Applied Psych: Additional Studies Flashcards
4: Penrod and Cutler
Witness confidence
Mock trial based on a robbery, female witness gave a statements (IV), that she was 100% confident if the defendants identification or that she was 80% confident
Results: 100% condition- 67% guilty verdict
80% condition- 60% guilty verdict (significant difference)
This shows the level of confidence influences a jury’s decision, but that many other factors may also influence it
4: Castellow
Aim: to test the hypothesis that we make judgements about the personality and character of a defendant based on their appearance
Method: jury read a mock case where a secretary accused her male employer of sexual harassment, they were then shown photos of the defendant and victim
Results (% guilty verdict):
Attractive victim unattractive defendant- 83%, unattractive victim attractive defendant- 41%
Therefore a jury is more likely to find them guilty if the victim is more attractive, and less guilty if the victim is less attractive than the defendant- showing that juries make decision, halo effect
4: Pennington and Hastie
Aim: to test if juries are more easily persuaded by story order (chronological) or witness order (primary and recency effect)
Method: mock trial, defence and prosecution use different techniques
Results (% guilty verdict):
prosecution witness order, defence story order- 31%
prosecution story order, defence witness order- 78%
Therefore story order is more persuasive as it is easier to understand and doesn’t feel like they are trying to hide things (may be why courts have 80% guilty verdicts, defence use witness order)
4: Broeder
Criminal 4: Broeder
Aim: to examine the effect of information being inadmissible, conducted with real jurors after their case at Chicago uni
Method: mock jury hearing trial of a careless driver injuring a woman
Results: when they are told the driver had insurance they awarded the victim $4000 more
when they are told the driver did have insurance but this is inadmissible they awarded the victim $13000 more
Therefore when juries are told they cannot use information they will focus on it more, reactance effect
5: Newman
Defensible space
researched the differences between 2 affordable housing projects, Brownsville- building built around courtyards, entrances visible, strangers recognised, children supervised, responsible for courtyard
Van Dyke- high rise flats, large open space, cant supervise, no ownership of public place, higher crime
Factors that create defensible space:
1. zone of territorial influence, fences/ markers
2. opportunities for surveillance, sense of community
3. image, personalising areas
5: Bratton
Zero tolerance policy in New York
8-10 officers in plain clothes would go down to the subway and arrest 10-20 fare dodgers, when they were processed 1/7 had a warrant, 1/20 carried a weapon
Police hired 7000 extra officers to carry sweeps on minor offences like public drinking, graffiti and squeegee men
In 2 years crime was down by 25% and stayed down for 5 more years but this may have been due to more police officers, and other strategies which were put into place, an this caused tension with the public and police
5: Brown
installed CCTV in Birmingham, Newcastle and Kings Lynn, comparing crime stats before and after
Newcastle: burglaries reduced by 56%, criminal damage by 34%, reduced antisocial behaviour and group crime
Burrows- CCTV only displaces crime, cameras installed in 4 underground stations, overall stations had a drop of 38%, but station with CCTV fell by 70% and stations around those with CCTV fell by only 25%
5: Ernest-Jones et al
Eyes on posters
Poster put up in a university canteen with eyes/ flowers and with/ without a message about littering
There was a 50% reduction in litter with posters with eyes, regardless of the message
Support for the hypothesis that the effect is larger in a less busy canteen
2: Siffre
French scientist Michel Siffre lived in a cave 400 ft below Earth’s surface for 2 months in 1962.
Had contact with team on surface when he ate, woke up and went to sleep.
He slept when he wanted and for as long as he wanted.
His body followed a 24-hour and 30 minutes cycle instead of 24 hours.
Suggests humans have an internal body clock that is independent of the natural terrestrial day/night cycle
2: Melatonin supplements
Melatonin supplements are sleep hormones that are released when lights are low and is inhibited by light. It induces sleep.
Herxheimer and Petrie analysed studies into effectiveness of melatonin as a treatment for jet lag. In nine of 10 studies it was effective.
It was taken between 10:00 p.m. and midnight and significantly reduced the effects of jet lag when crossing five or more times zones, particularly for eastbound flights.
2: Preckel
Studied 272 German High School children.
Children at five schools were given a chronotype questionnaire (lark-owl chronotype indicator) understanded eyes cognitive test.
Parents of 132 students did questionnaire rating their child’s chronotype.
It was found being an owl was a significant negative predictor of overall GPA after cognitive ability was controlled for.
2: Light-box treatment
Emits bright light and reduces production of melatonin; tricking body into thinking it’s day time. Effective in 15 mins.
Costa et al found it improved physical fitness, sleep patterns, feelings of tiredness and performance of a group of nurses working night shifts, compared to when they were under normal lights.
Bright light therapy has significant positive effects on shift workers
5: Smith
Territorial behavior on beaches in 1981.
A field observation of different nationalities and how they compete for beach space.
French German and US beaches.
Interviews on beaches of the (to get nationality).
Size, depth and width of occupied space was recorded. Number of type of territorial markers recorded.
West Germany made larger territorial claims than other two.
5: Middlemist
Personal space invasion in urinals.
Field experiment in men’s lavatory at a US University to test the impact of invasions of personal space.
Three urinals and one cubicle. Periscope setup hidden by booked in cubicle.
Timed length of delay of onset and duration of urinating with a stop watch.
Three conditions: 1 - participant was not approached, 2 - confederate used urinal with one in between 3 - they used urinal next to participant.
Results - personal space invasions cause physiological arousal with the closer distances increasing the delay and decreasing the persistence of urination.
5: Hall
Zones of personal space in 1965 Based on observations of white middle class Americans Intimate distance (intimate contacts and physical sports) Personal distance (contacts between close friends, everyday interactions) Social distance (impersonal and business-like contacts) Public distance (formal contacts between an individual and the public)
