Question

For each of the 3 following relationships, propose a within-subjects design that utilizes counterbalancing. • For each relationship, please explain how you would investigate the relationship by including: 1. your hypothesis (i.e., what do you expect to happen), 2. an operational definition for your dependent variable (i.e., how will you test the variable), 3. the population (who do you want to recruit and why), 4. the levels of the IV (how many, what they are, and why), 5. your study procedures including counterbalancing (i.e., what you expect your participants to do during your study). Many of these may be the same as this week's forum post (e.g., population), that is okay. So long as the necessary components for a within-subjects design are incorporated, you should be successful. Relationships: 1. The relationship between alcohol (IV) and attitudes towards unprotected sex (DV). 2. The effect of nicotine (IV) on recall (DV). 3. The association between prison education programs (IV) and recidivism (DV). I

Answer 1

Within subjects design is an experimental design that requires same group of subjects to be exposed to different treatment conditions.

Counterbalancing helps deal with order bias/effects during experiment. It can also be done by dividing the sample in half and reversing the order of exposure.

Relationships:

1. Hypothesis : with increased consumption of alcohol the attitude towards unprotected sex becomes more positive and indulgence in unprotected sex increases among young generation

These effects can be tested by a brief checklist of attitude towards unprotected sex or through a diary of responses maintained by subjects

Population : subjects aged between 18 to 25 years who are sexually active as they are likely to have more polar opinion

In this there can be three levels of IV - no alcohol, moderately intoxicated and severely intoxicated

To counterbalance the unbalanced Latin square design can be used to counter the order effects of different conditions

2. Hypothesis : nicotine does not affect the recall memory of things experienced/learnt within last one day

Recall can be defined as the ability to remember something learned or experienced. The Logical Memory (LM) subtest from the Wechsler Memory Scale -Revised (WMS-R) can be used to test the recall

Population - subjects aged 30 years and above (both males and females) who have been smoking for last 5 years regularly (thrice everyday, at least)

Nicotine levels: low dose of 7 mg and high dose of 15 mg

Unbalanced Latin square design to counterbalance wherein half the subjects were exposed with low dose first and the other half with high dose first

3. Hypothesis : regular prison education programs decreases the chances of indulging in the criminal activities again (re offend) of the same nature

Recidivism can be operationally defined as the tendency of the convicted criminal to reoffend for the crime of the same degree and nature

Behavior post release from the prison will help in identifying the effects of education programs provided in the prison q

Population : repeat offenders convicted for their crimes more than 3 times in the past 2 years

Level of education programs can be divided into two as : less intensive (education for a period of 10 days, 1 hour each day) and highly intensive (20 days, 1 hour per day)