According to Experimental-Resources, experimental research is regarded as “a collection of research designs which use manipulation and controlled testing to understand causal processes. Generally, one or more variables are manipulated to determine their effect on a dependent variable”. The site also notes that experimental research is used when there is a time priority in a causal relationship where the “cause precedes effect”, there is consistency in a causal relationship, or a “cause will always lead to the same effect” and the magnitude of correlation is of a large magnitude.
Consequently, this week I found an experimental study in Public Relations Review, that was conducted in order to see what type of emotions inside of an advocacy video for a public relations campaign would work best to increase awareness in young women about the need to protect themselves from breast cancer with “breast self-examinations” or BSE. The study surveyed a sample of 147 young women from a large southwestern university whom viewed different videos that emphasized different emotional methods to get the viewer to see the need to protect herself. The results overall concluded that the best way to get protection in the minds of these young women was using “symbolic” modeling with respect to behavioral intentions rather than “persuasive efficacy” information which although was better than the control video shown of just a normal cancer ad without mention of breast cancer or BSE overall.
I feel that this study really depicts a way to use experimental research to aid a campaign as well as serve as a way to copy test an idea to see if it will work before implementation. Such studies help to provide insights to otherwise intangible methods of instructions and increase confidence one may have in results a campaign can provide.
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