Question

4 does the wording of a request impact childrens willingness to help? researchers wondered if referring to a child as a \helper\ or asking a child to \help\ would affect their behavior. participants were 51 four - and five - year old children who were randomly assigned to one of three groups. 17 children were assigned to the \verb condition\ by asking them to help pick up toys, 17 children were assigned to the
oun condition\ by asking them to be helpers when picking up toys, and the remaining 17 children were assigned to a baseline group (without using help or helper). researchers then measured the number of toys children picked up after being given the directions. the children who were assigned the noun condition (helper) helped significantly more than the children in the other two groups.
a. draw an outline of the experiment.
b. identify the experimental units.
c. identify the treatments.
d. identify the response variable.

Explanation:

• a. Outline of the experiment:
• Participants: 51 four - and five - year - old children.
• Random assignment: To three groups (verb condition, noun condition, baseline).
• Treatments: Verb condition (ask to help pick up toys), noun condition (ask to be helpers), baseline (no help/helper reference).
• Response measurement: Number of toys picked up.
• b. Experimental units: The 51 four - and five - year - old children.
• c. Treatments:
• Verb condition: Asking children to help pick up toys.
• Noun condition: Asking children to be helpers when picking up toys.
• Baseline: No use of "help" or "helper" in instructions.
• d. Response variable: The number of toys children picked up after being given the directions.

Answer:

a.

Step	Description
2	Randomly assign to 3 groups (17 each)
3	Group 1: Verb condition (help pick up toys)
4	Group 2: Noun condition (be helpers)
5	Group 3: Baseline (no help/helper)
6	Measure number of toys picked up

b. The 51 four - and five - year - old children.

c.

• Verb condition: Asking to help pick up toys.
• Noun condition: Asking to be helpers.
• Baseline: No "help" or "helper" reference.

d. The number of toys children picked up.