Psychology Unit 2

Question 0

What 2 things does a question have to be and why?

Answer 0

It must be clear and unambiguous so that the people know exactly what is being asked (increases ecological validity)

Can’t be emotive because this could upset the people and cause then to give biased answers

Question 1

What is the advantage and disadvantage of questionnaires in general?

Answer 1

A lot of data can be collected very quickly

We don’t know if the answers given are actually true (people make themselves look good)

Question 2

In what 3 ways is inter-observer reliability ensured?

Answer 2

The researcher designs a record sheet with suitable behaviour categories for observation that want to conduct

Two observers each have a copy of the same record sheet and watch the same behaviour / location at the same time recording what they see on their individual sheet

At the end of the observation, the observers compare their record sheets

Question 3

What are the 3 disadvantages of case studies?

Answer 3

Data collected can be subjective because the psychologist can be biased

Can’t be generalised to other people because it is unique

There are ethical issues of confidentiality, right to withdraw and protection from harm. The last might occur because the person being studied is often suffering from psychological problems making them vulnerable

Question 4

What is the advantage and disadvantage of interviews in general?

Answer 4

Produce large amounts of data in short time

Can’t be sure if interviewee is telling truth

Question 5

What are the 3 advantages of case studies?

Answer 5

Provide detailed information about individuals rather than collecting just a score from a test from a person

Record behaviour over time so changes in behaviour can be seen

A single cause study that tells us that a theory is incorrect is very useful because it will encourage researchers to change the theory and make it more accurate

Question 6

What is the case study method?

Answer 6

An in-depth study of an individual or a unique group in order to either learn about the specific person or the human behaviour in general

Question 7

What is the difference between open and closed questions?

Answer 7

Closed questions limit the possible answers that can be given

Open questions allow the person to give an individual answer which is never limited by the question

Question 8

What is the advantage and disadvantage of open questions?

Answer 8

They make sure that a more truthful answer is given that is not limited by bounds in the question

However, the results are qualitative meaning that they can be hard to put into categories, group together or put into a numerical system

Question 9

What are the 2 disadvantages of correlation?

Answer 9

Don’t indicate which of the 2 variable caused the relationship to occur

Lots of data needs to be found in order to make an accurate correlation

Question 10

What is the advantage and disadvantage of closed questions?

Answer 10

The results are easy to put into a numerical system such as a graph

People might not give the answer that they actually think because their answer isn’t one of the options

Question 11

What is inter-observer reliability?

Answer 11

This means that every time a behaviour that fits the behavioural categories occurs, it is recorded

This causes all records done by the different observers to have the same behaviours recorded on their sheets

Question 12

What are the 3 advantages of the observation method?

Answer 12

Very high ecological validity because you are observing real world behaviours

In interviews etc. people make up answers to make themselves look better, in this method, people don’t even know they are being observed so this won’t happen

Observation records whole behaviours that people do regularly instead of very small, minimised behaviours

Question 13

What are the 5 words to use when describing correlation?

Answer 13

Positive

Negative

Strong

Weak

No correlation

Question 14

What are the 2 advantages of correlation?

Answer 14

Allows the researcher to see if 2 variables are connected in some way. Then a experiment can be done to find out why

Can be used when it is impossible or unethical to use an experiment

Question 15

What is the advantage and disadvantage of structured interviews?

Answer 15

Data can be collated and analysed easily

Interviewer can’t ask questions that might help

Question 16

What is the advantage and disadvantage of unstructured interviews?

Answer 16

Results are detailed and have ecological validity

Difficult to collate and analyse

Question 17

What are the 3 disadvantages of observation studies?

Answer 17

You can record a behaviour but you don’t always know why it happened

People being watched can become aware of this and change their behaviour as a result

Ethical issues of watching people who want to be watched

Question 18

What is the difference between a structured and an unstructured interview?

Answer 18

Structured interviews are where all of the questions are pre-set and given a fixed order (every interviewee has same questions)

Unstructured interviews are where only the first question is set and the other questions depend on the answers of the interviewee

Question 19

What is imitation?

