Welcome to

PSY 205
Foundations of Human Behavior

Lecture Slides 2.C: Research Methods

Experimental Designs
 Research Methods
• Many ways to run empirical tests, some include:

(1) Experiments
(2) Non-experimental methods
• Correlational design
• Surveys
• Naturalistic Observation
• Participant Observation
• Case studies
Experime
ntal
Designs
Explaining
Behavior &
Mental
Processes
• Theory:
Candy makes people happier.

• Hypothesis:
If a professor gives students
candy, they will be happier.
Experimental Group

Control Group
Experimental Group

Control Group
Experimental Group

Control Group
• Hypothesis:
If a professor
gives students
candy, they will
be happier.
Experiments
• An experiment is a research
method in which the researcher:
• Carefully controls conditions
• Manipulates a variable
• Observes whether changes occur in
another variable

What did we manipulate in our

example?
What did we observe?
 Key Variables in an Experiment

Variables:
• Measurable conditions, events,
characteristics, or behaviors that are
controlled or observed
 Key Variables in an Experiment

Variables:
• Measurable conditions, events,
characteristics, or behaviors that are
controlled or observed

Two important types:

Independent variable (IV) vs. Dependent
variable (DV)
 Key Variables in an Experiment

Variables:
• Measurable conditions, events,
characteristics, or behaviors that are
controlled or observed

Two important types:

Independent variable (IV) vs. Dependent
variable (DV)
• What you manipulate
• Change
• “Doing the causing”
 Key Variables in an Experiment

Variables:
• Measurable conditions, events,
characteristics, or behaviors that are
controlled or observed

Two important types:

Independent variable (IV) vs. Dependent
variable (DV)
• What you manipulate • What you measure
• Change • Observe
• “Doing the causing” • “Outcome caused”
 Key Variables in an Experiment

Variables:
• Measurable conditions, events,
characteristics, or behaviors that are
controlled or observed

Two important types:

Independent variable (IV) vs. Dependent
variable (DV)
• What you manipulate • What you measure
• Change • Observe
• “Doing the causing” • “Outcome caused”
 Let’s Practice!
Independent variable (IV) vs. Dependent
variable (DV)

• Does eating a gluten-free diet improve sleep quality?

• How is one’s anxiety affected by meditation?

• Does drinking beer increase your ability to win an

argument?
• Is memory loss a symptom of cannabis use?
 How do we control conditions?
• We control conditions by creating groups that
are alike except with respect to their “treatment”

Experimental group: receives some

special “treatment” in regards to the IV
(e.g., Gets a candy bar)

Control group: No treatment

(e.g., No candy bar)
Also consider…
 Random selection
 Collecting a large sample
 Variables that might affect the
outcome other than the treatment?
Sources of Bias in Experimental Work
 Sources of Bias in Experimental Work
(1) Extraneous (confounding) variables:
any variables other than the IV that seem
likely influence the DV in a study
•Ex: Age, gender, noise level, lighting, bad day…

Experimental Group

Control Group
 Sources of Bias in Experimental Work
(1) Extraneous (confounding) variables: any
variables other than the IV that seem likely influence the
DV in a study

How can we control for extraneous

variables?
When all subjects have
• Through random assignment
an equal chance of
being assigned to any
group or condition in
the study
 Sources of Bias in Experimental Work

(2) Expectancy (placebo) effects: changes

in the outcome (DV) due to the subject’s
expectation that change should happen
•Examples:
•Our candy experiment
Example of Placebo Effect…
Cakes of LIES!
 Sources of Bias in Experimental Work

(3) Demand Characteristics: changes in the

way experimenters treat their experimental
group that make participants feel like they have
to behave a certain way (usually in accordance
with the hypothesized effect)
•Examples:
•Our candy experiment
Sources of Bias in Experimental Work

How can we control for expectancy

effects and participant demand?
• A double-blind study
 Experimental Research

Precise control  Often artificial 

Cause & effect Are findings
conclusions generalizable?

Ethical treatment