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CONDUCTING RESEARCH IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY EXPERIMENTAL METHOD

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Social Psychology (PSY403)
VU
Lesson 08
CONDUCTING RESEARCH IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
EXPERIMENTAL METHOD
Aims:
To make students understand how to conduct social psychology research using diverse scientific
methodologies.
Objectives:
Describe experimental research method
Describe basic experimental design
Understand differences between field and laboratory research methods
Understand experimental research designs
Understand complex laboratory designs
Experimental methods
Experimental methods are research designs to examine cause-effect relationships.
The variable that is manipulated is called the independent variable, while the variable whose changes
are considered to be the effect of the manipulated changes in the independent variable is called the
dependent variable (e.g., varying lighting conditions and performance of students)
Experimental and control groups are two main groups used in experimental methods
Basic Experimental Design
Figure 1 illustrates a basic experimental design using random sampling procedure
Figure 1
Unfortunately, we are seldom able to obtain
such a sample. We must, therefore, often rely
Basic Experimental Design (simple,
on using subjects who are readily available -a
syst.)
convenience sample - and then split them into
two groups using a technique called "random
assignment."
Random
Figure 2 illustrates a basic experimental design
Sampling
Random
Population
using cluster sampling technique, as mentioned
Sample
above.
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Social Psychology (PSY403)
VU
Figure 2
Basic Experim ental D esign (cluster
sam ple)
Convenience
Sample
Random Assignment
Experimental
Control Group
Group
Figure 3 illustrates the use of control and experimental groups and the manipulation of independent
variable
B a s ic E xp e rim e n ta l D e s ig n
Present
Independent V ariable
Experim ental
C ontrol G roup
G roup
M easure
D ependent V ariable
C o mpare
G roups
B a s ic E x p e r im e n t a l D e s ig n
Figure 4 tests the hypothesis that the use
of highlighters in text can increase
C onvenien ce
learning. First of all subjects will be given
S am p le :
U ndergraduate
several pages to read.  After they have
S tuden ts
done so, they will be dismissed and asked
R a n d om A ssign m e n t
to return to the experimental lab the next
day.
H igh ligh te rs fa c ilita te m e m o ry of facts read f ro m te x tb oo ks"
E x p e r im e n ta l
C o n tr o l G r o u p
G roup
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Social Psychology (PSY403)
VU
Figure 5: Each subject is given five pages from an Introductory Psychology text and told to read
the pages carefully because they will be tested on the material next day. The subjects are dismissed after
they finish reading and asked to return the next day. The quiz next day will determine whether availability
of highlighters helped greater learning or not. Highlighters will only be available to the experimental
group.
Basic Experimental Design
Experimental Method:
Description
Present Independent Variable
Because  correlational  studies
Availability of Highlighter
cannot definitively tell us why variables
are related to one another, social
Highlighter Available
psychologists
use
experimental
No Highlighter
methods  to  examine  cause-effect
relationships. In an experiment, the
Experimental Group
Control Group
scientist manipulates one variable by
Measure
exposing research participants to it at
Dependent Variable: Number of
contrasting levels (for example, high,
correctly recalled facts on quiz
medium, low, no exposure), and then
observes what effect this manipulation
has on the other variable that has not
Compare Groups
been manipulated. The variable that is
manipulated is called the independent variable, and it is the one the experimenter is testing as the possible
cause of any changes that might occur in the other variable. The variable whose changes are considered to
be the effect of the manipulated changes in the independent variable is called the dependent variable. The
dependent variable is the response measure of an experiment that is dependent on the participant's response
to the experimenter's manipulation of the setting (the independent variable)
A number of experimental studies have explored whether watching violent entertainment programs
leads to increased aggressiveness in children. For example, Jacques-Philippe Leyens and his colleagues
(1975) conducted an experiment in a Belgian private institution for secondary-school boys. The
independent variable in this study was exposure to violent films. In two cottages at the school, boys were
shown a violent film every night for one week (for example, Bonnie and Clyde, The Dirty Dozen). The
boys in two other cottages were shown the same number of nonviolent films during the same period of time
(for example, Lily, Daddy's Fiancée.
