Homework Assignment #4Experimental Studies, CAS 304

This assignment requires you to read and analyze the following study, and then answer a few questions. (20 points).

Does sex sell?Attempting to find an answer to this difficult question, marketing researchers Michael LaTour, Robert Pitts, and David Snook-Luther conducted an experiment to investigate the effects of female nudity in print advertisements on subjects' physical arousal.

Arousal is defined as the release of energy into various internal physiological systems in preparation for overt activity.Arousal is often described as physical activation, energy mobilization and excitation.

Subjects for the experiments were 202 business majors enrolled in an introductory management course.They were randomly assigned to one of the three conditions.Subjects in each condition viewed two original ads projected on a screen.The first ad shown was a perfume ad.The second ad shown was one of the three treatment ads.The three treatment ads contained the same copy and product image as the initial ad, but each was designed to produce a different level of arousal.

Low-arousal producing ad pictures a fully clothed couple standing apart from each other in a non-suggestive pose.

The moderate-arousal producing ad pictures an apparently nude female model with her breasts and lower abdomen concealed by the perfume bottle image.

The high-arousal producing ad pictures the same female, with the perfume bottle image moved away from the model, clearly exposing her breasts and lower abdomen.

All the subjects filled out a questionnaire immediately after viewing the ads.The questionnaire contains a checklist of adjectives, the subjects were asked to rate themselves on a four-point scale ranging from "definitely feel" to "definitely do not feel" with regard to each of the adjectives (active, energetic, sleepy, calm, tense, etc.)In addition, subjects' gender and age were also measured and controlled for in the final analysis.

The data showed that: 1) viewing the high-arousal ad led to higher levels of activation, increased tension and fatigue, and decreased calmness.And 2) the semi-nude condition produced the opposite effects: less tension and fatigue but more calmness.

Questions:

(1)What would you conclude from this study? (You ought to make your evaluation based on what is presented here.)What other information would you need before you can reach a less ambiguous conclusion with regard to the research question? (4 points)

(2)How would you diagram this experimental design?Does this study have all the elements of a true experimental design?(2 points)

(3)What comparisons did the researchers make in their data analysis? (2 points)

(4)What are the possible extraneous factors that were not controlled for in this study?Be sure to discuss each in terms of its relation to internal and external validity? (2 points)

(5)Based on the above discussion, propose a design of your own to address the initial research question:Does sex sell?Make sure your design includes all these elements:the independent and dependent variables, how to measure each of them, your research setting, your subjects, how to recruit and divide them into conditions, comparisons you will have, and how to control for extraneous variables. (10 points)