Web Exercise #1: Why “Random” Is Important in Research

Chapter 2 reviewed the important of “randomness” in research. Random sampling is important in terms of maximizing generalizability (i.e., external validity). Also, random assignment is a necessary condition of true experiments. If a social psychologist cannot randomly assign participants to conditions, the study cannot be a true experiment that allows for strong cause-effect arguments.

There are a variety of ways to select and assign participants to conditions, such as drawing names from a hat or using a random numbers table. More recently, random number generators have appeared on the Internet to make researchers’ lives easier.

To learn more about random sampling and random assignment, visit:

https://www.randomizer.org/

Web Exercise #2: Statistics Padlet

Chapter 2 discusses three important statistics in social psychology, including the t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and correlation. Statistics can be stressful or fun depending on how they are studied. One fun way to think about statistics is to create a Padlet and conduct an online “scavenger hunt” for comics and images that illustrate the humorous side of statistics. Create a Padlet and share your favorite images in a collaborative pinboard.

Web Exercise #3: Online, Self-Paced Ethics Training

Social psychologists (and undergraduate and graduate students!) who are thinking about a research study must first submit an application to an Institutional Review Board (IRB) at their school or organization. Prior to submitting an IRB application, these researchers usually complete ethics training related to protecting the rights of human participants. To learn more, register and peruse a self-paced, online ethics training course at the following National Institutes of Health (NIH) web site:

Protecting Human Research Participants

If you complete all of the modules, you can even earn a certificate of completion!