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Pros Of Confounding

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To become a more thorough researcher, one must be able to evaluate and analyze the various components of their study, including that of the independent and dependent variables, the participants, the experimental setting. Even during the process of designing one’s study, trying to design a study that does not have confounding variables, it can be a difficult task with much benefits. According to Halpern et al. (2007), “the fundamental goal of psychological research: to discover the causes and consequences of behavior” (Halpern, Roediger, Sternberg, p. 131, 2007). Thusly, for psychological research to show proper and true results without any alternate explanations, the study must be free of confounding variables. If there are confounding variables …show more content…

This type of study can be conducted as a between subjects or with-in subjects design. Unfortunately, both are susceptible to having confound variables. Specifically for experimental studies, low internal validity could occur if the independent variable was not the variable responsible for the results. To avoid confounds, random assignment and even performing a double blind study are some distinct ways of maintaining an internally valid experiment. Also, evaluating if the study of better suiting a between- subjects or with-in subjects design will also decrease likelihood of confounding variables. For correlational studies, in cases where research topics that cannot be manipulated experimentally, confounds such as direction of causality and the third variable problem can occur. With the direction of causality it is not clear with correlational studies if the first variables was the cause for the change in the second variable. The third variable problem is that there could be a underlying variable that could have produced the study’s results instead of the interaction between the first and second variable. The best method to combat this type of problems is to use experimental methods, such as covariance analysis and stratified analysis. With these two methods, avoiding confounds will be a tangible task and will ensure a more …show more content…

Having many measures in my study, with multiple readings and questionnaires, the order of the materials could have become a confound variable. For example, if I were to let participants read the manipulated trial transcript then complete the questionnaires, they could guess the purpose of the study (which is not juror decision making). I believe that besides one analyzing their study, having peer-reviews is very beneficial for founding out confounds that could occur in one’s study. For my peer review group, the suggestion of changing the ages was beneficial because not only have I haven’t thought about the issues with the previous ages (18, 23), but I understand why the new ages (17, 21) are more suitable. With the change of the ages at a more appropriate age, my chances of confounds have decreased and could decrease suspicions from participants regarding the age difference. This chapter has also made me aware of what experimental methods to lean on if I wanted to perform a study that was correlational. Overall, being able to critically analyze the study and make changes to avoid confounds is the best for experimental and correlational studies to remain internally valid for not only that current study, but future research as

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