Answer 19

Copying the behaviour of a role model

Question 20

Describe the Electra complex

Answer 20

A girl is unconciously attracted to her father and jealous of her mother but she doesn’t want to lose her mother’s love but she isn’t as fearful as the boy because she believes she has already been castrated

To resolve this, she identifies with her mother

Question 21

What is gender schema theory?

Answer 21

The theory that tells us that we develop our gender identity as we make more gender schemas

Question 22

What a gender schema?

Answer 22

A mental building block of knowledge that contains information about each gender

Question 23

What is modelling?

Answer 23

When a role model provides an example for the child

Question 24

What is the phallic stage?

Answer 24

Freud’s third stage of psychosexual development, in which gender development takes place

Question 25

What is gender stereotyping?

Answer 25

Believing that all males are similar and all females are similar

Question 26

What does it mean when someone is highly gender schematised?

Answer 26

When gender is the most important factor when the person is making decisions

Question 27

Evaluate the media social learning study

Answer 27

It doesn’t explain why children brought up in one-parent families have no problem developing their gender

This theory is well supported by other cases and studies

Question 28

What is identification?

Answer 28

When a child adopts the attitudes and behaviours of the same sex parent

Question 29

What are gender roles?

Answer 29

Behaviour seen as masculine or feminine by a particular culture

Question 30

What happens in the phallic stage?

Answer 30

The child of 3 - 5 unconciously desires the opposite sex parent and is jealous of the same sex parent

In order to deal with these feelings, the child begins to behave like the same sex parent

This occurs differently in boys and girls

Question 31

Give a study on media and social learning

Answer 31

Williams (1986)

To investigate the effects of television on the gender development of children

Williams studied the effects of television on children living in Canada. At the beginning of the study, one of the towns was being provided with television for the first time while the other towns already had television. He measured the attitudes of children living in these towns at the beginning of the study and 2 years later

The children who now had television were more sex stereotyped in their attitudes and behaviour than they had been 2 years previously

Gender is learnt by imitating attitudes and behaviour seen on television

Question 32

What is the psychodynamic theory of gender development?

Answer 32

Freud’s theory of what happens in the phallic stage

Question 33

What is the psychodynamic approach?

Answer 33

The theory that tells us that our behaviour is a reaction from our subconcious forces and emotions

Question 34

What is the social learning theory of gender development?

Answer 34

The theory that tells us that gender is learnt from watching and copying the behaviour of others

Question 35

Give a study into gender disturbance

Answer 35

Rekers and Moray (1990)

To see if there is a relationship between gender disturbance and family background

Researchers rated 46 boys with gender disturbance for gender behaviour and identity. Their family background was also investigated

Of the group, 75% of the most severely gender-disturbed boys had neither their biological father nor a father substitute living with them

Boys who don’t have a father figure present during their childhood are more likely to develop a problem with their gender identity

Question 36

Evaluate the psychodynamic gender development study

Answer 36

There is no evidence to prove Freud’s claims because he talks about unconcious feelings which can’t measured or noticed

He only analysed one person so the results can’t be generalised

Question 37

Evaluate the differences of gender ideas study

Answer 37

The theory is supported by a lot of evidence and it fits with our experience

It doesn’t explain why gender starts to develop at the age of 2 and why some children are more highly gender schematised than others

Question 38

Give a study into the psychodynamic theory of gender development

Answer 38

Freud (1909)

To investigate Little Hans’s phobia

At the age of 4, Hans developed a fear of horses. He was frightened that a horse might bite him or fall down. He was particularly afraid of large white horses with black around the mouth. Freud analysed this information

Freud claimed that Hans was experiencing the Oedipus complex. He unconciously desired his mother and saw his father as a rival and feared castration. He displaced the fear of his father onto horses. The white horse with the black around the mouth represented his father who had a dark beard. His fear of being bitten represented his fear of castration and his fear of horses falling down was his unconcious desire to see his father dead

This supports Freud’s ideas about the Oedipus complex

Question 39

Evaluate the gender stereotype study

Answer 39

The theory seems to fit with our experiences of seeing people grow up

It could simply be that the older children are more perceptive and so they are the only ones that noticed the interest in toys not associated with the gender of the people

Question 40

What is the difference between gender and sex?

