developmental psychology exam questions Flashcards
explain why the study by Bandura et al. can be considered to be an experiment (2)
Theres an IV manipulated for Bandura - watching the aggressive, non-aggressive or no model.
In Bandura et al’s study into transmission of aggression, give two of the characteristics on which the participants were matched in their groups (2)
aggression levels and gender
Why was it necessary for Bandura et al. to use the matched participants design? (2)
Ps were matched on aggression as a control in order to ensure that children of different aggression levels were equally distributed across the model conditions
From Bandura et al.’s study into transmission of aggression:
a) Identify one of the hypothesis (2)
b) Give one piece of evidence to show support for this hypothesis (2)
a) Children who see an aggressive role model will imitate that models aggressive acts more than children who see a non aggressive model OR Boys will be more predisposed to imitating aggression than girls OR children will imitate the aggression of a same sex model more than that of the opposite sex model
b) Children who saw an aggressive role model did imitate that models aggressive acts more than children who saw a non-aggressive model OR Boys were more predisposed to imitating aggression than girls OR children did imitate the aggression of a same sex model more than that of the opposite sex model
5) In the study by Bandura, Ross and ross on the imitation of aggression all the participants were taken individually into a second room and subjected to mild aggression arousal
a) Describe how the children’s aggression was aroused in this room (2)
b) Explain why the researchers felt this was necessary (2)
a) Gave the children nice toys and took them away from them
b) It was a control for aggression levels felt at the time by the children ensuring that children in each of the model groups felt equally aggressive going into stage 3
6) The study by Bandura,Ross and Ross on the imitation of aggression used a number of experimental controls. Describe how two variables were controlled (4)
All children spent two minutes in the mild aggression arousal phase. All children spent 20 minutes in stage 3 being observed for their aggression
7) Describe the sample used in Bandura et al.’s study into the transmission of aggression (3)
72 participants - 36 male, 36 female. Children from Stanford uni nursery school in USA
8) From Bandura et al.’s study into the transmission of aggression, outline how the model displayed aggressive behaviour (3)
The model would do physical and verbal acts of aggression towards a Bobo doll e.g. hitting Bobo with a mallet or saying ‘Sock him on the nose’
9) Describe the procedure used by Bandura et al. in their study (4)
In stage 1, children observed either an aggressive, non-aggressive or no role model. In stage 2, the children had their aggression aroused by having nice toys taken away from them. In stage 3, each child was observed through a one way mirror for imitative, non-imitative and partially imitative aggression - all participants spent 20 minutes in the observation stage
10) Outline two findings from the study of aggression by Bandura, Ross and Ross (4)
Children who saw an aggressive model showed more imitative, non imitative and partially imitative aggressive acts than those in other conditions
Boys showed more aggression if the model was male than if they were female e.g non imitative gun play
11) Describe what the study by Bandura et al. found in relation to external influences on children’s behaviour (3)
Bandura investigated the social learning of aggression through observation and imitation of adults in a playroom with 72 children aged 37-69 months attending Stanford university nursery. He did this through making the children watch an aggressive, non-aggressive or no model, arousing their aggression and observing their imitative partially imitative, imitative or non-imitative aggression. He found that the children in the aggressive model condition performed more acts of aggression than the non-aggressive/no model conditions
12) To what extent could Bandura et al.’s study be described as ethnocentric? (3)
It’s highly ethnocentric as it focuses on a single Western country - America meaning that the results regarding imitated aggression may not represent those of children in other cultures who are less violent than America
13) Assess the reliabilty of the findings from Bandura et al. (3)
Every child spent 20 minutes in the observation stage, meaning the study is highly standardised so it’s highly replicable
14) Assess the ecological validity of the study (4)
The setting is highly realistic as it is set up as a series of playrooms with toys however, being left alone with a stranger is unrealistic. The task is unrealistic as Bobo is delighted to jump back up when hit, unlike a person in real life.
15) Describe two ethical issues raised in the study by Bandura et al. (4)
Protection of ps in stage 2 is an issue as the kids may have been distressed in 5e mild aggression arousal stage as toys had been taken from them. Debrief as unlikely that children would have had the study explained to them afterwards so they wouldn’t understand why they’d just watched a model hitting a Bobo doll.
