Behavior Science Research Design

Fall, 2013

Behavioral Science Research Design[26 830 545]

Instructor: Kent Harber

Meeting times: Tu, Th. 11:30-12:50

Location: Smith Rm. 371

Office Hours: Tu., 2:00-4:00

Purpose and Goals Class

Provide a general toolbox for behavioral science

* Emphasis on experiment design * Emphasis on social/personality research

Science Concepts Nature of scienceLogic of experimentsExperiment design

Statistics: Basic StatsT-TestsFactorial ANOVA

Planned ContrastRegression

Moderated Multiple Regression

Techniques: Question design Writing tips

4

FACTORIAL DESIGN

Self Esteem, External Support, and Height JudgmentsHarber, Yeung, & Iacovelli, Emotion, (in press).

5

Subjects Have High or Low Esteem, and….

6

High or Low External Resources

Factorial Design

Factor 1: ???

Factor 2: ???

How many questions does this design address?

Esteem: Low vs. High

External resource: Present vs. Absent

1. Main effect Esteem2. Main effect External Resource3. Interaction of Esteem X Resource

Factorial Design

Height Perception Due to Use of Hands and Self Esteem

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Hands on Rail Hands Taped

Hei

ght

Judg

men

t

Low EsteemHigh Esteem

Course Content

Sept. 3 Logic of experiments

Sept. 5 Research Ethics

Sept. 10 Generating research ideas

Sept. 12 Philosophy of Science

Sept. 17 Science and Society

Sept. 19 Problems and hypotheses

Sept. 24 Constructs, variables, definitions

Sept. 26 Moderators and mediators

Oct. 1 Independent variables

Oct. 3 Dependent variables

Course Content,continuedOct. 8 Experimental designs

Oct. 10 Challenges of behavioral science

Oct. 15 Avoiding bias

Oct. 17 Mid Term

Oct. 22 Statistics review

Oct. 24 Analyses of Differences: t-Tests

Oct. 29 One way ANOVA I

Oct. 31 One way ANOVA II

Nov. 5 Two way ANOVA I

Nov. 7 Two way ANOVA II

Course Content, cont.

Nov. 12 Planned contrasts, post hoc testsNov. 14 Correlation and regression Nov. 19 Regression Nov. 21 Moderated multiple regressionNov. 26 Survey methods: Question design INov. 28 THANKSGIVINGDec. 3 Survey methods: question design IIDec. 5 Non-experimental designs Dec. 10 Writing up researchDec. 12 Final exam reviewDec. 19 Final exam [date subject to change]

Course MaterialAronson, et al. Methods of research in social psychology.

Course Reader: Front Office Text + Reader Cost = $8.00

Recommended:

1. APA Manual, Sixth Edition2. The Compleat Academic: A Career Guide, Second

J. M. Darley, M. P.Zanna, and H. L. Roediger, III

3. Multiple Regression: Testing … Interactions.L.S. Aiken and S.G. West

4. Regression Analyses for Categorical ModeratorsH. Aguinis

5. Discovering Statistics Using SPSSA. Field

6. Powerpoint Slides: Available on Webpage http://psychology.rutgers.edu/~kharber/

Course Grading

Grazing Task 5%

Phil. of Science Debate 5%

Quiz 1 5%Quiz 2 5%Quiz 3 5%

Stats Take-Home 15%

Mid-term 25%

Final 35%

Loyalty in Organizations

Measures Observations Relationships Hypotheses Theory

Observe Behav.

Liking of fraternityInitiation rites

Reveal Relationships

Severe Initiation Liking of fraternity

Develop Theory

Cognitive Dissonance: drive to align experience with beliefs.

Test Hypotheses

Severe Initiation Liking of fraternity

Explain Human Nature

“WHAT”

“WHY”

Frat boys:

mad glad???

"HOW"

How are the Elements of Science Organized?

Theory

Observations

Relationships

Experiments

Theory

Hypothesis

Experiment

Measures/Observations

Hierarchy Model of Science

Where Does the Fly Belong on the Hierarchy?

Observations/Measures

Theory

Hypotheses

Experiments

Mandela (Recursive) Model of Science

Experiments

Theory

Observations/Measures

Observations/Measures

Hypotheses

Experiments

Hypotheses

Cross Chatter of Science

  

THEORY--DEFINED 

A theory is a set of interrelated constructs (concepts), definitions, and propositions that present a systematic view of phenomenon by specifying relations among variables, with the purpose of explaining and predicting phenomena (Kerlinger & Lee, p. 11).

Jigsaw Puzzle Model of Science

Data = Pieces Correlations = Joining of pieces to form larger pieces

Hypotheses = Ways of organizing pieces: “All same- colored pieces go together.”

Theory = The entire puzzle, or enough of it to predict

where missing pieces go and connect

AND NOW WE WILL TEST A HYPOTHESIS …..

THEORY AND SEEING HMAS Sydney Sunk in Indian Ocean 1941;

Found (in part) Via Cog. Psychology 2008http://www.npr.org/2011/09/27/140816037/how-psychology-solved-a-wwii-shipwreck-mystery

Bartlett's War of the Ghosts schema research, ca. 1930

Create "deviation maps" from Bartlett's original subjects

Apply same method to German sailors' stories

Theories As Organizers of Behavior

Behaviors Behaviors

* People will help a fellow shopper pick up spilled groceries after they, themselves, break a stranger’s camera.

* People who form ambivalent romantic relationships tend to be unsure about the existence of a supreme being.

* Paying children to do a task that they already like doing will make them like the task less.

* Young children are more likely to freely explore if they have non-depressed mothers.

* People become more loyal believers in a cult if the cult’s own predictions don’t come true.

* People who tend to avoid close relationships also tend to be more mentally rigid.

Cognitive Dissonance Attachment Theory

Non Scientific Explanatory Systems

The Bible Astrology Folk Wisdom Philosophy US News and World Report

Hypotheses Unburdened by Data Each [social psychology] deception study leads to a breakdown in [societal] trust.

Sissela Bok

Our most important protections in a new world will be our old values.

David Gergen, Editor at Large,

U.S. News and World Report January 3, 2000