Answer 40

Gender (psychological) can be identified by attitudes and behaviour and decides if a person is masculine or feminine

Sex (biological) can be identified by hormones and chromosomes and decides if some is male and female

Question 41

What is vicarious reinforcement?

Answer 41

Learning from a model being rewarded or punished

Question 42

What is gender disturbance?

Answer 42

Not developing the gender identity usually associated with one’s sex

Question 43

Give a study on individual differences of ideas about gender

Answer 43

Levy & Carter (1989)

To show that there are individual differences in the way children think about gender

Children were shown pictures of 2 toys and asked to choose the one they would like to play with. Sometimes, there were both stereotypically masculine, sometime both feminine and sometimes one of each. The pictures were shown high and low gender schematised children

The highly gender schematised children, when one of each gender-based toy was shown, chose the toy associated with their gender. If two masculine or 2 feminine toys were shown, they couldn’t decide. The low gender schematised gender just chose the toy they liked the look of quickly

Highly gender schematised children choose things primarily because of their gender where low gender schematised children choose the things that they actually like the look of

Question 44

Evaluate the imitation study

Answer 44

The study shows definite evidence of children imitating role models of their own sex

Lacks ecological validity because it takes place in an experimental setting

Question 45

Evaluate the gender disturbance study

Answer 45

Only 46 boys were rated so the results can’t be generalised

The study definitely shows that gender disturbance dramatically increases when there is no stable father figure

Question 46

Give a study on imitation

Answer 46

Perry and Bussey (1979)

To show that children imitate behaviour carried out by same-sex role models

Children were shown films of role models carrying out activities that were unfamiliar to the children. In one condition, all of the male role models played with one activity while all the female role models played with the other activity. In the second condition, some of the male role models and some of the female role models played with one activity while the other male and female role models played with the other activity

In the first condition, the children played with the activity that the role models of their sex played with. In the second condition, there was no difference in what the boys and girls chose

When children are in an unfamiliar situation they will observe the behaviour of the same-sex role models. This gives them information about whether the activity is appropriate for their sex. If it is, the child will imitate that behaviour

Question 47

What would happen if boys were given girl toys and vice versa?

Answer 47

Boys treat the girl toys like boy toys and vice versa

Question 48

Give a study on gender stereotypes

Answer 48

Martin (1989)

To show that children’s understanding of gender becomes less stereotyped and more flexible as they get older

Children heard stories about the toys that male and female characters enjoyed playing with. Some of the characters were described as liking gender-stereotyped activities while some were described as the opposite. The children were then asked to predict what other toys each character would or would not like to play with

The younger children only used the sex of the characters to decide which toys they would like but the older children used the sex of the character but also the other toys that the character played with to make their judgement

Older children have a more flexible view of gender than younger children do

Question 49

Describe the Oedipus complex

Answer 49

A boy is unconciously attracted to his mother and is jealous of his father and wants to take his place

He fears that the father will discover his feelings and will castrate him

In order to deal with this fear, he gives up his feelings for his mother and identifies with his father to resolve the Oedipus complex

Question 50

What are the chromosomes and hormones for males and females?

Answer 50

Female chromosome is XX and hormone is oestrogen

Male chromosome is XY and hormone is testosterone

Question 51

What is the difference between a primary and a secondary reinforcer?

Answer 51

A primary reinforcer is something that is needed to survive like food
A secondary reinforcer is something that can be cashed so that rewards can be purchased from a selection of possible rewards

Question 52

Describe the experiment of Pavlov’s dogs

Answer 52

Each time Pavlov’s dog was fed and the amount of saliva produced was measured and a bell was rung
This was repeated many times
The bell was rung and the amount of saliva produced was the same as the amount with the food present

Question 53

Give a study about classical conditioning

Answer 53

Watson & Rayner (1920)

To see if the emotional response of fear could be conditioned in a human being

Albert was 11 months old, he liked white rats and had no fear of white furry objects, the rat was shown to Albert and as he reached for it, a metal bar was hit with a hammer behind him, this was done several times

When the rat was presented, Albert screaming and tried to get away even though the metal bar was not hit, he also screamed in the presence of a Santa mask

Fear responses could be learnt and very young children can learn in the way suggested by classical conditioning

Question 54

What is reinforcement?

