OCR Psychology G544 June 18th 2012

Which studies would you say are/are not ecologically valid? Also does anyone know strengths and weaknesses for research that is ecologically valid? I have more valid results due to natural setting, more economical if an artificial environment doesn't have to be set up for strengths so far.

My list of A2 studies for each approach goes something like:

Social:
Waxler-Morrison et al
Farrington et al
Sutherland
Wikstrom

Developmental:
Farrington et al
Kohlberg
Watson and Raynor
McGrath

Physiological:
Lustman et al
Johansson
Geer and Maisel
Gottesman and Shields
Karp and Frank
Raine
Brunner et al
Daly and Wilson
Wheatley

Individual differences:
Yochelson and Samenow
(Arguably for this approach you could use most studies as long as you link them to the approach.)

Cognitive:
Meichenbaum
Beck
Rush, Kovacs, Beck and Hollon
Gudjonsson and Bownes
Cann
Yochelson and Samenow
Kohlberg

Behaviourist:
Watt
Budzynski et al
Watson and Raynor
McGrath
(Also Pavlov and Skinner which technically aren’t A2 studies but I think you can use them.)

Psychodynamic:
Yochelson and Samenow

Without wanting to sound too rude, this would never work if you were aiming for a high B or up because the issues and debates can feature not as a focal point, be certainly in smaller parts. They're most likely going to feature in parts (c), (d) and (e) of any Section B question, for example:

(c) Discuss the strengths and limitations of longitudinal studies that can be considered holistic. (12)

(d) Compare the ecological validity of physiological studies with that of individual differences studies. (8)

(e) To what extent does the social approach provide a situational explanation of behaviour? (8)

You could also be really unlucky and get something like these questions, which each have few studies which can be used - our Psychology teachers have ventured beyond the syllabus frequently (Pavlov, Skinner, Rogers, Maslow, Kelley, Raine (second study into brain dysfunction), Ross, Maguire (second study into the hippocampi of failed taxi drivers), Pennington & Hastie) :

(c) Discuss the strengths and limitations of social studies that support the free will argument. (12)

(d) Compare how ethnocentrism affects social studies with how it might affect physiological studies. (8)

(e) How might a behaviourist study that supports the determinism argument be considered scientific? (8)

It's not a given that debates feature is all parts, but you can bet a pound to a penny that an issue or debate will come up in at least two of these questions

Ecologically valid:

Thigpen and Cleckley, the headaches and symptoms she was describing were very much a reflection of real life, so so was her disorder.

Piliavin - done in a naturalistic environment.

Un- Ecologically Valid

Milgram - controlled laboratory settings
Dement and Kleitman - wires on face and scalp not typical of a normal nights sleep, nor is getting woken up at different intervals in the night and the no consumption of caffeine and alcohol.

Strengths:

Studies are naturalistic therefore low in demand characteristics.
Studies are a reflection of real life therefore useful.

Unethical - Pilivain
No controls over extraneous variables due to there being no strict controls in place.

I think i found some good news. The Debates are usually just asked in the part E questions ! they are not likely to be a whole section B, is this true? ?
If so then gotta feeling longtidunal/ snapshot will come up

I'm a bit confused by the structure of the exam, is approaches certain to come up in every G544 exam or can issues AND debates come up instead?

I think i found some good news. The Debates are usually just asked in the part E questions ! they are not likely to be a whole section B, is this true? ?
If so then gotta feeling longtidunal/ snapshot will come up

I'd use Freud/Thigpen/Yochelson+samenow for psychodynamism

Why is Yochelson + samenow a psychodynamic appraoch sorry? x

I thought they could come up in a whole section B? Although I wish that wasn't true.

not really sure. looking at all the past papers they've only used the issues

- quantiative qualitiate
- ecological valdiity
- ethics

And then hopefully the next one will be longtindual vs snapshot??

i really hope they do not bring anything stupid cos then we wont even be able to answer the question and thats just so stupid, all past papers have been reasonable. grade boundaries cant compensate for that .

hey, i was wondering if theres a 100 percent chance that from section b they'll be atleast one question for approaches and perspectives?

Can someone please explain event sampling, like i understand but for example if doing behaviour in a six form playground for example then surely the people are going to be doing the same thing e.g running around, so how would u tally that? do u only tally when different people do it?

Or similarly behaviour in a sixform, people will be on their mobile phone the whole time ? help please!!

and time sampling u just note down the behaviour e.g in a 30 second intereval every 5 minutes isnt it?