Unit 2 - Classic Individual Differences Core Studies Flashcards
Summarise the background of Freud’s study
- Hans’ father was a supporter of Freud
- Hans brought up with ‘minimal force’ and was a lively, cheerful baby
What was Freud’s aim?
To use Little Hans to confirm his theory about the unconscious and the Oedipus Complex
Describe the sample Freud used
1 little boy called ‘Little Hans’
Just under 2 (1906 - 1908)
Was in the phallic stage
Outline the procedure from Freud’s study
- Han’s father recorded details of his behaviour with his own interpretations and sent them in a letter to Freud
- Freud replied with his interpretations and gave guidance on what behaviours to look for and things to discuss with Hans
What was the data collection method used by Freud?
Observation (of Hans’ father)
What were the interpretations (Freud and Alternative) of Hans fearing the loss of his penis?
Freud - castration complex
Alternative - his mother said she would cut it off for fiddling
What were the interpretations (Freud and Alternative) of Hans asking his mum to touch his penis whilst powdering it because “it’s great fun”?
Freud - attempting to seduce his mother
Alternative - silly and immature
What were the interpretations (Freud and Alternative) of Hans telling his mum his Aunt told him “he has got a dear little thingummy”
Freud - attempting to seduce his mother
Alternative - silly and immature
What were the interpretations (Freud and Alternative) of Hans fearing being bitten by horses and going out into the street?
Freud - castration complex
Alternative - Hans heard someone say “Don’t put your finger to the white horse or it’ll bite you”
What were the interpretations (Freud and Alternative) of Hans having a nightmare about giraffes?
Freud - big giraffe was dad’s penis, crumpled giraffe was mum’s genital organs and he was longing for mum’s genitals so came into bedroom
Alternative - Hans had visited Schonbrunn Zoo 5 days earlier
What was Han’s nightmare about giraffes?
There were two giraffes, one big one with a long neck and a crumpled one. Hans sat on the crumpled one and took it away from the big one
What were the interpretations (Freud and Alternative) of Hans particularly being scared of horses that wear things in front of eyes and black around mouths?
Freud - fear of dad because glasses and mustache
Alternative - scary to a small child
What were the interpretations (Freud and Alternative) of Hans being afraid of carts and buses turning because they’d fall over?
Freud - horses represented father and he wanted his father to fall down
Alternative - Had seen a bus-horse fall down and kick out it’s feet - scared him
What were the interpretations (Freud and Alternative) of Hans becoming obsessed with his ‘lumf’ (liked seeing his mum’s and friends Berta’s)?
Freud - his fear of defection and heavy loaded carts is equal to his fear of a heavy loaded stomach
Alternative - had suffered with ‘habital constipation’ until reduced food intake under medical advice
What were the interpretations (Freud and Alternative) of Hans becoming curious about where babies come from?
Freud - heavily loaded horses symbolic of mother in birth which traced back to his baby sister’s birth
Alternative - curious child
What were the interpretations (Freud and Alternative) of Hans’ dream that a plumber stuck a borer in his stomach and his mum would let him drown under the water - said he wanted his sister too
Freud - fear he would be punished for wishing his sister dead as wanted mum all to himself
Alternative - jealousy of attention
What were the interpretations (Freud and Alternative) of Hans playing with his imaginary children as he was dad, mum was mum and dad was granddad?
Freud - little Oedipus found a happier solution which kept dad in picture and moving forward to satisfactory conclusions
Alternative - just playing
What were the interpretations (Freud and Alternative) of Hans’ dream that the plumber pincered off behind and his ‘widdler’?
Freud - father asked if widdler was replaced bigger and he replied “yes”. Said he wants a mustache and chest hair like dad. Overcoming castration complex and happy outcome
Alternative - wants to be like dad
What did Freud conclude about his study?
- Hans was sexually attracted to his mother
- Hans fantasied about taking his mother away (giraffe fantasy)
- Jealous and frightened of father (horse fear)
- Jealous of sister taking mother away (bath phobia)
- Finally resolved feelings towards father (plumber and wanting children)
What ethical guidelines did Freud uphold?
