AP Psychology Study Guide: Research Methods & History 🧠

Welcome to your ultimate AP Psychology review! This guide is designed to make sure you're calm, confident, and ready to ace the exam. Let's dive in!

1. Introduction to Psychology

Key Concept

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. It uses research methods to develop theories about how we think and act. Remember, it's all about data and observation! 📊

1.1 What is Psychology?

Definition: Psychology explores the mind and behavior. It's a science! 🔬
Goal: To understand why we do what we do. 🤔
Methods: Psychologists use various research methods and theories to explain behaviors and mental processes.

1.2 Historical Context

Early Days: Psychology began with philosophical questions about the mind.
Transition to Science: Wilhelm Wundt established the first psychology lab, marking the shift to a scientific approach. 🧪

2. Roots of Psychology: Monism vs. Dualism

2.1 Philosophical Debates

Monism: The mind and body are one. Knowledge comes from experience.
- Key Thinkers: Aristotle, Francis Bacon, John Locke
- Empiricism: Knowledge comes from observation and experimentation. 💡
- Tabula Rasa: Locke's idea that the mind is a blank slate at birth.
Dualism: The mind is separate from the body. Knowledge is innate.
- Key Thinkers: Socrates, Plato, Rene Descartes
- Descartes' View: Thoughts and actions go through "hollow nerves".

	Monism	Dualism
Definition	The mind and body are the same; knowledge grows from experience and is stored in memories.	The mind is separate from the body, therefore knowledge is born within you and the mind survives past the body.
Who Believed this theory	Aristotle, Francis Bacon, and John Locke believed these. Francis Bacon expanded on this theory and created the idea of empiricism,* realizing that our mind recognizes patterns. Locke thought that the mind was a blank state at birth and coined the theory "tabula rasa."	Philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Rene Descartes believed that the mind and body were separate. Rene Descartes additionally believed that thoughts and actions go through "hollow nerves."

3. Key Figures in Psychology

Memory Aid

Mnemonic for Remembering Key Psychologists: We Can Do Fun Jobs Playing Sports With Wonderful Humans

Wilhelm Wundt
Charles Darwin
Dorothea Dix
Freud, Sigmund
James, William
Pavlov, Ivan & Piaget, Jean
Skinner, B.F.
Washburn, Margaret Floy & Watson, John B.
Hall, G. Stanley & Rogers, Carl

Mary Whiton Calkins: First female president of the APA; self-psychology.
Charles Darwin: Evolution and natural selection; evolutionary approach.
Dorothea Dix: Advocated for the mentally ill; created mental hospitals.🏥
Sigmund Freud: Father of psychoanalysis.
G. Stanley Hall: Founder of educational and child psychology.
William James: Founder of functionalism; Principles of Psychology; James-Lange theory.
Ivan Pavlov: Classical conditioning. 🐶
Jean Piaget: Stages of cognitive development.
Carl Rogers: Humanist; client-centered therapy.
B.F. Skinner: Operant conditioning.
Margaret Floy Washburn: First woman with a Ph.D. in psychology.
John B. Watson: Father of behaviorism; Little Albert experiment. 🐁
Wilhelm Wundt: First psychology lab; structuralism.

4. Core Concepts and Vocabulary

4.1 Schools of Thought

Structuralism: Analyzing the mind through basic elements (Wundt). 🧱
Functionalism: Understanding the purpose of mental processes (James). ⚙️
Behaviorism: Focus on observable behavior (Watson, Skinner). 👁️
Gestalt: Emphasizes the whole rather than the sum of its parts.

4.2 Research Methods

Experiment: Manipulating variables to determine cause and effect.
Correlational Study: Examining relationships between variables.
Survey Research: Collecting data through questionnaires. 📝
Case Study: In-depth analysis of an individual or group.
Longitudinal Study: Studying the same subjects over time. ⏳
Cross-Sectional Study: Studying different groups at the same time.

