Case Study Chapter 2 Robin Mosier had just returned from her psychology class an
ID: 3067985 • Letter: C
Question
Case Study Chapter 2
Robin Mosier had just returned from her psychology class and was eager to tell her
roommate about an idea she had. Julie Hansen had taken the same class the previous
semester, so Robin was hopeful that Julie could help her out. The psychology professor
gave the class an assignment to come up with a research design to test some hypothesis.
Robin’s idea came from the job she had held the past summer.
Robin began to describe her idea. “Last summer I worked in data entry of the records
department of a bank. Sometimes it wasn’t always clear how we should fill out certain
reports and forms. I was always pretty reluctant to go to my supervisor, Mr. Kast, and ask
for help. So were the other female workers. But I noticed the guys didn’t seem to be
reluctant at all to ask him for help. So I got this idea; see, I think women are more reluctant
than men to ask a male superior for help.”
“Okay,” replied Julie. “So now you have to come up with a way to test that idea?”
“Right,” said Robin. “I was thinking maybe I could make up a questionnaire and ask
students in my class about it. I think people would know if they felt that way or not.”
“Maybe so,” Julie said, “but maybe they wouldn’t want to admit it. You know, it could
be one of those things that either you don’t realize about yourself, or if you do, you just
don’t want to say so.”
“Well, if I can’t just ask people about it, maybe I could do some sort of experiment,”
Robin commented. “What if I gave students some tasks to do, but the instructions weren’t
too clear? If I’m right, more men than women will ask a male experimenter for help.”
“Do you think you’d get the opposite effect with a female experimenter?” asked Julie.
“You mean, would more women than men ask a female experimenter for help? I don’t
know. Maybe,” answered Robin.
“If that’s the case,” said Julie, “you might want to test both male and female
experimenters with both male and female subjects.”
Robin scratched some notes on a pad. Then she said, “Do you think an experimenter in
a study is the same thing as a boss on a job? You see your boss every day, but you may be
in an experiment for only about an hour. Maybe that would make a difference in whether
you sought help.”
“I’m sure it could,” replied Julie. “I know I would act differently toward someone I
might not see again than toward someone I’d have to work with a long time.”
“I know what I’ll do,” Robin responded. “I won’t do the experiment in a lab setting,
but I’ll go back to the company where I worked last summer. I’ll ask the male and female
office workers how they feel about asking Mr. Kast for help. I saw the way they acted last
summer, and I’d bet they tell me the truth.”
“Wait a minute,” cautioned Julie. “Just because some women may be intimidated by
Mr. Kast doesn’t mean that effect holds for all male supervisors. Mr. Kast is just one man.
How do you know it holds for all men? That’s what you want to test, right?”
Robin looked disconsolate. “There’s got to be a good way to test this, although I guess
it’s more complicated than I thought.”
Questions
2. If this idea were tested using a laboratory or quasi-experiment method, what variables
should be eliminated or controlled in the research design?
3. If this idea were tested with a questionnaire, what questions should be asked?
4. If this idea were tested with the observation method, what behaviors would you look
for?
5. What other variables might explain the employees’ attitude toward Mr. Kast?
Explanation / Answer
2) if this idea were tested using a laboratory or quasi-experment method, the variables of should be eliminated or controlled in the research design are of anoynymity thus eliminating consequences and creating a friendly environment with a feeling of understanding
3) if this idea were tested with a questionnaire, it should be kept anonymous so as to protect the privacy of the employees and ask relevant questions like do you feel intimidated in asking for a doubt clarification to a male superior
or it should be asked as to which gender would they feel more comfortable with asking for clarification as their superior.
4) Controlled observations (usually a structured observation) are likely to be carried out in a psychology laboratory. The researcher decides where the observation will take place, at what time, with which participants, in what circumstances and uses a standardised procedure. Participants are randomly allocated to each independent variable group. if this idea were tested with the observation method, the behaviour that one should look for is of hesitation, fear and nervousness.
5) The varibale of fear of losing their job and losing the source of income, the inability to maintain a social life and the need of mutual acceptance demotivates th employees to say or tick anything against Mr Kast rendering the survey or experiment unfit.