I would call it a field experiment. There appears to be
one quasi-independent variable (the gender of the subject)
and one true independent variable (the gender of
the confederate). As is commonly the case with field experiments
there are numerous variables that remain uncontrolled so
that there are potential confounds. The main ones that
I would point out are that both subjects and confederates
might systematically differ in ways other than just gender.
Causal conclusions are difficult to draw from this experiment
because of the potential confounds.
Richard Platt
St. Mary's College of Maryland
>>> Annette Taylor <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 03/31 3:29 PM >>>
I'd like to know how some of you Tipsters would do this assignment:
I asked them to if the following study is correlational or experimental.
If correlational describe if it is a positive or negative relationship and
list possible third variables and/or confounds.
If experimental, briefly describe the causal relationship between A and B.
OK so far--they had five scenarios and most students did them all
correctly, except that zero of them saw the next one the way I did:
Despite popular belief, men are just as likely to 'help' as women are.
In fact, one study indicated that they were more likely than women to
engage in helping behavior. When confederate men and women were staged
in a parking lot having apparently locked their keys in their car, 80%
of the individuals who came to see if they needed help were men. (The
staging was done so that equal numbers of men and women would pass by.)
Well, I'll look for some answers before I give you mine and what my
thinking was. I jsut want to know that _someone_ other than myself
saw this this the way I did, alternatively, I may be wrong and need
to go back and regrade these homework assignments :-)
annette
Annette Taylor, Ph. D.
Department of Psychology E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
University of San Diego Voice: (619) 260-4006
5998 Alcala Park
San Diego, CA 92110
"Education is one of the few things a person
is willing to pay for and not get."
-- W. L. Bryan
