PSY 10A Lecture 1: Psych 10A-After Midterm Notes
(After Midterm notes)
Research Proposal:
• Title page, introduction, method (design, participants, procedure, measures/materials),
references, optional appendices
• No page length requirement (8-12 pages seems about right)
• Clear scientific writing
• No colloquial phrases, proper grammar/spelling
• Rationale (series of arguments that get you to know what the hypothesis is) is important,
theory is important
Experimental Designs: Between Subjects
• Independent Variable Considerations
o Manipulation of an IV and measure its effects
o Realism in a Famous Social Psychology Experiment
▪ Asch Conformity Study (confederates and one participant, lines and you
had to say out loud which line matched the standard, the confederates say
wrong answer and see what the participant says)
• Normative influence—the group pressure causes a person to feel
uncomfortable and to not deviate from the group
• Informational influence—you use other people’s info to make a
decision, start doubting yourself
• Trying to reduce conformity—have people do it anonymously,
have one dissenter who says a different answer from the group
• Between Subject Designs
o Factor designs—factors influence cause or predict changes in your DV
▪ Can be IV or quasi experimental—can’t manipulate
o Single-factor designs (1 IV)
▪ Uses ANOVA to examine differences between groups
o Multi-factorial (Multiple IVs)
▪ Uses ANOVA or multiple linear regression to examine effects
▪ Explore main effects and interactions
• Use a table to map out the interactions and everything
• True Experimental Designs
o Between-subjects
▪ Looks at difference between individuals on a given variable and
participants are assigned to one treatment condition
• Ex: Baumeister experiment—how does self-regulation/self-control
work?—one idea is that self-control uses energy so people will be
depleted for other tasks (ego-depletion), come in hungry-get
assigned to cookies, radish, or no food—then filled out a mood and
self-restraint questionnaire, then do a maze task where you can’t
pick up pencil or go over any lines. Ring bell if you stop before
you can finish
o IV: ego depletion (low, high, none)