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AP Psychology Concept List

230 concepts drawn from the College Board AP Psychology CED (Fall 2024).

  1. Psychology as a Science
  2. Scientific Method in Psychology
  3. Nature vs. Nurture
  4. Heredity and Behavior
  5. Twin Studies
  6. Family Studies
  7. Adoption Studies
  8. Evolutionary Perspective
  9. Natural Selection
  10. Central Nervous System
  11. Peripheral Nervous System
  12. Autonomic Nervous System
  13. Sympathetic Nervous System
  14. Parasympathetic Nervous System
  15. Somatic Nervous System
  16. Spinal Cord
  17. Reflex Arc
  18. Neuron Structure
  19. Glial Cells
  20. Sensory Neurons
  21. Motor Neurons
  22. Interneurons
  23. Neural Transmission
  24. All-or-None Principle
  25. Resting Potential
  26. Depolarization
  27. Action Potential
  28. Refractory Period
  29. Reuptake
  30. Synaptic Threshold
  31. Neurotransmitters
  32. Dopamine
  33. Serotonin
  34. Norepinephrine
  35. Glutamate
  36. GABA
  37. Endorphins
  38. Acetylcholine
  39. Substance P
  40. Hormones and Behavior
  41. Adrenaline (Epinephrine)
  42. Leptin
  43. Ghrelin
  44. Melatonin
  45. Oxytocin
  46. Psychoactive Drugs
  47. Agonists
  48. Antagonists
  49. Reuptake Inhibitors
  50. Stimulants
  51. Depressants
  52. Hallucinogens
  53. Opioids
  54. Drug Tolerance
  55. Addiction
  56. Withdrawal Symptoms
  57. Brain Stem
  58. Medulla Oblongata
  59. Reticular Activating System
  60. Cerebellum
  61. Limbic System
  62. Thalamus
  63. Hypothalamus
  64. Hippocampus
  65. Amygdala
  66. Pituitary Gland
  67. Corpus Callosum
  68. Cerebral Cortex
  69. Frontal Lobe
  70. Parietal Lobe
  71. Temporal Lobe
  72. Occipital Lobe
  73. Hemispheric Lateralization
  74. Split-Brain Research
  75. Brain Imaging Methods
  76. Sleep Stages
  77. REM Sleep
  78. Non-REM Sleep
  79. Circadian Rhythms
  80. Sleep Deprivation
  81. Sleep Disorders
  82. Dreams and Their Functions
  83. Absolute Threshold
  84. Difference Threshold
  85. Weber's Law
  86. Signal Detection Theory
  87. Sensory Adaptation
  88. Vision and the Eye
  89. Audition and the Ear
  90. Olfaction
  91. Gustation
  92. Somatosensation
  93. Gate-Control Theory of Pain
  94. Vestibular Sense
  95. Kinesthesia
  96. Bottom-Up Processing
  97. Top-Down Processing
  98. Perceptual Sets
  99. Schemas
  100. Gestalt Principles
  101. Figure and Ground
  102. Selective Attention
  103. Cocktail Party Effect
  104. Change Blindness
  105. Binocular Depth Cues
  106. Monocular Depth Cues
  107. Perceptual Constancy
  108. Apparent Movement
  109. Concepts and Prototypes
  110. Assimilation and Accommodation
  111. Algorithms
  112. Heuristics
  113. Representativeness Heuristic
  114. Availability Heuristic
  115. Framing Effect
  116. Mental Set
  117. Cognitive Biases
  118. Gambler's Fallacy
  119. Sunk-Cost Fallacy
  120. Executive Functions
  121. Creativity and Divergent Thinking
  122. Functional Fixedness
  123. Explicit Memory
  124. Implicit Memory
  125. Episodic Memory
  126. Semantic Memory
  127. Procedural Memory
  128. Prospective Memory
  129. Long-Term Potentiation
  130. Working Memory Model
  131. Multi-Store Memory Model
  132. Sensory Memory
  133. Short-Term Memory
  134. Long-Term Memory
  135. Levels of Processing
  136. Encoding Strategies
  137. Mnemonic Devices
  138. Chunking
  139. Spacing Effect
  140. Serial Position Effect
  141. Primacy Effect
  142. Recency Effect
  143. Memory Storage
  144. Maintenance Rehearsal
  145. Elaborative Rehearsal
  146. Retrieval Cues
  147. Recall vs. Recognition
  148. Context-Dependent Memory
