JUST LOOK OVER Flashcards
When you are asked to evaluate “research” in psychology what could you be evaluating? Define what they are
A theory or a study
Theory - set of general principles used to explain specific observations and facts
Study - a specific investigation that a psychologist has carried out
What is internal validity?
STUDY
Thai types of validity is concerned with what goes on inside a study
The extent to which the researcher is measuring what was intended
- Demand characteristics
- Social desirability
- Extraneous variables
What is external validity?
STUDY
This type of validity is concerned with what goes on outside the study
The degree to which a research finding can be generalised outside the research situation
- Ecological validity
- Population validity
- Temporal validity
What are demand characteristics?
INTERNAL
STUDY
Cues from the researcher or research situation that may be interpreted by participants as revealing the purpose of the investigation
May lead to a participant changing their behaviour
What is social desirability?
INTERNAL
STUDY
Tendency for respondents to answer questions in a way that presents themselves in a better light rather than in a way that is honest
What are extraneous variables?
INTERNAL
STUDY
Any variable other than the IV that may have an effect on the DV if it is not controlled
If the study is conducted in a controlled setting then there will be a high control of extraneous variables whereas if it is conducted in the real world control may be low
What is ecological validity?
EXTERNAL
STUDY
The extent to which findings from a research study can be generated to other settings and situations
Can be low if conducted in artificial setting or task was unrealistic aka low mundane realism
What is population validity?
EXTERNAL
STUDY
The extent to which findings from a research study can be generalised to other settings
Participants who take part in the study are not always representative of the target population
Consider gender, age and size of sample
Results may be gender or culturally biased
What is temporal validity?
EXTERNAL
STUDY
The extent to which findings from a research study can be generalised to other historical times and eras
If research took place a long time ago, consider whether there have been many modern replications
What are ethical issues?
STUDY
Has the study caused psychological or physical harm
Was deception involved
Did researchers gain informed consent
Was there breaches of privacy and confidentiality
What are real world applications?
STUDY
Has the research been applied in a positive way
Is it useful
Does it have economic implications
Deception was an ethical issue within milgrams study, what would a PEE paragraph be for this? Include a counter argument
One issue is that deception occurred during milgrams experiment
This is seen through the thoughts of the participants as they thought they were actually harming the learner but really the shocks were fake
This is an issue because it could result in participants no longer wanting to be involved in an experiment in the future
However deception was needed in order for the experiment to be successful
Another ethical issue in milgrams obedience study is no protection from harm, what would a PEE paragraph be for this? Include a counter argument
Another ethical issue that is evident in milgrams experiment is no protection from harm
This is evident when the participants display sweating, trembling, stutters and some even had full blown seizures
This is an issue as it clearly demonstrates the experiment is having negative psychological effects on the participants
However the participants had the right to withdraw during any point in the study, and they were debriefed where they also said they felt happy to have taken party
Form a PEE paragraph with a counter argument to suggest milgrams obedience study has low internal validity
It has been argued milgrams study has low internal validity
It has been said the participants behaved in the way they did as they didn’t be believe in the set up, that voices could be heard come from the speakers rather than the other side of the wall and that the shocks were not real
If this is the case, then milgram was not testing what he had intended to test
However milgram himself reported that 70% of his participants said they believed the shocks were genuine
A strength of milgrams obedience study is that his findings have been recently replicated, form a PEE paragraph for this
A strength is that milgrams findings have been recently replicated
A french tb show partially replicated milgrams research. Participants were paid to give (fake) electric shocks to other participants (actors) when orders by the presenter
The results were that 80% of participants delivered the maximum shock of 460 volts to an apparently unconscious man. Their behaviour was almost identical to that of milgrams participants - nervous laughter as well as other forms of anxiety
This shows that milgrams experiment can be replicated in the real world. This supports milgrams original conclusions
Form a PEE paragraph for the point that there is support for the link between authoritarian personality and obedience
STRENGTH
There is support for the link between authoritarian personality and obedience
Milgram and Elms conducted interviews with a small sample of fully obedient participants, who scored highly, believing that there might be a link between obedience and authoritarian personality
This is merely a correlation between who measured variables
Form a PEE paragraph suggesting a limitation is the use of correlation evidence to support the authoritarian personality being an explanation of obedience
Another limitation is the use of correlational evidence to support this explanation
Adorno and his colleagues measured an impressive range of variables and found many significant correlations. For instance they found that authoritarianism was strongly correlated with measures of prejudice against minority groups
However no matter how strong a correlation between variable might be, it does not follow that one causes the other
Give one strength of the agentic state explanation in a PEE paragraph
Supported by….
One strength of the agentic state explanation is that it is supported by milgrams research
65% of participants shocked all the way to 450V and 0% of participants stopped before 300V
Milgram suggested that the participants perceived the man in the white cost as an authority figure who has power due to the social hierarchy, he was the lead experimenter/scientist. The participants therefore obeyed because they shifted from an autonomous state to an agentic state
Give one limitation of the agentic shift explanation in a PEE paragraph
One limitation of the agentic shift explanation is that it doesn’t explain many of the findings in obedience research
35% of participants in milgrams study did not obey
All humans are social animals in social hierarchies, therefore all participants should have obeyed the orders. This shows that the agentic shift can only account for some situations of obedience
Explain how legitimacy of authority could be used to explain that what occurred in the My Lai Massacre in 1968
Strength of using using legitimacy of authority to explain obedience - real life example of destructive obedience
The viet conaguerillas and north Vietnamese soldiers had been ordered by their commanders who work for the military to launch attacks on urban areas across south Vietnam
They were on a “search and destroy” mission. They obeyed this as they were doing their duty by following orders
Also their commanding officers had power over them as they were a legitimate authority figure therefore if they did not obey them they would have been punished
How can legitimacy of authority be used to explain the different obedience rayes in different cultures?
In different cuktures authority is more likely to be accepted as legitimate abs entitled to demand obedience from individuals
This reflects the ways different societies are structured and how children are raised to perceive authority figures
Form a PEE paragraph for a strength of milgrams research
Variables
A strength is that milgrams research has high control of variables
He systematically altered one variable at a time such as proximity to see what effect it would have on the level of obedience
This is a strength because the study can be replicated giving the same results
What is a criticism of milgrams situational explanations for obedience PEE paragraph
Mandel criticised milgrams situational explanations for obedience
He suggested that uniform offers an alibi for evil behaviour. In his view it is offensive to survivors of the Holocaust as it suggests that the nazis were simply obeying orders and were victims themselves of situational factors beyond their control
Situational explanations of obedience could be offensive to those who have suffered and survived experiences such as the Holocaust
