Which of the following is a group that can be measured against the experimental group?
Control Groups Show Control groups are an important aspect of true experimental designs. The presence of control groups allows researchers to confirm that study results are due to the manipulation of independent variables (IVs) rather than extraneous variables. Specifically, control groups comprise participants who are not exposed to the manipulated IV but are measured on the study’s dependent variables (DVs). The extent to which an IV is found to cause the DV is calculated by comparing the differences in the DV observed between the control group and one or more experimental groups. It is important to note that control groups are not present in quasi-experimental designs, which instead compare preexisting characteristics within participants and do not involve experimental manipulation of the IV. This entry covers types ... locked icon Sign in to access this contentSign in Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL
sign up today! Recommended textbook solutionsSocial Psychology10th EditionElliot Aronson, Robin M. Akert, Samuel R. Sommers, Timothy D. Wilson 525 solutions
Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having, Being13th EditionMichael R Solomon 449 solutions Myers' Psychology for AP2nd EditionDavid G Myers 900 solutions Myers' Psychology for the AP Course3rd EditionC. Nathan DeWall, David G Myers 955 solutions In a psychology experiment, the experimental group (or experimental condition) refers to the group of participants who are exposed to the independent variable. These participants receive or are exposed to the treatment variable. The data that are collected are then compared to the data from the control group, which did not receive the experimental treatment. By doing this, researchers are able to see if the independent variable had any impact on the behavior of the participants. Comparing the experimental group to the control group allows researchers to see how much of an impact the variables had on the participants. A Closer Look at Experimental GroupsImagine that you want to do an experiment to determine if listening to music while working out can lead to greater weight loss. After getting together a group of participants, you randomly assign them to one of three groups. One group listens to upbeat music while working out, one group listens to relaxing music, and the third group listens to no music at all. All of the participants work out for the same amount of time and the same number of days each week. In this experiment, the group of participants listening to no music while working out is the control group. They serve as a baseline with which to compare the performance of the other two groups. The other two groups in the experiment are the experimental groups. They each receive some level of the independent variable, which in this case is listening to music while working out. In this experiment, you find that the participants who listened to upbeat music experienced the greatest weight loss result, largely because those who listened to this type of music exercised with greater intensity than those in the other two groups. By comparing the results from your experimental groups with the results of the control group, you can more clearly see the impact of the independent variable. Some Things to KnowWhen it comes to using experimental groups in a psychology experiment, there are a few important things to know:
A Word From VerywellExperiments play an important role in the research process and allow psychologists to investigate cause and effect relationships between different variables. Having one or more experimental groups allows researchers to vary different levels of an experimental variable (or variables) and then compare the effects of these changes against a control group. The goal of this experimental manipulation is to gain a better understanding of the different factors that may have an impact on how people think, feel, and act. Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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