1.1 The World of Psychology: An Overview

Question 1

Define psychology.
S-B, S-I & M-P, P-A, I-E

Answer 1

It is the science that seeks to understand behaviour, social interactions and mental processes, taking into account physical attributes and interactions with the environment.

Question 2

What is psychology?

Answer 2

The science that seeks to understand behaviour and mental processes and to apply the understanding in the service of human welfare.

Psychology is the study of the mind, behaviour and the relationship between them (Sternbery, 1988)

Question 3

What are the goals of psychology? (four elements)

Answer 3

To understand, explain and predict human behaviour in different contexts to promote a healthy life and human welfare.

Describe behaviour:
* What, where, and when certain behaviours happen
Explain behaviour:
* Why it happens – Why people choose to behave in particular ways.
Predict behaviour:
* What will happen next – Once behaviour can be described and explained, it can be predicted
Change behaviour:
* Individuals, groups, and society – Once behaviour can be predicted, it can be changed, which is an intervention from a psychological perspective.

Question 4

What is the broader level of psychology?

Answer 4

The broader level of psychology is cross-cultural and social psychology. This field examines how individuals behave and interact within their communities and with one another.

Question 4

What are the key characteristics of psychology? (8)

Answer 4

• The mind - what we think and feel
• Behaviour – what we do and how we act
• The reciprocal relationship between those two components is fundamental to defining psychology.
• Scientific study of behaviour
• Strong theoretical underpinnings
• Strong research basis
• Emphasis on empirical evidence
• To accomplish the goals of psychology, the study of human behaviour must be studied from a scientific perspective.

Question 5

What is positive psychology?

Answer 5

A field of research that focuses on people’s positive experiences and characteristics, such as happiness, optimism and resilience.

Question 6

4xC, E, F, H, O, S

What are the nine areas of psychology that the Psychology Board of Australia has endorsed and reflect the nine colleges within the Australian Society?

Answer 6

1. Clinical
2. Clinical Neuropsychology
3. Community
4. Counselling
5. Education and Development
6. Forensic
7. Health
8. Organisational
9. Sport and Exercise

Question 7

How many special interest groups are there?

Answer 7

47

Question 8

4xC, E, O, H, S

The New Zealand Psychological Society has eight professional institutes and special interest groups members may join. What are they?

Answer 8

1. Clinical
2. Community
3. Counselling
4. Criminal Justice and forensic
5. Education and Developmental
6. Organisational
7. Health
8. Special Interest Group

Question 9

Who may use the term ‘psychologist?’

Answer 9

It is restricted to those who satisfy the Psychology Board of Australia requirements for registration and practice. Outside those requirements it a breach of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009.

Question 10

What is biological psychology?

Answer 10

Biological psychologists analyse the biological factors influencing behaviour and mental processes.

Question 11

Biological psychology is also called what?

Answer 11

physiological psychologists

Question 12

What technique allows biological psychologists to study brain activity accompanying various mental processes?

Answer 12

1.Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
2. PET Scans
3. EEG

Question 13

What topics do biological psychologists research?

Answer 13

1. How the brain controls a person’s movement and speech.
2. What organs help a person cope with stress and fight disease.

Question 14

What is cognitive psychology?

Answer 14

Focused on analysis of the mental processes underlying judgement, decision-making, problem-solving, imaging and other aspects of human thought or cognition.

Sensation and preception, learning, memory, attention, intelligence, creativity

Question 15

Cognitive psychologists have found that we don’t just receive incoming information. What else do we do to it?

Answer 15

We mentally manipulate, depending on which of the features you emphasise.

Question 16

What is engineering psychology?

Answer 16

The study of human factors in the use of equipment helps designers create better versions of that equipment. For example, computer keyboards, mobile phones, TV remotes that are more logical, easier to use and less likely to cause error.

Question 17

What is developmental psychology?

Answer 17

Psychologists who seek to understand, describe and explore how behaviour and mental processes change over the course of a lifetime, from birth through to old age.

Question 18

What areas is human development being applied to by developmental psychologists?

Answer 18

Parenting, evaluating daycare, preserving mental capacity in elderly people.

Question 19

What is personality psychology?

Answer 19

The study of individuality focuses on people’s unique characteristics.

Question 20

What psychologists seek to assess, understand and modify and prevent behaviour disorders?

Causes and treatment of metnal disorders: Depression, Anxiety, Schizophrenia, Autism

Answer 20

Clinical and counselling psychologists.

Question 21

Research improves the understanding of genetic and environmental forces that shape what disorders?

Answer 21

Anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and autism.

Question 22

What work does a community psychologist do? (4 things)

Answer 22

1. Works with all types of individuals,
2. communities,
3. integrates social,cultural, economic, political and enviromental and
4. strives for change in social systems.

Question 23

What do community psychologists focus on?

