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