AP Psychology Mega Review Notes

Introduction

• Overview of AP Psychology course.
• Video designed for review across all five units in approximately 4 hours.
• Study guide worksheets available to fill out while watching.

Unit 1: Biological Basis of Behavior

Unit 1.1: Interaction of Heredity and Environment

• Nature vs. Nurture Debate: Heredity (nature) vs. environmental factors (nurture).
  • Heredity: Genetic characteristics influencing traits.
  • Environment: External influences like family, education.
• Interactionist Perspective: Both heredity and environment shape behavior.
• Evolutionary Perspective: Natural selection leads to survival traits; misuse by eugenics rejected today.
• Research Methods:
  1. Twin Studies: Compare identical and fraternal twins.
  2. Family Studies: Analyze traits within families.
  3. Adoption Studies: Compare adopted children with biological and adoptive families.

Unit 1.2: Overview of the Nervous System

• Central Nervous System (CNS): Brain and spinal cord; processes information.
• Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): Connects CNS to the body; includes autonomic (involuntary) and somatic (voluntary) systems.
  • Autonomic Nervous System:
    • Sympathetic: Prepares for action (fight or flight).
    • Parasympathetic: Calms the body (rest and digest).
  • Somatic Nervous System: Controls voluntary movements.

Unit 1.3: Neuron and Neural Firing

• Types of Neural Cells: Neurons (signal carriers) and glial cells (support).
• Reflex Arc: Involves sensory, motor, and interneurons.
• Neural Transmission: Follows a process from resting potential to neurotransmitter release.
• Disorders: Examples include multiple sclerosis and myasthenia gravis.
• Neurotransmitters: Key types include dopamine, serotonin, GABA, endorphins, etc.
• Psychoactive Drugs: Affect neurotransmitter function; can lead to addiction and withdrawal.

Unit 1.4: Brain Structures

• Brain Stem: Controls basic life functions.
• Cerebellum: Coordinates movement and balance.
• Cerebral Cortex: Involved in higher cognitive functions; divided into lobes.
• Split Brain Research: Examines the roles of each hemisphere after severing the corpus callosum.

Unit 1.5: Sleep

• Circadian Rhythm: Regulates sleep-wake cycles; disruption impacts cognitive functions.
• Sleep Stages: REM and NREM sleep; importance of each stage.
• Sleep Disorders: Insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep apnea, etc.

Unit 1.6: Sensation

• Key Terms: Absolute threshold, just noticeable difference, Weber's law, sensory adaptation.
• Visual System: Understanding of rods and cones; color perception theories.
• Auditory System: Pitch perception; types of deafness.
• Chemical Senses: Smell and taste; their interaction.
• Touch and Pain: Gate control theory; phantom limb sensations.
• Balance Systems: Vestibular and kinesthetic systems.

Unit 2: Cognition

Unit 2.1: Perception

• Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Processing: Sensory input vs. existing knowledge.
• Schemas and Perceptual Sets: Influence on interpretation of experiences.
• Gestalt Principles: Closure, figure-ground, proximity, similarity.
• Attention: Selective attention; effects like the cocktail party effect.
• Depth Cues: Binocular and monocular cues; perceptual consistency.

Unit 2.2: Thinking and Problem Solving

• Concepts: Mental categories; prototypes.
• Problem Solving: Algorithms vs. heuristics; decision-making influences.
• Mindsets: Fixed vs. growth mindsets.

Unit 2.3: Memory

• Types of Memory: Explicit (episodic, semantic) vs. implicit (procedural, prospective).
• Memory Models: Working memory model, multi-store model, levels of processing model.

Unit 2.4: Encoding Memories

• Methods of Encoding: Mnemonic devices, chunking, spacing effect.
• Serial Position Effect: Primacy and recency effects.

Unit 2.5: Storing Memories

• Memory Categories: Sensory memory, short-term memory, long-term memory; rehearsal types.

Unit 2.6: Retrieving Memories

• Types of Retrieval: Recall vs. recognition; enhancing retrieval.

Unit 2.7: Forgetting

• Forgetting Curve: Rapid loss of memory over time; causes of retrieval failure.

Unit 2.8: Intelligence

• Theories of Intelligence: Spearman's general intelligence, Gardner's multiple intelligences, Sternberg's triarchic theory.
• Measuring Intelligence: IQ tests; standardization, validity, reliability.

Unit 3: Developmental Psychology

Unit 3.1: Themes and Methods

• Major Themes: Stability vs. change, nature vs. nurture, continuity vs. discontinuity.
• Research Designs: Cross-sectional vs. longitudinal studies.

Unit 3.2: Physical Development

• Prenatal Development: Influencing factors like teratogens, maternal health.
• Childhood Development: Motor skills, reflexes, depth perception.

Unit 3.3: Sex and Gender

• Influences on Development: Gender schema theory, gender socialization.

Unit 3.4: Cognitive Development

• Piaget's Stages: Sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational.
• Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory: Scaffolding, zone of proximal development.

Unit 3.5: Communication and Language

• Language Stages: Non-verbal gestures, cooing, babbling, one-word stage, telegraphic speech.

Unit 3.6: Social Emotional Development

• Theories: Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems, parenting styles, attachment styles.

Unit 4: Social Psychology

Unit 4.1: Attribution Theory

• Types of Attribution: Dispositional vs. situational.
• Explanatory Style: Optimistic vs. pessimistic.

Unit 4.2: Attitudes

• Formation and Change: Stereotypes, belief perseverance, cognitive dissonance.

Unit 4.3: Social Situations

• Social Norms: Influence behavior; normative vs. informational social influence.
• Persuasion: Central vs. peripheral routes; foot-in-the-door, door-in-the-face techniques.

Unit 5: Health Psychology

Unit 5.1: Definition of Health Psychology

• Stress: Stressors, general adaptation syndrome, coping mechanisms.

Unit 5.2: Positive Psychology

• Concepts: Gratitude, strengths, post-traumatic growth.

Unit 5.3: Diagnosing Psychological Disorders

• Diagnosis Factors: Dysfunction, distress, deviation from norms; classification systems.

Unit 5.4: Psychological Disorders

• Categories: Neurodevelopmental, schizophrenia spectrum, mood, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, dissociative, trauma-related, feeding/eating, and personality disorders.

Unit 5.5: Psychotherapeutic Treatments

• Types of Therapy: Psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioral, humanistic, group therapy, etc.