AP Psychology The Experimental Process & Ethical Guidelines

The Experimental Process & Ethical Guidelines

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• Intro 0:00
• Objectives 0:15
• Describe how Research Design Drives the Reasonable Conclusions That Can Be Drawn (e.g. Experiments are Useful for Determining Cause And Effect; The Use of Experimental Controls Reduces Alternate Explanations
• Identify Independent, Dependent, Confounding, and Control Variables In Experimental Designs
• Distinguish Between Random Assignments of Participants to Conditions in Experiments and Random Selection of Participants, Primarily in Correlational Studies and Surveys
• Objectives, Cont. 0:57
• Predict the Validity of Behavioral Explanations Based on the Quality of Research Design (e.g., Confounding Variables Limit Confidence in Research Conclusions).
• Discuss the Value of Reliance on Operational Definitions and Measurement in Behavioral Research
• The Experiment: Searching for Causes 1:23
• Experimental Variables
• Experimental and Control Conditions
• Experimenter Effects
• Advantages and Limitations of Experiments
• An Experiment 1:55
• A Controlled Test of a Hypothesis in Which the Researcher Manipulates One Variable to Discover Its Effect on Another.
• To Identify Cause-And-Effect Relationships, We Conduct Experiments
• Disadvantages
• Some Vocabulary 3:34
• Hypothesis: A Statement That Attempts to Predict an Outcome Within the Confines of the Experiment -- How the Manipulation of the Independent Variable Changes the Dependent Variable. To Make It Easier, Put it In a Conditional Format, If, Then
• Independent Variable: A Variable That an Experimenter Manipulates.
• Dependent Variable: A Variable That an Experimenter Predicts Will Be Affected By Manipulations of the Independent Variable
• Unwanted Variables -- Extraneous Variables: Conditions That a Researcher Wants To Prevent From Affecting The Outcomes of the Experiment (e.g., Number of Hours Slept Before the Experiment)
• More Concepts 5:15
• Random Selection -- Choosing Subjects for the Experiment Without Bias -- Often Using a Random Number Table or Other Randomizing Procedure
• Random Assignment -- Choosing Which Group, The Experimental or Control Group Each Subject Goes To
• Randomness is a Procedure That Creates the Attempt to Limit Bias and Create Representativeness
• A Graphic Overview 8:31
• Chart
• If One Eats Peanuts, One Will Recall Better 12:06
• Chart
• Practice -- Caffeine and Memory 14:16
• Chart
• Practice -- Sleep and Reaction Time 17:29
• Chart
• Potential Biases 21:05
• Experimenter Effects -- This is When The Experimenter Unconsciously Pushes Subject into a Particular Response
• Changes in Behavior Caused by the Unintended Influence of the Experimenter
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: A Prediction That Leads People to Act in Ways to Make the Prediction Come True
• Single Blind Experiment: Only the Subjects Have No Idea Whether They Get Real Treatment or Placebo
• Double Blind Experiment: The Subjects AND The Experimenters Have No Idea Whether the Subjects Get Real Treatment or Placebo
• Evaluating Results in an Experiment 22:54
• Statistically Significant: Results Gained Would Occur Very Rarely by Chance Alone, Usually Less Than Five Experiments Out of 100
• Meta-Analysis: Study of Results of Other Studies
• Placebo Effect 25:15
• Changes in Behavior That Result From Belief That One Has Ingested a Drug
• Ethics/Ethical Responsibility 28:28
• No Coercion -- Participation Must Be Voluntary
• Doctrine of Informed Consent -- Must Be Volunteer and Know Enough to Intelligently Decide About Participating
• Anonymity or Confidentiality of Participants
• Respecting Dignity and Welfare of Human Subjects
• Protection From Physical or Emotional Risk -- Temporary Discomfort OK, But Not Long-Term Harm
• Ability to Withdraw at Any Time
• Deception of Subjects Can Be OK
• Debriefing -- Done After Experiment -- Explains True Purpose of Study and If Any Deceptions
• Experimenting on Animals 30:43
• Humans are Similar to Other Animals in Many Ways
• Two Extreme Options -- Do No Testing or Test in Any Way We Want, Without Constraint
• Researchers Must (APA 2002) Ensure the Comfort, Health, and Humane Treatment of Animals and of Minimizing Infection, Illness, and Pain of Animal Subjects.
• Must Have a Clear Scientific Purpose
• Must Answer a Specific, Important Scientific Question
• Animals Chosen Must be Best Suited for the Question
• Animals Must Be Acquired Legally (Accredited Companies or Trapped Humanely, if Wild)
• Practice Questions 32:06
• To Understand In-Depth a Particular Individual or Family By Using Many Different Tools
• To Watch a Person or People and Describe What They Do -- Often Involves Keeping Counts of Particular Behaviors
• To Examine the Strength of Relationship Between Two or More Variables
• Using Controlled Methods, Create a Situation Where the Researcher Can Measure Cause and Effect by Applying the Independent Variable With the Experimental Group and Comparing Results With a Control Group.
• Practice Questions 33:31
• To Find Out a Lot of People's Views, Attitudes, Experiences or Feelings About Some Aspect of Their Lives
• To Use a Manipulated Situation to See What People Will Do in That Situation
• Professor Xavier is Interested in Understanding the Relationship Between Self-Esteem and Social Anxiety
• Dr. Jones Wishes to Investigate the Effects of a New Training Program on Employees' Job Performances
• Professor Smith Wishes to Study the Effects of Food Deprivation on Learning in Rats
• Dr. Watusi is Interested in Studying Peer Influence Among High School Students. He Decides to go to Several Local High Schools and Observe Students Over the Course of Several Weeks.