Answer 54

A consequence of behaviour that encourages or strengthens that behaviour

Question 55

What do we call the actual procedure of classical conditioning?

Answer 55

Classical conditioning schedule

Question 56

What is the Garcia effect?

Answer 56

When one incident is enough to produce a conditioned stimulus and response

Question 57

Evaluate the classical conditioning study

Answer 57

This was very unethical to scare the child in this way

The study only used one child so they needed more evidence to generalise the results

Question 58

What are the stimuli and responses in the classical conditional schedule?

Answer 58

Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)
Unconditioned response (UCR)
Conditioned stimulus (CS)
Conditioned response (CR)

Question 59

Describe the classical conditioning schedule

Answer 59

Before conditioning: there is an UCS and a UCR
During conditioning: there is CS with the UCS and a UCR
After conditioning: the behaviour is learnt so only the CS is needed to trigger the response which is now called the CR

Question 60

What is aversion therapy?

Answer 60

A treatment for addictions which makes the addict have an extremely negative reaction to the substance

Question 61

What is spontaneous recovery?

Answer 61

After a conditioned response becomes extinct, it suddenly returns again

Question 62

What is discrimination in terms of conditioning?

Answer 62

When the conditioned response is only triggered when a specific stimulus is presented

Question 63

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 63

A procedure where someone learns to associate a reflex response with a new stimulus

Question 64

What is learning?

Answer 64

Changes in behaviour due to experience or repeated events

Question 65

What is token economy?

Answer 65

Giving people either primary or secondary reinforcers as a reward for doing the things that you need them to do

Question 66

What is generalisation in terms of learning?

Answer 66

When similar stimuli to the original conditioned stimulus can trigger the conditioned response

Question 67

What is flooding in terms of learning?

Answer 67

A treatment for phobias that immediate exposure of the person to the feared thing until there is no fear response

Question 68

What is behaviour shaping?

Answer 68

Changing behaviour in small steps

Question 69

What did Skinner do to discover reinforcement?

Answer 69

He put a rat in a box and when the rat touched a button, food was given to it
Over time, the rat learned to push the button as soon as it entered the box
He also put the rat into a box that gave the rat electric shocks and when it pushed the button, the shocks stopped
This negative reinforcement had the same effect as the positive reinforcement

Question 70

What is extinction?

Answer 70

When a conditioned response dies out

Question 71

What is negative reinforcement?

Answer 71

When an unpleasant experience is removed to reinforce a behaviour

Question 72

What is punishment?

Answer 72

A stimulus that weakens behaviour because we try to avoid it

Question 73

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 73

Learning due to the consequences of behaviour through positive or negative reinforcement

Question 74

What is positive reinforcement?

Answer 74

When a reward is presented to reinforce a behaviour

Question 75

What is the hierarchy of fears?

Answer 75

A series of feared events ranked from least frightening to most

Question 76

What did Thorndike do to prove the law of effect?

Answer 76

He placed a cat in a box where the door would open if it pulled a string
He timed how long it took for the cat to open the door 40 times in a row
The cat learnt how to open the door and when it did, it was rewarded by the door opening
This caused the cat to open the door faster and faster as time went on

Question 77

What is the law of effect?

Answer 77

Behaviours that are followed by rewards are usually repeated

Those that are punished are not usually repeated

Question 78

What is systematic desensitisation?

Answer 78

A treatment for phobias in which the person is told to relax and gradually exposed to the feared thing

Question 79

What is the main criticism of the psychodynamic approach to aggression?

