stage 1 psychology exam content

organisation of nervous system

central nervous system and peripheral nervous system

central nervous system

spinal cord and brain

peripheral nervous system

autonomic and somatic nervous systems

autonomic nervous system parts

sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system

spinal cord

A column of nerves between the brain and the peripheral nervous system

brain

Divided into three major parts: the lower part or hindbrain, the midbrain and the forebrain

autonomic nervous system

Regulates involuntary bodily processes, including heart rate, respiration, digestion and pupil contraction; operates automatically without conscious direction

somatic nervous system

Carries sensory information from sensory organs to the CNS and relays motor commands to muscles. Controls voluntary movements

sympathetic nervous system

Mobilises bodily resources in response to threat by speeding up heart rate and respiration and drawing stored energy from bodily reserves

parasympathetic nervous system

Replenishes bodily resources by promoting digestion and slowing down other bodily processes

informed consent

Participants need to be appropriately informed of the type of study and the reasons for the research prior to agreeing to participate

voluntary participation

Researcher needs to ensure that participants consent to be involved in the research voluntarily

Confidentiality

Participants have the right to privacy so any details of their involvement cannot be disclosed unless written consent is obtained.

right to withdraw

participants may withdraw from the study at any time without explanation

developmental psychology

the changes that occur between conception and death

human development

begins at conception and continues through life

physical development

changes in the body and various systems

social development

changes in relationships and social skills

cognitive development

changes in mental abilities

emotional development

changes in feelings

areas of human development

physical, social, cognitive, emotional

hereditary (nature)

the transmission of characteristics from biological parents to their offspring

environmental (nurture)

all the experiences which we are exposed to throughout our lifetime

factors of Piagets theory of cognitive development

assimilation and accomodation

assimilation

the process of taking in new information and making it apart of pre existing ideas

accomodation

chasing a pre-existing idea to fit new information

schema

a mental idea of what something is and how to act on it

Piagets 4 stages of development

sensorimotor stage, preoperational stage, concrete operational stage, formal operational stage

sensorimotor stage

ages 0-2 years, learn object permanence, carry out goal oriented behaviour

pre operational stage

ages 2-7 years, increase symbolic thinking, egocentrism, animism, understand transformation of one thing to another

egocentrism

only capable of seeing the world from their point of view

animism

the belief that everything which exists has a form of consciousness

concrete operational stage

ages 7-12 years, understand conversation, learn measurement, learn organisation

formal operational stage

ages 12- adulthood, fully cognitively developed, learn abstract thinking

abstract thinking

the ability to think about information without relying on existing knowledge

eriksons psychosocial development theory

personality development is a combination of psychological processes which occur within individuals and their experiences with others

psychosocial crisis

a struggle between two opposing tendencies from internal needs and demands of society

eriksons psychosocial stages

mistrust vs trust, autonomy vs shame and doubt, initiative vs guilt, industry vs inferiority,  identity vs role confusion, intimacy vs isolation, generativitiy vs stagnation, integrity vs despair

stage 1 mistrust vs trust

0 to 12 months, the views and expectations of the world, mistrust can develop from inadequate care

stage 2 autonomy vs shame and doubt

12-18 months to 3 years, independence leads to self control whereas dependance leads to lack of confidence

stage 3 initiative vs cult

3 to 5 years, purpose of activities, guilt about going overstepping boundaries

stage 4 industry vs inferiority

5 to 12 yeas, encouraged and praised for their ability to achieve

stage 5 identity vs role confusion

12 to 18 years, when individuals don’t have a positive image of themselves they struggle to find where they belong

stage 6 intimacy vs isolation

18 to 25 years, the ability to care for someone without losing oneself

stage 7 generatively vs stagnation

25 to 65 years, being interested in others versus boredom and lack of growth

stage 8 integrity vs despair

65+ years, ability to look back at life with satisfaction versus feeling hopeless at lost opportunities and meaningless life

vygotskys sociocultural theory of development

thinking and learning abilities are strongly influences by surrounding people and culture

zone of proximal development

the space between what an individual can do on their own and what they cant do even with help

psychological wellbeing

the scientific study of human flourishing and the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive

mental health

a state of wellbeing in which every individual realises their own potential and can cope with the normal stresses of life

mental illness

a syndrome characterised by clinically significant disturbances in an individuals condition, emotional regulation or behaviour

mental health continuum

healthy, mild, moderate, severe

definition of DSM-5

the diagnostic and statistical manuel fifth edition

DSM-5

a dictionary of mental health disorders

weaknesses of DSM-5

large amount of disorders, comorbidity between disorders, westernised disorders

cultural influences on mental health

if something is considered abnormal in one culture it may be considered normal in another

cultural considerations of mental health

cultural triggers, symptom misinterpretation, normality seen as abnormality

resilience

the ability to tolerate and even thrive in highly stressful circumstances

importance of resilience

improves learning, reduces risk taking, lowers absences from work or school, lower rate of death, increased physical health

stressor

an event or condition that results in physical or emotional stress

influences of resilience

risk factor, protective factor

risk factor

a behaviour or characteristic of an individuals life that is associated with a higher likelihood of a negative outcome on their mental or physical health

protective factor

an environmental or personal resource that creates resilience, helping an individual more effectively cope with stressors

risk factors examples

family history of mental illness, poor academic achievement, low self esteem

protective factors examples

good relationships, regular physical activity, ability to set goals

coping strategies

adaptive, maladaptive, problem focused, emotion focused, social support

factors of adaptive coping strategies

active, accommodative, emotional, behavioural, cognitive

maladaptive coping strategies

substance abuse, binge eating, self harm, risk-taking, avoidance

problem focused coping

strategies which attempt to confront and directly deal with the demands of a situation to reduce stress

emotion focused coping

strategies which attempt to manage the emotional responses that result from it

seeking social support

turning to others for assistance and emotional support in times of stress

flourishing

the state of being free from illness or distress and being filled with vitality

importance of relationships

provides the experience to be cared for which reduces risk of mental and physical illness

types of social support

instrumental, informational, appraisal, emotional

instrumental support

money, labour, time

informational support

advice, suggestions

appraisal support

affirmation, social comparison

emotional support

affection, concern, listening, venting

PERMA model definition

the 5 components of life people seek intrinsically and contribute to their wellbeing

5 components of PERMA

positive emotions, engagement, relationships and social support, meaning, accomplishment

positive emotions

positive predictors of flourishing and can be learned to improve wellbeing

engagement

complete absorption into an activity

relationships and social support

maintain positive wellbeing and flourishing to prevent cognitive decline

meaning

to have purpose in life

accomplishment

the result of achieving a goal creating pride and motivation

the broaden and build theory of positive emotion

both negative and positive emotions must co-exist

virtues

the core characteristics valued by moral philosophers and religious thinkers

the 6 virtues

wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance and transcendence

character strengths

the psychological ingredients that define virtues

VIA-15

the instrument used to measure an individuals character strengths

strengths of VIA-15

possesses strong validity and reliability

weaknesses of VIA-15

doesn’t take individual motivations into account

mindfulness

the awareness of one’s internal states and surroundings

gratitude

brings attention to positive things

meditation

extended contemplation to achieve focused attention

cognitive behavioural therapy

an effective form of treatment in mental health problems

components of CBT

cognitive therapy and behavioural therapy

cognitive therapy

identify and replace irregular cognitions of thinking which lead to depressed behaviours with rational thoughts

behavioural therapy

identify and replace behaviours which support depressed thinking with positivity

advantages of CBT

treats the cause, quick and effective