Assignment Intro-A

Introduction Chapter p1-17

1. For what are the following known? VOCABULARY:

Wilhelm Wundt empiricism

G. Stanley Hall structuralism

Edward Titchner pragmatism

Charles Darwin functionalism

William James introspection

2. Explain the following issues: Psychology (present)

Nature vs. Nurture basic research

Rationality vs. Irrationality applied research

Stability vs. Change industrial psychologist

3. On which side of the Nature/Nurture issue stand the following: clinical psychologist

Aristotle psychiatry

Locke

Plato

Socrates

Darwin

Descartes

4. Explain each of the following perspectives:

neuroscience

evolutionary psychology

behavior genetics

psychodynamic psychology

behavioral psychology

5. What do the following people do?

Biological psychologists

Developmental psychologists

Cognitive psychologists

Personality psychologists

Social psychologists

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Assignment 1-A p19-30 VOCABULARY:

1. How do the following limit successful critical thinking? Hindsight bias population

Hindsight bias overconfidence random

False consensus effect curiosity sample

Overgeneralization humility representative

Overconfidence critical thinking sample

2. How does a theory evolve into a revised theory? Scientific method generalizing

3. What d o observations do? Theory overgeneralizing

What do correlations do? hypothesis

4. Why do we do case studies? Operational definition

What are their disadvantages? replicate

5. How does a survey provide information? Case study

What is the danger in survey construction? survey

6. What is important about selecting a random & sampling

representative sample from a population? False consensus

Assignment 1-B p30-37 VOCABULARY:

1. What information does a correlation coefficient correlation

provide? Correlational method

2. Give an example of a positive correlation, then correlation coefficient

a negative correlation. Illusory correlation

3. When does a correlation reach significance?

4. Why doesn’t correlation imply causation?

Give an example.

5. Why don’t people usually bet on a 1,2,3,

4,5,6 Lotto ticket to win? Why are they wrong?

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Assignment 1-C p37-41

1. What is the difference between other correlational studies and the experiment?
2. Explain the above using the words: experimental condition, control condition, independent variable.
3. What does the dependent variable tell us in an experiment?
4. How does the double-blind procedure safeguard against the placebo effect?
5. What can you guess is a single-blind experiment?
6. Give an example of good group assignment.
7. VOCABULARY:

Experiment independent variable

Double-blind procedure dependent variable

Assignment

Placebo effect

Experimental condition

Control condition

**Look up a recent single research study. List the hypothesis, population, assignment, independent variable, and dependent variable. What were the results (conclusion)?

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Assignment 1-D p42-55

1. What kind of information is studied through measures of central tendency?
2. How can a mean, median, and mode be distorted?
3. How does a standard deviation help to explain groups of scores?
4. Under what condition is statistical significance reached?
5. How do animals help research?
6. What is important to remember about research across cultures?
7. What do ethics dictate we do when using people as experimental subjects?
8. VOCABULARY:

Measures of central tendency range

Mean standard deviation

Median statistical significance

Mode culture

Skewed ethics

Measures of variation

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Assignment 2-A p57-68

1. What do biological psychologists believe is the cause for many mental problems, and how do they tend to treat them?
2. Explain, electrically, how a neuron is stimulated to fire, using: resting potential, depolarization, refractory period, -50mv, -70mv, axon, dendrite, action potential.
3. Make a very brief summary of chart on p.62 (2.1). Add endorphins to the list.
4. How does curare paralyze an individual? How does a black widow’s poison work?
5. Using the chart on p.65 (2.6), describe how each category works when a man meets a wild bear.
6. VOCABULARY:

