IBDP introduction to Psychology; definitions, psychological approaches ("the x approach says that we behave the way we do because..."), aspects of rosenzweig study, aspects of true experiments
Psychology
the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes.
behaviour
observable actions
mental processes (cognition)
thinking
decision making
memory
language
problem solving
empirical
verifiable by observation or experience.
(empirical evidence can be the fact there was a study conducted as proof)
biological approach (BA)
genes & physiological systems (hormones, chemical imbalance etc.)
cognitive approach (CA)
mental processes (how we think)
sociocultural approach (SCA)
the people around us, religion,
behaviourist approach
learning, conditioning, rewards, punishment
psychodynamic approach
unconscious conflict & early childhood experiences
humanist approach
choices, desire for human fulfillment & love, sense of belonging
independent variable (cause)
the factor the researcher manipulates (varies) for each condition to see the effect it will have on the DV
dependent variable (effect)
the factor being measured. the effect of the IV.
extraneous variable
a factor, that is not the IV, that may/can affect the DV
correlation
a relationship between two variables. as one of the variables changes, so does the other. (positive or negative)
bidirectional ambiguity
when the correlational data is uncertain whether x is causing y, or if y is causing x.
or is uncertain whether or not there even is a relationship between the variables or simply a coincidence.
confederate
an actor, a “fake” partcipant in an experiment (who is told how to respond to the experiment taking place)
operationalise
correlations do not establish…
(hint: this can only be established through a true experiment)
causation
control (group)
a group that does not receive treatment
treatment group
group that receives treatment (experiences the IV)
how to true experiments demonstrate causal relationships (4)
take place in a controlled environment
operationalise the variable
specifically how to manipulate the IV (groups)
define how to measure the DV
random allocations of participants
researchers manipulate the IV (different conditions)
aim of the rosenzweig study (IV + DV)
IV: the level of stimuli
DV: weight and thickness of the rats’ prefrontal cortex
result of the rosenzweig study
rats in EC had increased thickness and higher weight of cortex compared to IC rats
groups of the rosenzweig study
CONTROL: 3 male rats
IMPOVERISHED CONDITION (IC): individual rat, no toys, no maze
ENRICHED CONDITION (EC): 10-12 rats together, multiple stimulus objects
representative sample
everyone in the population having an equal chance at being selected for the sample
limitations of a true experiment
lack of ecological validity
time-consuming
expensive
uncertainy of complete control of all variables