Review for Exam 1, Spring 2012

Exam 1 September 23, 2014

Directions: Please remember this is a review sheet to help you study. This sheet is designed to give you a
general idea of what to study it is not intended to be exhaustive. Please do not try to memorize the terms
rather remember that more than 1/2 of the exam will be composed of multiple-choice questions and these
require recognition memory and the ability to discriminate between answers. Aim for understanding rather than
regurgitation. Try practicing explaining difficult concepts to other members of the class (or to unsuspecting
roommates, friends and family), take notes on the text chapters, rewrite your notes from both lecture and text,
try writing your own questions and then answer them without your notes, say things out loud.
Chapter 1 What is Psychology/History of Psychology
Key Terms/Figures: Paul Broca, Gall/phrenology, Wilhelm Wundt, Edward Titchener, William James, Max
Wertheimer, Sigmund Freud, Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, John Watson, B.F. Skinner, Noam Chomsky,
Nativism, Empiricism, Dualism body/soul, Structuralism, Functionalism,
Gestalt psychology, Psychoanalysis, Humanistic Psychology, Behaviorism, Reinforcement, Cognitive
psychology, Charles Darwin, Evolutionary psychology, Social psychology, Cultural psychology, Absolutism vs.
relativism, APA, Mary Calkins (women in Psychology)
Questions you should be able to answer
1. Know the basic subfields in psychology what are they, where do psychologists work, and how do they train
to do so?
2. Be able to discriminate between the basic types of psychology as portrayed in chapter 1 and the lecture
Chapter 2 Research Methods
Key Terms: empiricism and methods, dependent vs. independent variable, extraneous variables, subject
variables, operational definition, validity, reliability, correlational studies, third variable problem, correlation
coefficient and interpretation of it, randomization; the purpose of randomization, precision, experimental group
vs. control group, random sampling, informed consent form and debriefing, naturalistic observation,
falsifiability, confirmation bias, peer review, risk-benefit ratio, objective measures, projective measures,
observation, surveys,
Questions you should be able to answer
1. Know the five factors that can make the field of psychology scientific (precision, reliance on empirical
evidence, willingness to make risky predictions, skepticism, openness)
2. Know the three scientific goals
3. Know the elements of informed consent. Why are we mandated to protect vulnerable populations (and how is
this done)?
4. Know what makes experimental research different from descriptive research
5. Correlations - know the drawbacks of correlations (direction of effect, third variable, no causation) and know
what the sign and the strength of a correlation means
6. Types of studies: experiments, correlational studies, case studies, observational studies, surveys

CHAPTER 3 NEURONS AND THE BRAIN

BIG IDEAS ABOUT NEURONS
Understanding Neurons

Neurons: The Break Down

Understand the composition and

function of neurons
Sensory neurons vs. motor neurons
vs. interneurons
Synapse
Pre-synaptic neurons
Post-synaptic neurons

States of Neurons

Axon
Cell body
Dendrites
Terminal buttons
Myelin Sheath
Glial Cells
Nodes of Ranvier
Receptor Sites

Resting potential
Action Potential
Refractory Period
Whats the significance of a
threshold?
What is the all or nothing
principle? (dont forget the two
graded potentials)
(understand voltage and the role of

BIG IDEAS ABOUT NEUROTRANSMITTERS (NTS)

Understanding
Neurotransmitters

Types of Neurotransmitters

What are they?

What do they do?

Acetylcholine (ACH)
Dopamine
GABA
*Remember: The same NT can
Norepinephrine
have a different function depending Serotonin
on the location or pathway where it Endorphins
is being used

Ways to mimic, inhibit or change

the normal function of a NT
Agonists
Antagonists
Reuptake inhibitors

BIG IDEAS ABOUT THE BRAIN

Investigating the Brain
How can we identify the
function of certain areas of the
brain?
-Damage to areas
-Stimulating areas
-What else?
How do the areas of the brain
interact?
-How might this limit our
investigations into brain
function?

Brain Concepts
Hemispheric Specialization
(gender and handedness) AKA
Hemispheric Lateralization or
just plain Lateralization
Contralateral
Organization/control
Roles of the right and left
Hemispheres
Methods of measuring brain
activity (e.g., EEG, PET)

ORGANIZATION OF THE BRAIN

The Nervous System
Sections of the Cortex
Peripheral nervous system
Occipital Lobe
(PNS)
Parietal Lobe
Central nervous system (CNS)
Temporal Lobe
Somatic nervous system
Frontal Lobe
Autonomic nervous system
Thinking Questions:
Sympathetic nervous system
Where do the higher levels of

Studies and Manipulations

Phantom Limb
Split Brain
Phineas Gage

Specific Areas
Corpus Callosum Hypothalamus
Limbic System Pituitary Gland
Hindbrain
Limbic System (parts)
Medulla
Cerebellum
Reticular Formation Thalamus
Pons Somatosensory Cortex

Parasympathetic nervous system brain operation happen?

What about basic breathing and
Thinking Questions:
heart rate?
Know the pathways and how
they interact
How does fight or flight play a
role in the Nervous system?

Motor Cortex
Thinking Questions:
Know the location and functions of each
item

Other questions you should be able to answer

Know the components of a reflex - stimulus, receptor, afferent (sensory) neuron, interneuron, efferent (motor)
neuron, response (and what nervous system is in charge of a reflex)
Be able to explain how nervous transmission occurs.
Know the rules governing nervous transmission
Know the different nervous systems, their functions, and their major parts
Be able to explain what is meant by association cortex and describe some possible functions of the
association cortex. Know what is meant by the projection areas (sensory and motor).
Know the general brain problems (e.g., agnosia, apraxia, aphasia)
Know the major endocrine glands. For each of these, be able to describe their effects on behavior
CHAPTER 14 Stress and Health
Key Terms: stress, health, etiology, biopsychosocial models, Hans Selye, General Adaptation Syndrome, Mason
Factors, perceived control, adrenaline/epinephrine, cortisol, oxytocin, primary appraisal, secondary appraisal,
Fight or Flight System, SAM, HPA, catecholamines, gluco-corticoids, cytokines, inflammation, NF-B, acute
stress, chronic stress, homeostasis, allostasis, burnout, repressive coping, rational coping, reframing,
biofeedback, relaxation, aerobic exercise, social support, psychosomatic illness, somatoform disorders,
hypochondriasis, conversion disorders, placebo effect, sick role, Type A personality, optimism,
Other questions you should be able to answer
Know the General Adaptation Syndrome stages, and know the Mason Factors
Be able to describe the way the body deals with stress in general, and how the immune system might be affected
What is the difference between a chronic stress and an acute stress? How does the body react in each case?
Know the different types of coping the text suggests occur (e.g., repressive coping, rational coping, reframing),
and those that involve the body and social situations
What personality aspects (text) are helpful in managing ones health? only Type A personality issues