Introduction to Psychology
Define psychology as a science
Study of human thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.
What does the abbreviation 'NREM' stand for?
Non-Rapid Eye Movement
Feeling stressed, nervous, and/or worried for a short period of time best describes:
a) anxiety (emotion)
b) anxiety (disorder)
c) depression (emotion)
d) depression (disorder)
a) anxiety (emotion)
Outline the three components of a lie.
Subjective Experience
Lying makes an individual feel an emotion
Physiological Arousal
Stress and emotions caused from lying will cause changes in bodily processes, due to sympathetic nervous system activation
Expressive Behaviour
Changes in facial expressions, voice tonality or speech patterns/tendencies, and body language
Explain your response.
Mental Process - this cannot be directly observed and is a private, internal event
How many hours of sleep per night does the average teenager need?
9 - 10 hours
Which level of wellbeing (Low, Medium or High) best describes an individual that previously had a period of time in which they struggled to cope with everyday demands, manage their emotions, and had an inability to concentrate, but is slowly improving over a course of 1 month?
Medium
Mr Nguyen is struggling to pay off a mortgage. He decides to steal Mr Bartlett's watch collection to gain some money from selling it on Gumtree.
After invading Mr Bartlett's home and stealing the watches, Mr Nguyen runs into and destroys a local bakery while speeding away in his car. He abandons the car, containing his keys to MWSC and a complete set of fingerprints on the steering wheel.
What crime scene term best describes the car crash at the bakery? Explain your response.
Secondary Crime Scene
Another location (not the original/primary crime scene) where additional evidence can be found
Differences
- psychologists must study ~6 years, whereas psychiatrists must study for ~11 years
- psychologists will rely on talk/behavioural therapy, whereas psychiatrists are able to prescribe medication
- psychologists tend to treat less severe cases, psychiatrists tend to treat cases of high severity
Similarities
- both study the brain and behaviour
- both provide mental health services
- both can diagnose disorders
Outline Freud's Psychoanalytic theory and distinguish between manifest and latent content.
Psychoanalytic theory states that dreams have a hidden meanings behind them (often about an individual's unconscious/innate desires) and can be analysed.
Manifest content describe objects/symbols or events in the dream.
Latent content describes the meaning hidden behind/represented by the manifest content.
A similarity between psychopathy and sociopathy includes:
a) both are completely incapable of empathy
b) both usually start with excessive animal cruelty
c) both will have well-planned early crimes
d) both are predominantly hereditary
b) both usually start with excessive animal cruelty
Give two limitations to using photofits or police line-ups
- Eyewitnesses can observe suspects in poor conditions (e.g., bad lighting)
- Photographs may bias or highlight features that the eyewitness did not pay attention to
- Witnesses may expect that the suspect is in the lineup (even if they may not be)
Define the term pseudoscience and give an example of it
Sciences that are fake/false - an area of study that claims to be scientific whilst not using the scientific method.
Examples (non-exhaustive list)
- Astrology
- Numerology
- Palmistry
- Graphology
- Homeopathy
Outline and explain one limitation of sleep laboratory studies.
Acceptable Responses:
- Sleep is interrupted
Participants are woken during REM to report their dreams. Dreams that follow this may be affected by this disturbance.
- Unfamiliar environment
Can interrupt usual sleep and dreaming patterns.
- Subjective data
Measurements rely on participants being honest about dream content
- Emotional dreams/nightmares rarely occur in sleep laboratories
- Dreams may be recorded inaccurately
Participants may not remember all details and researches may make errors in recording descriptions.
Which type of anxiety disorder is characterised by recurrent persistent thoughts or intrusive and obsessive impulses?
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Anna and Annie are monozygotic (identical) twin sisters. During their later years, Anna becomes intensely stressed and begins to express her frustration through petty theft and vandalism.
According to statistics gained in twin studies, how likely is Annie to complete the same or a similar crime?
21% chance for Annie to be a concordant.
Name the branch of psychology that would research effective ways of learning in a classroom.
Educational Psychologist
Mr Nguyen has recently started to experience interruptions to his sleep. Usually, he routinely falls asleep at around 11PM each night and wakes up at 6AM.
Recently, he would wake up unexpectedly at 3AM, taking an hour to fall back asleep, before waking up again at his usual time.
a) How long is a sleep cycle?
b) How many completed (non-interrupted) sleep cycles would Mr Nguyen experience, given his sleep interruptions?
a) 90 minutes or 1 hour and 30 minutes per cycle
b) 3 complete sleep cycles
11:00PM - 12:30AM = 1st complete cycle
12:30AM - 02:00AM = 2nd complete cycle
02:00AM - 03:00AM = incomplete cycle
03:00AM - 04:00AM = falling asleep
04:00AM - 05:00AM = 3rd complete cycle
05:00AM - 06:00AM = incomplete cycle
Poverty
A lack of access to basic life necessities can lead to constant worry or a sense of helplessness/hopelessness
Social Stress
Lac of or jeopardised sense of belonging and relationships can lead to feelings of helplessness/hopelessness
After being arrested for stealing Mr Bartlett's watch collection, the police use a polygraph test in an attempt to gain more information on the theft.
Outline one way Mr Nguyen can fool the polygraph test.
Acceptable responses:
- Purposely raise his own heart rate before answering questions by biting his tongue or pinching himself very hard.