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AP Psychology Midterm Study Guide 2026

The AP Psychology Midterm Study Guide covers key topics including biological bases of behavior, sensation and perception, sleep and consciousness, learning, memory, research methods, developmental psychology, and gender and sexual development. It outlines important concepts, definitions, and theories, such as brain structures, conditioning types, memory processes, and ethical research practices. Final study tips emphasize understanding definitions, matching functions to brain parts, and practicing analogy questions.

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156 views5 pages

AP Psychology Midterm Study Guide 2026

The AP Psychology Midterm Study Guide covers key topics including biological bases of behavior, sensation and perception, sleep and consciousness, learning, memory, research methods, developmental psychology, and gender and sexual development. It outlines important concepts, definitions, and theories, such as brain structures, conditioning types, memory processes, and ethical research practices. Final study tips emphasize understanding definitions, matching functions to brain parts, and practicing analogy questions.

Uploaded by

madisonb082713
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

AP Psychology Midterm Study Guide (2026)

1. Biological Bases of Behavior

Know the structure + function relationships

Brain Structures

 Medulla → controls vital functions (breathing, heartbeat)

 Cerebellum → coordinates movement, balance, walking

 Limbic System

o Hippocampus → formation of new memories

o Amygdala → emotion, aggression, fear

o Hypothalamus → hunger, thirst, sex, body temperature,


circadian rhythms

o Thalamus → sensory relay station

 Occipital Lobes → vision

 Temporal Lobes → hearing

Nervous System

 Autonomic Nervous System

o Sympathetic → arousal (“fight or flight”), inhibits digestion

o Parasympathetic → calming (“rest and digest”), stimulates


digestion

 Somatic Nervous System → voluntary muscle movement

Neurochemistry

 Endorphins → pain relief, pleasure

 Agonists → mimic neurotransmitters

 Tolerance → needing more of a drug for same effect

 Withdrawal / Physical dependence → physical symptoms when


stopping

 Depressants → slow neural activity (alcohol, opiates)

 Stimulants → increase neural activity (cocaine, methamphetamine)


2. Sensation & Perception

Detection vs interpretation

Key Terms

 Sensation → detecting physical energy

 Perception → interpreting sensory information

 Absolute Threshold → minimum stimulation needed to detect

 Sensory Interaction → senses work together (taste + smell)

 Habituation → reduced response to repeated stimulus

Vision

 Rods → black/white, dim light

 Cones → color, detail

 Young-Helmholtz Theory → three color receptors (red, green, blue)

 Opponent Process Theory → opposite colors (Red/green,


blue/yellow, black/white)

Hearing

 Hair Cells → sound receptors in the ear

 Frequency Theory → low-pitched sounds

 Place Theory → high-pitched sounds

Body Senses

 Kinesthesis → position & movement of body parts

3. Sleep & Consciousness

 REM Sleep → dreams, nightmares

 NREM-3 Sleep → night terrors

 Melatonin → sleep hormone (pineal gland)

 Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN) → controls circadian rhythm


4. Learning

Classical vs Operant Conditioning

 Classical Conditioning → association between two stimuli

 Operant Conditioning → association between behavior &


consequence

Reinforcement & Punishment

 Positive Reinforcement → add something good

 Negative Reinforcement → remove something bad

 Punishment → decreases behavior (positive vs. negative)

 Shaping → successive approximations

 Continuous Reinforcement → fastest learning

 Partial Reinforcement → most resistant to extinction

Other Concepts

 Discrimination → responding differently to similar stimuli

 Desensitization → reduced emotional response after repeated


exposure

 Intrinsic Motivation → internal rewards

 Extrinsic Motivation → external rewards

5. Memory

Memory Processes

 Encoding → getting information in

 Storage → retaining information

 Retrieval → getting information out

Memory Types

 Sensory Memory → brief (iconic = visual, echoic=auditory)


 Short-Term / Working Memory → conscious, limited capacity

 Long-Term Memory

o Explicit (Declarative) → facts & experiences (hippocampus)

o Implicit (Procedural) → skills, procedures (cerebellum)

Encoding & Storage

 Semantic Encoding → meaning

 Flashbulb Memories → vivid emotional memories

 Long-Term Potentiation (LTP) → strengthened neural connections

6. Research Methods & Statistics

Research Design

 Independent Variable → manipulated

 Dependent Variable → measured

 Population → entire group

 Case Study → in-depth study of one individual

 Correlation → relationship (NOT causation)

 Operational Definition → exact measurement description

Statistics

 Mean → average (affected by outliers)

 Median → middle score (best with extreme values)

Ethics

 Informed Consent

 Confidentiality

 Debriefing

 Double-Blind Procedure

7. Developmental Psychology
Piaget’s Stages (IN ORDER)

1. Sensorimotor

2. Preoperational

3. Concrete Operational

4. Formal Operational

Erikson

 Trust vs Mistrust → needs must be met

Kohlberg

 Moral development progresses from concrete → abstract &


principled

Infant Abilities

 Recognize mother’s voice early

 Habituation shows learning

8. Gender & Sexual Development

 Primary Sex Characteristics → reproductive organs

 Secondary Sex Characteristics → non-reproductive traits (voice,


body hair)

Final Study Tips

 Focus on definitions + examples

 Practice matching brain parts to functions

 Know which theory explains what

 Watch for “X is to Y as A is to B” analogy questions

 Eliminate answers that describe the wrong system (ex: somatic vs


autonomic)

 Pace yourself

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