Major Experiments Flashcards
Maguire 2000
investigated the relationship between brain structure and spatial navigation by examining the hippocampus of London taxi drivers, who undergo extensive learning about London streets. Using MRI scans, the researchers found that the taxi drivers had larger hippocampus compared to control participants. This suggested that the hippocampus is involved in spatial memory and that its structure can change in response to environmental demands. The brain can change shape and function = neuroplasticity.
Ronay and von Hippel (2010)
explored the influence of male risk-taking behavior in the presence of attractive females. Male skateboarders performed tricks in front of a male experimenter and an attractive female, with results showing they took more risks and failed more often when the female was present. The study linked this behavior to increased testosterone levels, suggesting evolutionary roots in mating-related risk-taking.
Harlow’s monkey experiments
studied the role of caregiving and attachment in infant monkeys. He found that baby monkeys preferred spending time with a soft, cloth “mother” that provided comfort over a wire “mother” that provided food, emphasizing the importance of comfort in forming attachments. These experiments demonstrated the significance of emotional bonding in development, but they were criticized for ethical concerns.
Robber’s Cave Experiment
conducted by Muzafer Sherif in 1954, studied intergroup conflict and cooperation. It involved two groups of 11-year-old boys at a summer camp who were initially kept separate to form group identities, then brought into competition, leading to hostility. Finally, Sherif introduced cooperative tasks requiring both groups to work together, demonstrating that shared goals can reduce conflict and foster cooperation.
Spencer et. al. 1999
Mentioning that there is a stereotype about women not being as good as men at math, caused women to perform poorer on math tests than women who had not had this stereotype brought up before the exam. Steele and Aronson 1995 showed similar display of stereotype threat effect.
Two factor theory of emotion: Where cognition and biology collide. Claim that two factors determine your emotions:
Physiological arousal (from hormones/neurotransmitters)
An emotional interpretation and labelling/schema of the arousal (Schachter and Singer 1962)
Appraisal theory of emotion: Created by Lazarus 1982. Appraisal = the evaluation of situations according to significance they have for us.
Primary appraisal = Deciding whether a situation is personally relevant.
Secondary appraisal = how can I cope with the situation.
Loftus and Palmer 1974
Participants watched seven film clips of different car accidents.
After each clip, they described what they saw and answered some questions.
A critical question, asked about the speed of the car in each clip.
The critical question led to 5 different experimental conditions in which a different verb was used to describe the actions of the cars. For example, “hit, collide, contact, bumped, smashed” were used.
It was discovered that merely changing those words, changed what people remembered about the speed of the cars.
This and other Loftus experiments had huge implications for the use of “leading questions” by law enforcement and eye witness testimony.
Loftus et al. 1987
Participants heard a discussion going on in the room next to their waiting room.
Condition 1: No weapons condition. A man with greasy hands emerged from the next room holding a pen.
Condition 2: Weapons condition. A man came out of the next room holding a paperknife covered in blood.
Afterwards, participants were asked to identify the man in a lineup of pictures. Participants in the no weapons condition were much more accurate. This also has famous implications for eye witness testimony, in which the “weapons effect” may interfere with people’s ability to recall things other than weapons that were present.
