contemporary study Flashcards
what is your contemporary study.
Brendgen et al twin study
what sample was used
234 twins from the Quebec newborn twin study, they were all 6 years old. assigned to MZ and DZ by looks (not DNA tested).
how was data collected
teacher ratings of the twins by giving a questionnaire with a Likert scale and peer booklets which required peers to circle the statement that corresponded with each twin regarding both social and physical aggression. ie the child that gets in the most fights. ie the child who doesn’t let other children join in. the ratings from peers and teachers were combined.
what were the conclusions of this study
physical aggression was a result of genetics (nature) and social aggression was a result of environment (nurture).
what is the application
social aggression is caused by environment so we can use early intervention to prevent children being exposed to swearing and foul language.
give 2 strengths
it has a high external validity, the twins were unaware of their role within the study so they are less likely to develop demand characteristics.
high reliability, procedure could easily be replicated to test the consistency of these findings to be able to establish cause and effect.
give 2 weaknesses
low generalisability, twins are a unique proportion of the population (1 in 65 births in the UK). commonly mistaken for each other. unrepresentative of majority population.
low internal validity, twins were assigned to MZ and Dz conditions based on observation rather than being genetically tested.
