AP Psychology: ReviewApril 28, 2010
Ms. Simon
Social Psychology• Define
Do Now1) How many days until the AP exam?
AP Examination• 100 Questions, 70 minutes• 2 Free Response, 50 minutes
AIM: How can we study the history and approaches to
psychology?
Origins of Psychology• Mind-body dualism the philosophy
that mental and physical phenomena are separate
• Mind-body Monism- the philosophy that mind and body are one
The study of psychology exists in a series of waves…
WavesWave One: IntrospectionWave Two: GestaltWave Three: PsychoanalysisWave Four: BehaviorismHumanist PerspectiveBiological/EvolutionarySociocultural
Problem: An 8-year old student is having behavioral problems at school. He is unusually aggressive and disruptive, often bullying other students. He spends most of his time alone, watching television. His mother has two jobs and his father died when he was young.
Wave One: Structuralism
Wave One: Introspection• Introspection
• record cognitive reactions to simple stimuli• Wilhelm Wundt• structuralism
• Functionalism• Mind combines subjective emotions and
objective sensations• William James
Wave Two: Gestalt• Max Wertheimer• Gestalt psychology: the whole is
more than the sum of its parts
Wave Three: Psychoanalysis• Sigmund Freud
• Unconscious mind• Repression• Defense mechanisms
Jung, Adler, Horney
Wave Four: Behaviorism• Watson and Pavlov• Behavior must be observable• Learned Responses
Humanistic Perspective• Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers• Free will• Potential for personal growth
Evolutionary
• Genes, hormones, neurotransmitters
Biopsychology
Natural Selection
Sociocultural• Examines cultural difference to
understand behavior• Martin Seligman
April 29, 2010AP Psychology Review
Final Studying Techniques• Recommended units to review:
– Perception– Sensation– Neurobiology– Language
AIM: How can we review research methods and biological
psychology?
Research Methods• Theories: organized sets of concepts that
explain phenomena
• Hypothesis: prediction of how two or more factors are likely to be related
• Replication: repetition of the methods used in a previous experiment to see whether the same methods will yield the same results
Research Methods• Independent Variable: the factor the
researcher manipulates in a controlled experiment
• Dependent Variable: the behavior or mental process that is measured in an experiment or quasi-experiment
• Operational Definition: a description of the procedure used to quantify data
• Constants vs. Controls• Random Sampling vs Random
Assignment
Research Methods:Design an experiment. Watching
violent television programs makes children more aggressive
Research Methods• Experiment
• Quasi-Experiment
• Naturalistic Observation
• Surveys
• Case Studies
BiasesDemand characteristics cues about
the purpose of the study
Experimenter Bias- researchers treat experimental and control groups differently
Counterbalancing: participants serve as their own control group
Central Tendency• Mode, Median, Mean
• Z scores= measure the distance of a score from the mean in units of standard deviation
• Correlational coefficient= measure of correlation• P value- smaller the better (more significant
results)
APA Ethical Guidelines• Basically, don’t hurt babies!
Biological Bases of Behavior
B. Brain• Frontal-
• Parietal-
• Occipital-
• Temporal-
Cerebrum• Major portion of brain
• Many convolution/folds
• Intelligence, learningand judgment
CerebellumCoordinates motor movement and
balance
Brain StemRegulates breathing,Heart rate
Thalamus and Hypothalamus
Thalamus= sensory Switchboard
Hypothalamus- regulatesHunger, thirst, libidoEndocrine system
Peripheral Nervous System• Autonomic= “automatic” controls smooth muscles, heart, and glands• Somatic= controlsskeletal muscles
Sympathetic versus Parasympathetic
Neurotransmitters Table 3.1
Studying the Brain• EEGs
• CAT
• MRI
• PET
SensationTransduction- converting stimulus into
sensory perception
Sensory Adaptation: decreasing responsiveness to a constant stimulus
Sensory Habituation: perception of stimulus decreases when we are less focused on specific stimulus