Cognitive Approach Flashcards
Aim of Andrade
To know whether doodling assists information processing (by attending more effectively or enhancing memory)
Research method used in Andrade
Laboratory experiment
Design used in Andrade
Independent measures design
(Control group/doodling group)
Number of participants in Andrade
40
Where were the participants, in Andrade, members of?
Where were they recruited from?
MRC (medical research council) Applied Psychology Unit, originally recruited from the general public
What ages were the members in Andrade?
18-55yrs
How was the sample chosen in Andrade?
Participants were asked if they wanted to participate in another study after finishing a fake experiment
Volunteered to join a ‘pool’ of people who may be chosen to participate
opportunity sampling - using who was readily available at the time
How were the participants assigned to a condition in Andrade?
Random allocation
Number and genders of participants in control group (Andrade)
20 participants (18 female, 2 male)
Number and genders of participants in doodling group (Andrade)
20 participats (17 female, 3 male)
What did researcher change about the recall order between participants in Andrade?
Question order was counterbalanced
How long was the mock telephone message in Andrade?
2.5 mins
How many wpm was the mock telephone message in Andrade?
227 wpm
Apparatus given to doodling group (Andrade)
- Pencil
- A4 paper with 10 shapes ( 1cm diameter squares and circles in alternating rows)
—> + space for writing target information
Apparatus given to control group (Andrade)
- Pencil
- Blank A4 paper
Type of data gathered in Andrade
Quantitative data
- mean number of correct recall, false alarms and scares for names and places
Controls in Andrade
- Standardised instructions
- standardised/same message (volume + speed)
Were the participants paid in Andrade’s study?
Yes, a small sum
What happened to one participant in the doodling group of Andrade?
They didn’t doodling so were replaced
Type of data collected in Andrade
Quantitative data
Mean number of correct recall, false alarms and scores for names and places
Size of margin on the paper in Andrade
4.5cm
How were participants in Andrade assigned to a condition?
Random allocation
Mean number of correct names recalled in the control group of Andrade
7.1
Mean number of correct names recalled in the doodling group of Andrade
7.8
Mean number of false alarms in the control group of Andrade
5
Mean number of false alarms in the doodling group of Andrade
1
Background of Andrade
Andrade was unsure of whether doodling impairs performance, by moving concentration from the primary task, or whether it improves performance and aids concentration.
Strengths of Andrade
Can control extraneous variables - lab experiment using independent measures design
Very standardisable (so ppt’s equally likely to be bored and daydream) - same monotonous tone, dull and quiet room, asking to do experiment when about to leave
—> more valid - differences due to doodling or not
—> more reliable - all ppt’s similarly bored
Example of controlling and extraneous variable in Andrade
Allowing participants to listen to the recording at a comfortable volume
Aim(s) of Baron-Cohen
• To test whether a group of adults with Asperger Syndrome (AS) or High-functioning Autism (HFA) would be impaired on the revised version of the ‘Reading the Mind in the Eyes’ task.
• To test if there was an association between performance on the revised eyes test and measures of autistic traits.
• To investigate if there were sex differences in those without autism on the task.
To see if females score higher on the eyes test than males (female superiority)
• To see if there is an inverse correlation between the eyes test and the AQ test, for a sample of normal adults
Problems with the original Baron-Cohen study
• No glossary
• Only two response options - ppt had 50% chance of getting correct answer (could guess)
• Answer choices were opposites - easy to identify emotion (revised - 4 options)
• Contained both basic and complex mental states, so contained some items that were too easy
—> basic because they are recognised universally - can be recognised purely as emotions, without the need to attribute a belief to the person
• Some items that could be solves simply by checking the gaze direction of the face
• More female faces than male
• Few choices - only 25 pictures - results showed ceiling effect - everyone scored highest possible score
Results of original Baron-Cohen study
• Adult males measurement in the general population scored a mean of 18.8 (SD = 2.5)
• Adult females measurement in the general population scored a mean of 21.8 (SD = 1.8)
• Adults with HFA or AS performed significantly worse than sex-matched normal controls, or adults with Tourette’s syndrome
• Adults with HFA or AS scored an average of 16.3 out of 25 (SD = 2.9)
• Adults with TS scored an average of 20.4 out of 25(SD = 2.6)
• Groups with TS did not differ significantly on this test from the general population
Hypotheses of original Baron-Cohen study
• Participants in the AS/HFA group will score significantly lower scores on the revised Eyes Test than the control group (but unimpaired on gender judgements)
• Participants in the AS/HFA group will score significantly higher on the Autism Spectrum Quotient Test (AQ)
• Females in the ‘normal’ groups (groups 2 and 3) will score higher on the Eyes Test than males in those groups
• Males in the ‘normal’ group (group 3) would score higher on the AQ measure than females
Scores on the AQ and the Eyes test would be negatively/inversely correlated
