EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

STUDENT ACTIVITY SHEET BS PSYCHOLOGY / THIRD YEAR

Session # 6

LESSON TITLE: SOLVING PROBLEMS: CONTROLLING Materials:

EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES PART 1
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)

As a review of the previous discussion, the instructor will ask the students the following:

1. What is the difference of reliability and validity?

2. What are the different type of reliability?
3. Give at least 4 threats to internal validity.

MAIN LESSON (50 minutes)

I. Context Variables

Extraneous variable stemming from procedures created by the environment, or context, of the research.
 It includes subject recruitment, selection, and assignment procedures, as well as a typical problems
encountered in research on a university population.

 Some extraneous variables are created the experimental context or setting. If subjects are allowed to
select their own experiments, the names of experiments can bias the sample when different kinds of
subjects volunteer for different-sounding experiments, reducing generalizability further. When the
experimenter selects the subjects or assigning them to treatment conditions based on how friendly or
unfriendly they seem. This bias, too, can reduce generalizability or, in extreme cases, can even
confound the experiment.

 Experimenters also need to be aware of the possibility that they can show practice and fatigue effects
over the course of running an entire experiment and take precautions to control for them.

When we experiment, we want to create treatment conditions that will let us clearly see the effects of independent
variables. We want or experiments to be internally valid; therefore, only the independent variable should change
dramatically from one condition to another.

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One of the major goals in setting up experiments is to avoid confounding by controlling the extraneous variables. The
independent variable should be the only thing that changes systematically across the conditions of the experiment. This
principle is essential to all goo experiments. Several control procedures can be used to handle extraneous physical
variables, aspects of the testing conditions that need to be controlled, such as nature of the testing room, the time of the
day, and the mechanics of running the experiment. The three general techniques for dealing with physical variables are
elimination, constancy of conditions, and balancing..

Extraneous variables. These are all variables, which are not the independent variable, but could affect the results of the
experiment.

 When we conduct experiments there are other variables that can affect our results, if we do not control them.
 Extraneous variables are all variables, which are not the independent variable, but could affect the results of the
experiment.

 The researcher wants to make sure that it is the manipulation of the independent variable that has an effect on the
dependent variable.

 Extraneous variables should be controlled were possible, as they might be important enough to provide alternative
explanations for the effects

 Hence, all the other variables that could affect the dependent variable to change must be controlled. These other
variables are called extraneous or confounding variables.

 For instance, you want to know if online learning increases student understanding of statistics. One group
uses an online knowledge base to study, the other group uses a traditional text. Extraneous variables
could include prior knowledge of statistics; you would have to make sure that group A roughly matched
group B with prior knowledge before starting the study. Other extraneous variables could include amount
of support in the home, socio-economic income, or temperature of the testing room.

II. Physical Variables. Aspects of the testing conditions that needs to be controlled.
 Situational variables, like noise, lighting or temperature in the environment.
 These are aspects of the environment that might affect the participant’s behavior, e.g. noise, temperature,
lighting conditions, etc. Situational variables should be controlled so they are the same for all participants.

 Standardized procedures are used to ensure that conditions are the same for all participants. This
includes the use of standardized instructions

 To make sure that the extraneous variable does not affect an experiment, sometimes we just just take it
out- we eliminate it. If noise might confound the results, we test in a quiet location. If we do not want
interruptions, we hang a sign on the door sating. “Do not disturb. Experiment in progress.”

 Ideally, we would like to eliminate all extraneous variables from an experiment, but this is easier said than
done. Sometimes there is no quiet location. Factors, such as whether, the lighting, and the paint on the
walls are simply there; we cannot eliminate them. Instead, we use the second control procedure—
constancy of conditions.

 Constancy of Conditions. A control procedure used to avoid confounding; keeping all aspects of the treatment
conditions identical except for the independent variable that is being manipulated.

 Balancing. A technique used to control the impact of extraneous variables by distributing their effects equally
across treatment conditions.

 Elimination. A technique to control extraneous variables by removing them from the experiment.

