VCE Psychology Unit 1: Science Skills and Brain Development

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering VCE Psychology Unit 1, including research methods, developmental theories, and brain biology.

Psychology

The scientific study of mental processes and behaviour.

Mental processes

Internal thoughts, feelings, and emotions.

Behaviour

Observable actions.

Scientific Method

A systematic investigation of behaviour involving seven steps: observe behaviour, develop research question, form hypothesis, conduct investigation, analyse data, draw conclusions, and replicate study.

Aim

The specific purpose of a study.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction about the relationship between variables.

Independent Variable (IV)

The variable that is manipulated.

Dependent Variable (DV)

The variable that is measured.

Controlled Variables

Variables kept constant for fair testing.

Operationalising Variables

Clearly defining how variables will be measured or manipulated.

Population

The entire group being studied.

Sample

A smaller group selected from the population.

Random Sampling

A sampling method where every member of the population has an equal chance of selection.

Quantitative Data

Numerical data.

Qualitative Data

Descriptive data.

Reliability

The consistency of results.

Validity

Whether the study measures what it intends to measure.

Ethics in Research

Refers to informed consent, confidentiality, withdrawal rights, debriefing, and protection from harm.

Psychological Development

Changes in thinking, emotions, behaviour, and social abilities across the lifespan.

Nature

Genetic and hereditary influences on development.

Nurture

Environmental influences on development.

Biopsychosocial Model

A framework suggesting development is influenced by biological factors, psychological factors, and social factors.

Infancy

The lifespan stage from $0-12$ months.

Toddlerhood

The lifespan stage from $1-3$ years.

Childhood

The lifespan stage from $3-12$ years.

Adolescence

The lifespan stage from $12-19$ years.

Young adulthood

The lifespan stage from $19-35$ years.

Middle adulthood

The lifespan stage from $35-65$ years.

Late adulthood

The lifespan stage from $65+$ years.

Attachment

An emotional bond between infant and caregiver.

Harlow’s Monkey Experiment

A study demonstrating that monkeys preferred a soft cloth mother over a wire mother with food, emphasizing the importance of contact comfort.

Ainsworth’s Attachment Styles

The four styles of attachment identified as secure, insecure avoidant, insecure anxious/ambivalent, and disorganised.

Sensorimotor Stage

Piaget's first stage of cognitive development ($0-2$ years) where object permanence develops.

Preoperational Stage

Piaget's second stage ($2-7$ years) characterized by egocentrism and a lack of conservation.

Concrete Operational Stage

Piaget's third stage ($7-12$ years) where logical thinking develops.

Formal Operational Stage

Piaget's final stage ($12+$ years) where abstract thinking develops.

Assimilation

Adding information into an existing schema.

Accommodation

Changing a schema to fit new information.

Bandura’s Observational Learning

The process where children imitate behaviours observed in others, involving the stages of attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation.

Critical period

A specific time during which development must occur.

Sensitive period

A period during which learning is easier.

Typical Behaviour

Behaviour considered socially acceptable or common.

Atypical Behaviour

Behaviour considered unusual, maladaptive, or distressing.

Neurotypicality

Typical brain functioning.

Neurodiversity

Natural variation in brain functioning.

Psychologist

A professional who diagnoses and treats mental disorders using therapy.

Psychiatrist

A medical doctor who can prescribe medication for mental health issues.

Left hemisphere

The side of the brain responsible for language, logic, and analytical thinking.

Right hemisphere

The side of the brain responsible for creativity, spatial awareness, and facial recognition.

Split-Brain Studies

Research by Roger Sperry on patients with a severed corpus callosum to investigate hemisphere specialisation.

MRI

A neuroimaging technique used for detailed brain structure.

fMRI

A neuroimaging technique that measures brain activity.

CT scan

A neuroimaging technique that provides cross-sectional brain images.

Hindbrain

The brain region responsible for survival functions.

Midbrain

The brain region responsible for movement and sensory processing.

Forebrain

The brain region responsible for higher-order thinking.

Cerebral Cortex

The outer brain layer responsible for thinking, memory, language, and perception.

Neuroplasticity

The brain’s ability to reorganise and adapt due to learning, experience, or injury.

Adaptive Plasticity

The brain's ability to reorganise functions after injury.

Synaptic Plasticity

Changes in the strength or number of neural connections.

Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)

Brain damage occurring after birth due to trauma, stroke, infection, or disease.

Stroke

Interruption of blood supply to the brain causing damage.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)

A progressive brain disorder caused by repeated head injuries, with symptoms including memory loss, confusion, and mood changes.