Lecture 6 Flashcards
What are the two main integrative paradigms in psychology?
Diathesis stress and biopsychosocial
These paradigms emphasize the interplay between biological factors and environmental disturbances.
Define diathesis in the context of psychological disorders.
Constitutional predisposition towards illness that increases the chance of developing a disorder
An example is a family history of schizophrenia, which increases vulnerability.
What does the diathesis stress paradigm suggest?
Diathesis increases risk of disorder but does not guarantee it; stress impacts how diathesis may become a disorder.
What is the diathesis/vulnerability stress model?
The vulnerability a person carries for a disorder is developed or displayed through a trigger or stress.
How does the biopsychosocial paradigm relate to anorexia?
It considers social context, family context, and messages about eating.
What are risk factors?
Factors that interact to put people at greater risk or make them more vulnerable to developing disorders.
What are protective factors?
Factors that help protect someone from developing disorders.
Define resilience in psychology.
Ability to bounce back in the face of adversity.
What is the scientific method?
Pursuit of systemized knowledge through observation.
What does testability mean in scientific research?
Must be amenable to systematic testing that could show it to be false.
What is a construct in psychological research?
Hypothetical entity to explain observed behavior (e.g., attachment, anxiety).
What is a theory?
Prediction about the relationship between constructs.
Define hypothesis in the context of scientific research.
Expectation on what should occur if the theory is true; a testable statement derived from theory.
What is a null hypothesis?
No relationship between variables.
What makes a good theory?
Operationism, where each concept is a single observable and measurable operation.
List some challenges to research in psychology.
- People are complex
- Behavior has multiple causes
- Research is intrusive; many are unwilling or unable to participate.
What is idiographic research?
Person-centered research focusing on detailed understanding of the individual.
What is nomethetic research?
Variable-centered research measuring a group of people on a number of variables.
What is a case study?
Detailed study of one individual based on a paradigm, often includes therapy session details.
What are the strengths of case studies?
- Preserves complexity of individual
- Excellent for generating hypotheses
- Helpful for studying new or rare phenomena.
What is qualitative research?
Focus on experiences or a small group studied in depth, emphasizing descriptive accounts.
What is quantitative research?
Research that focuses on numerical data and statistical analysis.
What do correlational studies examine?
Which factors change together or covary.
What is a correlation coefficient?
A measure that can take any value between +1.00 and -1.00, indicating the magnitude and direction of a relationship.
What does ‘correlation does not equal causation’ mean?
A correlation between two variables does not imply that one causes the other.
What is an experimental design?
Used to evaluate effects of therapies through hypothesis testing and random assignment of participants.
What are randomized control trials?
Experiments that provide greater control by ensuring groups vary only by the variable of interest.
What is internal validity?
Confidence that differences are caused by your manipulation in an experiment.
What is ecological validity?
The extent to which research findings can be generalized to real-world settings.
