HISTORY AND SCIENTIFIC FOUNDATIONS

·         What is psychology?

§  Definition of psychology as a science

§  The difference between the following psychological perspectives:

·         Gestalt

·         Psychoanalysis/Psychodynamic

·         Behaviorism

·         Humanistic

·         Positive Psychology and Multicultural/Diversity

·         Cognitive/Cognitivism

·         Biological/Evolutionary

·         The Goals of Science

§  Description

§  Explanation

§  Prediction

§  Control

·         Research Methods

§  The difference between the following research methods, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each:

·         Naturalistic observation

·         Case study

·         Survey

·         Experimental research

·         Correlational research

§  Internal and External Validity

§  The difference between an independent variable and a dependent variable

§  The difference between an experimental condition and a control condition

§  The difference between a positive and negative correlation

§  The difference between correlation and causation

·         Research Ethics

§  The following aspects of ethical research on humans:

·         Informed consent

·         Debriefing

·         Minimizing physical or psychological pain to subjects

§  How animal rights are weighed against benefits to society in research on animals

PSYCHOBIOLOGICAL PROCESSES

 ·         Organization and Overview of Communication Systems

§  Central and peripheral nervous systems

§  Endocrine system 

·         Communication in the Nervous System

§  The following parts of a neuron and their functions:

·         Dendrites

·         Soma

·         Axon

§  What an action potential is and how it is accomplished

§  How communication between neurons is accomplished

§  The following components of communication between neurons:

·         The synapse

·         Neurotransmitters

·         Receptors

·         The Brain

§  The functions of the following brain structures:

·         Limbic system

·         Thalamus

·         Hypothalamus

§  The major functions of the left hemisphere

§  The major functions of the right hemisphere

§  The location and function of the corpus callosum

§  The location and major functions of the following areas of the cerebral cortex:

·         Frontal lobes

·         Parietal lobes

·         Occipital lobes

·         Temporal lobes

·         The Physiological Basis of Sensation

§  What transduction is

§  How transduction is accomplished by the eye

§  How transduction is accomplished by the ear

LEARNING AND COGNITION

 ·         Perceptual Processes

§  The difference between sensation and perception

§  The definition of perceptual constancy

§  The Gestalt principles of figure-ground discrimination

§  The difference between monocular and binocular depth cues

·         Learning

§  Classical Conditioning

·         The process of classical conditioning and the difference between the following components of classical conditioning:

o   Unconditioned stimulus (US)

o   Unconditioned response (UR)

o   Conditioned stimulus (CS)

o   Conditioned response (CR)

·         Extinction

·         The difference between generalization and discrimination

§  Operant conditioning

·         The difference between reinforcement and punishment

·         The difference between continuous and partial reinforcement

·         Extinction

·         The difference between stimulus generalization and stimulus discrimination

·         The difference between the following schedules of reinforcement:

o   Fixed-ratio

o   Variable-ratio

o   Fixed-interval

o   Variable-interval

·         Memory

§  The difference between encoding, storage, and retrieval

§  The difference between sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory

§  What working memory does and how it differs from short-term memory

§  The difference between semantic and episodic memory

§  The definition of amnesia

§  What it means to say that memory is reconstructive

·         Cognitive Processes

§  Problem-solving strategies

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES, PSYCHOPATHOLOGY, AND THERAPY

 ·         Intelligence

§  The definition of Spearman's g factor vs. multifactor models

§  Alfred Binet's contribution to the study of intelligence

§  How the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is conceptually based on:

·         Mental age

·         Deviations 

§  The difference between validity and the reliability of a test

§  Terman's contributions to intelligence testing in the U.S.

§  What it means to say that a test is culture-fair

§  The degree to which intelligence is inherited

·         Personality

§  The following aspects of Freud's psychodynamic theory of personality:

·         The difference between the id, ego, and superego

·         The purpose of defense mechanisms

§  The definition of self-actualization

§  The definition of self-efficacy

§  The difference between an internal and an external locus of control

§  The "Big Five" theory of personality

§  The difference between projective (e.g., Rorschach) and objective (e.g., Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) tests of personality

§  The purpose of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

·         Psychopathology

§  The purpose of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV (DSM-IV)

§  The definition and characteristics of the following disorders:

·         Psychotic disorders

·         Anxiety disorders

·         Mood disorders

·         Personality Disorders

·         Substance-related disorders

·         Therapies

§  Medical (e.g., medications, electro-convulsive therapy, psychosurgery)

§  Psychological (e.g., cognitive, behavioral, client-centered)

§  Socio-cultural (e.g., group and family therapy)

DEVELOPMENTAL AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

 ·         Issues in the Study of Development

§  The difference between maturation (nature) and learning (nurture)

§  The difference between theories that propose continuity and theories that propose discontinuity

·         Cognitive Development

§  The following aspects of Piaget's cognitive-developmental theory:

·         The name of each stage

·         The cognitive abilities acquired at each stage

·         The order of the stages

§  How fluid abilities change over the life span

§  How crystallized abilities change over the life span

·         Social/Emotional Development

§  The definition of separation anxiety

§  The definition of attachment

§  The definition of gender-typing

·         Social Psychology

§  The definition of an attitude

§  The definition of cognitive dissonance

§  The definition of an attribution

§  The difference between personal and situational attributions

§  The definition of the fundamental attribution error

§  The definition of the self-serving bias

§  Asch's research on conformity

§  Milgram's research on obedience

§  The definition of the bystander effect

§  What diffusion of responsibility is

§  The difference between prejudice and stereotypes