Review sheet for Exam #3:

Note: this review sheet is NOT a simple “this is what will be on the exam” outline, rather it is an outline of the key issues from the last few weeks of the class. Given the format of the test, obviously a lot of this material will not be directly tested on the exam, but all of it is fair game. This is a guide for your studying, not a shortcut.

Lecture Material:

You should be able to discuss all of this information at a level appropriate for essays

I. The Brain & Neurons

Know the brain anatomy: where the parts of the brain are and what they do:

amygdala, auditory cortex, brain stem, cerebellum, cerebrum, corpus callosum,

frontal lobes, hippocampus, hypothalamus, left hemisphere, limbic system, medulla, occipital

lobes, parietal lobes, pons, reticular formation, right hemisphere, somatosensory cortex,

thalamus, temporal lobes, visual cortex

Know what the two hemispheres are primarily responsible for (to what extent are abilities, such as

speech, lateralized?)

What are neurons?

3 types of neurons

3 parts of every neuron

What is a synapse?

What is the action potential / resting potential?

What are neurotransmitters?

What 4 things can happen to a neurotransmitter after it has been released?

Be able to associate the neurotransmitter w/ the drug & effect

Acetylcholine

Botulin poisoning

Cobra venom

Black Widow spider venom

Alzheimer’s Disease

Norepinephrine

Amphetamines

Dopamine

Parkinson’s disease

Schizophrenia

Cocaine

Serotonin

LSD

II. Sensation & Perception

What is the difference between sensation & perception

Sensation: def; why called “bottom-up”?

Principles common to all senses:

Absolute Threshold

Difference Threshold: Weber’s Law

Sensory Adaptation

Visual Sensation

Parts of the eye: (pupil, lens, retina)

Rods & Cones

Blind Spot

Perception: def; why called “top-down”?

Gestalt Psychology: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”

Perceptual terms to know/principles to know:

Figure/ground

Reversible figures

Proximity

Similarity

Continuation

Closure

Visual Constancy

Induced Movement

Stroboscopic Movement

How do we perceive 3-D?

Binocular Cues

Monocular Cues

III. Social Psych:

Definition of social psych.

Who was Kurt Lewin? What is his fundamental approach (General Theoretical Format) to

understanding behavior?

Be able to discuss IN DETAIL each of the three legs of the social psych tripod.

Be able to discuss IN DETAIL the classic studies that illustrate the different aspects of social psych.

Specifically for the studies you should be able to identify the general paradigm (what was the procedure), what was being measured, what the key results are & what the conclusion(s) is(are) .

Make sure all of these mean something to you:

Good Samaritan Study

Sherif & the Robber’s Cave study

Asch & Line study (conformity)

Milgram & the shock study (obedience)

Zimbardo & the Stanford Prison Study

Ross & The College Bowl Study:

Fundamental Attribution Error

Actor-Observer effect

Self-Serving Bias

Festinger & Cognitive Dissonance

What is cognitive dissonance? Why is it a motivational state? What are 4 ways in which

we can reduce dissonance?

Insufficient Extrinsic Justification; Post-decision Dissonance; Justification of Effort