Standardization of IV
Goal: All subjects experience the IV in the same way.
Procedural standardization: Standardize IV as given by E
Flexibility in IV presentation: Standardize IV as experienced by S
Problems with flexibility?
Eina kleina “knock knock” music
Standardization:
Procedural and Psychological
Stimulus Event

This is event we can
standardize
Stimulus Perception
Response

This is event we
ultimately want to
standardize, but can’t
directly control
This is event intended
to reflect only intended
stimulus, and not any
unintended stimulus.
Standardization:
Procedural and Psychological
Stimulus Event

Stimulus Perception

Response
Pilot Testing of IV
Purpose: ID problems before experiment begins
1. Power of manipulation
2. Clarity: Alternative interpretations?
3. Presentation
a. Believable? b. Production value?
4. Artifacts
5. Opportunity to bolster
Methods of Piloting
1. Interview subjects
a. subs are great info source
b. Highly motivated to help
c. Probe after IV, NOT at end of study (WHY?)
d. Problems with interviewing?
2. Test against objective criterion
a. Stress IV – bio measures
b. Use experts: Feedback task, professional tutors
Pilot Testing Using Objective Criteria
Prediction: Distress will lead urbanites, but not rural folk,
to disclose personal feelings.
Conceptual IV: Distress
Empirical Realization of IV: Disturbing movie clip (e.g., Titanic sinks)
Pilot Test Goal: Is movie upsetting?
Post-Expt. Interviews: Limited value; if prediction is true,
rural folk might not provide reliable info.
Objective Criteria: Non-verbal reactions (HR, GSR)
Internal Analysis
Purpose:
To find out why experiment didn't work
To understand why experiment did work
Tools:
a. Manipulation Checks
b. Post hoc data analyses
Limits to conclusions from internal analyses
Subliminal Priming: Special Class of IV
Purpose: Short cut to psyche; direct path into black box
* Get past conscious editor
* Activate otherwise inaccessible mental processes
Nature:
Exist between “instruction” and “event” manipulations.
Examples:
* “Mommy and I are one”: Silverstein

