Read and discuss a classic study from social psychology, and “interrogate [some of the] validities.”
Explain and apply Morling’s concepts. Spend a lot more time on Morling than on Latané and Darley.
INTRO
What were Latané and Darley trying to find out? What were their hypotheses? One paragraph will do.
BASIC QUESTIONS
Is their study making a frequency, associational, or causal claim?
Who were the participants? How were they recruited? What does this say about the study’s external validity?
VARIABLES
What were the independent (manipulated) and dependent (measured) variables? How did they measure the dependent variable(s) (self-report, observation, physiological)?
Don’t forget the interview at the end!
Were the variables good measures of what Latané and Darley wanted to demonstrate? (Construct validity.) Did the study show internal validity? (See chapter 3 in
Morling)
What did Latané and Darley control by having three passive confederates compared to one “real” participant?
What about the interview at the end—self report, observational, or physiological measurement? Was there any information about reliability or validity? Given how Latané
and Darley used it, does reliability or validity matter?
Sample Solution