Research Methods
Question:
In a controlled experiment, what is the name of the variable that is deliberately changed by the researcher?
Answer:
The independent variable (IV) is the variable that is deliberately manipulated or changed by the researcher to observe its effect.
What are the two parts of the central nervous system?
→ Answer: The brain and spinal cord.
What does CTE stand for?
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
What structure connects the left and right hemispheres?
→ Answer: Corpus callosum.
Which part of the brain is known as the “fear center” because it plays a key role in triggering emotional responses like fear and anxiety?
Answer: The amygdala.
In which experimental design do all participants do every condition?
→ Answer: Within-subjects design.
Which lobe of the brain is responsible for decision-making and personality?
→ Answer: Frontal lobe.
What is Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), and which group of people is most at risk of developing it?
Answer:
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive brain disease caused by repeated head trauma. It leads to symptoms like memory loss, mood swings, and cognitive decline.
It most commonly affects athletes in contact sports (e.g., football, boxing) and military veterans exposed to blast injuries.
Which type of plasticity occurs as a result of learning across the lifespan?
→ Answer: Adaptive plasticity.
REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement) is where most dreaming occurs.
Question:
Explain the difference between a within-subjects design and a between-subjects design in psychological experiments. Provide one advantage of each.
A within-subjects design tests the same participants in all conditions of the experiment.
Advantage: Controls for individual differences, as each participant acts as their own control.
A between-subjects design uses different participants in each condition.
Advantage: No risk of order effects like practice or fatigue.
Name the three main regions of the brain based on evolutionary development.
→ Answer: Hindbrain, midbrain, forebrain.
What is the main difference between Broca’s and Wernicke’s aphasia?
→ Answer: Broca’s = difficulty speaking; Wernicke’s = fluent but meaningless speech.
→ Answer: Rerouting forms new pathways between undamaged neurons; sprouting grows new dendritic branches for connection.
→ Answer: Rerouting forms new pathways between undamaged neurons; sprouting grows new dendritic branches for connection.
What condition causes people to see colours when they hear sounds or read letters, due to cross-wiring in the brain?
Answer: Synesthesia.
What are two benefits of stratified sampling?
→ Answer: Ensures subgroup representation; improves generalisability.
Explain the difference between sensory and motor areas in the cerebral cortex.
→ Answer: Sensory areas receive and process information from the senses; motor areas control voluntary muscle movements.
What happens to someone’s perception in spatial neglect?
→ Answer: They ignore one side (usually left) of their visual field, despite normal vision.
What is the difference between sensitive and critical periods?
→ Answer: Sensitive = optimal time to learn; Critical = must happen or won’t develop normally.
What is the name of the visual illusion where two lines of equal length appear different because of the arrows at their ends?
Answer:
The Müller-Lyer illusion — one line appears longer due to inward or outward facing arrowheads, even though both lines are the same length.
Describe an experiment involving brain training and sleep. Identify the IV, DV, and experimental design.
Answer → IV = training + sleep; DV = memory performance; Design = between-subjects.
Describe how hemispheric specialisation works. Include an explanation of how the left and right hemispheres differ in function.
Answer:
Hemispheric specialisation refers to the idea that each hemisphere of the brain is more dominant in certain functions.
Left hemisphere: Dominant in language, logic, analysis, and verbal reasoning.
Right hemisphere: Dominant in spatial awareness, facial recognition, creativity, and non-verbal cues.
Using the case of Phineas Gage, explain how damage to the frontal lobe can impact biological, psychological, and social functioning. Relate your answer to the biopsychosocial model.
Biological: Damage to the prefrontal cortex can cause changes in motor control, reflexes, and facial expressions (e.g., minimal eye movement, blank stare).
Psychological: Personality may drastically change—e.g., Gage became impulsive, irritable, and emotionally unstable. Cognitive functions like decision-making and planning were affected.
Social: Difficulty maintaining relationships and employment. Gage reportedly lost his job and became socially inappropriate, leading to isolation.
Describe the biological, psychological, and social changes experienced after a frontal lobe injury.
→ Answer: Biological: motor issues, blank expressions; Psychological: personality/emotion changes; Social: relationship breakdowns, unemployment.
Which psychologist is famous for his experiment where participants were asked to deliver what they believed were real electric shocks to another person?
Answer: Stanley Milgram, in his famous obedience experiment.