4.3 Key Terms

Hawthorne Effect: People act differently when they know they are being observed.
Basic Research: Pure science to increase knowledge.
Applied Research: Practical application of research.
Theory: Explanation using principles that organize observations and predict behaviors or events.
Operational Definition: Precise way to measure a variable.
Independent Variable: Manipulated variable.
Dependent Variable: Measured variable.
Confounding Variable: Extraneous variable that affects the results.
Control Variable: Variable that is kept constant.
Random Assignment: Assigning participants to groups by chance.
Sampling Bias: Unrepresentative sample.
Experimenter Bias: Researcher's expectations affect results.
Hindsight Bias: "I knew it all along" phenomenon.
External Validity: How well the results can be generalized.
Internal Validity: How well the experiment measures what it intends to.
Descriptive Statistics: Summarizing data.
Inferential Statistics: Making inferences from data.
Correlation: Relationship between variables.
Skews: Asymmetrical distribution of data.
Normal: Symmetrical distribution of data.
Mean: Average.
Median: Middle value.

4.4 Ethical Considerations

Informed Consent: Participants must agree to participate after being fully informed.
Debriefing: Explaining the study after participation.
Milgram Experiment: A controversial study on obedience to authority.

structuralism	introspection	functionalism	behaviorism
gestalt	experiment	correlational study	survey research
case study	longitudinal study	cross-sectional study	hawthorne effect
basic research	applied research	theory	operational definition
independent variable	dependent variable	confounding variable	control variable
random assignment	sampling bias	experimenter bias	hindsight bias
external validity	internal validity	descriptive statistics	inferential statistics
correlation	skews	normal	informed consent
debriefing	Milgram Experiment	mean	median

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5. Final Exam Focus

High-Value Topics:

Research Methods (Experiments, Correlational Studies, Surveys)
Ethical Guidelines (Informed Consent, Debriefing)
Key Figures (Wundt, James, Freud, Skinner, etc.)
Core Concepts (Variables, Bias, Validity)

5.1 Exam Strategies

Time Management: Pace yourself; don't spend too long on one question. ⏱️
Multiple Choice: Read carefully; eliminate wrong answers first.
FRQs: Plan your response; use specific terms; show your work.

Exam Tip

Exam Tips:

Always define key terms in your FRQs.
Connect different units to show a comprehensive understanding.
Practice with past FRQs to get comfortable with the format.

5.2 Common Pitfalls

Common Mistake

Common Mistakes:

Confusing correlation with causation.
Not operationalizing variables clearly.
Forgetting ethical considerations.
Not using specific psychological terms.

6. Practice Questions

Practice Question

Multiple Choice Questions:

Which of the following is the best example of applied research? (A) Investigating the effectiveness of a new therapy technique for depression. (B) Studying the basic brain structures involved in memory. (C) Examining the impact of early childhood experiences on adult personality. (D) Exploring the differences in cognitive abilities across cultures.
A researcher is conducting an experiment to see if a new drug reduces anxiety. In this experiment, the anxiety level of the participants is the: (A) Independent variable (B) Dependent variable (C) Control variable (D) Confounding variable
Which of the following is a potential ethical issue in psychological research? (A) Using a random sample of participants (B) Providing informed consent to participants (C) Debriefing participants after the study (D) Deceiving participants about the true nature of the study

Free Response Question (FRQ):

A researcher wants to study the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance. They recruit 50 participants and randomly assign them to one of two groups: a sleep-deprived group (4 hours of sleep) and a control group (8 hours of sleep). The next day, all participants complete a series of cognitive tests. The researcher hypothesizes that the sleep-deprived group will perform worse on the cognitive tests than the control group.

(a) Identify the independent and dependent variables in this study. (b) Explain the importance of random assignment in this study. (c) Describe one potential confounding variable that could affect the results. (d) Discuss one ethical consideration that the researcher must address before conducting the study. (e) How might the Hawthorne effect influence the results of this study?

FRQ Scoring Breakdown:

(a) Independent Variable: Sleep deprivation (or the amount of sleep); Dependent Variable: Cognitive performance (or scores on the cognitive tests) (2 points) (b) Random assignment ensures that participant characteristics are evenly distributed across the groups, reducing the likelihood of pre-existing differences affecting the results. (1 point) (c) Potential confounding variables include: pre-existing sleep patterns, stress levels, diet, or time of day of the test. (1 point) (d) Ethical considerations include: obtaining informed consent, debriefing, ensuring participant well-being, and minimizing harm. (1 point) (e) The Hawthorne effect could influence the results if participants in either group change their behavior because they know they are being observed, potentially skewing the findings. (1 point)

You've got this! Go ace that exam! 💪

Scientific Foundations of Psychology

Noah Carter