review paper 1 exam week 3

Question 1

Using your knowledge of minority influence processes, explain two ways in which Samina
could convince the other students in the debating society to agree with her.

Answer 1

Samina could demonstrate consistency by not deviating from her view that drugs should not be legalised – she could point out that this is a view she has held for many years
* Samina could demonstrate commitment by defending her view that drugs should not be legalised through some personal investment – for instance, offering to speak in assembly about the dangers of drugs. This will draw more attention to her case (augmentation principle)
* Samina should demonstrate flexibility by adapting her view/accepting other valid counterarguments. Perhaps some ‘softer’ drugs could be decriminalised, rather than legalised
over time, the rest of the debating society may become ‘converted’ (snowball effect) – for example, if Samina makes her case particularly well

Question 2

Explain how Asch’s conformity research illustrates one of these features of science.
replicability

Answer 2

Asch’s studies had standardised procedures (eg the number of confederates; length of lines etc) which meant that they could be repeated/replicated to assess consistency/reliability of the findings; this increased the validity of the conclusions drawn

Question 3

Explain how Asch’s conformity research illustrates one of these features of science. theory construction

Answer 3

Asch’s findings led to the development of explanations/theories of conformity, eg that people will conform to group pressure to avoid ridicule (normative social influence)

Question 4

hypothesis testing Explain how Asch’s conformity research illustrates one of these features of science.

Answer 4

Asch’s research tested the assumption that naive participants would conform to an obviously wrong answer when placed under group pressure; this was achieved by manipulating an IV (fake/genuine answer) to measure the effect on the DV and keeping other (possible confounding) variables constant.

Question 5

State one advantage of an independent groups design.

Answer 5

removes order effects/effects of practise/fatigue etc
* participants are less likely to work out the aim and change their behaviour/less influenced by demand
characteristics.

Question 6

studies of attachment often involve naturalistic observations.
Suggest one way in which studies of attachment could be improved by using controlled observation?

Answer 6

• controlled observations can minimise extraneous variables
• controlled observations are likely to have standardised procedures, so reliability/replication is more of
  a possibility than in naturalistic observations
  cause and effect relationships are easier to establish than in a naturalistic observation.

Question 7

A strength of time sampling :

Answer 7

Time sampling may be easier to manage as there are likely to be many social behaviours occurring throughout the set observation time

Question 8

A limitation of time sampling

Answer 8

Time sampling may not be represntive of social behaviours as some social behaviours that the 3 year old child may display may be missed

Question 9

Explain how the reliability of the controlled observation could be assessed through inter observer reliability?

Answer 9

Two observers would use the same bhev aural categories and agree on an interoperation of each of the social behaviours.
The two observers would make independent observation in the same time period.
The two observers tally charts would be compared to check for agreements to calculate a correlation
Generally accept +0.8 percent as a reasonable degree of reliability

Deceive features of the abstract section in a scientific report
First section of a report
Brief summary
Contains the aims, methods, results and conclusion

Question 10

explain what is meant by social change

Answer 10

it is when the minority attitude or behaviour becomes adpotaded by the majority of a given culture this often happens by the snowball effect