Experimental method

 

Experimental method refers to whether the experiment was conducted in a research laboratory, online, or in the field.

Occasionally, distinctions between the field and the scientific laboratory as a study or intervention are unclear. Paluck and Green (2009) offer this guidance for classification: "In an experimental design, units of observation (e.g., individuals, classrooms) are assigned at random to a treatment and to placebo or no-treatment conditions. Field experiments are randomized experiments that test the effects of real-world interventions in naturalistic settings, but the distinction between field and lab is often unclear. The laboratory can be the site of very realistic interventions, and conversely, artificial interventions may be tested in a nonlaboratory setting. When assessing the degree to which experiments qualify as field experiments, one must consider four aspects of the study: (a) participants, (b) the intervention and its target, (c) the obtrusiveness of intervention delivery, and (d ) the assessed response to the intervention."

 

523 Publications
2022

We exploit a policy designed to randomly allocate roommates in a large South African university to investigate whether inter-racial interaction affects stereotypes, attitudes and performance. Using Implicit Association Tests, we find that living with a roommate of a different race reduces white students' negative stereotypes towards black ones…

2020

Stigma associated with gambling disorder is complex, and is a key obstacle that prevents sufferers from seeking early help for their condition. However, little research has addressed how best to reduce gambling stigma. This study explored the effectiveness of video intervention styles, that have been used to reduce public stigma for conditions…

2020

Imagined contact can be effective at reducing social stigma. However, the effect may depend on the strength of the stigma held. We tested the robustness of imagined contact in an Asian setting where stigmatization of mental illness is stronger than in Western countries. In Experiment 1 (n = 167) with five conditions, only an enhanced version of…

2020

Individuals with obesity often report experiencing prejudice and discrimination due to their weight. Past research on obesity bias reduction strategies have yielded mixed results. The present study investigated the effectiveness of manipulating information about weight controllability in reducing obesity bias. Participants (N = 350) were…

2020

One of the key factors contributing to the development of negative attitudes toward out-groups is lack of knowledge about them. The present study investigated what type of information 3- to 4- and 5- to 6- year-old Jewish Israeli children (N = 82) are interested in acquiring about unfamiliar in- and out-group individuals, and how providing…

2019

In this experiment, we examined the effect of perspective-taking—actively contemplating others’ psychological experiences—on linguistic intergroup bias. We asked some participants to adopt the perspective of a character (an Italian or a Maghrebian), while others did not receive similar instructions, and complete a short dialogue comprised of a…

2019

European majority group members increasingly perceive threats to national continuity, which in turn leads to defensive reactions, including prejudice against Muslim immigrants. However, according to self-affirmation theory, individuals can respond in a less defensive manner if they have affirmed positive aspects of their self-concept (self…

2019

The current studies aimed to reveal the potential role of imagined intergroup contact on collective action tendencies within a context of intergroup conflict. Study 1 (disadvantaged Kurds, N = 80) showed that imagined contact increased collective action tendencies and this effect was mediated by increased perceived discrimination and ethnic…

2019

We examined the effectiveness of an imagery-based strategy designed to reduce prejudice in preschoolers in Italy. Three studies involving different target groups (disabled children, Black children) were conducted within Italian preschools. Children (4–6 years) were asked to imagine and draw meeting an outgroup member (Studies 1 and 2) or…

2019

We investigated whether confrontations of intergroup bias that had an external (e.g., emphasizing social norms) versus internal (e.g., emphasizing values) motivational framing differentially reduced subsequent stereotyping. Internally and externally framed confrontations reduced stereotyping equally compared to a control condition, both…