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BHS 204-01 Methods in Behavioral Sciences I

BHS 204-01 Methods in Behavioral Sciences I. Nancy Alvarado, Ph.D. What is an Experiment?. A sample experiment – the Pepsi Challenge. Start with a set of questions: Can people really tell the difference between Pepsi and Coke?

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BHS 204-01 Methods in Behavioral Sciences I

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  1. BHS 204-01Methods in Behavioral Sciences I Nancy Alvarado, Ph.D.

  2. What is an Experiment? • A sample experiment – the Pepsi Challenge. • Start with a set of questions: • Can people really tell the difference between Pepsi and Coke? • How is preference for one or the other cola related to being able to tell the difference? • Does it matter which order you drink the two flavors in? • Coke first vs Pepsi first

  3. Finding Answers • How do you answer the questions you’ve come up with? • Experimental design for Pepsi Challenge: • Get a group of people • Let them taste the two kinds of cola • Half taste Pepsi first, half taste Coke first • Ask them questions: • Which is Pepsi? • Which do you prefer?

  4. Making Predictions • A researcher generally has some idea about how the experiment will turn out: • Predictions come from theories, from observations of real life behavior, and from the experimenter’s own experience and beliefs. • State predictions in terms of the experiment: • People will prefer Pepsi, people can tell which is which, order will not make a difference.

  5. Run the Experiment • Collect data • Analyze the data: • Descriptive statistics – summarize data • Inferential statistics – test your results against what might have occurred by chance. • Use the data to test the predictions: • How many people ID and prefer Pepsi vs Coke? • Did order of tasting affect the choices?

  6. Present the Findings • An experiment is wasted if its results are not communicated to the public and to the scientific community. • Vehicles for communicating: • Conferences • Professional journals • Public – press releases, TV, radio, popular books

  7. Questions Lead to More Questions • Does it matter whether the Pepsi is tasted cold or warm? • How do people identify it? • Bubbles – amount of carbonation? • Sweetness – does Pepsi have more sugar? • Are factors beyond taste important to preference? • Brand loyalty, image (rebels drink Classic Coke)?

  8. Terminology • Subject or participant – a person who provides information or data in a study. • Dependent variable – what is measured during your study. • Independent variable – what is manipulated during your study. • Condition – which group a person is assigned to in the study.

  9. What is an Experiment? • A controlled situation in which the researcher manipulates at least one variable in order to observe the effect of that change on subject behavior. • There must be at least one independent variable that is manipulated by the experimenter. • There must be at least one dependent variable that is measured by the experimenter. • Experiments can tell you about causes.

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