Intro to Psychology

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)

1. take place in a controlled environment

2. operationalise the variable

   • specifically how to manipulate the IV (groups)

   • define how to measure the DV

3. random allocations of participants

4. 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