Psychology 101 2026 |
Study Guide, Practice
Questions, Answers,
Rationales & Exam Review
| Complete Ethics Study
Guide
Updated 2026 Questions and Answers
100% Verified Exam Prep and Comprehensive
Rationales
Included
,Three Ways of Doing Psychology 1. Experimental
2. Teachers
3. Applied
Critical Thinking 1. What is the source?
2. Is the claim reasonable?
3. What is the evidence?
4. Could bias contaminate the conclusion?
-emotional bias
-conformational bias
5. Does the reasoning avoid common fallacies (common sense)?
6. Does the issue require multiple perspectives?
Six main viewpoints of Modern Psychology 1. Biological
2. Cognitive
3. Behavioral
4. Whole-person
5. Developmental
6. Sociocultural perspectives
Empirical Investigation Research conducted, and conclusions reached, by means of observation and
documentation.
Theory Testable explanations for a broad set of facts or observations.
Four Steps to the Scientific Method 1. Develop a Hypothesis.
2. Collect Objective Data.
3. Analyze the Results. Accept or Reject the Hypothesis.
4. Publish, Criticize or Replicate the Results.
Five Types of Psychological Research 1. Experiments
- variable
2. Correlational Studies
- determine the nature of the relationship between variable but cannot determine
the cause and effect.
- "natural experiments" have already occurred by chance in the real world
3. Survey
- determine peoples attitudes, preferences or other characteristics.
- vulnerable to bias
4. Naturalistic Observations
- Descriptive research technique in which the researcher assesses the behavior of
subjects under studying their natural condition
5. Case Studies
- Few individuals.
- Focus on individuals with rare problems or unusual talents.
Three Types of Correlations 1. Positive correlation
2. Negative correlation
3. Zero correlation
Types of Neyrons 1. Sensory or afferent neurons
- Carry messages towards the brain.
2. Interneurons
- Carry messages between nerve cells (inside brain).
- Carry messages between afferent and efferent.
3. Motor or efferent neurons
- Carry messages away from brain.
Central Nervous System (CNS) Composed of the brain and spinal chord.
, Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) Connects the central nervous system to the rest of the body. It consists of two
divisions. Each has two subdivisions.
Two parts of the Peripheral Nervous System 1. The Somatic Division of PNS
- Somatic nervous system: Organ System
- carries signals that regulate the internal organs that preform functions such as
digestion, heart rate and reparation.
- Afferent Sensory System: Motor System
-sends messages to the brain and efferent sends messages to the muscles to act
on them.
2. The Autonomic Division of PNS
(carries signals that regulate internal organs)
- Sympathetic division
- "fight or flight" system, arouses the heart, lungs and other organs in stressful
situations.
- Parasympathetic division
- returns body to its calm state
The Cerebral Cortex - Two cerebral hemispheres are connected by fibers (corpus callosum)
- Cerebrum accounts for 2/3 the brain's total mass.
- Cerebral cortex is wrinkled to allow billions of cells to squeeze into the tight space
inside the skull.
Sensation and Perception 1. Information
(stimuli)
2. Sensation
(raw data is processed by sensory receptors)
3. Perception
(sensations are processed in the brain and assigned meaning)
Transduction Sensory process that converts the information carried by a physical stimulus such
as light or sound waves into the form of neural messages.
(physical - thought pattern)
Vision Helps us to detect desired targets, threats and changes in our physical
environment.
Two Ways of Seeing Color Trichromatic Theory
- Color is realized in the brain, color processing begins in the retina.
- Light waves are sensed as red, green and blue.
Opponent-Process Theory
- Negative afterimages.
- Phenomena that involves opponent or complementary colors.
Hearing Helps with the ability to locate objects in a space.
Study Guide, Practice
Questions, Answers,
Rationales & Exam Review
| Complete Ethics Study
Guide
Updated 2026 Questions and Answers
100% Verified Exam Prep and Comprehensive
Rationales
Included
,Three Ways of Doing Psychology 1. Experimental
2. Teachers
3. Applied
Critical Thinking 1. What is the source?
2. Is the claim reasonable?
3. What is the evidence?
4. Could bias contaminate the conclusion?
-emotional bias
-conformational bias
5. Does the reasoning avoid common fallacies (common sense)?
6. Does the issue require multiple perspectives?
Six main viewpoints of Modern Psychology 1. Biological
2. Cognitive
3. Behavioral
4. Whole-person
5. Developmental
6. Sociocultural perspectives
Empirical Investigation Research conducted, and conclusions reached, by means of observation and
documentation.
Theory Testable explanations for a broad set of facts or observations.
Four Steps to the Scientific Method 1. Develop a Hypothesis.
2. Collect Objective Data.
3. Analyze the Results. Accept or Reject the Hypothesis.
4. Publish, Criticize or Replicate the Results.
Five Types of Psychological Research 1. Experiments
- variable
2. Correlational Studies
- determine the nature of the relationship between variable but cannot determine
the cause and effect.
- "natural experiments" have already occurred by chance in the real world
3. Survey
- determine peoples attitudes, preferences or other characteristics.
- vulnerable to bias
4. Naturalistic Observations
- Descriptive research technique in which the researcher assesses the behavior of
subjects under studying their natural condition
5. Case Studies
- Few individuals.
- Focus on individuals with rare problems or unusual talents.
Three Types of Correlations 1. Positive correlation
2. Negative correlation
3. Zero correlation
Types of Neyrons 1. Sensory or afferent neurons
- Carry messages towards the brain.
2. Interneurons
- Carry messages between nerve cells (inside brain).
- Carry messages between afferent and efferent.
3. Motor or efferent neurons
- Carry messages away from brain.
Central Nervous System (CNS) Composed of the brain and spinal chord.
, Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) Connects the central nervous system to the rest of the body. It consists of two
divisions. Each has two subdivisions.
Two parts of the Peripheral Nervous System 1. The Somatic Division of PNS
- Somatic nervous system: Organ System
- carries signals that regulate the internal organs that preform functions such as
digestion, heart rate and reparation.
- Afferent Sensory System: Motor System
-sends messages to the brain and efferent sends messages to the muscles to act
on them.
2. The Autonomic Division of PNS
(carries signals that regulate internal organs)
- Sympathetic division
- "fight or flight" system, arouses the heart, lungs and other organs in stressful
situations.
- Parasympathetic division
- returns body to its calm state
The Cerebral Cortex - Two cerebral hemispheres are connected by fibers (corpus callosum)
- Cerebrum accounts for 2/3 the brain's total mass.
- Cerebral cortex is wrinkled to allow billions of cells to squeeze into the tight space
inside the skull.
Sensation and Perception 1. Information
(stimuli)
2. Sensation
(raw data is processed by sensory receptors)
3. Perception
(sensations are processed in the brain and assigned meaning)
Transduction Sensory process that converts the information carried by a physical stimulus such
as light or sound waves into the form of neural messages.
(physical - thought pattern)
Vision Helps us to detect desired targets, threats and changes in our physical
environment.
Two Ways of Seeing Color Trichromatic Theory
- Color is realized in the brain, color processing begins in the retina.
- Light waves are sensed as red, green and blue.
Opponent-Process Theory
- Negative afterimages.
- Phenomena that involves opponent or complementary colors.
Hearing Helps with the ability to locate objects in a space.
