Hasset et. al. (2008) (Monkey Toy Preferences) Flashcards
What is the primary aim of the research?
To test if sex differences in children’s toy preferences are due to biological factors rather than socialization.
What animal model is used to investigate toy preferences in this study?
Rhesus monkeys.
What does animal play refer to?
An activity/action voluntarily and repeatedly done by animals as a form of enjoyment and self-expression.
What is Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH)?
An inherited condition where the foetus is exposed to high levels of prenatal androgens. Causes increased testosterone levels.
What did Hassett et al. conclude about toy preferences?
They believe that toy preferences are initially shaped by hormones and not socialisation.
What was the independent variable in the research design?
The sex of the monkey (male or female).
What was the sample size after exclusions in the study?
82 monkeys (61 females and 21 males).
What types of toys were used in the trials?
Wheeled toys and plush toys.
How was data collected during the study?
Using video cameras and a behavioural checklist.
What is one strength of the research methodology?
Ethical guidelines on treating lab animals were followed.
What was a noted weakness in the study’s methodology?
Observer bias may have affected the coding of monkey behaviour.
True or False: Male monkeys interacted more with plush toys than females.
False.
What is one application of the research findings in everyday life?
They can guide parents in choosing toys that align with children’s preferences.
What was the rationale that the researchers had for conducting an animal study instead of a human one?
Researchers wanted to investigate toy preferences in the absence of socialization, so animals were used. They have no socialization regarding these toys.
Did the researchers believe hormones played a greater role in toy preferences, at least initially? Explain why.
Prior research had shown that girls with CAH preferred playing with male-type toys, which suggested to Hasset et. al. that initial preferences may be due to hormones and not socialization.
What type of experiment was this?
Field experiment
What research design did it follow?
Independent measures design
Why were some monkeys excluded from the study?
Some had taken part in previous research, and others were too young to distinguish their sex properly.
How many trials were completed in the outdoor enclosure?
Seven 25-minute trials
What types of toys were used in the trials?
1 wheeled toy and 1 plush toy
What was the purpose of counterbalancing the positions of the toys?
To ensure the monkeys didn’t prefer a certain area of the enclosure
Why were some monkeys excluded from the study when results were being collated?
Monkeys who showed fewer than 5 behaviors (17 in total) were excluded.
How did male monkeys interact with wheeled toys?
Males played with wheeled toys for a longer time than females, but with high variability.
How did female monkeys interact with plush toys?
Females played with plush toys longer than males, but there was no significant difference in time spent on either type of toy.
What was the correlation between social rank and toy interaction?
Higher-ranking monkeys interacted more frequently with the toys.
How did social rank influence female monkeys’ toy preferences?
Female monkeys who preferred plush toys had a higher rank than those with no preference.
What evidence suggests that sex-typed preferences in humans may have a biological basis?
Monkeys showed similar toy preferences to human infants, even without differences in socialization.
How do male and female monkeys differ in toy preferences?
Male monkeys, like boys, strongly preferred masculine-type toys, while female monkeys showed more variability in their preferences.
What influences toy preferences according to the study?
Toy preferences reflect behavioral and cognitive biases influenced by hormones.
How was ethical treatment ensured for the monkeys in the study?
Monkeys had constant access to water, were fed monkey chow twice a day, and received fruits and vegetables daily.
How did the operationalized behavioral checklist improve the study?
It increased validity and reliability by guiding researchers on consistent observation recording.
Why did using different pairs of toys in each trial improve validity?
It ensured that males were generally drawn to wheeled toys, not just a specific wheeled toy.
How did video cameras increase data validity?
Monkeys were accustomed to the cameras, preventing demand characteristics that could occur with in-person observation.
Why was collecting quantitative data beneficial?
It allowed objective calculations of average toy interaction time, reducing subjectivity.
How did a torn plush toy impact the study’s reliability?
A trial was stopped 7 minutes early, abandoning the standardized procedure and reducing reliability.
What is a possible issue with observer bias in the study?
Researchers familiar with the monkeys’ gender might have unintentionally coded behaviors differently from reality.
Why does the sample limit the study’s generalizability?
There was a lack of adult males, and the only high-ranking male did not interact with toys, so findings apply only to lower-ranking, non-adult males.
Why is ecological validity considered low in this study?
The monkeys were in captivity, making them more likely to interact with new objects, limiting generalizability to wild monkeys.
How did group testing lower validity?
If one monkey occupied the wheeled toy, another might choose the plush toy out of necessity rather than preference.
