16 Questions
What is the primary focus of the field of Clinical Psychology?
Addressing behavioural and mental health issues
Which of the following approaches focuses on the study of how the mind functions to adapt organisms to their environment?
Functionalism
What is the primary goal of Experimental Research in psychology?
To determine cause and effect relationships
Who is the key figure associated with the Psychoanalysis approach?
Sigmund Freud
What is the primary goal of Descriptive Research in psychology?
To observe and record behaviour
Which of the following is a type of Correlational Research?
Positive correlation
What is the focus of the Humanism approach in psychology?
Free will and self-actualisation
What is the primary limitation of Correlational Research?
It is unable to determine cause and effect relationships
What is the primary focus of Biological Research?
Study of the brain and other parts of the nervous system
During which stage of cognitive development do children learn using symbolic thinking?
Pre-operational Stage
What is the primary characteristic of the Concrete Operations stage of cognitive development?
Understanding of conservation and reversibility
What is the primary characteristic of the Post-conventional Level of moral development?
Abstract moral judgement
What is the definition of Learning?
A change in behaviour resulting from practice or experience
Who is associated with the theory of Classical Conditioning?
Ivan Pavlov
What is the primary difference between Sex and Gender?
Sex is biological, while gender is psychological and sociocultural
What is the primary characteristic of Reflexes?
Actions performed without conscious thoughts as a response to a stimulus
Study Notes
Definition and Goals of Psychology
- Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
- 4 primary goals of psychology: describe, explain, predict, and change behavior and mental processes.
Fields of Psychology
- Clinical psychology: addresses behavioral and mental health issues across the lifespan.
- Counselling psychology: helps individuals overcome mental health challenges to improve quality of life.
- Educational psychology: studies how people learn.
Psychology Approaches
Structuralism
- Key figure: Wilhelm Wundt
- Focus: identifying the basic structures of the mind via introspection
Functionalism
- Key figure: William James
- Focus: studying how the mind adapts to the environment
Psychoanalysis
- Key figure: Sigmund Freud
- Focus: unconscious processes, childhood experiences, and unresolved past conflicts
Behaviourism
- Key figure: Ivan Pavlov
- Focus: studying objective and observable environmental influences on overt behavior
Humanism
- Key figure: Carl Rogers
- Focus: free will and self-actualization
Research Methods
Experimental Research
- Definition: controlled scientific procedures that manipulate variables to determine cause and effect.
- Key features: IV, DV, Experimental Group, Control Group
Descriptive Research
- Definition: observing and recording behavior without producing causal explanations.
- Types: naturalistic observation, survey, case study
Correlational Research
- Definition: studying relationships between two or more variables.
- Types: positive, negative, zero
- Note: cannot show cause and effect due to multiple variables
Biological Research
- Definition: studying the brain and nervous system
Reflexes
- Definition: actions performed without conscious thought in response to a stimulus
Piaget's Cognitive Development Stages
Sensorimotor Stage (0-2 years)
- Learning through sense and motor activities
- Understanding object permanence
Pre-operational Stage (2-7 years)
- Learning through symbolic thinking (role-play, language)
- Egocentric thinking: unable to consider another's POV
- Animistic thinking: believing all things are living
Concrete Operations (7-11 years)
- Learning by performing operations on concrete objects
- Understanding conservation and reversibility
Formal Operations (>11 years)
- Mastering abstract thinking and constructing arguments using hypothetical thinking and deductive reasoning
- Hypothetical thinking: considering 'what if' scenarios
- Deductive reasoning: drawing logical conclusions from existing knowledge
Moral Development Stages
Pre-conventional Level (under 9 years)
- Moral judgment: self-centered
- Moral understanding: rewards and punishment
Conventional Level (9 years to early adolescence)
- Moral judgment: other-centered
- Moral understanding: compliance with societal rules and values
Post-conventional Level (adolescence and beyond)
- Moral judgment: abstract
- Moral understanding: personal standards of right and wrong
Learning
Definition
- A change in behavior resulting from practice or experience
Types of Learning
Classical Conditioning (Ivan Pavlov)
- When a neutral stimulus evokes a response originally evoked by another stimulus
Operant Conditioning (John Watson)
- When voluntary responses are controlled by their consequences
- Reinforcement: increasing or maintaining a behavior
- Punishment: decreasing a behavior
Observational Learning (B.F. Skinner)
- Influencing responses by observing others
Definition of Gender
- Psychological and sociocultural meanings added to biological sex
Definition of Sex
- Biological elements of being male or female
Learn about the definition, goals, and fields of psychology, as well as the different approaches in the field. Explore clinical, counseling, and educational psychology, and discover the key figures that shaped the discipline.
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