cueprepAP Psychology Unit 1: Scientific Foundations of Psychology — Complete Review
Unit 1 introduces the history of psychology as a discipline, tracing its evolution from philosophy and physiology into a modern science. You'll study the major schools of thought — structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism, psychoanalysis, humanism, and cognitive psychology — and learn how each shaped the questions psychologists ask today.
A significant portion of this unit covers research methodology: experimental design, correlational studies, surveys, case studies, and naturalistic observation. You'll need to distinguish between independent and dependent variables, identify confounding variables, and understand concepts like random assignment, operational definitions, and informed consent.
Statistics and ethics round out the unit. You'll learn to interpret measures of central tendency and variability, understand statistical significance, and recognize ethical principles that govern psychological research — including the APA guidelines for human and animal studies.
Key Concepts
Structuralism
Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener used introspection to break consciousness into basic elements like sensations and feelings.
Functionalism
William James focused on how mental processes help organisms adapt to their environment, influenced by Darwin's theory of evolution.
Behaviorism
John Watson and B.F. Skinner argued psychology should study only observable behavior, rejecting the study of internal mental states.
Psychoanalysis
Sigmund Freud emphasized unconscious drives, childhood experiences, and defense mechanisms as explanations for behavior.
Humanistic Psychology
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow focused on free will, personal growth, and self-actualization as drivers of behavior.
Cognitive Revolution
The shift in the 1950s–60s back toward studying internal mental processes like memory, thinking, and problem-solving.
Experimental Method
A research method that manipulates an independent variable to measure its effect on a dependent variable while controlling confounds.
Correlation vs. Causation
Correlational studies reveal relationships between variables but cannot establish that one variable causes changes in another.
Statistical Significance
A result is statistically significant (typically p < .05) when it is unlikely to have occurred by chance alone.
APA Ethical Guidelines
Rules requiring informed consent, debriefing, confidentiality, and minimized harm in research with human participants.
Key Terms & Vocabulary
27 terms you need to know for Unit 1. Use our flashcards to memorize them with spaced repetition.
Study Unit 1 with Flashcards
Master Scientific Foundations of Psychology using spaced repetition — the science-backed method that puts concepts in long-term memory with less study time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is AP Psychology Unit 1 about?
Unit 1 covers the scientific foundations of psychology, including the history of psychology as a discipline, major schools of thought (structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism, psychoanalysis, humanism, cognitive), research methods, basic statistics, and ethical guidelines for psychological research.
How much of the AP Psychology exam is Unit 1?
Unit 1: Scientific Foundations of Psychology accounts for approximately 10–14% of the AP Psychology exam, which translates to roughly 10–14 multiple-choice questions.
What are the major schools of thought in psychology?
The major schools of thought are structuralism (Wundt/Titchener), functionalism (James), behaviorism (Watson/Skinner), psychoanalysis (Freud), humanistic psychology (Rogers/Maslow), and the cognitive approach. Each offers a different perspective on why humans think and behave the way they do.
What research methods do I need to know for AP Psychology?
You need to understand experiments (with independent/dependent variables and controls), correlational studies, surveys, case studies, naturalistic observation, and longitudinal vs. cross-sectional designs. You should also be able to identify confounds and explain why correlation does not equal causation.