Significant differences were found between the two groups of boys, with the treatment group
exhibiting higher levels of aggression both toward other boys and toward inanimate objects. Based on these
findings, the social psychologists concluded that exposure to violent films had indeed caused increased
aggressiveness.
FIELD EXPERIMENTS
The study just described is a special type of experiment called a field experiment, which is similar
to the more common laboratory experiment, except that it is run in a natural setting, and participants often
do not realize they are being studied. This greater realism increases the study's external validity, which is
the extent to which its findings can be generalized to people beyond those in the study itself.
Unfortunately, one drawback to field experiments is that researchers have less control over what is
happening to each participant during the study because they are in a setting where many variables are
uncontrollable. These problems of control decrease the study's internal validity, which is the extent to
which cause-and-effect conclusions can validly be made (Cook & Shadish, 1994).
LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS
By far, most social psychology experiments are conducted in laboratories. As an illustration,
consider the following experiment investigating the effects that two independent variables, television
violence and anger; have on boys' aggressive behavior. In this study, Donald Hartmann (1969) randomly
assigned teenage boys to different levels of the two independent variables. At the beginning of the
experiment, the boys, anger was manipulated by either having a confederate of the experimenter--who
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Social Psychology (PSY403)
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was posing as a fellow participant--insult him or treat him in a neutral fashion. Following the anger
manipulation, the boys were assigned to one of three film conditions lasting two minutes. The first minute
of each film showed two boys shooting baskets on a basketball court. For the remaining minute, the boys in
the control group film merely played basketball, while in the two treatment-group films one of the boys
began beating the other following an argument
After viewing the film, each boy participated in a seemingly unrelated learning study. As the
"teacher" in the study, the participant was instructed to administer an electrical shock to a "learner"
whenever the learner made a mistake on the learning task. The learner was the confederate who had either
insulted the participant or treated him neutrally. The intensity of the shock chosen by the boys was the
dependent variable. In reality, no shocks were ever delivered, but the boys were not aware of this until the
end of the experiment. As predicted, boys exposed to a violent film and boys previously angered tried to
deliver stronger shocks to the learner than did boys in the control conditions. Further, boys who had been
both angered and exposed to a violent film chose the strongest shock levels of the six groups of boys. Thus,
the combination of being exposed to a violent film while angry caused the greatest amount of aggression.
The experiment of Hartman is an example of complex experiments, which is illustrated in the
following complex Lab designs.
Complex Lab designs
Figures 6 and 7 show a complex design with 2 independent variables and 2 experimental and one
control group.
Figure 6
L a b o r a t o r y E x p e r im e n t s D o n a ld
H a r tm a n n 's s tu d y ( 1 9 6 9 )
C on ven ience
Sam p le:
U ndergradu ate
Studen ts
R a n d o m A s sig n m e n t
C o m bination of a nger a nd violent m ovie v iew ing pro m otes aggression
E x p e rim en ta l
C o n tr o l G r o u p
G ro up s 1 & 2
Figure 7 shows the manipulation of independent variables
Complex Experimental Design: Interaction
Present Independent Variable
Induced anger + violent movie
1. Anger induced
1.Neutral treatment
2. Violent movie
2.Neutral movie
Control Group
2 Experimental Groups
Measure
Intensity of shocks delivered to
confederate
Compare Groups
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Social Psychology (PSY403)
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The main advantage of a lab experiment like Hartmann's is that variables can be well controlled,
thus increasing internal validity. An important component of this control is that participants can be
randomly assigned to the different levels of the independent variable.
Unfortunately, because of the researcher's desire to control as much of the experimental situation as
possible in order to properly assign causality, an air of artificiality may exist in the lab (Gosling, 2004;
Rozin, 2001).
Making Experiments Real
Experimenters recognize two types of realism
Experimental realism
Does the experimental situation feel real to the participants in that situation?
Mundane realism
Does the experiment have the look and feel of situations in the outside world?
Table 1 illustrates the relationship between internal and external validity, as well as between both forms of
realism.
