the developmental area Flashcards
this area is interested in psychological processes of what?
development
what is the key theme of the developmental area?
external influences on children’s behaviour
give examples of how the developmental area believe we may learn behaviour?
- reinforcement (behaviourism)
- watching other people (social learning theory)
THE CLASSIC STUDY
BANDURA ET AL
1961
explain the background of Bandura’s study
previous research has shown that children will readily imitate behaviour demonstrated by an adult model if the model remains present, however, Bandura wanted to study what behaviour would be displayed by an individual if the model is absent
what were the 4 hypothesis for Bandura’s study?
- children shown aggressive models will show significantly more imitative aggressive behaviour, resembling their models, than those shown a non-aggressive model or no model
- children shown non-aggressive models will show significantly less aggressive behaviour than those shown aggressive models
- boys will show significantly more imitative aggression than girls
- children will imitate same-sex model behaviour to a greater degree than oppo-site-sex behaviour
what theory is Bandura’s study based on?
social learning theory
what was Bandura’s sample
72 children, 36 boys and 36 girls, mean age of 4 years and 4 months, from Stanford University Nursery School
Bandura’s participants were ‘matched’ in this study, how? and why?
they were matched on pre-rated / pre-existing aggressive levels, to be able to control whether aggressiveness was already present, or learnt through the study. they were rated on 4x five-point rating scales by both the experimenter and the nursery teacher - inter-rater reliability
what research method did Bandura use?
a laboratory experiment + a controlled observation
what experimental design did Bandura use?
matched pairs design
what sampling technique did Bandura use?
opportunity
what were the IVs of Bandura’s study?
- whether the child witnessed an aggressive or non-aggressive adult model (the control group was not exposed to any model)
- the sex of the model (male or female)
- the sex of the child (boy or girl)
what was the DV of Bandura’s study?
the amount of imitative behaviour and aggression shown by the child in phase 3, measured by the experimenter and a second researcher who observed through a one-way mirror - inter rater reliability
explain Bandura’s groups
each child only participated in either one of the experimental conditions
i.e., boy + male aggressive/non-aggressive model; girl + male aggressive/non-aggressive model: boy + female aggressive/non-aggressive model; girl + female aggressive/non-aggres-sive model;
control group (no model) or the control group (no model).
explain phase 1 of Bandura’s study
children in the experimental conditions were individually taken into a room and sat at a table to play with potato prints and picture stickers for 10 minutes whilst:
- the aggressive model began by assembling a tinker toy set but after about a minute turned to a Bobo doll and spent the remainder of the
period physically and verbally aggressing it using a standardised procedure.
- the non-aggressive model assembled the tinker toys in a quiet subdued manner, t tally ignoring the Bobo doll
- The control group did not participate in Phase
explain phase 2 of Bandura’s study
all the children were then taken to a second room, and subjected to mild agression arousal. initially they were allowed to play with some very attractive toys but after about two minutes the experimenter took the toys away saying they were reserved for other children, however they were able to play with any of the toys in the next room.
explain phase 3 of Bandura’s study
children were then taken individually into a third room (called the anteroom) which contained both aggressive and non-aggressive toys e.g.. 3ft high Bobo doll, a mallet, dart guns and non-
aggressive toys e.g., tea set, cars, dolls. they were observed through a one-way mirror for 20 minutes, every 5 seconds (time sampling), whilst observers recorded behaviour (with inter-scorer reliabilities of 0.90 product-moment coefficients) in the following categories:
- imitative aggression (physical, verbal and non-aggressive speech)
- partially imitative aggression.
- non-imitative physical and verbal aggression
- non-aggressive behaviour.
what are they key findings of Bandura’s study
- children in the aggressive condition showed significantly more imitation of physical and verbal aggressive behaviour and non-aggressive verbal responses than children in the non-aggressive or control conditions
- children in the non-aggressive condition showed very little aggression, although results were not always significantly less than the control group
- boys imitated male models more than girls for physical and verbal aggression and also gun play
- girls imitated female models more than boys for verbal imitative aggression and non-imitative aggression
- the behaviour of the male model exerted greater influence than the female model
- boys produced more imitative physical aggression than girls
what are some possible conclusions of Bandura’s study?
- children will imitate aggressive/non-aggressive behaviours displayed by adult models, even if the model is not present
- behaviour modelled by male adults has a greater influence on children’s behaviour than behaviour modelled by a female adult
- children can learn behaviour through observation and imitation
evaluate Bandura’s research method
S
- high level of control over extraneous variables e.g. bandura was able to use a highly controlled environment to conduct his study
W
- high levels of demand characteristics, the children may have guessed what the experimenter wanted them to act/behave, changing their behaviour
evaluate the validity of Bandura’s study
S
- internal validity is high, because other variables are controlled meaning it measures what it is supposed to (the aggression of the children)
W
- ecological validity is low, due to it being conducted in a lab experiment, as it is an artificial environment = not true to life = children are not often placed in a room to imitate aggressive behaviour
evaluate the reliability of Bandura’s study
S
- inter-rater reliability was high (0.9) from the two observers
- a standardised procedure was used to attack the bobo doll (both physical and verbally)
evaluate the sampling bias of Bandura’s study
S
- reasonably large sample - 72 children
= fairly representative of the target population
W
- the children were all from the same area of the US, and same school, meaning they may not be representative of the target population
evaluate the ethnocentrism of Bandura’s study
W
- an ethnocentric study
= the ideas about imitation of behaviour through social learning may only apply to a collectivist culture so the results of the study may not be valid when applied to other cultures
evaluate the types of data in Bandura’s study
S
- quantitative data = coding frame
= easy to make statistical comparisons and analyse the levels of imitations between groups
W
- no qualitative data = no reasoning behind the aggressive behaviour, just the record that it is present
evaluate the ethical considerations of Bandura’s study
S
- confidentiality
= names of the children were never released
- consent was given by the parents
W
- consent came from the parents, rather than the participants themselves
- psychological harm (aggression arousal)
- covert observation
THE CONTEMPORARY STUDY
CHANEY ET AL
2004
explain the background of Chaney’s study
behaviour therapy and behaviour modification (based on classical and operant conditioning) have been major approaches to improve the adherence to prescribed medical regimes, the aim of this study, was to show how the use of positive reinforcement through the fun-haler can prove this
what theory is Chaney’s study based on?
operant conditioning
what was Chaney’s sample?
