Psychology study plan

Map the major nervous-system divisions and label the functions of at least 20 brain structures on a blank diagram from memory

Explain resting and action potentials in writing, including the roles of Na+/K+ pumps, threshold, and refractory periods

Summarize the function of each major neurotransmitter (dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, GABA, glutamate, norepinephrine) and one drug or disorder linked to each

Distinguish classical from operant conditioning and generate two original examples of each with the relevant schedules of reinforcement

Compute mean, median, mode, standard deviation, and z-scores by hand for a small dataset and interpret each

Trace the visual pathway from retina through the thalamus to cortex and describe the function of rods, cones, and the two major visual streams

Compare trichromatic, opponent-process, and place theories of color and pitch perception, noting the evidence supporting each

Outline the auditory pathway and explain how the basilar membrane supports frequency coding

Describe the gate-control theory of pain and the role of endogenous opioids in pain modulation

Identify the components of an experiment (independent and dependent variables, control, confounds) in three published abstracts and state one threat to validity in each

Explain the James-Lange, Cannon-Bard, Schachter-Singer, and Lazarus theories of emotion and predict how each would interpret a given scenario

Describe the hypothalamic regulation of hunger and the role of leptin, ghrelin, and the ventromedial hypothalamus in satiety

Compare intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and summarize drive-reduction, arousal, and self-determination theories

Outline the stage model of memory (sensory, short-term/working, long-term) and specify the capacity and duration of each

Explain encoding specificity, spacing, and interference effects and design a study schedule that applies at least two of them

Distinguish implicit from explicit memory and describe one task used to measure each

Summarize the working-memory model (phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, central executive, episodic buffer) and apply it to a dual-task scenario

Explain heuristics and biases (availability, representativeness, anchoring, confirmation) and identify each in five original vignettes

Compare psychodynamic, humanistic, trait, social-cognitive, and behavioral personality theories on key assumptions and assessment methods

Evaluate reliability and validity types (test-retest, internal consistency, inter-rater; content, criterion, construct) and explain how each is estimated

Chart physical, cognitive, and social milestones across infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and late life in a single timeline

Compare Piaget's stages with information-processing and Vygotskian accounts of cognitive development, citing one critique of each

Explain attachment classifications and the Strange Situation procedure, and relate them to later outcomes

Apply Erikson's psychosocial stages and Kohlberg's moral stages to two case descriptions

Describe how trait models (five-factor) and temperament research inform continuity and change across the lifespan

Explain social cognition topics: attribution errors, cognitive dissonance, persuasion routes, and attitude-behavior gaps, with one study design idea for each

Distinguish conformity, compliance, and obedience and describe the situational variables that moderate each

Describe group processes including social loafing, deindividuation, groupthink, and bystander intervention

Compare the major classification systems for psychopathology and explain the role of criteria, thresholds, and cultural context in diagnosis

Outline etiology models (biological, cognitive, behavioral, sociocultural, diathesis-stress) for anxiety, mood, and psychotic disorders

Specify the defining features and common comorbidities of at least six major disorder categories

Compare psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, humanistic, and systemic psychotherapy on mechanism, structure, and typical indications

Describe the mechanism, main indications, and key side effects of the major psychopharmacological classes (antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, anxiolytics)

Explain how efficacy and effectiveness research designs differ and what each can and cannot show

Design a brief prevention or early-intervention program for a chosen population, specifying target, mechanism, and outcome measure

Trace the emergence of psychology as a science through structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism, Gestalt, psychoanalysis, and cognitive revolutions, naming one key figure per movement

Identify the contributions of applied areas (industrial-organizational, clinical, forensic, health, educational) and the ethical standards governing practice and research

Explain informed consent, confidentiality limits, deception and debriefing, and institutional review requirements in research ethics

Interpret correlation coefficients, p-values, effect sizes, confidence intervals, and the difference between statistical and practical significance

Complete a timed full-length mixed practice exam and classify every error by domain and error type