Exam Preparation & Revision Study Guide

Vocabulary flashcards covering core topics, theories, definitions, research methods, and analysis structures from the lecture notes.

Cram Priorities

Priority 1: Personal & Social Identity; Priority 2: Intercultural Communication: Japan; Priority 3: Research methods/concepts; Priority 4: Social & Cultural World.

Personal identity

An individual's understanding of themselves, including personality, beliefs, values and self-concept.

Social identity

The part of an individual's identity derived from membership in social and cultural groups.

Socialisation

The lifelong process through which individuals learn the values, norms, behaviours and expectations of their society and culture.

Self-concept

An individual's perception and understanding of themselves.

Social construct

An idea or concept created and shaped by society and culture rather than being entirely natural or universal.

Culture

Shared values, beliefs, behaviours, customs and practices of a group.

Erikson's Psychosocial Development Theory

Proposes eight stages across the lifespan, each involving a psychosocial crisis.

Identity vs Role Confusion

The key adolescent stage in Erikson's theory where individuals explore values, beliefs, future roles, relationships, belonging, and who they are.

Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development

Four stages outlining cognitive growth: Sensorimotor (0–2), Pre-operational (2–7), Concrete operational (7–11), and Formal operational (11+).

Sensorimotor stage

Piaget's stage for ages 0–2 characterized by learning through senses and actions.

Pre-operational stage

Piaget's stage for ages 2–7 characterized by egocentrism and symbolic thinking.

Concrete operational stage

Piaget's stage for ages 7–11 characterized by logical thinking and perspective-taking.

Formal operational stage

Piaget's stage for ages 11+ characterized by abstract and hypothetical thinking.

Cultural diversity

Differences between cultures and groups.

Ethnocentrism

Judging another culture according to the standards of your own culture.

Cultural relativism

Understanding a culture within its own cultural context.

Stereotype

An oversimplified belief about a group.

Prejudice

Preconceived attitudes or judgements towards a group.

Discrimination

Unfair treatment based on group membership.

Group harmony

A key Japanese communication concept placing importance on maintaining harmony and avoiding conflict.

Indirect communication

A characteristic of Japanese communication where messages rely on context, implication and non-verbal cues rather than direct statements.

Validity

Whether research measures what it intends to measure.

Reliability

Whether research produces consistent results.

Bias

A tendency that unfairly influences research findings.

Ethics

Principles that protect research participants and ensure responsible research.

Informed consent

Participants understand the research and agree voluntarily.

Confidentiality

Participants' personal information is kept private.

Sample

A smaller group selected to represent a larger population.

Primary research

Information collected directly by the researcher, such as questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups.

Secondary research

Information collected by other researchers or organisations, such as books, articles, and census data.

Research Methods Evaluation

Strengths and limitations of research methods including questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, observation, and secondary research.

Fundamental concepts (Social & Cultural World)

Persons, Society, Culture, Environment, Time.

Additional concepts (Social & Cultural World)

Power, Authority, Gender, Identity, Technologies, Globalisation.

Analysis paragraph structure

THEORY → EVIDENCE/EXAMPLE → EXPLANATION → EVALUATION → LINK.