Paper 1 past paper improvements Flashcards
Outline and explain the findings of Milgram’s investigation into the effect of location on
obedience
Measured obedience using electric shocks experiment, variation was it was held in a run-down building
Obedience levels fell by 17.5%
Status of the location changed the participant’s perception of the legitimacy of the investigator
Higher authority at Yale than in the run-down office led to higher obedience levels
Who did the Milgram sample consist of?
40 males
What is stratified sampling?
Composition of sample reflects proportions of people in certain sub-grouops (strata) within the target or wider population
What are the strengths of stratified sampling?
Avoids researcher bias: Participants making up the numbers (after target population has been sub-divided into strata) are randomly selected and beyond the influence of the research
Representative sample: Generalisable
Who proposed locus of control?
Rotter (1966)
What is an internal locus of control?
Largely in control of own life
What is an external locus of control?
Things happen without your control
Which locus of control is more likely to resist pressure to conform/obey?
Internal
What are the evaluation points for LOC?
+ Research support
- Contradictory research
LOC evaluation: + Research support
Holland (1967) repeated Milgram’s baseline study and measured whether participants had internal or external LOC. 37% of internals didn’t continue to highest shock level (showed some resistance). 23% of externals didn’t continue. Internals showed greater resistance to authority.
Increased validity of LOC explanation and increased confidence it explainas resistance
LOC evaluation: - Contradictory research
Twenge et al. (2004) analysed data from US LOC studies from 1960-2002 (40 years). Data showed over this time people have become more resistant to obedience, but also more external. If resistance were linked to internal LOC, we’d expect people to have become more internal. Challenges link between internal LOC and increased resistant behaviour. However, possible results are due to a changing society where many things are out of control
What is standard deviation?
Measure of how far scores deviate (move away from) the mean
The larger the SD, the greater the dispersion in a set
What are order effects?
How the positioning of tasks influences the outcome e.g. practice effect, boredom effect on second task
What are the types of LTM?
Procedural, semantic and episodic memory
What is procedural memory?
Memory for actions, skills, how we do things. Implicit memory (recall w/out conscious awareness)
