Chapter 1
Introduction: The Origins of Psychology
1. Define psychology, and state
how the definition has changed over time.
2. Explain how philosophy and physiology influenced psychology.
3. Describe the structuralist and functionalist schools of psychology, and identify their differences and their common goal.
4. Identify two of William James’s students, and list their contributions to the development of psychology.
5. Discuss the behavioral approach, noting its focus and methodology.
6, Describe the emphasis of Freud’s psychoanalytic approach.
7. Discuss humanistic psychology with particular emphasis on how this approach differs from behaviorism and psychoanalysis.
Contemporary Psychology
8. List the major perspectives in contemporary psychology, and discuss the scope of each.
9. List the specialty areas of psychology, and describe the focus of each.
10. Distinguish between a psychologist and a psychiatrist.
The Scientific Method
11. Define the scientific method, noting its four steps, and list the four goals of psychology in relation to the scientific method.
Descriptive Methods
12. Describe naturalistic observation, and provide an example that illustrates this technique.
13. Explain how case studies are used, and specify the benefits and limits of case study research.
14. Compare and contrast surveys and interviews, and list the advantages and disadvantages of each.
15. Describe correlational research, including what a correlation coefficient is, the difference between positive and negative correlations, and the limitations of this type of research.
The Experimental Method
16. Describe the experimental method, noting the basic terms and concepts, and state its advantages and disadvantages.
Ethics in Psychological Research
17. Describe the major provisions of the APA’s code of ethics for research with human and animal subjects.
Chapter 2
Introduction: The Scope of Biological Psychology
1. Define biological psychology, and explain why psychologists are concerned with human biology.
The Neuron: The Basic Unit of Communication
3. Describe the functions of neurons and glial cells, and distinguish among the three types of neurons.
4. Identify the basic components of the neuron.
5. Explain how information is communicated between neurons, and describe the effects of neurotransmitters on behavior and functioning.
The Nervous System and the Endocrine System: Communication Throughout the Body
6. Describe the functions of the two major parts of the central nervous system, and explain how spinal reflexes work.
7. Identify the divisions and subdivisions of the peripheral nervous system and describe their functions, focusing on the different but complementary functions of the divisions of the autonomic nervous system.
8. Describe the function of the endocrine system, and explain the role hormones play.
9. Discuss the functions of the major endocrine glands, and explain the relation ship between the hypothalamus and the endocrine glands.
A Guided Tour of the Brain
10. Name the three major divisions of the brain.
11. Identify the structures of the brain stem, and describe their functions.
12. Describe the forebrain’s cerebral cortex, and explain the functions of its four lobes.
13. Discuss the role of the association areas.
14. Describe the limbic system, and list the responses and behaviors affected by it.
Specialization in the Cerebral Hemispheres
15. Describe the split-brain operation, give the reasons for it, and discuss what it has contributed to our knowledge about brain specialization.
16. List the most important functions of each cerebral hemisphere.
Chapter 3
Introduction: What Is Sensation and Perception?
1. Define sensation and perception, and give examples that illustrate their differences.
2. Explain the process of transduction.
3. Discuss absolute and difference thresholds, and describe how Weber’s law explains the just noticeable difference, or jnd.
4. Describe the process of sensory adaptation.
Vision: From Light to Sight
5. Explain the process of vision, noting the parts of the eye and their functions.
6. Describe the functions of rods and cones and the transduction of neural impulses to the brain.
7. Discuss how the trichromatic and opponent-process theories each explain aspects of color vision.
Hearing: From Vibration to Sound
8. Describe the nature of sound, and list the physical properties of sound waves.
9. Explain the process of audition, noting all the parts of the ear.
The Chemical and Body Senses
10. Describe the process of olfaction and the role played by the olfactory nerve, olfactory bulb, and olfactory cortex.
11. Describe the role of the taste buds in gustation.
12. Identify the skin senses, and list their respective functions.
13. Describe the processes involved in pain perception, and show how the gate-control theory explains pain perception.
14. Specify the psychological factors that influence the perception of pain, and explain the role of endorphins.
15. Discuss the role of the vestibular sense in body position, balance, and equilibrium.
Perception
16. Describe the goals of Gestalt psychology, noting the rules of figure-ground relationships and grouping.
17. List and describe the monocular cues used in depth perception.
18. Name the binocular cues and give examples of each.
19. Identify the sources of information that influence motion perception, and describe different types of apparent motion.
20. List and describe the three forms of constancy.
21. State why psychologists are interested in perceptual illusions, and describe four perceptual illusions, noting the theoretical reasons for their occurrence.
22. Discuss the concept of an impossible figure, and describe the relevance of these figures for perceptual psychology.
23. Describe the effects of educational, cultural, and life experiences on perceptual interpretations.
Chapter 4
Introduction: Consciousness: Experiencing the Private “I”
1 Define the different states of consciousness.
The Biological and Environmental “Clocks” That Regulate Consciousness
2. Define circadian rhythms, and explain the functions of the suprachiasmatic
nucleus (SCN) in the sleep-wake cycle.
