PSYC 203 Midterm 1

What are the characteristics of today’s generation?

Higher expectations, highly individualistic, social justice oriented, conscious of finances, entrepreneurial, true digital natives, global in thinking, interactions, interests

What is the Paradox Progress?

We have made many technological advances but our social and personal problems are more evident noW

According to the Paradox Progress what type of time do we live in?

We live in a time of unparalleled progress

What are the 3 examples of the paradox progress?

Time, economics, choice

Explain time in terms of the Paradox progress.

Time savings from technology vs not having enough time, we have many time saving devices but we complain about not having enough time

Explain economics in terms of the Paradox Progress.

Abundance vs dissatisfaction, we have more money but are less satisfied with our financial situations

What could be the cause of economic dissatisfaction?

Materialism, we have enough but want more

Explain choice in terms of the Paradox of Progress.

Appeal vs regret, the more choices we have the more dissatisfied we are with whatever choice we make

What factors have the most negative effect on our wellbeing today?

Undermined values and traditions, complexity of modern life’s mental demands, changes in social trends, pressures of the makeover culture, social distancing etc

What does “makeover culture” do?

Fosters the need for constant transformation and remodelling of oneself to live a supposedly happier life

What are the three challenges of modern life?

Personal philosophy, search for meaning, sense of direction

What is the idea behind the “search for direction”?

People turn to ineffective or self-destructive sources for enlightenment and to search for meaning

What are self-help books often dominated by?

Psychobabble

What is psychobabble?

Vague, meaningless lingo

What do self-help books tend to ignore?

Situational constraints

What should you look for if you really want to read a self-help book?

Theoretical or research base, realistic promises, clear communication, focused on specific topic, detailed directions for changing behaviour, credentials

What is psychology?

Science that studies behaviour and the physiological and mental processes that underlie it

What do psychologists do?

Clinical and counselling psychologists and experimental psychologists

What are clinical and counselling psychologists?

Mental health practitioners who help people from a psychological perspective

What do experimental psychologists do?

Conduct research on psychological issues

What two premises is psychology base off of?

Empiricism and theory

What is the view of empiricism in psychology?

View hat knowledge must be acquired through systematic observation

What is the view of theory in psychology?

Collection of interrelated ideas and observations to describe, explain, and predict behaviours and mental processes

What is the scientific method?

Process used in psychology to discover knowledge about human behaviour and mental processes

What are the components of the scientific method?

• specify a problem

• Form a hypothesis

• Test hypothesis

• Systematic observation

• Draw conclusions and report results

• Replication

• Formulate theory

• Test the theory and create new theory and hypothesis

what is the psychology experiment?

Research method where investigator manipulates one variable under controlled conditions and observes whether there is a change in the second variable as a result

What is the psychology experiment an attempt to do?

Determine cause and effect

What does IV stand for?

Independent variable

What is the independent variable?

Factor directly manipulated by the investigator

What does DV stand for?

Dependent variable

What is the dependent variable?

Response measured by the investigator

What is random assignment crucial for?

To draw valid casual inferences

What are the two groups in an experiment?

Experimental and control

What/who makes up the experimental group?

Subject who receive special treatment in regards to the IV

What/who makes up the control group?

Subjects who do not receive special treatment given to the experimental group

What is the logic of the experimental method based on?

Assumption that the two groups are alike except for their treatment, this is violated if the study has a confound

What are the advantages of the experimental method?

Clarity and precision, relative intolerance of error, allows us to draw cause and effect conclusions

What are the disadvantages of the experimental method?

Some variables cannot be manipulated due to ethical concerns or practical realities, real world applicability or relevance questioned

Can you draw cause and effect conclusion when using descriptive research methods?

No

Why are we unable to draw cause and effect conclusions with descriptive research methods?

Do not involve manipulation of an IV with random assignment to condition

What are the different types of descriptive research methods?

Naturalistic observation, case studies, surveys, correlational research

What is Naturalistic observation?

Observing people unobtrusively, allows one to see patterns in the real world

What are case studies, what do ththey focus on?

Focus on a single interesting case in detail

What are surveys?

A set of questions put to a number of participants about their beliefs, attitudes, preferences, or activities

What is correlational research?

Attempt to determine whether a relationship exists between 2 variables

When does a correlation exists in correlational research ?

When one variable increases when another variable increases or decreases

What is the range of the correlation coefficient?

-1.00 to +1.00

What does the magnitude represent in the correlation coefficient?

The strength of the relationship

What does the sign represent in the correlation coefficient?

The direction of the relationship

What represents the strength of the relationship when looking at the correlation coefficient?

Magnitude

What represents the direction of the relationship when looking at the correlation coefficient?

Sign

What is Personality?

A set of behavioural and cognitive tendencies that people display over time and across situations

What is a personality trait?

A durable disposition to behave in a particular way in a variety of situations

How do we use factor analysis to study traits?

Statistical procedure which analyzes groups of variables to detect which are related

What are dispositions?

Unique set of personality traits

What are the 5 factors of the ‘Big Five”?

