Learning Psychology - Studies

Question 1

Aim of Watson and Rayner (1920)?

Answer 1

To find out if classical conditioning works on humans and if fear can be learnt.

Additionally, to find out if a fear response can be conditioned into a 9 month old baby boy.

Question 2

Procedure of Watson and Rayner (1920)?

Answer 2

Watson and Rayner exposed the 9-month old baby, Albert, to fear-inducing objects, such as burning paper and rats, but he showed no fear.

When a loud clanging noise was introduced, Albert cried, This was repeated until eventually Albert was afraid of the white rat without the loud clanging noise.

Albert was conditioned to have a fear of the rat which was then generalised to a fear of white furry things (anything that resembled the rat).

Question 3

Results of Watson and Rayner (1920)?

Answer 3

Albert’s whimper and crying when the rat was presented alone indicated that the neutral stimulus (NS) is a conditioned stimulus (CS), and his crying is a conditioned response (CR).

The conditioning process caused Albert to be fearful of the rat - proving the aim correct.

Question 4

Conclusions of Watson and Rayner (1920)?

Answer 4

Watson & Rayner successfully conditioned Albert to fear white rats, which he later adapted to other white, furry objects and transferred to various situations.

Question 5

Generalisablity of Watson and Rayner (1920)?

Answer 5

One individual child - 9 month old baby
Unique unemotional character - may not be representative of individuals of same age and gender.

Question 6

Reliablity of Watson and Rayner (1920)?

Answer 6

It was standardised, it had a high level of control and is replicable.

Question 7

Application of Watson and Rayner (1920)?

Answer 7

This study demonstrates phobias can be learnt and we can use this knowledge to develop treatments such as systematic desensitisation.

Question 8

Validity of Watson and Rayner (1920)?

Answer 8

High experimental validity, it was conducted in a lab
Therefore it has low ecological validity and lacks mundane realism.

Question 9

Ethics of Watson and Rayner (1920)?

Answer 9

No ethical guidelines in 1920 - no protection from little Albert receiving harm.
He was removed from the experiment before the fear could be removed.
Informed consent from the mother - may not have been fully informed to all the procedures taking place.

Question 10

Aim of Becker et al. (2002)’s study?

Answer 10

To investigate the impact of Western style television on eating behaviour and body satisfaction in Fijian girls.

Question 11

Sample of Becker et al. (2002)’s study?

Answer 11

Sample 1 = 63 Adolescent Fijian girls studied weeks before the introduction of TV - 1995

Sample 2 = 65 Adolescent Fijian girls studied 3 years later - 1998

Question 12

Procedure of Becker et al. (2002)’s study?

Answer 12

Both samples (1995 and 1998) completed a modified version of the EAT-26 questionnaire.

Both groups also answered questions on television in their home and measures of height and weight were taken.

The 1998 group were also asked more detailed questions.

30 girls were chosen from the 1998 sample and were interviewed in detail about their eating behaviours and attitudes, their TV viewing habits and their opinions on “American TV”.

Question 13

Results of Becker et al. (2002)’s study?

Answer 13

Weight did not differ between the two groups of girls, with BMIs of 24.5 and 24.9 respectively.

TV viewing did increase - 41% 1995 compared to 71% in 1998.

Scores of dysfunctional eating increased - 29.2% of girls scoring over the threshold of 20 on the EAT-26 in 1998 compared to 12.7% in 1995.

None of the girls reported using purging in 1995, but 11.3% reported this in 1998.

In 1998, 74% reported they felt too big/fat and 69% reported they had dieted at some point (questions not asked to 1995 group)

Question 14

Conclusion of Becker et al. (2002)’s study?

Answer 14

Identifying with role models on TV changed body image in the period of the study.
Cultural values about dieting/weight were changing between the girls.

Question 15

Generalisablity of Becker et al. (2002)’s study?

Answer 15

Poor - unrepresentative to other cultures; Fiji has such a strong culture of eating and distinctive notions of beauty and body shape.

Question 16

Reliability of Becker et al. (2002)’s study?

Answer 16

It has standardised procedures and was carefully documented.

Inter-rater reliablity - Becker’s interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed so other researchers can read over what the girls said.

Test-retest reliability - questionnaire was used with both groups and a score over 20 meant the same thing in 1995 as it did in 1998.

Question 17

Application of Becker et al. (2002)’s study?

