Observational Research in the Laboratory

• Pros:• Controlled environment• Can control for extraneous variables

(random assignment)

• Cons:• Not realistic

Outline

• Observational Research in the Laboratory

• 1) Examples of observational lab research• 2) P II: Multiple behavior studies• 3) P III: Single behavior studies

Observational Research• Steps

• 1) Limit your observations• What do you want to do? What is your hypothesis?

• 2) Figure out how to code your observations• Will you use a videotape, questionnaire, EAR, etc.?

• 3) Collect your data• Just do it!

• 4) Create a coding system• How will you quantify your data?

• 5) Analyze your data• What do the data tell you?

• During interpersonal interactions how does the behavior of a person affect the behavior of another person?

Concrete examples

Abstract examples

Interpersonal Theory• Leary’s complementarity

– Interpersonal behaviors tend to initiate or invite reciprocal interpersonal behaviors from the “other” person in the interaction

• Act the same on “warmth”– Warmth encourages warmth– Coldness encourages coldness

• Act the opposite on “dominance”– Dominance encourages submission– Submission encourages dominance

Method

• Participates– 79 males; 79 females

Tasks

• Each participant interacted in three different situations with an opposite sex stranger

Unstructured Cooperative Competitive

Coding Behaviors• For each interaction, social behaviors were coded by four different judges

• Example: Dominance behaviors– “Expresses warmth”– “Exhibits social skills”– “Expresses criticism”– “Expresses hostility”

• Example: Warmth behaviors– “Tries to control the interaction”– “Speaks in a loud voice”– “Seeks reassurance”– “Expresses insecurity”

Results

• Warmth r = .45

• Dominancer = -.39

Observational Research• Steps

• 1) Limit your observations• I wonder how our behaviors affect the behaviors of our interaction partners

• 2) Figure out how to code your observations• I will videotape these behaviors

• 3) Collect your data• Participants came into a lab

• 4) Create a coding system• I will use the RBQ

• 5) Analyze your data

Project II – Multiple Behavioral Observations

Perceiving Others

• Am I:• Extraverted?• Agreeable?• Conscientious?• Open to experience?• Neurotic?

• A drug user?

Perceiving Others

• Why do you think that?

ME YOU

ME YOUTalkative

ME YOUTalkative

Hand gestures

ME YOUTalkative

Hand gesturesEnergetic

Assertive

Sociable

ME YOUTalkative Talkative

Hand gesturesEnergetic

Assertive

Sociable

ME YOUTalkative Talkative

Hand gestures Hand gestures

Energetic

Energetic

Assertive

Sociable

Smiles

ME YOUTalkative Talkative

Hand gestures Hand gestures

Energetic

Energetic

Assertive

Sociable

Smiles

Target Perceiver

YOU

Talkative

Hand gestures

Energetic

Smiles

Perceiver

What behaviors does a person tend to use when judging the personality traits of extraversion?

What behaviors does a person tend to use when judging if a person uses drugs?

How can we examine this issue?

• 1) Limit your observations• I wonder what behaviors we use to judge if a person does drugs?

How can we examine this issue?

• 1) Limit your observations• I wonder what behaviors we use to judge if a person does drugs?

• 2) Figure out how to code your observations

How can we examine this issue?

• 1) Limit your observations• I wonder what behaviors we use to judge if a person does drugs?

• 2) Figure out how to code your observations• I think I will code people acting in an artificial setting and have

people rate their perceptions and the behaviors they see

How can we examine this issue?

• 1) Limit your observations• I wonder what behaviors we use to judge if a person does drugs?

• 2) Figure out how to code your observations• I think I will code people acting in an artificial setting and have

people rate their perceptions and the behaviors they see

• 3) Collect your data• Just do it!

RBQ questionnaire

Procedure

• Groups of two

• Watch five minutes of the videotape

• Each participant was randomly assigned the task of rating the behaviors of three different child characters in the movie– i.e., a total of 6 children are rated for each

group

Procedure

• Participants coded 64 different social behaviors on a 1 - 5 scale as to the degree they agreed the participant exhibited that behavior

• 1 = disagree strongly to 5 = agree strongly

Procedure

• After participants coded the behaviors they were asked how strongly they agreed with:

• I think this child might do drugs

Example

• Zimbardo Prison Study

Observational Research• Steps

• 1) Limit your observations• I wonder if the situation has a strong influence on how we behave

• 2) Figure out how to code your observations• I will videotape these behaviors

• 3) Collect your data• Participants came into a lab

• 4) Create a coding system• Since the results were so dramatic they were not coded (this is an error)

• 5) Analyze your data• Since the behaviors were not quantified no analyses were possible

Enter data!

• Two people groups!

Analyze data

• Excel

How can we examine this issue?

• 1) Limit your observations• I wonder what behaviors we use to judge if a person does drugs?

• 2) Figure out how to code your observations• I think I will code people acting and have people rate their perceptions and the

behaviors they see

• 3) Collect your data• Just do it!

• 4) Create a coding system• We used the RBQ

• 5) Analyze your data• What do the data tell you?• Tells you the behaviors YOU use to judge children (not the accuracy of those

judgments)

What behaviors actually are related to drug use in children?

• Study—

• Accuracy of your predictions!

How many behaviors do you need to code?

• These previous examples coded many behaviors

• Pro:– Very rich data– Good if your not 100% sure what to expect

• Con– Takes a long time– Can sometimes produce confusing results

• Sometimes – if you have a specific question –you might only need to code a single behavior

Project III – Single behavioral observations

• Relating questionnaires to single behavioral observations in the lab.

Questionnaire

Data Sheet

Subject SM Score Acting1234567

Say

• “I am going out now, I won’t be back all day. If anyone comes by, just tell them I’m not here”

• Happy• Sad• Mad

• How good of an actor is this person?– Rate 1-10 (1= bad actor; 10= great actor)

Self-Monitoring

• How much do you “monitor” your social setting and alter your behaviors accordingly

• High SM – Monitor every situation– Look for cues how to act, alter behavior

• Low SM– Consistent behavior regardless of situation

Self-Monitoring

• Related to smoking in youths

• Specifically, youths who think it is normal to smoke and are high SM are 3.5 times more likely to smoke!

Self-Monitoring• Other findings (just for fun):

• Video tapped group discussion• High SM interview better for jobs• High SM more likely to lie to go on dates• High SM pleasure self more often

Current question: Are high self-monitors better actors?

Current study

• 1) Limit your observations• I wonder what high SM are better actors?

• 2) Figure out how to code your observations• I think I will code people acting in the class room and have them self-report

their SM

• 3) Collect your data• Just do it!

• 4) Create a coding system• We used a simple one-item code of “acting”

• 5) Analyze the data!

Excel

Current study

• 1) Limit your observations• I wonder what high SM are better actors?

• 2) Figure out how to code your observations• I think I will code people acting in the class room and have them self-report their SM

• 3) Collect your data• Just do it!

• 4) Create a coding system• We used a simple one-item code of “acting”

• 5) Analyze your data• What did the data tell us?• Told us if SM was related to acting