traits, effort, intention
🧠AP PSYCHOLOGY STUDY GUIDE
AP Psychology Exam Study Guide
Review the major AP Psychology domains, research methods, vocabulary, and application patterns.
8 key ideas8 flashcards5 practice questions
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Key ideas to know
Start with the relationships between ideas. Then close the notes and explain each one from memory.
- 01
Psychology connects biological, cognitive, developmental, and social explanations of behavior.
- 02
Experiments can support causal conclusions when variables are controlled and assigned.
- 03
Correlation measures association but does not establish causation.
- 04
Operational definitions make variables measurable and replicable.
- 05
Application questions reward choosing the concept that best explains the specific behavior.
- 06
Random sampling concerns who enters a study, while random assignment concerns placement into experimental groups.
- 07
Reliability concerns score consistency, while validity concerns whether an instrument measures the intended construct.
- 08
Ethical research requires informed consent, protection from avoidable harm, confidentiality, and debriefing when deception is used.
PART OF THE AP PSYCHOLOGY GUIDE
See every set in this course and follow a focused review order.
Open the full AP Psychology guide →Two ideas worth correcting now
NOT QUITE
→Correlation proves one variable caused the other
USE THIS INSTEAD
Directionality and unmeasured variables remain possible.
NOT QUITE
→A large sample automatically represents a population
USE THIS INSTEAD
Selection method matters in addition to sample size.
Flashcards
Answer before opening each card. The effort to retrieve is part of the learning.
1What is random assignment used for?Show answer ＋
Creating comparable experimental groups and reducing confounding.
2What is the independent variable?Show answer ＋
The factor manipulated by the researcher.
3What does a negative correlation mean?Show answer ＋
As one variable increases, the other tends to decrease.
4What is neuroplasticity?Show answer ＋
The nervous system's ability to reorganize through experience or injury.
5What is confirmation bias?Show answer ＋
The tendency to seek or interpret information in ways that support existing beliefs.
6What is random sampling used for?Show answer ＋
Building a sample that better represents the target population.
7What is reliability?Show answer ＋
Consistency of a measurement across time, items, or raters.
8What is debriefing?Show answer ＋
Explaining the study after participation, especially when deception was used.
Explain it in your own words
Use the answer as a check after you have written or spoken your response.
01Why does a representative sample matter?
It improves the ability to generalize findings to the target population.
02How should you answer an AP application prompt?
Define the concept accurately and connect it to a specific detail in the scenario.
03Why can a strong correlation still be noncausal?
Directionality and third variables can explain the association.
04How do random sampling and random assignment answer different questions?
Sampling affects generalization; assignment strengthens causal comparison between groups.
05Why must a definition be tied to the scenario in an application response?
The scoring task asks whether the term explains a specific behavior, not whether it can be recited alone.
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