Esychology 210: Elementam Statistics Lab 1.2: Identifying Variables Lab Lab Obiectives: *' o Distinguish between research designs - correlation versus experiment a Differentiate between independent and dependent variables 0 Identify scales of measurement 0 Generate alternative explanations instructions; For each stud below indicate: ai What type of research design is being used? b) What "is the independent or quasi-independent variable? (E applicable) cl What is the dependent variable? (g applicable) d) What is the scale of measurement for the DV? (Qapplicable) d) if a correlational design is used, what is a possible alternative explanation (third variable}? 519M: A team of cognitive psychologists conducted a study on the effects of s'leep deprivation on short- term memory decay. Forty-eight subjects stayed in a lab for two days. Twenty-four of the subjects are randomly assigned to a condition in which they are not permitted to sleep during that period. The other twenty-four are allowed to sleep whenever they want. At the end of the two days, the subjects complete a task that involves reading a list of 20 words, then recalling as many words as possible. Study; A researcher examined the effect of different kinds of music on general math ability. Forty-eight subiects were randomly assigned to do a series of math tasks under one of three conditions: 16 while listening to soft gentle music, 16 while listening to loud intense music, and 16 while in silence. The math quiz contained arithmetic, geometry, and word problems. There were 25 items that were 2 points each. Study 3: A health psychologist conducted a study on the how the number of hours a person exercised each week relates to the number of days being sick per year. Participants were randomly selected from the community and provided selfreports through a series of questions on the topics of interest. mm: A study was designed to test the effects of science ction movies on participants' belief in the supernatural. A scale was designed to measure the degree that a subject believes in the supernatural on a 1-7 Likert Scale (high scores indicate high levels of belief). Fifty-seven subjects, selected via random digit dialing (RDD) responded to the scale before and after watching Return of the Jedi a popular science ction movie. 51.115115: A researcher at a drug treatment center wanted to determine the best combination of- treatments that would lead to more substance free days. This researcher believed there were two key factors in helping drug addiction: type of treatment and type of counseling. The researcher was interested in either residential or outpatient treatment programs and either cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, or I .. client-centered counseling approaches. As new clients enrolled at the center they were randomly assigned ' \" to one of six experimental groups. After 3 months of treatment, each client's symptoms were measured