Extraversion, neuroticism, openness to experience, agreeableness, conscientiousness

What are the traits of a person who is not open to experiences at all? (Closed)

Conventional, dogmatic, conservative, avoids seeking thrills

What are the traits of a person who is open to experiences at all? (Open)

Imaginative, creative, curious, potential thrill seeker

What are the traits of a person who is not extroverted at all? (Withdraw/introverted)

Energized by being alone, reserved, tentative, drained by social interaction

What are the traits of a person who is extroverted? (Outgoing/extroverted)

Sociable, energized by social interaction, talkative, often more assertive

What are the traits of a person who is on the far left side of the spectrum of neuroticism? (Stable)

Less prone to mode changes, resilient, calm, secure

What are the traits of a person who is on the far right side of the spectrum of neuroticism? (Unstable)

Reactive, excitable, anxious, pronate to mood changes

What are the traits of a person who is conscientious? (Undependable)

Many goals, careless, irresponsible, disorganized

What are the traits of a person who is not conscientious? (Undependable)

Few goals, systematic, organized careful, self-disciplined

What are the traits of a person who has a low level of agreeableness?

Analytic, outcome-driven, impersonal, competitive

What are the traits of a person who has a high level of agreeableness?

Sensitive, harmony-seeking, empathetic, cooperative

What are the implications of the big five traits in regards to grades?

Positive correlation with conscientiousness

What are the implications of the big five traits regarding occupational success?

Positive correlation with extraversion and conscientiousness

What are the implications of the big five traits regarding income?

Negative correlation with agreeableness

What are the implications of the big five traits regarding life expectancy?

Positive correlation with conscientiousness and openness to experience

What are the implications of the big five traits regarding good health?

Negative neuroticism, positive with conscientiousness

What are the eight main common critiques of the Big Five?

Lack of comprehensive coverage and explanation, over-simplification, limited predictive validity, cultural bias, stability vs change, reductionism, assessment tools

What are the four main theories of explaining personality?

Psychodynamic, behavioural, humanistic, biological

What do psychodynamic theories focus on?

Focus on how unconscious process direct day-to-day behaviour

Who’s approach of the psychodynamic theory was the most famous?

Psychoanalytic theory of Sigmund Freud

What are three main assumptions of the Psychoanalytic theory?

1.personality is governed by unconscious forces that we cannot control

2.childhood experiences play a significant role in determining adult personality

3.personalities are shaped by the manner in which individuals cope with sexual urges

What are Freuds main levels of mental life?

Conscious, pre conscious unconscious

What are the characteristics of the conscious level of mental life?

Normal awareness, material one is aware of at a particular point in time

What are the characteristics of the preconscious level of mental life?

Easily brought to consciousness, material just beneath the surface of awareness that can be easily retrieved

What are the characteristics of the unconscious level of mental life?

Hidden thoughts and desires, material well below the surface of conscious awareness but that nonetheless exerts great influence on one’s behaviour

What are the 3 components of Freud’s structural model?

id, superego, ego

What are the characteristics of the Id?

Unconscious level, present at birth, home to sexual and aggressive drive, governed by the pleasure principle, engages in primary process thinking

What is the pleasure principle?

Demands immediate gratification of its pleasure

What are the characteristics of the ego?

Mainly conscious and preconscious levels, develops in childhood, acts as a referee between id and superego, governed by the reality principle, engages in secondary process thinking

What is the reality principle?

Seeks to delay gratifications of the id’s urges until appropriate outlets and situations can be found

What are the characteristics of the superego?

Mostly at the preconscious level, develops in childhood home to morality and conscious, government by the ego ideal

What is the ego ideal?

An image of the perfect self towards which the ego should aspire

What was Freud’s psychoanalytic theory?

Behaviour is the result of ongoing internal conflict among the id, superego, and ego stemming from sexual and aggressive urges being the most important

According to Freud what are defense mechanisms?

Unconscious attempts to prevent unacceptable thoughts from reaching conscious awareness

What are Freud’s 5 Psychosexual stages?

Oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital

What is the locus of pleasure and developmental task of the Oral stage?

Locus of pleasure is the mouth (sucking/biting), developmental task is weaning

What is the locus of pleasure and developmental task of the Anal stage?

Locus of pleasure is the anus, developmental task is toilet training

What is the locus of pleasure and developmental task of the Phallic stage?

Locus of pleasure is clitoris or penis, developmental task is identification with same-sex parent

What is the locus of pleasure and developmental task of the latency stage?

No particular locus of pleasure, developmental task is transformation of repressed sexual urges into socially acceptable activities

What is the locus of pleasure and developmental task of the Genital stage?

Locus of pleasure is the vagina or penis, developmental tasks are formation of a mature sexual love relationship and development of interest and talents related to productive work

What occurs when an adult had failed to oral stage or remained attached to it after their childhood?

Display traits of an oral personality such as biting things, smoking, or overeating

What occurs when an adult had trouble during the anal stage in their childhood?

Tend to have problems with orderliness (lack it) or for some they are very particular about things

What does a child do within the Oedipus complex?

Child wants to replace the other parent

What does a child do within the Electra complex?

Girls develop penis envy

What did Jung’s analytical theory focus on?

Focused on the role of the unconscious