Research Methods
What is an extraneous variable?
A variable that is not an independent or dependent variable which can alter the results of the experiment.
What is the difference between Nature and Nurture?
Nurture are the environmental factors that impact who we are.
Nature refers to our genetics.
What is an attachment?
An attachment is an emotional bond between an infant and another person.
What is Piaget's theory?
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development proposes that a child's intelligence grows as the child grows.
A person has a fear of driving that causes them issues in their daily lives, is this a maladaptive or adaptive behaviour?
Maladaptive behaviour
What should be included in a hypothesis?
Hint: There are 4 components
PIDD:
- Population
- IV
- DV
- Direction
What are critical periods and provide an example?
Periods of development where you're most vulnerable to the absence of certain environmental influences.
E.g. Imprinting
True or false: Adults who formed secure attachments as infants tend to have good self-esteem, seek social support when they need it, and are comfortable sharing feelings with their friends and partners.
True
What are the four stages of Piaget's theory (In order)?
- Sensorimotor stage
- Pre-operational stage
- Concrete operational stage
- Formal operational stage
What normality approach is defined by behaviours or characteristics found in most people?
A- Sociocultural
B- Functional
C- Statistical
D- Situational
Answer: C
= Statistical
What does it mean for results to be generalised?
The results can be applied to many different types of people or situation.
What is the difference between continuous and discontinuous development?
Hint: 'Slope vs step' graph
Continuous development is the gradual change in development whereas discontinuous development involves distinct and seperate stages.
What is the difference between secure attachment and insecure attachment?
Secure attachment is when infants feel safe and depend on caregivers, whereas insecure attachment treats the caregiver like a stranger
What is this an example of? The first time you see a cow, you call it a horse, as this fits in with your current schema. You then learn that the animal is different. In order to fit this new information, you must alter your schema and create a new category for cows.
Accomodation!
A person is wearing their pyjamas at school, in what two normality approaches could this be considered not normal?
A- Situational and Sociocultural
B- Statistical and Situational
C- Historical and Medical
D- Statistical and Functional
Answer: B
= Statistical and Situational
What are confounding variables and how do they effect the results?
Confounding variables cause changes to the DV and makes the results unreliable.
Environmental experiences can affect whether or not genes become active and are expressed. Explain this in relation to schizophrenia.
A person who has genes for the onset of schizophrenia may not actually develop schizophrenia until they experience a major stressful life event, such as the loss of a loved one.
Identify the 4 attachment styles and explain the child's general state of being in 2 of the attachment styles.
- Secure attachment style: Secure, explorative, happy
- Insecure avoidant attachment: Not very explorative, emotionally distant
- Ambivalent attachment: Anxious, insecure, angry
- Insecure disorganised attachment: Depressed, angry, non-responsive
List any 2 of the 6 key achievements of the Pre-operational stage and explain the two.
Egocentrism: Inability to see things from another person's POV
Symbolic thinking: Ability to use symbols to represent an object, place or event.
Animism: The theory that everything that exists has a conscious or awareness
Centration: Tend to focus on one aspect of a situation at a time.
Transformation: Understanding that something can change from one state to another.
Reversibility: Being able to track something to it's original position
Define typical and atypical behaviour and identify whether the following behaviour is typical or atypical:
- A usually friendly, outgoing person becomes withdrawn, does not talk or interact with others and stays in their bedroom alone for extended periods of time
Typical behaviour means that a person behaves how they normally do, whereas atypical behaviour is when a person acts in a way that is unusual for them.
- The behaviour is atypical.