What is the primary purpose of experimentation in psychology?

The primary purpose of experimentation in psychology is to manipulate a variable and observe its effects. This method allows researchers to systematically investigate how changes in one variable (the independent variable) directly affect another variable (the dependent variable). By controlling for extraneous variables and using random assignment, experiments are designed to establish clearer evidence of relationships between variables.

While establishing a cause-effect relationship is indeed a key goal of experiments, it is the manipulation of variables that enables researchers to infer this causal relationship. This process distinguishes experimental research from other methodologies, such as correlational studies, where variables are observed without manipulation, making it difficult to draw conclusions about causality. Thus, the ability to directly manipulate a variable and observe its effects under controlled conditions is fundamental to the experimental approach in psychology.