Question

Dr. Chen designs an experiment to study the effect of facial expressions on dating preferences. His participants see photographs of people who have a neutral facial expression or who are smiling. Dr. Chen asks participants to rate the attractiveness of each photograph. In this experiment, the participants seeing the neutral faces are the and the participants seeing the smiling faces are the a. control group; experimental group b. dependent variable; independent variable c. experimental group; control group d. independent variable; dependent variable

Short answer

In Dr. Chen's experiment, the participants seeing the neutral faces are the control group, and the participants seeing the smiling faces are the experimental group. Therefore, the correct answer is: a. control group; experimental group

Step-by-step solution

Identify the given groups in the experiment

In Dr. Chen's experiment, there are two groups of participants: 1. Those who see photographs of people with neutral facial expressions. 2. Those who see photographs of people with smiling facial expressions.

Determine the control group

A control group is a group that is used as a baseline for comparison in an experiment. In Dr. Chen's experiment, the control group would be the group that experiences no intervention, that is, seeing photographs of people with neutral facial expressions. Therefore, the participants seeing the neutral faces are the control group.

Determine the experimental group

The experimental group is a group of participants that is exposed to the intervention or treatment under investigation. In Dr. Chen's experiment, the experimental group would be the group that experiences the treatment, that is, seeing photographs of people with smiling facial expressions. Therefore, the participants seeing the smiling faces are the experimental group.

Match the groups to the correct answer option

Now that we have identified the control and experimental groups, we need to match them with the correct answer option provided. The control group is the neutral facial expression group, and the experimental group is the smiling faces group. Therefore, the correct answer is: a. control group; experimental group

Key concepts

Control Group

In psychological research, a control group serves as a baseline for comparison. It doesn't receive the experimental treatment, allowing researchers to observe what changes occur without any intervention. This group helps to determine if the effect observed is actually due to the experimental treatment and not some other factors.
Dr. Chen's experiment is a great example. Here, the participants viewing neutral facial expressions form the control group. They function as a standard to see how the attractiveness ratings differ without the influence of smiling faces.
Understanding the purpose of a control group can clarify why it’s a crucial part of experimental research:

• It helps reduce variables and bias by providing a compare-and-contrast element.
• They maintain the integrity of the experiment by ensuring that the only variation in the experiment is the independent variable.

Experimental Group

The experimental group is the set of participants in a study that receives the treatment or condition being tested. This group is vital as it allows researchers to evaluate the impact of the independent variable. In Dr. Chen's experiment, the participants observing the smiling faces are considered the experimental group. These participants' reactions help determine how smiling influences dating preferences.
Being the focus of the experiment, the experimental group gets:

• Exposed to the variable or condition that is presumed to cause a change.
• Form the basis for testing the hypothesis.

Observing differences between the control and experimental groups helps researchers understand if the intervention caused a significant impact. This further allows researchers to draw conclusions and make informed decisions about the hypothesis.

Independent Variable

The independent variable is an essential element in any experiment. It is the factor that researchers change or manipulate to determine if it affects another variable. This concept is central to identifying the cause-and-effect relationships in research. In Dr. Chen's study, the independent variable is the facial expression of the photographs. Dr. Chen manipulates this variable by showing either neutral or smiling faces.
The independent variable is crucial for several reasons:

• It helps identify what effect, if any, the manipulation causes in the dependent variable.
• It allows researchers to test their hypotheses and draw conclusions about the relationships between variables.

Clearly understanding which element is being manipulated is fundamental to structuring a well-organized experiment and interpreting results accurately.