AL Psych Juris cheat sheet

Action potential: depolarization (Na+ influx) → repolarization (K+ efflux) → hyperpolarization → refractory period; myelin saltatory conduction speeds transmission.

Neurotransmitter quick map: dopamine (reward/motor, Parkinson's and schizophrenia links), serotonin (mood/sleep), norepinephrine (arousal), GABA (inhibitory), glutamate (excitatory), acetylcholine (muscle/memory).

Lobes: frontal (executive, motor, Broca), parietal (somatosensory), temporal (auditory, Wernicke), occipital (vision).

Hemispheric specialization: left = language/logic in most right-handers; right = visuospatial/affect; corpus callosum transfers.

HPA axis: hypothalamus CRH → pituitary ACTH → adrenal cortisol; chronic activation impairs hippocampal function.

Sympathetic = fight-or-flight (NE/E); parasympathetic = rest-digest (acetylcholine via vagus).

Genetics: heritability = proportion of variance attributable to genes; concordance rates compare identical vs fraternal twins.

Sleep: SWS (stages 3-4) for restoration, REM for memory consolidation and dreaming; circadian rhythm set by suprachiasmatic nucleus.

Classical conditioning: CS paired with UCS → CR; extinction = CS alone; spontaneous recovery = return after delay; generalization vs discrimination.

Operant contingencies: positive/negative reinforcement increase behavior; positive/negative punishment decrease; schedules - fixed/variable ratio (based on responses) vs interval (based on time).

Memory systems: sensory → short-term/working (capacity ~7±2, ~20-30 sec) → long-term (unlimited); encoding, storage, retrieval.

Encoding specificity: retrieval is best when context/cue at recall matches encoding; state-dependent learning.

Piaget stages order: sensorimotor → preoperational → concrete operational → formal operational (object permanence, conservation, abstraction).

Cognitive biases: confirmation (seek confirming info), availability (ease of recall), representativeness (base-rate neglect), anchoring.

Affect: Yerkes-Dodson - moderate arousal optimizes performance; optimal level lower for complex tasks.

Attribution: internal/external × stable/unstable × global/specific; fundamental attribution error = overattribute others' behavior to disposition.

Conformity (Asch): line-judgment; conformity rises with group size and unanimity, falls with a dissenting ally.

Obedience (Milgram): proximity, authority legitimacy, and institutional setting increase obedience; proximity of victim decreases it.

Bystander effect: helping decreases as number of bystanders increases (diffusion of responsibility).

Cognitive dissonance (Festinger): inconsistency motivates attitude change; insufficient justification strengthens it.

Group dynamics: social loafing (less effort in groups), deindividuation (loss of self-awareness), groupthink (concurrence-seeking suppresses dissent).

Stereotype = belief; prejudice = attitude; discrimination = behavior; in-group/out-group bias per social identity theory.

Cultural dimensions: individualism-collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity-femininity (Hofstede).

Attitudes: central route persuasion (argument quality, high involvement) vs peripheral route (cues, low involvement).

Erikson psychosocial stages: trust/mistrust, autonomy/shame, initiative/guilt, industry/inferiority, identity/role confusion, intimacy/isolation, generativity/stagnation, integrity/despair.

Attachment (Ainsworth): secure, avoidant, ambivalent/resistant, disorganized; Strange Situation assesses it.

Kohlberg moral stages: pre-conventional (obedience, self-interest) → conventional (approval, law/order) → post-conventional (social contract, universal ethics).

Prenatal: germinal → embryonic (organogenesis, teratogen-sensitive) → fetal; reflexes (rooting, sucking, Moro) present at birth.

Motor milestones: head control → sitting → crawling → walking, generally cephalocaudal and proximodistal.

Aging: fluid intelligence (processing speed) declines earlier than crystallized intelligence (knowledge).

Temperament (Thomas & Chess): easy, difficult, slow-to-warm-up; goodness-of-fit with environment matters.

Baumrind parenting: authoritative (high warmth + high control) associated with best outcomes; authoritarian, permissive, neglectful differ.

Reliability = consistency (test-retest, inter-rater, internal); validity = measures what it claims (content, criterion, construct).

