Here's some areas to study carefully for the test upcoming on Chapters 1-4. This listing is not all inclusive, but is intended to give you an idea of how well you know the material now. If some or all the questions make no sense, you need to continue to carefully review the material.
Don't forget to use the study tools in your textbook and at your textbook web site, too!
Review your notes, especially for material not in the book, but on the class web site or part of class discussions.
Studying as part of a small group helps, even if it's just 2 persons.
Chapter 1 Self-Direction in a Changing World
- Is social change always planned?
- What is the significance that we each are “6 degrees of separation” from anyone else on this planet (see above graphic!)
- How fast is the amount of “known information” increasing?
- Who is least likely to have access to and use newer technology?
- Individualistic vs. Collective societies: how do they differ?
- How did noted psychoanalyst Eric Fromm view freedom?
- Did he believe we have succeeded in becoming self-actualized in this post-industrial world
- What are some of the coping strategies for making life choices? What is the most successful approach, according to your authors?
- Who are more well adjusted: those who are externally or internally directed?
- Self-actualization and ________ (a desire to help others at a possible cost to the helper) are correlated (fill in the blank)
- Is it always a good idea to value personal security over opportunities to meet new challenges?
- What changes have taken place in our values over time?
- Do people tend to grow (mentally) and evolve throughout adulthood, or does development cease after childhood?
- Are aspects of our personality fairly stable over time? Are some more changeable?
- Understand the 3-phase cycle of personal growth
- What emotions typically accompany the 2nd phase of personal growth? Why?
- Why is the 3d phase more satisfying?
- "Personal fulfillment can be achieved only in relation to others". What is meant here by the authors?
- What is the significance of "commitment" to your fulfillment? How is your view of your place in the world changed?
Chapter 2 Research Methods in Psychology
- The 7 Steps in the Scientific Method
- What is the assumption that all events have some specific causes?
- Think up an example of a hypothesis you would like to test for accuracy
- What is "objectivity". Why is it so important, especially today with some many opinions floating around?
- If you bring your strongly held views to a situation and allow your views to influence your conclusions, what is this called?
- Know the difference between a variable, a dependent variable and an independent variable.
- Are there "alternative explanations" why hypothetical Variable "Y" might be correlated to hypothetical Variable "X"?
- What, then, is a "confounding variable"?
- What's a "placebo effect", and why can they be important in research?
- Also, then, what are a couple of control procedures to counteract possible confounding effects?
- Is a group of 4 women chosen off the street in Akron a "representative sample" of all American women?
- Does a correlation (r) of +1.0 indicate a strong relationship between 2 variables? What does a correlation of +0.1 indicate? How about 0.0?
- Does correlation absolutely indicate causation? Why or why not? Explain...
- Have experiments shown that "subliminal" messages truly affect your understanding of some aspect of daily life?
- Reliability and validity are important in research. What do they each mean in science?
- What are self-report measures; behavioral measures? Give some examples of each.
- How does the "risk/gain" concept influence scientific study?
- Is deception towards the participants in a study always acceptable? Why or why not?
- Where does most of the information re: psychology come from? Studies? TV? Media? Friends? So what? Does it matter where you get your information?
Chapter 3 Understanding Human Personality
- What was the focus on personality types of Hippocrates, Galen, Sulloway and Sheldon?
- Allports's 3 kinds of traits; Cattel's list of 18 traits (from 18,000 adjectives), and Eyesenck's simple 2 factor trait model, and last but not least McCrae & Costa's 5 factor model (or taxonomy) of personality traits. Check them all out.
- What's an amygdala? Why is it important in personality?
- Are personality traits influenced by heredity?
- What is your "if.....then personality signature"? Give an example of this measure of predictability?
- Freudian psychodynamic theory is based on the _____________ self (fill in the blank)
- Three basic Freudian drives S_____, E_______ and T________
- Freud believed much of your behavior is based on u__________ thoughts (fill in the blank)
- What is "psychic determinism"?
- You want to steal something since you have no food and you're hungry. Describe how your id, ego and superego are responding before you do anything.
- What do the 11 ego defense mechanisms do?
- If a defense mechanism is working, do you become anxious?
- What aspects of psychodynamic theory were influenced by Adler, Horney and Jung?
- What's at the pinacle (peak) of Maslow's hierarchy of needs?
- Why is it important to exhibit "unconditional positive regard" towards your children?
- In humanism, what's more important: the client's view of the world, or the therapists objective, fact-based assessment?
- Social learning theorists believe one's personality is heavily influenced by the E________________. (fill in the blank)
- Importance of learned habits in one's life, rather than the unconscious or striving for self actualization
- Mischel's study of interaction between one's self and his/her environment, as well as Bandura (reciprocal determinism and self efficacy) and Cantor's analysis of social intelligence
- Tests and Assessment of Personality: MMPI (for persons with maladaptive behavior symptoms), NEO-PI for all persons (two forms available); Projective tests like the Rorschach test, the Murray TAT test (Thematic Apperception Test)
- Check out the brief overview of classical, behavioral and observational learning as influencing behavior and thus personality at the conclusion of the chapter
Chapter 4 Seeking Selfhood
- Who am I? What do others think of me? Am I a good person? These are all aspects of one's self ______ (fill in the blank)
- Our self-concept, or identity, is very strong and durable. We are afraid that, with death, our identity will dissolve. What do you think of these statements?
- The early years are important to our self-image: True or false?
- If you have high ideals, can you modify your real self to meet your goals. If your goals and aspirations are too high, how do you resolve the gap that produces anxiety?
- Are we all the same in the level of "self-complexity"?
- If your self concept in fragmented and disconnected, what is a possible result or condition?
- The self-concept is a "loose-fitting garment". What is meant by this?
- Define self-consistency, conditions of worth, self-immunization and mnemonic neglect as applied to one's self concept
- Is praising children for their successes likely to increase their self-esteem? Why not?
- Think of an occasion when you used "social comparison' to evaluate your "worth".
- Are people happier who have high "self esteem"?
- What are some examples of the down side of persons with high self-esteem? Know any bullies?
- What is the cure for maladaptive striving for self esteem?
- Tendencies toward self-enhancement and self-verification to solidify one's own image
- Any differences between male and female levels of self-esteem? Racial differences?
- Visualization and guided imagery for self-improvement? Why might they be useful, even in treating illnesses, obesity.
- Is our view of how others see us always accurate? Is it important to us, even if inaccurate?
- What is the "spotlight effect"? When did you feel this situation?
- Are your free to avoid people who are overly critical of you?
- Why are critics important. Should you listen? What if all your critics are saying the same thing?
- Criticism generates emotional energy. Can you use it for a good cause?
- Stages in gaining self-direction: moving away from internalizing the views of others, especially negative criticisms, and moving to appreciate one's own feelings
- Value the richness of your own experiences, rather than an obligation to seek approval from others.
- Another result is becoming more accepting of others
- Self-alienation is denying our faults and projecting them onto others, including our family, friends and lovers.
- What is the importance to perceive oneself as "becoming", as opposed to having reached a "fixed" state?
