Psychology AS Level - WJEC

Assumptions and key research

What is EEA?

Environmemt of Evolutionary Adaptiveness

How does EEA support the biological assumption?

It's suggests that only the adaptive behaviour improves our chances of survival. This could explain why humans have such large brains, which allow us to solve complex social issues and are passed on to the next generation.

What is the function of the occipital lobe?

Home of visual processing like depth, colour and distance.

What is the function of the frontal lobe?

Part of the brain responsible for higher cognitive functions like voluntary movement, memory formation and empathy

Explain what behaviourists believe we are born as

A blank slate, or tabula rasa. they believe that we are born with no inherit personality and its our experience with the environment around us that makes us who we are.

Explain how neurotransmitters are released

Electrical action potentials travel along the presynaptic cell. At the axon terminal, neurotransmitters are released into the synaptic gap. At the postsynaptic neuron, the neurotransmitters fuse with the receptors and result in another action potential.

Describe the features of the Id

Present at birth, pleasure principle, wants instant gratification, unconscious part of the personality, can be viewed as impulsive and violent/selfish.

Describe the features of the Ego

Develops at 2 years old, the reality principle and is the referee that balances the demands of the ID to behave acceptably.

Describe the features of the Superego

Develops at 5 years old, the morality principle that tells us right from wrong, part of the conscious mind that is responsible for guilt.

What is regression?

Going back to an earlier stage of development

What is displacement?

The transfer of impulses from one stimuli to another.

What is repression?

Pushing painful memories deep into the unconscious mind.

What is projection?

Projecting undesirable thoughts onto someone else.

Describe the conscious mind

Always in our awareness. Home of the ego which controls our behaviour through ego defences mechanisms.

Describe the preconscious mind

Can be accessed when needed, home of the superego. When in a questionable situation, this part of the mind is accessed to decide whether the behaviour is right or wrong.

Describe the unconscious mind

Can not be directly accessed but is expressed in dreams, contains unresolved issues.

Name the 5 psychosexual stages

Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency and Genital.

What is the Libido?

A free floating sexual/life energy.

Name the 5 internal mental processes

Perception, Language, Problem Solving, Memory and Attention

What is a schema?

A cognitive framework that helps us organise and interpret information and categorise information.

What is acknowledgment of free will?

Humans have control over their emotions and have free will to make decisions. We are self-directing and adaptive - by using our strengths and virtues we enhance our loves and experience the good life. Behaviourist approach

What is Authenticity of Goodness and Excellence?

Positive feeling are are natural as negative ones and they should be celebrated more that dwelling on the negatives. Instead of 'fixing' the client, they help them reach their full potential and experience feelings of well being and flow.

What was Myer and Diener’s methodology?

Meta analysis. Primary research was interviews, questionnaire, correlation.

What were the Myers and Dieners findings?

* Age. Age was not a factor, but different factors impacted happiness at different ages.
* Gender. Around 80% of both males and females were ‘fairly satisfied’ with life. Women are twice as vulnerable to depression.
* Wealth. Correlation of 0.67 between national wealth and wellbeing.
* Culture. 10% very happy in Portugal but 40% very happy in Netherlands. Large differences between collectivist and individualist cultures.
* Traits of happy people: optimism, self-esteem, extraversion
* More relationships = happier
* Work satisfaction, flow = happier
* Religion/spiritual commitment = happier (NA and Europe)

What were the Myer’s and Diener’s conclusions?

* Events only impact happiness 3 months after they occur, after that adaptation occurs.
* Cultural worldview of happiness impacts happiness levels.
* Having values and goals is related to subjective well being.
* Age, race, sex and income do not impact happiness.