1. Psych Bell Ringer – 10/20 Which descriptive method would be most appropriate for studying each of the following topics? 1. Ways in which the games of boys differ form those of girls. 2. Changes in attitudes toward nuclear disarmament after a T.V. movie about nuclear holocaust. 3. The math skills of children in the U.S. versus Japan 4. Physiological changes that occur when people watch violent movies. 5. The development of a male infant who was reared as a female after his penis was accidently burned off during a routine surgery. A. Case Study B. Naturalistic Observation C. Laboratory Observation D. Survey E. Test

2. Unit II

3. I. Experimental Research A. experiment – a controlled test of a hypothesis in which the researcher manipulates one variable to discover its effects on another variable. B. Allows researchers to : 1. draw conclusions about cause and effect 2. control the situation being studied Hypothesis: Nicotine impairs driving ability

4. II. Experimental Variables A. independent variable – variable that the experimenter manipulates B. dependent variable – variable that an experimenter predicts will be affected by the manipulation of the independent variable. C. controlled variables – all other variables in an experiment that are kept constant for the various groups of subjects. *The dependent variable, the outcome of the study, DEPENDS on the independent variable.

5. If I do X, my subjects will do Y. Nicotine impairs driving ability X = independent variable Y = dependent variable Use of nicotine = independent variable Same driving simulator, same route, same car type = controlled variables Collisions = dependent variable

6. Psych Bell Ringer 10/23 1. Get out your note page – “Research Methods: The Experiment” 2. Using the worksheet “How Social Scientists Find Information”, create definitions for the words located in the second column under the reading: Hypothesis Experimental Group Control Group Independent Variable Dependent Variable Conclusion Reminder: Wed 10/22 – In Class Review for Unit II Test Thurs 10/23 – Unit II Test

7. Which is the Independent variable? Which is the dependent variable? 1. Does eating chocolate make people nervous? 2. Drinking coffee increases work productivity. 3. The number of people around will affect subjects willingness to help a person in trouble.

8. III. The Controlled Experiment A. subjects in the control group are treated exactly like the subjects in the experimental group, except … B. subjects in the control group are not exposed to the independent variable. 1. placebo – an inactive substance/fake treatment used as a control in an experiment. Experimental group – smokes real cigarettes Control group – smokes placebos (fake cigarettes)

9. C. random assignment - assigning participants to experimental and control conditions by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups. We want our two groups to be relatively the same in average of driving skill, age, education, smoking history, etc., so that none of these other variable will affect our results.

10. III. Experimenter Effects A. Expectations can influence the results of a study 1. single blind study – experiment in which subjects do not know whether they are in the experimental or control group. 2. double blind study – experiment in which the subjects nor the individuals running the study know which subjects are in the control group and which are in the experimental group.

11. IV. The Experiment: Advantages & Disadvantages Advantages Allows researcher to control the situation Permits researcher to identify cause and effect Permits researcher to distinguish placebo effects from treatment effects Disadvantages Situation is artificial Results might not generalize to the real world Sometimes difficult to avoid experimenter effects

12. Psych Bell Ringer 10/22 1. Get a book 2. Get out your binder, which should contain your Unit II work. 3. Complete the section of the Unit II Review Test Review Sheet that has been assigned to you. Exp. If you have a section III at the top of your paper, answer the questions for part III of your review sheet.

13. In Small Groups … (10 minuets) 1. Everyone in the group reads their answers for the assigned section. 2. Using the collective knowledge of your small group, write the correct information for your assigned section on the Large Print Sheet. 3. Write all members names on the Large Print Sheet. 4. Use Tape to hang Large Print Sheet somewhere on the wall