Developmental Approach Flashcards
(34 cards)
Bandura - Background
Banduras research into the transmission of aggressive behaviour in children is influenced by the social learning theory. This theory suggests that we learn through observation and imitation of role models, leading to the modelling of behaviour observed. Previous research by Bandura and Hudson found that children will readily imitate behaviour demonstrated by an adult role model if the model remains present in the situation. This research provided evidence for the influence of a role model on behaviour, however very little was known on how behaviour displayed by a model might affect an individual when the model is absent from the situation. Therefore, this influenced Bandura to investigate this further in experimental conditions to observe the level of aggression demonstrated by children in the absence of a previously observed aggressive model
Bandura - Aim
To investigate whether learning can occur through mere observation of a role model and that imitation of learned behaviour can occur in the absence of a model.
Bandura - Sample
· 72 children,
average age 52 months,
equal boys and girls
· Opportunity sample
Bandura - Research Method
This is a laboratory experiment (IV = sex of child, sex of model, behaviour of model, DV = level of aggression shown in room 3, lab setting)
Matched participants design: Matched on aggression (5 point scale, rated on 4 types of aggression) (3 conditions: aggressive, non-aggressive, control)
Used observation to collect the data on aggressive behaviour
Bandura - Procedure
ROOM 1: Children in the aggressive condition and non-aggressive condition went into a room full of toys with the experimenter and started playing with craft toys together. After one minute, the role model turned to the Bobo doll and spent the remainder of the time being either: aggressive or non-aggressive (two experimental conditions) towards it. This set routine was repeated THREE TIMES for each child.
ROOM 2: All 72 children went into this room. The children were taken to a room filled with attractive toys. The experimenter explained the toys were for the children to play with, but as soon as the child became involved in playing with the toys (about 2 mins), the experimenter then took the toys away. The purpose of this was to ensure all children were at the same level of arousal before entering room 3.
ROOM 3: This room contained various toys, both of an aggressive and non-aggressive nature. The child was allowed to play for 20 minutes and was observed without their knowledge through a one-way mirror by the male model and another observer using a double blind design in 5 second intervals. The female experimenter stayed in the room with the child but to avoid distraction kept themselves busy with paperwork. The children’s behaviour was observed and recorded in this room in order to gather data as to how aggressive they were behaving after seeing the role model.
Bandura - Results
Quantitative:
· Children in aggressive condition showed significantly more aggressive acts than non-aggressive or control conditions
· Boys produced more imitative physical aggression than girls
Qualitative:
· The children seemed to simply accept the aggressiveness of the male model more easily saying things like ‘That man is a strong fighter’
Bandura - Conclusion
· This study provides the evidence to suggest that behaviours can be learnt via observation of models and then can be transmitted from one situation to another (SLT).
· Children will imitate aggressive/non-aggressive behaviours displayed by adult models, even if the model is not present.
Chaney - Background
Operant conditioning involves learning through the consequences of behavioural responses. Positive reinforcement is the process in which behaviour is learnt through the use of rewards; behaviour is rewarded and so associated with positive responses therefore repeated again and again. Skinner (1948) showed how rats could learn to press a lever if they were rewarded with food. One major issue health practitioners have had to deal with is the poor adherence to medical regimes such as the use of inhalers, research suggests that as little as 50% of children use their inhaler correctly. Chaney et al. therefore suggested that one way to improve adherence to medical regimes in asthmatic children is to introduce a positive reinforcement within the inhalers. They suggested that if the inhaler was more interactive, this could improve medication adherence in young asthmatics.
Chaney - Aim
To investigate whether a Funhaler could provide positive reinforcement to improve adherence in child asthmatics compared to normal inhalers
Chaney - Sample
· 32 children (22 males, 10 females)
· Perth in Australia
· All asthmatic (for at least 2 years)
Chaney - Apparatus
Funhaler: incentive toy of whistle a spinner in the inhaler encourages child to breathe deeply so it will spin and make a noise (reward)
Chaney - Research Method
Field experiment
(IV= normal inhaler or Funhaler, DV= Adherence to medical regime, conducted at home).
Repeated measure design: Use both normal inhaler and Funhaler
Chaney - Procedure
Parents contacted by phone and then visited at home to explain purpose of study, informed consent gained from parents. Interviewed using a questionnaire (yes/no responses) about their child’s current usage of inhalers, characteristics of child, compliance of child and parents. Not shown Funhaler yet in case it influenced their decision. Then given Funhaler to use over 2-week period with child, only under adult supervision. Usage measured by phoning parents randomly and asking if they’d used it the previous day. Same parent visited at the end and given second questionnaire, attitudes and compliance measured again.
