IAL Psychology paper 3
Psychology paper 3
Applications of psychology
1. Developmental psychology............................................................................................................................3
1.1 Attachment, deprivation, and privation...................................................................................................... 3
Theories of attachment..............................................................................................................................3
O’Connor et al. (2013): social learning, parenting, and attachment.................................................... 3
Bowlby................................................................................................................................................. 4
Ainsworth’s work on attachment................................................................................................................5
1.2 Cognitive and language development:...................................................................................................... 8
Piaget’s stages of cognitive and language development...........................................................................8
Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development (ZPD)...................................................................................... 9
Stages of language development............................................................................................................ 10
Theories of language...............................................................................................................................10
1.3 Social and emotional development..........................................................................................................11
Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development....................................................................................... 11
Vygotsky’s theory of social development.................................................................................................13
Mindfulness enhancing social, emotional and cognitive development.................................................... 14
1.4 Studies.................................................................................................................................................... 14
Classic study........................................................................................................................................... 14
van Izendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988)............................................................................................14
Cassibba et al. (2013)....................................................................................................................... 15
Contemporary study................................................................................................................................ 17
Ding et al. (2014)............................................................................................................................... 17
1.5 Methods...................................................................................................................................................20
Researching in developmental psychology............................................................................................. 20
Methods from paper 1 & 2 relating to developmental psychology.....................................................20
Clinical interviewing to understand world of the child........................................................................ 20
Ethnographic field work..................................................................................................................... 20
Cross-cultural research........................................................................................................................... 20
Ethics and the UNCRC (1989)................................................................................................................ 20
Evaluation of research.............................................................................................................................20
1.6 Issues..................................................................................................................................................... 20
Scientificness of psychological research in developmental psychology..................................................20
Strength and weaknesses....................................................................................................................... 20
Ethical issues...........................................................................................................................................20
2. Criminological psychology.......................................................................................................................... 20
2.1 Social and personality explanations for crime and anti-social behaviour................................................ 20
Personality...............................................................................................................................................20
Social.......................................................................................................................................................21
Self-fulfilling prophecy....................................................................................................................... 21
1
,IAL Psychology paper 3
Social learning from media................................................................................................................ 21
Anti-social personality disorder (ASPD).................................................................................................. 21
2. 2 Understanding the offender....................................................................................................................22
Cognitive interview techniques with witnesses........................................................................................22
Cognitive interview............................................................................................................................ 22
Enhanced cognitive interview (ECI)...................................................................................................22
Use of psychological (case) formulation..................................................................................................23
2.3 Factors influencing identification of offenders......................................................................................... 23
Reliability of eyewitness memory............................................................................................................ 23
Post-event information.......................................................................................................................23
Weapons focus.................................................................................................................................. 23
‘Other race’ effect.............................................................................................................................. 23
Stress and trauma............................................................................................................................. 23
Factors influencing jury decision-making.................................................................................................23
Characteristics of defendant..............................................................................................................23
Pre-trial publicity................................................................................................................................ 24
Expert testimony................................................................................................................................24
Penrod and Cutler (1989)............................................................................................................ 24
2.4 Treatment................................................................................................................................................ 25
Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) as therapy for offenders.................................................................. 25
Effectiveness of CBT for offenders.................................................................................................... 25
2.5 Studies.................................................................................................................................................... 25
Classic study........................................................................................................................................... 25
Loftus and Palmer (1974).................................................................................................................. 25
Contemporary studies............................................................................................................................. 27
Bradbury M D and Williams M R (2013)............................................................................................ 27
Valentine T and Mesout J (2009).......................................................................................................28
2
, IAL Psychology paper 3
1. Developmental psychology
Developmental psychology looks at what happens to us as we age and individual cases of unpredicted
differences from others at same age.
1.1 Attachment, deprivation, and privation
Theories of attachment
- Learning theories (paper 2)
O’Connor et al. (2013): social learning, parenting, and attachment
Aim: To investigate the extent to which a social learning theory based intervention promoted change in quality
of parent-child relationships derived from attachment theory.
