Types of experimental manipulation in Social Psychology

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the classification of experimental manipulations in social psychology, specifically focusing on three broad types: social, environmental, and instructional manipulations. Participants explore a specific experimental scenario involving an aptitude test and decision-making based on perceived competence.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes the three types of manipulations as outlined in their textbook, noting that social manipulations depend on actions of other humans, environmental treatments involve physical setting changes, and instructional manipulations relate to how information is presented to participants.
  • The same participant presents an experimental scenario where participants are given a fake aptitude test and must choose colleagues based on perceived competence, questioning which type of manipulation applies.
  • Another participant expresses uncertainty and seeks further clarification on the original post's question.
  • A later reply suggests that the manipulation in the described experiment is instructional, referencing the way information is presented to participants.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on which type of manipulation applies to the described experiment, with differing opinions on whether it is social or instructional manipulation.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights the ambiguity in categorizing the manipulation type, as participants express differing interpretations based on the experimental design and the nature of the manipulations involved.

RabbitWho
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The only information my textbook gives me is this:

We classify experimental manipulations into three broad types, depending on whether they involve variations in the physical, social, or instructional features of the experimental context.
Social manipulations
are usually dependent on some action of another human being within the experimental situation, often a research accomplice working for the experimenter.
Environmental treatments
entail the s ystematic manipulation of some aspect of the physical setting.
Instructional manipulations
usually are presented to the participant by the experimenter as part of the description of the purposes and procedures of the study(the “ cover story” ).Usually, different treatment varieties are combined in same study, but for illustrative purposes we discuss them as “ pure”types.


(the source is Principals and Methods of Social Research by William D. Cramwell and brewer, but my book doesn't go into as much detail as theirs)


So we're explained an experiment where a person is given an aptitude test and then told they are competent or not to do a job, but regardless of that they are given this job. They then need to decide who will help them do this job and the experimenters are interested in seeing if the people who believe themselves to be incompetent will choose other incompetent people to work with them, or will choose competent ones.

As far as I know the test was fake, and the actual suitability for the job was not related to their answers.

It also involves stimulus manipulation as the people are looking at two different candidates to work with them and the experimenters wanted to find out if perception would be effected or just the decision itself about how to work with.


So which of the three types of manipulation would you say it is?

Seeing as how I have to write a whole essay in Spanish explaining my answer I don't think you'll be spoon feeding me, but I'm really happy with any hint anyone can give me at all.


I would say it can't be environmental, since it's not a physical change that's been being made, it's more their perception of self that's being manipulated. Which leaves the other two... Help?
 
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I don't know, can anybody else answer this?
 
NeonHD said:
I don't know, can anybody else answer this?
Look at the original post (OP's) date.

Edit: BTW, welcome to PF, and thanks for finding this, and if you could read the "intro sections for new users," everything will be copacetic.
 

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