Teaching Experimental Methods While Bringing Smiles to Your Students' Faces

Abstract

In this article, we illustrate a simple field experiment that facilitates student understanding of several important methodological issues, including random assignment, equalizing the strength of manipulations, and experimenter bias. The basic hypothesis of the field experiment is that people respond to smiles with smiles but fail to reciprocate frowns. Several classroom replications have demonstrated that this effect is reliable, although the processes underlying the findings are still unknown and consequently generate useful theoretical discussions by students. An evaluation of the demonstration's effectiveness showed that students increased their understanding of experimentation and attributed much of their learning to the field experiment.

To Be Looked at as Though Air

“…We hypothesized that being acknowledged by a stranger via eye contact would decrease an individual's feelings of disconnection, whereas being looked at as though air would increase these feelings. We also tested whether an acknowledgment with a smile was necessary to induce feelings of social connection (Grahe, Williams, & Hinsz, 2000).…”

Behind the Facts: Helping Students Evaluate Media Reports of Psychological Research

“…At the same time, teachers of undergraduate psychology courses have commented on students' lack of enthusiasm about research methods (Bates, 1991;Vittengl et al, 2004). In response, some instructors have designed activities that attempt to increase such enthusiasm (Bates, 1991;Goldstein, Hopkins, & Strube, 1994;Grahe, Williams, & Hinsz, 2000;Vernoy, 1994). Thus, the challenge for many instructors is helping students discover that understanding research methods will have real-world relevance throughout students' lives.…”