This week we talked about multigroup experiments. Read the article by Bushman and Anderson on the Desensitizing Effects of Violent Media on Helping Others. Once you have read through the article, please answer the following questions:

1) The authors conducted two studies – one with video games and one with movies. When considering the study involving the video games, was this a two-group or a multigroup experiment? Why? 

2) In the study at the movie theater, the “emergency” was staged before people went to watch their movie for some people and for others it was staged after they saw their violent or nonviolent movie. Do you think this study was a multigroup study? Was there a control group? Do you think that there are any issues in the way they set up their experiment?

3) Imagine that you want to examine Bushman and Anderson’s hypothesis that watching a violent movie (or playing a violent video game) will make you less likely to help someone in need. Pick a violent medium (movie or video game, not both) and describe how you would conduct a similar experiment that would be clearly multigroup. Make sure to identify your independent variable, your dependent variable, and your control.