Research Question: Does curiosity drive the desire to select indulgent product options?
Hypothesis: People who are more curious (vs. less curious) tends to select more indulging food
Research (Experiment) Design:
The independent variable in the experiment is curiosity.
The dependent variable in the experiment is the desire to select indulgent product options. The effect in the study is the tendency of more curious people to select indulgent product options compared to virtuous options. The study revealed that curious people were more likely than incurious to select indulgent product options while ordering food.
The experiment used randomization in assigning the one hundred thirty-seven undergraduate students to either of the three conditions, curiosity: curious vs. incurious vs. control. The researcher assigned students to the group randomly but manipulated their status to determine their level of curiosity and the impact on the tendency to select indulgent product options. The researcher used a control group besides the other two, curious and incurious, to test the results. The control group in research is usually given a different treatment to control the outcomes or test the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable. In the study, instead of receiving the riddle task, the control group received a different writing task.
Extraneous variables in the study are not intentionally studied in the experiment but could influence the outcome. One extraneous variable in the study is the craving for indulgent product options, different from curiosity and could influence the choice. Religious and other cultural beliefs could also influence the choice of one product option over others. The investigator effect could also occur when manipulating the experiment when the researcher unintentionally provides cues about behaving. Participant variables, such as knowledge about the options, and situational variables like the food setup could also influence outcomes.
Task: Design an Experiment
Research question: Does the lighting conditions in a restaurant influence the speed of meal consumption?
Research hypothesis: People eat slower (faster) when the restaurant is dimmer (brighter)
Design:
The Independent Variable. The lighting conditions are the independent variable that the researcher should manipulate in the experiment. The independent variable would be manipulated by changing lighting conditions using three conditions (dimmer, lighter, control). The first condition would involve dimming the restaurant. The second condition would have brighter light, while the control would be normal lighting.
The Dependent Variable. The dependent variable in the study is the speed of meal consumption. The variable would be measured using the time taken to consume the same amount of food. The researcher would time and compare the time taken to complete the same type and amount of a meal.
Randomization. Randomization in the study would involve random assignment of participants in either of the three conditions. The research would not consider any special participant characteristics when assigning participants into the three groups.
Control. The control is necessary for the study to compare the outcome of the two experimental groups. The results from the control will determine whether the lighting conditions actually have the suggested effect on the time taken to consume the same amount of the same type of meal.
Potential Extraneous Variables. The study has potential extraneous variables, which are factors outside the experimental variables that could affect the outcome. One such variable is the difference in hunger level, which could affect the speed at which individuals consume meals. The researcher will ensure that all participants have not consumed any food for five hours before the experiment to control the variable. Thus, they will all be at par in terms of the level of hunger.