Individual Differences Studies Flashcards
(39 cards)
Freud (1962)
Theme
Understanding disorders- The case of a phobia in a 5-year-old boy
Hancock (2011)
Theme
Measuring individual differences – Language of Psychopaths
YERKES/GOULD (1982)
Theme
Measuring individual differences- IQ Testing
Baron-Cohen et al (1997)
Theme
Understanding disorders- Autism in adults
Freud (1962)
Background Theories
ID- the biological part, motivated by the pleasure principle
Ego- the ‘self’ which is motivated by the reality principle
Superego-the moral part, motivated by the anxiety principle
The Oedipus complex (phallic stage)- castration anxiety. Wants to be with mum, resents dad, resolves by identifying wit dad, introjects dad’s attributes where the gender role is formed as well as gender identity and superego.
Baron-Cohen et al (1997)
ToM
Established test
Aims
Hypothesis
Triad impairment- difficulties with social communication, interaction and imagination.
Theory of the mind-someone has a separate mind to yours.
Sally-Anne test was used of children with Autism and demonstrated that autistic children lack ToM.
- To test further and extend research on impaired ToM with high functioning autism/AS.
- Develop a test which asses the mind reading of adults who are more able than children.
- Only group 1 would be significantly impaired on the Eye Task.
- Normal females would perform better than normal males.
YERKES/GOULD (1982)
Intelligence definition
History of IQ
Aims
Gould
Steinberg’s definition of intelligence (1985): Possession of knowledge. Ability to efficiently use knowledge to reason about the world. Ability to employ reasoning adoptively in different environments.
History of IQ tests:
Developed 1905 by Alfred Binet. The Stanford Binet. Word definitions, comprehension tests, tests for reasoning and knowledge of numbers.
Yerkes wanted to make Psychology ore scientific and used WW1 to promote the use of mental testing. The score obtained would be reflected in rank position within the army. His aims were:
• To set out a large-scale intelligence test
• He was a hereditarian and believed that intelligence was inherited through genetics- race and gender.
Gould’s review however set out to:
Highlight the issues including the nature of the testing, theoretical bias, political and ethical implications of research.
Hancock (2011)
Hare
Raine
Aim
Hare (2003)- psychopaths exhibit a wholly selfish orientation and profound emotional deficit.
Raine (2003/4)- psychopaths’ diminished capability for moral sensibility appears to have biological under pinning.
Neuroimaging- anomalies in prefrontal cortex, corpus callosum and hippocampus (Raine.)
Language is thought to be more cohesive.
Use statistical tests to analyse language on:
• Instrumental/ predatory worldview- motivated by external goals and so use clauses such as ‘because’ and ‘so that’.
• Unique socioemotional needs- focus on Maslow’s basic/ survival needs (ID).
• Poverty of affect- lack emotional intelligence so less likely to use emotional words, more disfluencies ‘um’ and psychological distancing (more past tense.)
Freud (1962)
Sample
Little Hans 5years old boy
Austria
Self-selected/ father was a fan of Freud.
Baron-Cohen et al (1997)
Sample
3 groups
- 4 with Autism 12 with AS, self-selected and opportunity sample from magazines and doctors.
- 50 people without any disorder selected at random from Cambridge area.
- 10 individuals with TS, self-selected from a Clinic in London.
YERKES/GOULD (1982)
Sample
1.75 million American Army recruits
They were young men who did not volunteer but
were already a group of recruits.
Opportunity sample.
Hancock (2011)
Sample
Self-selected
52 male murders in Canadian correctional facilities. 14-50 yrs old.
14 psychopaths, 38 non-psychopaths
No significant difference in types of murder.
Freud (1962)
Method
This was a longitudinal case study (from age 3-5) into a 5-year-old boy to analyse his phobia, investigating the Oedipus complex and how it could be resolved by psycho analysis.
Used self-report method that the father conducted in conversations with Hans as well as observations made about the boy which was recorded in a factual diary over a number of years. It produced qualitative, secondary data.
Baron-Cohen et al (1997)
Method Design IVs DVs Controls
Quasi experiment Snapshot study Matched pairs (on age and intelligence)
IV: 1.Autism or AS 2.No history or psychiatric disorder 3.Tourette Syndrome (also due to an abnormality in the frontal lobe of the brain) DV: Score on eye task out of 25
Controls: tasks were done in a random order, pictures standardised all for 3 seconds and matched pairs reduced other individual differences.
Hancock (2011)
Method
IV
Quasi experiment
IV: Psychopath or not
DV: measures of language
Semi structured- stepwise interview technique.
Freud (1962)
Procedure
A factual record was kept in the form of a diary over a number of years.
Observation of Hans and conversations with Hans were carried out by his father.
Analysis of the horse phobia was carried out by Hans’ father and Freud.
Baron-Cohen et al (1997)
Procedure
The Eye Task
What
Who
Where
Why
-images of eyes from the magazines
-pick the emotion from a choice of two.
-Individuals completed this separately in a quiet room at home, in a clinic or a lab at Cambridge.
This was carried out for group 1, 2 and 3.
-This measured ToM in adults as intelligence grew naturally with age as other people and so needed to be more complex than the Sally Anne task.
Baron-Cohen et al (1997)
Procedure
Happe’s strange stories task
What
Who
Why
- an already established and reliable test and so used as a control to test the validity of the Eyes Task. If it did, there would be a significant correlation between results. -This was based on characters and events.
- Only group 1 and 2 took part in this.
Baron-Cohen et al (1997)
Procedure
Gender recognition eye task
Why
Who
What
CONTROL
Group 1 only.
Had to identify gender of eyes and tested facial perception to ensure the difference was only in the emotion reading rather than the actual visual processing.
Baron-Cohen et al (1997)
Procedure
Basic emotion recognition test
Why
Who
What
CONTROL
Group 1 only.
Judged photos which best displayed 6 basic emotions and assessed emotional recognition-this ensured the basic skills a child could do where established and that the ‘complex’ ToM was being tested.
Baron-Cohen et al (1997)
Materials
Pictures in B+W from magazine of the same part of face, same size and for 3 seconds.
Participants had to identify mental state expressed by eyes from two terms (basic/complex). One was correct, the other a fail.
These correct answers were agreed to by a group of people to ensure a form of inter-rater reliability. The maximum score was 25.
YERKES/GOULD (1982)
Procedure
Alpha test
Who
Structure
Question
- literate recruits (those who read/write).
- 8 parts and measured numeracy and literacy. One of the questions was ‘Silk comes from a type of… with multiple choice answers. The majority of questions were largely based on American knowledge.
- Mostly native-born white recruits.
YERKES/GOULD (1982)
Procedure
Beta test
Who
Structure
Question
Problem
- illiterate recruits (those who could not read/write). -7 parts involved pictures, maze tasks and symbols. One of the questions was to draw and complete a picture of a ball in a bowling game.
- The highest percent were southern and northern black people.
- The test still required pen and pencil to be used but many of these individuals hadn’t done so.
Hancock (2011)
Materials
Psychopathy test
Criteria
Factors
Psychopathy Checklist Revised- to determine psychopathy.
20 criteria scored 0-2. This test was highly reliable and valid. There was a max score of 40 but a clinical diagnosis required scores to be 30 or above.
Factor 1: affective interpersonal traits (manipulation and lying)
Factor 2: impulsive and antisocial traits (lack responsibility)
