Question

Let’s pretend a sociology instructor wants to know whether her students learn better taking quizzes online if pain is applied as a punishment for wrong answers. She sets up a software program that applies electric shock to their chair seat for each wring answer on the quiz. She doesn’t tell them in advance because she doesn’t want them to find a way to avoid the shocks.

What type of study design is this?

What would be the contro grouo?

Does the designer follow ASA guidelines for studies human subjects?

Answer 1

1 Assuming that there is control group in the study, this is a true experimental design. This experiment is aiming to study the effect of electric shock on the performance. So, there is cause and effect relationship which is examined, and the resacher is manupuliting a variable, which is the independent variable.

2. The control group for this study would be participants who are not being shocked after each wrong answer.

3. This study does not follow the guidlines of ASA as it is intentionally causing harm to the human subjects and it is a voilation of human rights.