Chapter 1. Experimental Design

Short Description

This clip applies the experimental method by posing the question/hypothesis: "Does playing violent video games lead to aggressive behavior?"

Long Description

This clip applies the experimental method by posing the question/hypothesis: "Does playing violent video games lead to aggressive behavior?" The experimental method is comprised of three main components: manipulation of variables, the use of control groups, and random assignment. Specifically, the clip explains the two types of variables involved in experimental design. In this case the independent variable was whether the video game that the participants play is violent or non-violent. The dependent variable is what the experimenter measures. In the illustrated study, the principle dependent variable was aggression as measure by the level of noise subjects used to punish another (fictional) player. Random assignment refers to the importance of each participant having an equal chance of being assigned to the experimental or control group. Random assignment is one tool used to ensure that differences do not exist between the experimental and control groups other than those manipulated by the experimenter (the independent variable). After the experiment, the data were analyzed. Participants who played the violent video game (those in the experimental group) were indeed more likely to respond aggressively than were those who had played a non-violent video game (those in the control group).

Questions