A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

What happened to the children during Phase 2 of the experiment?

1. They were rewarded with toys

2. They were taken to a room with attractive toys and then frustrated

3. They watched another model play

4. They were measured for aggression

The correct answer is: They were taken to a room with attractive toys and then frustrated

During Phase 2 of the experiment, the children were placed in a room with attractive toys that they were not allowed to play with, leading to a state of frustration. This aspect of the experimental design was crucial because it created conditions that would likely elicit aggressive behavior in response to the frustration experienced. The contrast of having appealing toys but being denied access to them set the stage for subsequently observing how the children reacted when given the opportunity to play after this phase of frustration. This methodology reflects principles of learning theory, where frustration is posited to increase the likelihood of aggressive responses, thus allowing researchers to assess the impact of observed aggression from a model in the earlier phase of the experiment on the children's subsequent behavior.