2023 AP Psychology Exam Review

John from Marco Learning introduces valuable free resources for students, including a comprehensive study guide covering various psychology topics and a free events page with online sessions across different subjects. He emphasizes the importance of these resources for last-minute studying and provides a brief overview of the session's agenda, which includes a review of significant topics and test-taking strategies.

The paragraph focuses on the scientific foundations of psychology, highlighting the importance of understanding research methods and ethics. It discusses the difference between descriptive methods, correlation, and experimentation, as well as the significance of operational definitions in research. The speaker provides an example using Milgram's obedience study to illustrate operational definitions and the necessity of replication and generalizability in scientific research.

This section covers essential statistical concepts in psychology, such as measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode) and variation (range, standard deviation). The speaker uses a golf practice example to explain these concepts and discusses the importance of understanding data distribution, including normal and skewed distributions, and the appropriate use of median in such contexts.

The speaker discusses research design, emphasizing the importance of random selection and confidentiality in research studies. They provide strategies for answering free response questions (FRQs) on the AP Psychology exam, including the SODAS format and prioritizing questions based on difficulty. The paragraph also includes an example of identifying research flaws and ethical issues.

This paragraph delves into the structure and function of neurons, including the roles of sensory (afferent) and motor (efferent) neurons. It explains the process of neural communication across synapses and the role of neurotransmitters. The speaker also discusses the effects of drugs on neurotransmitters, differentiating between agonists and antagonists.

The speaker contrasts the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system, using the skydiving analogy to explain their functions. The paragraph also touches on the endocrine system, highlighting the pituitary gland as the 'master gland' and mentioning other glands such as the pineal and gonads.

This section explores the structures of the eye and ear, detailing the processes of transduction in both sensory organs. It explains the roles of rods and cones in vision and the cochlea in hearing, as well as the types of hearing loss. The speaker also introduces the concepts of sensation and perception, including theories of color vision and depth perception.

The speaker presents an overview of cognitive psychology, focusing on learning theories such as classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning. They discuss key concepts like UCS and UCR, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, discrimination, and reinforcement schedules. The paragraph also covers habituation and cognitive learning components like cognitive maps and latent learning.

This paragraph discusses various aspects of memory, including sensory memory, short-term and working memory, and long-term memory. It differentiates between explicit and implicit memory systems. The speaker also touches on language, explaining phonemes and morphemes, and introduces Chomsky's Universal Grammar and the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.

The speaker outlines different theories of intelligence, such as those proposed by Spearman, Gardner, and Sternberg. They emphasize the importance of understanding the concepts of validity and reliability in psychological testing and measurement.

This section covers key developmental psychologists and their theories, including Piaget's stages of cognitive development, Kohlberg's stages of moral development, and attachment theories by Harlow and Ainsworth. The speaker also discusses parenting styles and Erikson's psychosocial stages, with a focus on trust vs. mistrust and identity vs. role confusion.

The speaker presents theories of motivation, including incentive theory and drive theory, as well as theories of emotion such as the James-Lange theory and the Cannon-Bard theory. They also discuss personality theories, including Freud's psychosexual stages, the Big Five personality traits, and defense mechanisms.

This paragraph explores social psychology concepts like conformity, obedience, and cognitive dissonance, referencing Zimbardo, Milgram, and Asch. It also touches on clinical psychology, including disorder symptoms, causes, and treatments, as well as concepts like self-efficacy and reciprocal determinism.

The speaker wraps up the session with final words of encouragement for students preparing for the AP Psychology exam. They advise students to prioritize their study time, focus on areas they are unsure of, and use positive self-talk and self-efficacy to boost confidence. The speaker also reminds students to make use of the study guides and resources provided.