psychology key words

• What is ecological validity?

  Ecological validity is a type of external validity that refers to the extent to which the findings of an experiment can be generalised to a real-life setting.
• Why is high ecological validity important in research findings?

  If findings have high ecological validity, it can be argued that they can be applied to real-life settings.
• What does mundane realism refer to in experimental tasks?


  Mundane realism refers to tasks used in experiments that resemble activities which are common in everyday, natural settings.
• What is social desirability bias in research?

  Social desirability bias occurs when participants present themselves in a socially acceptable fashion based on social norms or expectations.
• What is conformity in psychology?


  Conformity occurs when someone changes their behaviour or beliefs due to real or imagined pressure from others.
• What are demand characteristics in psychological research?


  Demand characteristics occur when participants try to make sense of the research and act accordingly to support the aim of the research.
• How do demand characteristics affect the validity of research results?


  Demand characteristics can make the results less valid as participants may behave in a way to support the hypothesis.
• What is the 'screw-you' effect in research?

  The 'screw-you' effect occurs when participants deliberately try to disrupt the results of a study.
• What is schizophrenia classified as in the DSM?

  Schizophrenia is classified as a psychosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM).
• When does schizophrenia typically occur?

  Schizophrenia usually occurs in late adolescence or early adulthood, but it can occur at any time in life.
• What is a key characteristic of schizophrenia?

  A key characteristic of schizophrenia is that the sufferer has no concept of reality.
• What causes schizophrenia according to the study material?

  Schizophrenia is due to a breakdown of the patient's personality.