Chaney - Results
· 81% parents had medicated their child the previous day with new Funhaler compared to 59% for old inhaler
· 30% more children took recommended 4 deep breaths per delivery with new Funhaler compared to old inhaler
Chaney - Conclusion
· Operant conditioning (positive reinforcement) is useful for managing the medical regimes of young asthmatics.
· The use of self-reinforcement strategies can improve the health of children.
Chaney - Evaluation
-Sample: Only children from Perth- limits generalisability
+ High ecological validity as at home where would usually take inhaler
+ Highly standardised (same questionnaire, two-week period, same inhaler)
- Ethnocentrism: difficult to draw conclusions about other cultures response to reward in Funhaler
+Ethics- Informed consent gained, fully informed, debriefed
+Quantitative data increases external reliability, objectivity, comparisons can be made between old inhaler and Funhaler. However, lacks insight- reasons why children adhered.
-Repeated measures design- increased risk of demand characteristics, however, reduced risk of individual differences and same children used
+Longitudinal- able to track development of adherence to Funhaler over 2 weeks
Kohlberg - Background
Kohlberg was inspired by the work of Piaget and his theory of moral development in children. Piaget placed a structural approach on moral development suggesting that individuals morality develops from a social- cognitive and social-emotional perspective. However Piaget believed that children younger than 10 are focused on authority rather than evaluating their actions based on their own morals, but that it is around this age that children start to develop their moral compass, which is developed by adolescence. However, Kohlberg disagreed with Piaget and believed that moral development continued into early adulthood. This prompted Kohlberg to develop a three level, six stage process of moral development to explain how moral development progresses through these stages and evidenced this theory in his longitudinal study of moral reasoning.
Kohlberg - Aim
o The aim of this study was to investigate development in moral reasoning throughout adolescence and early adulthood. (Enough for 2 marks)
o A secondary aim was to assess the extent to which these changes hold true in a range of cultural contexts.
Kohlberg - Sample
o 75 American boys who were aged 10-16 at that start of the study.
-They were followed at three year intervals through to ages 22-28.
o Moral development was also studied in boys from
-Great Britain,
- Canada,
- Taiwan,
- Mexico
- Turkey
Kohlberg - Research Method
o This was a longitudinal study following the moral development of the same group of boys for 12 years by presenting them with hypothetical moral dilemmas. These were all deliberately philosophical and aimed to show how, as young adolescents develop into young adulthood.
o Cross sectional research also conducted in the cross cultural study (snapshot)
Kohlberg - Procedure
o Over the course of 12 years, Kohlberg studies 75 American boys aged at the start from 10-16 years through to 22-28 years,
o each of the boys was, at three yearly intervals, presented with hypothetical moral dilemmas all deliberately philosophical
o The stories (moral dilemmas) were to determine the participants’ stage of moral reasoning for each of the 25 moral concepts such as ‘the value of human life’
o Each dilemma involved options with different moral applications, and once the participant understood the dilemma they were asked what the character in the dilemma should do.
o The cross cultural research was a snapshot method, were asked about a story involving theft of food.
o They were asked “A man’s wife is starving to death but the store owner won’t give the man any food unless he can pay, which he can’t. Should he break in and steal some food? Why?”
Kohlberg -
o One cross cultural similarity: Kohlberg proposed that moral development went through a series of three levels and six stages that were always passed through stage by stage and in the fixed order and the participants never went back to a previous stage. (Invariant)
REMEMBER P.I.G.L.S.U: This is basically the findings :
o One cross cultural difference: At the age of 16, Stage 5 thinking was more prevalent in the USA than either Mexico or Taiwan – this stage was reached by participants in these two countries at a later age.
Kohlberg - Conclusion
· There is an invariant developmental sequence in an individual’s moral development
· Each stage of moral development occurs one at a time and always in the same order.
· There is a cultural universality of sequence of stages.
· This six stage theory of moral development is not significantly affected by widely ranging social, cultural or religious conditions. The only thing that is affected is the rate at which individual’s progress through the sequence
Kohlberg - Strengths
o Longitudinal methods: Allows to track moral development over 12 years increasing internal validity
o Cross cultural: Get to see moral development in a range of cultures allowing for comparison
o Holistic: 25 moral concepts studied looking at a range of factors on moral development
o Useful: Enhances knowledge about moral development occurring in stages into early adulthood
