Human Growth and Development / Unit 1 HGD 0059 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Experiments
The idea
An experiment is the only research method that can establish cause and effect. The researcher manipulates the independent variable, measures the dependent variable, and uses random assignment, giving every participant an equal chance of each condition, so that participant differences spread evenly across groups. In one classic study, observers watched the same snowball-fight footage labelled with different gender pairings and rated the fight between two boys as least aggressive.
In practice
One film with four different labels: the label is the independent variable, and the rated aggression is the dependent variable.
Where people slip
Experiments can be artificial, which limits external validity, and some questions cannot be manipulated ethically, since no one can assign a family to divorce. There researchers use a quasi-experimental design, comparing groups that arose naturally, and give up some control over other variables.
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