lower psych. symptoms

Improve learning
* Happy/sad faces: Winkielman
 Ratings of Koolaid
 Consumption of Koolaid
Dependent Variables
Class 09
Dependent Variables: Conceptual vs. Experimental
Conceptual
Hitting
Experimental
X
Aggression
X
Health Status
X
Blood Pressure
X
GPA
X
How Sad Am I?
Subjects see a tragically sad movie
How sad are you?
__ Not at all __ Somewhat ___ A lot .
How much did you want to cry?
__ Not at all __ Somewhat ___ A lot
How much do you need to talk about this?
__ Not at all __ Somewhat ___ A lot
VERSUS
Observe walking speed after seeing sad movie.
What to Consider when Selecting
Dependent Variables
What behavior best represents conceptual DV?
DV should capture richness and power of response to IV
DV should be reliable and non-obvious
DV should be as easy to use and economical as possible
Subs. should take DV seriously
DV should be ethical
Centrality of Experimental DV to Conceptual DV
Conceptual DV
Obedience
Expt’l DV
Yeah, but...
Follow boring
instructions
Lots of expts. are
boring
Follow
embarrassing
instructions
Sometimes psych is
interested in personal,
hidden stuff
Follow
instructions that
hurt another
against that
person’s will
Holy Moly!!!
Classes of DV Measures
Verbal Measures (surveys, interviews)
Behavioral
Overt behavior
Behavioroid
Physiological
Advantages of Verbal Measures
Easy to use
Face validity: apparent direct access to thoughts,
feelings
Provide multiple opportunities to respond to IV,
where as behavioral is often single-shot
Can provide for more sensitive, subtle measures.
Affirmative Action Measure
1. Do you favor Affirmative Action? ___ YES ___ NO
Problems with this measure?
Degree of favor?
Favor for all groups?
Favor all ways of implementing?
Scale
Value
THURSTONE SCALE
0.0
1
Statement
Affirmative action grossly violates the Bill of Rights.
0.5
2
Affirmative action tends to create more harm than good.
1.0
3
1.5
4
Affirmative action distracts people from real, underlying problems of
social inequity
Affirmative action is nice idea, but not the best solution.
2.0
5
Ed. reform will do more good than affirmative action.
2.5
6
Affirmative action can be justified in some instances.
3.0
7
3.5
8
Affirmative action may help remedy hiring inequity in key businesses
and regions.
Affirmative action is the way to correct hiring inequities.
4.0
9
Affirmative action should be national policy.
4.5
10
Affirmative action is crucial for a fair and just society.
Subject A: Agrees with 2, 3, & 7 ( 1.5). Mainly anti AA, but sees it can do some good.
Subject B: Agrees with 3, 5, & 6 (1.8). Mainly pro AA, but favors other social remedies.
Guttman Scale
Ranked
Order
Presented
Order
Statement
A
2
Affirmative action is justified throughout society,
due to history of discrimination.
B
3
Affirmative action is justified, but only in
industries where patterns of discrimination are
indicated.
C
1
Affirmative action is justified only in specific
work places in which discrimination has been
proven.
D
4
Affirmative action is justified in only the most
extreme cases.
Guttman Scale Scoring
Agrees with item:
Score
A
B
C
4
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
3
2
1
0
X
Disagrees with item:
D
A
B
C
D
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
PROBLEMS WITH GUTTMAN SCALE
1. Too labor intensive to create (90+ judges, etc.)
2. Too narrow in focus; effort to precisely determine why and how
much people endorse becomes overly exclusive
3. Lack of sensitivity between same responses.
1. __ I believe Af. Act. is moral imperative
2. __ I believe Af. Act. is needed to move society forward.
3. __ I believe Af. Act. is good, but should end soon
4. __ I believe Af. Act. had done good, but it's time is up.
Joe and Jody both endorse items 1-4. But for Joe, items 1 and
2 are of equal importance, for Jody 1 is of supreme importance.
Guttman can't show this difference.
Likert Scales
Rensis Likert
What is your view on affirmative action?
Totally
against
Mainly
against
Somewhat
against
Neither
for nor
against
Somewhat
favor
Mainly
favor
Totally
favor
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
To what degree do you favor affirmative action for Asians?
Not at
all
Very
Little
Somewhat
Very
Much
A Great
Degree
1
2
3
4
5
To what degree do you favor affirmative action for African Americans?
Not at
all
Very
Little
Somewhat
Very
Much
A Great
Degree
1
2
3
4
5
To what degree do you favor affirmative action for Latinos?
Not at
all
Very
Little
Somewhat
Very
Much
A Great
Degree
1
2
3
4
5
Likert Scale Considerations
1. Label each choice option, or just the extremes?
2. How many choice-options? (i.e. 3, 5, 7, 9, 131?)
3. Unipolar or bipolar?
1. Two measures problem
2. Hiding in the middle
Bi-Modal Scales
What is your view on gun control?
Totally
against
Mainly
against
Somewhat
against
Neither
for nor
against
Somewhat
favor
Mainly
favor
Totally
favor
-3
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
Indentify Latent Constructs as Index of Attitude
Affirmative Action Measure
1. Do you favor special hiring consideration for women?
.55
2. Do you favor special hiring consideration for minorities?
.46
3. Do you favor use of hiring quotas?
.72
4. Do you favor employment of affirmative action officer?
.56
5. Should affirmative action be written into the Constitution?
.23
6. Are opponents of affirmative action bigots?
.28
7. Would you not vote for someone opposed to affirmative action?
.34
Affirmative Action Measure
1. Do you favor special hiring consideration for women?
2. Do you favor special hiring consideration for minorities?
3. Do you favor use of hiring quotas?
4. Do you favor employment of affirmative action officer?
5. Do you favor special affirmative action training for managers?
6. Do you think there should be minimal hiring standards, regardless of
background?
7. Do you think that the human resources department should provide
special post-hiring services for women?
Semantic Differential (abridged)
EVALUATIVE DIMENSION
Good
Bad
Beautiful
Ugly
Sweet
Sour
POTENCY DIMENSION
Strong
Weak
Large
Small
Heavy
Light
ACTIVITY DIMENSION
Active
Passive
Fast
Slow
Hot
Cold
Affirmative Action Is:
(EVALUATIVE DIMENSION)
Good
|
| | | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Bad
Beautiful
|
| | | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Ugly
Sweet
|
| | | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Sour
POTENCY DIMENSION
Strong
|
| | | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Weak
Large
|
| | | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Small
Heavy
|
| | | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Light
ACTIVITY DIMENSION
Active
|
| | | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Passive
Fast
|
| | | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Slow
Hot
|
| | | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Cold
IMPLICIT MODEL OF ATTITUDE MEASURES
Measure
Support for
Affirmative
Action
Survey


