Transcription Experimental research: establishing cause and effect
The Only Method to Determine Causality
The only research method that has the ability to reliably establish a cause-and-effect relationship is experimental research.
This approach goes beyond the simple description or association of variables, since its objective is to be able to demonstrate that one factor causes a change in another.
Unlike other methods, the experiment is the only one that can allow us to answer the question of why a certain behavior or phenomenon occurs.
This ability to determine causality is what makes experimental research the gold standard within scientific psychology.
The Deliberate Manipulation of Variables
The essence of every experiment lies in the deliberate manipulation of one or more variables by the researcher in a completely controlled situation.
This experimental manipulation is carried out in order to observe the effects that this variable has on some aspect of the behavior being studied.
The variable that is manipulated by the researcher is known as the independent variable, since its value does not depend on the actions of the participant.
On the other hand, the variable that is measured in order to observe the effect of the manipulation is called the dependent variable, since its value depends on the independent variable.
By deliberately changing the independent variable and holding other factors constant, the researcher can isolate the cause of any observed change.
The Role of the Experimental Group and the Control Group
In order to establish a valid comparison, experimental research requires the use of at least two different groups of participants.
The first group is known as the experimental group, and it is the one that receives the treatment or manipulation that the researcher is studying.
The second group is the control group, which does not receive any treatment and serves as a baseline against which the results can be compared.
The only difference that should exist between these two groups is the exposure to the independent variable that
experimental research establishing cause and effect
