EXPERMENTAL RESEARCH

BUSN 364 Week 12

zge Can

Stanford Marshmallow Experiment

Measuring delayed gratification (ability to wait

in order to obtain something you want)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3S0xS2hdi4
A child is given a marshmallow and promised
another, only if they could wait before eating the
first one.
Researchers measure how long the child resists
the temptation of eating it
Whether correlated with future success or not

Experimental Research

Builds on the principles of positivist

perspective and natural sciences

(1) Starts with a causal hypothesis

(2) Modify one specific aspect of a
situation that is closely connected to the
cause, and
(3) Compare the outcome to what existed
without the modification

Example Experiment

Manipulation of Independent Variable

Question: Do suggestions affect memories?
Method: Randomly assign participants to
groups and tell some participants that dreams
indicate prior experience but do not tell that to
other participants.
Results: Dream interpretations induce changes
in memories of past events.
Conclusion: We can influence peoples
memories by giving them erroneous information

Attributes of Experiments

Can powerfully test causal relationships

An experiment is often artificial =>
includes independent and dependent
variables but exclude confounding variables
Confounding Variables: Factors that are
not part of the intended hypothesis but have
effects on variables of interest
Best for issues that have a narrow scope and
sharpened focus

Attributes of Experiments

Isolates and targets one or a few causal

variables; not effective for considering
dozens of variables simultaneously
Best suited for micro-level (individuals,
small-groups) more than macro-level
(entire society) theoretical concerns
Practical and ethical limitations in social
science experiments => We cannot
manipulate many areas/conditions of
human life

Power of Experimental
Design

Is it better to study these with a

survey or experiment?

Playing violent video games increases

aggressive behavior
Students who sit at the front of the
classroom make better grades than
those that sit in the back

Power of Experimental
Design

Consider recent changes that have been

made on your campus (e.g., changes in
graduation requirements or student life
issues). Did the administration use
experiments or quasi-experiments to
determine whether or not to make these
changes? Can you think of situations in
which an experimental approach could
have been used?

Parts of the Experiment

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Treatment or independent variable (IV)

Dependent variable (DV)
Pretest
Posttest
Experimental group
Control group
Random assignment

Parts of the Experiment

Treatment => (stimulus, manipulation) the

independent variable or a combination of
independent variables in experimental research

Dependent variable => the outcome in

experimental research. It is measured by paperand-pencil tests, observation, interviews or
physiological responses (e.g. heart beat, palm
sweating)

Pretest => the measurement of the independent

variable prior to the introduction of the treatment.

Parts of the Experiment

Posttest => the measurement of the

independent variable after the treatment
has been introduced into the experiment
situation

Experimental group => the group that

receives the treatment or in which
treatment is present

Control group => the group that does not

receive the treatment

Random Assignment

Participants divided into groups at the

beginning of experimental research
using a random process so the
experimenter can treat the groups as
equivalent

Randomness in statistical or mathematical

sense: All participants have an equal chance of
ending up in one or the other group
Increases our confidence that the groups do
not differ in any systematic way

Random Assignment

How to Randomly Assign?

Controls in Experiment

By controlling confounding effects and

isolating the effects of the treatment, we
eliminate alternative explanations

Deception: Sometimes we intentionally mislead

participants to control the experiment setting
Deception involves using confederates and
cover stories (as false explanations)
Using placebo: simulated or ineffectual
treatment intended to deceive the participants
Blind studies: Single blind; double-blind

Steps in Experiment (1):

Hypothesis
Choose a design
Design experiment
How to introduce IV
How to measure DV
Locate subjects
Randomly assign subjects

Steps in Experiment (2):

Gather pretest data

Run experiment
Introduce treatment
Measure DV
Gather posttest data
Debrief
Analyze data

Types of Experimental
Design

Classical Experimental Design:

Includes random assignment, a control

group and experimental group, and a pretest
and posttest for each group

Pre-Experimental Design:

Lack control group and random assignment

Weaker than classical experiment
Substitude classical experiments when they
are not possible

Types of Experimental
Design

Quasi-Experimental Design

We call them quasi (apparently, as if)

becuse they are variations of the classical
design
Some have control group and randomization
but lack a pretest

Types of Experimental
Design

Classical Experimental
Design

Figure 8.6

Pretest-posttest control-group design.

Classical Experiment:
Example

You have 40 newly hired waiters; you instruct

them not to introduce themselves with first name
and not to return during the meal to check on the
customers

You randomly divide the waiters into two groups of

20 persons (random assignment) and send each
group to one of two restaurants to begin working.

You record the amount of tips for all participants

for one month (pretest score)

Classical Experiment:
Example

Next, you retrain the group at restaurant A

(experiment group) and instruct them to
introduce themselves with first name and ask
Is everything fine? 10 minutes after
delivering the food (treatment).

You remind the group at restaurant B (control

group) to continue as before.

Over the second month, you record the amount

of tips for both groups (posttest score)

Internal Validity

Occurs when the independent

variable, and nothing else,
influences the dependent variable.
Anything other than independent variable
threatens internal validity
Artifacts => unwanted or confounding
variables that are due to the particular
experimental arrangement

Threats to Internal Validity

Selection bias

A bias that arise when groups in an

experiment are not equivalent with regard to
the DV

History
Something

occurs and affects the DV during an

experiment; is unplanned and outside the
researchers control

Maturation
Natural

processes of growth, boredom, fatigue

that occur during the experiment and affect DV

Threats to Internal Validity

Testing: The very process of measuring, the

pretest measure itself has an effect on DV

Instrumentation: Occurs when the instrument or

measure of the DV changes during the experiment

Experimental mortality
Participant

fail to participate throughout the

entire experiment; they leave the experiment

Demand characteristics
Participants

guess the study hypothesis and

respond to what they think the experimenter
demands from them

Threats to Internal Validity

Diffusion of treatment
The

treatment spills over from the

experimental group and control group
participants modify their behavior because they
learn of the treatment

Compensatory behavior
When

participants in the control group modify

their behavior to make up for not getting the
treatment

Experimenter expectancy
Experimenter

indirectly makes participants

aware of the hypothesis or desired results

External Validity

The ability to generalize experiment

findings

It addresses two major questions:

1. Can we generalize from the specific collection
of participants in one experiment to an entire
population => Population generalization
2. Can we generalize from what occurs in a
highly controlled and artificial setting to most
natural, real world situations => Naturalistic
generalization

External Validity

Field Experiments

An experiment that takes place in the

field; a natural setting instead of an
artifical one (laboratory)

They have lower internal validity but higher

external validity than laboratory experiments
Participants are usually unaware that they are
involved in an experiment and react in a natural
way
Example: A confederate fakes a heart attack
on the subway to see how the bystanders react

Field Experiments

Helping behavior and gender

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuyIOM4d
-OA&feature=related

Practical Considerations

Planning and pilot testing

Instructions to subjects

We anticipate alternative explanations or threats

to internal validity during a good planning phase
Preparing instructions carefully so that all
participants understand the exact same thing

Post-experiment interview

Ethically debriefing research participants the

deception; understanding what participants
thought and felt during the experiment

Online Resources:

This University of Denver site provides

links to various online experiments in
which students can participate.
http://www.du.edu/psychology/methods/

Watch it

Super Size Me

Field experiment by Morgan Spurlock

(2004)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q-e
zCOCVmg&feature=relmfu