Essay

Based on the example of Robert Zajonc's work on social facilitation, explain how a researcher can update rather than completely discard a theory when faced with contradictory findings. Specifically, identify what adjustment Zajonc could have made to drive theory if he had failed to observe social facilitation in cockroaches.

Question: Based on the example of Robert Zajonc's work on social facilitation, explain how a researcher can update rather than completely discard a theory when faced with contradictory findings. Specifically, identify what adjustment Zajonc could have made to drive theory if he had failed to observe social facilitation in cockroaches.

Sample answer: Rather than discarding drive theory completely when faced with contradictory evidence, a researcher can update it by adding a boundary condition. Specifically, in the case of Zajonc's work, if he had not observed social facilitation in cockroaches, he could have adjusted the theory by proposing that drive theory is valid but only applicable to organisms with highly developed nervous systems.

Key points:

  • A theory can be updated rather than discarded when facing contradictory findings.
  • The modification is achieved by adding a boundary condition to restrict the theory's scope.
  • The specific boundary condition proposed is restricting drive theory to organisms with highly developed nervous systems.

Rubric: Answers must correctly state that a theory can be updated by adding a boundary condition to limit its scope, and identify the specific nervous system boundary condition (limiting applicability to organisms with highly developed nervous systems) that Zajonc could have applied.

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Updated 2026-05-27

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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU

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