Psychology 242

Assignment 3

Design an Experiment

 

In this assignment you will apply what you have learned about experimental design by proposing an experiment of your own.  Your proposal should adhere to the following guidelines:

 

  1.  Topic – The topic can be anything you wish, as long as it fits the other guidelines below.  Some good places to get ideas for a topic are Intro Psych textbooks, textbooks for other psychology classes (such as Cognitive Psychology, Social Psychology, etc.), journal articles (browse through journals such as American Psychologist, Journal of Experimental Psychology, Psychological Science, etc.), and PsycInfo searches on a particular topic.
  2. Literature Review – No formal literature review is required at this point, but you should have at least one source that you cite and list as a reference.  It should be a textbook, journal article, book, or book chapter.  It should be relevant to your topic – probably it will be the source that you used to develop your idea.
  3. Hypothesis – Your hypothesis must clearly state a specific testable prediction and give a reason for making that prediction.
  4. IV  - You must have either one or two independent variables, and all of your independent variables must be manipulated rather than merely measured.  In other words, you are not permitted to use subject variables as IVs in your design.
  5. DV – The dependent variable must be measured on an interval or ratio scale, so that your data could be analyzed with an ANOVA.
  6. Feasibility – Your study must be something that you could, as a practical matter, carry out in a few weeks this term.  It must be something that you could do with only your own resources and time.
  7. Ethical Requirements – Your study must be strictly “minimal risk.”  That means that you can not ask anyone for any personal or sensitive information, you can not use any stimuli that are likely to be highly disturbing or offensive, and you can not do anything to make people upset or uncomfortable. 
  8. Confidentiality – You must not record any identifying information about any of your participants at all.  You should not even have a list of who the participants were.

 

Proposal Requirements – Answer each of the following questions.  Label your proposal “Psychology 242 Assignment 3:  Experiment Proposal” and put your name on the first page. 

  1. Topic:  Briefly describe your topic and what you want to find out. 
  2. Hypothesis: Clearly state your hypothesis
  3. IV: Define your IV or IVs, and describe how you plan to operationalize them.
  4. DV: Define your DV, and describe how it will be measured.
  5. Ratio or interval?  Identify which type of scale your DV is measured on.
  6. Design:  Do you plan to manipulate your IV within or between subjects, and why?
  7. Participants:  How many participants do you think you would need?
  8. Results:  What means would you compare, and what results do you predict?
  9. Problems:  What potential confounds or other problems do you think you would need to be concerned about?