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Psych FRQ 16-17 for AP EXAMS 2016 2017
Introduction to Psychology (PSY 101)
University of Oregon
Preview text
2016
Researchers investigated whether introducing a good-luck-related superstition would improve the performance of participants attempting to hit a golf ball into a hole (Damisch, Stoberock, & Mussweiler, 2010). Participants in the study were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Those in the first group were told, "Here is your ball. So far it has turned out to be a lucky ball ." Those in the second group were told, "This is the ball everyone has used so far." Participants then made ten attempts to hit the ball into the hole. The researchers measured the number of successful attempts , and they found that the mean difference between the two groups was statistically significant. The researchers theorized that the superstitious beliefs produced higher levels of self-efficacy , which led to improved performance.
Part A
Identify the design feature that makes the study experimental rather than correlational. - The design feature that makes this study experimental rather than correlational is the manipulation in the independent variable (telling the participant whether the ball is considered lucky or not). Explain what it means to say that there is a statistically significant difference between the two groups. - Saying that there is a statistically significant difference between the two groups means claiming that the experiment’s results were influenced by the intended manipulation. Therefore, the results from the experiment are valid and reliable, and are unlikely to occur by chance. Explain how a superstitious belief might be related to a higher level of self-efficacy. - When an action of self-efficacy is well performed (in this case, a successful attempt to hit the ball into the hole), the participant might think that their success is contributed by the “lucky ball”. For a long time, this behavior reinforces the belief that the lucky ball does help them perform better, and thus heightens the level of self-efficacy.
Part B Many people engage in superstitious behavior, such as wearing lucky socks, in the belief that the superstitious behavior will lead to improved performance. Explain how each of the following may lead to the development or maintenance of superstitious beliefs or behaviors.
● Illusory correlation is the perception of a relationship where none exists because we only notice instances that fit our existing schemas or stereotypes. For example,a child makes a record amount of goals in a soccer game when wearing his red socks, so he continues to wear his red socks for each future game, believing that the socks are related to his play.
Therefore, the goals he made while wearing those specific red socks reinforce his superstitious beliefs that wearing red socks brings him luck.
● Positive reinforcement:Positive reinforcement works by presenting a motivating/reinforcing stimulus to the person after the desired behavior is exhibited, making the behavior more likely to happen in the future. For example, a father gives his son $5 for every grade A he earns in class. The son notices that whenever he wears red socks and does a math test, he will likely get an A. Therefore, the son believes c
● External locus of control encourages people to believe that their life is fatal and their destiny is determined by luck and faith. Due to this reason, people with external locus of control will tend to believe that engaging in superstitious activities indeed improves their performance because everything is determined by luck instead of their talents, studying or other subjective factors. Therefore, External locus of control helps maintain one’s superstitious belief.
● Episodic memory is a person's unique memory of a specific event, so it will be different from someone else's recollection of the same experience. For example, a student could recall a specific time when she forgot to wear her lucky socks to school in April 2019 and later received an F on her Maths test. From such personal experience, she decided to wear her lucky socks every day to school to ensure she will score well. In this case, episodic memory reinforces superstitious belief.
- Part A
- Representative heuristic leads people to make judgement based on typical, social stereotypes without considering other relevant factors. In this case, many professors may make decisions based on the common prototypes that male students are often better in science, math and engineering fields than their female colleagues, thus representative heuristic hinders the professors' decision to recruit female students.
- Belief perseverance means people still hold their belief although contradictory to their viewpoint has been introduced to them. Some professors might still hold the belief that male students are smarter than female students in engineering fields, although they have read about researches indicating that 2 genders are equally capable. Therefore, they still believe that boys are smarter and thus recruiting more boys. Ultimately, the belief perseverance in this case limits the number of female students recruited.
Psych FRQ 16-17 for AP EXAMS 2016 2017
Course: Introduction to Psychology (PSY 101)
University: University of Oregon
