Imagine That You Were Recently in an Airport Waiting to Pick

question 36

Essay

Imagine that you were recently in an airport waiting to pick up a friend when you noticed some interesting behaviors. For instance, you saw some people experience great distress when saying good-bye to their loved ones, while others seemed to show no concern at all. Similarly, some of the people arriving were greeted enthusiastically by their family and friends while others received much more casual greetings. As someone interested in human behavior you propose the hypothesis that individuals higher in relationship satisfaction experience the observed anguish at separation and delight at reunion. To fully investigate this topic, design both correlational and experimental studies to explore this hypothesis. In your answer, please be sure to describe the key differences between these two research designs, specifically addressing both advantages and disadvantages of each.

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Definitions:

Secure Attachment

The ways that infants use their caregiver, usually their mother, as a secure base from which to explore the environment.

Caregiver

An individual responsible for providing physical and emotional care to someone who is unable to look after themselves due to age, illness, or disability.

Secure Base

A concept in attachment theory referring to the emotional and physical safety provided by a caregiver, enabling individuals to explore and interact with their environment confidently.

Harry Harlow

A psychologist known for his research on maternal separation, dependency needs, and social isolation experiments on rhesus monkeys.