III. Social Variables.

The qualities of the relationships between subjects and experimenters that can influence the results of an
experiment.

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 Besides controlling physical variables that might alter the outcome of the experiment, researchers are
concerned about social variables, qualities of the relationship between subjects and experimenter’s that can
influence results. Two principal social variables, demands characteristics and experimenter bias, can be
controlled through sing- and double-blind experiment.

 Demand Characteristics

 A demand characteristic is a subtle cue that makes participants aware of what the experimenter expects
to find or how participants are expected to behave. Demand characteristics can change the outcome of
an experiment because participants will often alter their behavior to conform to expectations.

 A well-known example of a demand characteristic is the Hawthorne effect, named after the Western
Electric Company plant where it was first observed. The company was interested in improving worker
morale and productivity and conducted several experiments (such as improving lighting) to better the
workers’ environment. No matter what experimental manipulation was tried, worker productivity improved.
The workers knew they were in a “special” group, and therefore tried to do their best at all times.

 The demand characteristics were more important in determining the workers’ productivity than were the
experimental manipulations. Although the term Hawthorne effect is widely used to describe field
experiments where productivity increased due to participation in the study, there have been several
detailed reviews of the original Hawthorne experiment that suggest the original conclusion was based
upon weak evidence (Brannigan & Zwerman, 2001; Wickström & Bendix, 2000). Nevertheless, the term
remains in wide use.

How Do Demand Characteristics Influence Psychology Experiments?

 In some cases, an experimenter might give hints or cues that might make the participant believe that a
particular outcome or behavior is expected. It is important to note that the participant may or may not be
right in their guess. Even if the individual is wrong about the experimenter's intentions, it can have a
profound influence on how the participant behaves.

 For example, the subject might take it upon themselves to play the role of the "good participant." Instead
of behaving as they normally would, these individuals strive to figure out what the experimenter wants and
then live up to these expectations.

 Demand characteristics might also motivate participants to behave in ways that they think are socially
desirable (to make themselves look "better" than they really are) or in ways that are antagonistic to the
experimenter (an attempt to throw off the results or mess up the experiment).

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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. If noise might confound the results, we test in a quiet location. If we do not want interruptions, we hang a sign on
the door sating. “Do not disturb. Experiment in progress.”
a. Extraneous variable
b. Context Variable
c. Elimination
d. Balancing
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Aspects of the testing conditions that needs to be controlled.

a. Confounding Variable
b. Physical Variable
c. Social Variable
d. Balancing
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. The qualities of the relationships between subjects and experimenters that can influence the results of an
experiment.
a. Confounding Variable
b. Physical Variable
c. Situational Variable
d. Social Variable

ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. These are aspects of the environment that might affect the participant’s behavior, e.g. noise, temperature, lighting
conditions, etc. Situational variables should be controlled so they are the same for all participants.
a. Confounding Variable
b. Physical Variable
c. Situational Variable
d. Social Variable
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. A control procedure used to avoid confounding; keeping all aspects of the treatment conditions identical except for
the independent variable that is being manipulated.
a. Constancy conditions
b. Physical Variable
c. Elimination
d. Balancing

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ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. A technique used to control the impact of extraneous variables by distributing their effects equally across
treatment conditions.
a. Constancy conditions
b. Physical Variable
c. Elimination
d. Balancing
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. It is a subtle cue that makes participants aware of what the experimenter expects to find or how participants are
expected to behave.
a. Demand characteristics
b. Context Variables
c. Constancy conditions
d. Balancing

ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. These are all variables, which are not the independent variable, but could affect the results of the experiment.
a. Extraneous variable
b. Context Variable
c. Elimination
d. Balancing

ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
.
9. Changing the location of your experiment, from the original location, may confound the result of your experiment.
This variable is called:
a. Constancy conditions
b. Physical Variable
c. Elimination
d. Balancing
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
10. The qualities of the relationships between subjects and experimenters that can influence the results of an
experiment.
a. Confounding Variable
b. Physical Variable
c. Social Variable
d. Balancing
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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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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RATIO:___________________________________________________________________________________________
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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 the 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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