1. Introduction to Psychology Methods: Experiments, Surveys and correlations Prof. Jan Lauwereyns jan@sls.kyushu-u.ac.jp jan@sls.kyushu-u.ac.jp

2. http://www.sls.kyushu-u.ac.jp/~dubito/links Look under “Classes” Check “Psychology”

3. Research Question: Research Question: Will participants be more altruistic if they see a video depicting human suffering?

4. Method: Research Participants Video Amount Donated IV: Video of starving children in Africa. DV: Amount of money donated by subjects to UNICEF. $3.64

5. Research Question: Research Question: Will participants be more altruistic if they see a video depicting human suffering? Method: Research Participants Video Amount Donated IV: Video of starving children in Africa. DV: Amount of money donated by subjects to UNICEF. $3.64 PROBLEM: PROBLEM: Is $3.64 high, low, or medium?

6. Would it help to add a pretest? Allows us to statistically compare pre and post scores If donation goes from low to high than we may conclude that our experiment worked There are some potential problems with this design Pretest ($ donated) Video Post-test ($ donated) Research Participants One group pretest/post-test design $3.64$2.85

7. Testing Taking the pretest may change the participant’s responses on the post-test. How to Avoid Determine whether a pretest is necessary Disguise your pretest

8. Some problems are hard to avoid, but can be taken into account: Comparing an experimental condition against a control condition

9. But watch out for those confounding factors… Research Participants Video Amount Donated Research Participants Control Group (neutral video) Amount Donated Psychology Marketing$2.45 $4.82 Experimental group: Control group:

10. A new problem Selection Participants who form the two groups in the experiment are chosen from existing natural groups How to Avoid Randomly assign participants to conditions If not possible, try to get equivalent groups

11. Anatomy of a Good Experiment: Effects of Video on Altruism Representative Sample Random Assignment Experimental GroupControl Group Persuasive video Neutral video Behavior ($ donated) Operational Definition of Altruism= $ donated to UNICEF

16. Experimental Control 20 10 1 155 2010 1005 8015 20 10 5 29.6011.00 32.775.68 Standard deviation Average

17. Not significant

18. Experimental Control Experimental Control 20 10 2010 1 1110 155255 20102010 1005605 80158015 20 102010 5205 29.6011.0029.6011.00 32.775.6822.075.68 -40 +10

19. Experimental Control Experimental Control 20 10 2010 1 1110 155255 20102010 1005605 80158015 20 102010 5205 29.6011.0029.6011.00 32.775.6822.075.68 -40 +10

20. Experimental Control Experimental Control 20 10 2010 1 1110 155255 20102010 1005605 80158015 20 102010 5205 29.6011.0029.6011.00 32.775.6822.075.68 -40 +10 Smaller standard deviation

21. Significant

22. Not significant

23. Size Weight 17681 16357 15952 18984 17289 19181 16767 18278 17160 16366 173.371.5 11.0860312.7301

24. Size Weight 17681 16357 15952 18984 17289 19181 16767 18278 17160 16366 173.371.5 11.0860312.7301

25. Positive correlation: More of one thing, corresponds with more of another thing

26. Positive correlation: More of one thing, corresponds with more of another thing More speed, more accidents

27. Negative correlation: More of one thing, corresponds with less of another thing

28. Negative correlation: More of one thing, corresponds with less of another thing More training, less accidents

29. No correlation: More of one thing, does not correspond with more or less of another thing

30. e.g., Survey about driving behavior Ask about… -age, experience -how often drive, what kind of car… -where, how fast… -past accidents, traffic violations… Try to establish correlations

31. e.g., Survey about driving behavior Ask about… -age, experience -how often drive, what kind of car… -where, how fast… -past accidents, traffic violations… Try to establish correlations [ Can be inspiration for new experiments ]