PSYCH101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Causal Inference, Random Assignment, Demand Characteristics
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Experimental research: primary goal: to establish if one variable is caused by one or more variables. Independent variable: isolated variable (easier to manipulate), random assignment to different conditions or levels of the dependant variable. High level vs low level: dependent variable: variable of interest (if a change in the independent variable causes a change in dependant variable) Can infer cause and effect: other factors can affect change but since it was randomly assigned, can provide a rough even split. *empirical and correlational research are empirical research* (numbers are involved: confounds exist in experimental designs/research (can be unknown/known issues) - solved by good random assignments. Can"t infer if a variable is directly causing the change. Ecological validity (methods are relevant to the real world = easier to study real-life situations. Variables that are unethical and impossible to manipulate. Causal inference (can conclude that a variable is the cause for the change)
