Social Psychology - Experiments

Research Methods in Social Psychology

◦ O
◦ S
◦ C
◦ E and -

Observation - A type of study in which individuals are observed or certain outcomes are measured.

◦ No attempt is made to affect the (for example, no treatment is given)
◦ You are simply a , watching behaviour as it unfolds

Varies in methodology:
Observation
◦ ‘People watching’ to gain some sort idea of what is going on
◦ E.g. do parents coach their kids from side-lines at sports matches?

Observation – behaviour observed & recorded
◦ What percentage of parents coach their kids at matches?
◦ What type of kids receive more coaching?
◦ What type of parents give more coaching?

Varies in setting:
◦ or not

Strengths:
◦ Allows analysis of behaviour in setting
◦ Lessens impact of contextual/environmental effects
◦ Useful in stages of research program

Weakness:
◦ Observations may be /not
◦ Complex influences
◦ Little or no control
◦ The degree to which the experimenter can the influence of unwanted factors (e.g. extraneous and confounding variables)

Self-report data

completed to gauge personal preferences, beliefs, attitudes etc.
◦ How much time do you spend studying per day? Do you prefer X or Y? What is your favourite X?

Strengths:
◦ Easily
◦ Can recruit very large (representativeness)
◦ Can provide a lot of
◦ Low in interpretation

Weaknesses
◦ bias
◦ Content
◦ Participant
◦ Applicable to only to limited range of topics

Correlational Studies

Investigate the between two or more
◦ Does income correlate with happiness?
◦ Does time spent in the library correlate with grades?
◦ Does IQ predict physical health?

correlation (same)
◦ As you study more – grades increase

correlation (inverse)
◦ As men live longer – less hair

No correlation
◦ No apparent relationships between variables (e.g. litres of orange juice consumed per day and number of shoes owned)

Strengths:
◦ Allows general
◦ Can indicate a causal
◦ Facilitates collection of larger (compared to experimentation)
◦ Provides strong point for further experimentation

Weakness:
◦ Does not prove and effect
◦ Can not explain (only identify their presence)
◦ Correlation may be
◦ Correlations may be mediated by a variable

Experiment

An experiment is a scientific test which is done in order to discover what happens to something in particular
- involves the of an variable and the of its effect on a variable
◦ E.g. Compare the Maths test grades of two group of students, one of which received study skills training while the other completed extra Math classes

- Compares the effect of different (in which the variable is modified) on the variable by groups
◦ group - Group which receives a given intervention (e.g. Maths classes)
◦ group - Group which receives no intervention or an intervention not believed to have an effect ( vs. control)

Types of variables:
(IV)
◦ the variable being manipulated (e.g. intervention type)

(DV)
◦ the variable of interest being measured (e.g. test grades)

◦ a ‘hidden’ or ‘unknown’ variable which actually explains the relationship between the ind. and dep. variables

◦ other aspects of the environment that may influence results (e.g. time of testing, environment factors)

Criteria for good experiment

sample
◦ Always study the type of people who are relevant to your research question

Random &
◦ Ensure groups are roughly equal on variables relevant to the study

Include group

Avoid variables

Avoid characteristics
◦ Sometimes, participants ‘give the experimenter what they think he/she wants

Avoid experimenter
◦ Data must be analysed objectively, without a ‘preferred’ result

Experiment Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths:
◦ Allows control
◦ Facilitates of cause & effect
◦ Can indicate a relationship
◦ Gives arguably the “” data

Weakness:
◦ Behaviour may be by experimental setting
◦ Results may not
◦ Experimenter effects
- characteristics
- Experimenter