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All 12 Flashcards — Bidirectional relationships
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Question
What is a bidirectional relationship?
Answer
One where two things each cause the other, not just one direction.
Question
What is a feedback loop?
Answer
A cycle where each thing makes the other stronger, repeating over time.
Question
Give an example of a bidirectional relationship.
Answer
Stress and sleep: stress makes sleep worse, and poor sleep makes stress worse.
Question
Why do bidirectional relationships matter for causality?
Answer
They show a simple, one-way 'A causes B' is often too simple for real behaviour.
Question
Low mood and staying away from friends: how is it bidirectional?
Answer
Low mood leads to withdrawing, and withdrawing makes mood lower. Each feeds the other.
Question
What should you write instead of "the direction is unclear"?
Answer
How each direction could work in the study, and that both may be true in a loop.
Question
Why is a feedback loop useful to know in therapy?
Answer
You can break any part of the loop (e.g. improve sleep) to slow the whole cycle.
Question
Bidirectional vs third variable?
Answer
Bidirectional: the two things cause each other. Third variable: a hidden factor causes both.
Question
What is bidirectional ambiguity?
Answer
Not being able to tell, from a study, which of two related things affects which.
Question
One line to remember bidirectional relationships?
Answer
Not a line, a loop — the arrow points both ways.
Question
What is an interaction between two factors?
Answer
What one factor does depends on the other. Poor sleep may matter most for students who are also anxious.
Question
How can researchers find out which came first?
Answer
Measure the same people more than once and see which change comes before the other.
Read the notes
Full study notes for Bidirectional relationships
Topic 1.2 hub
Causality
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Psychology exam skills
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