- Confidentiality - “Little Hans”
2. Deception - father honest
What ethical guidelines did Freud break?
- Consent - parents gave permission
Was Freud’s study ethnocentric?
Yes - one middle class child in Vienna unlikely to represent whole population of children No - phobias common across the world, application?
Did Freud’s study have external reliability?
No
- cannot assume all children will progress through the same psycho sexual stages of development
- sample size too small
Did Freud’s study have internal validity?
- much simpler and more obvious explanations (not sexual and more acceptable)
- use of leading questions could have influenced responses
ie. “When the horse fell down did you think of your daddy?”
Did Freud’s study have population validity?
- study focused on one child, unlikely to represent population of children
What debates did Freud link to?
- Psychology as a Science
- Nature/Nurture debate
- Reductionism/Holism debate
How does Freud link to the psychology as a science debate?
- hard to defend case as scientific:
1. case studies are unique and cannot be replicated
2. interpretations of Hans behaviours are subjective (opinion over fact)
3. Freud’s interpretations are being held in an unfalsifiable way (say in denial) - however he does recognise his theories need empirical evidence
How does Freud link to the nature/nurture debate?
- In a footnote Freud said it was down to “both disposition and experience”, both nature and nurture contributed
How does Freud link to the reductionism/holism debate?
- Reductionist = explained fantasies based on his theory of psycho-sexual development
- Holistic = unstructured data collection, Hans was not restricted in the different aspects of his experience that he could reveal
What areas/perspectives does Freud link to?
- Individual Differences area
- Psychodynamic Perspective
- Developmental area
How does Freud link to the Individual Differences area?
Investigating a way people differ (phobias)
How does Freud link to the Psychodynamic perspective?
Explains how Han’s behaviors arise from unconscious forces - psychosexual stages progressing
How does Freud link to the Developmental area?
Something affecting how child grows up, now progress through psychosexual stages
How does Freud link to the key theme of understanding disorders?
Tells us this is done through an understanding of unconscious conflicts
Summarise the background of Yerkes’ work
- Binet - Simon test (1905) = first intelligence test for children and if done bad sent to special school for ‘inferior intelligence’. Believed great diversity in intelligence which developed over time (nurture)
- Yerkes believed intelligence is fixed and determined by genetics (hereditarianism intelligence)
What were Yerkes’ 2 aims?
- To produce reliable and valid measures of intelligence
2. To prove psychology could be as objective and quantifiable as the other scientific disciplines
What was the sample used by Yerkes?
- US military men (1.75 million)
- White Americans, Negroes and Immigrants
What was the sampling method used by Yerkes?
Opportunistic
Outline the design of Yerkes’ mental tests
- Army Alpha - written for literate
8 parts, less than 60 mins, number sequences, unscrambling sentences, analogies, multiple choice general knowledge “Crisco is a patent medicine, disinfectant, toothpaste, food product - Army Beta - illiterate and alpha failures
7 parts, less than 60 mins, maze running, cube counting, sequences with symbols, draw missing - Individual examination - spoken and beta failures
What were the problems of the design of Yerkes’ mental tests?
- culturally biased questions to USA
- definition of literate had to be lowered as too many took Beta (recruits spent less time in school than thought)
- Beta test required knowledge of numbers and ‘pencil work’ in 3/7 parts
- men who are most likely to be illiterate are black men recently migrated to USA (segregation, poverty etc. )
What were the problems of how Yerkes’ tests were administered?
- Persistent logistical difficulties meant in many camps protocols were not followed
- queues for Beta test lengthened as not as educated as thoguht
- Individual examiination rarely, if ever happened
Outline the quantitative findings of Yerkes’ study
- 160000 tests selected for analysis
- average white american adult = 13 - just above “moron”
- average Russian = 11.34, Italian = 11.01, Polish = 10.74
- average Black American = 10.41 (bottom)
Outline the qualitative finding of Yerkes’ study
darker Southern Europeans and Slavs of eastern Europe were less intelligent than fair western and northern Europeans
How were the results from Yerkes’ tests interpreted?
