Ramirez et al (2001)

This is a study into culture and aggression. In this syllabus you must be able to describe the aim, procedure, findings/results, conclusion and evaluation of this study. It is a key study in Topic C.

Aim
To investigate whether aggression varied between cultures, and how aggression varied between males and females.

Procedure
Involved 400 psychology students who volunteered to participate, half in Japan and half in Spain. Asked to complete a questionnaire that measured verbal aggression, physical aggression, anger and hostility. These questionnaires included Likert-style questions.

Findings/Results

 * 1) Ramirez found that Japanese students showed more physical aggression than Spanish students.
 * 2) Spanish students showed more verbal aggression and anger than Japanese students.
 * 3) Males showed more physical and verbal aggression and hostility than females in both cultures.
 * 4) Male and females in both cultures showed the same level of anger.

Conclusion
Japanese males and females were more physically aggressive but more Spanish students were more verbally aggressive. Males were more aggressive than females.

Evaluation
Strengths:

The questions produce quantitative data so cannot be interpreted differently by researchers.

All students had volunteered and were fully aware that the results would be published - it was an ethical study.

Weaknesses:

Some questionnaires were criticized because the answers can be interpreted in such a way that they meet the expectations of the researcher.

All the participants were psychology students they may have guessed the aim of the study or answered questions in a socially desirable way.

Students may have answered the questions according to how they think they would act, but in real life situations they may be unlikely to behave that way.