Chapter 9 Flashcards
Once you have a research idea, have stated your hypothesis, and have decided on a research design to test it, what do the next steps involve?
detailing the operationalizations for each variable and creating an experience for your participants.
Should all of the details of your study be determined before applying for ethical approval?
yes.
What are experimenters ensuring when making all efforts to control as many elements fo the study as possible?
internal validity.
Are there clear cut rules for translating conceptual variables into specific operations?
No
What is exactly how the variable is operationalized dependent upon?
the variable, cost, practicality, ethical concerns, and researcher’s creativity.
What are straight forward manipulations?
operationalizations that involve manipulating the independent variable using instructions or other stimulus materials in a simple and obvious way.
Stimuli may be presented verbally, in written form, or via video.
What is one way to think about operationalizations for manipulating independent variables?
distinguishing straight forward manipulations from staged manipulations.
if researchers manipulate a variable simply by presenting material to the participants, what is this called?
straightforward manipulations.
What type of research typically relies on straightforward manipulations?
memory research
What is an example of a straightforward manipulation experiment on memory. (give IV and DV)
Memory study where participants are shown a picture or words and asked to remeber or forget it.
These materials (pictures vs words), and specific instructions (remember or forget), constitute two independnet variables operationalized using straightforward manipulation.
When is a study said to have high mundane realism?
whenever the tasks involveed in a study mimic experiences and conditions present in everyday life.
What is an example of potential tasks that would have high mundane realism? Low mundane realism?
(1) reading job advertisments and judging how appealing they are is a task that job seekers do in everyday life.
(2) deliberately trying to forget information and then trying to remember it is arguably less realistic.
What is mundane realism?
the extent to which the experiences in a study resemble closely an experience of everyday life.
Is it sometimes necessary to create a series of events that occur during the experiment to manipulate the independent variable successfully?
What type of manipulation is this?
yes.
Staged manipulation
What are staged manipulations?
Operationalizations of an independent variable that involve creating a complex situation. Participants then experience the situation and their responses are recorded. Deception is often used to conceal the fact that the situation is a ruse.
What are examples of what staged manipulations can be?
can be elaborate situations involving actors,
can take the form of a cover story
What is often involved in staged manipulations? Does this have concerns?
deception
yes, lots of ethical concerns explored in chapter 3
What are the 2 main reasons that staged manipulations are employed? provide examples for each.
(1) researcher may be trying to create a certain psychological state in participants.
ex: researchers have created situations where people believed they were interacting with another person, although the other person’s contribution was actually a pre-recorded video.
(2) staged manipulations can be used to simulate situations that occur in the real world.
Example: White and Caird used the University of Calgary driving simulator to study the effects of conversing with a passenger on driving errors. Participants were randomly assigned to drive either alone or with a passenger. The passenger, a confederate playing the role of another participant, engaged the real participant in conversation throughotu the driving simulation. Relative to the “alone” condition, the presence of this conversation did not affect participant’s ability to actually notice and respond to others on the road. The conditions in this staged manipulation simulated common real-world environments that people experience while driving.
What do staged manipulations sometimes employ?
a confederate (also known as an accomplice). The nature of this can differ quite widely from study to study.
Are staged manipulations more complex than straightforward manipulations? Why?
yes.
It relies on convincing the participants that they are partaking in a certain kind of situation or interaction.
What is a confederate oftne introduced as?
usually introduced as another participant.
What may confederate’s be used for in staged manipulations?
may be used to create a particular social situation or administer the independent variable.
What can staged manipulations demand?
What are staged manipulations used for?
a great deal of ingenuity and some acting ability on the part of the confederates.
Staged manipulations are used to involve the participants in an ongoing social situation, which the individuals perceive not as an experiment but as a real experience
What is experimental realism?
The extent to which the experiences in a study are experienced by participants as impactful and engaging.