  149. State-Dependent Memory
  150. Forgetting Curve
  151. Proactive Interference
  152. Retroactive Interference
  153. Tip-of-the-Tongue Phenomenon
  154. Repression
  155. Misinformation Effect
  156. Constructive Memory
  157. Anterograde Amnesia
  158. Retrograde Amnesia
  159. Intelligence and the g Factor
  160. Multiple Intelligences
  161. IQ and Mental Age
  162. Standardized Testing
  163. Test Validity
  164. Test Reliability
  165. Flynn Effect
  166. Stereotype Threat
  167. Fixed vs. Growth Mindset
  168. Achievement vs. Aptitude Tests
  169. Developmental Psychology Themes
  170. Cross-Sectional Research Design
  171. Longitudinal Research Design
  172. Prenatal Development
  173. Teratogens
  174. Infant Physical Development
  175. Adolescent Development
  176. Adult and Aging Development
  177. Piaget's Cognitive Stages
  178. Sensorimotor Stage
  179. Preoperational Stage
  180. Concrete Operational Stage
  181. Formal Operational Stage
  182. Object Permanence
  183. Conservation
  184. Egocentrism
  185. Theory of Mind
  186. Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory
  187. Zone of Proximal Development
  188. Scaffolding
  189. Fluid vs. Crystallized Intelligence
  190. Language Acquisition
  191. Critical Period for Language
  192. Linguistic Relativity
  193. Babbling and Early Speech
  194. Attachment Theory
  195. Secure Attachment
  196. Insecure Attachment
  197. Temperament
  198. Parenting Styles
  199. Erikson's Psychosocial Stages
  200. Identity vs. Role Confusion
  201. Kohlberg's Moral Development
  202. Gilligan's Ethics of Care
  203. Social Clock
  204. Kübler-Ross Grief Stages
  205. Classical Conditioning
  206. Unconditioned Stimulus
  207. Conditioned Stimulus
  208. Conditioned Response
  209. Acquisition
  210. Extinction
  211. Spontaneous Recovery
  212. Stimulus Generalization
  213. Stimulus Discrimination
  214. Conditioned Emotional Response
  215. Taste Aversion
  216. Operant Conditioning
  217. Positive Reinforcement
  218. Negative Reinforcement
  219. Positive Punishment
  220. Negative Punishment
  221. Schedules of Reinforcement
  222. Shaping Behavior
  223. Learned Helplessness
  224. Social Learning Theory
  225. Observational Learning
  226. Bobo Doll Study
  227. Self-Efficacy
  228. Cognitive Maps
  229. Latent Learning
  230. Neuroplasticity
  231. Attribution Theory
  232. Fundamental Attribution Error
  233. Actor-Observer Bias
  234. Self-Serving Bias
  235. Locus of Control
  236. Mere Exposure Effect
  237. Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
  238. Social Comparison
  239. Stereotypes
  240. Prejudice and Discrimination
  241. Implicit Attitudes
  242. Just-World Phenomenon
  243. In-Group Bias
  244. Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
  245. Cognitive Dissonance
  246. Belief Perseverance
  247. Confirmation Bias
  248. Social Norms
  249. Social Influence Theory
  250. Persuasion
  251. Elaboration Likelihood Model
  252. Conformity
  253. Obedience
  254. Milgram Obedience Study
  255. Asch Conformity Study
  256. Foot-in-the-Door Technique
  257. Door-in-the-Face Technique
  258. Group Polarization
  259. Groupthink
  260. Diffusion of Responsibility
  261. Social Loafing
  262. Deindividuation
  263. Social Facilitation
  264. Bystander Effect
  265. Altruism
  266. Industrial-Organizational Psychology
  267. Psychodynamic Personality Theory
  268. Ego Defense Mechanisms
  269. Denial
  270. Projection
  271. Rationalization
  272. Repression (Personality)
  273. Displacement
  274. Sublimation
  275. Projective Tests
