Individual Differences: Gould + Hancock et al

Question 1

What are the key assumptions of the individual differences approach

Answer 1

all individuals differ in their behaviour and personal qualities, so not everyone can be considered the average person
every individual is genetically unique and this is displayed through their behaviour

Question 2

Explain the background for Goulds work

Answer 2

psychometric theory and the idea that intelligence consisted of a single underlying intellectual ability, saying that intelligence can be measured, is relatively consistent across time within individuals and varies between individuals who can be compared using test scores
the question if intelligence is nature or nurture
the first test was by simon-binet in 1904
Yerks wanted to show psych as objectifiable, using the test for military recruits

Question 3

What is the aim of goulds work

Answer 3

to examine the early history of intelligence testing as conducted by yerks on army recruits in USA during WW1

Question 4

What did gould aim to identify issues in psychology

Answer 4

-problematic nature of psychometric testing in general and measurement of intelligence
-the problem of theoretical bias influencing research in psychology
-the problem of political and ethical implications of research and baised data is spread

Question 5

What is the research method of Goulds

Answer 5

it is not a piece of research it is an A REVIEW ARTICLE
so for the information and sample and proceddure we must know what Yerks did during ww1

Question 6

What was the sample in goulds work

Answer 6

1,75 million army recruited in WW1 by yerka

Question 7

Outline the procedure of yerks study

Answer 7

army alpha- written test designed for literate recruits with 8 sections of tasks related to american culture
army beta- pictoral test for illiterate recruits who failed army alpha, still culturally specific, instructions were written in English and parts had to be given in writing
individual exam- spoken test for those whofailed army beta and alppha

Question 8

What were the findings of yerks test

Answer 8

average mental age of white american man was 13 years old, they decided that feeble minded people have been interbreeding and lowering the overall intelligence of the population
black americans scored 10.4 on average and the lighter the skin colour the higher the score
basically- differences in scores between racial and national groups

Question 9

what happened as a result of yerks findings

Answer 9

The immigration restriction act 1924
people who scored poorly on army test were no longer welcome in the USA and has horrendous consequences

Question 10

what are the conclusions of yerks study and goulds arguements

Answer 10

• intelligence is an innate quality with hereditary basis and can grade based on skin colour BUT IQ tests do not measure innate intelligence
  -avergae man of nations are considered a moron BUT IQ tests are culturally baised
  -mental testing of this kind is a valid scientific technique BUT IQ tests may not produce valid results
  Inappropriate test can lead to tragic consequences

Question 11

Give the strenghs and weakness of conducting a review

Answer 11

-challenges previous work
-highlights issues
-prevents future repeating
-objectiveness may be lost as evidence may only be to support their point
-internal validity questionable

Question 12

Evaluate the ethics of yerks testing

Answer 12

-unable to widthdraw from study
-didnt know aim so deception
-results not anonymous so not protected p’s
-stressfull experience with harsh consequence

Question 13

Evaluate the validity of yerks testing pointed out by gould

Answer 13

the testing was not accurately measuring what it set out to so low validity ( it measures more how much schooling, how long in country they been)
also low facy validity

Question 14

Evaluate the reliability of yerks testing pointed out by gould

Answer 14

standerstandised questions everyone received same with detailed mark scheme to have consistency in assessing so mostly high

Question 15

Evaluate the sample used by yerks in www1 reviewed by gould

Answer 15

large population validity wide range of men so not ethnocentric which increases generalisability
however only representative of army recruits
and limited to only young males

Question 16

Assess the practical applications of yerks work

Answer 16

impact on psychometric testing, helping identify and support those with additional needs and academically gifted
awareness that mass assessment tools wont accurately measure intelligence
Acknowledging the negative impact testing has on populations
he found that yerks work produce legal measures to restrict immigrants

Question 17

Link nature/ nurture to yerks

Answer 17

yerks had the idea thaat intelligence is related to innate ability, and is inherited due to nature and never affected by environment
gould contradicts this idea

