Alabama Social Studies SS24.P.2a
The Standard
- SS24.P.2
- Describe methodologies, research tools, and strategies used by researchers in psychological studies.*
Contrast the roles of independent, dependent, and confounding variables and the functions of control and experimental groups within the scientific method.
2024 Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies · Introduction to Psychology
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students identify what a researcher changes, what gets measured, and what else could affect the result. They explain why one group gets the treatment and another does not.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Given a study of music and memory, a student labels music as the independent variable and words recalled as the dependent variable. They identify the music group as experimental, the silence group as control, and extra study time as a confound.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may call the outcome the independent variable because it changes during the study. They may think a control group gets no instructions, or mistake a confound for the treatment being tested.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: One group studies words with music and another in silence, but the music group gets two extra minutes. Label the independent and dependent variables, identify each group, and name the confound.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give half the class the same word list with music and half in silence, then count words recalled after one minute.
Ask: If the music group gets extra study time, can recall scores show the effect of music? Explain your answer.
Give pairs study cards about music, sleep, exercise, and caffeine; have them label both groups, both variables, and a possible confound.
Show an ad claiming a memory drink raises test scores; students sketch drink and no-drink groups and flag extra tutoring as a confound.
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Related Standards
- SS24.P.2
Describe methodologies, research tools, and strategies used by researchers in psychological studies.*
- SS24.S.7
Analyze how different types of social groups can influence individual and group behavior.*
- SS24.P.2b
Identify and explain systematic procedures necessary for conducting an experiment and improving the validity of results.*
- SS24.S.3
Compare and contrast the three major sociological theories: functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interaction.*
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