- Hereditary Explanations
- in spite of many Jewish scholars, army tests showed low intelligence
How should the results been interpreted from Yerkes’ tests?
- Inaccurate
- Culturally biased
- Schooling in USA to a low standard
- Alternative explanations like immigration, poverty
How were the findings of Yerkes’ tests applied?
- Some camps, if got lower than a C grade, couldn’t proceed to officer training
- suggested superior racial groups - helped inform political policy and ‘evidence’ to restrict immigration
What were the problems with how Yerkes’ tests were applied?
- used to limit immigration
- imposed tight quotes against nations deemed to be of inferior genetic stock which led to the Immigration Restriction of 1924 which limited arrivals each year to 2% foreign born
Due to this 6 million southern, central and eastern Europeans were barred entry to US between 1924 and outbreak of WW2
What did Yerkes conclude about his study?
- Intelligence is an innate quality with a hereditary basis and it is possible to grade individuals by color of skin
- Average man of most nations could be considered ‘moron’
- Mental testing of this kind is a valid, scientific technique with wider implications to society
What did Gould conclude about his study?
- Yerkes’ conclusions are ludicrous
- “Yerkes had overlooked or consciously bypassed something of importance” - commenting on Beta test requiring pencil work
- systematic bias - lowered mean scores of black + immigrants
- recruits couldn’t have been in a correct frame of mind to record anything of abilities as conditions
- Yerkes failed to see alternative explanations
- Consequences = many ‘would - be’ immigrants sent to death at hands of Nazi’s “nowhere to go”
What ethics did Yerkes break?
- Deception
- Consent - told nothing about
- Withdrawal
- Confidentiality - had to give details
- Protection from harm - heightened anxiety
Was Yerkes’ study ethnocentric?
Yes - culturally biased questions to USA
No - wide range of ethnic backgrounds
Did Yerkes’ study have internal reliability?
Yes - standardised, same questions ans Alpha and Beta were same level just literate and illiterate. Replicable - strict administration ( not carried out)
Did Yerkes’ study have external reliability?
1.75 million - yes
No - only males and young adults
Did Yerkes’ study have construct validity?
- How much schooling
- How long lived in USA
- How much money and leisure time to be familiar
Did Yerkes’ study have population validity?
Many cultures but all men and similar age range
Did Yerkes’ study have criterion validity?
No many scoring below a C could be considered for officer training - held at ‘private’ as consequence
What debates does Yerkes link to?
- Nature/Nurture
- Psychology as a science
- Socially sensitive research
How does Yerkes relate to the nature/nurture debate?
- wants to devise a test to measure ‘native intellectual ability’. Unaffected by environment
How does Yerkes relate to the psychology as a science debate?
- trying to create a standardized way of testing that you could replicate for each individual
- scores achieved are objective (fact) (ignoring what the test was actually measuring)
- falsifiability as refusal of flaws (nothing allowed to be challenged)
How does Yerkes relate to socially sensitive research?
- question of whether ethnicity is related to intelligence is socially sensitive - no care involved
- results were tragically used to inform the immigration act of 1924
- were full of bias and error which is bad as can be used with a political agenda
Which areas/perspectives can Yerkes be linked to?
- Individual differences area
- Cognitive area
- Developmental area
How does Yerkes link to the individual differences area?
Reviewing an attempt to measure how individuals intelligence differs
How does Yerkes relate to the cognitive area?
Trying to measure a metal ability
How does Yerkes relate tot he developmental area?
Nature/nurture and Gould argues the upbringing will impact how intelligent you are on Yerkes’ tests
How does Yerkes relate to the key theme of measuring differences?
- extraordinarily difficult and need to take care to try to isolate variable trying to measure
- need to be sensitive of cultural bias in work and how the findings could be applied