Answer 17

Dr Becker’s study suggests that eating disorders and associated depression and suicide may become more common thee, so there is a need for more health spending.

Question 18

Validity of Becker et al. (2002)’s study?

Answer 18

TV may not be the main factor - only 29.2% scored dangerously high in 1998 and 8 girls (12.7%) scored that high in 1995. This suggests there were already problems with diet among schoolgirls.

High ecological validity - natural experiment

Question 19

Ethics of Becker et al. (2002)’s study?

Answer 19

Dr Becker and her team were not specialists in eating disorders and were not competent to diagnose anorexia - would be unethical to give participants the impression they had a medical problem.

Instead, Becker looked for “worrying signs” like increased dieting or induced vomiting. The girls were not diagnosed with anorexia.

Question 20

Aim of Bandura et al. (1961)’s study?

Answer 20

To see whether aggressive behaviour could be acquired through observation of aggressive adult models.

And whether they would imitate same-sex models more than opposite-sex models.

Question 21

Sample of Bandura (1961)’s study?

Answer 21

72 participants: 36 males, 36 females
Came from nursery school at Stanford University, aged 37 to 69 months
Mean age of 52 months
Two adults acted as models; 1 male, 1 female.

Question 22

Name the 3 stages in Bandura’s study (1961)

Answer 22

Stage 1 - modelling
Stage 2 - aggression arousal
Stage 3 - test for delayed imitation

Question 23

Procedure of Bandura (1961)’s study - explaination

Answer 23

Children matched on pre-existing aggressiveness that was rated on a 5 point scale.

Split into 8 experimental groups and a control gorup of 24.

Half of the groups saw the agressive model then were split again into the same/opposite sex model.

Question 24

Procedure of Bandura (1961)’s study - Stage 1

Answer 24

Stage 1: Modelling - In the experimental conditions children were individually shown into a room containing toys and played with some potato prints and pictures in a corner for 10 minutes while either:
24 children (12 boys and 12 girls) watched a male or female model behaving aggressively. The adults attacked the Bobo doll; they used a hammer in some cases, and in others threw the doll in the air and
Another 24 children were exposed to a non-aggressive model who played in a quiet and subdued manner for 10 minutes (playing with a tinker toy set and ignoring the bobo-doll).
The final 24 children (12 boys and 12 girls) were used as a control group and not exposed to a model.

Question 25

Procedure of Bandura (1961)’s study - Stage 2

Answer 25

Stage 2: Aggression Arousal - All the children (including the control group) were subjected to ‘mild aggression arousal’. Each child was (separately) taken to a room with relatively attractive toys. As soon as the child started to play with the toy, the experimenter told the child they cannot play with the toys.

Question 26

Procedure of Bandura (1961)’s study - Stage 3

Answer 26

Stage 3: Test for Delayed Imitation - The next room contained some aggressive toys and some non-aggressive toys. The non-aggressive toys included a tea set, crayons, three bears and plastic farm animals. The aggressive toys included a mallet and peg board, dart guns, and a 3 foot Bobo doll. The child was in the room for 20 minutes and their behaviour was observed and rated though a one-way mirror. Observations were made at 5-second intervals therefore giving 240 response units for each child.

Question 27

Findings of Bandura (1961)’s study?

Answer 27

The children who observed the aggressive model gave more aggressive responses than children who observed non-aggressive model.

The girls in aggressive condition showed physical aggression if they observed the male model but verbal aggression when observing the female model.
The boys were more physically aggressive than girls.

Question 28

Conclusion of Bandura (1961)’s study?

Answer 28

This study supports social learning theory which suggests that children learn social behaviour such as aggression through observation.

Question 29

Generalisablity of Bandura (1961)’s study?

Answer 29

The sample is large enough that anomalies might be cancelled out.

However, it may be unrepresentative as all the children’s parents worked at Stanford so they may have unusual home lives as all their parents are clever.

Question 30

Reliablity of Bandura (1961)’s study?

Answer 30

It is very reliable because it can be replicated – Bandura replicated the study in ’63 and ‘65. This was easy to do because of the standardised procedure (same script, same checklist categories, etc).

Inter-rater reliability - Bandura also used two observers behind the one-way mirror. This creates inter-rater reliability because a behaviour had to be noted by both observers otherwise it didn’t count. Bandura also filmed the 1963 study and the films can be watched by anyone, which adds to the inter-rater reliability.

