AP Psychology Full Course Study Guide with 100%
Verified Complete Solutions
Introspection (Wundt) - Correct Answer a conscious mental and usually purposive process relying on
thinking, reasoning, and examining one's own thoughts feelings. Wundt believed that by using
introspection he could determine the basic elements of consciousness.
Behavioral School of Psychology (Skinner & Watson) - Correct Answer Seeks to explain animal and
human behavior entirely in terms of observable and measurable responses to environmental stimuli.
Use classical and operant conditioning
Humanist School of Psychology (Maslow, Rogers) - Correct Answer Focuses on the uniqueness of
human beings and their capacity for choice, growth, and health; Believe that people have free will
and are not controlled by the environment or their past
Psychoanalytic School of Psychology (Freud) - Correct Answer "believes that a lot of our personality
and behaviors are controlled by our unconscious; another big factor guiding behavior is sex and
aggression; Believed that we Defense Mechanisms to protect our conscious mind
Neurobiological School of Psychology - Correct Answer Emphasizes that all actions, feelings, and
thoughts are associated with bodily events such as the firing of nerve cells in the brain or the release
of hormones; This includes studying the brain, hormones and genes to explain behavior
Socio-cultural School of Psychology (AKA "Cross-cultural", etc.) - Correct Answer Studies the
differences among cultures and the influences of culture on behavior; States that we have a
tendency to use our own culture as a standard for judging other cultures (a term called
ethnocentrism)
Evolutionary School of Psychology - Correct Answer theoretical approach to psychology that attempts
to explain mental and psychological traits—such as memory, perception, or language—as
adaptations, i.e., as the functional products of natural selection or sexual selection.
Cognitive School of Psychology - Correct Answer Focuses on the important role of mental processes
in how people process information, develop language, solve problems and think. Interested in how
people understand, diagnose, and solve problems
,Clinical Psychologist - Correct Answer assess and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders.
These range from short-term crises, such as difficulties resulting from adolescent rebellion, to more
severe, chronic conditions such as schizophrenia.
Counseling psychologist - Correct Answer help people recognize their strengths and resources to
cope with their problems within families, marriages, and adjustment to new conditions. perform
therapy, teaching, and scientific research with individuals of all ages, families, and organizations.
Cognitive and Perceptual Psychologists - Correct Answer study human perception, thinking, and
memory; also study reasoning, judgment, and decision making.
Developmental Psychologist - Correct Answer study the psychological growth of the human being
that takes place throughout life. Until recently, the primary focus was on childhood and adolescence,
the most formative years. Recently expanded to all of life, especially older age.
Educational Psychologist - Correct Answer concentrate on how effective teaching and learning take
place. They consider a variety of factors, such as human abilities, student motivation, and the effect
on the classroom of the diversity of race, ethnicity, and culture that makes up America.
Engineering Psychologist - Correct Answer conduct research on how people work best with
machines. EX: how can a computer be designed to prevent fatigue and eye strain? What
arrangement of an assembly line makes production most efficient? What is a reasonable workload?
Evolutionary Psychologist - Correct Answer study how evolutionary principles such as mutation,
adaptation, and selective fitness influence human thought, feeling, and behavior. Study mating,
aggression, helping behavior, and communication.
Experimental Psychologist - Correct Answer are interested in a wide range of psychological
phenomena, including cognitive processes, comparative psychology (cross-species comparisons),
learning and conditioning. Often engage in basic research
Forensic Psychologist - Correct Answer apply psychological principles to legal issues. Their expertise is
often essential in court. EX: help a judge decide which parent should have custody of a child or
evaluate a defendant's mental competence to stand trial.
Health Psychologist - Correct Answer specialize in how biological, psychological, and social factors
affect health and illness. They study how patients handle illness; why some people don't follow
medical advice; and the most effective ways to control pain or to change poor health habits.
,Industrial/Organizational Psychologist - Correct Answer apply psychology to the work place in the
interest of improving productivity and the quality of work life. Many serve as human resources
specialists, helping organizations with staffing, training, and employee development.
Neuropsychologist - Correct Answer explore the relationships between brain systems and behavior.
EX: may study the way the brain creates and stores memories, or how various diseases and injuries
of the brain affect emotion, perception, and behavior.
Quantitative and measurement psychologist - Correct Answer focus on methods and techniques for
designing experiments and analyzing psychological data. They develop and evaluate mathematical
models for psychological tests, among many other things
School Psychologist - Correct Answer work directly with public and private schools. They assess and
counsel students, consult with parents and school staff, and conduct behavioral interventions when
appropriate. Most school districts employ psychologists full time
Social Psychologist - Correct Answer study how a person's mental life and behavior are shaped by
interactions with other people. They are interested in all aspects of interpersonal relationships,
including both individual and group influences. EX: study effects of prejudice
Sports Psychologist - Correct Answer help athletes refine their focus on competition goals, become
more motivated, and learn to deal with the anxiety and fear of failure that often accompany
competition.
Rehabilitation Psychologist - Correct Answer They deal with issues of personal adjustment,
interpersonal relations, the work world, and pain management. work with stroke and accident
victims, people with mental retardation, etc.
psychiatrist - Correct Answer they can prescribe drugs unlike psychologists. Begin their careers in
medical school, unlike psychologists that get bachelors in psychology. After earning their MD, they go
on to four years of residency training in mental health
basic research - Correct Answer has as its objective the advancement of knowledge. It is exploratory
and often driven by the researcher's curiosity, interest, and intuition. It is conducted without any
practical end in mind, though it may later have an application
, applied research - Correct Answer research is designed to solve practical problems of the modern
world, rather than to acquire knowledge for knowledge's sake. Often has a very particular end in
mind. EX: Curing cancer
population - Correct Answer all of the individuals in the group to which the study applies
anchoring effect - Correct Answer the tendency to be influenced by a suggested reference point,
pulling our response towards that point
actor-observer bias - Correct Answer tendency to focus on our own situations and the other person
rather than his/her situation when interpreting behavior
hindsight bias - Correct Answer a tendency to falsely report, after the event, that we correctly
predicted the outcome of the event.
overconfidence bias - Correct Answer the tendency to overestimate the accuracy of one's beliefs and
judgments, which proves to be a hindrance in problem solving
confirmation bias - Correct Answer a tendency to search for and use information that supports our
preconceptions and ignore information that refutes our ideas; often a hindrance to problem solving.
illusory correlation - Correct Answer the phenomenon of seeing the relationship one expects in a set
of data even when no such relationship exists. EX: When people form false associations between
membership in a statistical minority group and rare behaviors
false-consensus effect - Correct Answer the tendency of a person to perceive his or her own views as
representative of a general consensus
case study - Correct Answer intensive investigation of the behavior and mental processes associated
with a specific person or situation
survey - Correct Answer research method that obtains large samples of abilities, beliefs, or behaviors
at a specific time and place through questionnaire or interview
random sample (AKA "random selection") - Correct Answer choosing of members of a population so
that every individual has an equal chance of being chosen
