1. EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
Psychology for the VCE student Units 1 and 2 5th edition (copyright) John Grivas, Linda Carter, 2010

2. In the psychological experiment:
cause and effect relationships are tested
variables are controlled
random allocation is important
Psychology for the VCE student Units 1 and 2 5th edition (copyright) John Grivas, Linda Carter, 2010

3. Consider an experiment on road rage
Psychology for the VCE student Units 1 and 2 5th edition (copyright) John Grivas, Linda Carter, 2010

4. Would an anger management technique reduce the incidence of road rage in people previously convicted of road rage?
Psychology for the VCE student Units 1 and 2 5th edition (copyright) John Grivas, Linda Carter, 2010

5. To investigate, people convicted of road rage could be tested
To investigate, people convicted of road rage could be tested. Using random allocation, participants could be assigned to either of two groups.
Group 1: Experimental group
Group 2: Control group
Psychology for the VCE student Units 1 and 2 5th edition (copyright) John Grivas, Linda Carter, 2010

6. Group 1: Experimental Group
The two groups should be as alike as possible and be exposed to the same conditions, except for the IV in the experimental group.
Group 1: Experimental Group
(IV is present)
Group 2: Control Group
Psychology for the VCE student Units 1 and 2 5th edition (copyright) John Grivas, Linda Carter, 2010

7. Group 1 (E group) and Group 2 (C group) will: - be as alike as possible eg. participant characteristics - exposed to same conditions, except - E group only is exposed to the IV - C group is used for comparison
The IV is the ‘treatment’; the variable that the experimenter changes or manipulates.
What is the IV in this experiment?
Psychology for the VCE student Units 1 and 2 5th edition (copyright) John Grivas, Linda Carter, 2010

8. IV: anger management technique
Group 1: Experimental group
(Participants undertake anger management)
Group 2: Control group
Participants do not undertake anger management
Psychology for the VCE student Units 1 and 2 5th edition (copyright) John Grivas, Linda Carter, 2010

9. The dependent variable (DV): participants’ responses are observed and recorded to measure the effects of the IV
What is the DV in this experiment?
Psychology for the VCE student Units 1 and 2 5th edition (copyright) John Grivas, Linda Carter, 2010

10. DV: number of incidences of road rage
Psychology for the VCE student Units 1 and 2 5th edition (copyright) John Grivas, Linda Carter, 2010

11. Comparison of DV in the E and C groups If there is a significant difference (eg. lower incidence of road rage), then it is assumed the difference is caused by the presence of the IV. However, it is important that variables other than the IV that can impact on the DV have also been controlled.
Psychology for the VCE student Units 1 and 2 5th edition (copyright) John Grivas, Linda Carter, 2010

12. Confounding Variable A variable other than the IV that has an unwanted effect on the DV, making it impossible to determine which of the variables has produced changes in the DV.
Psychology for the VCE student Units 1 and 2 5th edition (copyright) John Grivas, Linda Carter, 2010

13. POTENTIAL CONFOUNDING VARIABLES (‘CONFOUNDS’’) GENDER Could gender change the results of this experiment if not controlled (by ensuring similar numbers of males and females in the E and C groups)?
Psychology for the VCE student Units 1 and 2 5th edition (copyright) John Grivas, Linda Carter, 2010

14. ETHNICITY Could ethnicity change the results of this experiment if not controlled?
Psychology for the VCE student Units 1 and 2 5th edition (copyright) John Grivas, Linda Carter, 2010

15. DRIVING EXPERIENCE Could amount and/or type of driving experience change the results of this experiment if not controlled?
Psychology for the VCE student Units 1 and 2 5th edition (copyright) John Grivas, Linda Carter, 2010

16. PARTICIPANTS’ INDIVIDUAL TEMPERAMENTS Could the temperament of individual participants change the results of this experiment if not controlled?
Psychology for the VCE student Units 1 and 2 5th edition (copyright) John Grivas, Linda Carter, 2010

17. ARE THERE ANY OTHER POTENTIAL CONFOUNDING VARIABLES THAT WOULD NEED TO BE CONTROLLED?
Psychology for the VCE student Units 1 and 2 5th edition (copyright) John Grivas, Linda Carter, 2010