PSY 1

Exam 1 Study Guide

Chapter 1
Thinking Critically with Psychological Science

four goals of psychology

perspectives (sub-fields) in psychology
Wundt, Freud, Watson, Skinner, Pavlov, Maslow, Rogers
careers in psychology
theory, hypothesis
steps of the scientific method
features of an experiment: random assignment, IV, exp group, control group, DV
3 types of descriptive research (naturalistic observation, case study, survey)
random sampling
correlation (positive, negative, zero correlations; strength of correlation coefficient r)
why is correlation not causation?
Chapter 2
Neuroscience and Behavior

anatomy of a neuron
neural communication (resting potential, action potential, ions, threshold)
neurotransmitters (what are they, where are they released (synapse), what do they bind to,
serotonin, dopamine)
organization of the nervous system (CNS, PNS, and their branches)
sensory and motor neurons
brain parts and their functions (medulla, hypothalamus, cerebellum, etc.)
lobes on cerebral cortex (frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal) and their functions
somatosensory cortex and motor cortex
hemispheric specialization
*Note: this is a guide only. It is strongly encouraged that you read the textbook, review
lecture notes, and gain a solid understanding of these terms. It is not advised that you study
only definitions.