research method studies

Popper

refers to the idea that it should be possible to disprove a research hypothesis, falsifiable theories

Inductive method

is not part of the logic of science and theories can only be falsified never conclusively proven or verified

Bandura Study Aim

to investigate if children would learn aggressive behaviours by observing an adult model and if they would imitate the behaviour particularly if the model was the same sex as them

Bandura Study Method

used 72 children aged 3 to 5 who were divided into three groups. One observed an adult model behaving aggressively toward a doll, one observed a non-aggressive model, one was a control group and not exposed to the model, the children were then placed in a room with a doll and other toys where their behaviour was observed for imitation of aggression

Bandura Study Results

Boys were more likely to be physically aggressive and more likely to imitate a male model whilst girls were more verbally aggressive and more likely to imitate a female model

Bandura Study Conclusion

Aggression can be learned through observation and imitation even without direct reinforcement

High Internal Validity

matched pairs, controlled lab minimising extraneous variables

Replicable

makes it reliable and easy to check for consistency in findings

Reliable

used two observers increases reliability as observations support each other

Ecological validity

observed through one way mirror meant children were unaware of being watched avoiding demand characteristics

Low Ecological Validity

lab setting and bobo dolls aren't typical situations for children; real-life aggression is often learned in familiar settings with familiar people so study may not have reflected how children learn and behave in their everyday lives

Ethical Concern

exposing young children to aggressive models may have caused psychological harm and it's possible the children became more aggressive because of the study

Sample Issues

sample was drawn from a specific nursery so may not be representative of wider population

Lack of Realism

study did not account the complexity of real-life aggression

Kuhn Study Aim

To provide a more realistic, historically grounded understanding of the actual practice and development of science

Kuhn Concept

Introduces the concept of a paradigm shift which argues that scientific progress is not a linear accumulation of facts but episodic process of normal science which are interrupted by revolutions where one dominant scientific framework is replaced by another

Scientific Progress

is approaching an objective truth but rather a cycle, reflects changes in