Introduction to Psychology  

Spring 2008

Second Exam

You must answer both questions on the exam.

  1. Classical and operant conditioning are powerful forces in our lives. Explain how they work.  Give at least 2 examples of conditioning (you will receive more points for examples we did not use in class or the textbook).

  2. Memory establishes the knowledge we can use to make decisions. What are the key aspects of  acquiring knowledge and making decisions? 

First Exam

You must answer both of these questions on the exam from memory.

  1. Discuss critical thinking and science.  Why are they important for understanding human behavior?

  2. Describe the ways in which biology influences human behavior. (Be sure to use neurons, brain organization, heritability, and evolutionary psychology AND a specific example for each in your answer.)

 

 

Fall 2007

Second Exam

  1. How much sleep do you need according to the textbook and lecture? Do you think you sleep enough? 

  2. Why do we dream?  Describe 3 theories.

  3. What are the legitimate uses of hypnosis?

  4. Which consciousness altering drug do you think is the most dangerous?  Why?

  5.  Which consciousness altering drug do you think is the least dangerous?  Why?

  6. Give a real life example of classical conditioning and state the US, UR, CS, CR.

  7. Give a real life example of operant conditioning and  state the behavior, the reinforce and whether the reinforcer is primary or secondary and positive or negative.

  8. What are the executive processes of memory? (Describe them) What could you do to improve them?

  9. What are the 3 boxes of memory?  Describe them.

  10. Describe 2 things you could do to improve your grades and how you could reinforce yourself for doing them.

  11. How do heuristics, the gamblers fallacy, overestimating the improbable and overconfidence lead us to make bad decisions (like to spend too much money on the lottery)?

  12. Are some people "smarter" than others?  Use Gardner, Sternberg and what you know about IQ in your answer.

  13. If you want to have the smartest possible child, what should you do?

 

First Exam

  1. Describe biological psychology, cognitive psychology, behavioral psychology and social psychology. 

  2. Describe the basic elements of critical thinking and why it is so important.

  3. Rank the research methods used in psychology from best to worst and explain why you ranked them the way you did.

  4. How does a neuron work? (Be sure to include what happens within a neuron and between neurons.)

  5. How do neurotransmitters work?  Be sure to include both types in your answer.

  6. What happened to Greg?  Use at least 3 brain areas in your answer.

  7. How do we know that genes influence behavior?

  8. How has evolution influenced human behavior?

  9. What are the basic concepts central to all perception?

  10. Describe 5 points at which something can go wrong with vision (in the eye and in the brain.)

 

 

 

Spring 2007

Third Exam 

  1. What motivates us to eat?
  2. Where does sexual orientation come from? 
  3. What are the primary emotions?
  4. What are the primary schemes (according to Piaget) that help infants learn? Pre-schoolers? School age children? Adolescents?
  5. How does gender identity develop?
  6. Which style(s0 did your parent(s) use?  Which strategies did they use most often or do you think you will use most often?
  7. What is important for getting more people to behave in a moral way?
  8. Are fathers essential? Careful! Think critically.
  9. Describe yourself using the Big 5.
  10. What does it mean to say that the heritability of extraversion is .5?
  11. What are the scientific flaws in Freud's methodology? 
  12. What are the best ways of coping with stress?
  13. What is the difference between suppressing and controlling negative emotion?

Second Exam

  1. Why do we sleep?

  2. What are the stages of sleep? Describe them.

  3. Why do we dream?  Describe 3 theories.

  4. What are the legitimate uses of hypnosis?

  5. Which consciousness altering drug do you think is the most dangerous?  Why?

  6.  Which consciousness altering drug do you think is the least dangerous?  Why?

  7. Give a real life example of classical conditioning and state the US, UR, CS, CR.

  8. Give a real life example of operant conditioning and  state the behavior, the reinforcer and whether the reinforcer is primary or secondary and positive or negative.

  9. What are the executive processes of memory? (Describe them) What could you do to improve them?

  10. What are the 3 boxes of memory?  Describe them.

  11. How do heuristics, the gamblers fallacy, overestimating the improbable and overconfidence lead us to make bad decisions (like to spend too much money on the lottery)?

  12. Are some people "smarter" than others?  Use Gardner, Sternberg and what you know about IQ in your answer.

  13. If you want to have the smartest possible child, what should you do?

 

 

First Exam

  1. Consider biological psychology, cognitive psychology, behavioral psychology and social psychology. Describe the 2 you think will provide you with the best understanding of why people act like we do this semester.

  2. Describe the basic elements of critical thinking and why it is so important.

  3. Rank the research methods used in psychology from best to worst and explain why you ranked them the way you did.

  4. How does a neuron work? (Be sure to include what happens within a neuron and between neurons.)

  5. Describe the location and  major function of 5 of theses brain areas: medulla, pons, cerebellum, hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, occiptal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, and frontal lobe.

  6. How do we know that genes influence behavior?

  7. How has evolution influenced human behavior?

  8. What are the basic concepts central to all perception?

  9. Which aspects of seeing fall under sensation and which fall under perception?

Fall 2006

Second Exam

  1. Why do we sleep?

  2. Why do we dream? ((consider at least 3 theories)

  3. Give an example of a real life instance of classical conditioning, being careful to label the UCS, UCR, CS, and CR.

  4. Describe a way in which you have (probably) been operantly conditioned that has been good for you.  Describe a way in which you have (probably) been operantly conditioned that has been bad for you.

  5. Which of the 3 executive processes of memory would you like to be better at? (Describe it.) What is one thing you could do that might improve it?

  6. Why do we forget?

  7. Why do people tend to make mistakes when making decisions that involve judging probability?

  8. How reliable is eye-witness testimony?

  9. What is IQ and how is it related to intelligence?

 

First Exam

  1. Consider biological psychology, cognitive psychology, behavioral psychology and social psychology. Describe the 2 you think will provide you with the best understanding of why people act like we do this semester.

  2. Describe the basic elements of critical thinking and why it is so important.

  3. Rank the research methods used in psychology from best to worst and explain why you ranked them the way you did.

  4. How does a neuron work? (Be sure to include what happens within a neuron and between neurons.)

  5. Describe the brain areas necessary to experience a cup of hot chocolate.

  6. How do we know that genes influence behavior?

  7. How has evolution influenced human behavior?

  8. What are the basic concepts central to all perception?

  9. Describe 5 points at which something can go wrong with vision (in the eye and in the brain.)

 

From Previous Semesters:

Last Exam

  1. What are the major problems with classifying mental disorders like the DSM-IV does?

  2. What are the causes of the anxiety disorders?

  3. What are the causes of depression?

  4. What are the causes of schizophrenia?

  5. Distinguish insight therapy, behavior therapy, and cognitive therapy.

  6. What are the most important routes to changing someone's attitude?

  7. Why do you you love who you love?

  8. What are the important lessons we have learned from Asch, Milgram, and Zimbardo?

Big Picture Question:

Choose 1:

  1. Describe 5 important things you have learned in this class and why they are important to you.

  2. Which is more important, Nature or Nurture? Use information from at least 3 different chapters to support your answer.

 

 

Short Answer Questions

Second Exam

  1. Why do we sleep?

  2. Why do we dream (consider at least 3 theories)?

  3. What is hypnosis?

  4. Give an example of a real life instance of classical conditioning, being careful to label the UCS, UCR, CS, and CR.

  5. Describe the differences and similarities between reinforcement and punishment.

  6. Describe each of the executive processes of memory.

  7. Describe each of the 3 "boxes" of memory.

  8. Why do we forget?

  9. How reliable is eye-witness testimony?

  10. What is IQ and how is it related to intelligence?