Review for Exam 1
As a general rule, you should know
everything that was presented about these topics in the book and in class.
See "How
to get Straight A's" for exam studying tips.
Introduction to Psychology
Psychology defined
basic vs. applied research
specialty areas in basic and applied
research
Research Methods
variables
operational definitions
reliability and validity
samples and populations
experiments
IV and DV
random assignment
control groups / placebos
correlational research
correlation coefficients (r)
observer and subject biases
reliability and validity
The Brain
neurons
action potentials
neurotransmitters
agonistic vs. antagonistic drug
effects
mesolimbic dopamine pathway
drug tolerance and withdrawal
methods to identify brain function
limbic system
prefrontal cortex
hemispheres and lobes of cerebrum
Broca's and Wernicke's aphasia
corpus collasum
split brain
Questions for Review
1. Define psychology, list the elements of the mind, and what it means to be empirical.
2. What is the difference between basic and applied research? Know what
types of phenomena are studied by psychologists from different
specialties (e.g., cognitive, social, I-O).
3. What is a variable and what does it mean for a variable to have an operational definition? Provide an example.
4. How do we establish causation in research? Describe the types of
variables we use to show cause and effect. Provide an example.
5. Explain how to interpret a correlation coefficient. Provide an example of a positive and negative relationship.
6. Define both obeserver (i.e., researcher) and subject expectancy biases. How do we control for them?
7. Describe how an action potential occurs.
8. What is the difference between agonistic and antagonist drug
effects? Provide some examples of synaptic action that are agonistic
and antagonistic.
9. Identify the functions of the parts of the limbic system.
10. What is severed in split brain patients? Describe how a split
visual field would affect object recognition in someone with a split
brain.