Answer 79

Dollard argued that aggression needs something to trigger it and that aggression wouldn’t just happen without a trigger

Question 80

Give 2 evaluations of psychosurgery

Answer 80

Once a part of the brain is destroyed it can’t be replaced

It is a very dangerous procedure

Question 81

Give a study into the frustration-aggression theory

Answer 81

Barker (1941)

To see the affect of frustration on aggression

Children were kept waiting a long time before they could play in a room full of attractive toys. Their behaviour was then observed

Children were much more aggressive and destructive to the toys to children who did not have to wait

Being frustrated does lead to an increase in aggression

Question 82

Evaluate the biological explanation of aggression study

Answer 82

It was done on monkeys so it is hard to generalise the results to humans

It could be unethical to affect the monkeys in this way

Question 83

Give a study about reducing aggression using social learning theory of aggression

Answer 83

Bandura (1965)

To see if observing a role model being punished will reduce the chance of aggression being imitated

Children were shown an adult model either being punished or rewarded for acting aggressively

The children who saw the model being punished were less aggressive than those who saw the model being rewarded

If children see that aggression brings punishment, they will not copy it

Question 84

Give 2 evaluations of the Ritalin method of reducing aggression

Answer 84

Ritalin can have some quite serious side effects

Ritalin also reduces activity of some other brain processes and can make people slower to think and act

Question 85

Describe the psychodynamic explanation of aggression

Answer 85

Freud said that there is an unconscious force called Thanatos that builds up pressure until we can’t control it and we do something aggressive

He said that Thanatos drives us towards self-destruction and that we protect ourselves using ego defence mechanisms which are called displacement (being aggressive to other people) and sublimation (channelling aggression into acceptable activities)

Question 86

Describe the 2 biological methods of reducing aggression

Answer 86

The drug Ritalin can be used to stimulate the prefrontal cortex in order to calm somebody down and reduce aggression

Psychosurgery involves inserting a probe through the eye and into the brain. The end is then heated up and destroys the nerve endings of a specific part of the brain in order to prevent aggression

Question 87

Give a study into biological explanations of aggression

Answer 87

Young (1959)

To see what effect hormones have on aggressive behaviour

They injected pregnant monkeys with testosterone and observed the levels of aggression in their offspring

The female offspring grew up to behave like male monkeys and played rough games and challenged the males for dominance in their troop

Testosterone plays a vital part in aggressive behaviour

Question 88

For what 4 reasons is a child more likely to imitate a role model?

Answer 88

Similar to the child

Attractive

Powerful

Caring

Question 89

What are the 3 biological explanations of aggression?

Answer 89

Men are usually more aggressive than women and since men have more testosterone, this seems to be cause of aggression (violent criminals usually have high testosterone levels)

Male violent criminals also often have chromosomal abnormalities and the most common of these is the XYY arrangement

The limbic system is the part of the brain that causes aggression, sexual behaviour etc. and the prefrontal cortex stops us being aggressive. An abnormality in either of these can lead to aggression

Question 90

How was the social learning theory added to?

Answer 90

Bandura stated that we also monitor our own behaviour and if we feel good about something (acting aggressively) then we are likely to do it again

Question 91

Describe the 2 psychodynamic ways of reducing aggression

Answer 91

The idea of catharsis is that if you witness something strongly aggressive or emotional (could be films), this will make you less likely to be aggressive (got it out of your system)

Sublimation is where you channel your aggression into an acceptable activity like boxing or other types of intensive exercise

Question 92

Evaluate the reducing aggression using the social learning approach study

Answer 92

When the children saw the model being rewarded, they all copied the behaviour even though they knew it was wrong (they will do it anyway if there is no punishment)

It could be considered unethical to purpose set out to make some of the children more aggressive

Question 93

Give a study into the social learning theory of aggression

Answer 93

Bandura (1963)

To find out if children would imitate aggressive behaviour performed by role models

They divided 96 children into 4 groups. 3 of the groups were shown someone throwing, kicking and punching a “bobo” doll. They were then observed playing with the doll

The children who had seen the aggressive behaviour showed more aggressive behaviour against the doll than those who didn’t

Children will imitate the way role models behave

Question 94

How does the frustration-aggression theory explain how to reduce aggression?