Attitude
Degree
values
Affirmative
Action

Behavior

Votes for
Affirmative
Action laws.
Problems with Verbal Measures
Response Biases:
1. Social desirability
2. Sabotaging
Affected by situations and contexts
Salience problem: Ss know that they are being measured.
a. High salience  attn, but  bias
b. Low salience  attn but  accuracy
Reactivity problem: IV = (IV + Measure)
May require atypical depth of processing/introspection
May assume that people know own inner states/inner processes
more than they actually do.
Moral Values Inventory
Rettig & Pasamanick, 1959
Sample items to display inter-generational limitations of
empirical realization
TO WHAT DEGREE WOULD YOU CONDONE:
Item 6: Girls smoking cigarettes
Item 3: Buying bootleg liquor under prohibition law
Item 39: Seeking amusement on Sunday instead of going
to church.
Behavioral Measures
1. Overt behavior
2. Behavioriod
3. Physiological
Advantages of Behavioral Measures
1. More absorbing
2. Require less inference of rel. btwn IV and
behavior, b/c measure IS behavior.
3. Tell a better story
Types of Behavioral Measures
Frequency
Extent/Amount
Speed
Intensity
Duration
Preference
Latency
Social/Physical Distance
Non-verbal Cues and
Expressive Behaviors
Unobtrusive Measures
Behavioroid Measures
Defined: Measures INTENT to commit the behavior, w/o
actually measuring or inducing behavior.
Used when actual behavior is too impractical, unethical, or
otherwise inappropriate.
Example of Behavioroid Measure
Freedman and Fraser "Foot in the Door" Study
JPSP, 1966
Behavioroid Measure: Willingness to have 2.5 hour intrusive survey
of house conducted by 5 strangers.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Asked to complete short questions, and asked:
Asked to complete short survey, but not asked:
Familiarized with questions:
Not previously contacted:
52.8%
33.3%
27.8%
22.2%
Physiological Measures
Defined: Bodily states that reflect psychological states
Examples:
Blood pressure, heart rate, skin
conductance
Advantages:
Not under conscious control
Display mediation
Problems:
Costly; Intimidating to subjects;
Typically gross, rather than subtle;
Require inference to conceptual DV
Indirect Measures
Measures that imply DV, without directly testing it.
Overt Behavior
Implied Behavior
Physical distance from
disabled person
Discomfort
Re-selling price for chosen
item vs. given item.
Subjective importance due
to perceived control.
Degree of eye contact
Affection
Concluding Points Re. DVs
1. Which is the better feedback bias measure?
a.
Feedback bias = anticipated feedback to minority v. White
b. Feedback bias = verbal comments to minority v. White confed.

Aim for actual and behavioral, rather than anticipated and non-behavioral
2. Which is better measure of hostility to out-group?

a.
Amount of shock delivered during “learning” task
b.
Physical distance during interview
Expt. DV should be close to conceptual DV.
3. Which is better measure of health after disclosure?
a.
Visit vs. did not visit MD
b. Number of MD visits

DV should be as precise as possible