Purpose
you've been introduced to experiments and correlations. The purpose of this project is to help you to understand experiments and correlations, and to learn the difference between them. Doing this project in pairs would be great! It will probably make you less likely to fall into experiment-correlation confusion.
You will need to have an understanding of experiments and correlations, as well as descriptive research methods, variables, and the other basics of psychological research methods. Lessons 1.3–1.5 will help you there. Feel free to go to outside, web-based resources if you want some more clarification on any of these things.
Directions
You will design two studies: one experimental and one correlational. You will not actually do the studies. You will just develop them, which will take some creativity (which good researchers are full of). There are a couple of things to note as we begin:
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Each study will use the same variables (whichever you choose).
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Each study will intend to ask a question that could be somehow helpful to the average student’s life (e.g., in areas of school, work, relationships, health, etc.).
For each of the studies:
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Identify your hypothesis.
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Identify your participants and explain what you are doing with your participants.
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Identify your operationally defined variables (two for each study).
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Write a paragraph or two to describe all aspects of each study, right up to the point where you would actually do the study.
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Imagine you did the studies and that your hypotheses were supported. Include a simple statement of what conclusion can be drawn from each study.
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Include a final statement about how such psychological findings could be helpful to students.
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Finally, write a single paragraph to explain the differences between the findings of your two studies (i.e., how correlation and experiments are different).
Materials
None required. Trifold poster board as optional follow-up.
Going a step further? Create a visually stimulating trifold poster with your experimental design depicted on the left, your correlational design depicted on the right, and the center of the folder with connecting information (e.g., differences and similarities of the methods, how these research questions help students, etc.). Be ready to present your poster to your peers.