Psychology 203 Final Exam University of Calgary What are some of the current challenges of life? - Answer -Personal choices, careers, your purpose, how to achieve what you want. What is the sense or search for direction in people? - Answer -They desire self realization; wanting something to believe in. Also, they search for quick answers to give themselves direction. What are some issues with self help books? - Answer -They often consist of psychobabble; containing vague and meaningless talk. The advice is usually not based off of scientific research; thus not proven. They don't give direction for how to change behaviou r, instead they focus on the person and don't take situations into consideration. What is psychology defined as? - Answer -It is a science which studies the behaviour and mental processes. How is psychology a science? - Answer -It follows the scientific method. Empiricism: the knowledge comes from systematic observation. Theory development: collecting related data and observations that predict, explain, and describe experimental processes. What is a confound variable? - Answer -The variable which isn't in interest but acts as a systematic difference between the group to validate findings. What are some advantages of the psychology experiment? - Answer -It is clear, precise, less error, and allows us to create cause and effect conclusions. What are some disadvantages of the psychology experiment? - Answer -Some variables can't be manipulated due to ethical concern, or practical realities. The applicability to the real world and its relevance is sometimes questioned. What do descriptive research methods have in common? - Answer -The direct independent variable isn't listed, can't infer cause/effect, their goals show what happens in the real world through this research method. Descriptive research method 1: Naturalistic Observation - Answer -Watching people in their natural environment, because when people know they're being watched they change their behaviour. The objectivity part states that the researcher's bias effects what t hey interpret from what they watch. Descriptive research method 2: Descriptive Research - Answer -Case study; in depth research of one person. Also surveys. Correlation (r) research involves the attempt to figure out whether there is a relation between two variables; so when one inc other dec . If the correlation is +1 or close to it, it's a strong pos relationship, if -1 then strong neg relationship. What does statistical analysis state? - Answer -That the results we obtain depend on the size of the difference and the number of participants. There are differences between the significant and the real world significance as there may be no practical/realis tic significance in our lives. What is the SQ3R technique? - Answer -An active processing method: Survey, question, read, recite, and review. How can you improve your academic performance? - Answer -Use active processing (SQ3R), distributed practice (more practice), organization (makes connections, stores info better), deep process the info (think about the meaning), using mnemonic devices (acron yms, rhymes,etc). What is personality? - Answer -A combination of behaviours, emotions, thoughts that are displayed by people in certain situations over time. What theories have been placed to determine the source of our personalities? - Answer -Psychoanalytic, behavioural, trait, and biological. What do psychoanalytic theories focus on? - Answer -Our unconscious processes that make way for our daily behaviour. Which theory did Sigmund Freud focus on? - Answer -The psychoanalytic theory What are Freud's ranked levels of mental like? - Answer -The conscious level (ego - our normal awareness), preconscious level (superego - can be brought to consciousness easily), and our unconscious level (id -our hidden thoughts and desires). What is the "id" part of our unconscious level? - Answer -Similar to the devil on the shoulder, it is home to our sexual and aggressive drives, holds the pleasure principle, less moral reasoning, less response to temptation. What is the pleasure principle? - Answer -A desire for instinct gratification(pleasure) without regard of consequences. What is the superego part of our preconscious level? - Answer -Similar to the angel on the shoulder, develops in childhood, considers morality, dictated by the ego idea (best person can be), opposite of the id. What is the ego part of our conscious/preconscious level? - Answer -Develops before our superego, it's a reference between the id and superego. It is governed by the reality principle. What is the reality principle? - Answer -An attempt to satisfy needs in realistic ways keeping in mind potential consequences. Personality development is: - Answer -Us going through 5 psychosexual stages (according to Freud). Each of these stages have erogenous zones, and developmental tests. If you fail to pass through these stages, it causes you to come back to the stage when str essed. We will continue to move through the stages, but will come back to a specific one when stressed. Oral stage - Answer -(birth -2yrs) when there is pleasure in the mouth. When adults are stressed, they will do something using their mouth (bite nails, smoke, drink alcohol). Anal stage - Answer -(2-3yrs) Pleasure in anus. Potty training becomes difficult. The ego develops here (societal demand). Adults who come back to this stage will have problems with orderliness, are controlling, and disorganized (anal expulsive). Phallic stage - Answer -(4-7yrs) Pleasure in clitoris/penis. Identification with same -sex parent causing acquisition of superego. Oedipus and electra complexes; child wishes to have sex w. parent. Oedipus is when boys want to replace their dad causing castr ation anxiety (boy wants to cut father's penis off). Electra complex is when girls get penis envy. They think the penis is a symbol of power and that all girls want one. Girls won't develop the same amount of superego as boys. Latency stage - Answer -(7-puberty) No locus of pleasure particularly. The task is a transformation of repressed sexual urges into socially acceptable one. Genital stage - Answer -(puberty -onward) Pleasure is in the vagina/penis. There are two major goals: to have a mature relationship and to make productive work. What are defense mechanisms? - Answer -Unconscious tried to prevent unacceptable thoughts from reaching conscious awareness. To protect ourselves from these impulses. Defense mechanisms 1: Denial - Answer -No self awareness of the urge. Defense mechanisms 2: Intellectualization - Answer -Expressing interest in earning, understanding something from the academic perspective. (ex; learning about crime to become a criminal) Defense mechanisms 3: Projection - Answer -Inappropriate sexual urge towards someone. Projecting personal feelings on to someone else. "It wasn't my feeling, it's theirs". Defense mechanisms 4: Rationalization - Answer -Engage in inappropriate sexual urge but provide excuses/reasoning/justification. "I only cheated on you because you don't listen to me". Defense mechanisms 5: Reaction formation - Answer -You describe opposite sentiment to sexual target. For example you like your boyfriend's brother but say you don't; whereas you want a relationship. Defense mechanisms 6: Sublimation - Answer -Activity that decreases aggressive behaviour.
