The Scientific Method

Question 1

Classical Conditioning

Answer 1

A type of learning in which a neutral stimulus is paired with a response (conditioned stimulus) until it elicits that response.

Question 2

Conditioned Stimulus

Answer 2

The stimulus that can trigger a conditioned response.

After repeated pairings with a behaviour, the neutral stimulus becomes the conditioned stimulus

Question 3

Extinction Learning

Answer 3

Repeated exposures to the CS without the response will eventually eliminate the CR.

Question 4

Operant/Instrumental Conditioning

Answer 4

A type of learning in which voluntary behaviour changes as a function of an addition of a reward or aversive stimuli

Question 5

reinforcement in Operant Conditioning

Answer 5

consequences for behavior that increase its frequency.

Positive reinforcement involves the possible delivery of a desired consequence.

Negative reinforcement is the possible escape from an aversive consequence.

Unwanted behaviors may result from reinforcement of aversive behaviors or the failure to reinforce desired behaviors

Question 6

shaping in Operant Conditioning

Answer 6

developing a new response by reinforcing similar versions of that response.
- shows how behaviour can be learned, whether desirable or undesirable

Question 7

Dependent Variable

Answer 7

some aspect of the phenomenon that is measured and is expected to be changed or influenced by the independent variable

Question 8

Independent Variable

Answer 8

aspect manipulating or thought to influence the change in the dependent variable

Question 9

Confounding Variable

Answer 9

mitigating factors in determining the effects of the dependent variable, not part of the intended design and may change the dependent variable

Question 10

Validity

Internal and External

Answer 10

Internal validity - the extent to which the results of the study can be attributed to the independent variable

External validity - the extent to which the results of the study can be generalised or applied outside the immediate study

Question 11

Clinical Assessment

Answer 11

the systematic evaluation and measurement of psychological, biological and social factors in an individual presenting signs of a psychological disorder.

Question 12

Reliability

Answer 12

the extent to which a measurement is consistent

Question 13

Validity

Answer 13

whether something measures what it is designed to measure

Question 14

Standardisation

Answer 14

the process by which a certain set of standards for therapeutic techniques are consistent across different measures

Question 15

Clinical Interview

Answer 15

gathers information on current and past behaviour, attitudes, emotions and detailed history of the individuals life in general and of the presenting problem.

Question 16

Semi-Structured Clinical Interview

Answer 16

carefully phrased and tested to elicit useful information

Question 17

Behavioural Assessment

Answer 17

direct observation to formally assess an individual’s thoughts, feelings and behaviour in specific context

Question 18

Self-Monitoring

Answer 18

observing their own behaviour to find patterns
- how one presents themselves in social situations

Question 19

Personality Inventories

Answer 19

self-report questionnaire that assesses personal traits by asking respondents to identify descriptions that apply to themselves

Question 20

Pavlovian Conditioning Example

Answer 20

Paired the sound of a bell with food (the unconditioned stimulus)
- Dogs don’t need to learn to salivate when they witness food, it is a biological reaction

The dogs began to salivate when they heard the bell without witnessing food
- The bell is now the conditioned stimulus because the dogs have to learn (or be conditioned) to understand that food is coming
- The dogs salivation is the conditioned response

Extinction is the removal of this conditioning if food is never coming and the dogs stop salivating, a learned fear response

Question 21

Double-Blind Study

Answer 21

When an experiment is run so neither the participant nor the experimenter knows who the experiment or control group is
- reduces the risk of biases

Question 22

predictive validity

Answer 22

how well your assessment tells you what will happen in the future

Question 23

concurrent or descriptive validity

Answer 23

comparing the results of an assessment measure to the results of others that are better known

Question 24

interrater reliability

Answer 24

conducting research on the devices used to assess to ensure that two or more raters (observers) will get the same answers on a phenomenon

Question 25

test re-test reliability

Answer 25

determining the assessment techniques stability over time by testing two or more times with the same person

Question 26

Neuropsychological Test

Answer 26

assessment of brain and nervous system functioning by testing an individual’s performance on behavioural tasks

Question 27

Comorbidity

Answer 27

the co-occurrence of two or more disorders in a single individual

Question 28

Case Study Method

Answer 28

In-depth study of one or more individuals

Question 29

True Experiment

Answer 29

• determines that something causes something else
• randomly assigns people to different treatments and then looking at the outcome

Question 30

Quasi Experiment

Answer 30

• investigators make use of control and experimental groups that already exist in the world
• also called mixed design

Question 31

Randomised Control Trial

Answer 31

comparative clinical trial in which there is random allocation of patients to treatments (control or experiment groups)

Question 32

Correlational Study

Answer 32

correlation - degree to which two variables are associated

negative correlation - one variable decreases as other increases

positive correlation - two variables increase or decrease together

correlation coefficient - statistic reflecting strength and direction of associations

correlation does not imply causation - if two things occur together it doesn’t mean that one caused the other
- lack of understanding of where the correlation actually comes from

Question 33

Hypothesis

Answer 33

educated guess or statement to be supported by data