Simons and Chabris - Cognitive Area

Question 1

backround of simons and chabris

Answer 1

• change blindness: the phemomena of being unaware of significant changes in our enviroment from view to the next
• inattentional blindness: the phenomena of failing to percieve an unpected object even at the point of fixation

Question 2

sample / particiapnts of simons and chabris

Answer 2

• 228 particiapants in total
• participants were recruited by volenteering sampling
• most were undergraduates students who were offered a reward of a candy bar or a single fee for their participation

Question 3

aim of simons and chabris

Answer 3

to investigate the effect of several factors on inattentional blindness

Question 4

results of simons and chabris

Answer 4

• around half of participants failed to notice the unexpected event across all conditions
• participants were more likely to notice the unexpected event in the opaque conditions than the transparent condition
• more likely to detect the umbrella lady compared to gorilla
• when participants were attneing the black team they were more likely to notice gorilla than those who attended white team

Question 5

conclusions of simons and chabris

Answer 5

• significant number of individuals are likely to fail to notice an ongoing, unexpected event when they are otherwise engaged in a primary monitoring task
• the ability to detect such an event can be influenced by complexity and nature of monotiring task

Question 6

procedure of simons and chabris

Answer 6

• Researchers created 4 video tapes using the same camera, each lasting 75 seconds
• Each tape showed two teams of 3 players, one team wearing white shirts and the other wearing black shirts
• The members of each team moved randomly around a small space, passing an orange basketball to one another in a set order, either as an aerial pass or a pass with a bounce
  21 experimenters tested the Ps individually
• Standardised script to deliver instructions on the task and carefully followed a written protocol outlining how and when to present the video and collect data for each trial
• Videos were presented on TV monitors ranging in size between 13 - 36 inches
• After performing the task, observers were immediately asked to write down their count passes, then verbally answered a surprise set of questions:
• While you were doing the counting, did you notice anything unusual?
• Did you notice anything other than the six players?
• Did you see anyone else (besides the six players) appear on the video?
• Did you see a gorilla [woman carrying an umbrella] walk across the screen?
• Details of any ‘yes’ responses were noted
• Observers were then asked whether they had previously heard of or participated in an experiment such as this
• The Ps were debriefed and were given the opportunity to re-watch the video

Question 7

method of simons and charbis

Answer 7

• lab experiment
• independent measures
• volenteer sample

Question 8

strengths of research methods and techniques

Answer 8

• labatory experiment:
  controls the extraneous varibles e.g timings of presentation were identical for each particiapnt, and moves in the opaque conditions were rehearsed so that the vidoes for the black and white teams were the same
• independent measures:
  no demand characteristics

Question 9

weaknesses for different research methods and techniques

Answer 9

• low ecological validity which can cause demand characteristics
• self-report: might have social desirability or could lie

Question 10

strengths and weaknesses or different types of data

Answer 10

• quantatative data
• positive: easy analyse information and can compare easily
• negative: does not have any qualatative data so cannot include opinions, thoughts or comments made

Question 11

ethical considerations

Answer 11

• each particiapant consented before they participated in the experiment
• was slight decieved however they did not know the true aim of study and did not know that there was going to be an unexpected event
• debreif
• protections of harm
• were able to withdraw

Question 12

validity

Answer 12

• lab experiment - low ecological validity (not a real life setting)
• high internal validity - all controlled varibles
• standardised procedure - was the same for each particiapnt and can be generalised
• possible demand characteristics

Question 13

reliability

Answer 13

• was reliable all particiapnts watched the same vidoe for the same amout of time
• umbrella lady and gorilla both went into the video at the same time at 45 seconds and 75 seconds (can generslise)
• externally valid - can be replicable

Question 14

sampling bias

Answer 14

• all undergraduate students at an american university - difficult to generlise
• all volenteers

Question 15

ethnocentrism

Answer 15

• was ethnocentric all particiapnts were from an american uni
• america is a diverse country - not ethnocentric and is species spersific behaviour