Measuring Psychology
A scientist is performing a psychological experiment. Once he finishes, he posts the results along with the participants full names. Which ethical guideline does this break?
Confidentiality
Damage to this lobe can affect reasoning and movement
Frontal lobe
Name a limitation of IQ tests in measuring intelligence
They don’t measure creativity or social skills.
What is the wheel of emotions used for?
Help individuals to process accompanying thoughts.
Explain how age diminishes criminal responsibilities
In AU, under 10 - not responsible, between 10-14 are considered doli incapax, go to children's court
What is informed consent?
Participants of the experiment are given a clear indication what the research is about and what their involvement would be
Where does information travelling through a neuron end? Through which structure?
Terminal button
Name two types of intelligence from Gardner’s theory.
Linguistic
Logical-mathematical
Musical
Bodily-kinesthetic
Spatial
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
What is in the middle of the mental wellbeing continuum?
Mental health problems
Limitations of eye witness testimony
false memory: our memory can be manipulated (not always accurate) due to new information, fear, comments of others etc.
What is a representative sample?
Definition: Selecting participants who are easiest to reach or readily available.
Example: Surveying people walking by on campus.
Pros: Fast, cheap, and easy.
Cons: High risk of bias (not representative), limited generalizability.
Best for: Exploratory research, pilot studies, or when resources are limited.
Where is the cerebellum located and what would possibly happen if you damaged it?
At the back of your head under the cerebrum.
Possibly difficulties in movement, balance/ posture.
Identify the 3 intelligence theories in psychology and list pros and cons for each of them.
1. Binet’s Intelligence Theory (IQ / Mental Age)
Idea: Intelligence = mental age vs. actual age.
Pro: Simple to use; identifies learning difficulties.
Con: Focuses only on academic ability; ignores other strengths.
2. Wechsler’s Theory (Ability-Based)
Idea: Intelligence = overall ability to think and adapt (verbal & non-verbal).
Pro: Broader testing; more detailed than IQ alone.
Con: Still academic-focused; cultural bias possible.
3. Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences
Idea: Intelligence = different areas like musical, bodily, social, etc.
Pro: Recognises diverse strengths; good for education.
Con: Hard to test; limited scientific support.
What constitutes mental illness/ disorder?
A mental illness is diagnosed when a person experiences ongoing patterns of thoughts, emotions, or behaviours that cause significant distress and impair their ability to function in everyday life (e.g. at school, work, or in relationships).
Differences between serial killer and mass murderer
Serial killer: kill 3 or more people in separate events
Mass murderer: kill 4 or more people in one location in one incident
What are extraneous variables and what are the three types?
Any factor other than the independent variable that could potentially influence the dependent variable in a study or experiment. (uncontrolled)
Situational, experimenter, participant
Explain how neurons pass on information. Do they touch?
No. Electricial stimiulation leads to a chemical release at the synapse, where chemical go across the synaptic gap and stimulate the next neuron in a network.
Why might IQ tests be culturally biased?
They use language or concepts unfamiliar to some cultures
Explain how the biopsychosocial model can be used to understand the causes of depression.
The biopsychosocial model helps explain depression by looking at different causes.
- Biological factors might include a chemical imbalance in the brain or family history.
- Psychological factors can be negative thinking patterns or low self-esteem.
- Social factors might include bullying, isolation, or stressful life events.
This model shows that depression is not caused by just one thing, but by a mix of body, mind, and environment.
Outline steps of BEA and provide details.
1. Analyse forensic evidence: collect and analyse evidence e.g. DNA, fingerprints, blood, bullet wounds
2. victimology: develop a profile of the victim e.g. characteristics, personality, age, physical build
3. Analyse crime scene: determine where is the crime scene and if there were multiple crime scenes
4. Developing criminal profile: Create a formal criminal profile which is a list of physiological and psychological characteristics of the likely offender
5. Apprehension: Suspect is interveiwed, investigated and comapre to the criminal profile.
Why is validity important in studies of psychology
It ensures the study measures what it claims to measure, making the results accurate and trustworthy.
The role of amygdala.
Amygdala is responsible for emotion processing
e.g. If you were in a car accident: the amygdala helps you remember how frightened you felt.
Explain the 4 components of Emotional Intelligence by Salovey and Mayer
The ability to recognize, understand, manage, and use emotions effectively in oneself and others. They defined EI through four main components:
Perceiving emotions – accurately recognizing emotions in faces, voices, and other cues
Using emotions – harnessing emotions to facilitate thinking and problem-solving
Understanding emotions – grasping emotional language and how emotions evolve
Managing emotions – regulating emotions in oneself and influencing others' emotions appropriately
Summarise and explain Maslow's hierarchy of needs
It is a pyramid with five levels. People must satisfy lower levels before moving to higher ones.
Physiological needs – basic needs like food, water, and sleep
Safety needs – feeling safe and secure
Love and belonging – relationships, friendships, and feeling part of a group
Esteem needs – feeling good about yourself and being respected
Self-actualization – becoming the best version of yourself and reaching your full potential
Are you more criminally responsible for a crime if you have been diagnosed with a mental disorder? Explain your answer.
No, a mental disorder can reduce criminal responsibility if it causes mental impairment, meaning the person didn’t understand their actions or know they were wrong (mens rea).