AP Psychology Exam Prep

About the test

100 multiple choice questions/ 70 minutesWill you be punished for guessing?

NO2 Free Response questions/ 50 minutes

Pick out key words- compare, describe, explain.. Make notes on the test sheet-definitions, examples…. Make sure it applies to the case given!!! WORD, DEFINITION, APPLICATION!!!!

Multiple Choice

WRITE ALL OVER IT!!!After you read the question:

What is it asking What do you know about the concept/person/theory What do each of the choices mean What school of thought is it from

Sensation

How do you convert incoming stimuli into neural impulses? Transduction: the process of changing physical stimuli

into neural energyTwo theories of color

Opponent-process: Triarchic Theory:

EyePupil: regulates amount of light sent to retina

Cornea: clear part covers iris and pupil; lets light in to see

Iris: colored part of eye; regulates pupil

Lens: behind cornea; focuses light into retina

Retina: lines the eye; converts stimuli to signals to be sent to optic nerve

Rods-black and white

Cones- colored

Hearing- Audition

Ear: impacts hearing and balanceVestibulocochlear nerve: carries the nerve

impulses to be able to hear and balance to the brain

Terms: amplitude, frequency, Theories of hearing:

Place Theory: location of greatest vibrationFrequency Theory: frequency in which amount of hair cell in the cochlea fire

Parts of the Ear

Cochlea- inner ear contains fluid that vibrates

Hammer/anvil/stirrup: small bones relay vibrations of eardrum to inner ear

Basil membrane: in the cochlea contains sense receptors for sound

Hearing loss

Conductive hearing loss: When vibrations to inner ear are blocked; earwax

build up, ear infections sensorineural hearing loss: caused from

damage to vestibulocochlear nerve; head injury, birth defects, high blood pressure, stroke

Presbycusis- old ageTinnitus- ringing in the ear

Other senses

Touch- gate control theoryTaste- gustationSmell- olfaction; only one directly connect to

brain

Concepts

Top-Down Processing: we perceive by filling in gaps with what we know

Bottom-up Processing: use sensory information to process data.

Monocular cues: visual cues-one eye Interposition-one objct partially blocks another Linear perspective- base distance on things coming

together—linesBinocular cues: requires both eyes

Retinal disparity- difference between 2 objects Convergence- both eyes focus same thing Stereoscopic vision- 3d

Sleep

Sleep Cycle Circadian rhythm: awake and sleep cycle REM: rapid eye movement; dreams occur Sleep stages: from slowed breathing, lower blood

pressure, near body paralysisSleep Disorders

Insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep apneaHypnosis

Psychopharmacology

Psychoactive drugs are either agonist or antagonists

Depressants: alcohol, barbiturates(anesthesia)

Stimulants: caffeine, cocaine, nicotine, amphetamines

Opiates: morphine, heroin, codeineHallucinogens: LSD, marijuana

Social ThinkingAttribution Theory

tendency to give an explanation for someone’s behavior, often by crediting either the situation or the person’s disposition

Social ThinkingFundamental Attribution Error

tendency for observers, when analyzing another’s behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition

Social Thinking – Some Concepts

Our Attitudes often direct our behavior but sometimes behavior shapes our attitudes

Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon tendency for people who have first

agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request

–“Doing Becomes Believing”

Social InfluenceNormative Social Influenceinfluence resulting from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval

Leads to……Conformityadjusting one’s behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard

Social Influence - conceptsInformational Social Influence

influence resulting from one’s willingness to accept others’ opinions about reality

…Leads To Normsan understood rule for accepted and

expected behaviordescribes “proper” behavior

Social Influenceclick above for a clip!

Comparison linesStandard lines1 2 3

Asch Conformity Experiment

Obedience

Stanley Milgram: People conform, but will they simply obey others?

65% of Milgram’s “teachers” did!

Social Influence:somebody’s helping me…

Social Loafingtendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable

Deindividuation

The loss of self awareness and self restrain occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity

Social RelationsBystander Effect

tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present

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Percentageattempting

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Number of otherspresumed available to help

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Social Relations – why do we treat each other differently?

Prejudice an unjustifiable (and usually negative)

attitude toward a group and its members

involves stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to discriminatory action

Stereotypea generalized (often overgeneralized)

belief about a group of people

Social Relations – why prejudice & social bias?

Ingroup Bias tendency to favor one’s own group

Scapegoat Theory theory that prejudice provides an outlet for anger by

providing someone to blame

Just-World Phenomenon tendency of people to believe the world is just people get what they deserve and deserve what they

get

Preconceived ideas can affect the way someone acts towards another person.

Our expectations of behavior can be influenced as well. This is called the self-fulfilling prophecy.

Social Relations

Aggressionany physical or verbal behavior intended

to hurt or destroy

Frustration-Aggression Principleprinciple that frustration – the blocking of

an attempt to achieve some goal – creates anger, which can generate aggression

To Help or Not to Help…

The Bystander Effect–Inaction or failure to assume responsibility due to the mere presence of others.

Social Relations- What attracts us to others?

Proximitymere exposure effect- repeated exposure

to novel stimuli increases liking of themPhysical Attractiveness

youthfulness may be associated with health and fertility

Similarityfriends share common attitudes, beliefs,

interests

Social RelationsPassionate Love

an aroused state of intense positive absorption in another

usually present at the beginning of a love relationship

Companionate Lovedeep affectionate attachment we feel for

those with whom our lives are intertwined

The key to lasting and satisfying relationships

Equity a condition in which people receive from a

relationship in proportion to what they give to itSelf-disclosure

revealing intimate aspects of oneself to othersAltruism

unselfish regard for the welfare of others