Answer 23

Preventing psychological disorders by promoting people’s resilience and other personal strengths.

Question 24

# 7 Groups C,N,N,O,D,U,H Who do community psychologist work with?

Answer 24

1. Communities 2. Non-Government Organisations 3. Neighbourhood Organisations 4. Overseas Aid 5. Development organisations 6. Urban, regional and remote communities 7. Health and education providers,

Question 25

Why do community psychologists work with communities, non-government organisations and neighbourhood organisations?

Answer 25

To reduce crime, poverty and other stressful conditions.

Question 26

Community psychologists try to understand what?

Answer 26

The individual and system interactions and work from a preventative systemic orientation.

Question 27

What are community psychologists experts in? (9 needs analysis)

Answer 27

Needs analysis for communities at risk, such as 1. Immigrant groups and rural and remote communities, 2. Community asset mapping of social capital and related resources; 3. Community-generated problem-solving based on collaboration and social justice, 4. Community capacity building to manage change and address risks and threats, 5. Evaluation of psycho-social environments with respect to a sense of community, 6. Quality of life, 7. Social support network, 8. Resilience, 9. Social impact assessment related to environmental issues such as drought and climate change.

Question 28

What do health psychologists study?

Answer 28

The effects of behaviour and mental processes on health and illness and vice versa. For example, the relationship between risky behaviours, such as smoking or lack of exercise and the likelihood of suffering health issues.

Question 29

Health psychologists explore the impact that illnesses, such as diabetes, cancer and multiple sclerosis has on what? (4 things)

Answer 29

People's behaviour, thinking, emotions and family relationships.

Question 30

When do children and adults recover more rapidly after a procedure?

Answer 30

When patients are mentally prepared for surgical procedures. Patients are given helpful information about what to expect before, during and after their operations.

Question 31

Who researches and develops theories about teaching and learning? ## Footnote Usually in very applied settings - Schools and universities

Answer 31

Educational psychologists

Question 32

To what is the work of educational psychologists applied? (4 things)

Answer 32

1. Programs designed to improve teacher training, 2. Refine school curricula. 3. Reduce truancy rates, 4. Help students learn more efficiently and remember what they learn.

Question 33

What is the jigsaw technique?

Answer 33

A classroom activity in which children from various ethnic groups must work together to complete a task or solve a problem.

Question 34

What do cooperative experiences promote? (3 things)

Answer 34

1. Learning, 2. Generate mutual respect 3. Reduce intergroup prejudice

Question 35

What do school psychologists provide? (3 things)

Answer 35

1. Support to teachers and students, 2. Assist in identifying students' academic challenges and opportunities, provide counselling to students, 3. Set up programs to improve student achievement and aspirational growth.

Question 36

What do social psychologists study? (2 things)

Answer 36

1. How people influence one another's behaviour, 2. Social interactions and attitudes individually and in groups.

Question 37

Who studies ways to improve efficiency, productivity and satisfaction among workers and the organisations that employ them?

Answer 37

Organisational psychologists

Question 38

# LSCPFPWWCE What do organisational psychologists research? (10 things)

Answer 38

1. Leadership 2. Stress 3. Competition 4. Pay rates 5. Factors that affect the efficiency 6. Productivity and satisfaction of people in the workplace. 7. Worker motivation 8. Work team cooperation, 9. Conflict resolution procedures 10. Employee selection methods

Question 39

What does the research from organisational psychology promote the development of?

Answer 39

Positive organisational behaviour.

Question 40

What does the results of positive organisational behaviour include? (4 things)

Answer 40

1. More effective employee training programs 2. Ambitious but realistic goal-setting procedures 3. Fair and reasonable evaluation tools 4. Incentive systems that motivate and reward outstanding performance.

Question 41

Who explores the relationship between athletic performance and such psychological variables as motivation and emotion?

Answer 41

Sports and exercise psychologists

Question 42

# Four points What do forensic psychologists assist in?

Answer 42

1. Jury selection. 2. Evaluate defendants' mental competence to stand trial 3. Deal with other issues involving psychology and the law 4. Assist police and other agencies in understanding criminals

Question 43

What do environmental psychologists study?

Answer 43

The effects of the physical environment on behaviour and mental processes. ## Footnote In these transactions, individuals change the eviroment, and their behavour and experieces are changed by the environment.

Question 44

What are the results of environmental psychologists applied to?

Answer 44

Architects and interior designers as they plan or remodel university residences, shopping malls, auditoriums, hospitals, prisons, offices and other spaces to make them more *comfortable* and *functional* for the people who occupy them.

Question 45

Who helps us to better understand the experiences of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers as they build new lived for themselves in places that are unfamiliar to them?

Answer 45

Cultural and cross-cultural psychologists

Question 46

What do cultural and cross-cultural psychologists help us understand?

