AP Psychology Vocab
absolute threshold - ANS the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50
percent of the time
accommodation - ANS (1) the process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus near or
far objects on the retina. (2) adapting our current understandings to incorporate new information
achievement motivation - ANS a desire for significant accomplishment; for mastery of things,
people, or ideas; for rapidly attaining a high standard
achievement tests - ANS tests designed to assess what a person has learned
acoustic encoding - ANS the encoding of sound, especially the sound of words
acquisition - ANS in classical conditioning, the initial stage, when one links a neutral stimulus
and an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned
response. In operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response
action potential - ANS a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon
active listening - ANS empathic listening in which the listener echoes, restates, and clarifies. A
feature of Rogers' client-centered therapy
adaptation-level phenomenon - ANS our tendency to form judgments (of sounds, lights,
income) relative to a neutral level defined by our prior experience
addiction - ANS compulsive drug craving and use, despite adverse consequences
adolescence - ANS the transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to
independence
adrenal glands - ANS a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete
hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) that help arouse the body in times of stress
aerobic exercise - ANS sustained exercise that increases heart and lung fitness; may also
alleviate depression and anxiety
aggression - ANS physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt someone
,algorithm - ANS a methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular
problem. Contrasts with the usually speedier - but also more error-prone - use of heuristics
alpha waves - ANS relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state
altruism - ANS unselfish regard for the welfare of others
amnesia - ANS the loss of memory
amphetamines - ANS drugs that stimulate neural activity, causing speeded-up functions and
associated energy and mood changes
amygdala - ANS two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system, linked to emotion
anorexia nervosa - ANS an eating disorder in which a person diets and becomes significantly
(15 percent or more) underweight, yet, still feeling fat, continues to starve
antianxiety drugs - ANS drugs used to control anxiety and agitation
antidepressant drugs - ANS drugs used to treat depression; also increasingly prescribed for
anxiety. Different types work by altering the availability of various neurotransmitters
antipsychotic drugs - ANS drugs used to treat schizophrenia and other forms of severe thought
disorder
antisocial personality disorder - ANS a personality disorder in which the person exhibits a lack
of conscience for wrong-doing, even toward friends and family members. May be aggressive
and ruthless or a clever con artist
anxiety disorders - ANS psychological disorders characterized by distressing, persistant anxiety
or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety
aphasia - ANS inpairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage either to
Broca's area (imparing speaking) or to the Wernicke's area (imparing understanding)
applied research - ANS scientific study that aims to solve practical problems
aptitude tests - ANS tests designed to predict a person's future performance
assimilation - ANS interpreting our new experience in terms of our existing schemas
association areas - ANS areas of the cerebral cortext that are not involved in primary motor or
sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning,
remembering, thinking, and speaking
,associative learning - ANS learning that certain events occur together. The events may be two
stimuli or a response and its consequences
attatchment - ANS an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their
seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on seperation
ADHD - ANS a psychological disorder marked by the appearance by age 7 of one or more of
the three key symptoms extreme inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity
attitude - ANS feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a
perticular way to objects, people, and events
attribution theory - ANS the theory that we explain someone's behavior by crediting either the
situation of the person's disposition
audition - ANS the sense or act of hearing
autism - ANS a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by deficient communication,
social interaction, and understanding of others' states of mind
automatic processing - ANS unconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space,
time, and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meanings
autonomic nervous system - ANS the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the
glands that the muscles of the internal organs. Its sympathetic division arouses; its
parasympathetic division calms
availability heuristic - ANS estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in
memory; if instances come readily to mind, we presume such events are common
aversive conditioning - ANS a type of counterconditioning that associates an unpleasant state
(such as nausea) with an unwanted behavior (such as drinking)
axon - ANS the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which
messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands
babbling stage - ANS beginning at about 4 months, the stage of speech development in which
the infant spontaneously utters various sounds at first unrelated to household language
barbituarates - ANS drugs that depress the activity of the centeral nervous system, reducing
anxiety but imparing memory and judgment
basal metabolic rate - ANS the body's resting rate of energy expenditure
, basic research - ANS pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base
basic trust - ANS according to Erikson, a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy;
said to be formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers
behavior genetics - ANS the study of relative power and limits of genetic and environmental
influences on behavior
behavior therapy - ANS therapy that applies learning principles to the elimination of unwanted
behaviors
behavioral medicine - ANS an interdisciplinary field that integrates behavioral and medical
knowledge and applies that knowledge to health and disease
behavioral psychology - ANS the scientific study of observable behavior, and its explination by
principles of learning
behaviorism - ANS the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies
behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with
(1) but not (2)
belief perseverance - ANS clinging to one's initial conceptions after the basis on which they
were formed has been discredited
binge-eating disorder - ANS significant binge-eating episodes, followed by distress, disgust, or
guilt, but without the compensatory purging, fasting, or excessive exercise that marks bulimia
nervosa
binocular cues - ANS depth cues, such as retinal disparity, that depend on the use of two eyes
biofeedback - ANS a system for electronically recording, amplifying, and feeding back
information regarding a subtle physiological state, such as blood pressure or muscle tension
biological psychology - ANS a branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology
and behavior
biomedical therapy - ANS prescribed medications or medical procedures that act directly on the
patient's nervous system
biopsychosocial approach - ANS an integrated approach that incoporates biological,
psychological, and social-culutral levels of analysis
