What is Psychology?
the study of the mind & brain through observable behaviour
biological, psychological, social levels (multi-disciplinary)
What is a case study used for? Describe the pros and cons of conducting a case study
used to examine a specific person or group over time. Used to study rare diseases
+ve: is very specific, detailed & descriptive
-ve: 1 instance does not represent the broader phenomena, cannot be applied to the larger population
What is observational research. What are is uses? Describe the pros and cons.
studying phenomena in a natural environment. Used to study communication patterns between people, leadership dynamics
+ve: no researcher influence, provides descriptive data
-ve: observer bias, participant self-consciousness
What is a double-blind procedure and how is it used?
a research design in which neither the experimenter nor the subjects are aware who is in the control or experimental group. This helps when conducting research as it prevents people from changing their behaviour
What is the difference between the reliability and validity of a test?
Reliable: how consistent and repeatable scores are (if you take the same test a second time, you would get the same result)
Valid: how accurate a measure is regarding what it is intended to measure.
It is often said that a test cannot be valid if it is not reliable.
For example, a bathroom scale is reliable because you can weigh yourself, step off, step back on, then get the same measurement. The bathroom scale is valid for measuring how much you weigh, but invalid for measuring your IQ.
Define and describe correlational research
establishes a relationship between two or more variables
examines the strength and direction of the relationship (+1 positive / graph or -1 negative \ graph) if number is close to a whole value = strong no correlation is 0 – graph
does not determine cause and effect
used to make predictions and generate future research
investigating problematic qns we cannot manipulate eg. the link between depression and anxiety
When is a finding statistically significant?
when the probability that the finding is due to chance is less than 1 in 20 (p < 0.05)
Said another way, when you are 95% confident that the result was not due to chance (5% probability due to chance)
What is standard deviation, what does it tell you? What does it mean when the standard deviation is high?
an estimate of how much the scores are spread from mean
is used to measure variability
greater SD = greater variability
What data is required to measure central tendency?
mean, median, mode
Describe Freud’s Psychodynamic theory
psychological forces that underlie human behaviour, feelings & emotions to early childhood influences
dynamic relations between conscious motivation and
unconscious motivation
consists of Id (instincts), Ego (try to meet Id needs in socially acceptable way), Superego(person’s moral values learnt as a child)
Describe Behaviourism and give an example
the belief that behaviour can be explained by environmental causes
belief that early experiences shape our behaviour
determined by:
* prior learning experiences
* stimuli in current environment
Exposure therapy to treat phobias: if a baby is scared of rabbits, you can associate it with toys or rewards and it will learn to not be scared.
What is pseudoscience?
claims that seem scientific but are not backed up by evidence
What is experimental research? What are the pros and cons? Give an example.
allows us to study cause and effect using independent (what is changed) and dependent variables
+ve:
– Testing predictions and evaluating theories
-ve:
– Normally requires a controlled environment, i.e. lab based
– Artificial lab contexts may lower generalisability
Uses:
– Assessing the impact of, e.g. drug treatment or training program
– Investigating ability (e.g. face recognition) by varying stimulus intensity
What are some challenges faced when conducting research?
experimenter bias: when researcher knows the outcome of the study and tries to influence the procedure
demand characteristic: when participants try to behave in a way that they think is desirable for the study
placebo effect: when participants think that theyre in the experimental group and their behaviour changes
pubishing and replication crisis: when results from a small sample fail to replicate on a bigger scale
What is cognitive psychology?
how mental processes influence behaviour. brain is an information processor responsible for reasoning, decision making, perceptions,
language, problem solving
what is confirmation bias?
the tendency to look for and interpret
information in a manner that supports our pre-existing
beliefs
What is belief perseverance?
the tendency to look for and interpret
information in a manner that supports our pre-existing
beliefs
Describe the pros and cons of using surveys/ questionaires in research. Give examples
+ve:
– Gathers large amounts of data, quick
– Inexpensive
-ve:
– Self-report inaccuracies
– Misunderstood questions
– Socially desirable responses
Example uses:
– Measuring personal characteristics, rating businesses or events
– E.g. personality, attitudes,
