Unit One

* hindbrain
* midbrain
* forebrain
* left and right hemispheres
* corpus callosum

* main features of the four lobes of the cerebral cortex
* structure of the neuron

* cell body
* axon
* dendrites
* myelin sheath

* methods for investigating brain function

* external recordings – electroencephalography (EEG)
* scanning techniques

* still pictures – computed axial tomography (CAT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
* dynamic pictures – functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI), positron emission tomography (PET) scan

* case study – Phineas Gage

* factors that affect behaviour, emotion and thought

* physical activity
* psychological and physiological responses to recreational drugs – cannabis, alcohol and amphetamine

#### **Cognition**

* ====theories of intelligence====

* general intelligence – Galton, Spearman
* measuring mental age and intelligence quotient – Binet and Simon, Terman
* empirical approaches to intelligence – Wechsler
* multiple intelligences – Gardner
* emotional intelligence – Golman

* intelligence testing

* advantages and disadvantages of group and individual testing

* the role of sensation and perception in cognition

* sensory organs and stimuli
* perception – illusions and distortions of visual perception
* attention – selected, divided, habituation, dishabituation

* physiological responses indicating different states of consciousness

* electrical activity of the brain
* heart rate
* body temperature
* galvanic skin response

### **Others**

#### **Relational influences**

* ====types of relationships====

* pro-social
* anti-social

* determinants of liking

* proximity
* similarity
* reciprocity

* relationship development in adolescence

* changing structure of adolescent groups – Dunphy

#### **Communication**

* non-verbal communication

* body language
* gestures
* physical distance
* facial expressions
* touch and smell

* effective communication

* listener/receiver attributes
* active listening
* working collaboratively
* assertive communication
* the impact of hearing impairment and language delay

* role of language in initiating, maintaining and regulating interpersonal relationships – Robinson’s social skills

### **Research methods**

#### **Planning and conducting psychological research**

* ====research terminology====

* experimental, non-experimental
* scientific, non-scientific
* sample
* population

* ethics in psychology research

* informed consent
* confidentiality
* voluntary participation and withdrawal rights
* deception in research

* steps in the scientific method
* differences between sample and population data
* experimental research methods

* independent and dependent variables
* operational hypotheses
* controlled and uncontrolled variables
* experimental and control groups
* reliability and validity

* non-experimental (descriptive) research methods

* case studies, surveys, correlational studies and archival research
* behavioural variables (not dependent and independent variables) in correlational studies

* qualitative methods of data collection
* quantitative methods of data collection – fixed response, rating scales

#### **Processing and evaluating psychological research**

* ====methods of displaying quantitative data – tables, graphs and diagrams====
* interpretation of the following forms of data:

* mode
* mean
* median
* range

* role of probability
* use of correlation to establish association between variables
* sources of error in data and ways of reducing them
* evidence-based conclusions related to the hypothesis