Psych Explained: The Experimental Method

Importance of Experiments in Psychology

• Purpose of Experiments: Establish causality between variables
• Alternative Methods:
  • Case study or survey: Describing phenomena
  • Correlational study: Finding relationships between variables

Designing a Psychological Experiment

Study Example

• Research Focus: Effect of background music on learning
• Common Scenario: Listening to music while studying

Identifying Variables

• Independent Variable (IV): Background music (cause)
• Dependent Variable (DV): Learning (effect)
• Operational Definitions:
  • IV: Classical music
  • DV: Memorizing 40 random words in 5 minutes

Purpose of Operational Definitions

• Ensures replicability of the study by other researchers

Study Design

Participants

• Sample Size: 8 participants
• Selection: Random sampling from the population

Group Allocation

• Need for Groups: Control for individual differences
• Groups:
  • Experimental group: Exposed to IV (music)
  • Control group: Not exposed to IV

Random Assignment

• Method to ensure equal chance of being in either group
• Example Method: Flipping a coin

Maintaining Identical Conditions

• Room, temperature, instructions, time of day/month should be identical
• Only difference: Presence of background music

Conducting the Experiment

• Participants undergo the task of memorizing words
• Data Collection: Number of words remembered

Results

• Data Representation: Graphing results
• Example Findings:
  • Experimental group remembers 25/40 words
  • Control group remembers 35/40 words
• Conclusion: Background music negatively impacts learning (hypothetical result)

Considerations for Experiment Design

• Think about groups, variables, and randomization to control individual differences

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Additional Notes

• Multiple Experimental Groups: Possible to test different types of music (e.g., rap, jazz, rock)
• Follow-Up Actions: Like and subscribe for more content

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