Question 31

Application of Bandura (1961)’s study?

Answer 31

Can be applied to parenting/teaching styles - psychologists and social workers now have a better understanding of the risks to children’s development posed by violent parents.

Question 32

Validity of Bandura (1961)’s study?

Answer 32

Bandura’s studies are criticized for lacking validity due to their use of demand characteristics - children are exposed to unusual adult behavior and given toys that encourage unnatural behavior.

This behavior, such as the Bobo Doll, is believed to be what the researchers want them to do.

Question 33

Ethics of Bandura (1961)’s study?

Answer 33

The major issue is harm and the wellbeing of participants. The children may have been distressed by the aggressive behaviour. They couldn’t withdraw as did not know they were in experiment. There was also no debrief to overcome issues.

Question 34

Aim of Bandura (1963)’s study?

Answer 34

To find out if children would become more aggressive if exposed to an aggressive role model in film or in a less-realistic cartoon compared to watching a live model.

Question 35

Sample of Bandura (1963)’s study?

Answer 35

48 boys and 48 girls aged 32 - 52 months.

Question 36

Procedure of Bandura (1963)’s study?

Answer 36

There were 3 experimental groups and a control group with 24 children in each group.

The 3 groups were:
Live aggression condition - they watched an adult show aggression towards a Bobo doll.
Filmed realistic condition - they watched the same behaviour displayed on a screen.
Cartoon aggression condition - they watched a model on TV, dressed as a black cartoon cat perform the same aggressive behaviours towards a Bobo doll.

Question 37

Results of Bandura (1963)’s study?

Answer 37

All 3 groups displayed increased aggression.

Mean number of aggressive acts - 83 (live), 92 (filmed realistic) and 99 (cartoon).

Differences between each group not that significant.

Question 38

Conculsion of Bandura (1963)’s study?

Answer 38

Exposure to live or filmed aggression increases likelihood of aggression in response to frustration, even if the aggression is modelled by a cartoon figure.

Question 39

Aim of Bandura (1965)’s study?

Answer 39

To see if consequences given to the model would affect whether children imitated the model’s acts.

Question 40

Sample of Bandura (1965)’s study?

Answer 40

33 boys and 33 girls aged 42 - 71 months.

Question 41

Procedure of Bandura (1965)’s study?

Answer 41

Children randomly allocated one of 3 conditions - model rewarded condition, model-punished condition and no-consquence condition.

Question 42

Procedure of Bandura (1965)’s study - model-rewarded condition?

Answer 42

Another adult came into the room with sweets and soft drinks and told the model he was a ‘strong champion’ - model clearly enjoyed them.

Question 43

Procedure of Bandura (1965)’s study - model-punished condition?

Answer 43

Another person came in, shook a finger at the model and called him a ‘big bully’, and hit model with a rolled up newspaper.

Question 44

Procedure of Bandura (1965)’s study - no-consquence condition?

Answer 44

The model wasn’t reinforced or punished.

Question 45

Results of Bandura (1965)’s study?

Answer 45

Children in the model-punished condition were significantly less aggressive than the other two groups.
However, introducing the promise of a reward wiped out the difference, increasing the scores significantly for all the groups.

Question 46

Conclusion of Bandura (1965)’s study?

Answer 46

Vicarious punishment reduces imitated aggression. However, reinforcement is a more powerful influence on aggression.

Question 47

Generalisabilty of Bandura (1963/1965)’s studies?

Answer 47

Large sample size which adds to the generalisability as it is large enough that anomalies (eg disturbed children) might be cancelled out (eg by mild mannered kids).

Question 48

Reliabilty of Bandura (1963/1965)’s studies?

Answer 48

Can be replicated standardised procedure - (same script, same checklist categories, etc).

Question 49

Application of Bandura (1963/1965)’s studies?

Answer 49

Much more application to TV censorship. This study is used to support censoring TV, films and video games aimed at children.

Question 50

Validity of Bandura (1963/1965)’s studies?

Answer 50

They lack validity - the children were put in a strange situation, exposed to some unusual adult behaviour and given toys to play with which encouraged them to act unnaturally.

Question 51

Ethics of Bandura (1963/1965)’s studies?

Answer 51

Harm and the wellbeing of participants - the children may have been distressed by the aggressive behaviour they witnessed and the aggressive behaviour they learned from the study may have stayed with them, going on to become a behavioural problem.