Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Psychology and Sociology

Review Questions & Answers

Unit 2

1. What information should be in a well-written job description?

• Job Title
• Brief summary
• Work activities
• Tools and equipment used
• Work context
• Work performance
• Compensation information
• Job Competencies (KSAOs)

2. What groups/people are most likely to conduct a job analysis?

• Internal Department
• Human resources
• Compensation
• Training
• Engineering
• Internal task force
• Supervisors
• Employees
• Consultants
• Interns/class projects

3. Briefly describe job analysis.

Job analysis is the systematic study of a job's tasks, duties, and responsibilities, and the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the job. Job analysis is the starting point for many important personnel functions. A job analysis yields several products.

4. List and

In the late nineteenth-century Britain, girls were taught domesticity, while boys learned mathematics for work. Women's entry into higher education was very slow. The situation began to change in the 1960s and 1970s. Today the secondary school curriculum no longer distinguishes between boys and girls. However, there are various other points of entry for the development of gender differences in education.

Some History

Until recently, it was common for storybooks in primary schools to portray boys as showing initiative and independence, while girls, if they appeared at all, were more passive. Stories written for girls take the form in a domestic or school setting. Boys' adventure stories are more wide-ranging, having heroes who travel off to distant... Continue reading "Gender Inequality in Education: Past, Present, and Future" »

Defining Science

• A process of understanding phenomena through observation, generalization, and verification.
• Relies fundamentally on experiment and observation.

Understanding Scientific Claims

• Science makes **no claim** to have all the answers or to be right all the time.
• It claims that if we honestly, consistently, and vigorously pursue knowledge using scientific techniques, we will generate ever more accurate and consistent depictions and explanations of phenomena in our universe.

The Role of Bias in Observation

• Bias is a belief based on personal feelings.
• Observations can be biased by:
  • Existing knowledge or lack thereof.
  • Available technology.
  • Social trends and culture (*ethnocentrism* is a form of bias).

Science is Self-Correcting

• Science is not a perfect

Discuss potential effects of deprivation or trauma in childhood on later development

Healthy development is influenced by factors such as access to loving caregivers, adequate nutrition, sensory and cognitive stimulation, and linguistic input.

A child reared in a severely deprived setting will not experience such factors and this can affect the child’s development negatively.

Deprivation in childhood can be seen as living in a state of various forms of neglect to provide basic needs – physical, emotional, or social. Deprivation is often related to institutionalization, growing up in poverty, and parental problems (e.g. alcoholism or mental illness.

Trauma in childhood can be seen as experiencing a powerful shock (e.g. divorce, death of a parent,... Continue reading "Effects of Deprivation and Trauma on Child Development" »

Personality

Personality refers to the unique set of characteristics and features that define an individual and are evident in their interactions with others.

Temperament

A: Inherited genetic traits that influence the functioning of the nervous and endocrine systems.

B: Basic emotions and feelings that are consistently present in behavior.

C: Difficult to modify, but not impossible.

D: Examples: nervousness, activity level.

Character

A: Acquired traits developed throughout life.

B: Can be modified with effort and training.

C: Dependent on the individual and can be judged as right or wrong (morally).

D: Considered learned habits.

E: Examples: hard work, patience, understanding.

Personal Identity

The concept of oneself that evolves over time.

• Individual aspects
• Exterior

Dx Criteria of SPD

1. Changes in Personality and Societal Function

Individuals with Schizotypal Personality Disorder (SPD) exhibit significant changes in their personality that affect their ability to function in social and occupational settings.

2. Stereotypic Behavior

SPD is characterized by stereotypic behaviors that impact social and occupational functioning.

3. Stereotypic Features

Stereotypic features, such as unusual beliefs and behaviors, are prominent in SPD.

4. Distress

SPD can cause significant distress to individuals and those around them.

Antisocial & Emotional Symptoms & Differential Diagnosis

Personality Disorder (PD)

PD encompasses a range of mental health conditions characterized by inflexible and unhealthy personality traits.... Continue reading "Personality Disorders and Sexual Dysfunction" »

1. Social media emphasizes the 'me' by saying that it is the most socialized aspect of the person. This is gained through repeated interaction with people. With social media, where the interaction rate should be high, chances are people would know the 'me' of the person rather than the 'I'.

2. The second sex is defined as the duality of sexes in which women are always second to men. Men are expected to go to war and be the breadwinner of the family. Females, on the other hand, are defined by the deviation of men. They are the stay-at-home women who would take care of their kids.

3. Double consciousness describes the internal conflict experienced by the subordinated groups in an oppressive society. One would struggle being part of a racist and... Continue reading "Social Media and Cultural Inequality" »

Major Schools of Psychology

Behaviorism

Behaviorism, a dominant school of thought in the 1950s, emphasizes the role of environmental causes in shaping behavior. Observable behaviors, such as classical conditioning (Pavlov's experiment) and operant conditioning (Skinner's experiment), are the focus of research.

Psychoanalysis

Founded by Sigmund Freud, psychoanalysis highlights the influence of the unconscious mind on behavior. Freud's theory of the id, ego, and superego explains the complex interactions that drive human behavior. The five stages of psychosexual development (oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital) are key concepts.

Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive psychology emerged as a response to behaviorism, focusing on mental processes such as thinking,... Continue reading "Exploring Major Schools of Psychology: Behaviorism, Psychoanalysis, Cognitive Psychology, and Humanistic Psychology" »

Bipolar and Depressive Disorders (Bipolar I, Bipolar II, Cyclothymia)

Risk Factors (DSM-5 Criteria)

Bipolar Disorder Risk Factors

• Environmental Factors: Bipolar disorder (BP) is more common in high-income countries than in low-income countries. BP is also common among individuals who are separated, divorced, or widowed.
• Genetic Factors: Family history is one of the strongest and most consistent risk factors.
• Gender: Females are more likely to experience BP symptoms compared to males.

Depression Risk Factors

• Temperamental: Neuroticism (negative affectivity) means individuals are more likely to develop depressive episodes in response to stressful life events.
• Environmental Factors: Stressful life events and adverse childhood experiences.
• Genetics: Inherited

What Is Memory?

Memory is the ability to retain information over time through three primary processes:

• Encoding: Transforming information.
• Storing: Retaining information.
• Retrieving: Recalling information.

What Is Encoding?

Encoding refers to creating mental representations of information so it can be stored in your memory. It occurs in three ways:

1. Visual: Creating mental images, such as visualizing your class notes.
2. Acoustic: Repeating information to yourself repeatedly.
3. Semantic: Assigning meaning to information, which is the most effective method for long-term storage.

Storing and Retrieving Information

Storing is the process of placing encoded information into relatively permanent mental storage for later use.

Retrieving is the process of accessing... Continue reading "Understanding Human Memory: Processes and Types" »