Assignment 1

Directions

For this assessment, apply research terms to a sample informal experiment and think of an informal experiment of your own that you have either tried or might like to try. Please note that you are not required to conduct the experiment. The goal is to apply the terms to your idea for an experiment.

Part 1

Select an informal experiment from A or B below:

• A:

Karl wants to determine whether adding a gas treatment to his full gas tank really does help increase the number of miles to the gallon his car gets. He suspects it does help but wants to test it to be sure he is getting his money's worth for the treatment. He decides that for one month, he will track his gas mileage without the treatment. He records his gas mileage for the month. The next month, he adds the treatment each time he fills his tank. He records his gas mileage for the month and compares the mileage of the two months.

• B:

Carolyn is frustrated that getting her third-grader son, Jacob, to complete his homework after school results in a daily argument. She wants to find a strategy that will reduce the struggle. She has always allowed him to watch TV or play for an hour before beginning his homework. She thinks that maybe having him complete the work before watching TV or playing will have better results. She decides to alternate the schedule for one month. During Weeks 1 and 3, she has Jacob complete his homework before playing and records the amount of time it takes him to get started on his homework. During Weeks 2 and 4, she switches to the former routine of allowing an hour of play time before beginning homework. She records the amount of time it takes him to get started on his homework. She compares the total times for the two approaches.

For the informal experiment you selected from above, in full sentences describe each of the following components of the experiment:

• Hypothesis.
• Independent variable.
• Dependent variable.
• Possible extraneous variable.

Part 2

Think of an experiment you have conducted or might like to conduct. Describe your informal experiment, and then in full sentences describe each of the following:

• Hypothesis.
• Independent variable.
• Dependent variable.
• Possible extraneous variable.

In your assessment:

• Describe how these terms relate to the science of psychology.
• Describe why it is important for psychologists to use the scientific method for understanding human behavior.
• Support your thinking with information from scholarly sources.