91Ó°ÊÓ

During the one-week period of January \(11-18,2012,\) Facebook conducted an experiment to research whether emotional states can be transferred to others via emotional contagion. Facebook users were randomly selected to be part of two parallel studies in which Facebook manipulated the exposure to emotional expressions in the user's news feed. Two parallel experiments were conducted. In one study, it reduced the positive emotional content; in the other study, the negative emotional content was reduced. For each study, there was a control group (the users' news feed was not manipulated), and an experimental group (the users' news feed was manipulated-either positively or negatively). Two variables were measured in each study after the manipulation by Facebook: the percentage of all words produced by a person that was positive and the percentage of all words produced by a person that was negative. There were 689,003 Facebook users in the study. (Source: \(P N A S,\) June \(17,2014,\) vol. \(111,\) no. \(24,\) www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1320040111) a. Explain why this study is an experiment. b. Identity the experimental units. c. For the study in which exposure to friends' positive emotional content was reduced, identity the explanatory variable and the two response variables. d. The Facebook users randomly selected for the study were unaware they were part of this experiment. Provide a reason Facebook elected not to inform the selected users that they were part of an experiment. Provide a reason the users selected for the study may have felt not informing them about the study was unethical.

Step by step solution

01

Understand Why It's an Experiment

A study is considered an experiment if researchers manipulate one or more variables and measure the effect of this manipulation on other variables. In this case, Facebook manipulated the emotional content in the users' news feed (either positively or negatively), which qualifies it as an experiment because they intentionally changed an independent variable to observe any changes in the dependent variables.

02

Identify the Experimental Units

The experimental units in the study are the individual Facebook users whose news feeds were manipulated. Since each user experienced either the manipulated or control condition, they are the primary focus of the study and its outcomes.

03

Determine the Explanatory and Response Variables

For the study where exposure to positive emotional content was reduced, the explanatory variable is the reduction or presence of positive emotional content in the news feed. The two response variables are the percentage of positive words and the percentage of negative words produced by the users after the manipulation.

04

Reason for Not Informing Participants

Facebook likely chose not to inform the users to maintain the natural behavior of participants. Informing them could have influenced their behavior or emotional responses, thus affecting the validity of the study results.

05

Ethical Concerns About Non-Disclosure

Users might perceive the lack of disclosure as unethical because it involved manipulation of content without their informed consent. This raises concerns about autonomy and the right to know when they are part of a research study.

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Key Concepts

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

Experimental Units

In any statistical experiment, the term 'experimental units' refers to the objects or subjects being studied. They are the entities whose characteristics we measure and analyze during the course of the experiment. In the Facebook emotional contagion study, the experimental units were individual Facebook users. This means each user experienced either the controlled or manipulated conditions (positive or negative content changes in their news feed). These users are the primary focus for analyzing the experiment's outcomes, as their reactions and word expressions were directly influenced by the manipulation of their news feeds. By treating each user as an experimental unit, researchers can assess how changes in their news feed impact their emotional expression.

Explanatory Variable

An explanatory variable is what researchers manipulate in an experiment to observe its effect on a response variable. In the Facebook study, the explanatory variable was the alteration of emotional content in users’ news feeds, specifically the reduction in exposure to positive emotional content. By adjusting this variable, researchers intended to see how such tweaks influenced users' subsequent behavior and word choice. It's essentially the ingredient in the study that was changed to gauge its impact on other variables. Understanding what constitutes an explanatory variable is crucial for identifying which factors are being tested for causal relationships in any experiment.

Response Variables

Response variables are the outcomes that researchers measure in a study to see if they change due to the manipulation of the explanatory variable. In the Facebook experiment, two primary response variables were assessed:

• The percentage of positive words written by the users.
• The percentage of negative words written by the users.

These response variables provide measurable data that indicates whether the reduced exposure to positive content in users' feeds had any effect on their expression of emotions through words. By analyzing these changes, researchers aim to understand the influence of manipulated emotional content on users’ emotional states.

Ethical Considerations

Ethical considerations are critical in any experiment, especially those involving human subjects. In Facebook's study where users were not informed about their participation, ethical concerns arise primarily around consent. Users might view this lack of transparency as unethical because it involved alterations in their experience without informed consent. Ethical research practices demand that participants are aware and agree to the conditions under which they are being studied, respecting their autonomy. Furthermore, informing participants that they are part of an experiment may influence their behavior, altering the study's validity. However, ethical norms are designed to prioritize participants' rights and well-being, making consent and transparency pivotal in research involving human subjects. Balancing these aspects is essential to conduct responsible and respectful research.