Chaney

Question 1

research method

Answer 1

• field experiment as it was conducted in the participants regular settings and it had IV, DV and controls
• repeated measures as the researcher assessed the childrens use of their regular imhaler and compared this against their use of the funhaler
• the participant variables were controlled so if a parent didnt always remember to use the or a child dint like the inhaler, this would be the same at the start of each condition
• however using a repeated measures design also meant that the *parents could probably work out what the research was about *
• demand characteristics could have been a problem where the parents worked out that the funhaler was meant to make things better and so they made sure it did
• usig independent measures design meant that it might have been possible but then there are more extraneous variables
• the **repeated measures ** undermined by the fact that there could not be counterbalancing in the research

Question 2

how was data collected

Answer 2

self-report
- through questionnares and television interviews

Question 3

data

Answer 3

• quantitiative
• the answers to the yes/no questions as to whether the parenst had used the inhaler the day befre made for direct comparions and easy statistical analysis of difference
• however this doesnt tell us why there is a difference in attitude and behaviour

Question 4

ethics that chaney upheld

Answer 4

• consent: sign form on initial self report from parents as participants are under the age of 16
• confidentiality: no names were given or information
• protection of harm: no participants were harmed as the aim of the research is to improve medical adherence
• deception: there is a clear aim

Question 5

validity

Answer 5

• low construct validity: using self-report may affect the validity due to social desirability
• parents may lie to do as society wishes (if they forget to to use the inhaler on their child)
• low construct validity due to extraneous validity: we dont know how efficient parents were using the imhaler or how much they preserved if the child didnt want to take it
• low ecological validity: without bringing the children into the lab and giving the inhalers, we have no way of knowing what went on during the research which might have infleunced the use of the inhaler. this means we no longer see natural behaviour

Question 6

ecological validity

Answer 6

• the natural setting of the research taking place in the home where they would normally use their inhaler means ecological validity is high
• the children are not taken anywhere different, it can be the same as it has always been and so the child would show their natural behaviour when using their inhaler.
• however, it is not everyday where the parent of a child has to complete a questionnaire which means that it reduces ecological valldity
• however there were some interviiews which may make it more normal where parents chat about their child includihg the inhaler use and problems associated with it so using an interview is more natural than a questionnaire

Question 7

internal reliability

Answer 7

• high internal reliabiliy
• this was conducted in the field meaning that it was very standardised which makes it easy replicable
• the questionnaire was the same for each particioant and the length of the time using the funhaler was the same
• the funhaler was the same for each child and the same process

Question 8

external reliability

Answer 8

• low external reliability
• the study was conducted with only 32 children which makes the sample not large enough to establish a consistent effect

Question 9

sample

Answer 9

• low generalisability due to the narrow range of ages
• however it is representative as the funhaler wouldnt be expected to appeal to people beyond the age range so it is appropriate to their target population

Question 10

ethnocentricism

Answer 10

• it is ethnocentric as the sample were all from the USA as it is not obvious that the toys built into the design of the funhaler would appeal equally to chidren from all cultures

Question 11

situation

how does the chaneys study link to the individual/situational debate

Answer 11

• the study links to the situation of the debate
• this is because it shows how the role of the situation is determining behaviour
• it is the feature of the inhaer where a child has to use an inhaler which influences of the frequency and succcess of its use
• if the only thing changing within the research is the type of inhaler and the resuktant behaviour is significantly different, the situation must be inferred to have an impact on the behaviour

Question 12

individual side

how does the chaneys study link to the individual/situational debate

Answer 12

• the differences in attitude between the children the parents both prior to and after the use of the funhaler show how indivudal differences can influence behaviour with some children having a phobia of their inhaler and other children taking pleasure in using their inhaler

Question 13

how is chaneys study useful

Answer 13

• it is useful in helping us understand how children develop and acquire behaviours and how the principles of the behaviourist perspective can be used to facilitate this
• practical applications of incorporating rewards into behaviours which we want to be repeated can be used in health settings to imrpove adherence or reduce unwantged illness behaviours but also can be used in education and parenting

Question 14

how is chaneys research not useful

Answer 14

• the research was carried out on a alimited age range and so this limits the usefulness of the research due to the lack of generalisability of the results
• this was a sample of australian children and the reinforcer might need to be different and cross cultyral research needed to see how universal the application of the funhaler might be
• the children all had asthma so this may not apply to others who have eczema etc
• the lack of control of extraneous variables and inherent reduction in validity will also reduce the usefulness of this research and some more research to give the study concurrent validity which would help us to know the usefulness of the research

Question 15

how does chaneys study link to the developmental area

Answer 15

• illustrates a way in which children learn and how parents can help their children to acquire desired behaviours through posiitve and negative reinforcement

Question 16

how does chaneys study link to the behaviourist perspective

Answer 16

• links to behaviourist perspective due to using operant conditioning as a means of explaining the development of behaviour in children
• behaviour is learned as a result of consequences
• if behaviour is** positiviely reinforced** then something positive happens after the behaviour meaning the skill will be repeated (e.g. a spinner goes around when the child uses the inhaler correctly)
• if the child is negatively reinforced (something unpleasant is taken away: feeling of breathless is stopped.) then the behaviour again is rewarded and so repeated
• classical conditioning which is where people learn to associate 2 stimuli.
• in this case the child could come to associate the inhaler with an unpleasant experience and so the response to the latter id linked to the first do the minute the inhaler is shown, so the minute the inhaler is shown the response of the child is a negative association

Question 17

chaneys key theme

Answer 17

external influences on childrens behaviour

Question 18

how does chaneys study link to the key theme

Answer 18

• chaneys research has shown how the external influences favoured by the behaviourist perspective have a great impact on childrens behaviour
• the funhaler changed not only the use of the inhaler to increase adherence, but aldo the attitude towards the inhaler in both parents and children which would be linked to increase adherence

Question 19

how does chaneys study change our understanding of the key theme

linked to bandura

Answer 19

• can be seen as adding to our understsnding of how this can happen
• whereas, banduras study showed how children can learn through imitation in a process of social learing
• chnageys study shows another way in which children can learn, through a process of reinforcement

Question 20

how does chaney change our understanding of individual, social, and cultural diversity

linked to bandura

Answer 20

• cultural diversity: the fact that it was carried out in australia compared to banduras older study of children in america seems to imply that learning occurs whatever the culture
• social diversity: both studies used male and female children and seem to suggest that learning certainly occurs in childhood, through both imitation and reinforcement
• however, neither of these studies show any insight into how adult indivudlas might learn behaviour
• bandura sstudy shows the impacy of cutural norms on behaviour acquisition but not in chaneys study

Question 21

similarities between bandura and chaney

Answer 21

• both studies used young chuldren as their participants
• both studies were basing their research in behaviourist principles of learning
• both studies gained quantitiative data for analysis
• both studies showed the importsnce of external influences on childrens behaviour

Question 22

how is bandura and chaneys study different

Answer 22

• bandura used observation snd chaney used self-report to collect their data
• bandurs used a controlled setting whereas chaney used a natural setting
• the behaviourist theories of learning they were investigating were different
• banduras study was carried out in america, whereas chaneys study was carried out in australis
• bandura had a fairly large sample whereas chaney had a sample half the size of banduras
• there was a equal gender split in banduras sample and not in chaneys sample
• chaney had to use participants with asthma making his sample biased