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Chapter 1: Problem 56

Use the following information to answer. The paper "Turning to Learn: Screen Orientation and Reasoning from Small Devices" (Computers in Human Behavior [2011]\(: 793-797)\) describes a study that investigated whether cell phones with small screens are useful for gathering information. The researchers wondered if the ability to reason using information read on a small screen was affected by the screen orientation. The researchers assigned 33 undergraduate students who were enrolled in a psychology course at a large public university to one of two groups at random. One group read material that was displayed on a small screen in portrait orientation, and the other group read material on the same size screen but turned to display the information in landscape orientation (see the following figure). The researchers found that performance on a reasoning test based on the displayed material was better for the group that read material in the landscape orientation. Is the study described above an observational study or an experiment?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The study described in the paper is an experiment, as it involves manipulation of a variable (screen orientation) and comparison of outcomes between two groups with different treatments (portrait vs. landscape orientation).

Step by step solution

01

Identify the study's design elements

: In the study, the researchers actively manipulated the screen orientation and randomly assigned subjects to two groups: - Group 1: Read material on a small screen in portrait orientation - Group 2: Read material on the same size screen in landscape orientation The outcome variable measured was the performance on a reasoning test based on the displayed material.
02

Compare the study's design to the definitions of an observational study and an experiment

: An observational study involves the observation or measurement of variables without any intervention or manipulation. In this case, the researchers actively manipulated the screen orientation for the participants, so it's not an observational study. An experiment involves active manipulation of a variable (called a treatment or intervention) and comparing the outcomes between the treatment group and a control group. In this study, the researchers manipulated the screen orientation for the participants and compared their performance on a reasoning test. Thus, this fits the definition of an experiment.
03

Determine the type of study

: Based on the analysis, the study described in the paper is an experiment, as it involves manipulation of a variable (screen orientation) and comparison of outcomes between two groups with different treatments (portrait vs. landscape orientation).

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Screen Orientation Effect
The 'screen orientation effect' refers to how the orientation of a device鈥檚 screen鈥攚hether it's in portrait or landscape mode鈥攃an influence the way users interact with the information displayed on it. This phenomena is critical as smartphones and other small-screen devices become increasingly prevalent for reading and information processing.

Research suggests that landscape orientation, which is wider than it is tall, may support better cognitive processing for certain tasks than portrait orientation. This could be due to the increased horizontal space, which allows for more text to be displayed on a single line, potentially aiding in reading comprehension and memory retention. Alternatively, it might be related to the way our eyes scan text or how our brain organizes visual information.

The study from the 'Computers in Human Behavior' journal examined this effect by testing reasoning skills after participants read from screens in different orientations. This kind of research can help us understand how to design digital interfaces that enhance cognitive performance, which is invaluable in educational technologies and user experience design.
Reasoning Test Performance
Reasoning test performance is a measure of cognitive function that assesses an individual's ability to think logically and solve problems. This type of performance is critical in many settings, from educational assessments to professional aptitude tests. In an educational context, researchers strive to understand different factors that may impact a student's ability to perform on reasoning tests.

Factors influencing reasoning test outcomes can be as nuanced as the test's content and format or as broad as the environmental setting and tools used during the test. The experimental study highlighted from 'Computers in Human Behavior' explores this concept by measuring how reasoning test performance changes when material is read from a screen in portrait versus landscape orientation.

Paying attention to reasoning test performance not only helps educators understand student outcomes but also enables them to design better educational practices and learning environments that optimize cognitive abilities. Understanding the underpinning factors that affect reasoning is essential for creating didactic approaches that can accommodate diverse learning styles and technological interactions.
Random Assignment
Random assignment is a cornerstone of experimental study design in statistics and research. It refers to the practice of assigning study participants to different groups or conditions purely based on chance, without any biases or systemic differences between the groups.

Using random assignment in the experiment from the 'Computers in Human Behavior' paper ensures that any differences in the reasoning test outcomes can be attributed with greater confidence to the screen orientation, rather than other confounding variables. This method is a powerful tool to help isolate the causal impact of the independent variable鈥攊n this case, screen orientation鈥攐n the dependent variable, the reasoning test performance.

Effectively randomizing participants supports the study's internal validity, making the conclusions drawn from the research more credible. When a study successfully employs random assignment, the results can significantly contribute to the scientific understanding of the topic, advancing academic theories and practical applications alike. Educators and researchers endeavor to refine techniques for randomization to improve the quality and reliability of experimental studies.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

According to the article "Rubbing Hands Together Under Warm Air Dryers Can Counteract Bacteria Reduction" (Infectious Disease News, September 22,2010 ), washing your hands isn't enough-good "hand hygiene" also includes drying hands thoroughly. The article described an experiment to compare bacteria reduction for three different hand-drying methods. In this experiment, subjects handled uncooked chicken for 45 seconds, then washed their hands with a single squirt of soap for 60 seconds, and then used one of the three hand-drying methods. The bacteria count on their hands was then measured. Suppose you want to carry out a similar experiment with 30 subjects who are willing to participate. Describe the steps in a process you might use to randomly assign each of the 30 subjects to one of the hand-drying methods.

