Define psychology.
Trace psychology’s prescientific roots, from early understandings of mind and
body to the beginnings of modern
science.
Explain how the early psychologists sought to understand the mind’s structure
and functions, and identify some
of the leading psychologists who worked in these areas.
Summarize the nature-nurture debate in psychology, and describe the principle of natural selection.
Describe hindsight bias, and explain how it can make research findings seem like mere common sense.
Describe how overconfidence contaminates our everyday judgments.
Explain how the scientific attitude encourages critical thinking.
Describe how psychological theories guide scientific research.
Explain the value of simplified laboratory conditions in discovering general principles of behavior.
Discuss whether psychological research can be generalized.
Know that four major perspectives in psychology that we talked about in class:
v Biological, Psychodynamic, Cognitive, and Learning (Behavioral)
v Be able to identify an example of any of these
Understand the Nature-Nurture debate.
Understand what is meant by hindsight bias.
Know the different levels of research
v descriptive, correlational, experimental
Understand how psychologists use scientific method and know the steps involved
v observation
v theory
v Hypothesis
v testing hypothesis
v revise theory
Understand the importance of publication and replication of research
Know what the different research methods are
v Naturalistic observation, Case study (case history), Correlational research, survey, experiment
v Understand the advantages and disadvantages of each type of study
v Given a research question, be able to select an appropriate research method to answer the question and give advantages and disadvantage of that method Know the difference between
Population and Sample
Know the different types of Samples (i.e. random, representative, convenience)
Be able to design an experiment, like we did in the class activity.
v Write an hypothesis
v Identify population and sample
v Identify Control Group and Experimental Group (or various levels of the experimental group)
v Identify Independent Variable and Dependent Variable
Ethics and research
Sensory Memory
v iconic and echoic
Short-Term Memory: Capacity, length of time info stays there
Chunking
Mnemonics
Working Memory
Declarative Memory
Semantic Memory
Episodic Memory
Procedural Memory
Implicit and explicit memory
Information Processing Model
Retrieval cues
v Priming
v Context Dependent Recall and Mood (State) Dependent Recall
Proactive Interference
Retroactive Interference
Memory Repression
Memory Construction
Repressed Memories and False Memories Controversy
Know the parts of the neuron and be able to label them on a diagram. Also know the functions of the parts.
Know the parts of the synapse (presynaptic and postsynaptic) and be able to label them on a diagram
Describe how neurotransmission occurs.
Explain Action Potential and how is occurs.
Polarization of a neuron (depolarization and hyperpolarization)
Inhibitory vs. excitatory effect of neurotransmitters
Ways neurotransmitters are removed from synaptic space:
v Diffusion, Reuptake, or broken down by enzyme( i.e. MAO)
Know how antagonists and agonists work
How alcohol and amphetamines affect the brain.
How Prozac works (SSRI’s)
Location and major function of each lobe of cerebral cortex: frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal
Understand what happened to Phineas Gage and why we study him.