Read the following abstract from Barlińska et al. (2013):
The purpose of this study was to understand how adolescents respond as bystanders of cyberbullying and to seek factors that might influence their actions. The study explored the effects of type of contact (online vs. face to face) and form of violence (private vs. public) on negative bystander behaviour understood as active participation in victimisation. The influence of experience of cyberbullying as perpetrator and as victim and gender on negative bystander behaviour was also controlled.
The study was an experimental design. The sample consisted of 760 pupils (380 boys and 380 girls) aged 11–18 years (Mage=14.91 years; SDage = 1.04 years) from junior high schools and high schools from three provinces of Poland. Participants were either presented with a piece of paper (in person face-to-face) with a debasing manipulated image of a boy or were presented with this image via a web-based tool. Participants were then asked to make a series of decision regarding the image, including deleting it/throwing it away, forward or passing it on privately to another student, forward or passing it on publicly (e.g. accessible to the entire school or in a public online forum).
Results showed that negative bystander behaviour is more likely to occur in online than in face-to-face contact. Furthermore, the public context of violence decreases negative bystander behaviour regardless of type of contact. Being a perpetrator of cyberbullying was a strong predictor of negative bystander behaviour. It is suggested these results may reflect a propensity for aggression in some adolescents. Social learning theory offers an explanation of this relationship in the form of the effect of being trained to be a perpetrator.

Question 1
Critically evaluate the reliability and validity of this research. In your answer you need to consider the following points. Make sure you justify your response.
• Is the theoretical argument adequate?
• Is the sample adequate and appropriate?
• Are the measures and procedures adequate?
• Are the conclusions warranted?
• Does the study say anything meaningful?
• Is the study ethical?

Question 2
In this research on cyberbullying, the philosophical question of “nurture vs nature” is raised. Is cyberbullying a learned behaviour or does it come down to an individual’s personality type (hostility)? Drawing on learning theory and personality theory, discuss the factors that may contribute to a person becoming a perpetrator of cyberbullying. In your answer, make sure you clearly describe and explain the relevant theories and justify your conclusions with examples.