BIOPSYCHOLOGY

STUDENT ACTIVITY SHEET BS PSYCHOLOGY / THIRD YEAR

Session # 7

LESSON TITLE: SOLVING PROBLEMS: CONTROLLING Materials:

EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES PART 2
Textbook, pen and notebook, index card/class list
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
References:
Upon successful completion of this lesson, the psychology
student can: Myers & Hansen (2011). Experimental
Psychology (7th Ed. Wadsworth Cengage
1. Identify how to control for aspects of physical Learning) )
environment
2. Explain the demand characteristics and e Kantowitz, Roediger III & Elmes (2009).
experimenter bias and how to control the effects Experimental Psychology (9th Ed. Wadsworth
3. Explain how an experimenter’s personality can Cengage Learning)
influence experiments
4. Explain how to control for special problems created by
the experiment.

LESSON REVIEW (5 minutes)

1. What are situational variable?

2. Briefly explain extraneous variables.
3. Explain demand characteristics.

MAIN LESSON (50 minutes)

Dealing with Demand Characteristics

So how exactly do psychology experimenters go about reducing the potential impact of demand characteristics on their
research results? Researchers typically rely on a number of different strategies to minimize the impact of demand
characteristics.

 Deception is a very common approach. This involves telling participants that the study is looking at one thing
when it is really looking at something else altogether.

 Example: In Asch's conformity experiment, participants were told that they were taking part in a vision
experiment. In reality, the researchers were interested in the role that social pressure plays in conformity. By
disguising the true intentions of the experiment, researchers are able to minimize the possibility of demand
characteristics.

 Single-blind experiment

 The Single-Blind research method is a specific research procedure in which the researchers (and those
involved in the study) do not tell the participants if they are being given a test treatment or a control
treatment. This is done in order to ensure that participants don't bias the results by acting in ways they
"think" they should act.

 For example, if a participant believed they were in the group that received a sleeping drug, they may
report that they are tired because they believe they "should be tired" since they're in the sleeping drug
group.

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  Experimental confederate—a person who is actually part of the Cover story. A plausible but false explanation
of the procedures created by the environment, or context, of the research setting.

 Cover story—a false statement of what the research was really about.
 Experimental team but who pretends to be another participant in the study. The confederate helps create
the right “feel” of the study, making the cover story seem more real.

 Placebo effect
 The placebo effect is defined as a phenomenon in which some people experience a benefit after the
administration of an inactive "look-alike" substance or treatment. This substance, or placebo, has no
known medical effect. Sometimes the placebo is in the form of a pill (sugar pill), but it can also be an
injection (saline solution) or consumable liquid.

 It is important to note that a "placebo" and the "placebo effect" are different things. The term placebo
refers to the inactive substance itself, while the term placebo effect refers to any effects of taking a
medicine that cannot be attributed to the treatment itself.

Experimenter Effects A pitfall closely related to demand characteristics is the experimenter effect, which infl uences the
outcome accidentally by providing participants with slight cues as to the experimenter’s expectations. For example, an
experimenter might not be aware that he or she nods approvingly when a correct response is given and frowns after
errors.

The gender, race, and ethnicity of the experimenter are also potential experimenter effects. Experimenter characteristics
are more likely to bias the results of an experiment in research that focuses on issues related to these characteristics—for
example, the race of an experimenter who is conducting an experiment concerning the effect of skin color on work
performance ratings.

 Experimenter Bias. The argument draws a conclusion from data that has been influenced by the expectations
and hopes of the person collecting the data.
 The experimenter unconsciously conveys to participants how they should behave - this is called
experimenter bias.

 The experiment might do this by giving unintentional clues to the participants about what the experiment
is about and how they expect them to behave. This affects the participants’ behavior.

 The experimenter is often totally unaware of the influence which s/he is exerting and the cues may be
very subtle but they may have an influence nevertheless.

 Also, the personal attributes (e.g. age, gender, accent, manner etc.) of the experiment can affect the
behavior of the participants.

 Experimenter bias can occur at any phase of the research process from the initial background research to
the final write-up of results. It is very important to consider experimenter bias as a possible issue in any
research setting. Steps can be taken to reduce the likelihood of its occurrence such as conducting blind
studies and finding non-biased data collectors.

 Rosenthal Effect.
 Rosenthal effect refers to this internalization of expectations from a perceived authority figure by the
recipient. Four terms are used to describe this same phenomenon, generally interchangeably.

 The situation in which an investigator’s expectations about the outcome of a given study unwittingly affect
the actual study outcome. A researcher may use blinds to prevent the Rosenthal effect from occurring
and biasing study results. This term is often used synonymously with experimenter expectancy effect and
self-fulfilling prophecy.

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  The Pygmalion effect, or Rosenthal effect, is a psychological phenomenon wherein high expectations
lead to improved performance in a given area.

