Theoretical Foundations

Question 1

List and define the two processes that form the basis of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development.

Answer 1

• Accommodation: the process of creating new schema to allow for the understanding of novel events.
• Assimilation: the process of expanding an existing schema to allow for the inclusion of additional related information.

Question 2

List the four stages of development according to Piaget, including the corresponding age range.

Answer 2

• Sensorimotor (0 to 2 years);
• Preoperational (2 to 7 years);
• Concrete operational (7 to 12 years);
• Formal operational (teenage years).

Question 3

List the two characteristics of the sensorimotor stage of development.

Answer 3

• A lack of object permanence;

- Knowledge is limited to only things that an infant can sense.

Question 4

In the pre-operational stage of development, what is knowledge motivated by?

Answer 4

• Egocentrism;

- The emergence of symbolic representation.

Question 5

In the concrete operational stage of development, what is knowledge motivated by?

Answer 5

• The ability of a child to engage in conservation and parallel processing.

Question 6

In the formal operational stage of development, what is knowledge motivated by?

Answer 6

• The ability of teenagers to engage in abstract reasoning and future perspective.

Question 7

Define the term ‘egocentrism’.

Answer 7

The perception that knowledge is only important if it benefits ‘me’ in some way.

Question 8

Define the term ‘symbolic representation’.

Answer 8

The understanding that people and events can be represented in different ways.

Question 9

Define the term ‘conservation’.

Answer 9

The ability to understand that things do not change in actuality, even if they appear to.

Question 10

Define the term ‘parallel processing’.

Answer 10

The ability to think of several features of something at the same time.

Question 11

Define the term ‘abstract reasoning’.

Answer 11

The ability to understand and think about complex issues from numerous perspectives.

Question 12

Define the term ‘future perspective’.

Answer 12

The ability to make decisions based on how they might impact one’s future.

Question 13

Define the term ‘psychology’.

Answer 13

The science of behaviour and mental processes.

Question 14

List the three important debates in psychology.

Answer 14

• Nature vs. Nurture;
• Freewill vs. Determinism;
• Mind vs. Body.

Question 15

What does the nature vs. nurture debate revolve around?

Answer 15

The issue of how people acquire their behaviours and mental processes.

Question 16

What does the freewill vs. determinism debate revolve around?

Answer 16

The issue of whether our behaviours and mental processes are a product of our choice or the unavoidable result of our precursors.

Question 17

What does the mind vs. body debate revolve around?

Answer 17

The issue of establishing the relationship between the mind (cognitive processes) and the body (behaviour).

Question 18

List the four aspects of the mind/body relationship.

Answer 18

• Emergence: attitudes cause behaviours.
• Epiphenomenalism: behaviours cause attitudes.
• Interactionism: behaviours cause attitudes/attitudes cause behaviours.
• Psychophysical Parallelism: behaviours and attitudes are not causally related.

Question 19

In terms of the mind/body relationship, what does emergence suggest?

Answer 19

That the mind controls the body.

Question 20

In terms of the mind/body relationship, what does epiphenomenalism suggest?

Answer 20

That the body controls the mind.

Question 21

In terms of the mind/body relationship, what does interactionism suggest?

Answer 21

That the mind and body both causally affect each other.

Question 22

List the six ethical guidelines in psychology.

Answer 22

• Protection from harm;
• Right to privacy;
• Deception;
• Informed consent;
• Debriefing;
• Social responsibility.

Question 23

List the five steps of the scientific method.

Answer 23

1. Observation;
2. Hypothesis generation;
3. Hypothesis testing;
4. Theory development;
5. Replication and extension.

Question 24

Identify and explain the 1st step of the scientific method.

Answer 24

1. Observation: revolves around noticing some aspect of abnormal human behaviour.

Question 25

Identify and explain the 2nd step of the scientific method.

Answer 25

2. Hypothesis generation: involves producing a formal statement that represents your belief about the cause of the behaviour observed in Step 1.

Question 26

Identify and explain the 3rd step of the scientific method.

Answer 26

3. Hypothesis testing: involves employing non-experimental or experimental methods to test the veracity of the generated hypothesis.

Question 27

Identify and explain the 4th step of the scientific method.

Answer 27

4. Theory development: involves placing the results of the research within a theoretical framework or model in psychology.

Question 28

Identify and explain the 5th step of the scientific method.

