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Complete intro psychology review covering major theories, developmental psychology, memory, cognition, social psychology, and abnormal psychology. Includes 80 multiple-choice questions with answe

HEAL100 Health Care — exam and revision material · Other

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Health Care exam material, 10 pages. Originally published on StudyMerit.

Pages
10
Academic year
2025/2026
Language
English

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INTRODUCTORY PSYCHOLOGY — FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE SECTION 1 — Research Methods Hypothesis : A falsifiable prediction. Example: “Students who sleep 8 hours will score higher.” Operational Definitions : Clear and measurable definitions of variables. Example: Define “stress” as cortisol level + survey scores. Independent Variable : Manipulated variable in an experimental design Example: Amount of caffeine before a test. Dependent Variable : Measured outcome in an experimental design Example: Reaction time, GPA, sleep quality. Confounding Variables : Alternative explanations that explain a finding in an experimental study, or a third variable (see below) that might explain a correlation Example: Students in morning classes perform differently due to sleep. Random Assignment : Equal chance for group placement in an experimental design, controls for confounding (third) variables, thus allowing experimental designs to make causal claims about the effect of an independent variable on a dependent variable. Example: Assign students randomly to “study with phone” or “study without phone.” Correlational Studies : Identify relationships between two variables, but NOT causation. Ranges from 0-1.0. Numbers closer to 1.0 indicate a stronger relationship. 0 = no relationship. The +/- sign tells you the direction of the correlation, not the strength. The correlation tells you how well you can predict one variable from the other. Example: Social media use correlates with anxiety. If the correlation is: 0 = no relationship; +0.2=weak positive relationship; -0.15=weak negative relationship; +0.75=strong positive relationship; -0.9=strong negative relationship. Experiments : Allow causal conclusions. Example: Testing if blue light blockers improve sleep. Placebo Effect : Improvement from expectations. Example: Feeling alert from “espresso” that’s actually decaf. Testing an active drug against a sugar pill. Double-Blind Method : Prevents experimenter & participant bias. Example: Neither doctors nor patients know who receives a real vaccine. Reliability vs. validity  Reliability = consistent measurement  Validity = accurate measurement messages.downloaded_by lOMoARcPSD|6879242

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Generalizability  Ability to apply results to a broader population  Often limited by small or biased samples Third Variables / Alternative Explanations  When an observed correlation is driven by an unmeasured factor Small-N problem  Studies with very small samples cannot generalize reliably Causal language caution  Correlation ≠ causation, even if the relationship is strong or statistically significant SECTION 2 — Neuroscience Neurons : Cells that transmit information. Synapse : Gap between neurons. Applied: Many medications work by altering synaptic activity (neurotransmitters in the synapse) Neurotransmitters : Chemical massagers that allow communication between neurons. - Serotonin: mood (SSRIs treat depression) - Dopamine: reward (connected to gaming/social media apps) – also controls movement, attention, etc. - GABA: calming (some anti-anxiety meds increase GABA) - Acetylcholine: memory (Alzheimer’s deficits) Brain Structures: Amygdala: fear/emotion. Applied: Overactive in panic attacks. Hippocampus: memory formation. Applied: Sleep deprivation & stress harm hippocampal function. Lobes: Frontal Lobe: planning/self-control/decision making/problem solving Applied: Teens make impulsive decisions due to late maturation. Occipital Lobe: vision. Temporal Lobe: hearing/language. Broca’s Area: speech production / Wernicke’s area = understanding speech messages.downloaded_by lOMoARcPSD|6879242

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Parietal Lobe: touch, spatial awareness, body position. Hemispheres Left Hemisphere: language, logical reasoning, analytic tasks. Applied: A student solving a math equation or writing an essay relies heavily on left-hemisphere processing. Right Hemisphere: spatial abilities, facial recognition, holistic processing. Applied: Identifying a friend across the quad or reading someone’s emotional expression draws on the right hemisphere. Major Subcortical Structures Thalamus : sensory relay station (except smell). Applied: When your phone buzzes during class, the thalamus routes that sensory information so your brain notices it. Corpus Callosum : communication between hemispheres. Applied: Coordinating typing with both hands or reading while taking notes requires both hemispheres to share information. Basal Ganglia : movement initiation, habit formation, procedural learning. Applied: Learning a video-game combo or automatically reaching for your keys is guided by the basal ganglia’s habit circuits. Cerebellum : balance, coordination, fine motor skills, timing. Applied: Athletes relying on precise timing—a tennis serve, a dance routine, or a free throw—depend heavily on cerebellar coordination. Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) Definition: All nerves outside the brain and spinal cord; includes the somatic and autonomic systems. Applied: When you accidentally touch a hot pan and immediately pull your hand away, the PNS carries the pain signal to your spinal cord and sends the motor command back to your muscles. Autonomic Nervous System: messages.downloaded_by lOMoARcPSD|6879242

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