 Double-blind experiment

 A double-blind study is one in which neither the participants nor the experimenters know who is receiving
a particular treatment. This procedure is utilized to prevent bias in research results. Double-blind studies
are particularly useful for preventing bias due to demand characteristics or the placebo effect.

 For example, let's imagine that researchers are investigating the effects of a new drug. In a double-blind
study, the researchers who interact with the participants would not know who was receiving the actual
drug and who was receiving a placebo.

I. Personality Variables. The personal characteristics that an experimenter or volunteer subject brings to the
experimental setting.

 Characteristics of experimenters and volunteer subjects, called personal variables, can also, affect
the results of experiments. Experimenters who are warm and friendly, for example, tend to produce
more and better quality data from subjects that do experimenters who are hostile or authoritarian.

 We control for theses variables by strictly adhering to our procedures and minimizing face-to-face
contact with subjects.

 Levels of certain personality variables, like sociability and intelligence, tend to be higher in volunteer
subjects than in non-volunteers. This difference might decrease te external validity, or
generalizability, of experiments using college student subjects.

 Participant / Person Variable

 This refers to the ways in which each participant varies from the other, and how this could
affect the results e.g. mood, intelligence, anxiety, nerves, concentration etc.

 For example, if a participant that has performed a memory test was tired, dyslexic or had poor
eyesight, this could affect their performance and the results of the experiment. The
experimental design chosen can have an effect on participant variables.

 Situational variables also include order effects that can be controlled using counterbalancing,
such as giving half the participants condition 'A' first, while the other half get condition 'B' first.
This prevents improvement due to practice, or poorer performance due to boredom.

 Participant variables can be controlled using random allocation to the conditions of the
independent variable.

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CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING (20 minutes)

You will answer and rationalize this by yourself. This will be recorded as your quiz. One (1) point will be given to correct
answer and another one (1) point for the correct rationalization. Superimpositions or erasures in you
answer/rationalization is not allowed. You are given 20 minutes for this activity.

1. The argument draws a conclusion from data that has been influenced by the expectations and hopes of the
person collecting the data.
a. Rosenthal effect
b. Experimenter bias
c. Single blind experiment
d. Double-blind experiment
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. It refers to this internalization of expectations from a perceived authority figure by the recipient. Four terms are
used to describe this same phenomenon, generally interchangeably.
a. Rosenthal effect
b. Experimenter bias
c. Single blind experiment
d. Double-blind experiment
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. One in which neither the participants nor the experimenters know who is receiving a particular treatment. This
procedure is utilized to prevent bias in research results.
a. Rosenthal effect
b. Experimenter bias
c. Single blind experiment
d. Double-blind experiment
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. A research method is a specific research procedure in which the researchers (and those involved in the study) do
not tell the participants if they are being given a test treatment or a control treatment. This is done in order to
ensure that participants don't bias the results by acting in ways they "think" they should act.
a. Rosenthal effect
b. Experimenter bias
c. Single blind experiment
d. Double-blind experiment
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. It refers to any effects of taking a medicine that cannot be attributed to the treatment itself.
a. Placebo effect

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 b. Cover story
c. Deception
d. Person Variable
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. A plausible but false explanation of the procedures created by the environment, or context, of the research
setting.
a. Placebo effect
b. Cover story
c. Deception
d. Person Variable
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. These are personal characteristics that an experimenter or volunteer subject brings to the experimental setting.
a. Placebo effect
b. Cover story
c. Deception
d. Person Variable
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. A person who is actually part of the Cover story. A plausible but false explanation of the procedures created by
the environment, or context, of the research setting.
a. Deception
b. Experimenter confederate
c. Placebo
d. Placebo effects
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. This involves telling participants that the study is looking at one thing when it is really looking at something else
altogether.
a. Placebo effect
b. Cover story
c. Deception
d. Person Variable
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
10. If a participant in an experiment that has performed a memory test was tired, dyslexic or had poor eyesight, this
could affect their performance and the results of the experiment. The experimental design chosen can have an
effect on:
a. Placebo effect
b. Cover story
c. Deception

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 d. Person Variable
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

RATIONALIZATION ACTIVITY (THIS WILL BE DONE DURING THE FACE TO FACE INTERACTION)
The instructor will now rationalize the answers to the students. You can now ask questions and debate among yourselves.
Write the correct answer and correct/additional ratio in the space provided.
1. ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
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2. ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
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3. ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
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4. ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
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5. ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
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6. ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
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7. ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
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8. ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
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9. ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
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10. ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
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LESSON WRAP-UP (10 minutes)

You will now mark (encircle) the session you have finished today in the tracker below. This is simply a visual to help you
track how much work you have accomplished and how much work there is left to do.

You are done with the session! Let’s track your progress.

AL Strategy: Minute Paper

To better gauge your understanding in this discussion, kindly answer the following questions with honesty:

1. What was thplace most useful or the most meaningful thing you have learned this session?
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2. What question(s) do you have as we end this session?

__________________________________________________________________________________________
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