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

Observation as a Process

1. Concept of observation as a process:

It is a process whose primary role is to gather information about the subject under consideration. It is an intellectual process.

Assessing vs. Observing

2. Difference in assessing and observing:

Assessment is directed toward a decision, separating the evaluation of the trial. Observing aims to understand and articulate the behavior of all participants in a situation.

Observer Attitudes

3. Observer attitudes:

Factors include the observer's sex, personal characteristics, ethical character, and social background.

Categories of Factors

4. Categories of factors:

These include stable internal factors (ability, skill), unstable internal factors (effort, will), stable external factors (task difficulty)... Continue reading "Observation Techniques: Process, Types, and Functions" »

Assessment in Primary Education

• It is an integral part of the teaching-learning process.
• It is a fundamental component of the curriculum.
• It focuses on the student, classroom, and center.
• Objectives and curriculum serve as references.
• It is a means for continuous improvement.
• Assessment techniques must be consistent with the learning objectives.

Purpose and Objectives of Assessment

• Its primary purpose is to improve educational intervention.
• Specific objectives include:
• Monitoring the progress of children.
• Evaluating teaching practices.
• Assessing the functioning of the educational center.
• Evaluating student progress, teaching methods, and the center's effectiveness.

Characteristics of Effective Assessment

• Global: It should assess the full range of children'

1.4.2 Attention

Attention is the capacity that allows us to focus awareness on what we need at any given moment.

1. Stimulus Factors

The intensity and predictability of a stimulus influence attention:

• Greater intensity captures more attention.
• Unexpected stimuli are more attention-grabbing.

2. Personal Factors

Willingness and internal states affect attention:

• Fatigue, sleepiness, and hunger negatively impact attention span.
• Mood, mental fatigue, interest, and humor also affect attention.

Benefits of Attention

Attention enables us to:

• React to stimuli promptly.
• Discriminate desired stimuli and prevent distractions (perceptual defense).
• Maintain sustained focus on an activity.
• Perform multiple tasks effectively.

1.4.3 Memory

Memory is the ability to encode, store,... Continue reading "Enhancing Attention and Memory: Key Factors and Processes" »

Understanding Baby's Sensory Motor Intelligence

Exploring the World Through Senses

Babies primarily use their senses and motor skills to explore and manipulate their environment. This period of cognitive development, from birth to two years old, is called "sensory motor intelligence" by Piaget. A key aspect of this stage is the child's desire to touch and interact with everything around them.

Developing Senses: Touch, Hearing, and Sight

Touch

During the first year, touch is especially developed. From the earliest days, babies manipulate objects by putting them in their mouths, exploring textures with their sensitive tongues, gums, cheeks, and lips. By six months, they can distinguish objects based on temperature, size, hardness, and texture. A... Continue reading "Sensory Motor Intelligence in Babies: Exploring the World Through Senses" »

Meaningful Learning

Occurs when new information connects to a relevant pre-existing cognitive structure. This implies that new ideas, concepts, and propositions can be learned significantly as other relevant ideas, concepts, or proposals are adequately clear and available in an individual's cognitive structure and function as an anchor point to the former.

Mechanical Learning

Occurs when there are inadequate pre-existing cognitive structures, so the new information is stored arbitrarily, without interacting with pre-existing knowledge.

Learning by Discovery

Involves students sorting information, integrating it with their cognitive structure, and reorganizing or transforming the integrated combination to produce the desired learning.

Reception Learning

The... Continue reading "Learning Theories: Meaningful, Mechanical, and Eclectic Approaches" »

Types of Reinforcement

Bandura identifies three forms of reinforcement that promote learning by observation:

1. Direct Reinforcement: Reinforcing the observer directly when they reproduce the model's behavior.

2. Indirect or Vicarious Reinforcement: Reinforcing the model. Observing the consequences of others' behavior can modify behavior similarly to direct experience. Vicarious reinforcement:

• a) Informs observers about appropriate behavior based on success and failure patterns.
• b) Enhances practical learning through direct experience, as multiple observers can be exposed to the modeled behavior simultaneously.
• c) Reduces attention demands compared to direct experience.

3. Self-Reinforcement: Controlling one's own reinforcements without expecting... Continue reading "Observational Learning: Reinforcement and Classroom Application" »

Observation: Concepts and Features

Observation is an inherent part of human nature, integrated into our psychology in relation to everyday events. It involves the perception of a phenomenon that is selected and recorded without manipulation, making the observer a passive witness of what has occurred.

Observation can vary in its degree of systematization, ranging from casual observation to those that adhere to strict methodological criteria.

Observation becomes a scientific technique when it meets the following criteria:

• It is part of an objective investigation.
• It is stated and recorded systematically.
• It is subject to checks and controls regarding validity and reliability.

Types of Observation

Self-Observation

Self-observation occurs when the observer... Continue reading "Understanding Observation: Types and Techniques" »

What are the Functions of Assessment?

The role of assessment includes formative assessment, diagnostic evaluation, forecast evaluation, and function-oriented evaluation.

What is Diagnostic Assessment?

Diagnostic assessment is performed prior to the development of the educational process. To perform a diagnostic evaluation, different procedures can be used, such as written questions, oral exchanges with the group on the topic of interest, and observing the student in their work related to the themes.

What is Formative Assessment?

This assessment is the most important in the educational process because it provides the student with feedback (and of course, feedback to the teacher) regarding their performance. It indicates what has been achieved, what... Continue reading "Understanding Educational Assessment: Types, Functions, and Tools" »

Party Roles

A role is defined as an individual's function within a group. Individuals can fulfill multiple roles across different groups.

Status refers to an individual's position within a hierarchical structure.

The role involves practicing behaviors aligned with the status held. While a person may play different roles, certain behaviors define each role. Studying the "Johari Window" helps understand how individuals present themselves in relation to others.

Johari Window: Four Key Areas

• Open Area: What I know about myself and what others know about me.
• Blind Spot: What others know about me, but I don't know about myself.
• Hidden Area: What I know about myself, but others don't know.
• Unknown Area: What neither I nor others know about me.

Within groups,... Continue reading "Understanding Group Dynamics: Roles, Conflicts, and Teamwork" »

Understanding Participant Observation Nuances

However, there are nuances. Systematic observation (excluding verbal interaction) is easy to perform in open spaces. It is also relatively smooth when the researcher is introduced as a participant but primarily functions as an observer (e.g., journalists).

The researcher undergoes a progressive process, starting from initial integration into the observed group. Initially, they are inevitably guided by their pre-existing theoretical assumptions (etic approach). This continues until they grasp the group's own interpretation of reality, which the group uses to classify, arrange, and organize their experiences (emic approach).

It is crucial to gain an insider's perspective on the field and systematize... Continue reading "Participant Observation: Field Access and Research Dynamics" »