Question 18

How is goulds work socially sensitive

Answer 18

yerks did not take into account unequal opportunities of education so the testing had high cultural bias, he did not approach the question with care that it required
his test led to the passing of the immigration restriction act in 1924, destroying many lives
goulds review highlights that yerks was not free of bias and error

Question 19

Define psychopath

Answer 19

people who show reduced capacity for moral responsibility with a lack of conscience,

Question 20

What is a biological explination for psychopathy

Answer 20

brain imagine ctudies have shown key differences in brains particularly dysfunction in the amygdala and frontal cortex

Question 21

What is the background for Hancocks work

Answer 21

partick found that psychopaths show no apparent deficits in intellect but research has revealed that their language is less coherant

Question 22

What is the aim of hancocks study

Answer 22

to examine whether the language of psychopathic murders were different to language of non psychopathic- murderers

Question 23

What was psychopathic speach analysed for

Answer 23

an instrumental or predatory world view
unique material and socio-ecanomic needs (linked to hierarchy of needs)
poverty affect (lack of emotions)

Question 24

What was Hancocks research method

Answer 24

-self report / quasi
-face to face semistructured interviews
-step wise techniqu
- open ended questions

Question 25

What is the step wise technique

Answer 25

free narrative phase
open ended questions
specific questions

Question 26

What was Hancocks sample

Answer 26

52 male murders 14 psycho 38 non psycho in canadian jails
volunteered to study

Question 27

Explain the procedure of Hancocks study

Answer 27

P’s underwent a psychological assessment
psychopathy measured using Hares checklist revised (PCL-R) looking at affective and impulsive traits, score of 40, 30+ is psycho=quantitative data
testing carreid out by trained prison psychologist or researcher trained in coding the PCL-R = standardised
inter rater reliability using graduate student to recode 10 random files, +ve correlation
p’s then interviewd wuth verbal breif (consent)
p’s asked to describe their offence in as much detail for 25 min

Question 28

what were the two tect analysis tools used to analyse murders transcripts

Answer 28

Wmatrix- all 14 compared and analysed in comparison to all 38 tagging parts of speech such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, semantics concepts
Dictionary of Affect in Language DAL- dictionary based tool assessing emotional properties of language. transcripts analysed individually, scoring out of pleasantness and intensity of emotional language in each statement

Question 29

Explain Hancocks results

Answer 29

Instrumental language analysis- psycho more likely to describe homicide using subordinating conjunctions (words showing cause and effect)
Hierarchy of needs- psycho more likely to use twice as many words relating to basic psychological needs like food drink money in their crime. non psycho used more language about social needs like family, religion
Poverty of affect- psycho significantly less fluent but no significant differences in the emotional content of language between groups. further research says psyhco less emotionally intense and less positive

Question 30

Explain Hancocks conclusions

Answer 30

Psychopaths are more likley to describe cause and effect in their crime
they are more likely to view their crime as a logical outcome
they are more likely to focus on basic physiological needs than social needs
they are more emotionally detached from the crime
they are less emotion and less positive in their speech

Question 31

Evaluate the research method of Hancocks

Answer 31

self report allows p’s to describe entirely to produce insightful rich data that wouldn’t be obtained otherwise
but only reliably is p’s are truthful and willing to disclose fully
risk of social desirability (act worse or better)

Question 32

Evaluate the reliability of Hancock’s study

Answer 32

high- consistent measuring and can be replicated due to qualitative data and high inter rater reliability by random checks by + researcher

Question 33

Evaluate sampling in hancocks study

Answer 33

risk of bias since p’s were volunteering for the study
ethnocentric, androcentric
large num of prisoners so huge amount of data for analysis

Question 34

Link hancocks study to practical application

Answer 34

information found on tendency to distance from crimes and motivs of basic needs can be used to develop appropriate ways to rehabilitate psychopathic offender in justice system