What is the difference between proactive interference and retroactive interference in memory?

Proactive interference occurs when older information makes it harder to remember newer information; retroactive interference is when newer information disrupts recall of older information.

Which brain structure is most associated with processing explicit memories?

The hippocampus is primarily involved in forming and processing explicit memories, including facts and personal experiences.

How does a correlation differ from an experiment in AP Psychology?

Correlation measures the relationship between variables, while an experiment manipulates variables to test cause-and-effect relationships.

Free online course Psychology Class

Duration of the online course: 12 hours and 34 minutes

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Boost your psychology skills with a free online course on memory, learning, sleep and perception—study faster, think clearer, and earn a certificate.

In this free course, learn about

Memory models, stages (encoding/storage/retrieval), and types (explicit vs implicit)
Brain bases of memory: hippocampus and factors like interference (proactive interference)
Early psychology history, schools of thought, and empiricism as a source of knowledge
Bio-psychosocial approach: integrating biological, psychological, and social influences
Psychology as a science; correcting common misconceptions about what psychology is
Research methods: experiments vs correlations; variables, causation, and study design basics
Descriptive statistics: measures of central tendency; how extreme values skew the mean
Biological psychology fundamentals; nervous system structure and the autonomic NS function
Brain imaging: PET scans using radioactive glucose; other key methods and what they measure
Brain lateralization and corpus callosum role in communication between hemispheres
Sensation vs perception: how the brain interprets sensory input across modalities
Vision and hearing basics: eye adaptations (cats) and eardrum role in hearing
Depth perception development: Visual Cliff findings in infant perception
States of consciousness and sleep: spontaneous states and sleep deprivation links to depression

About the free online course

Build a solid foundation in psychology with an accessible, free online course designed to help you understand how people think, learn, feel, and behave. You will connect the big ideas of modern psychology with the scientific methods that support them, so you can evaluate claims, interpret evidence, and apply core concepts with confidence. Whether you are preparing for academic study, exploring a health-related path, or simply curious about how the mind works, this course turns complex topics into clear, usable understanding.

The journey begins by looking at where psychology comes from and how different approaches explain human experience. From there, you move into psychology as a science, developing a practical grasp of how research is conducted and how data can be interpreted responsibly. You will learn to think critically about common misconceptions, recognize why correlation does not automatically imply cause, and understand how measurements and summary statistics shape the conclusions we draw.

You will then explore the biological bases of behavior, linking brain structures and nervous system functions to everyday actions and emotions. This part helps you understand how the brain communicates within itself, how different methods can observe brain activity, and why integrated systems matter when explaining behavior. That scientific grounding makes the next themes feel more intuitive and connected, rather than like isolated facts.

As you progress, sensation and perception bring psychology to life by showing how the brain transforms signals from the world into meaningful experiences. You will gain perspective on vision and hearing, how interpretation can differ from raw input, and what classic findings reveal about developing perception. States of consciousness extend that exploration into sleep and wakefulness, helping you understand the impact of rest, attention, and deprivation on mood and functioning.

Finally, you will focus on learning and memory, including how we encode and retrieve information, why forgetting happens, and how interference can distort what we recall. With practice activities built in, you will leave with clearer study strategies and a stronger ability to explain human behavior using psychological principles.

Course content

Video class: AP Psychology Unit 7 Cognition - Memory Part 1 16m
Exercise: What is the definition of memory?
Video class: AP Psychology Memory part 2 15m
Exercise: Which brain structure primarily processes explicit memories?
Video class: AP Psychology Memory Part 3 14m
Exercise: What is an example of proactive interference in memory?

Video class: AP Psychology Unit 1 History and Approaches Part 1 12m
Exercise: What is empiricism in psychology?
Video class: AP Psychology Unit 1 History approaches part 2 14m
Exercise: What is the main focus of the bio-psychosocial approach?

Video class: AP Psychology Unit 2 Psychology as a Science Part 1 18m
Exercise: What is a common misconception about psychology according to the video transcript?
Video class: AP Psychology Unit 2 Psychology as a Science Part 2 16m
Exercise: What is a key difference between correlation and experiment?
Video class: AP Psychology Unit 2 Psychology as a Science. Part 3 16m
Exercise: Which measure of central tendency can be skewed by extreme values?

Video class: AP Psychology Unit 3 Biological Bases of Behaviour - Part 1 23m
Exercise: What is biological psychology?
Video class: AP Psychology Biological Bases of Behaviour Part 2 14m
Exercise: What is the main function of the autonomic nervous system?
Video class: AP Psychology Biological Bases of Behaviour Part 3 20m
Exercise: Which brain scanning technique detects radioactive glucose used by the brain?
Video class: AP Psychology Biological Bases of Behaviour Part 4 21m
Exercise: What role does the corpus callosum play in brain hemisphere communication?

Video class: AP Psychology Unit 4 Sensation and Perception 1 14m
Exercise: What is the correct term for how the brain interprets sensory information?
Video class: AP Psychology Sensation and Perception 2 13m
Exercise: What feature of the eye allows cats to see better in the dark than humans?
Video class: AP Psychology Sensation and Perception 3 14m
Exercise: What does the Visual Cliff experiment demonstrate about depth perception in infants?
Video class: AP Psychology Unit 4 Sensation and Perception - Part 4 15m
Exercise: What is the primary function of the eardrum in the process of hearing?

Video class: AP Psychology Unit 5 States of Consciousness 1 16m
Exercise: Which are the states of consciousness that occur spontaneously?
Video class: AP Psychology Unit 5 States of Consciousness 2 10m
Exercise: Effects of sleep deprivation: What is a significant predictor of depression?

Video class: AP Psychology Unit 6 Learning Part 1 17m
Exercise: What is an example of classical conditioning as discussed in the material?
Video class: AP Psychology Unit 6 Learning Part 2 14m
Exercise: Which reinforcement schedule involves an unpredictable number of responses before reinforcement?
Video class: AP Psychology Unit 6 Learning Part 3 16m