Psychology Final Exam
Study Guide
WHAT: Multiple choice and essay exam. The multiple choice portion will be 63 questions. In the essay
portion you will be writing 3 paragraphs. You will be reading a case study about a person and then
applying information from the semester to the case. For example, you may have to correctly define and
apply how dopamine plays a role in a person’s motivation to skydive.
BRING: #2 Pencils and 2 sheets of loose-leaf paper.
STUDY: Reread the chapters in your textbook. Most importantly look through your notes and
handouts. The following is a list of the content on that is fair-game for the exam.
Unit 1: Approaches to Psychology
Psychology
Psychoanalysis (Perspective)
Biological Perspective
Behaviorism
Humanistic Psychology
Cognitive Perspective
Behaviorist Perspective
Social-Cultural Perspective
Scientific Method
Observation
Case Study
Correlational Study
Survey Method
Longitudinal Study
Cross-Sectional Study
Experiment
Hypothesis
Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
Control Group
Behavior
Cognition
Unit 2: Biology & Behavior
Neuron
Dendrite
Soma
Axon
Axon terminal
Synapse
Neurotransmitter
Prefrontal Cortex
Limbic System
Brain Stem
Cerebellum
Medulla
Left Hemisphere
Right Hemisphere
Split Brain
Cerebral Cortex
Hippocampus
Amygdala
Thalamus
Longitudinal Fissure
Corpus Callosum
Frontal Lobe
Parietal Lobe
Temporal Lobe
Occipital Lobe
Broca’s Area
Wernicke’s Area
Sensation
Gestalt
Top-Down Processing
Bottom-Up Processing
Sensory Adaptation
Absolute Threshold
Perception
Accomodation
Difference Threshold
Unit 3: Cognitive Processes
Learning
Classical conditioning
Unconditioned response
Unconditioned stimulus
Conditioned stimulus
Conditioned response
Acquisition
Extinction
Generalization
Behaviorism
Operant conditioning
Reinforcement
Punishment
Positive/negative reinforcement
Observational learning
Model
Encoding
Storage
Retrieval
Information Processing Model
Serial Positioning
Short-term memory
Long-term memory
Echoic Memory
State-Dependent Memory
Explicit/Implicit memory
Consciousness
Circadian rhythms
REM sleep
Restorative Theory of Sleep
Sleep Deprivation
Sleep Debt
Sleep Disorders: insomnia; narcolepsy; sleep apnea; sleep walking
Unit 4: Personality
Personality
Big Five personality traits
Psychoanalysis
Psychodynamic perspective
Free association
Unconscious
Collective Unconsciousness
Id
Superego
Ego
Defense mechanism
Displacement
Projection
Repression
Humanistic psychology
Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs-Motivation
Self-actualization
Self-concept
Trait theory
Social-cognitive perspective
Unit 5: Psychological Disorders
Psychological disorders
Maladaptive behavior
Unjustifiable behavior
Atypical behavior
Disturbing behavior
Biopsychosocial model
DSM-IV-R
Anxiety disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder
Panic disorder
Phobia
Posttraumatic stress disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Mood disorders
Major depressive disorders
Bipolar disorders
Dissociative disorders
Fugue, identity
Schizophrenia
Personality disorder
Somatoform disorders
Hallucinations
Psychotherapy