3. Describe the research on circadian rhythms, and explain the role of sunlight in regulating the sleep-wake cycle.
4. Describe the effects of jet lag, and explain how melatonin is involved.
Sleep
5. Define REM and NREM sleep, and describe the characteristics of the various stages of sleep.
6. List the changes in sleep patterns over the lifespan.
7. Specify the functions of sleep, and state what sleep deprivation studies have demonstrated.
8. Contrast the two theories of sleep, and give evidence to support each theory.
9. Describe the main characteristics of the major sleep disorders.
Dreams and Mental Activity During Sleep
10. Explain why we don’t remember our dreams, and describe nightmares and lucid dreams.
11. Describe the characteristics of the four major dream theories.
Hypnosis
12. Define hypnosis, focusing on the characteristics of people who are most responsive to hypnosis.
13. Specify the effects of hypnosis, describe posthypnotic suggestion, and explain the various ways hypnosis can be used.
Meditation
14. List and describe the most common techniques used in meditation, and explain their effects.
Psychoactive Drugs
15. Identify the common characteristics of psychoactive drugs.
16. Name and describe the characteristics of the most common depressants, stimulants, opiates, and hallucinogens, and list their physical and psychological effects.
Chapter 5
Introduction: What Is Learning?
1. Define learning and conditioning, and name the two forms of conditioning.
Classical Conditioning: Associating Stimuli
3. Describe the general procedures used in classical conditioning as demonstrated by Pavlov’s experiments.
4. Explain the processes of acquisition, generalization and discrimination, extinction, and spontaneous recovery as they occur in classical conditioning.
5. Discuss the principles of behaviorism, and describe how emotional reactions and physiological responses can be conditioned.
Contemporary Views of Classical Conditioning
6. Explain the roles played by cognitive processes and biological predispositions in classical conditioning.
Operant Conditioning: Associating Behaviors and Consequences
7. Describe the procedures used in operant conditioning as demonstrated by Skinner’s experiments, and identify the types of reinforcers.
8. Compare and contrast positive and negative reinforcement, as well as punishment by application and punishment by removal.
9. Describe the shaping procedure used in operant conditioning.
10. Explain the difference between continuous and partial reinforcement, then describe and give examples of each of the four schedules of reinforcement.
Contemporary Views of Operant Conditioning
11. Explain what is meant by latent learning and cognitive maps and give examples of each.
12. Explain the role played by biological predispositions in operant conditioning.
Observational Learning: Imitating the Actions of Others
13. Explain the role of modeling in children’s learning, and describe how modeling applies to adult behaviors.
Chapter 6
Introduction: What Is Memory? and Memory Processes: An Overview
1. Define memory, and explain the processes of encoding, storage, and retrieval.
The Stage Model of Memory
2 Describe the three types of memory.
3. Discuss the function, duration, and capacity of sensory memory, and distinguish between iconic and echoic sensory memory.
4. Describe the function, duration, and capacity of short-term, or working memory, and list various ways for overcoming its limitations.
5. Describe the function of long-term memory, and specify the factors that increase the efficiency of long-term encoding.
6. Distinguish among the basic types of memories in long-term memory.
Retrieval: Getting Information from Long-Term Memory
7. Discuss retrieval cues, and describe what happens when retrieval fails, as in the TOT experience.
8. Describe how retrieval is tested, and explain the serial position effect.
9. Evaluate the accuracy of flashbulb memories.
Reconstructing Memories: Sources of Potential Errors
10. Explain how retrieval involves the active reconstruction of memories.
11. Discuss the factors involved in false memories.
12. List the factors that can reduce the accuracy of eyewitness testimony.
Forgetting: You Forgot the Plane Tickets?!
13. Define forgetting, and discuss the reasons for forgetting.
14. Discuss the early scientific study of memory, and describe Ebbinghaus’s for getting curve.
15. Discuss the two types of interference which lead to forgetting.
The Search for the Biological Basis of Memory
16. Discuss the role of neurons in long-term memory.
17. Describe how case studies of people with amnesia, or severe memory loss, have provided important insights into the brain structures involved in memory.
18. Describe the roles of different brain structures in normal memory.
19. Define mnemonics and discuss two examples of a mnemonic method.
Chapter 7
Introduction: Thinking, Language, and Intelligence
1. Define cognition, and explain how cognitive abilities are related to the concept of intelligence.
Problem Solving and Decisions
2. Define thinking, and describe how mental images and concepts are involved.
3. Discuss concept formation, and explain the role played by prototypes in concept formation.
4. Describe the four problem-solving strategies.
5. Describe algorithms and heuristics, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each.
6. Explain how functional fixedness can interfere with problem solving.
7. Discuss the three decision-making strategies.
8. Discuss the factors that can enhance a person’s creativity.
Language and Thought
9. Identify the five most important characteristics of language.
10. Describe the relationship between language and thinking.
11. Present evidence for and against the proposition that animals can learn language.
Measuring Intelligence
12. Explain how Binet and Wechsler differed in their beliefs about intelligence and its measurement.
13. Discuss the main characteristics of a good test.
The Nature of Intelligence
14. Describe the two key issues
in the debate on the nature of intelligence, and compare and contrast the views
of Spearman,
15. Discuss the heredity and environment issue, and describe the factors that contribute to the complexity of the relationship between genetics and environment, especially with regard to intelligence.
16. Explain how twin studies are used in studying the heredity-environment issue.
17. Describe research findings on group differences in average IQ and explain why generalizations about individuals cannot be made on the basis of these findings.
18. Explain how culture might affect intelligence test results, and discuss the potential problems of IQ testing.