Click here to view the American
Psychological Association booklet
"Psychology/Careers for the Twenty-First
Century"
Practice multiple choice items!!!
Be prepared to write a page for each essay although on an exam you may be directed to generate shorter essays. Sometimes essays are very similar to others; some involve writing about relatively specific topics, others are broader and might require less emphasis on depth. A great way to prepare is to
practice writing them !!! Practice, practice, practice !!! A good essay will contain many specific
concepts and terms from the course; examples are good also, unless you are
directed not to use them.
Use
paragraphs as appropriate, to enhance the clarity of your essays. If, for
example, you are asked to write about the central and peripheral nervous
systems, it would be quite logical to include at least two paragraphs: one for
the central nervous system, and another for the peripheral nervous system.
FOR
FIRST EXAM
1.
Discuss what psychology is, and some of the methods used in psychological
research (case studies, experimental methods, etc.)
2.
Define psychology. Then, describe some of the major ideas that have influenced
thinking in psychology. You can discuss schools of psychology, important
advances in our understanding of the nervous system, etc. This does NOT ask for
a description of current subdisciplines within
psychology.
3.
Discuss invasive and noninvasive ways to study the nervous system.
4.
Discuss how neurons function (role of ions, neurotransmitters, etc).
5.
Discuss how to study the nervous system.
6.
Describe the central and peripheral nervous systems. Go into detail about some
of the specific structures involved (parts of the brain, parts of the
peripheral nervous system, etc.).
7.
Discuss in detail the three major divisions of the nervous system: the brain,
the spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system.
8.
Discuss the cortex, and parts of the brain beneath the cortex.
9.
Discuss how the two hemispheres of the brain are different, the role of the
corpus callosum in this area, and research methods
that have contributed to our understanding of this aspect of brain function.
10. Discuss
social development and emotional attachments in the early years.
11.
Discuss cognitive and emotional development in the early years.
12.
Discuss language acquisition in humans.
13.
Discuss the relative roles of genetics and the environment in development.
14.
Examine Erikson's theory of development.
15.
Examine Piaget's ideas about cognitive development.
For
second exam:
16.
Provide an organized discussion of the visual system.
17.
Discuss how sensation and perception are different, and general principles of
perception (perceptual constancies, gestalt principles, etc.).
18.
Select vision or hearing (not both), and discuss how it functions at a
physiological level.
19.
Write an essay about perception, focusing in perceptual learning, expectancies,
perceptual sets, and depth perception.
20.
Discuss general principles of sensory systems. Then, discuss how those general
principles apply to one specific sensory system.
21. Describe "normal" consciousness. After you have done this, then
discuss at least two examples of altered consciousness.
22.
Discuss what happens during sleep.
23.
Discuss operant (instrumental) conditioning, focusing your essay around the
concepts of reinforcement and punishment.
24. Give
an everyday (not laboratory) example of classical conditioning, habituation,
instrumental conditioning, and a negative reinforcer.
25.
Provide an in-depth description of either classical conditioning or
instrumental (operant) conditioning (this question does not ask for examples;
describe the theory using abstract concepts from the theory).
26.
Discuss observational learning and cognitive maps.
For
third exam:
27.
Discuss sensory storage, short-term memory, and long-term memory.
28.
Discuss memory failures.
29.
Discuss the biology of memory (biology refers to physiological aspects, and
does NOT refer to the three "stages" of memory: sensory storage, STM,
and LTM).
30.
Write an essay about intelligence and its measurement.
31.
Discuss cognition in humans and computers.
32.
Discuss physiological factors in one motivational system (feeding, thirst; sex,
etc.).
33.
Discuss physiological and other factors in feeding
motivation.
34.
Discuss the role of arousal in motivation.
35.
Discuss emotion, then discuss emotional expression.
36.
Discuss two theories of emotion.
37.
Discuss Freud's theory of personality.
38.
Discuss learning and humanistic views of personality.
39.
Define personality and discuss two ways to measure it.
40.
Define personality. Discuss any theory of personality you choose based on
course material.
41. What
is personality, and how can it be assessed (measured)?
42.
Discuss two theories of personality that were examined in this course.
For
final exam:
43. Discuss
schizophrenic illness (schizophrenia), including what causes it.
44.
Discuss two psychological treatments for psychological disorders (that is, ones
that don't use drugs, ECT, or surgery).
45. What
is stress? What are its effects?
46.
Define "abnormal behavior" (psychopathology) in general. After having
defined abnormal behavior, discuss two specific categories of abnormal behavior
based on course material.
47.
Discuss frustration.
48.
Discuss types of conflict situations discussed in this course.
49.
Define stress then discuss effective and less effective styles of coping with stress.
50.
Discuss personality disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and somatiform disorders.
51.
Discuss schizophrenia, including symptoms and the biology of schizophrenia.
52.
Discuss schizophrenia and mood disorders.
53.
Discuss past and current views of mental illness.
54.
Discuss three categories of mental illness.
55.
Contrast behavioristic and psychoanalytic therapies.
56.
Discuss psychoanalysis.
57.
Discuss behavioristic therapy.
58.
Discuss humanistic therapy.
59.
Discuss somatic (biological) therapies.
60.
Discuss interpersonal attraction.
61.
Discuss social influence including (but not limited to) obedience.
62.
Discuss attitude formation and attitude change.
63.
Discuss prejudice; begin by defining it, then discuss ways to reduce it.
64.
Discuss aggression and ways to reduce it.
-end