a Flashcards
Outline the defining principles and concepts of the Developmental area[4]
The developmental area looks at the idea that people change throughout a life span, from the minute they are conceived till they die the body and its physical abilities, thought processes, emotions and behaviours change.
It considers the fact that behaviour can be influenced by both nature and nurture. This means that some behaviours are linked to changes in our biology such as hormones (nature) but that we also should consider the impact of the environment and experiences people have (nurture).
Application of developmental area
Through the developmental area studies we learn that children’s behaviours are strongly influenced by adults (models) around them. If you expose a child to an adult being aggressive they are likely to imitate this behaviour.
This information is useful to parents, teachers and child psychologists
Understanding that aggressive behaviour is learnt this way means that these people can put in restrictions e.g. not allowing children to watch TV/Films or play video games with violence in. It also provides explanation to child Psychologist as to why problematic behaviour in kids may occur, the fact aggression is learnt suggests it can be unlearnt e.g. observing non-aggressive models.
The developmental area suggests behaviours change over a life span and can be affected by nature and nurture. This application shows how nurture can be manipulated / controlled to ensure negative changes to behaviours do not occur.
strengths & weaknesses social area
The social area can explain many phenomena e.g. obedience to authority, conformity, helping behaviour. This is supported by a good range of research methods such as lab experiments, controlled observations, field experiments and cross-cultural studies
Social influences have shown to have a strong influence on people’s behaviours e.g. the location, the person in authority – what they are wearing, their language, their behaviour, their position (proximity)to the person, how much the person respects the authority
weaknesses - The social area can create unethical situations which can cause psychological stress to the participants. For example participants may follow orders in a lab experiment that may have embarrassing or upsetting consequences, this may cause the P’s distress
Social area research has been criticised for lacking ecological validity for example some of the research has been done in controlled conditions, meaning that behaviour may not necessarily be like that in real life
Behaviour can be linked too much to the power of the situation and individual differences are ignored
Lee method strength
Lab experiment
Lee’s study has high internal validity – there were high levels of controls
4 stories were told – each story had a picture to accompany it and a clear rating scale
P’s were told the stories in a randomised order – some were told pro lies first some were told anti truths etc
P’s were randomly placed into social and physical stories
Lee method weakness
Because it was done in lab conditions it was artificial
This means that it has low ecological validity
The P’s were given hypothetical situations, this means that they might now answer like that in real life if it was really happening
freud Results
Little Hans’ fear of horses was considered by Freud as a subconscious fear of his father. This because the dark around the mouth of a horse the blinkers resembled the moustache and glasses worn by his father. He was fearful of his father because he was experiencing the Oedipus complex.
Hans’ fascination with his “widdler’ was because he was experiencing the Oedipus complex.
Hans’ daydream about giraffes was a representation of him trying to take his mother away from his father so he could have her to himself another feature of the Oedipus complex.
Hans’ fantasy of becoming a father again linked to his experiencing the Oedipus complex.
Hans’ fantasy about the plumber was interpreted as him now identifying with his father and the final family fantasy was interpreted as the resolution of the Oedipus Complex.
milgram Procedure
The 40 participants in the experimental group were always given the role of teacher (through a fixed lottery) and saw the leamer (a confederate) strapped into a chair with (non-active) electrodes attached to his arms.
They were given a trial shock of 45 volts to simulate genuineness.
The ‘teacher’ then sat in front of an electric shock generator in an adjacent room.
He had to conduct a paired word test on the learner and give him an electric shock of increasing intensity for every wrong answer.
The machine had 30 switches ranging from 15-450 volts, in 15 volt increments
The learner (Mr Wallace, a 47 year old, mild-mannered and likable accountant) produced (via a tape recording) a set of predetermined responses giving approximately three wrong answers to every correct one. At 300 volts he pounded on the wall and thereafter made no further replies.
If the ‘teacher’ turned to the experimenter for advice on whether to proceed, the experimenter responded with a series of standardised prods eg “Please continue / Please go on.
The study finished when either the ‘teacher’ refused to continue (was disobedient/defiant) or reached 450 volts (was obedient). The participant was then fully debriefed.
levine Sample
Participants in this study were large cities in each of 23 countries – in most cases the largest in each country i.e. individuals in each of these cities at the time of the experiment.
Each of the three helping measures and the walking speed measure were administered in two or more locations, in main downtown areas, during main business hours, on clear days, during the summer months of one or more years between 1992 and 1997.
For the dropped pen and hurt leg situations, only individuals walking alone were selected. Children (younger than 17 years old), and people who were physically disabled, very old, carrying packages etc (i.e. those who might not be fully capable or expected to help) were excluded.
Participants were selected by approaching the second potential person who crossed a predetermined line
lee sperry social area
High reliability - grant
The instructions were standardised for all
P’s, they all read the same article on
psychoimmunology, had 2 min break and
completed the same 10 short answer and 16
multiple choice questions
