Perry et. al (Personal Space)

Question 1

Psychology Being Investigated

Answer 1

• Interpersonal Distance (Personal Space)
• Empathy
• Social Hormone (Oxytocin)

Question 2

Aim

Answer 2

Investigating how oxytocin affects preferred interpersonal distance for those scoring high or low in empathy traits.

Question 3

Experimental Setup

Answer 3

• Laboratory Setup
• Controlled Extraneous Variable

Question 4

Experimental Design

Answer 4

• Mixed/ Repeated Design
• Randomized Order to Avoid Order Effects

Question 5

Type of Randomized Control Used

Answer 5

• Double-blind Design
• For both Oxytocin and Placebo

Question 6

Number of Experiments Conducted

Answer 6

• Two
• CID
• Choosing Room

Question 7

Independent Variable

Answer 7

• Empathy: low or high
• Treatment: oxytocin or placebo

Question 8

Condition in Experiment 1

Answer 8

Strangers, Authority, Figure, Friend, or Ball

Question 9

Dependent Variable in Experiment 1

Answer 9

Preferred Interpersonal Space

Question 10

Condition in Experiment 2

Answer 10

Experimental Group: Position of Chairs
Control Condition: Positioning of Table and Plant.

Question 11

Dependent Variable in Experiment 2

Answer 11

Mean average preferred distance between chairs (cm).
Mean average preferred angle of
chairs (degrees).

Question 12

Types of Psychometric Tests Used

Answer 12

Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI)

Question 13

Sample

Answer 13

• 56 Male Undergraduates
• University of Haifa, Israel
• Aged 19-32
• Received Course Credit or Payment for Participation
• 5 Left-handed
• No History of Psychiatric or Neurological Disorder,
• Normal or Corrected-to-Normal Eyesight

Question 14

Procedure of Oxytocin Administration and Empathy Assessment

Answer 14

• Participants visited the laboratory twice, a week apart, at the same time.
• First visit: Randomly given oxytocin (24 units in 250 ml saline) or placebo (250 ml saline without oxytocin).
• Self-administered three droplets to each nostril.
• Following week: Administered the alternative solution.
• Completed empathy questionnaire (IRI) after administration.
• Waited for 45 minutes in a quiet room with nature magazines to stabilize oxytocin levels.

Question 15

Procedure for Experiment 1: CID Paradigm

Answer 15

• Computer animation measuring preferred interpersonal distance.
• Displayed words (friend, stranger, authority, ball) for one second.
• Participant fixated on a point for 0.5 seconds.
• Circular room animation: Protagonist enters from one of eight doors, approaches the center.
• Participant pressed spacebar to stop protagonist.
• 96 trials, each protagonist appeared three times from each door.
• Interpersonal distance calculated as a percentage from 0% to 100%, low score = close proximity, high score = farther proximity.

Question 16

Procedure for Experiment 2: Choosing Rooms

Answer 16

• Participants told about a meeting to discuss personal topics in a room according to preferences.
• Computer program showed color images of room pairs with slight differences in chair, table, and plant angles/distances.
• 84 pairs shown twice (168 pairs in total).
• Participants, 60 cm from the screen, viewed each pair for 2 seconds, fixated on a point for 0.5 seconds between pairs.
• Chose between left or right room.
• Experimental conditions: Distance and angle of chairs; Control conditions: Distance and angle of table and plant (one variable differed per trial).

Question 17

Results of Experiment 1: CID for High Empathy Group

Answer 17

• Placebo: Preferred mean distance - 26.11%.
• Oxytocin: Preferred mean distance - 23.29%.
• Significant difference between friend and authority, friend and stranger in placebo.
• Oxytocin: Participants closer to the ball than stranger or authority.

Question 18

Results of Experiment 1: CID for Low Empathy Group

Answer 18

• Placebo: Preferred mean distance - 26.98%.
• Oxytocin: Preferred mean distance - 30.20%.
• Small difference.
• No significant differences in placebo; oxytocin: Closer to the ball than stranger or authority.

Question 19

Results of Experiment 2: Choosing Rooms for High Empathy Group

Answer 19

• Oxytocin condition: Closer chair distances (80.58 cm) compared to placebo (78.07 cm).
• Oxytocin effect on preferred chair distance approaching significance.

Question 20

Results of Experiment 2: Choosing Rooms for Low Empathy Group

Answer 20

• Oxytocin condition: Chair distances - 78.33 cm (vs. 80.14 cm in placebo).
• No significant oxytocin effect on chair angle for both groups.

Question 21

Conclusions

Answer 21

• Influences preferred interpersonal distance.
• High Empathy Individuals: Prefers closer distances, contrasting with low empathy individuals.
• Low Empathy Individuals: Increases preferred distance, indicating an empathy-dependent modulation by oxytocin.
• Oxytocin’s impact is more pronounced in highly empathetic individuals.
• Notably effective in less threatening interactions, exemplified by the ball protagonist.
• Limited effect observed with the stranger or authority figure.

Question 22

Ethical Issues

Answer 22

• Weakness
• Deception
• Experiment 2 involved misleading participants about choosing a room for a personal meeting.
• Potential anxiety caused by undisclosed personal topics raised concerns about psychological harm.

Question 23

Reliability

Answer 23

• Strength
• High standardization through computer-controlled timings, speeds, and visuals enhances reliability.
• Procedure’s replicability improves reliability for studying oxytocin and empathy effects.

Question 24

Validity: CID Paradigm

Answer 24

• Strength
• High standardization through computer-controlled timings, speeds, and visuals enhances reliability.
• Procedure’s replicability improves reliability for studying oxytocin and empathy effects.

Question 25

Validity: Double-Blind Technique

Answer 25

• Strength
• Use of a double-blind procedure for oxytocin or placebo administration is a strength.
  Minimizes experimenter effects and demand characteristics, enhancing validity.

Question 26

Validity: Self-Reports

Answer 26

• Weakness
• Reliance on self-report for empathy categorization (IRI).
• Potential social desirability bias may be present.

Question 27

Objectivity & Subjectivity

Answer 27

• Strength
• Using quantitative data (Experiment 1).
• Objective measurement of percentage distance remaining enhances validity.

Question 28

Generalizability

Answer 28

• Weakness
• Limitation with only male participants may affect generalizability.
• Gender differences in oxytocin response may restrict applicability to females.

Question 29

Generalizing to Everyday Life

Answer 29

• Weakness
• Ecological validity is compromised due to computer-based tasks in a lab setting.
• Lack of genuine discomfort in simulated social situations may minimize differences between control and oxytocin conditions, potentially not reflecting real-life preferences.

Question 30

Individual vs. Situational Explanations

Answer 30

• Oxytocin’s impact on social cognition and behavior varies with individual differences.
• Decreases preferred interpersonal distance in high empathy, increases for low empathy.
• Findings support both individual and situational explanations for behavior following oxytocin administration.
• Oxytocin effects on interpersonal distance are predictable and influenced by environmental factors such as socializing, touch, and eye contact.

Question 31

Application to Everyday Life

Answer 31

• Social Behavior Improvement:
  — Oxytocin administration may not benefit individuals with social deficits, like autism spectrum disorders.
  — Previous expectations of oxytocin aiding those with social deficits might not be accurate.

-Effects on Social Distance:
— Oxytocin, administered to low empathy individuals, slightly increased their preferred social distance.
— Oxytocin might not be suitable for males with social disorders and could reinforce social biases.

• Replication Necessity:
  — Study replication with females is essential to ascertain if similar effects are observed.