Approaches to Research and Understanding Behaviour

Question 1

Biological Approach

Answer 1

• relation between brain and behaviour
• hormones and pheromones on behaviour
• genetics and behaviour

Question 2

Cognitive Approach

Answer 2

• emotions
• memory processing
• thinking and decision-making

Question 3

Sociocultural Approach

Answer 3

• the individual and the group
• culture
• stereotypes

Question 4

enculturation

Answer 4

Learning about one culture
Example: Growing up in a Christian family and going to a Christian college

Question 5

acculturation

Answer 5

exchange of cultures
Example: A Mexican girl moves to Bulgaria and learns the language

Question 6

comfounding variables

Answer 6

interfere with the relationship between IV and DV

Question 7

Independent Variable

Answer 7

What is changed based on the experiment

Question 8

Dependent Variable

Answer 8

What changes/ is measured in an experiment

Question 9

controled variables

Answer 9

What stays the same in an experiment

Question 10

extraneous variables

Answer 10

Anything that could influence the data of the experiment

Question 11

demand characteristics

Answer 11

if a participant knows about the nature of the experiment and that influences their answers

Question 12

Lab Experiment

Answer 12

Strenghts:
- cause and effect relationship established
- statistics for analyzing data
- study can be replicated
Limitations:
- lacks ecological validity
-demand characteristics
-internal validity is low

Question 13

ecological validity

Answer 13

strict control over comfounding variables can create an artificial enviroment

Question 14

internal validity

Answer 14

accurate measurements of correct thing

Question 15

reliability

Answer 15

does it have consistent results?

Question 16

Field Experiment

Answer 16

Getting data from a raw source, like a school
Strenghts:
-ecologically valid
- cause-effect relationship
-statistics used to analyse results
Limitations:
- internal validity low
- comfounding variables

Question 17

Naturalistic & Quasi Experiments

Answer 17

There is no IV, the psychologist observes behaviour and takes data
Strenghts:
-allows comparison
- suitable is IV can’t be manipulated
- less chance of bias
Limitations:
- no control of participants
- replication can be difficult
- comfounding variables

Question 18

Correlational Study

Answer 18

Looking at the correlation between things
Strenghts:
-easy to understand
-variables like gender and culture can be studied
Limitations:
- no cause-effect relation

Question 19

correlation coefficient

Answer 19

a number between -1 and +1 that tells us how much two things depend on each other

Question 20

triangulation of research

Answer 20

using different methods to study a topic

Question 21

Interviews

Answer 21

Participants talking about POVs, feelings, opinions, etc
Strenghts:
-it is easy to do
-rich valid data
-flexible
Limitations:
-hard to replicate
-data difficult to analyse
-time consuming
- interviewers need special training

Question 22

focus group

Answer 22

A group interview
Strenghts:
-opportunity to open up
-save time and money
Limitations:
-difficult to control
-introverts vs extroverts

Question 23

case study

Answer 23

Focuses on an individual/ area/group for a long time
Strenghts:
-generate or modify theory
-triangulation of methods
-high ecological validity
- rich in data
Limitations:
-limited generalizability
-data difficult to analyze
-research bias
-harder to replicate

Question 24

generalizability

Answer 24

can this say something about a bigger group?

Question 25

research bias

Answer 25

the expectations of the study influence the results