AP Psychology key terms

A brief electrical impulse that travels down a neuron's axon when the cell's charge passes a threshold, allowing the neuron to send a signal to other cells.

A chemical released from the end of a neuron that crosses a small gap and binds to receptors on another cell, either exciting or inhibiting it.

The process by which a sending neuron reabsorbs excess neurotransmitter from the synapse, ending its signal and recycling the chemical for later use.

A drug or molecule that binds to a receptor and mimics or strengthens the effect of a neurotransmitter, increasing the receiving cell's response.

A drug or molecule that binds to a receptor and blocks or weakens the effect of a neurotransmitter, reducing the receiving cell's response.

A short time after a neuron fires during which it cannot fire again, or can fire only with a stronger-than-usual stimulus.

The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls involuntary functions such as heart rate, digestion, and gland activity, including its sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions.

The division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body during stress or emergencies, speeding the heart and releasing energy for action.

The division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body after arousal, slowing the heart and supporting digestion and rest.

The brain's ability to change its structure and function in response to experience, such as learning new skills or recovering after injury.

The tendency for some cognitive functions to be handled mainly by one hemisphere of the brain rather than equally by both.

A thick band of nerve fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres that lets them share information with each other.

A limited-capacity system that holds information briefly while a person actively uses it, as when doing mental arithmetic or following a conversation.

A memory strategy that groups separate items into larger meaningful units, allowing more information to be held in short-term or working memory.

The first step of memory in which information is taken in and converted into a form the brain can store and later retrieve.

The process of bringing stored information back into awareness, as when recalling a fact for an exam or recognizing a familiar face.

A change in how quickly or easily a person responds to a stimulus after earlier exposure to a related stimulus, often without conscious awareness.

The tendency to search for, notice, and remember information that supports existing beliefs while ignoring or discounting evidence that contradicts them.

A quick mental shortcut or rule of thumb that simplifies judgment and decision making, often useful but sometimes producing systematic errors.

Judging how likely an event is by how easily examples of it come to mind, which can overestimate vivid or recent risks.

A learning process in which a neutral stimulus comes to trigger a response after being repeatedly paired with a stimulus that already produces that response.

A learning process in which the likelihood of a behavior changes because of the consequences that follow it, such as rewards or punishments.

Any consequence that increases the likelihood a behavior will be repeated, either by adding something pleasant or removing something unpleasant.

The gradual weakening and disappearance of a learned response when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus, or when reinforcement stops.

Learning that occurs by watching others and imitating their behavior, especially when the observed person is rewarded for that behavior.

A specific window in development during which a particular ability or skill must be acquired for typical development to occur.

An enduring emotional bond between an infant and a caregiver that shapes feelings of security and influences later relationships.

The ability to understand that other people have thoughts, beliefs, and feelings that may differ from one's own.

The tendency to overestimate personality or disposition and underestimate the situation when explaining other people's behavior.

The tendency to attribute one's own successes to personal qualities and one's failures to external circumstances.

The discomfort felt when a person holds two conflicting beliefs or acts in ways that contradict their beliefs, often prompting a change in attitude to reduce the discomfort.

Changing one's behavior or beliefs to match the norms or expectations of a group, often because of real or imagined social pressure.

Following a direct command or instruction from an authority figure, even when the action conflicts with one's own judgment.

The tendency for people to be less likely to help someone in need when other people are present, partly because responsibility is spread among them.

A model describing the body's response to prolonged stress in three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.

The thoughts and behaviors a person uses to manage stress, either by tackling the source of the problem or by regulating emotional reactions to it.

A widely used classification manual that lists criteria for diagnosing mental disorders, helping clinicians make consistent diagnoses.

The occurrence of two or more disorders in the same person at the same time, which can complicate diagnosis and treatment.

A treatment approach that helps clients identify and change unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to psychological distress.