Introduction: This Assignment Examines And Applies Concepts

Introductionthis Assignment Examines And Applies Concepts In The Exper

This assignment examines and applies concepts in the Experimental Methods chapter and gives you the opportunity to practice research skills. Using the guidelines in Chapter 6, design an experiment that could test one of your hypotheses for your research proposal. Present your responses in an APA style essay format, including the following: Describe your hypothesis, the type of experiment, and justify why this design is best suited to answer your research question. Clearly identify your independent and dependent variables. Note that a survey is not the same as an experiment; although a survey can include experimental design elements, it requires some form of manipulation and at least two conditions (experimental and control).

Describe the "ecology"—the setting where the experiment will take place—and specify whether the experiment is based on everyday life, a natural setting, or is more controlled and systematic. Explain the kind of comparison being made, focusing on ecological validity. Additionally, detail how you will select and assign participants to the different conditions of your experiment. Discuss strategies to protect the internal and external validity of your experiment to ensure reliable and generalizable results.

Paper For Above instruction

The hypothesis selected for this experiment posits that increased exposure to natural light during study sessions enhances information retention among college students. This hypothesis stems from existing research indicating that natural light positively influences mood and cognitive function (Kellert & Calabrese, 2015). To test this, a controlled experimental design will be employed, as it offers the ability to manipulate the independent variable (natural light exposure) and observe its direct effect on the dependent variable (information retention). An experimental approach is particularly suitable here because it allows for clear causal inferences, which are essential for testing the proposed hypothesis.

The type of experiment will involve a between-subjects design with two conditions: students studying in rooms with natural light (experimental group) and students studying in artificially lit rooms (control group). Random assignment of participants to each condition will help control for individual differences that could influence the outcome, such as baseline cognitive ability or motivation. Independent variables include the type of lighting condition, while the dependent variable will be scores on a standardized retention test administered after the study session. By manipulating only the lighting condition, this design aims to establish a causal link between natural light exposure and memory performance.

The ecological setting for this experiment will be conducted within university facilities, specifically in designated study rooms. The environment will mimic typical study conditions, ensuring that the findings have ecological validity—they will be applicable to real-world settings. The setting reflects an everyday environment for students, thus increasing the external validity of the experiment. Since the study takes place during actual study sessions in university buildings, it maintains a naturalistic context, allowing results to generalize well beyond laboratory confines.

This experiment will involve recruiting participants through flyers and class announcements, offering incentives like extra credit or small monetary rewards. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the natural light or artificial light condition at the beginning of their study session. Randomization helps ensure each group is equivalent at baseline, controlling for confounding variables. To enhance internal validity, the lighting conditions will be controlled and standardized across sessions, with the only difference being the lighting source. External validity will be supported by implementing the study in typical university study environments where students normally engage in learning activities. Furthermore, measures such as blinding participants to the study hypothesis and ensuring standard instructions across conditions will help mitigate biases and confounding influences, thereby strengthening the internal validity of the experiment.

Overall, this experimental design effectively tests the hypothesis that natural light improves information retention by utilizing a controlled, ecologically valid setting, with appropriate participant assignment strategies and validity protections to ensure credible and generalizable results.

References

• Kellert, S. R., & Calabrese, E. F. (2015). The Practice of Biophilic Design. In C. M. Kellert, J. H. Heerwagen, & M. Mador (Eds.), Making Sense of the Social World: Methods of Investigation (6th ed., pp. 123-145). Routledge.
• Chambliss, D. F. (2021). Making Sense of the Social World: Methods of Investigation (6th ed.). Routledge.
• Knol, L. L. (2018). Experimental Design and Analysis for Behavioral Science. Sage Publications.
• Shadish, W. R., Cook, T. D., & Campbell, D. T. (2002). Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs for Generalized Causal Inference. Houghton Mifflin.
• Cook, T. D., Campbell, D. T., & Day, K. (1979). Quasi-Experimentation: Design & Analysis Issues for Field Settings. Houghton Mifflin.
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• Shadish, W. R., & Riggan, M. (2017). An Introduction to Simulation-Based Research Methods. Routledge.
• Cook, T. D., & Campbell, D. T. (1979). Quasi-experimentation: Design & analysis issues for field settings. Houghton Mifflin.
• Fisher, R. A. (1935). The Design of Experiments. Oliver & Boyd.