PERRY Flashcards
BACKGROUND
Interpersonal distance is the distance between people, such as how close they sit or stand to each other. It often shows how comfortable people feel with one another.
Personal space is the invisible boundaries around our bodies that, if crossed, make us feel uncomfortable or threatened. Preferred distance from others depends on:– cultural values– individual differences– the relationship with the other person: intimate or social– the situation: formal or public.
Empathy is a person’s ability to understand the thoughts, feelings and experiences of
others. Empathy has two dimensions:– cognitive: the ability to determine another’s
emotional/mental state– affective: the ability to ‘feel’ the same emotional state.
Social bonding can be affected by hormones such as oxytocin. Does oxytocin affect an individual’s interpersonal distance preference (how close they are willing to be to another person), depending on whether they are high or low in empathy?
PSYCH BEING INVESTIGATED
AIM
To investigate the effect of oxytocin on preferred interpersonal distance for those scoring high or low in empathy traits.
Research Hypotheses
Administering oxytocin will affect preferred interpersonal distance depending on the
persons’ level of empathy.
People with high empathy would prefer closer distance and those with low empathy would prefer great distance
SAMPLE
Sample: 54 men from Israeli university, undergrads, aged 19-32 years, all were mentally well (screened), all normal vision, 5 left handed
Sampling Technique: Volunteer, self selecting (awarded course credit/payment)
PROCEDURE
Oxytocin promotes closer interpersonal distance among highly empathic individuals
Research Method: 2 Lab Expts: half of the ppt did Expt 1 first, half Expt 2, then swopped
Experimental Design: mixed designs:
Repeated measures design with randomisation – participants took part in two conditions, with and without oxytocin, one week apart.
Independent measures design – whether participants were in the high or low empathy group IV: Two IV’s : IV1 Empathy (High or Low) IV2: OT admin or placebo admin
DV:
Data collection techniques:
Questionnaire: the Interpersonal Reactivity Index was used to create the high and low empathy (interpersonal reactivity) group scores. Participants with scores of over 40 were assigned to the high empathy group (n = 20) and those with scores of under 33 were assigned to the low empathy group (n = 20).
Standardised tests:
– Expt 1 : the Comfortable Interpersonal Distance (CID) paradigm.
– Expt 2: the ‘choosing rooms’ task.
RESULTS
Expt 1 Oxytocin decreased the preferred mean distance from a protagonist in the high empathy group and increased it in the low empathy group.
Significant differences were found for the preferred distance between a friend and an authority figure, and a friend and a stranger in the high empathy placebo group. Participants were willing to be closer to the ball than the stranger or authority figure in the oxytocin condition.
Expt 2 The high empathy group chose closer chair distances in the oxytocin condition compared to the placebo. The opposite effect was found in the low empathy group. Oxytocin did not significantly affect preferred chair angle.
CONCLUSION
Oxytocin affects preferred interpersonal distance dependent on empathy level. High empathy individuals prefer closer distances after oxytocin compared to the placebo.
Preferred interpersonal distance increased with the use of oxytocin for individuals with low empathy scores compared to the placebo.
GRAVE
:) Double blind, placebo design,- decreased bias, increased validity, ensuring effects observed could be more confidently attributed to OT
:) Control of extraneous variables –standardised computerised CID task, room choice, objective quantitative data allows comparison across conditions, reduction in subjectivity :) ethics- informed consent, debriefing, mild deception with Expt 2
:(Ecological validity poor- lab expt, :( Limited generalisability - male, age range low, n/a women, possible bias in self report to seem more empathic.
Perry: Strengths
High internal validity – The double-blind, placebo-controlled design is the gold standard for clinical research. In this study, neither the participants nor the experimenters knew whether OT or a placebo was administered, which significantly reduced biases. This approach ensured that the effects observed could be more confidently attributed to OT, rather than the expectations or preconceptions of the participants or researchers.
Control of extraneous variables – The use of a computerised version of the CID task and a carefully designed room choice experiment provided precise and objective measures of interpersonal distance preferences. By standardizing the experimental conditions and ensuring that all participants were exposed to the same stimuli in a controlled environment, the study minimised external variables that could otherwise confound the results. This methodological precision enhances the credibility of the findings. (increases reliability also)
Reliability – The study’s design, which included two different but thematically related experiments (CID and Choosing Rooms), provided an opportunity to test the consistency of findings across different methodologies. The replication of similar results across these two distinct experimental setups significantly enhances the reliability of the findings. In research, the ability to replicate results under different conditions is a key indicator of their reliability.
Perry: Weaknesses
Marginal significance of results – The study found that the interaction between treatment (OT administration) and empathy was only marginally significant in the CID experiment (P = 0.09). This marginal significance indicates that the effects, while present, are not robustly demonstrated. In scientific research, especially in psychology, stronger statistical significance is generally sought to confidently assert findings. Limited generalisability – The study included only male participants, significantly limiting its generalisability. The hormonal, psychological, and social dynamics can differ markedly between genders. The study’s findings cannot be extrapolated to females, who may respond differently to OT in terms of interpersonal distance preferences.
Reduced ecological validity – The use of computerised experiments, while positive for standardisation and control of experimental conditions, may reduce ecological validity. The simulated nature of the tasks might not accurately capture the nuances of real-life social interactions where interpersonal distances are negotiated.
APP TO EVERYDAY LIFE
NATURE VS NURTURE
Looks at how inherent traits (like hormone levels) interact with learned behaviors (like social norms) in shaping our social interactions. Individual differences determine the ability of OT to affect behaviour
INDIVIDUAL VS SITUATIONAL
ETHICS
