Class Exercise

• Let’s try to explore some of these issues ourselves.

• I’ve created two sets of recordings. One has affirming messages embedded in it, the other has gibberish embedded in it.

• Let’s listen to both, and see which one makes us feel better.

Instructions

• We’ll listen to each of the two recordings for 5 minutes a piece.

• After each piece, I will ask you to indicate in your notebook whether you feel better about yourself (yes or no).

• Once we’ve heard both, we’ll see which one led to the higher proportion of “yes” responses.

14 3

YesNo

Heads

Tails

Con

diti

onFeel Better?

17% Yes in Heads

40 total

14 3

18 5

YesNo

Heads

Tails

Con

diti

onFeel Better?

17% Yes in Heads

22% Yes in Tails

40 total

Limitations of our approach

Limitations of our approach

• No counter-balancing• A very brief exposure to the tapes• A crude way of measuring the effectiveness of the

tapes• . . .

Subliminal Tapes

• The Greenwald, Spangenberg, Pratkanis, & Eskenazi (1991) Study– subliminal audiotape products claimed to improve

memory and self-esteem

– subjects listened to tapes designed to improve (a) memory or (b) self-esteem for 30 days

– given self-esteem tests before and after the 30 day period

Some key concepts from this demonstration

• Experiment – a study in which participants are randomly assigned to one or more conditions.

• Random assignment: The probability of ending up in one condition vs. the other is 50-50. Unbiased.

• Independent variable: The variable(s) manipulated by the researcher. It is a potential casual variable.

• Dependent variable: The variable(s) that we expect to change as a function of the independent variable.

Examples

• A researcher randomly assigns people to one of two drug conditions. The researcher measures people’s depressive symptoms two weeks later.

Examples

• A marital therapist randomly assigns clients to take part in a problem solving exercise or not. The therapist assesses relationship satisfaction later.

Examples

• A teacher assigns students with iPads to use a digital textbook for the semester. Other students are asked to use a standard paper textbook. Exam scores and attendance are cumulated at the end of the semester.

Exam 1

• This Thursday• Please bring a working pen/pencil• Short answer

Things you should understand

• Understand each of the four limitations of personal experience that we discussed in class. Be able to apply those to real world and fictional examples.

• Understand the scientific process. What can be studied scientifically?

• Understand why the word “systematic” is used so much in my lectures and why the 2x2 logic is so crucial to scientific logic.

Things you should understand

• Understand the distinction between science and pseudoscience. Would you be able to tell them apart?

• Understand what Greenwald and our class learned about subliminal self-help recordings via our systematic investigations.

• Understand the following concepts: random assignment, independent variable, dependent variable, systematic, science, pseudoscience, confirmation bias,