PYSC Midterm 1

Characteristics That Make Humans Hard to Study

Complexity: intricate processes

Variability: differ widely across individuals

Reactivity: people change their behaviours when they know they are being observed and influenced by context and environment.

Demand Characteristics

Cues or signals that mgiht influence behaviours

Natrualistic Observation

Gathering info without interference

Fast / Slow Rats

An example of observer bias

Observer bias

Observer’s expectations can influence what they belive they observed

Normal Distribution

Bell curve

Mode

Most freuently observed value

mean

average

Median

Middle value

Variability

Range and standard deviation: how wide the distrution is or but much measurements differ form each other

Internal validity

is the experment conducted well? does it measure what it claims ti measure?

External validity

the extent whihc the results can be applied to real life

Cas method

gathering info by studing one individual

Type 1 error

false positive

Type 2 error

false negative

Animals: Replacment

There are no alternative methods that can acive the same goal

Animals: Reduction

Use the smallest possible number of animals

Anaimals: Refinement

Minimize pain and discomfort

Authroity

knowledge based on what someone tells u

Intuition

Based on internal feelings

Pure observation

direct experince

Porblems with pure observation

NOt always possible, might not always be true, can change over time, people can disagree over the same experience

Sceinteifc method

Guidelines to how we observe

Theory

explaination for how things work

Hypothesis

Predictions for specific scenarios

Studies/Experiments

testing hypothess under defined conditions

Secientific Skepticism

Remaining unattached to any theroy

Peer review

conclusions are reviewed by others

Replication

Repeating studies to confirm results

openness

Publically accesable data

Double bline experiments

Neother participants nor researchers how the hypothesis

Falsifiable hypothesis

Predictions taht can be proven false

Confirmatory studies

Start with a falisifable hypothesis, find datat taht confirms or denies it

Explanatory studies

Start without strong hypothesis, come up wihta theory

Openrational definiton

defining a property in measureable observable terms

Instrument

Anything that measures an operational defintion to test a hypothesis or theory.

Reliability

Gives similar measurements each time its used

Power/Sensitivity

Detects small diffrences

Types of measumrent instruments

Questionnaires, Computer Tasks, Physiological Measures

Peer review

Scientiest receive feedback from other scientists

Assuptions

Human nature can be studied through scientific testing.

Some parts of human nature are fixed, predictable, and universal.

Generalizations are made about people as a group, not about specific individuals.

Not the best way of knowing

But scienc e is the primary method used in psych

Correlational studies

Extimating the realtionship between two measrued variables

Postiive correlation

more of one means more of the other

Negative coreelation

More of one means less of the other

Directionality problem

A might have caused B or B might have caused A

Third variable problem

A third unmeasured varibable may have caused the relationship bwteen the ones measured

Spurious correlation

Strongly correlated variables that arenly causaully ralated

Experments

A type of study where one varibale is manipuated to observe the effect on another

independent variable

the manipulated variable

Dependet varible

The measured varibale

Random assignemtn

Participants are assigned roles randomly

Random slection

Participants are randomly slected from the pulation

Experiments

Control dirctionailiy

How to solve thrid variable

ensure the groups and theroetically identical in evry third variable

Meta analsysis

combining data from muluple studies to get more priciese reuslts

Terman’s 3 claims

1. Intelligfnce is influenced by genes

2. Members of some racial groups score better than others on intelligence tests

3. The reason some members of some racial groups score better than others is that they have superior genes

Emtional Intelligenve

The ability to reaosn about meotions and use them to enhance reasoning

Analytical intelligence

the ability to identifya and define problems to find stragies to solve them

Creative intelligence

The ability to generate sotions that other poeple dont

Paractial Intelligence

THe ability to implement things in everyday settings

Intelligenec

The ability to solve novel porblems, adapt to one’s environmetn and learn form exprience

Two factor theory of intel

G and S

G

gneeral intelligence

s

aptitude in specific tasks

Indepent facotr theory

Intel is man overlapping but inrelted abilites

Hybird theories

independnt theory + two factor theory

Fluid intel

Leanring noew info

crystalized intel

Applying knowledge

Iq

standaryd unit of intel

WASIV

Measures g, crystalized intel and gliud intel

Raven’s

Nonverbal tet

Problems with IQ tests

• Education:

  • Test content overlaps significantly with school curricula.

• Test-Taking Ability:

  • Tests may reflect practice and familiarity rather than true intelligence.

• Stereotypes:

  • Test performance may be influenced by expectations or self-perception.

• Cultural Bias:

  • Definitions and measures of intelligence vary across cultures.

Indivduak diffrences

Variabilit in psychological traits across poeple

Genetic variabilit

Popelpe differ in their genes

Environment varibaility

Poeple have diffreniy lives

Gene environment interaction

Egenes gan effect environments and environments can influence genes

Genetic determinism

FLASE belif that genes fix phenotpyes, they just increase possibiites

Genetic range

Possile phsytyoes that genes can express

Enviromental influence,

the strength fo environmental impact changes this range

twin studies

Compar identical and fraternal twins

Study twins seperated at birht

compare idential twins raised aparat

Quasi experiemtns

Study dsign where the independvet varibale occus naturally

Fraternal

share 50% of genes, dizygotic

Identical

Share 100% of genes Monozygotic

Identical twins correlecation in intel

raised aparet they still have strong corllecatin, meanig evinomental effect is small

genetiic variability on Iq scores

40-60%

Education

Can increase iq qithin the determiend genetic range

Home environment

Can increase intel (based on weakth actually)

flynn effect

anverage intel increases withe each generation

some diffrence in race

but prooably due to large sociiocualtrual diffrences

The bell curve

intel is stable, geneetically determined and measurable

intel tests and valid and unbiased

intel is the best predictor for life

low incomes people should not be supported

Intel is determined by genetics

FALSE, enviormental also

Intel is highly preoducited by genetuc variation

True

Gorup diffrces are due to group genetic

Faslse

Intel is tbest predicot for life

MAYBE

Narrow AI

Deisinged for specific task like S

General Ai

wide range of problems, mimicks human intel

MMPI

A perosnalit test that is basially a shit ton foq uestions

Factor analysis

analysing something by its underlying factors