Chaney et al

Question 1

Background to Chaney et al

Answer 1

Operant conditioning = learning through the consequences

• if rewarded for a behaviour you are more likely to repeat it
• if punished for a behaviour you are less likely to repeat it

suggested that if children get a reward when they use medication they are more likely to continue to take it

Question 2

Aim of Chaney et al

Answer 2

to see whether children are more likely to continue to take their asthma medication if they receive a reward

Question 3

Pilot study in Chaney

Answer 3

carried out piloet study to see if a Funhaler would improve children’s adherance to taking their asthma medication

Question 4

Research method of Chaney

Answer 4

Field Experiment - involving questionaires + phone call

conducted in participants home setting in Australia
questionnaires with closed questions to find out what participants thought of asthma devices

Question 5

Type of design in Chaney

Answer 5

Repeated Measures Design
=same children took both conditions of the experiment
= standard spacer device + Funhaler

Question 6

IV and DV of Chaney

Answer 6

IV - whether the child used standard spacer device or a Funhaler

DV
- no. of children who had use inhaler the pervious day when randomly called

• measured score on questionnaire for positive attitudes towards the inhaler

Question 7

Sample of Chaney

Answer 7

32 children in Australia
Already taking asthmatic medication via normal spacer
18months to 6yrs

Question 8

Procedure of Chaney

Answer 8

Took place in participants homes over two weeks. parents completed structured, closed questionaire about child’s current astham decvice

participants then asked to use Funhaler which had toys eg. whilste + spinning disc (rewarding)
Parents then completed another questionaire on funhaler

researchers did one random phone check to see whether the parent had given their child medication the previous day using spacer device

Question 9

Results of Chaney

Answer 9

Phone check = 81% had given medication previous day with funhaler compared to 59% given medication with spacer device.

Questionaire showed more positive attitudes towards Funhlaer for both children + parents

Question 10

Conclusions of Chaney

Answer 10

Funhaler leads to increase in use of spacer device for asthma medication

Devices that are reinforcing can get children to take medication + improve thier health

Question 11

Generalisability of Chaney

Answer 11

Sample had wide range of families
= more generasiable

One place - Perth, Australia
= ethnocentric sample

Question 12

Reliability of Chaney

Answer 12

Standardised procedure

= participants given same instructions + completed same structed questionnaires
= took place over two-week period

Question 13

Chaney relate to key theme ‘ external influences on children’s behaviour’

Answer 13

it showed how reinforcement could improve children’s adherence to asthma medication

funhaler improved children’s + parents attitude towards administering the asthma medication

Question 13

Validity of Chaney

Answer 13

Ecological validity
- field experiment
- took place in their homes

Lacks validity
- answers limited by closed questions
- participants gave socially desirable answers

Question 13

Ethics of Chaney

Answer 13

Informed consent obtained

Privacy ensured

Protected from harm - care was taken to ensure children had good level of medication

Question 13

Chaney relate to developmental area

Answer 13

developmental area looks at people change and develop across the lifespan

it looked at children’s development, specifically how reinforcement can improve behaviour + affect children’s development

found reinforcement could improve children’s adherence to asthma medication

Question 13

Chaney relate to behaviourist perspective

Answer 13

behaviourist perspective looks at how we learn behaviour from our enviro

it shows how operant conditioning specifically reinforcment can lead to increase in behaviour

children were more likely to take funhaler as more rewarding

Question 14

Chaney have individual, social and cultural diversity

Answer 14

INDIVIDUAL - there was differences bewteen children in how much they adhered to their asthma medication

SOCIAL - male + female children were used & showed both genders can learn through reinforcement

only young children so doesn’t show how adults learn behaviour through reinforcement

CULTURAL - not show cultural diversity as only Australia. does add to banduras study in USA as it implies learning occurs in other cultures

Question 15

Ethics in Chaney - conducting research on children

Answer 15

Informed consent from parents + assent (child willingless)

Power imbalance between adults +children, so may feel pressurised to take part in research. (researchers should stop when signs of unwillingless)

Question 16

Chaney change our understanding of the key theme

Answer 16

looking at how reinforcement (operant conditioning) can increase desired behaviour whereas Bandura focused on how we learn from role models

bandura found children will copy aggressive behaviour shown by adult model towards bobo doll (social learning theory). shows how external factors in childs enviro shape their behaviour

chaney found children more likely to adhere to asthma medication if using a rewarding Funhaler device