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The Role of Expectations (Rosenthal and Jacobson’s Pygmalion Effect)
Description: This study on teacher expectations demonstrated that students’ academic performance could be influenced by the expectations of others, a phenomenon known as the "Pygmalion effect."
Impact: This finding is significant in education and organizational psychology, highlighting the impact of expectations on performance and self-fulfilling prophecies.
Citation APA Style: Rosenthal, R., & Jacobson, L. (1968). Pygmalion in the classroom: Teacher expectation and student intellectual development. Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
The Milgram Obedience Experiment (Stanley Milgram)
Description: Milgram’s study examined obedience to authority by observing participants who administered (simulated) shocks to others when instructed. It revealed how far people might go in obeying authority figures.
Impact: This research is key for understanding authority, compliance, and has informed ethical standards in psychology, emphasizing the importance of consent and debriefing in studies.
Citation APA style: Milgram, S. (1963). Behavioral Study of obedience. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 67(4), 371–378. doi:10.1037/h0040525
Attachment Theory (John Bowlby & Mary Ainsworth)
Description: Bowlby and Ainsworth’s work on attachment styles in children (secure, avoidant, ambivalent, and disorganized) showed how early interactions with caregivers shape emotional and social development.
Impact: Attachment theory is central in developmental and clinical psychology, impacting approaches to parenting, relationship counseling, and mental health interventions.
Citation APA Style: Bretherton, I. (1992). The origins of attachment theory: John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth. Developmental Psychology, 28(5), 759–775. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.28.5.759
Social Learning Theory (Albert Bandura)
Description: Bandura’s famous “Bobo doll” experiment showed that children could learn aggressive behaviors by observing adults. This established that learning could occur through observation rather than direct reinforcement.
Impact: It’s foundational in understanding observational learning, social behavior, and has influenced fields like developmental psychology and criminology.
The Stanford Prison Experiment (Philip Zimbardo)
Description: Zimbardo’s 1971 study simulated a prison environment to investigate how situational factors influence behavior. Participants adopted extreme roles as guards or prisoners, revealing the powerful effects of social environments on behavior.
Impact: This study is critical for understanding social psychology and the concept of situational vs. dispositional influences, with applications in fields such as criminal justice and organizational psychology.
The nature of love (H. F. Harlow)
Description: Harlow’s studies on rhesus monkeys demonstrated the importance of caregiving and affection, challenging prevailing views on attachment.
Impact: This research provided critical insights into emotional development and attachment, influencing child psychology and caregiving practices.
Citation APA Style : Harlow, H. F. (1958). The nature of love. American Psychologist, 13(12), 673–685. doi:10.1037/h0047884
The Interpretation of Dreams Sigmund Freud (1900)
Description: Freud’s work on dreams introduced psychoanalysis and the theory that unconscious desires influence behavior.
Impact: Although controversial, Freud’s theories on the unconscious mind, defense mechanisms, and dream interpretation deeply influenced clinical psychology and the understanding of personality.