AP Psychology study plan

Diagram the neuron and label its parts, then explain how an action potential propagates down the axon

Describe the function of each major neurotransmitter (dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, GABA, glutamate, norepinephrine) and predict the effect of an excess or deficit

Identify the lobes of the cerebral cortex and match each to at least two cognitive or behavioral functions

Distinguish the roles of the somatic, autonomic, sympathetic, and parasympathetic nervous systems

Explain how lesion, EEG, fMRI, and PET methods differ in what they can reveal about brain function

Describe the endocrine system's role in behavior, focusing on the HPA axis and its stress response

Define lateralization and summarize split-brain research findings

Trace the pathway of visual and auditory information from sensory receptor to cortex

Distinguish encoding, storage, and retrieval and give one failure mode for each

Compare the three-stage (sensory, short-term, long-term) model with working memory and explain the differences

Describe at least four memory-improvement techniques and the cognitive principle behind each

Explain how schemas, heuristics, and biases shape judgment, with one concrete example per concept

Classify conditioning examples as classical or operant and identify the UCS, CS, CR, or reinforcement schedule involved

Apply the stages of language acquisition and contrast the major language-development theories

Explain the difference between sensation and perception and give one example of each perceptual principle

Order the stages of prenatal development and identify one teratogen risk per stage

Compare Piaget's stages and give one task that distinguishes each from the next

Contrast Erikson's psychosocial stages with the attachment styles described by Ainsworth

Explain how classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning differ in mechanism

Explain social facilitation, social loafing, group polarization, and groupthink with a distinct example of each

Describe attribution theory and identify the fundamental attribution error in three scenarios

Summarize Asch conformity and Milgram obedience findings and the conditions that moderated them

Compare the major personality perspectives (psychodynamic, humanistic, trait, social-cognitive) on the source of personality

Distinguish the major psychological disorder categories by their defining symptoms

Compare biomedical, psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and humanistic treatment approaches

Explain how stress affects physical health through at least two physiological pathways

Identify the components of the Big Five and predict behavioral correlates of high and low scores

Synthesize all five domains into a single review outline organized by domain weighting

Complete two full-length timed practice exams under test conditions

Analyze every missed item and tag it to a domain and a specific concept

Re-drill the three weakest concepts in each domain until you can explain them aloud without notes