Answer 46

The way culture affects our lives and to better understand our and others' place in the world.

Question 47

Psychology is the science that seeks to understand _______________, social ______________, and _______________ processes, taking into account __________________ attributes and interactions with the ________________.

Answer 47

1. behaviour 2. interaction 3. mental 4. physical 5. environment

Question 48

Cognitive psychologists focus on __________ of the mental processes underlying judgement, __________ -making, __________ - solving, imaging and other aspects of of human thought and __________.

Answer 48

1. analysis 2. decision 3. problem 4. cognition

Question 49

Clinical psychologists seek to assess, __________ modify and __________ behaviour disorders.

Answer 49

1. understand 2. prevent

Question 50

Social psychologists study how people influence one another's __________, social __________ and __________ individually and in __________.

Answer 50

1. behaviour 2. interactions 3. attitude 4. groups.

Question 51

Culture and cross-culture psychology help us to better understand the way __________ affects our lives and can help us to better understand our and others __________ in the world.

Answer 51

1. culture 2. place

Question 52

Community psychologists work with all types of __________ and __________ and strive for __________ in social systems.

Answer 52

1. communities 2. individuals 3. change

Question 53

Once behaviour can be described and explained it be be__________

Answer 53

Predicted

Question 54

Once behaviours are predicted, they can be __________

Answer 54

Changed.

Question 55

What is the psychological phenomenon = serial postion effect?

Answer 55

The primacy and recenty effects ## Footnote When we are stretched, we tend to use other strategies to encode and retrieve information

Question 56

# ACENO What is the Big Five Factor Personality Inventory?

Answer 56

Agreeableness - *Relates to people, more empathetic, quite sociable* Conscientiousness - *Good impulse control, goal directed behaviours* Extraversion - *Quite social, talkative, assertive and emotional expressiveness* Neuroticism - *Periods of sadness, moodiness, emotional instability* Openness to experience - *Imagination and insight, eagerness to learn*

Question 57

# Three things What is the Dark Triad?

Answer 57

Narcissism - *Selfish, arrogant, sensitive, ruthless* Psychopathy - *Lack of empathy or remorse* Machiavellianism - *Self-interested, manipulative, lack of morality*

Question 58

What is the most common, well-know therapy appproach in clinical psychology?

Answer 58

CBT - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Question 59

What is considered the 'gold standard' for treating common psychological disorders?

Answer 59

CBT - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy ## Footnote Due to having the largest evidence base

Question 60

What does Cognitive Behavioural Therapy focus on?

Answer 60

Chinging beliefs and behaviours in a highly structured therapy session.

Question 61

# 5 Points What does social psychological phenomena include? ( 5 things)

Answer 61

1. Conformity 2. Obedience to authority 3. Prejudice and stereotypes 4. Groupthink 5. Influece of the media on attitudes and behaviour

Question 62

What is the Hawthorne effect?

Answer 62

The awareness of being studied

Question 63

# 6 places What area of work do health psychologists work in? (6 things)

Answer 63

1. Health promotion 2. Lifestyle changed (stress management) 3. Promotion of exercise and healthy eating behaviours 4. Managing diseases or death and dying 5. Behavioural strategies relevant to disease prevention (addition treatments) 6. Assessment and treatment of chronic or acute health problems (pain or sleep disorders)

Question 64

Environmental psychology includes __________, __________ and __________ aimed at improving our relationship with the natural environment and making buildings more human

Answer 64

Theory Research Practice

Question 65

What is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on the interplay between individuals and their surroundings?

Answer 65

Environmental psychology ## Footnote The term environment is broadly defined , encompassing natural environments, social settings, built environments, learning environment and information environments

Question 66

What performance services do sports and exercise psychologists provide? (8 things)

Answer 66

1. Assessment of barriers to optimal performance 2. Supporting mental preparation 3. Design/ implementation of group mental skills 4. Team selection and enhancement 5. Concentration strategies 6. Team building and leadership 7. Communication skills 8. Conflict resolution

Question 67

What well-being services do sports and exercise psychologists provide? (6 things)

Answer 67

1. Managing work-sport balance 2. Career transitions and retirement 3. Managing overtraining 4. Sports rehabilitation 5. Counselling to overcome stress, anxiety and interpersonal conflict 6. Implementation of interventions

Question 68

What is the individual level of psychology?

Answer 68

The individual level of psychology examines the individual differences that influence how people interact with one another and their communities, including personality, learning, memory, and motivation.

Question 70

With the high level of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Australian judicial system, what do forensic psychologists need to consider? (2 things)

Answer 70

1. Culturally appropriate communication & 2. Interactions.

Question 71

To understand psychology a a whole, it is essential to understand what?

Answer 71

The linkage among its subfields. Example when developmental psychologists study change in children's thinking skills. Their reasearch is linked to cognitive psychology.