SCSA Psychology Science inquiry

• Identify a research issue or problem to investigate
• Formulate a hypothesis
• Choose a research design

Bert should ensure the magpies are the same ones that visit his yard each day.

Bert is looking for a change in friendship level, which is a subjective experience and will be difficult to measure in birds.

Bert will have to decide how he will conduct his study with regard to timeframes, feeding protocols, and how he will manage extraneous and confounding variables.

Bert will need to ensure that his procedure and data collection tool are likely to generate the same results under the same conditions.

There are low levels of validity.

This is because (any 2 of the following):

• there are significant differences between studies, resulting in low concurrent validity
• Bert wanted to compare magpie behaviour towards himself and a young female.
• Bert has not developed a sufficient theoretical basis for his research design, leading to low construct validity
• he will have difficulty drawing a conclusion.
• in a naturalistic setting, there is likely to be a high number of extraneous or confounding variables.

Sleep refers to periods of altered/loss of consciousness.

Any one of

• avoid harm from nocturnal accidents/predators
• conservation of energy after exertion from hunting and gathering during the day

Any one of

• restore energy reserves of the body
• allow the body to replenish neurotransmitters
• allow for the repair and growth of muscles
• allow for the repair and growth of cells

Stage: REM sleep.

Characteristics of this stage are:

• high brain activity (similar to wakefulness)
• eye movement present
• muscles in a state of virtual paralysis
• variable heart rate

Any two of

• heart rate
• breathing rate
• galvanic skin response

Directional.

A directional hypothesis is used when a specific outcome is expected (rather than just an association). Ernest expects more time dreaming for his mattresses so the hypothesis should be directional.

Random sampling is an active process where every member of the population of interest has an equal chance of being selected to participate.

Strength of this method is that when used on large groups it has the best chance of an unbiased representative sample.

Limitation (any one of):

• it can be very difficult to conduct random sampling on a large population
• you may not achieve representatives of all the relevant demographics

Measurement tool – any one of

• heart rate monitor
• electroencephalogram/(EEG)
• electromyogram/(EMG)
• electrooculogram/(EOG)

Justification: the measurement produces an objective quantitative measure

Answers could include:
An EEG records and measures brainwave activity to show when in REM sleep. The measurement produces an objective quantitative measure.

An independent variable: mattress

A dependant variable: time spent dreaming

A controlled variable: (any 1 of the following) same room/same time going to bed/hours spent sleeping/same machine

By measuring REM sleep, Ernest could show that people sleeping on his mattresses dream more than others.

Eustress is a positive psychological response to a stressor that improves performance; while distress is a negative psychological response to a stressor that inhibits performance.

• environmental
• psychological
• social
• cultural

Social Readjustment Scale

Subjective and quantitative.

Each event required a change or coping behaviour by the individual, even for those events considered positive or negative

The rankings given by the two groups are strongly and positively related. This relationship is weaker than between other sub-groups of the study. This suggests that cultural differences may play a part in the degree of readjustment required to different life events.

Wellbeing is feeling happy and content or a positive state in one's life.

Subjective wellbeing focuses on an individual's personal evaluation of their life satisfaction and emotional experiences, and emphasises subjective perceptions and feelings. Psychological wellbeing encompasses broader dimensions of psychological functioning and reflects a more comprehensive assessment of mental health and wellbeing.

Diener’s (1984) model of subjective wellbeing includes life satisfaction, which is the overall evaluation of one's life circumstances, including satisfaction with work, relationships, and personal achievements; and affective balance, which is the balance between positive and negative emotions experienced by an individual, indicating the overall emotional wellbeing.

In Ryff’s (1989) psychological wellbeing model, autonomy is the sense of independence and self-determination where individuals feel in control of their actions and decisions, which leads to a greater sense of fulfilment. Environmental mastery is the ability to effectively manage and adapt to the external world, demonstrating competence in navigating challenges. Personal growth is the continuous process of self-improvement and exploration, fostering a sense of progress and expansion of one's capabilities and seizing opportunities for personal development. Positive relations with others highlights the importance of meaningful and supportive connections with family, friends, and community, contributing to emotional wellbeing and social support.

A specific challenge Cecil is facing is that he experiences feelings of emptiness and dissatisfaction, indicating low life satisfaction and low affective balance.

The benefit of using both the interview and the survey to collect and interpret data is that this is a mixed method design that collects both quantitative and qualitative data, which allows for statistical analysis and allows for rich data and understanding of meaning.