Background Body dysmorphic disorder: psychological disorder related to body image. The fear of having a deformity. The researchers decided to carry out the study after a patient admitted to spending 6 hours staring at himself in the mirrors. This prompted the researchers to find out if mirror gazing and BDD has a relationship. Aim: To … Continue reading Veale and Riley (2001) The Psychopathology of Mirror Gazing in Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Month: November 2017
Billington, Baron-Cohen and Wheelwright (2007) Questionnaire and Performance Tests of Empathy and Systemizing
Background Cognitive style of people and whether they could explain gender differences. Systemising: the drive and ability to analyse the rules underlying a system to predict its behaviour. Empathising: the drive and ability to identify another’s mental states and to respond to these with one of a range of appropriate emotions. Aim: To see whether … Continue reading Billington, Baron-Cohen and Wheelwright (2007) Questionnaire and Performance Tests of Empathy and Systemizing
Thigpen and Cleckley (1954) A Case of Multiple Personality
Background Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) is a dissociative disorder in which two or more distinct personalities coexist within one and the same individual. It is a neurotic disorder. It is not a form of schizophrenia – type of psychotic disorder where contact with reality and insight are impaired. Other symptoms are hallucinations and delusions. Aim … Continue reading Thigpen and Cleckley (1954) A Case of Multiple Personality
Rosenhan (1973) Being Sane in Insane Places
Aim: To test the hypothesis that psychiatrists cannot reliably tell the difference between people who are sane and those who are insane. Study I Method: Sample: Eight sane people – One graduate student Three psychologists (including Rosenhan) A paediatrician A painter Housewives Procedure: Field experiment – took place in natural setting but researchers manipulated certain … Continue reading Rosenhan (1973) Being Sane in Insane Places
Dematte, Osterbauer and Spence (2007) Olfactroy Cues Modulate Facial Attractiveness
Aim: To investigate whether the perceived attractiveness of faces is affected by olfactory cues. It specifically investigated whether a pleasant or an unpleasant smell would affect judgments of facial attractiveness Method: Participants: 16 female students at University of Oxford. Mean age of 26 (from 20 to 34) Unaware of the purpose of the study. Asked … Continue reading Dematte, Osterbauer and Spence (2007) Olfactroy Cues Modulate Facial Attractiveness
Maguire, Frackowiak and Frith (1997) Recalling Routes around London: Activation of the Right Hippocampus in Taxi Drivers
Background: Semantic memory – concept-based knowledge in our long-term memory. Helps to do things like give a meaning to otherwise meaningless sentences or words by recalling information (e.g. shades of colours). Episodic memory – specific and personal knowledge = recollection of our past experiences and specific events that happened. Topographical memory - the ability to … Continue reading Maguire, Frackowiak and Frith (1997) Recalling Routes around London: Activation of the Right Hippocampus in Taxi Drivers
Dement and Kleitman (1957) The Relation of Eye Movements During Sleep to Dream Activity.
Aim: To investigate dreaming in an objective way by looking for relationships between eye movements in sleep and dream recall. Method: Three approaches used to test aim: REPEATED MEASURES DESIGN 1.Whether dream recall changes between REM and NREM sleep (Natural experiment in laboratory setting) IV = REM and non-REM sleep. DV = whether a dream … Continue reading Dement and Kleitman (1957) The Relation of Eye Movements During Sleep to Dream Activity.
Schachter and Singer (1962) Cognitive, Social and Phyiological Developments of Emotional State
Aim: To investigate whether when we are in state of physiological arousal that has no immediate explanation and what role cognitive factors play in the experience that emotion. Whether when we do have an appropriate explanation for feeling a certain emotion we always label it as the most appropriate emotion. Method: Design: Dependent variable: the … Continue reading Schachter and Singer (1962) Cognitive, Social and Phyiological Developments of Emotional State
Tajfel (1970) Experiments in Intergroup Discrimination
Background We have beliefs about people before we meet them. Stereotypes: Overall impressions based on the assumption that all members of a group possess similar attributes. We use prejudice to determine how to interact with strangers Discrimination is exhibited because of our prejudice Social discrimination: behaviour toward or against a person or group is … Continue reading Tajfel (1970) Experiments in Intergroup Discrimination
Piliavin, Rodin and Piliavin (1969) Good Samaritanism: An Underground Phenomenon?
Bystander effect: Social psychological phenomenon that refers to cases in which individuals do not offer any means of help to a victim when other people are present. Bystander: Anyone who is present at an incident but not directly involved. Diffusion of responsibility: When groups of people witness an emergency together and everyone assumes a little … Continue reading Piliavin, Rodin and Piliavin (1969) Good Samaritanism: An Underground Phenomenon?
CIE A Level Psychology 