Introduction to Psychology: SS - 510 (G124) Study Guide

Jeffery Jankowski, Ph.D.

Introduction to Psychology: SS - 510 (G124)
Study Guide - Exam 1

Chapter 1 - pgs 10-29

• What is psychology?
• What are the two types of behavior psychologists study?
• Regarding Wilhelm Wundt, William James, and Sigmund Freud:
  • What ideas regarding human behavior did they propose?
  • What school of thought did each of them found?
• What are the goals of psychology and what do they mean?
• What is the difference between a theory and a hypothesis?
• What are the fundamental controversies in psychology and what do they mean?
• What is the difference between the experimental method and correlational studies?
• What is the difference between an experimental group and a control group?
• What is the difference between an independent variable and a dependent variable?
• Go over the exercise presented in class regarding the experimental method.

Chapter 2 - pgs 43-51, 55-61 (bold), 66-68

• What are the three functions of the nervous system?
• Understand what the parts of a neuron do - soma, dendrite, axon, terminal button, neurotransmitter.
• What happens during axonal conduction and synaptic transmission?
• What three factors distinguish one physical sensation from another? (receptors, number of neuron, rate of firing)
• What are the two functions of hormones and what is the difference between them? (homeostasis, reproduction)
• Understand what the following two hormones do: endorphins and dopamine.
• Look at Figure 2-5 (pg 50)
• What are the two major divisions of the nervous system? (CNS, peripheral)
• What are the two major divisions of the central nervous system?
  • Describe the spinal cord.
  • Regarding the cerebral cortex of the brain, briefly describe the types of behavior that are controlled in the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobe.
  • Regarding subcortical areas of the brain, briefly describe the types of behavior that are controlled in the thalamus and cerebellum.
• Describe the somatic and autonomic divisions of the peripheral nervous system?
  • Describe the sympathetic and parasympathetic system of the autonomic nervous system.

Chapter 3 – pgs 76-84, 98-106

• What is the difference between sensation and perception?
• What is the difference between absolute thresholds, difference thresholds, and signal detection theory.
• Understand what the various parts of the eye do - pupil, iris, lens, retina, fovea.
• What is a blind spot and optic nerve?
• Describe the difference between bottom-up and top-down visual processing?
• Understand the four different Gestalt principles of perception - continuity, closure, proximity, and similarity.
• Describe the monocular cues of depth perception - linear perspective, texture gradient, motion parallax, and size.