Research methods Flashcards
(42 cards)
Explain the theory of structuralism.
It was interested in the structure of the mind. Suggested the mind was comprised of elements. They measured how changes in stimuli caused changes in verbal responses.
Why was Margaret Floy Washburn important in early psychology?
She was the first woman to earn a PhD in psychology
What did William James add to the functionalism theory?
He stressed the importance and function of natural processes. He had a strong emphasis on overt, observable behaviour.
Why was Mary Whiton Calkins important in early psychology?
She was the first woman president of the American Psychological Association.
What theory did Sigmund Freud popularise? what were his main theories?
Psychoanalysis. He was interested in the unconscious structures of the mind. He thought that a trained psychoanalyst was needed to interpret these obervations.
What did Anna Freud found? What legacy did she leave?
She founded child psychoanalysis and studied defence mechanisms (like denial and repression). Today there is the “Anna Freud national centre for children and families.
What are three main theories popularised under behaviourism?
Classical conditioning, operant conditioning and social learning theory.
What theory of psychology did Jean Piaget develop? What are the main principles of this?
He developed genetic epistemology which was used to track cognitive stages of child development.
Who started the Humanistic/positive psychological theory? What does this emphasise?
Abraham Maslow. It emphasised the positive side of human experience and our potential. Split human needs into “basic”, “psychological” and “self fulfilment” needs
What did Kenneth B. Clark and Mamie Phipps Clark’s work on social identity and segregation highlight the need for?
The need for strict ethical guidelines in psychology and issues with replicability were raised
What is psychometrics? What does it help study?
It is a form of psychological measurement and it helps us study intelligence and personality.
What does cognitive psychology measure?
The mental processes that affect behaviour. This includes attention, language, memory, perception, thinking, problem-solving etc.
What has the growth of neuropsychology paired with cognitive neuroscience lead to?
The ability to study the biological and neural basis of depression, addiction, dyslexia etc.
What is eugenics and how has it been connected to psychology in the past?
Eugenics is the study of arranging human reproduction to increase the occurrence of “desirable” traits. Very racist. 30 APA presidents connected to eugenic organisations. SAT developed to ‘prove’ racial superiority of white Americans.
How have gender and sexuality studies changed throughout psychologies history?
From homosexual “treatments” (forced vomiting/electric shocks) to the declassification of homosexuality as a mental disorder to the statement that gay parents provide good environments.
How have women been negatively impacted by psychology?
Underdiagnosed (e.g. autism and ADHD) and not given the same level of attention by psychological studies (e.g. BPS has male psychology section)
What is the ‘replication crisis’?
The fact that many famous/used psychological studies cannot be replicated. How can they be taken as reliable?
What are some reasons that significantly add to the ‘replication crisis’?
QRP’s, lack of transparency and fraud.
What is a hypothesis?
A testable explanation/prediction about the relationship between two or more variables.
What does any null hypothesis propose?
That the effect being studied does not exist
What do hypotheses need to be in terms of validity?
Falsifiable
What are the two types of hypothesis? Describe these in terms of how they direct the hypothesis.
One-tailed/directional and two-tailed/non-directional hypotheses.
What is a scientific theory?
A comprehensive explanation supported by a vast body of evidence
What kind of questions cannot be answered with the scientific method?
Some qualitative methods e.g. experiences, meanings and processes