Neuron nervous system

Dendrite central nervous system

Axon peripheral nervous system

Myelin sheath sensory neurons

Action potential interneurons

Resting potential motor neurons

Threshold somatic nervous system

Synapse autonomic nervous system

Neurotransmitter sympathetic nervous system

Blood-brain barrier parasympathetic nervous system

Agonists neural network

Antagonists reflex

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Assignment 2-B p68-85

1. How can lesioning and manipulating parts of the brain help medical patients?
2. Why is the brainstem our “oldest brain”? Name two functions of the brainstem. Name four parts of the brainstem and their functions.
3. How does the limbic system work in enhancing our survival? Mention the amygdala and hypothalamus.
4. How would you biologically explain a reward deficiency syndrome?
5. How are you using the lobes of your cerebral cortex as you are answering this question?
6. Draw a very simple diagram to show where the motor cortex and sensory cortex are located.
7. How do you use association areas to get through life?
8. When is plasticity a good thing? When is it not?
9. VOCABULARY:

Lesion motor cortex

EEG` vendometrial/ sensory cortex

CT scan lateral hypothalamus association areas

PET scan Sanjiv Talwar, et al Phineas Gage

MRI cerebral cortex aphasia

Brainstem glial cells Broca’s area

Medulla frontal lobes Wernicke’s area

Reticular formation temporal lobes Broca’s aphasia

Thalamus parietal lobes Wernicke’s aphasia

Cerebellum occipital lobes plasticity

limbic system Corpus callosum

hemispheres

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Assignment 2-C p85-97

1. Why is our left side run by the right side of the hindbrain? Then…
2. Explain why the woman with the split brain on p. 87 said, “Art”, but pointed to “He”.
3. According to the info on p. 92, by which hemisphere do you feel dominated?
4. Why is the endocrine system referred to as the “snail mail” of the body?
5. Explain the connection between the endocrine and nervous system.
6. VOCABULARY:

Endocrine system southpaw

hormones epinephrine

adrenal glands norepinephrine

pituitary gland

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Assignment 15A p575-590

1. How does the text define personality?
2. What factors have made your personality? Do you think you have the same personality you did eight years ago and it has merely expanded, or do you think your personality now is totally different? Why?
3. For Sigmund Freud, all we are is determined in the subconscious. Explain Freud’s structure of the unconscious and the roles of id, ego, and superego.
4. In your vocabulary section, list Freud’s psychosexual stages and their emphasis. Why do you think identification and gender identity occur in the phallic stage?
5. What might an orally fixated individual indulge in?
6. Why do we refer to overly neat individuals as anal retentive?
7. What is the purpose of a defense mechanism? Why do we procrastinate, according to Freud?
8. Why do we call tests with ambiguous stimuli “projective”? Name and briefly describe them.
9. A Neo-Freudian is a psychologist who believes in the basic tenets of psychoanalytical psychology, yet sees certain aspects of the perspective differently. Name three neo-Freudians and briefly describe the area in which they differ.
10. Carl Jung is famous for his ideas of collective unconscious and archetypes. Explain these and give examples.
11. On what basis has the Freudian paradigm been opposed?
12. According to Carl Rogers and the Humanistic perspective, what factors are involved in personality?
13. How does Abraham Maslow contribute to the theory of humanistic psychology?
14. How do belonging, self-esteem, and self-actualization play a part in humanistic psychology?
15. VOCABULARY:

Personality defense mechanisms intellectualization

Free association repression projective test

Psychoanalysis denial Thematic Apperception Test

Unconscious regression Rorschach Inkblots

Id reaction formation collective unconscious

Ego rationalization archetypes

Superego displacement self-concept

Oedipus projection self-actualization

Identification compensation unconditional positive regard

Fixation sublimation

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Assignment 15-B p591-600

1. Explain why the MMPI is the most widely used Personality Test, using an understanding of the term “empirically derived”.
2. What distinction does the Trait perspective have among all other theories of personality?
3. How did William Sheldon attempt to explain traits in personality?
4. What does the trait perspective attempt to study in regard to the “continuity vs. discontinuity” issue?
5. How is factor analysis used in determining basic traits? Connect Hans Eysenck to this idea.
6. List the “Big Five” personality traits (Table15.2). What makes the list relatively valid? (See bold headings)
7. Among the suggested additions to the list of traits in the Big Five, what would you like to see added to the Five, and why? Add any of your own if you wish. If the list is sufficient for you, explain why.
8. What is your opinion in the person-situation controversy?
9. VOCABULARY:

Trait empirically derived test extraversion person-situation

Personality inventory factor analysis introversion controversy

MMPI objective test endomorph temperament

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Assignment 15-C p600-617

1. What is the basic “thinking” behind the Social-Cognitive Perspective?
2. Explain what Albert Bandura meant by reciprocal determinism using road rage as an example.
3. Explain this statement: Behavior emerges from the interplay of external and internal influences.
4. According to the text, where is your locus of control? Why? What would you be like if you had the opposite locus of control?
5. How do we learn helplessness? What is a good way to avoid this? Use the term “self efficacy” in your answer.
6. What are the advantages and disadvantages of optimism?
7. What is positive psychology? What are its three components for successful living?
8. Describe a “bad hair day” using the concept of the spotlight effect.
9. Describe the self-serving bias and tell how it helps our self esteem. Now, think of why so many people do not admit to voting for George Bush in the last election.
10. Describe the U.S. as an individualist society. Compare this to the collectivist society of China.
11. Read the last paragraph of text on p616 (beginning with “Recent research has also provided…”). Why do you think this behavior must occur?
12. VOCABULARY:

Social-cognitive perspective internal locus of control self-serving bias

Reciprocal determinism learned helplessness individualism

Personal control positive psychology collectivism

External locus of control spotlight effect terror-management theory

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Assignment 3-A p99-125

1. What does evolutionary psychology explain to us about nature and nurture?
2. What did Belyaev’s studies reveal about humans?
3. Explain this sentence; “…if after a worldwide catastrophe only Icelanders or Kenyans survived, the human species would suffer only ‘a trivial reduction’ in its genetic diversity.”. How does this explain the difference within, as opposed to the differences between, races?
4. Explain, through an evolutionary view, why casual sex is more acceptable for men than women.
5. Describe how twin studies help to fuel the nature vs. nurture issue.
6. How does temperament give weight to the nature side of the nature vs. nurture issue?
7. Why are parents not a major influence in their children’s developing behavior?
8. Why is the term “meme” a meme?
9. How do we develop gender schemas?
10. Explain heritability in a short paragraph about a culture developing on a deserted island.
11. What will happen if you go into a doctor’s waiting room and sit directly next to the only other person in the room? Why? What would happen if you did this in Italy?
12. VOCABULARY:

Genome temperament

Natural selection heritability

Mutation personal space

Gender gender role

Identical twins gender identity

Fraternal twins gender typing

Social learning theory

Gender schema theory

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Assignment 4-A p135-158

1. How do assimilation and accommodation lead to learning in children?
2. Make a very brief chart naming Piaget’s stages and activities associated with them.
3. How can you trick a 5-year-old into thinking he can get more ice cream without changing its amount?
4. Why should parents be aware of a child’s lack of “theory of mind”?
5. Explain the implications of Harlow’s experiments with infant monkeys for humans.
6. Why can we call Konrad Lorenz “Mother Duck”? Use imprinting in your answer.
7. How did the mirror experiments show development of self-image?
8. Of the three types of parents on page 157, how would you describe your own? Why?
9. VOCABULARY:

Continuity vs. stages Piaget stranger anxiety

Zygote cognition attachment

Embryo sensorimotor stage Harry Harlow

Fetus object permanence imprinting

Teratogens grasping reflex K. Lorenz

Fetal alcohol syndrome Moro reflex critical period

Rooting reflex preoperational stage basic trust

Habituation conservation Sandra Scarr

Novelty preference egocentrism self-concept

Maturation theory of mind authoritarian parents

Schemas autism authoritative parents

Assimilation concrete operational permissive parents

Accommodation formal operational

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Assignment 4-B p159-171

1. Why is adolescence a product of modern times?
2. According to Kohlberg, how have you personally progressed from preconventional to conventional morality? Give an example.
3. Why do so many students cheat on their exams? On which level of morality does this fall?
4. Why can we call Osama Bin Laden postconventional? Name another on this level.
5. Make a very short version of Erik Erikson’s stage titles and consequences.
6. Why are you more distant from your parents than you were 7 years ago?
7. How successfully, would you say, have you developed through Erikson’s crises? Why?
8. With respect to frontal lobe development, why do teenagers take so many risks that adults find dangerous?
9. VOCABULARY:

Adolescence Erikson

Puberty trust/mistrust

primary sex characteristics autonomy/shame,doubt

secondary sex characteristics initiative/guilt

menarche competence/inferiority

morality identity/role confusion

preconventional intimacy/isolation

conventional generativity/stagnation

postconventional integrity/despair

Jonathan Haidt

Social intuitionist

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Assignment 4-C p172-191

1. What causes menopause? What surprising results did Bernice Neugarten find in her research about women and menopause?
2. What declines do the elderly face regarding sensory functions?
3. Why aren’t older individuals susceptible to flu and viruses?
4. Why do women live longer than men?
5. What is the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease? Name the key neurotransmitter.
6. Why would an elderly researcher choose a cross-sectional study over a longitudinal one?
7. Why can Aunt Sophie rattle vocabulary definitions she learned in high school, but not be able to complete a Sudoku puzzle?
8. According to the text, what factors make a loving and lasting marriage? (5 items)
9. Describe who is living together, and chances for their future.
10. What time is it on your social clock?
11. VOCABULARY:

Menopause Cross-sectional study

Recognition memory Longitiudinal study

Dementia crystallized intelligence

Alzheimer’s Disease fluid intelligence

Social clock

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Assignment 10-A p385-400

Assignment 10-A p385-400

1. What part of our brain is responsible for our cognition and problem solving?
2. Explain the hierarchy of concept organization and tell how it aids in thinking.
3. What can happen if something does not match our prototype?
4. Using the supermarket example on p387, show how you would solve 3x=9 using a)algorithm,

b) heuristic.

5. How does insight work?
6. Why do we have a confirmation bias about having a confirmation bias?
7. How does the confirmation bias resemble hindsight bias?
8. Use the concept of fixation to explain the conflict between parents and their children.

a) Show how a parent’s mental set may hinder agreement with a teenager.

9. What does Fred Functional Fixedness do with his Publix bag when he gets caught in the rain? Why?

Think (don’t write) of a story you could share about Fred in another situation.

10. Explain the logic behind a representative heuristic.
11. Make a cause-effect statement involving airplane crashes and availability heuristics.
12. Why are we more confident than correct?

a) Why is overconfidence adaptive?

13. Frame homework positively.
14. Give an example of belief bias using p396 premise as a guide.
15. Using belief bias, explain how someone living under dictatorial rule would describe his/her lifestyle.
16. VOCABULARY:

Cognition insight representativeness heuristic

Concept confirmation bias availability heuristic

Prototype fixation overconfidence

Algorithm mental set framing

Heuristic functional fixedness belief bias

Belief perseverance

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Assignment 5-A p193-219

1. What do “bottom” and “up” mean in bottom-up processing we call sensation?
2. What do “top” and “down” mean in top-down processing we call perception?
3. Why don’t universal absolute thresholds apply to all individuals? Use the signal detection theory to explain.
4. Use Weber’s Law and JND in a descriptive sentence.
5. What is the ganglion cell’s role in feature detection? How does this affect viewing the Necker cube:
6. Explain the phenomenon of blindsight as it relates to parallel processing. Begin with the definition of parallel processing.
7. Using information on Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic Theory and the opponent process theory, explain the factor that makes their combination comprehensive.
8. Explain the action of rods and cones during an opponent process experience.
9. How are higher pitches interpreted by the ear? Illustrate the place theory.
10. How are lower pitches interpreted? Use frequency theory and volley principle in your answer.
11. VOCABULARY:

Sensation farsightedness

Perception feature detectors

Psychophysics parallel processing

Absolute threshold Young-Helmholtz

Signal detection theory trichromatic theory

Subliminal opponent process theory

Difference threshold color constancy

Weber’s law frequency

Sensory adaptation pitch

Transduction middle ear

Hue inner ear

Intensity cochlea

Acuity conduction deafness

Nearsightedness sensorineural deafness

Assignment 5-B p219-229

1. What are the four basic sensations the skin feels?
2. Using the pain gate theory, explain how acupuncture works.
3. Explain why hypnosis works well in pain control.
4. Why do odors evoke memories so well?
5. “Stand with your right heel in front of your left toes…Now, close your eyes and you will probably wobble.” Do it. Did you wobble? Explain why one would.
6. VOCABULARY:

Gate-control theory kinesthesis

Taste bud vestibular sense

Sensory interaction

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Assignment 6-A p231-247

1. Explain how selective attention and the cocktail party effect are similar.
2. What is the reason our brains rely on Gestalt principles?
3. In your vocab section, draw and label examples of the following Gestalt principles: proximity, similarity, continuity, connectedness, closure.
4. We understand depth by placement of objects in our view, mostly to perceive distance. Why do newborn animals and infants have this sense with little learning? Mention the visual cliff in your answer.
5. For what is retinal disparity used? Convergence?
6. What is the purpose of binocular cues?
7. How do we perceive depth with one eye? (monocular cue)
8. In your vocab section, draw and label examples of relative size, interposition, relative clarity, texture gradient, relative height, linear perspective, light and shadow. Explain motion parallax.
9. What would happen if our brains did not use size and shape constancy or light constancy?
10. Why would a person living in a cave not be fooled by the Muller-Lyer illusion?
11. Explain the Ponzo illusion using size and distance in your answer.
12. What is the trick used in creating the Ames Room?
13. VOCABULARY:

Selective attention depth perception retinal disparity

Visual capture visual cliff convergence

Gestalt binocular cues phi phenomenon

Grouping monocular cues perceptual constancy

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Assignment 6-B p247-248

1. How does the term “use it or lose it” apply to the notion of critical periods?
2. How do perceptual sets sometimes confuse us?
3. What is the purpose of schemas in perception?
4. How is ESP pragmatically explained?
5. VOCABULARY:

Perceptual adaptation extrasensory perception clairvoyance

Perceptual set telepathy precognition

Parapsychology

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Assignment 7A p265-293

1. What is the difference between unconscious parallel processing and conscious processing?
2. How does jet lag disrupt our circadian rhythm in terms of light?
3. Why do we sleep?
4. DRAW and label one 90-minute sleep cycle, including types of brain waves and brain and physical activity.
5. What is the purpose of dreaming?
6. What is the difference between dreaming and night terrors?
7. According to the activation synthesis theory, combined with Freud’s interpretations, why are our dreams more exciting than our conscious lives?
8. Why is REM/dream sleep called paradoxical?
9. Name three sleep disorders and their symptoms.
10. Explain why posthypnotic suggestion can work.
11. How does dissociation explain the hidden observer phenomenon?
12. Complete a chart using information from Table 7.2 and the chapter, with the following headings:

Stimulants

Depressants

Barbiturates

Opiates

Hallucinogens

Include: substances in the category, effects, negative effects

13. Are you a Dualist or a Monist? Why? (Do not merely repeat definition)
14. VOCABULARY:

Consciousness dream psychoactive drug

Circadian rhythm manifest content tolerance

Alpha waves latent content withdrawal

Hallucinations REM rebound physical dependence

Delta waves hypnosis psychological dependence

Insomnia posthypnotic amnesia ecstasy

Narcolepsy posthypnotic suggestion near-death experience

Sleep apnea dissociation

Night terrors hidden observer

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Assignment 8-A p309-321

1. What did Pavlov and Watson have in common?
2. Using classical conditioning, make a chart showing how you would condition a child to fear flowers. Label everything. Put in vocab section.
3. Use an example to show the meaning of acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery.
4. How would the child you trained in #2 show generalization? Discrimination?
5. What premise did John Garcia’s rats prove? How does this conflict with Pavlov’s theory?
6. What implications does Garcia’s work have for humans? For predator control?
7. According to Watson and Rayner’s research with little Albert, what can we do about unwanted fears and emotions?
8. VOCABULARY:

Learning