2-1 Independent Variables

- IV is what the experimenter manipulates.

- Examples:
o Effect of drug on depression: a drug group and a placebo group
o Effect of attention on performance: a group with full attention - 1 task and a group
with divided attention – multiple tasks

2-2 True IVs vs. Quasi IVs

- True IVs: there is equal chance of being randomly assigned to either level of the IV.
- Quasi IVs: the participants cannot be randomly allocated to conditions because they are
grouped based on an existing trait or behaviour.
- With quasi experiments, there are some limitations on drawing conclusions. Since the
participants have differences, the results cannot be simply and solely derived because of the
variables.
- So, the analyses approach can be the same for both True and Quasi IVs but drawing
conclusions are different.

2-3 Dependent Variables

- DV is what the experimenter measures.

- Example:
o Effects of drug on depression: where new drug and placebo are given to participants
and then their number of depressive symptoms are measured. There is also
depressive inventory score and happiness index to measure the effects of the IVs.
o Effects of attention on performance: where the effects of full attention group and
divided attention group is measured using how accurate the performances are or
how many errors participants have made or the task completion speed.

2-4 Logic of Experiment Design

- Both control and experimental groups are treated the same way with all the variables
controlled. Anything other than the IV which is being manipulated, everything should be the
same.
- Confounding variables: these variables are uncontrolled and therefore influences the
conclusions.

2-5 Simple vs. Complex Designs

- Simple: one IV with two levels

- Complex:
o one IV with 3 or more levels
 Example: effects of drug on depression: drug group might have different
dosages.
o multiple IVs
 Having more IVs and more levels to it results in more sophisticated analysis.

2-6 Between Subjects Design

- Each participant experiences only one levels of IV

- Example: group A – drug and group B - placebo
 - Reduces participant bias
- With random assignment, it ensures that participants in all the groups are equal.

2-7 Within Subjects Design

- Participant is going to experience all levels of IV

- Example: group A – drug and same group A – placebo
- One concern is participant bias. Participants might figure out the study and their behaviour
might get influence.
- Another concern is carryover effects.
o Practice effect: overtime, participants might get used to the conditions and perform
better.
o Fatigue effect: participants might get tired for the next condition and not perform
naturally.
- Counterbalancing: using counterbalancing, participant 1 could start off with condition A and
then move onto B. Whereas, participant 2 could start with condition B and then A. This way
the differences are cancelled out.

2-8 Design an Experiment

- Does drinking alcohol influence behaviour?

- Operational definition: being specific about the terms we are using for the study.
o Example: drinking alcohol means: how much alcohol? What type? How to
manipulate the levels of this variable? Measuring behaviour means: motor tasks of
line walking, nose touching task; cognitive tasks of saying alphabets backwards.
- Base your studies on literature reviews and past research to have some kind of basic
understanding of the study you are going to do and to get some background information on
the topic.
- Rubric
- Multiple raters: interrater reliability
o Test taken by different researchers to check whether they get the same results or
whether the tool or the method is correct or not.
- Blind study to further reduce researcher bias.