Answer 28

5. Replication and extension: involves testing additional hypotheses based on the results of the research and the accompanying theory.

Question 29

Define the term ‘law’.

Answer 29

Rules established by a governing authority to institute and maintain orderly coexistence.

Question 30

List the two types of legal cases.

Answer 30

• Criminal;

- Civil.

Question 31

What is a criminal law case?

Answer 31

Prosecution by the state of an individual who has violated a law.

Question 32

What is a civil law case?

Answer 32

The settlement of a dispute between two parties, one of whom perceives they have been wronged.

Question 33

What is an appellate decision?

Answer 33

A decision, usually made by a higher court, regarding a claim that an individual’s constitutional rights were infringed upon during a lower court hearing.

Question 34

List the two elements required to prove guilt under common law.

Answer 34

• Mens rea: guilty mind;

- Actus reus: guilty act.

Question 35

What is meant by the latin phrase ‘actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea’?

Answer 35

The act does not make a person guilty unless the mind be also guilty.

Question 36

Translate the following phrase to latin: ‘The act does not make a person guilty unless the mind be also guilt’.

Answer 36

Actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea.

Question 37

What is meant by the latin term ‘stare decisis’?

Answer 37

• Refers to a legal principle of following precedents when deciding a case;
• Suggests that the decisions of a court should follow an example set by prior decisions where situational aspects are similiar.

Question 38

Define the term ‘forensic psychology’.

Answer 38

The understanding and production of psychological knowledge that is applicable, in an integrative fashion, to issues of importance to the criminal and civil justice systems.

Question 39

The term ‘criminal psychology’ is used in which country?

Answer 39

The United Kingdom.

Question 40

The term ‘clinical forensic psychology’ is used in which country?

Answer 40

Australia.

Question 41

The term ‘law and psychology’ is used in which country?

Answer 41

United States of America.

Question 42

Define the term ‘criminal psychology’.

Answer 42

The application of psychological knowledge to the criminal justice system.

Question 43

Define the term ‘clinical forensic psychology’.

Answer 43

The application of clinical psychological knowledge to the treatment and rehabilitation of offenders.

Question 44

Define the term ‘law and psychology’.

Answer 44

The use of psychological knowledge to assist with issues of importance to the law.

Question 45

What event in the historical timeline of forensic psychology occurred in 1789?

Answer 45

The 1st case in Australia citing mental incapacity to stand trial and the use of an expert to speak on the issue occurred (R vs. Gordan).

Question 46

What event in the historical timeline of forensic psychology occurred in 1843?

Answer 46

The McNaughton rule was established.

Question 47

What is the McNaughton rule?

Answer 47

Criteria used for determining insanity in the British courts:

• Presumes that the defendant is sane and responsible for their criminal actions;
• The defendant must have been suffering from a disease of the mind;
• Asks whether the defendant knew if what they did was wrong.

Question 48

What event in the historical timeline of forensic psychology occurred in 1854?

Answer 48

A newspaper article from the SMH suggesed that legal cases involving insanity should be a matter for psychologists rather than general practitioners.

Question 49

What two events in the historical timeline of forensic psychology occurred in 1864?

Answer 49

• The term “alienist” was used to describe a member of the Belgian lunacy commission;
• A newspaper from the Argus (Melb) was the first to mention the need for using forensic psychology as part of the trial process (R vs. Harrison).

Question 50

What event in the historical timeline of forensic psychology occurred in 1893?

Answer 50

James Cattell of Columbia University conducted the 1st experiment in North America on the psychology of testimony.

Question 51

What event in the historical timeline of forensic psychology occurred in 1906?

Answer 51

Freud delivered a lecture to a group of Austrian judges suggest that psychology can be applied to the law.

Question 52

What event in the historical timeline of forensic psychology occurred in 1908?

Answer 52

Hugo Munsterberg published “On the Witness Stand”.

Question 53

What event in the historical timeline of forensic psychology occurred in 1954?

Answer 53

Brown vs. Board of Education (US Supreme Court).

Question 54

What event in the historical timeline of forensic psychology occurred in 1974?

Answer 54

The Law-Psychology program at the University of Nebraska was established.

Question 55

List the four elements of the Daubert criteria, which is used to assess whether expert testimony is admissible.

Answer 55

• Peer reviewed;
• Testable;
• Recognised rate of error;
• Adheres to professional standards.