A group of psychologists is studying the effects of human contact on learning in rats. All

of the rats are learning to run a maze. One group of rats is petted and snuggled by the research

team on a daily basis. Another group of rats does not get human contact. The researchers

observe to see which group of rats learns the maze the fastest.

Dr. Bell is interested in whether or not distraction has an adverse effect on memory.

Research participants are asked to sit down and read a short story. They are told that there will

be a short quiz on the story, once they are done. In one group, research participants are left alone

to read the story. In another group, the researcher has a noisy argument with an assistant within

earshot of the research participants. At the end all of the research participants are quizzed on the

story.

Dr. Popapil is interested in whether or not a new drug will alter the levels of serotonin in

the brains of rats. One group of rats is given the drug while a control group is not given the drug.

After waiting for the drug to take effect, Dr. Popapil measures the level of serotonin for rats in

both groups.

A cognitive psychologist is doing a study called "The Effects of Caffeine on Memory in

College Students". Each of the experimental groups will be given various levels of caffeine,

while the control group will receive no caffeine. The researcher will then give research

participants in each group a memory test.

A group of social psychologists is interested in examining how the presence of

bystanders affects helping behavior. Research participants are placed in one of two groups. In

the first group, the research participants are placed in a room alone with an individual who has a

fainting spell. In the second group, research participants are placed in a room with three other

individuals; one of these individuals has a fainting spell. The researchers will observe to see if

the research participants go to the aid of the person who has just fainted. The person who faints

and the bystanders in group 2 are actors who have been hired by the researchers.

In order to investigate the effectiveness of a treatment for schizoaffective disorder, a rare

mental disorder, investigators closely follow one patient in a treatment facility. They record

interviews with the patient during the course of the treatment, as well as observe their behavior

in various settings within the facility, i.e. during meal times, during interactions with other

patients and staff, during free time. A detailed report on the findings is written following the

treatment.

In order to test the hypothesis that violent television programs produce aggressive

behaviors, a researcher had a group of children watch a violent cartoon and another group watch

a nature show. They then observed the children playing with their peers and counted the numbers

of physically aggressive acts displayed.

In order to investigate whether middle-class children use more complex sentences than

lower-class children, researchers divide 6 year old children into two groups: middle class

(family earns between $30 000 and $90 000 per year) and lower-class (family earns less than $30

000 per year). All children are then placed in a playroom with an adult, and the child’s

conversations are recorded. Researchers then count for each child the number of words per

sentence. 

A college professor found that the more class absences students have, the lower their

grade in the course tends to be.

Researchers believe that the more a pregnant woman smokes, the smaller will be the birth

weight of her baby. In order to investigate this question, researchers ask women to answer

questions while they are pregnant on the number of cigarettes they smoke on average on a daily

basis. Once the baby is born, they record the birth weight.