32 children, 22 male and 10 female
mean age 3.2 years
average duration of asthma 2.2 years
what research method did Chaney use?
a field experiment in the child’s home
self reports = over the phone questionnaires and interviews
what was Chaney’s experimental design?
independent measures design
what were the 2 IVs in Chaney’s study?
- whether the child used a standard/small volume spacer device
- whether the child used a fun-haler
what was the DV in Chaney’s study?
the amount of adherence to the prescribed medical regime - how much? how often?
give an outline of Chaney’s procedure/study
- participants’ parents were firstly interviewed with a questionnaire on their existing use of their inhaler
- they were then given the fun-haler to try for 2 weeks
- reported over the phone on a day-to-day basis to record snapshots of whether they had used the fun-haler the previous day
- matched questionnaires were completed (by parents) after the use of both the regular inhaler and the fun-haler
what questions did the matched questionnaires for Chaney’s parents include?
how easy the device was to use, compliance of parents and children, treatment attitudes etc.
what were the key findings of the use of the fun-haler?
- 81% of children using the fun-haler were found to have been medicated the day before, compared to 59% using the regular inhaler
- 30% more children (from 50-80) took the recommended 4 or more cycles of aerosol delivery
give possible conclusions of the fun-haler
- the fun-haler may be useful for management of young asthmatics
- the use of this fun-haler, may help to improve the health of children
- more research would be needed to suggest the long-term efficacy of this treatment
evaluate the research method of Chaney’s study
S
- low in demand characteristics
= the child won’t alter their behaviour towards taking the asthma medication
W
- low levels of control over any other extraneous variables, conducted in different homes, with different parents etc.
evaluate the validity of Chaney’s study
S
- high in ecological validity
= the experiment takes place in a natural environment
= behaviour should reflect real life
W
- low in internal validity
= low control, so may not be able to accurately measure medical compliance e.g. parents social desirability bias
evaluate the reliability of Chaney’s study
S
- structured interviews and questionnaires make the study replicable
W
- there was no routine way in which the asthma medication is given
evaluate the sampling bias of Chaney’s study
a biased sample
= small number of Australian children used, may not be representative of other children
evaluate the ethnocentrism of Chaney’s study
an ethnocentric study
= may be relevant to some cultures only
evaluate the types of data used in Chaney’s study
quantitative data
= easy to compare statistical results
- qualitative data
= overall idea/insight
evaluate the ethical considerations in Chaney’s study
S
- informed consent from parents
- protection from harm
= all children are given access to a fun-haler
-anonymity
W
- no informed consent from the actual participants (the children)
what is individual diversity? how does Chaney change our understanding of this?
how do people differ
chaney didn’t add any understanding
what is cultural diversity? how does Chaney change our understanding of this?
how do cultures differ
chaney adds to our knowledge of this
what is social diversity? how does Chaney change our understanding of this?
how do societies differ
chaney adds to our understanding of this
outline some applications to either Bandura or Chaney’s study
Chaney
- special education
- curriculum design
- early childhood education
Bandura
- family law
- parenting programmes
- family counselling
give similarities between Bandura’s and Chaney’s study
- both use children in their sample
- both found quantitative data
- both reliable
- both us an experimental method
give differences between Bandura’s and Chaney’s study
B = lab experiment
C = field experiment
B = observations
C = self reports
B = independent measures
C = repeated measures
B = opportunity sampling
C = self - selected sampling
Bandura - free will / determinism view
supports a soft deterministic approach suggesting, that social learning is a result of observation and imitation but that mediating (cognitive) processes are involved in the decision to either imitate or not
Chaney - free will / determinism view
more deterministic than Bandura.
Shows operant conditioning is responsible for learning in the form of positive reinforcement
Bandura - usefulness
deverops our understandings of now aggressive
models can influence the way children can develop behaviour
Chaney - usefulness
chaney = usesul
= supports positive reinforcement
= which can be used in schools etc. to support children in the way they learn
Bandura - psychology as a science
- Bandura has 4 hypothesis before the experiment that he then tested
- quantitative, objective data
- laboratory experiments
Chaney - psychology as a science
- quantitative, objective data
- field experiment
= less control
give strengths of the developmental area
the area uses experimental designs which have high levels of control which supports the psychology as science debate as it allows for the falsification of hypotheses, ses. being able to prove hypotheses wrong allows for the possibility of changes to understanding and the development of psychological theories
the area produces deterministic explanations which are useful for developing practical applications, this is a strength as practical applications may help people live a more fulfilling life e.g. prevent anti-social behaviour
gives weaknesses of the developmental area
the area supports a nuture explanation for behaviour which is deterministic, lacks usefulness as it prevents people taking responsibility for their own actions and does not fit into the ideas of personal responsibility (legal issues)
the area often uses unrepresentative samples from one culture only, meaning that explanations for behav iour may be ethnocentric and lack gen-eralisability, this is a weakness as explanations for behaviour may not be valid when used in different cultures
