Psychology General
Studies
Approaches & Debates
Key Terms
General
100
Psychology is the (blank) study of human behaviour and mental processes. (what word goes in the blank space?)
Psychology is the SCIENTIFIC study of human behaviour and mental processes.
100
What is the name of the variable that is measured in a study?
The dependent variable.
100

When one has no contriol over ones behaviour this refers to which side of a debate?

Determinism 

100
What is the definition of "psychology?"
The scientific study of human behaviour and mental processes.
100

The group in an experiment that receives a treatment that is expected to have an effect is called the ....(what)... group?

Treatment or experimental group

200
Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and ...?
mental process / cognitive processes / cognition / internal processes (any of these terms is fine).
200
What is the name of the variable that is manipulated by the researcher/s in a study?
Independent variable
200

The cause of depression is low acting MAOA gene this refers to which SPECIFIC side of a debate?

Biological reductionism

200
When one variable increases, so does the other. What's this called?
A positive correlation.
200
What is it called when you give someone a treatment (e.g. pill or injection) that has no biological effects, but may have an effect if the person believes it will?
A placebo.
300
In psychology, is anecdotal or empirical evidence more valuable?
Empirical
300
What is the name given to a variable that might affect the dependent variable, but is not what the researchers are interested in studying?
Extraneous variable.
300

What are the origins of the biological approach?

Case studies of people with brain damage in the 1800s (e.g. Phineas Gage & Tan). 

300
When one variable increases, the other decreases. What is this called?
Negative correlation.
300

Name one part of the brain important in memory and emotion.

amygdala, hippocampus. 

400
In the scientific approach to studying psychology, after we gather data and form a hypothesis, what's the next step?
Test the hypothesis.
400
Why are laboratory experiments used to investigate causational relationships?
Because extraneous variables can be controlled in a laboratory, so the IV can be isolated as the only variable influencing the DV.
400

Identify any three debates in psychology?

Free will vs determinism

Nature vs nurture

Idiographic vs Nomothetic

Reductionism vs holism 

400

Practical Application

When understanding derived from a theory/model etc can be applied in a practical way to infom policy, treatment, prevention etc.

400

Name one neurotransmitter 

 acetylcholine or any ther acceptable answer eg: dopamine, serotonin, gaba.

500
What is the difference between a mental process and a cognitive process?
There is none.
500
What are two reasons why we might not be able to conclude a causational relationship from a study?
1) There are too many extraneous or confounding variables. 2) We do not know the direction of the relationship in the study (i.e. which variable is affecting which).
500

Which approach focuses on universal laws?

Nomothetic approach

500
What is it called when we're not sure of the direction of influence in a relationship between two variables?
Bidirectional ambiguity
500

Define agonist and antagonist

Agonist promots the transfrer of neurotransmitters accros synapses, antagonists blocks the transmission.

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