This is one of the most important parts of this course - I want you to work with your group to design a follow-up study using the topic Source Credibility. Your instructor will present the new ideas to the whole class once the discussion has been finalized. As you work on this discussion, try to think about what other variables might influence (or be influenced by) Source Credibility. Let me give you a few examples, though try to get creative with your group. Look at prior research and see if you can use some of their work as a follow-up to your study. Have fun with it!

Here are a few examples

First, we can alter the position of the essay. That is, for some participants, we use the original "pro-AI essay" that we used in study one. But for others, we write an "anti-AI essay" that is similar in length as the original essay but argues against allowing student to use AI. Would the position of the essay impact participants, and in what way? Would it interact with the author variable of Student Author versus Professor Author? (Note that we would have FOUR conditions in this design: Student Author and Pro-AI Essay vs Student Author and Anti-AI Essay vs. Professor Author and Pro-AI Essay vs. Professor Author and Anti-AI Essay).

Second, we could alter the plausibility of the essay arguments. The essay will support AI in all condition, but we will give some participants high plausible evidence supporting the use of AI for college papers while others will get low plausible evidence.

A third idea might involve altering whether the essay position would impact the essay author. We can do this by making it seem like the AI "policy" advocated by the essay will impact the essay author or will not impact the essay author.

A fourth idea, and one I think is interesting, is to give participants information that the essay topic (pro-AI use) was either chosen by the author or assigned to the author.

Finally, you can look at some participant characteristics if you like. Ee could also look at participant's gender or age. Would female participants differ in their credibility judgments of the author compared to male participants? Would older participants differ in their credibility judgments of the author compared to younger participants?

As you can see, there are tons of ways to extend your original study. Work with your classmates to identify the one you like best, and then let your instructor know. In this discussion, I want EACH of you to do three things.

First, tell me which study you want to do (that is, which second independent variable you find most interesting). You can use one of the ideas above or come up with a unique one on your own. There are also other "possible" ideas in your Week 7 lab PowerPoint presentation. I prefer your own ideas, but if you really like the one I mentioned you can use it. You still need to give me two more things, though ...

Second, give me a reference in format for one peer-reviewed research article that has something to do with this second variable. This article does not have to involve Source Credibility at all, but it must have something to do with your second independent variable.

Third, give me a hypothesis for what you expect to occur if your new independent variable is chosen for the class project. What do you predict just for that independent variable? What do you predict in terms of the interaction of that new independent variable with your original Student Author versus Professor Author independent variable?