The article "Rethinking Calcium Supplements" (U.S. Airways Magazine, October 2010) describes a study investigating whether taking calcium supplements increases the risk of heart attack. Consider the following four study descriptions. For each study, answer the following five questions: Question 1: Is the study described an observational study or an experiment? Question 2: Did the study use random selection from some population? Question 3: Did the study use random assignment to experimental groups? Question 4: Based on the study description, would it be reasonable to conclude that taking calcium supplements is the cause of the increased risk of heart attack? Question 5: Would it be reasonable to generalize conclusions from this study to some larger population? If so, what population? Study 1: Every heart attack patient and every patient admitted for an illness other than heart attack during the month of December, 2010 , at a large urban hospital was asked if he or she took calcium supplements. The proportion of heart attack patients who took calcium supplements was significantly higher than the proportion of patients admitted for other illnesses who took calcium supplements. Study 2: Two hundred people were randomly selected from a list of all people living in Minneapolis who receive Social Security. Each person in the sample was asked whether or not they took calcium supplements. These people were followed for 5 years, and whether or not they had had a heart attack during the 5-year period was noted. The proportion of heart attack victims in the group taking calcium supplements was significantly higher than the proportion of heart attack victims in the group not taking calcium supplements. Study 3: Two hundred people were randomly selected from a list of all people living in Minneapolis who receive Social Security. Each person was asked to participate in a statistical study, and all agreed to participate. Those who had no previous history of heart problems were instructed not to take calcium supplements. Those with a previous history of heart problems were instructed to take calcium supplements. The participants were followed for 5 years, and whether or not they had had a heart attack during the 5 -year period was noted. The proportion of heart attack victims in the calcium supplement group was significantly higher than the proportion of heart attack victims in the no calcium supplement group. Study 4: Four hundred people volunteered to participate in a 10-year study. Each volunteer was assigned at random to either group 1 or group \(2 .\) Those in group 1 took a daily calcium supplement. Those in group 2 did not take a calcium supplement. The proportion who suffered a heart attack during the 10 -year study period was noted for each group. The proportion of heart attack victims in group 1 was significantly higher than the proportion of heart attack victims in group 2

The article "Doctor Dogs Diagnose Cancer by Sniffing It Out" (Knight Ridder Newspapers, January 9, 2006) refers to an experiment described in the journal Integrative Cancer Therapies. In this experiment, dogs were trained to distinguish between people with breast and lung cancer and people without cancer by sniffing exhaled breath. Dogs were trained to lie down if they detected cancer in a breath sample. After training, the dogs' ability to detect cancer was tested using breath samples from people whose breath had not been used in training the dogs. The paper states, "The researchers blinded both the dog handlers and the experimental observers to the identity of the breath samples." Explain why this blinding is an important aspect of the design of this experiment.

1.48 The following is from an article titled "After the Workout, Got Chocolate Milk?" that appeared in the Chicago Tribune (January 18, 2005): Researchers at Indiana University at Bloomington have found that chocolate milk effectively helps athletes recover from an intense workout. They had nine cyclists bike, rest four hours, then bike again, three separate times. After each workout, the cyclists downed chocolate milk or energy drinks Gatorade or Endurox (two to three glasses per hour); then, in the second workout of each set, they cycled to exhaustion. When they drank chocolate milk, the amount of time they could cycle until they were exhausted was similar to when they drank Gatorade and longer than when they drank Endurox. For the experiment to have been well designed, it must have incorporated random assignment. Briefly explain where the researcher would have needed to use random assignment for the conclusion of the experiment to be valid.

Use the following information to answer. The paper "Turning to Learn: Screen Orientation and Reasoning from Small Devices" (Computers in Human Behavior [2011]\(: 793-797)\) describes a study that investigated whether cell phones with small screens are useful for gathering information. The researchers wondered if the ability to reason using information read on a small screen was affected by the screen orientation. The researchers assigned 33 undergraduate students who were enrolled in a psychology course at a large public university to one of two groups at random. One group read material that was displayed on a small screen in portrait orientation, and the other group read material on the same size screen but turned to display the information in landscape orientation (see the following figure). The researchers found that performance on a reasoning test based on the displayed material was better for the group that read material in the landscape orientation. Is the conclusion that reasoning using information displayed on a small screen is improved by turning the screen to landscape orientation appropriate, given the study design described above? Explain.
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