Answer 94

To reduce aggression, reduce the amount of things you do that make you frustrated

Question 95

Describe the theory that takes the criticism of Freud’s theory into account

Answer 95

Dollard proposed the frustration-aggression theory that said that we were slowly driven to aggression in the same way that Freud explained except the frustration of everyday things drives us to aggression

Question 96

What are the 3 explanations for aggression?

Answer 96

Biological

Psychodynamic

Social learning

Question 97

Evaluate the social learning study

Answer 97

It lacks ecological validity because the aggression was directed towards a doll and the setting was experimental

There is a lot of evidence that contradicts these results (watching aggressive behaviour doesn’t have an effect on aggression)

Question 98

Describe the social learning theory of aggression

Answer 98

When people encounter new situations, they look to other people. This would be true for children learning from other people to be aggressive so that they are aggressive in adulthood. This is called imitation

Social learning theory also proposes the idea of vicarious learning which is where people (especially children) learn new ways to behave by observing other people and causes them to do things they wouldn’t normally do

Question 99

Evaluate the frustration-aggression study

Answer 99

It could be considered unethical to frustrate children in this way

The destructive behaviour could be just a result of the children being excited because they finally could play with the toys

Question 100

Evaluate the deindividuation study

Answer 100

This study lacked mundane realism (the situation was not realistic) meaning the participants would behave differently to how they normally would behave
This could simply be because there are many more people in a big city meaning there is a much higher chance that there are people that steal

Question 101

What is a buffer?

Answer 101

Something like a wall that stops the teacher from seeing the consequences of their actions on the learner
It is a reason for obedience

Question 102

Evaluate the social loafing study

Answer 102

Only 2 countries were compared and other cultures could give different results
Hard to measure effort of participants

Question 103

What is bystander intervention?

Answer 103

When people do nothing to help someone in need of help because there are multiple people present

Question 104

Evaluate the appearance bystander study

Answer 104

In a train carriage, there are many variables that the researcher can’t control

In 1983, Batson conducted an experiment to show how the characteristics of a victim can have a different sort of impact on whether they receive help or not

Question 105

Give a study into similarities between people and bystander intervention

Answer 105

Batson et al. (1983)

To see if the similarity of a victim to a bystander will affect whether they receive help

Participants watched a woman who they thought was receiving electric shocks. Each participants was made to think the woman was either like themselves or not. They were given the opportunity to take the woman’s place in order to stop her suffering

More participants were prepared to take the place of the woman they thought to be similar to themselves than dissimilar

People are more likely to offer help to someone they feel is similar to themselves in some way than to someone they can’t relate to. This is because we have empathy for people to ourselves

Question 106

Give a study on deindividuation

Answer 106

Zimbardo (1969)

To see if people in a big city behave in a more antisocial way than people in a small town

He parked a car in each place with its bonnet up, as if it had broken down, and observed what people did as they passed by

In New York, people immediately stole all of the parts of the car but in Palo Alto, the only time that the car was touched was when the bonnet was lowered to stop the engine getting wet when it was raining

The deindividuation caused by living in a big city leads to an increase in antisocial behaviour

Question 107

What are the 3 causes of deindividuation?

Answer 107

Being able to hide one’s identity
Wearing a uniform
Being part of a gang or clearly identifiable group

Question 108

Give a study on conformity

Answer 108

Sherif (1935)

To discover the effect of judgement of listening to other people

He asked participants to estimate how far a spot of light moved when they were sitting in an otherwise completely dark room. In fact, the light didn’t move at all but owing to an optical illusion, it did appear to

Individually, the participants gave a variety of estimates which differed quite widely from each other’s. However, when they undertook the same task in groups of three, the estimates were more similar

The participants used other people’s opinions to help them form a judgement in an ambiguous situation

Question 109

Who was Kitty Genovese?

Answer 109

In 1964, Kitty was attacked in New York
She was attacked for over half an hour until she was killed
Only after, did someone call the police even though the attack could have been stopped almost straight away if someone had called the police earlier
38 people witnessed the attack and did not act

Question 110

What is social influence?

