McMaster University researchers Margo Wilson and Martin Daly showed 209 male and female students pictures of attractive and not-so-attractive people of the opposite sex. Each was then offered a chance to win a prize. They could accept a check for between $15 and $35 tomorrow or one for $50 to $75 at some point in the future. The results for men: After a man views pictures of women who were of average attractiveness, they made a rational decision about accepting a larger prize amount some time in the future. But when they had just seen pictures of beautiful women, they discounted the future value of the reward in an irrational way and opted instead for the immediate and smaller cash outlay. In other words, after seeing a very attractive woman, the men were more likely to make dumb choices. the results for women: Viewing the photographs of men- whether they were average or above average attractiveness- had no effect on women's ability to make rational decisions.
What is the Explanatory variable(s)/Factor(s) Quantitative vs. Categorical?
What are the Treatment(s) or Factor Levels?
What are the response variable(s) Quantitative vs. Categorical?
Describe the experiment design.
Explain how experimental design principles apply in this study: Control, Randomization, Replication
Is Blocking used? If so describe the blocking and why it was used?
Is Blinding used? If so, describe the blinding in context.
What concerns do you have with this study?
What conclusions can be drawn?
No one has answered this question yet.
Explanatory variables/factors: The attractiveness of the pictures shown (average attractiveness vs. beautiful)
Quantitative vs. Categorical: The explanatory variable in this case is categorical as it involves different levels or categories of attractiveness (average vs. beautiful).
Treatment/Factor Levels: The treatment levels are the two categories of attractiveness - average and beautiful.
Response variable: The response variable in this case is the decision made by the participants (accepting a larger prize amount in the future or opting for a smaller immediate cash outlay).
Experimental Design: The experiment involved showing pictures of different levels of attractiveness to male and female students and observing their subsequent decision-making regarding the prize options.
Experimental design principles:
- Control: The experiment controlled for the attractiveness levels of the pictures shown to ensure that this was the only varying factor influencing the participants' decisions. Other factors that could influence decision-making, such as income, were not mentioned, so it is unclear if they were controlled for.
- Randomization: The participants were likely randomly assigned to different groups to minimize biases and ensure that any differences observed were due to the attractiveness levels of the pictures.
- Replication: The study does not mention the number of times the experiment was replicated. Replication is necessary to ensure that the observed effects are consistent and not just due to chance.
Blocking: The study does not mention the use of blocking. Blocking involves grouping participants based on some characteristic and then randomly assigning treatments within those groups. It helps control for variability due to the characteristic used in blocking.
Blinding: The study does not mention blinding. Blinding refers to keeping the participants or the experimenters unaware of which treatment group they are in. Blinding helps prevent biases in decision-making or observation.
Concerns with this study:
- Sample Size: The study does not mention the sample size, so it is unclear if it is large enough to draw generalized conclusions.
- Generalizability: The study involved only one university and the results may not be representative of the larger population.
- External Factors: The study does not account for other external factors that could influence decision-making, such as cultural differences or individual psychological differences.
Conclusions: Based on the information provided, it can be concluded that viewing pictures of beautiful women affected the decision-making of men in terms of discounting future rewards. However, the study does not provide enough information to draw conclusions about women's decision-making.