Experimental Designs
Independent measures
designs
Repeated-measures
designs
Counterbalancing
is
applied to reduce order
effect
of
same
individuals exposed to
2 or more conditions
called ABBA design:
Changing the sequence
of conditions for the
participants;
Source: Brechler et al. 2006, Social Psychology Alive
advantages  are  less
subject variability, and more strong conclusions about causality
Matched participants
Conclusion: There is no one best method in all research settings. In each investigation, social
psychologists must decide what method provides the best opportunity of meeting the study's goals.
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Table of Contents:
  1. INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY:Readings, Main Elements of Definitions
  2. INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY:Social Psychology and Sociology
  3. CONDUCTING RESEARCH IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY:Scientific Method
  4. CONDUCTING RESEARCH IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY:Evaluate Ethics
  5. CONDUCTING RESEARCH IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH PROCESS, DESIGNS AND METHODS (CONTINUED)
  6. CONDUCTING RESEARCH IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OBSERVATIONAL METHOD
  7. CONDUCTING RESEARCH IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY CORRELATIONAL METHOD:
  8. CONDUCTING RESEARCH IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY EXPERIMENTAL METHOD
  9. THE SELF:Meta Analysis, THE INTERNET, BRAIN-IMAGING TECHNIQUES
  10. THE SELF (CONTINUED):Development of Self awareness, SELF REGULATION
  11. THE SELF (CONTINUE…….):Journal Activity, POSSIBLE HISTORICAL EFFECTS
  12. THE SELF (CONTINUE……….):SELF-SCHEMAS, SELF-COMPLEXITY
  13. PERSON PERCEPTION:Impression Formation, Facial Expressions
  14. PERSON PERCEPTION (CONTINUE…..):GENDER SOCIALIZATION, Integrating Impressions
  15. PERSON PERCEPTION: WHEN PERSON PERCEPTION IS MOST CHALLENGING
  16. ATTRIBUTION:The locus of causality, Stability & Controllability
  17. ATTRIBUTION ERRORS:Biases in Attribution, Cultural differences
  18. SOCIAL COGNITION:We are categorizing creatures, Developing Schemas
  19. SOCIAL COGNITION (CONTINUE…….):Counterfactual Thinking, Confirmation bias
  20. ATTITUDES:Affective component, Behavioral component, Cognitive component
  21. ATTITUDE FORMATION:Classical conditioning, Subliminal conditioning
  22. ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOR:Theory of planned behavior, Attitude strength
  23. ATTITUDE CHANGE:Factors affecting dissonance, Likeability
  24. ATTITUDE CHANGE (CONTINUE……….):Attitudinal Inoculation, Audience Variables
  25. PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION:Activity on Cognitive Dissonance, Categorization
  26. PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION (CONTINUE……….):Religion, Stereotype threat
  27. REDUCING PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION:The contact hypothesis
  28. INTERPERSONAL ATTRACTION:Reasons for affiliation, Theory of Social exchange
  29. INTERPERSONAL ATTRACTION (CONTINUE……..):Physical attractiveness
  30. INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS:Applied Social Psychology Lab
  31. SOCIAL INFLUENCE:Attachment styles & Friendship, SOCIAL INTERACTIONS
  32. SOCIAL INFLUENCE (CONTINE………):Normative influence, Informational influence
  33. SOCIAL INFLUENCE (CONTINUE……):Crimes of Obedience, Predictions
  34. AGGRESSION:Identifying Aggression, Instrumental aggression
  35. AGGRESSION (CONTINUE……):The Cognitive-Neo-associationist Model
  36. REDUCING AGGRESSION:Punishment, Incompatible response strategy
  37. PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR:Types of Helping, Reciprocal helping, Norm of responsibility
  38. PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR (CONTINUE………):Bystander Intervention, Diffusion of responsibility
  39. GROUP BEHAVIOR:Applied Social Psychology Lab, Basic Features of Groups
  40. GROUP BEHAVIOR (CONTINUE…………):Social Loafing, Deindividuation
  41. up Decision GROUP BEHAVIOR (CONTINUE……….):GroProcess, Group Polarization
  42. INTERPERSONAL POWER: LEADERSHIP, The Situational Perspective, Information power
  43. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY APPLIED: SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY IN COURT
  44. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY APPLIED: SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY IN CLINIC
  45. FINAL REVIEW:Social Psychology and related fields, History, Social cognition