Untitled

Psychology Unit Test Study Sheet (Page 1)

I. Psychological Schools of Thought:

A. Psychodynamic Theory (Freud): Focus: Unconscious drives & early childhood experiences shape personality.

• Model of the Mind:
  • Id: Primitive, instinctual drives (pleasure principle).
  • Ego: Rational mediator between Id and Superego (reality principle).
  • Superego: Moral conscience, internalized societal rules.
• Stages of Psychosexual Development: Oral, Anal, Phallic (Oedipus/Electra complex), Latency, Genital. Fixation at any stage can lead to specific personality traits.
• Defense Mechanisms: Unconscious strategies to protect Ego from anxiety:
  • Repression (pushing thoughts into unconscious)
  • Regression (reverting to childlike behavior)
  • Displacement (redirecting feelings to less threatening target)
  • Sublimation (channeling unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable activities)
  • Projection (attributing one’s own unacceptable thoughts to others)
  • Reaction Formation (acting opposite to one’s true feelings)
  • Rationalization (creating logical excuses for unacceptable behavior)
• Psychic Conflicts: Internal struggles between Id, Ego, and Superego.

B. Behavioural Psychology: Focus: Observable behavior & learning through conditioning.

• Classical Conditioning (Pavlov): Learning through association.
  • Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): Naturally elicits a response (e.g., food).
  • Unconditioned Response (UCR): Natural response to UCS (e.g., salivation).
  • Neutral Stimulus (NS): Initially doesn’t elicit a response (e.g., bell).
  • Conditioned Stimulus (CS): Previously NS that, after pairing with UCS, elicits a response (e.g., bell).
  • Conditioned Response (CR): Learned response to CS (e.g., salivation to bell).
• Operant Conditioning (Skinner): Learning through consequences.
  • Reinforcement: Increases behavior.
    • Positive Reinforcement: Adding something desirable (e.g., reward).
    • Negative Reinforcement: Removing something undesirable (e.g., taking away chores).
  • Punishment: Decreases behavior.
    • Positive Punishment: Adding something undesirable (e.g., scolding).
    • Negative Punishment: Removing something desirable (e.g., taking away phone).
  • Extinction: Weakening of a learned response by removing reinforcement.

C. Humanist Psychology: Focus: Human potential, free will, self-actualization.

• Carl Rogers: Client-centered therapy: Empathy, unconditional positive regard, genuineness. Emphasis on self-concept and achieving congruence between ideal self and actual self.
• Abraham Maslow: Hierarchy of Needs: Physiological, Safety, Love/Belonging, Esteem, Self-Actualization. Needs must be met at lower levels before progressing to higher ones.

D. Developmental Psychology: Focus: Changes in behavior and mental processes across the lifespan.

• Erik Erikson: Stages of Psychosocial Development: Each stage presents a psychosocial crisis that must be resolved for healthy development (e.g., Trust vs. Mistrust, Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt, Initiative vs. Guilt, Industry vs. Inferiority, Identity vs. Role Confusion, Intimacy vs. Isolation, Generativity vs. Stagnation, Integrity vs. Despair).
• Jean Piaget: Stages of Cognitive Development: Sensorimotor (object permanence), Preoperational (symbolic thought, egocentrism), Concrete Operational (logical thought, conservation), Formal Operational (abstract thought).

E. Cognitive Psychology: Focus: Mental processes like memory, thinking, problem-solving.

• Albert Bandura: Social Learning Theory: Learning through observation and imitation (modeling). Bobo doll experiment demonstrated the impact of observational learning on aggressive behavior.

Psychology Unit Test Study Sheet (Page 2)

II. The Brain:

• Frontal Lobe: Higher-level cognitive functions (planning, decision-making, personality).
• Prefrontal Cortex: Executive functions (working memory, attention, impulse control).
• Amygdala: Emotional processing (fear, aggression).
• Hippocampus: Memory formation.
• Limbic System (Limbic Brain): Emotional center of the brain (includes amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus).
• Neuroplasticity: The brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. Demonstrated in “The Brain That Changes Itself.”
• Brain & Mind: The brain is the physical organ; the mind is the subjective experience of consciousness, thoughts, and feelings.
• Perception: Process of interpreting sensory information.
  • Filling in the Gaps: The brain fills in missing sensory information to create a complete perception.
  • Perceptual Constancy: Perceiving objects as unchanging despite changes in sensory input (e.g., size constancy, shape constancy).
  • Perceptual Sets: Predispositions to perceive things in a certain way based on prior experiences and expectations.

III. Nature/Nurture:

• Nature: Influence of genetics and inherited traits on behavior.
• Nurture: Influence of environment, experiences, and learning on behavior.
• Epigenetics: The study of how environmental factors can influence gene expression (without changing the underlying DNA sequence). Demonstrates the interaction between nature and nurture.

IV. Key Terms/Concepts for Short Answer:

• Defense Mechanisms (examples and how they protect the ego)
• Classical vs. Operant Conditioning (differences and examples)
• Positive vs. Negative Reinforcement/Punishment (examples)
• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (and how it relates to motivation)
• Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development (key characteristics of each stage)
• Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development (key conflicts at each stage)
• Neuroplasticity and its implications
• The difference between the brain and the mind
• Perceptual constancy and perceptual sets (with examples)
• Nature vs. Nurture and Epigenetics (how they interact)

V. Test Format Review:

• Multiple Choice: Focus on definitions and application of concepts.
• Matching: Matching terms with definitions or examples.
• Short Answer: Concise 1-paragraph responses demonstrating understanding of key concepts. Use specific examples to support your points.

This study sheet provides a dense overview of the material. Review your notes, textbook, and any other resources provided in class for a more comprehensive understanding. Good luck!