Chaney

Question 1

What was the background for Chaneys study

Answer 1

Asthma is a chronic condition, affecting 1 in 10 people. Even though there are treatments, some people (particularly children), do not use their inhalers correctly

Question 2

What was the aim of chaneys study

Answer 2

To see if operant conditions could be used to encourage children to want to use their inhalers and when they do, use it correctly

Question 3

What is operant conditioning

Answer 3

Changing the likelihood of a behaviour occurring again through reinforcement and punishment

Question 4

What is positive reinforcement

Answer 4

Encouraging a behaviour happening again by adding a reward

Question 5

What is negative reinforcement

Answer 5

Encouraging a behaviour happening again by removing an unpleasant stimuli

Question 6

How was the funhaler an example of positive and negative reinforcement

Answer 6

Positive - the inhaler added a reward of the spinner and whistle
Negative - the inhaler took away the asthma symptoms

Question 7

What was the sample used

Answer 7

32 children from Australia (22 boys and 10 girls)
Aged 1.5-6 years
Recruited from seven GP clinics

Question 8

What was the procedure that chaney used

Answer 8

1.parents contacted by phone and then visited. Consent was obtained and then a questionnaire filled out about their child’s current inhaler
2. Parents were given a funhaler to use for 2 weeks
3. They were contacted again to fill in another questionnaire

Question 9

What were the findings

Answer 9

Behaviour - 80% achieved desired behaviour with funhaler compared to the 50.% who acheived it with the standard inhaler
Attitudes - 61% reported being completely happy with the funhaler compared to the 10% who said that about the normal inhaler

Question 10

Does the study relate to nature or nurture

Answer 10

It is on the nurture side of the debate as children’s behaviour changes due to the new funhaler

Question 11

Does the study link to free will or determinism

Answer 11

It is on the deterministic side of the debate as children’s asthma treatment usage is determined by by what inhaler they have at the time

Question 12

How does it link to the behaviourist perspective

Answer 12

Explains how children are learning behaviours due to operant conditioning

Question 13

How does the study link to developmental area

Answer 13

Showing how children’s behaviour can change due to the experience of using a funhaler