Procedure:
- randomized clinical trial on 174, 4-6 y/o children from high-need urban area (London borough)
- Random sampling from 24 classes in 4 primary schools done by statistician, 233 parents sent
invitation letters describing study; 174 agreed to take part, Informed consent received from
parents, local research ethics committee also gave approval for study
- Longitudinal study: done for 3 years (2001-2004)
- 88 children randomly allocated into intervention condition and 86 into non-intervention condition
- intervention: 12-week parenting program done through observation and group discussion,
parents taught new parenting techniques asked to practice the skills at home
- Furthermore, 6-week reading intervention; literacy program encouraging parents to learn
techniques like ‘pause-prompt-praise’ approach when children learn new words reading
- Observations of parent-child interactions were carried out pre- and post-treatment
- Post-treatment observations done through home visits by team of 2 trained developmental
researchers not knowing which condition the family was in
- all had at least college degree and several years of research experience or graduate training in
Psychology, and were blind to the intervention status
- All observations were videotaped for further coding
- There were 3 tasks during the in-home observations:
1. 10 minute free- play session during which no instructions were given by the observers.
2. 10 minute instructed challenge.
3. 5-minute tidy-up session where minimal instructions were given to parents by observers.
- Observers rated each task, and these showed whether there was a positive or negative parenting style
- Positive style: ‘sensitive responding’ was used ⇾ behaviours such as parent shows awareness
of the child’s needs and sensitivity to their signals, promotes child’s autonomy / adopts the
child’s psychological point of view and physically or verbally expresses warmth toward the child
- ‘Mutuality’ was measured as degree to which each member seems to:
1. willingly accept and seek the other’s involvement in joint activities
2. build on each other’s input and coordinate their efforts/actions while conducting task together
3. maintain shared attention and fluid conversation
4. reciprocate positive affectionate behaviours
5. keep physical proximity/closeness when interacting with one another
Results: Parents in intervention condition showed higher number of positive behavioural changes
and increased sensitive responding compared to the non-intervention group.
Conclusion: Standard social learning theory based interventions can change aspects of parent–child
relationship quality.
3
Psychology paper 3
Applications of psychology
1. Developmental psychology............................................................................................................................3
1.1 Attachment, deprivation, and privation...................................................................................................... 3
Theories of attachment..............................................................................................................................3
O’Connor et al. (2013): social learning, parenting, and attachment.................................................... 3
Bowlby................................................................................................................................................. 4
Ainsworth’s work on attachment................................................................................................................5
1.2 Cognitive and language development:...................................................................................................... 8
Piaget’s stages of cognitive and language development...........................................................................8
Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development (ZPD)...................................................................................... 9
Stages of language development............................................................................................................ 10
Theories of language...............................................................................................................................10
1.3 Social and emotional development..........................................................................................................11
Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development....................................................................................... 11
Vygotsky’s theory of social development.................................................................................................13
Mindfulness enhancing social, emotional and cognitive development.................................................... 14
1.4 Studies.................................................................................................................................................... 14
Classic study........................................................................................................................................... 14
van Izendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988)............................................................................................14
Cassibba et al. (2013)....................................................................................................................... 15
Contemporary study................................................................................................................................ 17
Ding et al. (2014)............................................................................................................................... 17
1.5 Methods...................................................................................................................................................20
Researching in developmental psychology............................................................................................. 20
Methods from paper 1 & 2 relating to developmental psychology.....................................................20
Clinical interviewing to understand world of the child........................................................................ 20
Ethnographic field work..................................................................................................................... 20
Cross-cultural research........................................................................................................................... 20
Ethics and the UNCRC (1989)................................................................................................................ 20
Evaluation of research.............................................................................................................................20
1.6 Issues..................................................................................................................................................... 20
Scientificness of psychological research in developmental psychology..................................................20
Strength and weaknesses....................................................................................................................... 20
Ethical issues...........................................................................................................................................20
2. Criminological psychology.......................................................................................................................... 20
