Learning Theories Practical Flashcards
As part of the Learning
Approach, you carried out a
practical using an observation.
Outline the AIM of your study (1)
To observe if there is a gender difference in levels of prosocial behaviour
Describe your sample and
the sampling method you used for
your study (3)
We used opportunity sampling and observations in a public place. There were 19
males and 20 females who were either Caucasian or Asian and privately
educated from Bristol. The ages ranged from 11-18 years old.
What was your
research/alternative/experimental
hypothesis for the study you did in
the Learning Approach? (2)
here Will be a signiticant difference in The levels or prosocial Denaviour snown
between males and females. (This was a non-directional hypothesis, so two-
tailed)
What was your null
hypothesis for the study you did in
the Learning Approach? (2)
There will be no significant difference between levels of prosocial behaviour
exhibited by males and females.
Any differences will be due to chance.
As part of the course
requirements for Learning
Theories you conducted an
observation in which you gathered
quantitative data.
Describe the steps you took in
order to gather and analyse the data
Prosocial behaviour was operationalised as (i) people who helped pick up
the books or (ii) people who walked past.
Four covert observers stood in strategically-placed positions and
watched for these different behaviours. Every time this behaviour was
exhibited by the participants, the observers would record it in a tally
chart including operationalised behavioral categories.
A frequency bar chart was used to compare the different behaviours
shown by males and females in order to compare the two genders. T
he Chi-Squared Test was carried out to determine the level of
significance of the results as the design used independent measures
data was nominal and we were testing for difference
As part of the course
requirements for learning theories
you conducted an observation in
which you gathered qualitative
data,
Describe the steps you took in
order to gather and analyse the
data (4)
We made notes on the types of people who either helped the
confederate or ignored them.
Categories of notes included: appearance, verbal behaviour and
interactions, physical behaviour and gestures, personal space and human
traffic.
Notes were expanded after the practical to develop a descriptive
narrative.
The notes included as much detail as possible as the observers may not
have been able to write down everything thing that happened whichthey
observed at the time.
Outline ONE weakness of
Your observation (3)
A weakness of our observation was its reliability as we only used 4 untrained
observers therefore the data the observers recorded may have been
subjective and biased, therefore, less accurate, and credible which may have
Affected the study’s reliability.
Moreover, as the observers were only in three locations, it is plausible they may
Have missed some behaviour exhibited by participants or may not have been
A weakness of our observation was its reliability as we only used 4 untrained
observers therefore the data the observers recorded may have been
subjective and biased, therefore, less accurate, and credible which may have
Iffected the study’s reliability.
Moreover, as the observers were only in three locations, it is plausible they may
lave missed some behaviour exhibited by participants or may not have been
able to see all the participants, which may decrease the accuracy of data and
therefore affect the reliability of the data, too.
Describe how the above
weakness may be overcome/
improved, if you were to carry out
the study again. (3)
If the study was to be repeated, I would use three observers at five different
locations. I would train them on interpreting the operationalised categories to
ensure inter-rater reliability. Therefore, with 15 trained observers, this would
ensure the reliability and validity of the data was more robust. Moreover, an
increase in points at which the researchers are observing would decrease the
chance of them not seeing certain behaviours or miscounting participants and
increase the reliability, too.
