Introduction to Research
Concepts using the
Card Probability Study
Chapter 1 Thomas and Nelson
How does the card probability study,
conducted in the previous class, fit into the
basic to applied research continuum?
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BASIC: the research has the ability to reveal one card and the
participant can switch first choices.
APPLIED: The participant has to stay with their first choice so
researcher has limited control
More applied: freedom to do what they want. No assigned group.
In what ways was the study lacking in
ecological validity? How does this relate
to the internal and external validity of
the study?
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Ecological validity: relates to real world, had no choice.
More EV: put into casino setting.
More external is less internal.. Due to dealer, change this by
shuffling cards.
What would have been the problem
statement for the card probability study?
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Problem statement: higher probability to stay or switch.
List three potential hypotheses that could
have been put forth prior to the study.
1)
The is no difference between the probability of staying or
switching
2)
Staying does not lead to a higher probability than switching.
3)
Switching does not lead to a higher probability than staying.
Provide four unscientific methods of
problem solving and give an example of
how each could be applied to solving our
problem statement.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Intuition: Going with your gut
Tenacity: success once switching – lose ten times in row but stick w
switching cause you believe it will work. Card wont be in the same
spot each round.
Empirical: base it off someone else's guess, if they switch every time
and get a higher probability you will switch every time.
Authority: if person in study told you switching id better you would
switch every time.
Rationalistic: It doesn’t matter, believe you got a 50/50 shot when
one card is shown. Disregard there is two goats n dealer shows u
one.
What were the independent and dependent
variables in the study? How many levels of
each independent variable were there?
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Independent: part researcher is manipulating, experimental - switching or
staying, two levels, THE DECISION
Dependent: the effect of the independent variable – number of wins.
Was the study experimental in nature?
Explain
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Random Assigning groups, switching or staying
Establishing cause/effect relationships
Random