Question 1

The 'talking cure' aims to:

Accepted Answer

The 'talking cure' is a form of psychotherapy where a trained therapist listens to an individual talk about their emotional issues and provides guidance to help them process and understand their feelings. The goal of this therapy is to release bottled-up emotions and provide a safe space for the individual to deal with them, leading to personal growth and healing. Therefore, choice B is the best answer.

Question 2

Ethical guidelines from the British Psychological Society are focused around four key areas. These are:

Accepted Answer

The four key areas of ethical guidelines from the British Psychological Society are respect, integrity, competence, and responsibility. These areas focus on the need for psychologists to show respect for individuals, maintain high standards of integrity, demonstrate competence in their work, and act in a responsible manner. These guidelines help to ensure that psychologists uphold ethical principles and protect those who participate in their research or receive their services.

Question 3

Three key factors to consider when assessing ecological validity are:

Accepted Answer

Ecological validity refers to the extent to which the findings of a study can be generalized to real-life settings. This means that the factors that are important in assessing ecological validity are those that relate to how well the study's task and setting resemble real-life situations. Therefore, the best choices are those that focus on the task and setting, which are (D)The task, the setting and the presence of the researcher. The presence of the researcher may also impact ecological validity because it may influence participants' behavior or responses, making it less representative of what would happen in natural settings. However, it is less important compared to the task and setting in assessing ecological validity. Therefore, choice A and B are not the best, and choice C is not comprehensive enough as it only focuses on the participants' cultural background. Choice E is partially correct, but it is also less important compared to the other factors as it only relates to the replicability of the procedure, not to the extent to which it resembles real-life situations.

Question 4

Two core studies using a longitudinal approach were by:

Accepted Answer

Freud conducted a longitudinal study on Little Hans, while Thigpen and Cleckley conducted a longitudinal study on Multiple Personality Disorder. Therefore, option C is the correct combination of studies using a longitudinal approach.

Question 5

Which of these is an example of qualitative data?

Accepted Answer

Qualitative data refers to non-numerical data that cannot easily be measured or quantified. Milgram's participants' comments whilst shocking the 'learner' are examples of qualitative data as they are subjective opinions and experiences expressed in words rather than numerical values.

Question 6

Many psychologists like to gather quantitative data because:

Accepted Answer

Quantitative data can easily be analyzed and compared using statistical methods, making it a popular choice for psychologists. While it may be efficient to collect large amounts of data quickly, this is not necessarily the primary reason why psychologists prefer quantitative measures.

Question 7

Looking at the case studies of Genie and David Reimer, which one ethical problem did NOT apply?

Accepted Answer

Despite both case studies involving unethical treatment of participants, in neither case did the participants go through their experiences just for the sake of the research. Genie's case involved her being rescued from severe child abuse and neglect and Reimer's case involved attempting to change his gender identity following a botched circumcision. Both cases were rooted in attempting to provide treatment for the participants' pre-existing conditions, even if the methods used were unethical.

Question 8

In psychological research, 'validity' means:

Accepted Answer

Validity in psychological research refers to whether the study accurately and appropriately measures or tests what it meant to. It is about the accuracy and truthfulness of a study's results, rather than the intentions of the researchers or the practicality of the research. Validity is different from reliability, which refers to the consistency and stability of a study's results over time and across different situations.

Question 9

For behaviourist psychologists, the key to understanding people is to look at:

Accepted Answer

Behaviourist psychologists focus on the stimulus and reinforcement of people's behaviours to understand why they behave in certain ways. They believe that behaviour is shaped by the environment and the consequences of their actions, rather than personality traits or emotions. By studying the stimuli that elicit a behaviour and the reinforcement that follows, behaviourist psychologists can predict and control behaviour.

Question 10

Galton is a key psychologist credited with inventing:

Accepted Answer

Galton is credited with establishing the first mental testing laboratory and developing the twin study method for behavioral genetics. He also contributed to the development of the scattergraph, which is a graphical representation of the correlation between two variables.

Question 11

Griffiths' study of gambling could be said to include aspects of cognitive psychology because:

Accepted Answer

Griffiths' study of gambling includes aspects of cognitive psychology because it examines the thought processes of gamblers, which is a key focus of cognitive psychology.

Question 12

Childhood is the main focus of developmental psychology because:

Accepted Answer

Childhood is the main focus of developmental psychology because it is the period of the most obvious changes, such as rapid physical and cognitive growth, language acquisition, and social-emotional development.

Question 13

Two key researchers have emphasised the importance of attachment in child development. They are:

Accepted Answer

The two key researchers who emphasised the importance of attachment in child development are Sigmund Freud and John Bowlby. Freud's psychoanalytic theory posited that children form an initial attachment to their mother through breastfeeding, and that this attachment sets the foundation for future relationships. Bowlby expanded on this theory and developed his own attachment theory, which emphasises the importance of a secure attachment between a child and their primary caregiver in promoting healthy emotional and social development.

Question 14

Mapping functions onto the physical structure of the brain:

Accepted Answer

Although attempts have been made to map functions onto the physical structure of the brain, it has not been fully successful because some functions do not seem to sit in one site. While some functions have been successfully localized in certain parts of the brain (such as language functions in the left hemisphere), there is still much to be understood about how the brain functions as a whole. Additionally, mapping functions onto the physical structure of the brain is a complex and ongoing area of research, and while progress has been made in animal brains, it is not yet possible to fully map the human brain.

Question 15

Broca's area of the brain appears to be responsible for:

Accepted Answer

Broca's area of the brain is located in the left frontal lobe and is responsible for the production of speech and language.

Question 16

Attribution theory is part of social psychology. It suggests that we tend to make 'fundamental attribution errors'. This means that:

Accepted Answer

DThe fundamental attribution error is a concept in social psychology where people tend to attribute their own actions to situational factors (E) while attributing others' actions to their personal characteristics or dispositions (D).

Question 17

Social psychologists have looked at incompetence and self-delusion. The research focused on:

Accepted Answer

Social psychologists have studied incompetence and self-delusion through joke-telling and logic tests, as these areas can reveal overconfidence and lack of self-awareness in one's abilities.

Question 18

The individual differences approach assumes that:

Accepted Answer

The individual differences approach emphasizes that people's unique qualities and characteristics are important and should be taken into account when studying behavior. It suggests that differences between individuals are more significant than general patterns of behavior.

Question 19

Freud's study of Little Hans may well turn out differently if repeated with a different child participant. This means it is lacking in:

Accepted Answer

Reliability refers to the consistency of a study or measuring test. If Freud's study of Little Hans may turn out differently with a different child, it suggests that the study lacks reliability, as it may not produce consistent results across different instances.

Quiz 7: Approaches, Perspectives, Issues and Methods