Individual Differences Psychology Flashcards
Freud, Baron-Cohen, Gould, Hancock
What is the definition of the Individual Area in psychology?
The individual area assumes we are all unique and are made up of a combination of unique biological make up, experience and personality.
What is a phobia?
Extreme and uncontrollable feelings of fear
What is the ID?
Pleasure principle, instant gratification and desire
What is the EGO?
Reality principle, the referee/moderator
What is the SUPEREGO?
Morality principle, your sense of right and wrong (conscience)
What is the Oedipus complex?
The Oedipus complex has three components:
Boys desire their mothers
They see their father as a rival, wishing them dead- a desire they repress
It is eventually resolved when a boy comes to identify with his father.
What was the aim of Freud’s study into Little Hans
To document the case of Little Hans who was suffering from anxiety that led to a phobia. Hoping to support his ideas about child development and the Oedipus complex, the origins of mental disorders and the value of psychoanalysis as a treatment.
What is the research design of Freud’s study?
Case study and longitudinal design over 2 years.
What sample did Freud use?
Opportunity sample, one boy
What type of data did Freud collect?
Qualitative and primary.
What ethical issues are there in Freud’s study?
No informed consent give, child participant
Psychological harm, intrusive questions
Socially sensitive, parents worried about how they raise their children
Where does Freud’s study fall on the nature/nurture debate?
Nature, Oedipus complex is innate
Where does Freud’s study fall on the situational/individual debate?
Individual, unique phobia
Situational, Oedipus complex
Where does Freud fall on the freewill/determinism debate?
Determinism, psychic determinism caused by unconscious forces in our mind
Is Freud’s study scientific?
No, generalises results even though the sample is one child
Is Freud’s study useful?
Yes, basis of modern therapeutic techniques
What was Little Hans’ dream about giraffes?
Hans dreamed there were two giraffes a big one and a crumpled one. Hans took the crumpled giraffe which made the big one cry out, it then stopped calling out and Hans sat on the crumpled one.
What was Little Hans’ plumber fantasy?
Hans was in the bath and a plumber came and unscrewed it before sticking a big borer in his stomach
What was the aim of Baron-Cohen’s study?
To see if adults with ASD had a theory of mind.
What research design did Baron-Cohen use?
Quasi-experiment with matched participants. Was also a snapshot study.
What sampling method did Baron-Cohen use?
First group, self-selected sample
Second group, random sample
Third Group, self-selected sample
How many participants were in Group 1 (ASD/autism)?
Baron-Cohen
16, 13 males and 3 females
How many participants were in Group 2 (‘normal’)?
Baron-Cohen
50, 25 males and 25 females
How many participants were in Group 3 (Tourettes)?
Baron-Cohen
10, 8 males and 2 females
What materials were used in Baron-Cohen’s study?
25 photographs of the eye region all taken from magazines.
All the same size (15x10cm) and all black and white (standardised)
What other task did Baron-Cohen use, other than the eye task?
Strange Stories task. Only tested on groups 1 and 3
Which group did the worst on the eye task?
Baron-Cohen
Autism/AS group (1) with a mean score of 16.3 out of 25
Which gender from Group 2 did better on the eyes task?
Baron-Cohen
Female (21.8) comapred to males (18.8)
What type of data did Baron-Cohen collect?
Quantitative data
What conclusions did Baron-Cohen make about his study?
Adults with Autism/AS possess an impaired theory of mind.
A deficit ToM has no impact on general intelligence.
What ethical issues are there in Baron-Cohen’s study?
informed consent given, yet can be debated that people with a deficit ToM can’t give consent.
Socially sensitive
Risk of psychological harm by being ‘labelled’
Where does Baron-Cohen’s study fall on the free will/determinism debate?
Determinism, biologically determined with different mental disorders.
Is Baron-Cohen’s study useful?
Is useful, provides information on autism and Asperger’s which can be used in treatments or interventions
Where does Baron-Cohen’s study fall on the nature/nurture debate?
Nature, having a ToM deficit is genetic although the research does suggest women have a better ToM because they socialise more (nurture)
Where does Baron-Cohen’s study fall on the individual/situational debate?
Individual, having a ToM depends on individual differences between participants.
Is Baron-Cohen’s study scientific?
Is scientific, standardised stimuli and groups were age matched among other controls.
