Introductory Psychology
Description of the Examination
The Introductory Psychology examination covers material that is usually taught in a one-semester undergraduate course in introductory psychology. It stresses basic facts, concepts, and generally accepted principles in the 13 areas listed in the following section.
The examination contains 95 questions to be answered in 90 minutes. Some of these are pretest questions that will not be scored. Any time candidates spend on tutorials and providing personal information is in addition to the actual testing time.
Knowledge and Skills Required
Questions on the Introductory Psychology examination require candidates to demonstrate the following abilities:
- Knowledge of terminology, principles, and theory
- Ability to comprehend, evaluate, and analyze problem situations
- Ability to apply knowledge to new situations
The subject matter of the Introductory Psychology examination is drawn from the following topics. The percentages next to the main topics indicate the approximate percentages of exam questions on those topics.
Approximate Percent of Examination
| 8–9% | History, approaches, methods History of psychology Approaches: biological, behavioral, cognitive, humanistic, psychodynamic Research methods: experimental, clinical, correlational Ethics in research |
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| 8–9% | Biological bases of behavior Etiology Endocrine system Functional organization of the nervous system Genetics Neuroanatomy Physiological techniques |
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| 7–8% | Sensation and perception Attention Other senses: somesthesis, olfaction, gustation, vestibular system Perceptional development Perceptional processes Receptor processes: vision, audition Sensory mechanisms: thresholds, adaptation |
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| 5–6% | States of consciousness Hypnosis and meditation Psychoactive drug effects Sleep and dreaming |
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| 10–11% | Learning Biological bases Classical conditioning Cognitive process in learning Observational learning Operant conditioning |
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| 8–9% | Cognition Intelligence and creativity Language Memory Thinking and problem solving |
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| 7–8% | Motivation and emotion Biological bases Hunger, thirst, sex, pain Social motivation Theories of emotion Theories of motivation |
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| 8–9% | Developmental psychology Dimensions of development: physical, cognitive, social, moral Gender identity and sex roles Heredity–environment issues Research methods: longitudinal, cross–sectional Theories of development |
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| 7–8% | Personality Assessment techniques Growth and adjustment Personality theories and approaches Research methods: idiographic, nomothetic Self–concept, self–esteem |
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| 8–9% | Psychological disorders and health Affective disorders Anxiety disorders Dissociative disorders Health, stress, and coping Personality disorders Psychoses Somatoform disorders Theories of psychopathology |
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| 7–8% | Treatment of psychological disorders Behavioral therapies Biological and drug therapies Cognitive therapies Community and preventive approaches Insight therapies: psychodynamic and humanistic approaches |
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| 7–8% | Social psychology Aggression/antisocial behavior Attitudes and attitude change Attribution processes Conformity, compliance, obedience Group dynamics Interpersonal perception |
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| 3–4% | Statistics, tests, and measurement Descriptive statistics Inferential statistics Measurement of intelligence Mental handicapping conditions Reliability and validity Samples, populations, norms Types of tests |
Study resources
Most textbooks used in college-level introductory psychology courses cover the topics in the outline given earlier, but the approaches to certain topics and the emphasis given to them may differ. To prepare for the Introductory Psychology exam, it is advisable to study one or more college textbooks, which can be found in most college bookstores. When selecting a textbook, check the table of contents against the "Knowlege and Skills Required" for this test.
You may find it helpful to supplement your reading with books and articles listed in the bibliographies found in most psychology textbooks. In addition, many college faculty members post their course materials on their school websites, and there are a number of educational websites that contain useful resources organized by subject.
