AP Psychology Unit 1:
Scientific Foundations of
Psychology 2026 | Study
Guide, Practice Questions,
Answers, Rationales &
Exam Review | Complete
Ethics Study Guide
Updated 2026 Questions and Answers
100% Verified Exam Prep and Comprehensive
Rationales
Included
, Critical Thinking thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it
examines assumptions, appraises the source, discerns hidden biases, evaluates
evidence, and assesses conclusions.
Empiricism the idea that knowledge comes from experience, and that observation and
experimentation enable scientific knowledge.
Structuralism an early school of thought promoted by Wundt and Titchener; used introspection to
reveal the structure of the human mind.
Introspection the process of looking inward in an attempt to directly observe one's own
psychological processes.
Functionalism an early school of thought promoted by James and influenced by Darwin; explored
how mental and behavioral processes function—how they enable the organism to
adapt, survive, and flourish.
Behaviorism the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies
behavior without reference to mental processes. Most psychologists today agree
with (1) but not with (2).
Humanistic Psychology a historically significant perspective that emphasized human growth potential.
Cognitive Psychology the study of mental processes, such as occur when we perceive, learn, remember,
think, communicate, and solve problems.
Cognitive Neuroscience the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including
perception, thinking, memory, and language).
Psychology the science of behavior and mental processes.
Nature-Nurture Issue the longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and
experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors. Today's
science sees traits and behaviors arising from the interaction of nature and nurture.
Natural Selection the principle that inherited traits that better enable an organism to survive and
reproduce in a particular environment will (in competition with other trait variations)
most likely be passed on to succeeding generations.
Scientific Foundations of
Psychology 2026 | Study
Guide, Practice Questions,
Answers, Rationales &
Exam Review | Complete
Ethics Study Guide
Updated 2026 Questions and Answers
100% Verified Exam Prep and Comprehensive
Rationales
Included
, Critical Thinking thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it
examines assumptions, appraises the source, discerns hidden biases, evaluates
evidence, and assesses conclusions.
Empiricism the idea that knowledge comes from experience, and that observation and
experimentation enable scientific knowledge.
Structuralism an early school of thought promoted by Wundt and Titchener; used introspection to
reveal the structure of the human mind.
Introspection the process of looking inward in an attempt to directly observe one's own
psychological processes.
Functionalism an early school of thought promoted by James and influenced by Darwin; explored
how mental and behavioral processes function—how they enable the organism to
adapt, survive, and flourish.
Behaviorism the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies
behavior without reference to mental processes. Most psychologists today agree
with (1) but not with (2).
Humanistic Psychology a historically significant perspective that emphasized human growth potential.
Cognitive Psychology the study of mental processes, such as occur when we perceive, learn, remember,
think, communicate, and solve problems.
Cognitive Neuroscience the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including
perception, thinking, memory, and language).
Psychology the science of behavior and mental processes.
Nature-Nurture Issue the longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and
experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors. Today's
science sees traits and behaviors arising from the interaction of nature and nurture.
Natural Selection the principle that inherited traits that better enable an organism to survive and
reproduce in a particular environment will (in competition with other trait variations)
most likely be passed on to succeeding generations.