  276. Humanistic Personality Theory
  277. Unconditional Positive Regard
  278. Self-Actualization
  279. Self-Concept
  280. Social-Cognitive Theory
  281. Reciprocal Determinism
  282. Big Five Personality Traits
  283. Personality Inventories
  284. Drive-Reduction Theory
  285. Arousal Theory
  286. Yerkes-Dodson Law
  287. Self-Determination Theory
  288. Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation
  289. Incentive Theory
  290. Motivational Conflicts
  291. Sensation Seeking
  292. Hunger and Eating Behavior
  293. Theories of Emotion
  294. Facial-Feedback Hypothesis
  295. Broaden-and-Build Theory
  296. Universal Basic Emotions
  297. Display Rules for Emotion
  298. Health Psychology
  299. Stress and Behavior
  300. Eustress vs. Distress
  301. Adverse Childhood Experiences
  302. General Adaptation Syndrome
  303. Fight-Flight-Freeze Response
  304. Tend-and-Befriend Response
  305. Problem-Focused Coping
  306. Emotion-Focused Coping
  307. Positive Psychology
  308. Well-Being and Resilience
  309. Gratitude and Subjective Well-Being
  310. Signature Strengths
  311. Posttraumatic Growth
  312. Defining Psychological Disorders
  313. DSM Classification System
  314. ICD Classification System
  315. Biopsychosocial Model
  316. Diathesis-Stress Model
  317. Stigma in Mental Health
  318. Behavioral Perspective on Disorders
  319. Cognitive Perspective on Disorders
  320. Biological Perspective on Disorders
  321. Sociocultural Perspective on Disorders
  322. ADHD
  323. Autism Spectrum Disorder
  324. Schizophrenia
  325. Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
  326. Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia
  327. Dopamine Hypothesis
  328. Major Depressive Disorder
  329. Persistent Depressive Disorder
  330. Bipolar I Disorder
  331. Bipolar II Disorder
  332. Mania
  333. Specific Phobia
  334. Agoraphobia
  335. Panic Disorder
  336. Social Anxiety Disorder
  337. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
  338. Culture-Bound Anxiety Disorders
  339. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
  340. Hoarding Disorder
  341. Dissociative Amnesia
  342. Dissociative Identity Disorder
  343. PTSD
  344. Feeding and Eating Disorders
  345. Anorexia Nervosa
  346. Bulimia Nervosa
  347. Personality Disorder Clusters
  348. Antisocial Personality Disorder
  349. Borderline Personality Disorder
  350. Evidence-Based Psychotherapy
  351. Psychodynamic Therapy
  352. Cognitive Therapy
  353. Behavioral Therapy
  354. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
  355. Humanistic (Person-Centered) Therapy
  356. Group Therapy
  357. Systematic Desensitization
  358. Biofeedback
  359. Hypnosis in Treatment
  360. Psychotropic Medications
  361. Antidepressants
  362. Antianxiety Medications
  363. Antipsychotic Medications
  364. Electroconvulsive Therapy
  365. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
  366. Experimental Research Design
  367. Independent and Dependent Variables
  368. Control and Experimental Groups
  369. Random Assignment
  370. Operational Definitions
  371. Confounding Variables
  372. Non-Experimental Methods
  373. Case Studies
  374. Correlational Research
  375. Naturalistic Observation
  376. Surveys and Sampling
  377. Measures of Central Tendency
  378. Standard Deviation
  379. Percentile Rank
  380. Statistical Significance
  381. APA Ethical Guidelines
  382. Informed Consent
  383. Debriefing in Research
  384. Positive and Negative Reinforcement Contrast
  385. Gender and Sexual Orientation
  386. Ethnocentrism
  387. Replicability and Generalizability