable whose effect if being studied
dependent variable - Correct Answers -the experimental factor--in psychology, the
behavior or mental process--that is being measured; the variable that may change in
response to the manipulations of the independent variable
mode - Correct Answers -the most frequently occurring score in a distribution
, mean - Correct Answers -the arithmetic average of a distribution, obtained by adding
the scores and then dividing by the number of scores
median - Correct Answers -the middle score in a distribution; the scores are above it
and half are below it
range - Correct Answers -the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a
distribution
standard deviation - Correct Answers -a computed measure of how much scores vary
around the mean score
statistical significance - Correct Answers -a statistical criterion for rejecting the
assumption of no differences in a particular study
culture - Correct Answers -the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and traditions
shared by a large group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next
Biological psychology - Correct Answers -concerned with links between biology and
behavior
Neuron - Correct Answers -building blocks of the nervous system
Dendrite - Correct Answers -Branches designed to receive/send/and transport
information
Axon - Correct Answers -transports messages to different muscles/glands in the body
Action potential - Correct Answers -a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that
travels down an axon. The action potential is generated by the movement of positively
charged atoms in and out of channels in the axon's membrane.
Myelin sheath - Correct Answers -a layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers
of many neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the
impulse hops from one node to the next
Threshold - Correct Answers -the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural
impulse
Synapse - Correct Answers -the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron
and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. The tiny gap at this junction is
called the synaptic gap or cleft
Neurotransmitters - Correct Answers -chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic
gaps between neurons. When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
psychology - Correct Answers -the science of behavior and mental processes
nature-nurture issue - Correct Answers -the long-standing controversy over the relative
contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological
traits and behaviors
natural selection - Correct Answers -the principle that, among the range of inherited trait
variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on
to succeeding generations
neuroscience - Correct Answers -the perspective of psychological science that deals
with how the body and brain create emotions, memories, and sensory experiences
evolutionary - Correct Answers -the perspective of psychological science that deals with
how nature selects traits that promote the perpetuation of one's genes
behavior genetics - Correct Answers -the perspective of psychological science that
deals with how much our genes, and our environment, influence our individual
differences
psychodynamic - Correct Answers -the perspective of psychological science that deals
with how behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts
behavioral - Correct Answers -the perspective of psychological science that deals with
how we learn observable responses
cognitive - Correct Answers -the perspective of psychological science that deals with
how we encode, process, store, and retrieve information
social-cultural - Correct Answers -the perspective of psychological science that deals
with how behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures
basic research - Correct Answers -pure science that aims to increase the scientific
knowledge base
applied research - Correct Answers -scientific study that aims to solve practical
problems
,clinical psychology - Correct Answers -a branch of psychology that studies, assesses,
and treats people with psychological disorders
psychiatry - Correct Answers -a branch of medicine dealing with psychological
disorders, practiced by physicians who sometimes provide medical (for example, drug)
treatments as well as psychological therapy
hindsight bias (I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon) - Correct Answers -the tendency to
believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it
critical thinking - Correct Answers -thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and
conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates
evidence, and assesses conclusions
theory - Correct Answers -an explanation using an integrated set of principles that
organizes and predicts observations
hypothesis - Correct Answers -a testable prediction, often implied by a theory
operational definition - Correct Answers -a statement of the procedures (operations)
used to define research variables. For example, intelligence may be operationally
defined as what an intelligence test measures
replication - Correct Answers -repeating the essence of a research study, usually with
different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding generalizes
to other participants and circumstances
case study - Correct Answers -an observation technique in which one person is studied
in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles
survey - Correct Answers -a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or
behaviors of people, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of them
false consensus effect - Correct Answers -the tendency to overestimate the extent to
which others share our beliefs and behaviors
population - Correct Answers -all the cases in a group, from which samples may be
drawn for a study
random sample - Correct Answers -a sample that fairly represents a population because
each member has an equal chance of inclusion
naturalistic observation - Correct Answers -observing and recording behavior in
naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation
,correlation coefficient - Correct Answers -a statistical measure of the extent to which
two factors vary together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other
scatterplot - Correct Answers -a graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the
values of two variables. The slope of the points suggests the direction of the relationship
between the two variables. The amount of scatter suggests the strength of correlation
(little scatter indicates high correlation).
illusory correlation - Correct Answers -the perception of a relationship where none exists
experiment - Correct Answers -a research method in which an investigator manipulates
one or more factors (independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or
mental process (the dependent variable). By random assignment of participants the
experimenter controls other relevant factors)
placebo - Correct Answers -an inert substance or condition that may be administered
instead of a presumed active agent, such as a drug, to see if it triggers the effects
believed to characterize the active agent
double-blind procedure - Correct Answers -an experimental procedure in which both the
research participants and the research staff are ignorant (blind) about whether the
research participants have received the treatment or a placebo. Commonly used in
drug-evaluation studies.
placebo effect - Correct Answers -any effect on behavior caused by a placebo
experimental condition - Correct Answers -the condition of an experiment that exposes
participants to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable
control condition - Correct Answers -the condition of an experiment that contrasts with
the experimental condition and serves as a comparison for evaluation the effect of the
treatment
random assignment - Correct Answers -assigning participants to experimental and
control conditions by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those
assigned to the different groups
independent variable - Correct Answers -the experimental factor that is manipulated; the
variable whose effect if being studied
dependent variable - Correct Answers -the experimental factor--in psychology, the
behavior or mental process--that is being measured; the variable that may change in
response to the manipulations of the independent variable
mode - Correct Answers -the most frequently occurring score in a distribution
, mean - Correct Answers -the arithmetic average of a distribution, obtained by adding
the scores and then dividing by the number of scores
median - Correct Answers -the middle score in a distribution; the scores are above it
and half are below it
range - Correct Answers -the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a
distribution
standard deviation - Correct Answers -a computed measure of how much scores vary
around the mean score
statistical significance - Correct Answers -a statistical criterion for rejecting the
assumption of no differences in a particular study
culture - Correct Answers -the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and traditions
shared by a large group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next
Biological psychology - Correct Answers -concerned with links between biology and
behavior
Neuron - Correct Answers -building blocks of the nervous system
Dendrite - Correct Answers -Branches designed to receive/send/and transport
information
Axon - Correct Answers -transports messages to different muscles/glands in the body
Action potential - Correct Answers -a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that
travels down an axon. The action potential is generated by the movement of positively
charged atoms in and out of channels in the axon's membrane.
Myelin sheath - Correct Answers -a layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers
of many neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the
impulse hops from one node to the next
Threshold - Correct Answers -the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural
impulse
Synapse - Correct Answers -the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron
and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. The tiny gap at this junction is
called the synaptic gap or cleft
Neurotransmitters - Correct Answers -chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic
gaps between neurons. When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel
