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 Researchers use experiments to answer questions about cause and effect.  Observations on the other hand can only give us what? o Correlations

o The way an experiment works is that Members of an experimental group receive a treatment; members of a control group do not. o Psychologists then observe the effects of the treatment

 There are four key parts to every experiment: o Independent variable This is the factor that researchers control to observe its effects o Dependent variable Factor that depends on the independent variable o Control group Group that does NOT have the treatment o Experimental group Group that receives the treatment

 What is the placebo effect? o When a treatment has no real effect, but because the participants expect change, they may still report change o Ex: sugar pills o Speaks to the power of the mind

 Single-Blind studies – participants are unaware if they are in the treatment group or the control group o Why? To prevent the placebo effect, hopefully  Double-Blind studies – both researchers and participants are unaware who is in the control or treatment group o Why? To prevent the placebo effect AND Researcher bias

 A group of college students were given a short course in speed- reading. The instructor was curious if a monetary incentive would influence performance on a reading test taken at the end of the course. Half the students were offered $5 for obtaining a certain level of performance on the test, the other half were not offered money.  Independent variable: o Monetary incentive ($5 or no money)  Dependent variable: o Performance on reading test  Experimental group: o $5 group (receive monetary incentive)  Control group: o $0 group (no monetary incentive)

 A social psychologist thinks that people are more likely to conform to a large crowd than to a single person. To test this hypothesis, the social psychologist had either one person or five persons stand on a busy walking path on campus and look up. The psychologist stood nearby and counted the number of people passing by who also looked up.  Independent variable: o Size of group (5 people or 1 person)  Dependent variable: o Conformity (measured by number of people looking up)  Experimental group: o People passing 5 person group  Control group: o People passing single person. (This group gets “less” of the independent variable)

 Complete the worksheet and hand it in  When finished, begin working on the back of the SG

 Standards for proper and responsible behavior  Established by the APA (American Psychological Association)

 Confidentiality and Informed consent are both required o Confidentiality – keeping the records of clients and participants private o Informed Consent – participant knows the purpose/procedure of study and agrees to participate

 There is debate surrounding the topic of DECEPTION o Some always say deception should not be used o The APA says deception is acceptable when… The benefits outweigh the harms They believe the participants would have accepted anyway There is a debriefing afterwards

 When? o Used when experimentation on humans would be harmful  Why? o People and animals are very often similar more than we’d think  Value? o Most valuable with testing medicines, treatments, etc.

 Objectivity is a must  All data must be shared  “Cherry picking” data is unethical

 Remind us what this is o When someone knows they are being watched, they are more likely to behave differently o Must be accounted for in data usage