Imagine that you are interested in studying whether the manner in which a person is treated during a social interaction on the Internet affects his or her mood or self-esteem.
Scenario B. The Internet has become an outlet not just for information but for social relationships as well. It is well known that being ostracized from a group has negative consequences for a person. Imagine that you are interested in studying whether the manner in which a person is treated during a social interaction on the Internet affects his or her mood or self-esteem. You design an experiment to test the idea that individuals who are ostracized in an Internet social interaction will show poorer mood and lower self-esteem than those who are accepted.