2.1 Social and personality explanations for crime and anti-social behaviour................................................ 20
Personality...............................................................................................................................................20
Social.......................................................................................................................................................21
Self-fulfilling prophecy....................................................................................................................... 21
1
,IAL Psychology paper 3
Social learning from media................................................................................................................ 21
Anti-social personality disorder (ASPD).................................................................................................. 21
2. 2 Understanding the offender....................................................................................................................22
Cognitive interview techniques with witnesses........................................................................................22
Cognitive interview............................................................................................................................ 22
Enhanced cognitive interview (ECI)...................................................................................................22
Use of psychological (case) formulation..................................................................................................23
2.3 Factors influencing identification of offenders......................................................................................... 23
Reliability of eyewitness memory............................................................................................................ 23
Post-event information.......................................................................................................................23
Weapons focus.................................................................................................................................. 23
‘Other race’ effect.............................................................................................................................. 23
Stress and trauma............................................................................................................................. 23
Factors influencing jury decision-making.................................................................................................23
Characteristics of defendant..............................................................................................................23
Pre-trial publicity................................................................................................................................ 24
Expert testimony................................................................................................................................24
Penrod and Cutler (1989)............................................................................................................ 24
2.4 Treatment................................................................................................................................................ 25
Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) as therapy for offenders.................................................................. 25
Effectiveness of CBT for offenders.................................................................................................... 25
2.5 Studies.................................................................................................................................................... 25
Classic study........................................................................................................................................... 25
Loftus and Palmer (1974).................................................................................................................. 25
Contemporary studies............................................................................................................................. 27
Bradbury M D and Williams M R (2013)............................................................................................ 27
Valentine T and Mesout J (2009).......................................................................................................28
2
, IAL Psychology paper 3
1. Developmental psychology
Developmental psychology looks at what happens to us as we age and individual cases of unpredicted
differences from others at same age.
1.1 Attachment, deprivation, and privation
Theories of attachment
- Learning theories (paper 2)
O’Connor et al. (2013): social learning, parenting, and attachment
Aim: To investigate the extent to which a social learning theory based intervention promoted change in quality
of parent-child relationships derived from attachment theory.
Procedure:
- randomized clinical trial on 174, 4-6 y/o children from high-need urban area (London borough)
- Random sampling from 24 classes in 4 primary schools done by statistician, 233 parents sent
invitation letters describing study; 174 agreed to take part, Informed consent received from
parents, local research ethics committee also gave approval for study
- Longitudinal study: done for 3 years (2001-2004)
- 88 children randomly allocated into intervention condition and 86 into non-intervention condition
- intervention: 12-week parenting program done through observation and group discussion,
parents taught new parenting techniques asked to practice the skills at home
- Furthermore, 6-week reading intervention; literacy program encouraging parents to learn
techniques like ‘pause-prompt-praise’ approach when children learn new words reading
- Observations of parent-child interactions were carried out pre- and post-treatment
- Post-treatment observations done through home visits by team of 2 trained developmental
researchers not knowing which condition the family was in
- all had at least college degree and several years of research experience or graduate training in
Psychology, and were blind to the intervention status
- All observations were videotaped for further coding
- There were 3 tasks during the in-home observations:
1. 10 minute free- play session during which no instructions were given by the observers.
2. 10 minute instructed challenge.
3. 5-minute tidy-up session where minimal instructions were given to parents by observers.
- Observers rated each task, and these showed whether there was a positive or negative parenting style
- Positive style: ‘sensitive responding’ was used ⇾ behaviours such as parent shows awareness
of the child’s needs and sensitivity to their signals, promotes child’s autonomy / adopts the
child’s psychological point of view and physically or verbally expresses warmth toward the child
- ‘Mutuality’ was measured as degree to which each member seems to:
1. willingly accept and seek the other’s involvement in joint activities
2. build on each other’s input and coordinate their efforts/actions while conducting task together
3. maintain shared attention and fluid conversation
4. reciprocate positive affectionate behaviours
5. keep physical proximity/closeness when interacting with one another
Results: Parents in intervention condition showed higher number of positive behavioural changes
and increased sensitive responding compared to the non-intervention group.
Conclusion: Standard social learning theory based interventions can change aspects of parent–child
relationship quality.
3
