Research Methods

Factorial Designs

In the following research scenario, the two main characters are switched in different versions of the story. You can get an idea of how the story changes as the role of the wife is switched with the role of the husband. Some of the changes appear below to show you how the story alters.

In a second version of the story, the wife or husband travels into the city to meet a lover rather than to volunteer at a hospital. The same fate befalls the character in this version.

The Scenario:

Once upon a time, a husband and wife lived together in a part of the city separated by a river from their workplaces, shopping, and entertainment. The husband/wife had to work nights. Each evening, he/she left his wife and took the ferry to work, returning in the morning.

The wife/husband tired of this arrangement. Restless and lonely, she/he would take the next ferry into town each evening and volunteer at the local hospital. She/he always returned home before her husband/his wife. In fact, her/his volunteer work was always limited. When she/he became too attached to the patients, she/he would leave one floor of the hospital and begin work with different patients. Sometimes, the hospital workers were angry because she/he would leave without any warning.

One night, she/he decided that she/he was getting too attached to the patients, so she/he informed the nurse that she/he would not be returning after that night. The nurse, who we will call Nurse I, became angry and asked her/him to leave. Nurse I slammed the door in her/his face, and the wife/husband started back to the ferry. Suddenly, she/he realized that she/he had forgotten to bring money for her/his return fare. She/he swallowed her pride and returned to Nurse I to borrow the fare. After all, she/he did have to get home.

But Nurse I was vengeful and angry because of the quarrel. The nurse again slammed the door in her/his face, leaving her with no money. she/he remembered that another nurse, who we shall call Nurse II, was also working that night. Surely, she would give her/him the money. Nurse II, like Nurse I, was still angry from a quarrel they had and refused her/him the money.

Now the hour was late and the woman/man was getting desperate. She/he rushed down to the ferry and pleaded with the ferryboat captain. The captain knew her/him as a regular customer. She/he asked if the captain could let her/him ride for free and if she/he could pay the next night. But the captain insisted that rules were rules and that he could not let the woman/man ride without paying the fare.

Dawn would soon be breaking, and her her husband/his wife would be returning soon from work. The woman/man remembered that there was a free bridge about a mile further on. But the road to the bridge was dangerous, known to be frequented by thieves and muggers. Nonetheless, she/he had to get home, so she/he took the road.

On the way, a criminal stepped out of the bushes and demanded her/his money. The woman/man told the criminal that she had none. The criminal seized her/him. In the ensuing fight, the criminal stabbed the woman/man and she/he died.

There were six main characters in the story:
• Husband
• Wife
• Nurse I
• Nurse II
• Ferryboat Captain
• Criminal

Suppose you can assign blame points to the character. Who is the most responsible for the woman’s death?

You have 25 points in total. If you give all 25 points to one person, you have none left. If you give 15 points to one person, you can assign another 10 points to whatever character or characters you wish. The only limitation is that the total points can add to only 25.

Points:
_____ Husband
_____ Wife
_____ Nurse I
_____ Nurse II
_____ Ferryboat Captain
_____ Criminal

Here are the results:

Dependent Variable: Blame points for victim

Sex of Victim	Type of Activity	Mean	Std. Dev.	N
Female	Sexual affair	11.4	7.30	39
	Volunteering	3.5	3.33	39
	Total	7.4	6.89	78
Male	Sexual affair	8.6	6.25	38
	Volunteering	3.8	5.00	34
	Total	6.4	6.14	72
Total	Sexual affair	10.0	6.89	77
	Volunteering	3.6	4.16	73
	Total	6.9	6.54	150

 Tests of Between-Subjects Effects

 Dependent Variable: Blame points for victim

Questions:

Are there significant main effects?

Is there a significant interaction?