Homework assignment: Methods Activity

Note: I will only go through questions 2 and 4 in class so that we will have time for another activity. So if you would like, you can all do

question 2 or 4 or you can stick with the original question you were assigned.

Imagine you are a research scientist interested in studying the following topics:

1. You are interested in whether car salespersons with facial hair sell more cars.
2. You are interested in whether individuals who attend ivy league schools get better jobs after they graduate.
3. You are interested in whether people are more attracted to those who have similar interests.
4. You are interested in whether companies (and their hiring directors specifically) discriminate among their employees on the basis of race.
5. You are interested in whether children who are exposed to violence at a young age are more likely to be violent adults.
6. You are interested in whether six-person or twelve-person juries are better for criminal defendants.

For your topic:

1. Design a correlational study to investigate the relationship between these two variables. What is your hypothesis? How will you operationally define and measure the two variables? How will you obtain a random sample of participants for the correlational method?
2. Assume that your study produces a correlation of .56 between the two variables. What are at least three possible causal explanations for this relationship?
3. Now design an experimental study to investigate these variables. What is your hypothesis? What type of hypotheses does the experimental method allow you to test that the correlational method does not?
4. Identify the independent and dependent variables (both conceptual and operational)
5. How will you make sure that the study has high internal validity? Will you use random assignment to conditions?
6. identify any ethical problems you may encounter
7. which method would work best (correlational or experimental) and why