Introduction to Psychology - Chapter 1 IB Psychology A Student's Guide

Psychology

The scientific study of individual behaviour and mental processes.

Behaviour

An observable action. Although in IB Psychology it means actions and mental processes.

Mental processes /cognition

The internal tasks we perform with our minds. Examples include thinking, decision making, remembering, and problem solving.

Phenomenon

Anything that has been observed to commonly occur. In other words, it's something that we know happens a lot, and often there might not be an obvious explanation.

Empirical evidence

Evidence that has been gathered using observation and/or experimentation.

Laboratory experiment

Takes place in a controlled environment, the researcher manipulates and controls all variables except DV

Field experiment

Takes place in a natural environment, impossible to obtain total control so there may be confounding variables, the researcher manipulates the independent variable (IV)

Independent variable (IV)

Manipulated "cause" in experiments; also known as a "predictor variable", "manipulated variable", "explanatory variable", "exposure variable"

Dependent variable (DV)

The measured variable in experiments ("the effect")

Extraneous variable

Any variable that is not manipulated nor measured but but should be controlled (but might not be able to be controlled)

Correlation

An association or link between two variables when causational infrences are not allowed. Also a statistical technique that can show whether and how strongly pairs of variables are related.

Positive correlation

A relationship between two variables such that their values increase or decrease together.

Negative correlation

A relationship between two variables such that as the value of one variable increases, the other decreases.

Bidirectional ambiquity

When there is a correlation between two variables and there is uncertainty about which variable is influencing which.

Treatment Group

The group in an experiment that receives a treatment that is hypothesized to have an effect.

Control Group

The group in an experiment that receives a treatment (or no treatment at all) that is hypothesized to not have an effect.

Parts of a study

aim, methodology, results, conclusion

Parts of methodology

participants, design, materials, procedures

Grafman et al.

studied Vietnam War veterans with brain injuries to investigate the link between brain damage and aggression. They found that damage to the prefrontal cortex was associated with higher levels of aggressive and violent behavior, suggesting this region plays a key role in regulating impulses and social behavior. The study highlighted how brain injury can impair judgment and emotional control, increasing the risk of aggressive responses.

Albert et al

To investigate how testosterone levels influence aggression in rats. Four conditions: castration, castration with implants, castration with placebo implants, no castration with placebo implants. Rats who were castrated and had no testosterone implants became less aggressive and lost their alpha spot

Passamonti et al

Low serotonin levels disrupts the function of the PFC and its ability to regulate stress/fear triggered by the amygdala. This might increase emotional levels and increase the chances of a highly emotional reaction to the threat.

Bandura (1963)

investigated whether children learn aggressive behaviors through observation and imitation. Children who watched an adult model behave aggressively toward a Bobo doll were more likely to later imitate similar aggressive actions themselves compared to children who observed a non-aggressive model or no model at all. The study provided strong evidence for social learning theory, showing that behavior can be acquired through observing others rather than direct reinforcement.