General Psychology Final Exam Study Guide UPDATED ACTUAL QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Definition of Psychology Scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting
behavior in a given context.
Subfields of Psychology Clinical Psychology
Developmental Psychology
Forensic Psychology
Industrial-Organizational Psychology
Personality Psychology
Social Psychology
School Psychology
Clinical Psychology Studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders.
Developmental Psychology Studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout life span.
Forensic Psychology Concerned with intersections between psychological practice and research and
the judicial system.
Industrial-Organizational Psychology Application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human
behavior in workplaces.
Personality Psychology Study of an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling and acting.
Social Psychology Studies the causes and consequences of interpersonal behavior.
School Psychology Counseling children in elementary and secondary schools who have academic or
emotional problems.
4 Parts of the Brain Cerebrum: Area of the brain responsible for all voluntary activities of the body.
Cerebellum: A large structure of the hindbrain that controls fine motor skills.
Limbic System: A group of neural structures at the base of the cerebral
hemispheres that is associated with emotion and motivation.
Brain Stem: Connection to spinal cord. Filters information flow between peripheral
nervous system and the rest of the brain.
Goals of Psychology Describe
Explain
Predict
Change
Review
, Bottom Up vs Top Down Processing Top-Down: Processing of stimulus in which information from the general context
is used to help organize the stimulus. We use knowledge and memory to "fill in the
details."
Bottom-Up: Processing of a stimulus in which information forms a physical
stimulus rather than from a general context. Stimulus information arrives from the
sensory receptors. The combination of these simple features allow us to
recognize more complex patterns.
Operant Conditioning Model of learning based on the simple principle that behavior is shaped and
maintained by its consequences. Enables therapists to use behavior modification,
in which desired behaviors are rewarded and undesired behaviors are either
unrewarded or punished.
Perspectives of Psychology Biological
Behaviorism
Cognitive
Humanistic
Psychodynamic
Sociocultural
Evolutionary
Critical Thinking Objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment.
Sympathetic vs. Parasympathetic Nervous System Sympathetic: Involved in the stimulation of activities that prepare the body for
action, such as increasing the heart rate, increasing the release of sugar from the
liver into the blood, and other generally considered as fight-or-flight responses.
Parasympathetic: Activates tranquil functions, such as stimulating the secretion of
saliva or digestive enzymes into the stomach.
Sleep Disorder Problem with sleeping, including trouble falling or staying asleep, falling asleep at
the wrong times, too much sleep, or abnormal behaviors during sleep.
Insomnia Sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling or staying asleep, waking too
early, or by sleep that is light, restless, or of poor quality.
Classical Conditioning A type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate
events.
Observational Learning Learning to act by seeing it done.
AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Definition of Psychology Scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting
behavior in a given context.
Subfields of Psychology Clinical Psychology
Developmental Psychology
Forensic Psychology
Industrial-Organizational Psychology
Personality Psychology
Social Psychology
School Psychology
Clinical Psychology Studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders.
Developmental Psychology Studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout life span.
Forensic Psychology Concerned with intersections between psychological practice and research and
the judicial system.
Industrial-Organizational Psychology Application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human
behavior in workplaces.
Personality Psychology Study of an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling and acting.
Social Psychology Studies the causes and consequences of interpersonal behavior.
School Psychology Counseling children in elementary and secondary schools who have academic or
emotional problems.
4 Parts of the Brain Cerebrum: Area of the brain responsible for all voluntary activities of the body.
Cerebellum: A large structure of the hindbrain that controls fine motor skills.
Limbic System: A group of neural structures at the base of the cerebral
hemispheres that is associated with emotion and motivation.
Brain Stem: Connection to spinal cord. Filters information flow between peripheral
nervous system and the rest of the brain.
Goals of Psychology Describe
Explain
Predict
Change
Review
, Bottom Up vs Top Down Processing Top-Down: Processing of stimulus in which information from the general context
is used to help organize the stimulus. We use knowledge and memory to "fill in the
details."
Bottom-Up: Processing of a stimulus in which information forms a physical
stimulus rather than from a general context. Stimulus information arrives from the
sensory receptors. The combination of these simple features allow us to
recognize more complex patterns.
Operant Conditioning Model of learning based on the simple principle that behavior is shaped and
maintained by its consequences. Enables therapists to use behavior modification,
in which desired behaviors are rewarded and undesired behaviors are either
unrewarded or punished.
Perspectives of Psychology Biological
Behaviorism
Cognitive
Humanistic
Psychodynamic
Sociocultural
Evolutionary
Critical Thinking Objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment.
Sympathetic vs. Parasympathetic Nervous System Sympathetic: Involved in the stimulation of activities that prepare the body for
action, such as increasing the heart rate, increasing the release of sugar from the
liver into the blood, and other generally considered as fight-or-flight responses.
Parasympathetic: Activates tranquil functions, such as stimulating the secretion of
saliva or digestive enzymes into the stomach.
Sleep Disorder Problem with sleeping, including trouble falling or staying asleep, falling asleep at
the wrong times, too much sleep, or abnormal behaviors during sleep.
Insomnia Sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling or staying asleep, waking too
early, or by sleep that is light, restless, or of poor quality.
Classical Conditioning A type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate
events.
Observational Learning Learning to act by seeing it done.
