AP© Psychology Vocabulary List 2

Behavioral psychology

• Focus on observable behaviors and their responses

• Emphasizes internal mental processes

• Studies the influence of genetics on behavior

• Explores unconscious motivations

therapeutic

• therapy

• diagnosis

• medication

• prevention

Personality psychology

• Study of characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, acting

• Analysis of social interactions and behaviors

• Examination of cognitive processes and memory

• Research on emotional responses and motivations

Falsifiable

• Assertion can be shown false by observation or experiment

• An assertion that is always true

• A statement that cannot be tested

• A claim that is universally accepted

Social psychology

• Study of how we think about, influence, relate to one another

• Study of individual behavior in isolation

• Study of economic behavior in groups

• Study of historical events and their impact on society

Psychometrics

• Study of measurement of human abilities, attitudes, traits

• Analysis of psychological disorders

• Evaluation of cognitive development

• Assessment of emotional intelligence

Hypothesis

• A statement that cannot be tested

• A testable prediction implied by a theory

• An observation made during an experiment

• A conclusion drawn from data

Theory

• A hypothesis that has been tested and confirmed

• An explanation organizing observations, predicts behaviors

• A random guess about future events

• A collection of unrelated facts

Developmental psychology

• Studies emotional development in childhood

• Studies physical, cognitive, social change throughout life

• Studies the impact of genetics on behavior

• Studies the effects of aging on memory

Industrial-organization psychology

• Optimizing human behavior in workplaces

• Enhancing physical fitness in sports

• Improving educational outcomes in schools

• Studying animal behavior in natural habitats