Answer 110

The effect that other people have on our behaviour

This includes conformity, social loafing and obedience

Question 111

Give a study providing an alternate explanation for bystander intervention

Answer 111

Schroeder et al. (1995)

To explore different reasons for bystanders not helping

They studied the findings and conclusions from many previous pieces of research

They were able to provide an alternate explanation for bystander intervention

Bystanders are concerned about victims but when other people are present, they think someone else might be more capable of helping

Question 112

Evaluate the similarities bystander study

Answer 112

The participants were not part of a crowd so bystander intervention doesn’t come into this

People might be helping people similar to them because they thought they were part of their in-group

Question 113

What is deindividuation?

Answer 113

The state of losing our sense of individuality and becoming less aware of our own responsibility for our actions

Question 114

Give a study on bystander intervention

Answer 114

Latane & Darley (1968)

To see if people are less likely to react in an emergency when there are others present

Participants sat in a room either alone or in threes while completing a questionnaire. While they were doing this, smoke began coming into the room

75% of those sitting alone told someone in the next 6 minutes but only 38% of those in groups of three did

If there are other people around you, it will make it less likely that you will react in an emergency

Question 115

What is social loafing?

Answer 115

Putting less effort into sonething when you are with others doing the same thing

Question 116

What is altruism?

Answer 116

Helping someone without thinking of yourself, sometimes at great cost

Question 117

What is the diffusion of responsibility?

Answer 117

In a group of people, there is less need for the individual to act because someone else is present could also do something

Question 118

Evaluate the alternative explanation of bystander intervention study

Answer 118

This doesn’t support Batson’s study because no one was able to help more easily than anyone else

They were relying on the research and findings of other people which could be wrong

Question 119

Give a study on social loafing

Answer 119

Earley (1989)

To see if culture makes a difference to social loafing

Participants from the US and China had to complete tasks alone and in groups. The level of social loafing was measured by how much effort was put into the tasks

The US participants reduced their effort when in groups but the Chinese did not

Social loafing does not exist in all cultures. In some cultures, people are prepared to work just as hard for the good of the group even when they do not need to

Question 120

Evaluate the conformity study

Answer 120

The situation was ambiguous because the distance the light moved was not known by the participants, so this did not demonstrate conformity
Lacks ecological validity because study took place in a laboratory setting

Question 121

What is conformity?

Answer 121

A change in a person’s behaviour or opinions as the result of group pressure

Question 122

What is obedience?

Answer 122

Following the orders of someone we believe to have authority

Question 123

Give a study on obedience

Answer 123

Bickman (1974)

To see if people would be more likely to obey an order if it came from somebody in uniform

He had actors dress as either a security guard or just in a casual jacket. They asked people in a park to pick up litter

He found that 80% of people who obeyed the “guard” compared with 40% when the casual jacket was worn

Wearing a uniform will increase the sense that a person is a legitimate authority figure

Question 124

What are the 3 factors that affect social loafing?

Answer 124

The size of the group you are with
The nature of the task you are performing
The culture to which you belong

Question 125

Give a study into how appearance affects bystander intervention

Answer 125

Piliavin (1972)

To see if the appearance of the victim would influence helping behaviour

Piliavin had an actor pretend to collapse in a train carriage. His appearance was altered several times and the amount of help he received each time was recorded by an observer

When the victim carried a walking stick, he received help within 70 seconds, 90% of the time. When he had an ugly facial scar, this dropped to 60% and when he acted drunk, it dropped to 20%

The appearance of the person needing help will affect whether and how quickly they get that help

Question 126

What is socialisation?

Answer 126

A reason for obedience where people naturally obey authority figures because they have grown up doing this

Question 127

Evaluate the bystander intervention study

Answer 127

It was conducted in a laboratory setting so people could have behaved differently to how they normally would
The fact that no one else was reacting could mean that you might not think what is happening as a problem. This would cause the people in groups to not react

Question 128

Evaluate the obedience study

Answer 128

Has ecological validity because participants didn’t realise they were part of an experiment
They could have picked up the litter when the guard was there because they feared what the guard could do if they did not pick up the litter