Module 1:Introduction
  Lecture 4: Research methods in mainstream social psychology
 
 
The Lecture Contains:

Determining Main Effect and Interaction Effect in Experimental Design

  Illustration of a Common Interaction Effect

Illustration of a Cross-Over Interaction Effect

 
 

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   Module 1:Introduction
  Lecture 4: Research methods in mainstream social psychology
 
 
 Research methods in social psychology
 
Experimental and correlational methods are the research methods widely used in social
 
psychology research. after gaining basic understanding about these two methods, we will go into
 
  the details of ‘main effect’ and ‘interaction effect’ as elements of experimental method. Finally, we
  will try to learn the methodology adopted in the social constructionist paradigm of social
psychology.
 
 

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   Module 1:Introduction
  Lecture 4: Research methods in mainstream social psychology
 
 
 Experimental and correlational methods
 
Experimental Method : Experimental method is applied to find out the impact of a variable (known
 
  as ‘independent variable’; e.g., frustration) on another variable (known as ‘dependent variable’;
  e.g., aggression). With the help of an experiment, for example, the researcher attempts to find
  out whether frustration, the independent variable (IV) has an impact on aggression, the
  dependent variable (DV). The group of participants in which the IV is induced is known as
  experimental group and the other group where no IV is induced is known as control group. In
  may lectures to follow, we will find illustrative examples of how experimental method has been
  utilized in social psychology research, clearly delineating the IVs, DVs, control group and
experimental groups.

Correlational Method : Correlational method tends to predict the variation that is explained in the
DV by the IV. This method is applied when a) systematic variation of IV is not possible. For
example, if one is interested in understanding relationship between wellbeing and helping
 
behaviour, then rather than having one or more than experimental group where wellbeing of
different levels of it can be induced, scores of the whole sample of participants (without
categorizing them into experimental or control groups) on wellbeing and helping behaviour are
subjected to correlation analysis.

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   Module 1:Introduction
  Lecture 4: Research methods in mainstream social psychology
 
 
 Determining Main Effect and Interaction Effect in Experimental Design
 Main effect of an independent variable is found out by plotting the mean scores of its levels (e.g. mean
 
of values in each column for IV1 and mean of values in each row for IV2 as given below in Table 1).
 
 Interaction effect is found out by plotting the scores in the cells representing data-matrix created by the
 levels of IVs (here IV1 x IV2).
 Table 1
 
 
  IV1a IV1b Mean (Row)
IV2a 4 10 7
IV2b 5 3 4
  Mean (Column) 4.5 6.5

 
 

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   Module 1:Introduction
  Lecture 4: Research methods in mainstream social psychology
 
 Illustration of a Common Interaction Effect
 
  Following the guideline mentioned above, graphs were plotted utilizing the data from Table 1 to
  find out main effects and interaction effect.
 
  The lines in Diagram 1 and 2 are not parallel to x-axis and show the main effect of IV1 and IV2
respectively. Diagram 3 shows the interaction effect as the two lines are intersecting.
 
 

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   Module 1:Introduction
  Lecture 4: Research methods in mainstream social psychology
 
 
 To understand ‘common interaction effect’,
 let us consider the data in
 
 Table 1
 
  IV1a IV1b Mean (Row)
 
IV2a 4 10 7
 
  IV2b 5 3 4
  Mean (Column) 4.5 6.5
 
  
 

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   Module 1:Introduction
  Lecture 4: Research methods in mainstream social psychology
 
 
  Diagram 1
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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   Module 1:Introduction
  Lecture 4: Research methods in mainstream social psychology
 
 
  Diagram 2
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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   Module 1:Introduction
  Lecture 4: Research methods in mainstream social psychology
 
 
  Diagram 3
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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   Module 1:Introduction
  Lecture 4: Research methods in mainstream social psychology
 
 
 Illustration of a Cross-Over Interaction Effect
 
Following the guideline given above, graphs were plotted utilizing the data from Table 2 to find
 
out main effects and interaction effect.
 
 
  The lines in Diagram 4 and 5 are parallel to x-axis and thus, do not show the main effect of IV1
and IV2 respectively. Diagram 6 shows the interaction effect as the two lines are intersecting.
 
 

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   Module 1:Introduction
  Lecture 4: Research methods in mainstream social psychology
 
 
 To understand ‘common interaction effect’,
 let us consider the data in
 
 Table 2
 
  IV1a IV1b Mean (Row)
 
IV2a 6 2 4
 
  IV2b 2 6 4
  Mean (Column) 4 4
 
   
 

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   Module 1:Introduction
  Lecture 4: Research methods in mainstream social psychology
 
  Diagram 4
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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   Module 1:Introduction
  Lecture 4: Research methods in mainstream social psychology
 
 
  Diagram 5
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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   Module 1:Introduction
  Lecture 4: Research methods in mainstream social psychology
 
 
  Diagram 6
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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