Standard error of measurement: SEM = SD × √(1 − reliability); confidence interval = score ± z(SEM).

Standard scores: z (M=0, SD=1), T (M=50, SD=10), IQ (M=100, SD=15); percentile rank ≠ percentage correct.

Norm-referenced vs criterion-referenced; standardization sample must match the population of intended use.

DSM-5-TR: categorical diagnoses requiring duration, impairment, and exclusion criteria; multiaxial system removed (was DSM-IV).

Base rates affect positive predictive value; low base-rate disorders yield many false positives even with good tests.

Differential diagnosis: rule out medical/substance causes before primary psychiatric diagnosis.

MMPI-2 and projective tests (Rorschach, TAT) - psychometric properties vary; actuarial prediction generally beats clinical judgment.

CBT targets cognitive distortions and behavior via exposure, cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation; strong evidence for anxiety/depression.

Psychodynamic: transference (client projects feelings onto therapist), countertransference (therapist's reactions), resistance, insight.

Behavioral: systematic desensitization (relaxation + graded exposure), flooding, token economies, aversion therapy.

Psychopharmacology: SSRIs (depression/anxiety), benzodiazepines (short-term anxiety, dependence risk), antipsychotics (dopamine blockade, EPS risk), lithium (bipolar).

Prevention levels: primary (prevent onset), secondary (early detection/screening), tertiary (reduce disability/recurrence).

Supervision: informed consent for supervision, dual-role avoidance, record-keeping, and evaluation of supervisee competence.

Informed consent for treatment: nature of treatment, risks/benefits, alternatives, confidentiality limits, right to withdraw.

Therapeutic alliance (Bordin): goals, tasks, and emotional bond; a robust predictor of outcome across orientations.

Validity types: internal (causal inference), external (generalizability), construct, statistical conclusion.

Experimental design requires random assignment and manipulation of IV; quasi-experimental lacks random assignment.

Correlation coefficient r ranges −1 to +1; r² = proportion of variance explained; correlation does not imply causation.

Type I error (α) = false positive; Type II error (β) = false negative; power = 1 − β, increases with sample size and effect size.

t-test compares two means; ANOVA compares 3+ means (F ratio); chi-square tests categorical association.

Effect size: Cohen's d (0.2 small, 0.5 medium, 0.8 large); η² for ANOVA.

Sampling: random selection (external validity) vs random assignment (internal validity); stratified vs convenience sampling.

Internal validity threats: maturation, history, testing, instrumentation, regression to the mean, attrition, selection bias.

Informed consent required except emergencies, court-ordered evaluations, or when legally mandated; assent for minors plus guardian consent.

Confidentiality limits: imminent danger to self/others (Tarasoff duty to protect), child/elder abuse reporting, court order.

Multiple relationships: avoid when exploitation risk or impaired objectivity; not all are unethical, but must be managed.

Competence: practice within boundaries of training/experience; obtain consultation/supervision when outside competence.

Record retention: keep records per law and APA standards; release only with client authorization or legal requirement.

Research ethics: IRB approval, informed consent, debriefing, minimal risk, voluntary participation; deception requires justification and debriefing.

Test security and copyright: do not reproduce or release secure test materials; use tests only within qualified scope.

Boundaries of competence and mandated reporting are legal (state law) and ethical (APA) obligations that may differ; follow the stricter standard.

Problem solving: algorithms guarantee solutions; heuristics (means-end, working backward) are faster but error-prone.

Functional fixedness and mental set block novel solutions; incubation and restructuring aid insight.

Language: phonemes → morphemes → syntax → semantics; Broca's area (production), Wernicke's area (comprehension).

Working memory (Baddeley): phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, central executive, episodic buffer.

Forgetting: decay, interference (proactive = old disrupts new; retroactive = new disrupts old), retrieval failure.

Emotion and cognition: mood-congruent memory; appraisal theories (Lazarus) - appraisal precedes emotion.

Attention: selective (filter), divided (limited capacity), sustained (vigilance); automatic vs controlled processing.

Decision making: prospect theory - losses loom larger than gains; framing effects alter choices.