contemporary study: capafons Flashcards
state the 2 aims
- investigate whether SD is an effective treatment for fear of flying
- investigate whether this can be achieved through a simulation
describe the sample
- 20
- males
- mean age 29.65
- 21 controls
- mean age 34.05
matched on age/sex
what sample method was used?
volunteers from a media campaign advertising free treatment for fear of flying
state the 3 DVs
- diagnosis of fear
- measure of fear and catastrophic thoughts during flight
- physiological symptoms
describe the procedure part 1
- interviews and self reports to measure DV 1 and 2
- watched a simulation of flying from packing a suitcase to touching down after the flight
- physiological responses were measured for 3mins before being shown the video
- room temp remained at 22.5 degrees and distance from the screen was 1.8m
describe the procedure part 2
- expt group = 2x1 hr sessions for 8 weeks
- relaxation training breathing
- going through hierarchy
- applying it
- control group = no treatment
describe the procedure part 3
- 2 in vivo flights
- 1 = 7 days after treatment
- recordings of heart rate, palm temp and muscular tension were recorded during take off
describe the results
- variables decreased before and after treatment for the treatment group
- decrease of 12.3 in fear during flight after treatment for the treatment group compared to an increase of 9.8 for the control group
- catastrophic thoughts of the treatment group decreased by 5.3 whereas they increased by 0.09 for the control group
describe the conclusion
SD = effective
what is a weakness of the study (PEE)?
- generalisability
a weakness of the study is that it lacks generalisability. for example, the volunteer sample size was only made up of males which makes it androcentric. additionally, the treatment was only carried out for aerophobic ppts. therefore, the results cannot be generalised to females or other phobias.
what is a strength of the study (PEE)?
- reliability
a strength of the study is that it is high in reliability. for example, standardised procedures were used such as the distance away from the film screen (1.8m), the amount of sessions (2 per week for 8 weeks) and the room temperature (22.5). therefore, the study is easy to replicate and test for consistency. in addition, quantitative data was used such as measurement of heart rate. this makes it easy to measure and creates objective results which can be compared.
what is a strength of the study (PEE)?
- application
a strength of the study is that it has applications. for example, 18/20 ppts had a decrease in their fear of flying after treatment. therefore, this shows that SD is an effective treatment and could help other people overcome their phobias.
what is a weakness of the study (PEECA)?
- validity
a weakness of the study is that it lacks ecological validity. this is because a simulation of a plane was used which is an artificial task. therefore, it lacks mundane realism and can’t be accurate for a real situation. however, the ppts went on two real flights and learnt relaxation methods that are used in everyday life. therefore, this means the findings are reflective of how people will respond regardless of the study occurring.
what is a strength of the study (PEE)?
-ethics
the study has ethical strengths. for example, after the procedure, all of the participants received treatment including the control group. therefore, this means that individuals were not left with trauma or psychological harm and 18/20 experimental ppts had a decrease in their fear after the treatment.
