Weeks 1-3 - Module 1

Question 1

What is Psychology?

Answer 1

The scientific study of the human mind, especially related to behaviour

Question 2

Define behaviour

Answer 2

Observable actions and responses to the environment

Question 3

Define science and the scientific method

Answer 3

The process by which we learn how things work

Question 4

Behavioural psychology

Answer 4

Focus on our response to environmental factors

Question 5

Cognitive psychology

Answer 5

Focus on mental processes such as thinking, memory, attention, information, and processing

Question 6

Social psychology

Answer 6

How we influence each other
How we operate in societies
Norms, culture, persuasion, conflict

Question 7

How can psychological principles be applied in the context of health?

Answer 7

Why people make good and bad health choices, and using that to help them lead healthier lives.
E.g. Increased consumption of fruit and veg, exercise practices

Question 8

Educational psychology

Answer 8

Science and study of human learning, involving memory, conceptual processes, and individual differences

Question 9

Personality psychology

Answer 9

Concerned with the differences between individuals

Question 10

Organisational psychology

Answer 10

Specialise in workplace functioning

Question 11

Forensic psychology

Answer 11

Concerned with the intersection of psychology and the justice system

Question 12

Why are automatic responses important?

Answer 12

They aren’t learned - they are pure examples of behaviour in the world, free of influences like culture

Question 13

Define reflex

Answer 13

Physical response - autonomic nervous system

Question 14

Define instinct

Answer 14

Innate mental response, not learned

Question 15

What is the fight, flight, freeze response?

Answer 15

Instinctual response to danger

Question 16

What is comparative psychology?

How does it relate to human behaviour?

Answer 16

Related to non-human animals.

Can give insights into automatic responses and what they are for in humans

Question 17

Moro reflex

Answer 17

Babies will spread arms and legs, then pull them to chest, then cry
Reflex to regain hold of mother

Question 18

Palmar grasp reflex

Answer 18

Babies instinctually grabbing

Prevent being dropped

Question 19

Diving reflex

Answer 19

Holding breath, heartrate drops, blood pressure drops, redirection of blood to vital organs

Question 20

Rooting reflex

Answer 20

Babies turn to face a stimulus and make sucking motions when the cheek or lip is touched
Useful for successful breastfeeding

Question 21

Sucking reflex

Answer 21

Babies will suck something that touches the roof of its mouth
Breast feeding / eating

Question 22

What is a theory?

Answer 22

An explanation of a phenomenon that is corroborated by the available science

Question 23

Evolution via natural selection

Answer 23

Organisms develop characteristics that are advantageous to survival. Specimens that don’t exhibit those characteristics are less likely to survive and pass on their characteristics to successive generations (e.g. moths in polluted areas ared darker)

Question 24

What is selection pressure?

Answer 24

An environmental stress that may favour certain characteristics over others, causing evolution via natural selection

Question 25

What is evolution considered a “backwards-looking” process

Answer 25

Our observance of it is based on historical evidence rather than first hand observation

Question 26

What is emotion?

What are the components of emotions?

Answer 26

An instinctive or intuitive feeling as distinct from reasoning or knowledge
Affect - feelings
Behaviours - actions
Cognitions - thoughts

Question 27

What are expressive behaviours?

Answer 27

Signalling the emotion we are feeling

E.g. Smiling

Question 28

What are instrumental behaviours?

Answer 28

Doing something about our emotions

E.g. Honking a horn in traffic

Question 29

What is meant by innate emotions?

Answer 29

Emotions are generally consistent across all cultures

Question 30

Cultural display rules

Answer 30

Modify innate emotions to conform to societal norms

Question 31

Why do we experience jealousy?

Answer 31

To protect our reproductive outcomes

Protect our mate from others

Question 32

Why do we express emotions?

Answer 32

Related to survival instincts
Fear - eyes widen (view more of the scene), retreat (give more time to respond)
Disgust - wrinkle nose (avoid inhaling harmful odours), purse lips (avoid ingesting)

Question 33

Fast fear response

Answer 33

Immediate emotional response to stimuli

E.g. Jumping at a scare

Question 34

Slow fear response

Answer 34

Fear only develops after assessing the situation

Question 35

James-Lange theory

Answer 35

Emotions occur as a response to physiological events

Physiological response and emotion are essentially the same thing

Question 36

Cannon-Barde theory

Answer 36

Stimulating events trigger feelings and physical reactions that occur simultaneously and independently

Question 37

Schachter-singer two-factor theory

Answer 37

First, environmental stimuli elicit a physiological response.
Second, we cognitively appraise this response and try to give it a label.

Question 38

Arousal

Answer 38

Physiological response to our emotional state

Question 39

Appraisal

Answer 39

Cognitive interpretation of our emotional state