Studies

Question 1

Aim, results and conclusion of Watson and Rayner’s little Albert study

Answer 1

• aim: to see if emotional reactions can be conditioned and see if phobias can be learnt through classical conditioning.
• results: after several parings of the noise and the rat Albert produced a fear response by crying and moving away from the rat
• conclusion: phobias can be learnt through classical conditioning and the fear response can be transferred to other similar objects

Question 2

Evaluation of Watson and Rayners study

Answer 2

• G: not generalisable to all children as little Albert was not well and he was the only one tested on (unrepresentative)
• R: used standardised procedures, high inter-rater reliability
• A: peoples own habits and reactions
• V: careful controls, lacks ecological validity, high construct validity
• E: unethical - deliberate distress to an infant, mother was there and gave consent ( she had the right to withdraw)

Question 3

Aim, results and conclusion of bandura 1961

Answer 3

• aim: to see whether kids would imitate behaviour, not at the time they see it but later, even if not rewarded
• results: kids who observe the aggressive model imitated more aggressive responses. Boys were more likely to imitate same sex role models and more physical aggression
• conclusion: supports social learning theory, kids learn social behaviour through observation

Question 4

Aim, results and conclusion of bandura replicating using film models (1963)

Answer 4

• aim: to find out if children would become more aggressive if exposed to an aggressive role model in a film or less realistic cartoon
• results: the control group didn’t carry out as much as the other group. There was no significant difference between live models and cartoon models
• conclusion: children will imitate filmed aggression in the same way as live aggression.

Question 5

Aim, results and conclusion of bandura replicating using reward and punishment 1965

Answer 5

• aim: to find out if children would be more likely to imitate a role model they see being rewarded and less likely to imitate a model being punished
• results: model reward condition produced the same imitations from girls and boys. Model punished condition produced much less imitation
• conclusion: kids will be less likely to imitate if model is punished. Behaviour doesn’t have to be rewarded/punished for imitation to occur

Question 6

Evaluation of bandura

Answer 6

• G: large sample (72) but only kids from US were used so not generalisable to all ages and cultures
• R: lab experiment means high level of control. High inter rates reliability (2 observers)
• A: shows influence of models/role models
• V: high ecological validity as it was in a uni. However task was artificial. Kids were provoked before study
• E: didn’t protect participants

Question 7

Aim, results and conclusion of capafons et al study (1998)

Answer 7

• aim: to validate the effectiveness of systematic desensitisation as a treatment for the fear of flying
• results: control group - passing of time didn’t lead to any reduction in the participants own assessment of their fear yet for the treatment group there was a significant reduction in participants self reported levels of fear
• conclusion: systematic desensitisation is an effective treatment for decreasing the fear of flying

Question 8

Evaluation of capafons study

Answer 8

• G: small sample and it does not look at other phobias. Used both males and females
• R: used many controls and measures meaning its able to be replicated
• A: only applied to fear of flying
• V: low ecological validity as it wastes in a plane
• E: participants recieved treatment after the study and were given the right to withdraw