absolute threshold - ANS the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50
percent of the time
accommodation - ANS (1) the process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus near or
far objects on the retina. (2) adapting our current understandings to incorporate new information
achievement motivation - ANS a desire for significant accomplishment; for mastery of things,
people, or ideas; for rapidly attaining a high standard
achievement tests - ANS tests designed to assess what a person has learned
acoustic encoding - ANS the encoding of sound, especially the sound of words
acquisition - ANS in classical conditioning, the initial stage, when one links a neutral stimulus
and an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned
response. In operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response
action potential - ANS a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon
active listening - ANS empathic listening in which the listener echoes, restates, and clarifies. A
feature of Rogers' client-centered therapy
adaptation-level phenomenon - ANS our tendency to form judgments (of sounds, lights,
income) relative to a neutral level defined by our prior experience
addiction - ANS compulsive drug craving and use, despite adverse consequences
adolescence - ANS the transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to
independence
adrenal glands - ANS a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete
hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) that help arouse the body in times of stress
aerobic exercise - ANS sustained exercise that increases heart and lung fitness; may also
alleviate depression and anxiety
aggression - ANS physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt someone
,algorithm - ANS a methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular
problem. Contrasts with the usually speedier - but also more error-prone - use of heuristics
alpha waves - ANS relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state
altruism - ANS unselfish regard for the welfare of others
amnesia - ANS the loss of memory
amphetamines - ANS drugs that stimulate neural activity, causing speeded-up functions and
associated energy and mood changes
amygdala - ANS two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system, linked to emotion
anorexia nervosa - ANS an eating disorder in which a person diets and becomes significantly
(15 percent or more) underweight, yet, still feeling fat, continues to starve
antianxiety drugs - ANS drugs used to control anxiety and agitation
antidepressant drugs - ANS drugs used to treat depression; also increasingly prescribed for
anxiety. Different types work by altering the availability of various neurotransmitters
antipsychotic drugs - ANS drugs used to treat schizophrenia and other forms of severe thought
disorder
antisocial personality disorder - ANS a personality disorder in which the person exhibits a lack
of conscience for wrong-doing, even toward friends and family members. May be aggressive
and ruthless or a clever con artist
anxiety disorders - ANS psychological disorders characterized by distressing, persistant anxiety
or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety
aphasia - ANS inpairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage either to
Broca's area (imparing speaking) or to the Wernicke's area (imparing understanding)
applied research - ANS scientific study that aims to solve practical problems
aptitude tests - ANS tests designed to predict a person's future performance
assimilation - ANS interpreting our new experience in terms of our existing schemas
association areas - ANS areas of the cerebral cortext that are not involved in primary motor or
sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning,
remembering, thinking, and speaking
,associative learning - ANS learning that certain events occur together. The events may be two
stimuli or a response and its consequences
attatchment - ANS an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their
seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on seperation
ADHD - ANS a psychological disorder marked by the appearance by age 7 of one or more of
the three key symptoms extreme inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity
attitude - ANS feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a
perticular way to objects, people, and events
attribution theory - ANS the theory that we explain someone's behavior by crediting either the
situation of the person's disposition
audition - ANS the sense or act of hearing
autism - ANS a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by deficient communication,
social interaction, and understanding of others' states of mind
automatic processing - ANS unconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space,
time, and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meanings
autonomic nervous system - ANS the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the
glands that the muscles of the internal organs. Its sympathetic division arouses; its
parasympathetic division calms
availability heuristic - ANS estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in
memory; if instances come readily to mind, we presume such events are common
aversive conditioning - ANS a type of counterconditioning that associates an unpleasant state
(such as nausea) with an unwanted behavior (such as drinking)
axon - ANS the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which
messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands
babbling stage - ANS beginning at about 4 months, the stage of speech development in which
the infant spontaneously utters various sounds at first unrelated to household language
barbituarates - ANS drugs that depress the activity of the centeral nervous system, reducing
anxiety but imparing memory and judgment
basal metabolic rate - ANS the body's resting rate of energy expenditure
, basic research - ANS pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base
basic trust - ANS according to Erikson, a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy;
said to be formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers
behavior genetics - ANS the study of relative power and limits of genetic and environmental
influences on behavior
behavior therapy - ANS therapy that applies learning principles to the elimination of unwanted
behaviors
behavioral medicine - ANS an interdisciplinary field that integrates behavioral and medical
knowledge and applies that knowledge to health and disease
behavioral psychology - ANS the scientific study of observable behavior, and its explination by
principles of learning
behaviorism - ANS the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies
behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with
(1) but not (2)
belief perseverance - ANS clinging to one's initial conceptions after the basis on which they
were formed has been discredited
binge-eating disorder - ANS significant binge-eating episodes, followed by distress, disgust, or
guilt, but without the compensatory purging, fasting, or excessive exercise that marks bulimia
nervosa
binocular cues - ANS depth cues, such as retinal disparity, that depend on the use of two eyes
biofeedback - ANS a system for electronically recording, amplifying, and feeding back
information regarding a subtle physiological state, such as blood pressure or muscle tension
biological psychology - ANS a branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology
and behavior
biomedical therapy - ANS prescribed medications or medical procedures that act directly on the
patient's nervous system
biopsychosocial approach - ANS an integrated approach that incoporates biological,
psychological, and social-culutral levels of analysis
