Psychological research - Part 4 by @amitvegada

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In previous lessons we have talked about how it is possible to describe behavior without manipulating it and making predictions and connections based on those findings can only take you so far; to really find out what causes which behaviors, you'll have to experiment. Investigators are able to isolate different effects by controlling one independent variable and keeping the rest, or as many other variables as possible, constant. Therefore, there should be two groups: an experimental group, which will be manipulated, and a control group, which will not be manipulated.

Experimental researchers use random samples to minimize confounding variables or outside factors that might skew the results just like survey data gathering by using a random sample. In one group you don't want all grumpy teenagers and in the other all wealthy Japanese surfers; they've gotta mix. Occasionally, the subjects of the testing are not informed of what is being tested.

For example, Using placebos, or inert substances, researchers can test whether substances affect people in the same way. As a result, researchers often do not know which group is experimental and which is control, so they cannot unintentionally influence their own results. Thus, double-blind testing is a procedure where both groups are anonymous.

So let's put these ideas into practice in our own experiment. It starts with a question, as it does with all good work. So one day my friend Aman and I were debating. We were debating about caffeine's effects on our brains. Personally, he claims coffee helps him focus and think better, however, it drives me insane and makes me feel like a caged meerkat. To become as critical as possible, we opted not to be overconfident, since we all know overconfidence can lead to assuming things that are actually not true.

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Next, we have to formulate our question: "Does caffeine help humans solve problems faster?" Here is where we will formulate our testable prediction. It is important to keep your message clear, simple, and eloquent for replication. It is not a good hypothesis that caffeine makes me smarter. It would be better to say, "Those who are given caffeine navigate a maze faster than those who are not."

You can change your caffeine dosage independently since it is an independent variable. That means you may need to drink some coffee. In this case, the measurable result will depend on something you can control, namely, the speed at which the subject navigates through a giant corn maze.

We’ll talk about how to do surveys about any particular question or topic in our next lesson so please stay tuned for the next lesson on psychological research until then. Take care and see you all later.