Practical Investigation

• What was our social psychology practical investigation?

  A questionnaire to see if males or females percieve themselves to be more obedient?
• What was the IV and DV of our experiment?

  Design considerations?

  IV: Gender: males and females

  DV: Obedience rate: measured by the questionnaire
• What should our questionnaire include?

  Both qualitative data with closed questions and quantitative data with open questions
• What kind of sampling technique is best suited for this investigation?

  Stratified to be more gender representative
• What was the aim of our practical investigation?

  To investigate gender differences in obedience using a questionnaire
• What is the hypothesis for this?

  There will be a significant difference in the levels of obedience between males and females
• What will the null hypothesis be?

  There will not be a significant difference in obedience levels between males and females
• What were the controls in this investigation?

  Each ppt had 10 minutes to complete the questionnaire and the questions were also the same, in the same order, for each ppt
• What was the procedure of the practical?

  1. Approach the ppts and ask them if they are willing to take part

  2. Explain the aims of the experiment and an overview of the ethical considerations= the right to withdraw etc

  3. Give ppt questionnaire, answer in silence for 10 mins

  4.Debrief the ppts and draw results and conclusions
• What were the quant. findings of the investigation?

  Median scores for males and females= 5

  
  

  Mean for males=5.2

  Mean for females=5.8
• What is the conclusion of the practical investigation?

  Based on the qualitative and quantitative data, there is no significant difference in obedience between males and females. We therefore accept our null hypothesis.
• Evaluate the social practical investigation in terms of generalisability.

  Our sample is not very generalisable. The sample consisted of only ten participants, five in each condition and the sample was particularly narrow as the participants were all at the same sixth form and were all aged between 16 and 18. The sample is too small to generalise from and also is too narrow to be applied to other groups of society.
• Evaluate the social practical investigation in terms of reliability.

  There was a standardised procedure with standardised questions and instructions. Each participant was given the same questions to answer and instructed that they would have ten minutes to complete it. This meant that the study is repeatable to gain similar results.

  
  

  
  

  Inter-rater reliability can be established as 3 researchers all agreed on the thematic analysis together. This reduces the researcher bias and reliability.
• Evaluate the social practical investigation in terms of validity.

  Open questions were used. This allows for a greater depth and level of detail to be found. Therefore the analysis is more detailed and valid.

  Could be seen to lack validity. Due to the research method being a questionnaire, there is a risk of socail desireability bias.
• Evaluate the social practical investigation in terms of ethics.

  Informed consent, debrief and right to withdraw.

  Confidentiality as no personla details or names were collected.
• What is it?

  A questionnaire to see if males or females perceive themselves to be more obedient
• What is the aim?

  To investigate where the males or females perceive themselves to be more obedient through the use of a questionnaire
• Independent variable


  Gender
• How is IV operationalised


  Male or female
• DV


  perceived obedience
• How is DV operationalised

  Score on a questionnaire
• Alternate hypothesis


  There will be a significant difference in perceived obedience measured by obedient score in a questionnaire between males and females
• Null hypothesis


  There will be no significant difference in the perceived obedience measured by obedience school in questionnaire between males and females
• Experimental design


  Independent groups
• How is there informed consent

  Verbal, say on the questionnaire
• How is there a right to withdraw

  Verbal, can say on the questionnaire
• How is there confidentiality

  Doesn't include names, don't share results outside of psychology class
• How is there debriefing

  Tell ppts about the study, tell ppts they can contact you with any questions
• Open questions


  ' explain the reason why you would/wouldn't obey to the above question'. ' please explain your reason for your answer above.
• Closed question


  ' do you do chores at home?'. ' if a teacher told you to stop chewing gum at school, would you obey?
• Procedure


  Created a questionnaire about gender and perceived obedience with a range of open and closed questions. Opportunity sample by students and independent school in Essex. We explained the aim of our research and gained written informed consent. Participants completed the same questionnaire. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data was analysed through thematic analysis.
• How many males said yes, and no to if they would I be a teacher to stop chewing gum?

  Yes: 4, no: 1
• How many female said yes or no to if they would obey a teacher to stop chewing gum

  Yes: 4, no:1
• Mean of males


  6
• Mean of females


  4.4
• Median of males


  5
• Median of females


  4
• Mode of males


  5
• Mode of females


  No one
• Range of males


  5